Chapter 4

The helicopter descended gracefully onto an illuminated helipad, its rotor blades slowing to a halt as it reached its destination. A voice reminiscent of H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N calmly announced, "We have arrived at our designated location, sir."

Alex abruptly snapped out of his deep contemplation regarding how to harness the power of the All Spark. With a sense of urgency, he exited the helicopter and immediately headed for the elevator, pressing the button for the 50th floor without hesitation. His mind raced with ideas and possibilities.

As the elevator door chimed open, he stepped out, seized by a brilliant notion. Energon, the purest form of energy, bore a resemblance to electricity, the most widely used energy source. By regulating the extraction of energy from the All Spark, he could discreetly achieve his goals without arousing suspicion.

Without a moment's delay, he stormed into his office, hardly acknowledging Helen and a stranger on the way. Bursting into the room, he reached for the power button on his desk, which was connected to a subterranean supercomputer.

As the monitor flickered to life, a message popped up on the screen, promptly dismissed by Alex. "H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N, how secure are our servers?" he inquired, concern evident in his eyes.

"They are currently operating at a 90% security level, sir," H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N responded.

Perplexed by the potential security breach, Alex dug deeper, asking, "Where is the security vulnerability?"

H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N explained, "A breach can occur if someone logs in through a computer connected to our network, sir."

Determined to rectify this issue promptly, Alex issued a swift command, "Create a concealed ghost computer, one that seamlessly integrates, and reroute all connections through that ghost computer."

"As you wish, sir," H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N acknowledged. "Also, it's currently 11:55, and you have an event at 12."

Recognizing the urgency, Alex instructed, "Time is of the essence. Find the most efficient method to convert energon into electricity while I attend the event." The urgency in his voice was palpable. "Now, where are those glasses?"

"Sir, those glasses can only display information and send voice messages, and for that, we need a computer as powerful as the sentient car you created," H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N reminded him.

Slightly frustrated but resolute, Alex continued, "That will have to do. Where are they?"

H.Y.P.E.R.I.O.N replied, "They are in the third cupboard, the fourth item on the left side, sir."

Without further delay, Alex retrieved the glasses, put them on, and exited his office.

Turning to his assistant, he spotted the man he intended to speak with.

"John," the man said, extending his arm for a handshake.

"Alex," Alex replied, shaking the man's hand.

"Helen, are they ready?" Alex asked, turning to his assistant.

"They are already at the expo, sir," Helen informed him.

With a gesture, Alex indicated for John to follow him. As they walked, Alex began to speak, "Your former colleagues seek revenge for your actions, John."

"I don't know what you're talking about," John stated firmly, his expression unwavering.

"Please, John, you know exactly what I mean. Don't pretend otherwise. As an act of vengeance, they have 'prophets' who predict that Helen will tragically perish in a car crash a month from now," Alex informed him.

As they continued their conversation, they entered an elevator that took them to the underground garage. Alex instructed John to get into the black sedan. While opening the passenger-side door, John asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Alex pulled up the car's hood, feigning a check, and replied, "I've endured a great deal in my life, John." Alex then carefully placed the All Spark in the engine compartment. "When I was five, I was a hostage in a shootout. At six, my parents adopted a child two years older than me."

With the cube now secure, he closed the hood and entered the driver's seat. Starting the car, he began driving.

"We got along well from the very beginning, and just a few short months later, my parents died in a very unfortunate car crash."

"They were killed," John stated knowingly.

"Bingo!" Alex exclaimed. "And just the next day, my elder brother went missing," Alex continued.

"The money my parents left me was only enough to buy a computer, and with my parents dead, I only had at most a week before I was thrown into the foster system or into an adoption center, neither of which were good options considering what I had heard."

"And you already know the rest of the story, don't you?" Alex questioned.

"I do, but it still doesn't answer my question, Mr. Alex. Why are you telling me this?"

"Very simple, John. There is no sane man on earth who would let their loved ones die if they could prevent it." Alex stated.

"What do I get out of it?" John asked.

"Your wife gets to live, and the high table thinks you died, whatever else do you want?" Alex questioned.

"How far are we?" Alex asked nobody.

"2.5 miles, sir. You will be there at 12:05," a monotone robotic voice answered.

"Yoh have an AI in your car?!" John was shocked.

"You, Watson, have an amazing skill for stating the obvious," Alex said blankly, speeding up.

He continued, "Should you accept my offer, you will receive whatever you may need up to the maximum value of $600,000 in one year. Any more, and you will have to do one job for me every thousand dollars you go over the limit," Alex finished.

John started contemplating the offer. After a few moments, he asked, "What do I need to do?"

Immediately, an image appeared on the infotainment system.

"Ernst Stavro Blofield. He is the leader of a terrorist organization called 'S.P.E.C.T.E.R'. I need him dead, and all the locations of his bases. Try your best to prevent anybody from realizing, but even if you fail, it won't matter," Alex informed.

He continued, "Your primary mission is to kill Blofield. Gathering Intel is secondary," and handed him a USB drive.

"Plug this into whatever computer you find. It will get the necessary information it needs; don't stay waiting for it either, it will short circuit the whole system after it is done. Your weapons will be handed to you after you reach the location," Alex said. "Questions?"

"No," John said.

Alex pulled into an alley and stopped. "A taxi will arrive in a minute to pick you up. You have one month to complete this mission. Good luck."