The showdown

"And this will be our next item!"

On the screen, the item was displayed.

Lot 10: The Red Helix – Synthetic Ruby Laced with Nanite Intelligence.

Starting Bid: 1,000,000

"Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on Lot Seventy-One — one of the rarest synthetic artifacts ever to grace this auction block..."

"The Red Helix."

"What you see before you is no ordinary gem. Fashioned in a closed-lab environment and laced with nanite intelligence, this synthetic ruby contains a fully functional AI — a prototype designed by the late and infamous Verus Korr."

"Yes, that Korr."

"This singular intelligence can analyze vast datasets in seconds, decrypt Class-A military encryption, and, if interfaced properly... run an entire defense grid with precision beyond current command protocols."