The immediate aftermath of the global market collapse was not characterized by chaos, but by a stunned, absolute paralysis. The world was now utterly dependent on the technological will of one man. David had destroyed the old energy paradigms and acquired their physical assets for pennies, transforming the global economy in a single day.
The political blowback arrived two days later. The world's leaders, terrified by their sudden loss of sovereignty over energy and economy, convened an emergency, closed-door summit at the UN Headquarters in Geneva. David, of course, was not invited.
The G7 Ultimatum
Prometheus streamed the entire classified meeting directly into David's mind, the AI having flawlessly integrated the Orion Network with the UN's secure communication systems. The atmosphere was one of palpable fear and collective fury.
"We are dealing with a rogue entity that has amassed unchecked power," declared the President of the United States, his voice strained. "Mr. David has committed an act of financial terrorism that has plunged sovereign nations into depression. His technology must be immediately nationalized and placed under UN oversight."
The Chancellor of Germany agreed, her tone measured but firm. "The threat is existential. He controls the energy of the future. And his city... that field... it is an act of aggression. We must issue a unified mandate demanding he disband the Quantum Field Emitter and submit all Tier 4 and Tier 5 blueprints for independent inspection. Failure to comply will be met with maximum international sanctions and designation as a global threat."
The consensus was clear: they would attempt to regulate David into submission. They did not dare initiate a kinetic attack, haunted by the memory of Blackguard's crushed Sentinel Unit, but they believed they could still wield the power of international law and collective economic sanction. An official, universal ultimatum was drafted: Aero Corp must dismantle its autonomous power structure or face complete global diplomatic and economic isolation.
The Weather Weapon Debut
David listened to the ultimatum with cold indifference. They spoke the language of tariffs and treaties; he spoke the language of physics and technological inevitability. They needed a demonstration—a non-violent, unforgettable display of the new Tier 7 power he possessed.
"Prometheus, calculate the minimum required deployment of the Global Weather Manipulation System (GWMS) to achieve psychological deterrence against the G7/UN summit, without causing physical harm," David commanded.
"Calculation complete," Prometheus replied. "Target: Geneva airspace. Executing localized atmospheric pressure drop and high-frequency microwave emissions to induce a rapid, contained, and visually striking anomaly directly above the UN building. Recommended anomaly: Instantaneous, perfectly circular, heavy snowfall in the middle of a clear, July day."
David watched the satellite feed as, 4,000 miles away, the sky above the UN headquarters, where leaders were debating his fate, suddenly darkened. Within seconds, a torrent of thick, silent snow began to fall, confined precisely to a circle 500 meters in diameter directly over the building. The snow was heavy, beautiful, and utterly impossible.
Inside the meeting, the world leaders rushed to the windows, their angry declarations dissolving into frightened confusion.
"What in God's name is that?" one shouted. "It's seventy degrees outside!"
The snow lasted for sixty seconds, then stopped as abruptly as it began. The sun returned, leaving behind a perfectly round patch of pristine white snow melting on the rooftops of the UN complex. The message was clear: David did not just control energy; he controlled their environment. Their regulations and sanctions were meaningless against a force that could weaponize a pleasant afternoon.
The Intruder: Seraphina's Arrival
As the G7 dissolved into terrified pandemonium, debating whether the snow was an act of God or an act of war, David faced a more immediate, internal threat.
"Host, anomaly detected," Prometheus alerted him, its tone subtly shifting from analytical to cautious. "An infiltration attempt has breached Tier 1 and Tier 2 perimeter security of Aero City's underground research sector. The intruder bypassed two separate bio-signature scanners and the optical distortion grid with a composite efficiency exceeding 99.998%."
David's attention sharpened instantly. The Emitter shield was impregnable against kinetic force, but Prometheus had warned that specialized quantum tunneling or perfect human espionage remained theoretical threats.
"Identify the intruder," David demanded, his Nanobots instantly activating his personalized hyper-awareness mode.
"Intruder designated: Seraphina. Data is fragmented. She appears to be an elite espionage asset, likely dispatched by a non-state actor—perhaps a residual faction of Project Chimera or a hyper-advanced defense contractor that has not yet exposed itself. Current position: Access tunnel leading toward Dr. Zhou's primary lab."
David grabbed his Cloaking Device. "Why was she not neutralized upon detection?"
"Neutralization would reveal the extent of the AI's omniscience and potentially destroy vital intelligence. She is proceeding directly toward the GWMS prototype fabrication unit. My recommendation is direct host interception."
David knew this was the ultimate test of his kinetic capabilities outside of a defensive bubble. He was meeting a ghost.
He cloaked and accelerated through the sterile corridors. Seraphina was fast, trained, and utterly silent. He finally detected her presence near the lab entrance—not by sound or sight, but by the minute disruption she caused to the localized magnetic fields that Prometheus constantly monitored. She was dressed in a dark, high-tech infiltration suit, attempting to drill through the reinforced steel wall near the GWMS prototype.
GWMS Global Deployment Spending
Before engaging the intruder, David executed the final, strategic step necessary for his political domination—the monumental cost of deploying the GWMS system globally. The demonstration had been successful, but the infrastructure needed to maintain that level of planetary leverage was immense.
"Prometheus, authorize immediate construction contracts for the full GWMS global array. I want the specialized orbital satellites and the three thousand continental transmission towers built concurrently, utilizing the newly acquired infrastructure and personnel. Allocate $40 billion for immediate material acquisition and labor deployment."
The figure was staggering, nearly doubling his cumulative spending in a single stroke, but it was essential. The immense cashback funds generated from the previous cashback reward were immediately plowed back into the System's next technological reward, fueling the perpetual loop of expenditure and power.
[DING! GWMS Deployment Expenditure: $40,000,000,000. Cashback Multiplier Triggered: 1.5x!][You have received $60,000,000,000.00 cash back. Current Balance: $63,055,000,023.90.]
The System recorded the massive transaction, preparing David for the eventual Tier 8 milestone—the cosmic drive.
David deactivated his cloak just feet behind Seraphina. He needed to capture her, not kill her.
"The weather forecast called for clear skies, Seraphina," David said, his voice echoing in the silent corridor. "I assure you, it's about to get worse."
The agent spun, her movements impossibly fluid, drawing a quantum-ceramic knife designed to cut through hardened steel. Her eyes, magnified by her helmet visor, were the only visible sign of surprise. The ultimate conflict between man and spy had begun beneath the indestructible city.