Chapter 52: Hope Specialized Hospital
Seeing the questioning and confused expressions of the Raynor elders, Eleanor calmly explained, "I still have to launch 120 satellites in the coming months. This was only the first. And I haven’t even finished building the full infrastructure to control them. My AI system is still incomplete. There’s so much more to do. If you want to throw a party, please wait a few months. Once the entire satellite network is live, we’ll be able to provide internet access around the globe and seamlessly connect countries under a single network. That’s when we can celebrate and let the world see what the Raynor Clan has achieved."
Fiona nodded thoughtfully. "Oh! So you mean after the entire project is complete. That’s fine with me. But you mentioned something earlier about providing security services to NATO nations. You never told me about this plan to provide global internet."
Eleanor smiled slightly. "That’s because the internet coverage is part of the first implementation phase. Initially, we’ll launch 120 satellites to cover the globe, allowing anyone, no matter where they are... on the ocean, deep in the forest, or in remote villages, to access our network. Most corporations focus on providing services based on country-specific licensing, which limits them. We’re aiming bigger. It might sound mad or even reckless from a business standpoint, but we have a larger goal. Imagine the power NATO could hold if their command centers could be connected to any country’s surveillance network... with that country’s permission, of course.
"I’m not selling this technology to individual governments. I’m aiming directly at NATO. I’ve already selected a location in Norfolk, Virginia, close to NATO’s Allied Command Transformation base. If all goes according to plan, I can establish our NATO command center there within a month."
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "And the global internet service is your bargaining chip?"
Eleanor nodded. "Exactly. On the surface, we’ll present ourselves as an internet service provider. That’s the public image. But behind the scenes, we’ll gradually integrate security systems, satellite surveillance, encrypted communications, and other ethernet services. Once we’re in place, if a country permits it, we’ll link their surveillance data to NATO’s central command. That level of real-time global awareness will be unmatched."
Fiona tilted her head. "You said 120 satellites. But I recall granting you permission to launch 150. That approval wasn’t easy to get, especially across 72 NATO-supported countries and various international zones."
Eleanor nodded. "I only need 120 to establish full coverage of the Earth. The remaining 30 satellites are reserved for additional functionality... such as redundancy, upgrades, and experimental features. I haven’t finalized their use yet."
Fiona tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I assumed this would take longer. But you launched your first satellite two years after starting your space company. How do you plan to launch the remaining 119 in just a few months?"