Chapter 175: Friend or Foe
The holographic projection of Krill Khians flickered and vanished, leaving the vast, ancient chamber in a profound silence. The Seats, members of the Divine Concordance, collectively sighed, a long, drawn-out exhalation that seemed to release a century’s worth of suppressed tension. It was as if the very air had been too thick to breathe with the Apostle’s presence.
As Anton Rothschild, the Seat of Coin, settled back in his chair, a faint, weary smile on his face, Ariana Moore, the Seat of Sight, rose fluidly from her own seat. She glided behind Richard’s doppelganger, her hand coming to rest lightly on its shoulder. Her touch was feather-light, yet undeniably possessive.
"Such gravitas, Mr. Santamo," she purred, her voice a low, alluring murmur, meant only for the doppelganger’s sophisticated auditory sensors. Her fingers traced a slow, almost imperceptible path along the sculpted lines of its suit. "You carry yourself with a... refreshing confidence. A quiet power." He truly is exquisite, she thought, her eyes raking over the doppelganger’s profile. A handsome face, a brilliant mind, and now, the Seat of Circuit. He is the ultimate prize in this game.
Anton Rothschild, observing the interaction with a world-weary sigh, cleared his throat loudly. "Ariana, please. We have matters of Circle business to discuss." His gaze, sharp and commanding, met hers.
Ariana gave a dismissive, almost imperceptible shrug, but ultimately, she retreated, settling back into her seat. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, quickly masked. She cast a subtle, assessing glance at the other Seats, ensuring her display of interest hadn’t been too overt for the stoic, ancient members. They merely looked back at her with a blend of disinterest and faint, internal amusement.
Anton, now firmly holding the room’s attention, reached under the obsidian table. He pulled out three sleek, black boxes, each no larger than a palm. "For our new Seats," he announced, pushing one box towards Rockwell, one towards Moore, and the last towards the doppelganger. "In order for us to communicate securely and efficiently, take these."
He opened his own box, revealing a device so minimalist it seemed carved from a single piece of dark glass. "These are quantum-encrypted smartphones. They utilize true Quantum Random Number Generation for encryption keys and Quantum Key Distribution for secure communication. Untraceable. Unbreakable."
Richard’s doppelganger picked up the phone, its synthetic fingers meticulously examining the device. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched its lips. To Lina’s superior AI, with her mastery of quantum physics, the phone’s quantum encryption was akin to reading an open book; a basic, albeit advanced for humans, implementation of principles she had already long transcended. Adequate for this level of... sophistication, the doppelganger’s internal systems registered, but hardly groundbreaking.
"The phone already has a dedicated application only meant for us," Anton continued. "Every month, we will have face-to-face meetings here, to discuss the status of our tasks. You will also have to replace your phones with newer models; the old ones will have their hardware replaced, all for maximum security regarding our Table’s main internal operations. Our singular job here, above all else, is to maximize our harvest. With our current, most pressing task being the orchestration of a global pandemic." He gestured to Dr. Natalie Calder, the Seat of Breath. "If you would, Dr. Calder, please enlighten our new members on the plan."