POV: Aritra Naskar
Date: September 10, 2012
Location: Nova Tech Headquarters – Aritra's Office, Salt Lake Sector-V, Kolkata
Time: 8:45 AM IST
Rain-kissed streets below glinted in pale dawn light as Aritra Naskar drifted into his office. The morning hush was broken only by the soft hum of servers and the rhythmic tapping of monitors displaying global ledger flows. He closed the door behind him, the weight of last week's tribunal still echoing in his mind: a five-member council had given its blessing to every ledger override, every security protocol—except one cold, lingering reality still unsettled him.
On the corner of his polished cherrywood desk lay a sealed dossier from the Legendary System interface: "Weapon Systems Catalogue — Level: Strategic". Nova Tech's luxury penthouse–style office, with its shimmering skyline view and minimalist décor, felt smaller today. The implications of what he held pressed on him like a storm-cloud.
He exhaled, pulling out a slender tablet from his briefcase. Its screen flickered to life, revealing the Legendary System's translucent blue interface. Above him, the tall windows framed the gray monsoon sky; inside, the room's silence felt urgent.
SYSTEM STATUS:
HOST: Aritra Naskar
SYSTEM LEVEL: 3 (Global Influence Tools)
AVAILABLE MODULES: Technology Store, Stock Market Predictions, Weapon Systems Catalogue, Mission Logs, Personal Development Dashboard.
He tapped the Weapon Systems Catalogue tab. Instantly, a scrolling list appeared:
Automated Drone Swarms — $15,000,000
Directed-Energy Turret (Compact) — $40,000,000
Quantum-Enriched Missile Guidance Unit — $75,000,000
Hypersonic Interceptor Missile — $120,000,000
Autonomous Armored Personnel Carrier (XC-9 Sentinel) — $200,000,000
Orbital Defense Laser Array (Prototype) — $2,500,000,000
AI-Integrated Stealth Battleship Design Files — $5,000,000,000
Nano-Swarm Countermeasure System — $850,000,000
Portable Fusion Pulse Cannon — $3,000,000,000
High-Yield Orbital Kinetic Rod (HOKR) Deployment — $10,000,000,000
The list extended further, but those items at the top practically gleamed with nightmare potential. Aritra scrolled slowly, jaw tightening. Each price tag was dwarfed by Nova Tech's combined revenues—a testament to how far his influence had grown. Not so long ago, a mere $1,000,000 bank account in Dhubri had spurred emergency drills. Now he could, with a single transaction, reshape entire battlefields.
His finger hovered over Automated Drone Swarms. Memories raced through his mind: the unyielding force of monsoon floods, the cold probe of Code 47 in Lagos and Accra, Katherine's righteous insistence that technology serve people, not power. He leaned back, gaze drifting to the ledger map on the adjacent screen—dots of green thriving in pilot regions while amber warnings flickered ominously at unscheduled nodes.
A soft chime indicated a secure incoming message: from Katherine Naskar. He tapped it.
KATHERINE:
Urgency: High. I meet with Elena and Minister Faisal at 10 AM. They want assurances on security protocols for upcoming Malaysia pilot. Is redacted-Weapon module relevant? Be discreet.
His pulse quickened. He typed a reply:
ATRITRA:
Understood. Let's discuss after your meeting.
He closed the message, heart hammering. To Katherine's left: a whiteboard he and Priya had inscribed the day before: "Malaysia Launch – 10/1/12". Underneath, bullet points: "Dual‐path redundancy," "Local oversight councils," "Community audit dashboards," "Security contingency planning." Now a new bullet hovered, unwritten but urgent: "Defensive armaments."
He leaned forward, fingers tracing the lines of code on the tablet. The Automated Drone Swarms could patrol remote corridors in real time; Directed-Energy Turrets could guard critical data centers; Quantum-Enriched Guidance would ensure pinpoint accuracy. The XC-9 Sentinel APC would provide rapid response for humanitarian evacuations—if deployed ethically, or serve as a paramilitary force if misused.
He exhaled sharply and tapped the "Automated Drone Swarms" entry. A window slid open:
"AUTOMATED DRONE SWARMS // Price: $15,000,000 //
Description: Fully autonomous aerial drones equipped with adaptive AI targeting, real-time geospatial analytics, and non-lethal/lethal payload choices. Can be programmed for surveillance, crop management, or precision strikes. Deployment-ready within 30 days.
SYSTEM LEVEL REQUIRED: 3 (Met).
PURCHASE?: [Yes] [No]"
Atrina's thumb hovered over [Yes]. As he considered, flashes of his past swirled: the railway tracks he'd nearly fall from as a boy in 2008, the first flush of ambition when the Legendary System had rebooted his life, the triumph of seeing eyes light up in Dhubri when children got meals again, the pride in Katherine's gaze after Lagos's sabotage was thwarted. But also the darker flickers: when Viktor had smirked in Bern, the cold glint of power behind Nathaniel's words.
He tapped [Yes]. A confirmation prompt appeared: "Enter Authorization Code." He entered the passphrase—his digital fingerprint confirming consent. A soft chime signaled successful purchase:
"TRANSACTION COMPLETE: AUTOMATED DRONE SWARMS — $15,000,000
Estimated Delivery: 30 days. Notification sent to Procurement & Logistics."
He exhaled, a tight knot in his chest loosening. Underneath relief, he felt a flicker of guilt. Buying drones had always seemed far removed from feeding programs and interpretive dashboards. But shades of gray blurred: if sabotage escalated, or if local militias tried to wrest control, these assets could provide secure evacuations or act as a deterrent. He reminded himself how fast a rogue protocol could cripple an entire nation's ledger—drone surveillance could detect anomalies, identify block-resync attacks at physical relay stations, or secure remote data centers.
In the back of his mind, he heard Katherine's voice: "Technology must serve people, not power." He resolved to keep their use strictly defensive and humanitarian—at least publicly. For now, he needed to trust her, trust that when the drones arrived, they would stand between Nova Tech's ideals and Viktor's shadows.
Location: Nova Tech – Katherine's Office
Time: 9:45 AM IST
Aritra stepped into Katherine's office, finding her in mid-video call with Elena Vasquez and Minister Faisal. The screens showed Kuala Lumpur's skyline, dotted with gleaming towers beneath looming storm clouds. They were discussing pilot timelines.
"—and with the redundancy measures in place," Katherine was saying, voice steady, "Nova Tech will ensure uninterrupted service. My husband is preparing drone-based aerial checks to mitigate physical threats to infrastructure—purely for protective coverage." She paused, turning to Aritra and raising her eyes to the cameras. "Any comments, Aritra?"
He stepped into frame. "As Katherine said, the drones will deploy only for monitoring critical relay stations and data centers—not for offensive action. We respect Malaysia's sovereignty and commit to shared oversight."
Minister Faisal inclined his head. "Thank you. That helps reassure us."
Elena added, "We'll arrange a site visit next week to oversee the integration. Transparency is key."
The call ended. Katherine turned, her dark eyes bright with understanding—and something more: caution.
"So you bought them?" she asked, arms folding.
Aritra exhaled. "The ledger anomalies reveal greater threats than data corruption alone. We need real-time monitoring in regions where physical infrastructure is vulnerable—South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa. These drones can map ground-level tampering—repair water-damaged nodes before ledger corrections, secure remote solar backup arrays, even assist in evacuations if extreme weather knocks out the grid."
Her gaze softened. "I trust you. But promise me—no pre-emptive strikes, no offensive directives unless I authorize."
He nodded. "Nothing without your approval." He moved closer. "Katherine, I only want defensive measures—nothing more."
She studied him for a moment, then reached out, knuckles brushing his. "Then we do this together—every step."
Their eyes locked, and he allowed himself a moment of relief.
Location: Nova Tech – R&D Laboratories, 14th Floor
Time: 11:00 AM IST
Aritra descended to the R&D labs—rows of modular workstations, whiteboards scrawled with schematics, and engineers hunched over 3D-printed prototypes for drone frames. He approached Dr. Rhea Mukherjee, lead aerospace engineer, who peered through magnifying goggles at a micro-camera module.
"Aritra," she greeted, sliding off her goggles. "We've accelerated assembly. Prototype 03's flight controls just passed node-link calibration. We expect full swarm integration by week's end."
He nodded. "Excellent. Ensure the geospatial AI filters are aligned with our confidentiality protocols. Only classified personnel get access."
Dr. Mukherjee tapped a touchscreen display: blueprints shifted to show protective algorithms and encrypted comms channels. "We've embedded Level-5 quantum encryption on the comms link, and the live-feed camera data will route through Nova Tech's secure satellite nodes—untraceable to unauthorized intercepts."
He smiled. "That will do. Proceed with mass-production scheduling."
Location: Nova Tech – Katherine's Office
Time: 4:30 PM IST
The day's meetings had drawn to a close. Katherine and Aritra gathered at her desk, the rain now a steady mist on the windows. She held a printed report: "Drone Swarm Deployment Plan — Defensive Protocols."
"Review this," she said, tapping the report with a slender finger. "I've highlighted clauses: no lethal payload, full-visibility rules, automatic shutdown triggers if drones deviate from approved zones."
Aritra nodded, linear satisfaction coursing through him. "Agreed. One final note: any activation of defensive drone pattern must be approved by at least two levels—either you or me, plus either Priya or Dr. Mukherjee."
She offered a small smile. "Then it's settled." She patted the report's top page. "Sign here."
He took the pen and added his signature, then glanced up at her—trust, determination, and a quiet promise in his eyes.
As dusk settled once more over Salt Lake Sector-V, Nova Tech's redoubled defenses stood ready: ledger transparency above all, but now armed with overwhelming watchfulness. If Protocol Shadow surfed the network's currents, it would face not only digital blockchains but the whir of rotors and the vigilant eye of drone arrays—technology wielded not just to build, but to guard.
And in that guarded promise, Aritra felt a profound convergence: of ideals and strategy, of light and shadow, of infinite possibility in every calculated ledger block or drone-tethered flight. For the first time, he dared believe that, under their united watch, no challenge—no matter how insidious—could slip unseen into the system's code.