The generals, now left alone after enduring a series of unimaginable events within a few hours, sat in silence. They were still processing the astonishing turn of events and the speed they took place. Half an hour had passed since Aron and his group departed, and during that time, not a word was exchanged between the generals.
The only remnants that served as a constant reminder that their recent experience was not a dream were their tattered clothes and the broken items scattered around the room.
"I'm going to my office to thoroughly examine the contract. It's important for us to understand their contents in order to avoid any inadvertent violations, preventing a repeat of what we just experienced.
Given his ability to swiftly heal us, any potential punishment from him would likely be more severe and could potentially last for hours, without the concern of us succumbing to blood loss or serious injuries," Nathan declared as he rose from his chair.
"We can't hide either, considering his ability to appear and disappear without a trace," Ethan added, his voice tinged with unease. He shuddered slightly at the memory, realizing the futility of attempting to evade someone with such enigmatic powers.
Without wasting any time, all the generals rose from their seats and made their way back to their respective temporary offices within the building to diligently study and comprehend the contract in its entirety.
The urgency to understand the document outweighed any lingering thoughts about the interrupted meeting and the topic they were discussing before Aron abruptly ended it with his unexpected appearance.
None of them had any intention of leaving their offices before they finished the task.
As a wise man once said, "Your problem only seems significant until a bigger problem comes knocking at your door."
.....
"Have a good day, sir," Walter and John bid farewell to Aron as they arrived at the hotel and stepped out of the car.
"You too," Aron replied. Then, he directed his attention to John and assured him, "I will send you the file shortly." With that, Aron turned around and made his way to the elevator, heading back to his room.
Upon entering his room, Aron collected the stack of freshly printed papers from the printer.
"Summon the nearest Ares member to my room," Aron instructed Nova. "I need them to deliver the folder to John."
[he is on his way]Nova reported back shortly, informing him that the called Ares member was already on his way.
[But wouldn't it be more efficient to call John directly yourself?] Nova questioned, voicing her curiously as Aron patiently waited for the summoned soldier to arrive.
"While it's true that I could do that, It's important to maintain respect for his position in order to prevent any potential disrespect from other Ares members," Aron explained, providing his reasoning behind his choice.
Nova expressed her disagreement with Aron's explanation, stating, [I don't believe they would disrespect him, regardless of how you treat him. Unless you explicitly order them to do so, they will not show disrespect to someone you have chosen and placed in that position. Disrespecting John would ultimately be seen as disrespecting you, as you have deemed him qualified and entrusted him with the role.]
"It's not just about them, Nova. I also need to acclimate myself to this approach before the new members from the army join us. This way, I can avoid inadvertently treating John as a subordinate of lower rank, establishing a precedent early on rather than later,"
Upon hearing Aron's reasoning, Nova eventually agreed, her silence serving as confirmation of her acceptance.
KNOCK KNOCK
Hearing the knock, Aron rose from the bed where he had been sitting with the folder and made his way to the door, and opened it
"Good afternoon, sir," the soldier greeted respectfully, saluting Aron as he stood at the door.
"Good afternoon," Aron reciprocated the greeting and handed the soldier the folder he had been holding. "Deliver this to John," he instructed the soldier.
"Yes sir. Have a good day" the man answered as he received the folder with his hands and bid Aron farewell before he started his walk toward John's room.
"Did anything important happen while I was away?" Aron asked Nova as he closed the door and made his way back into the room.
[None sir,] Nova responded.
"Good"
[How do you feel after having to act so serious for the first time?] Nova asked in a teasing manner but still curious about his experience.
"Although it was challenging to maintain the facade for hours, it did serve its intended purpose," Aron replied with a smile.
[That's true,] Nova replied, her smile widening as she replayed the audio of Aron's act during the meeting.
"Now, the only thing left is to meet with the revolutionary leaders who are causing trouble and ensure that they also sign the contracts, which will make dealing with them easier." He said as he laid down on the bed and put on the virtual helmet logging in the universal simulation.
.....
"Aaaaah, god" "Fuck" "Shit"
The three generals expressed similar sentiments, even though they were in separate rooms reading the contracts.
Despite their expectations for the contract's inclusion of unfavorable clauses that required them to engage in activities they did not approve of, they soon discovered that their level of expectations fell short of what they were actually confronted with.
Christopher wasted no time. He swiftly grabbed his landline phone and dialed the numbers of the other two generals to discuss the contracts.
"Have you finished reading the contract?" he asked abruptly, without offering any greetings or engaging in small talk, as soon as they answered the call.
"I just finished reading it," Nathan replied.
"Me too," Ethan responded last.
"But I'm curious about something. How will he know if we've violated any of the clauses?" Ethan asked.
"I'm curious too. It seems some of the clauses would be impossible for him to detect if we've violated them," Christopher chimed in, concurring with Ethan's observation.
"He's not foolish enough to include these clauses without having the means to detect our violations and enforce the consequences," Nathan responded, his voice filled with a tinge of apprehension.
"Remember, this man appeared out of nowhere, withstood bullets, effortlessly incapacitated us using his hands only, and healed our wounds in minutes. Do you really believe he couldn't dispatch people to monitor us invisibly, just as they did today? What makes you think he isn't monitoring us right now?" Nathan turned his head, scanning the room for any signs of abnormality.
"His abilities don't appear to be limited to the physical realm alone but also extend into the digital world. How on earth did he manage to upload files onto our computers and phones without us even providing him with our contact information?" Christopher pondered, expressing his bewilderment.
"Furthermore, the file doesn't contain a sender's address; it's as if the file materialized out of thin air. This suggests that he might even be eavesdropping on our communications at this very moment."
"Shit!" they all said simultaneously, their voices filled with alarm, as they quickly turned to look behind them, half-expecting someone to materialize out of thin air and strangle them.
They came to the sobering realization that the once cherished sense of security they felt when alone had been entirely compromised. At any given moment, someone could be invisibly present in the same room watching them.
"We can't escape him anywhere," they silently contemplated, refraining from voicing their thoughts aloud, fearful of the consequences.
"I believe we don't need to worry about him taking action against us when we discuss him amongst ourselves," Ethan cautiously shared, pausing briefly to reflect on the previous encounters.
"During our initial meeting, he retaliated when one of us pressed the button and called for the security team. The second time, he inflicted harm upon us when we attempted to feign death, resulting in our broken hands. His actions were always in response to our own actions, never exceeding that boundary. Therefore, as long as we abide by the clauses of the contract, I don't think he will pose a direct threat to us." Ethan's analysis, though speculative, offered a glimmer of reassurance amidst their growing unease.
"That's just an assumption, and I truly hope it's correct," Christopher interjected, his voice tinged with a mixture of anxiety and desperation. "Because if he turns out to be an irrational individual, then we're in serious trouble." Christopher's hope hinged on Ethan's assumption, as they had lost all semblance of control the moment that enigmatic man entered the room during their meeting.
"I hope so too," Ethan replied.
"I wonder how he intends to utilize us," Nathan pondered aloud. "Could he be plotting to employ the military for a coup d'état or some other purpose?" Nathan's question hung in the air.
"It's possible that he intends to utilize us for drug or weapons trafficking, but considering his ability to appear and disappear at will, he doesn't really need us for that," Ethan responded.
"If that's his plan, I must admit, I'll take pleasure in executing it. Adolf has squeezed us far too tightly," Christopher said with a smile on his face.
"But we're well aware that it will be challenging to confront Adolf's private forces, given their heavily armed nature," Christopher added, acknowledging the formidable obstacle they would have to face if that was really Aron's plan.
"There's no need to strain our minds pondering over it. He specifically instructed us to contact him in two days. So, let's wait for further instruction on that day." Nathan suggested.
"I agree. I'm going to read the contract a few more times," said Nathan.
"Me too," added Ethan
"So, who will be leading the parade?" Christopher asked but received no answers. Because the moment they heard the question, they ended the call.
