Seth stutters. “…there’s talk of more strikes in the works.”
“More viruses?”
“We’re not sure. They may hit us a different way. There are rumors of an assault in space.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Chatter from the CIA.”
Manos holds out his palms. “That’s speculation. Deal with the facts on the ground. We’ve survived cyberattacks and we’ll get through this one. I don’t understand why you’re panicked. Grab a cocktail and chill, my friend.”
Seth looks down. “Yes, sir, apologies for interrupting you. Have a nice day.”
Manos raises a finger. “Hold on for a second, Seth. I want to discuss something with you.”
“Yes?”
“There’s a new venture that I want you to evaluate.”
“I’m listening.”
“We may have an entry into Google’s management team. We can seize the company for ourselves.”
Seth tilts his head. “But sir, GoldRock is Google’s lead investor. We already have major influence on the business.”
Manos leaves the gaming pit and removes his helmet, placing his smartglasses on his face. “I’m not talking about investing in Google. This is a new leadership role for me. I can become their new CEO.”
Seth’s eyes widen. “Is Andrews stepping down?”
“I can’t discuss the details. Let’s just say she’s on her way out.”
“When will the changes take place?”
Manos sips whiskey. “I haven’t formally agreed to anything. Seth, I’m asking you to evaluate this opportunity. Study it and tell me if it’s a good proposition.”
“It is absolutely a great idea, sir! You will make a terrific executive, far better than Andrews.”
“But I don’t have a programming background.”
“You don’t need one, sir. We will take care of the technical issues for you.”
Manos strokes his chin. “Interesting. Do you know how to develop technology?”
Seth grins. “We won’t need to, sir. The first order of business is to cut their wasteful spending, especially their research departments. They spend billions on fairytale projects that will never be commercialized.”
“You’re right. They spent $20B trying to develop a nuclear fusion reactor! Are they insane? What kind of incompetent leadership do they have?”
Seth laughs. “Exactly, sir. If there’s one thing we excel at, it’s cutting waste.”
Manos grows excited. “I like what I’m hearing. We should eliminate their leadership team and hire new management.”
“Sir, you can lay off half the company and replace them with GoldRock advisors. As CEO, you can do whatever you want.”
Manos lights a cigar. “That’s brilliant. How much money can we save if we cut the wasteful spending?”
“At least $150B a year.”
Manos takes a puff. “Seth, it’s time to put on our CEO hats.”
“I agree, sir! The timing is perfect. There’s a Google All-Staff meeting next week. It’s the perfect chance to make a move.”
“How do you mean?”
“You can seize the reins and become the next CEO.”
“At an employee meeting?”
“Yes, that’s right. There’s an old clause that allows motions for voting. We can introduce a measure for a new management team.”
“Is that right?” He leans back in his chair. “Seth, I want you to prepare a speech for me. It’s time to get rid of Andrews and take over.”
“Consider it done, sir.”
“We will make Google great again.”
16.
BETH FLIPS on the lights of an abandoned Google X warehouse in Palo Alto, once the company’s prized R&D facility. Dust covers rows of old cubicles stretching across a vast workspace. Black wires emerge from empty slots where computers and projectors once stood.
Austin swipes away a cobweb. “Looks like looters stole everything except the light bulbs.”
“We still own this building,” Beth says to him as she approaches a closet. “Did you ask your team members to join us?”
“Yes, they are on their way.”
She unlocks a door. “There are folding chairs in here. Help me carry them.”
Footsteps reverberate across the room. Austin ducks his head and whispers, “Someone’s here. Get down.”
He pulls her away and they hide behind a desk. The sound grows louder. Austin peeks over and breathes relief when he spots his employee. “Anil? How did you get here so fast?”
Anil stops and tenses. “I came as soon as I got your message. Am I too early?”
“Not at all,” Beth says. “You’re the first one to show up and that’s wonderful. How are you, Anil?”
“Fine, thank you. We’re gathering here today?”
“Yes, this is our meeting point for Project Titan. The other team members should be arriving soon.”
“Dr. Andrews, I didn’t realize you would be joining us.”
She stands tall. “Fusion is our top priority and from now on I will be directly involved. Austin tells me that you have a solution for the reactor’s ignition problem.”
Anil nods. “…well, possibly. It’s just an idea…”
Austin reaches out a hand. “It’s a good one, Anil. Go ahead and describe it to us.”
Anil drops his bag on a table. “Last week when the countdown ended, we recorded a massive gravitational wave hitting Earth. My wife and I wondered if we could somehow harness this energy for our project.”
“Your wife?” Beth asks.
“Prisha. She works at JPL as a data manager.”
“Yes, I remember her. She’s the one who detected the gravity wave last week.”
“That’s right. She also helped me crack the code from Barnard’s star.”
Beth sits on a chair. “Anil, how sure are you that these radio communications are countdowns to cosmic events?”
Austin interrupts. “It’s just a theory. It could be a coincidence for all we know.”
“Dr. Sanders is right,” Anil says. “This time we may not see a gravity wave. We’re not sure if these events are linked.”
“I get that,” Beth says. “Let’s assume that history repeats itself and a gravitational wave hits Earth in a few days. You think we can use that for Project Titan?”
“Yes. We should be able to collect the energy.”
Austin chimes in. “Our challenge is how to heat the reactor to 100 million degrees and trigger nuclear fusion. The lasers available to us fall several million degrees short. Anil thinks we can use the cosmic current to make up the difference.”
Anil beams an image on the wall. “I’ve designed a device to do that. It’s a gravity engine.”
Beth stares at the schematics. “Interesting. Before we delve into that, there’s something on my mind. Do we know who is sending us these radio signals?”
Austin lifts a stack of foldable chairs and lays them across the workspace to form a circle. “You think they’re from an intelligent species?”
Beth shrugs. “It certainly didn’t happen by chance.”
“But Beth,” Austin says, “we have no proof of life outside our solar system.”
“That’s not true. We have plenty of evidence.”
Austin looks up. “Like what?”
“The RNA experiments. If you put carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus in a salt solution, they will eventually form simple, self-replicating molecules that are building blocks of life. It’s relatively straightforward and all you need are a few simple elements. Evolution selects for chemical structures that carry information.”
Anil’s brow rises. “Dr. Andrews, do you think there’s life on other planets?”
“I’m willing to bet our Milky Way is teeming with creatures.”