The study was a sanctuary of stillness, punctuated only by the occasional glint of data reflecting off Arthur’s wine glass.
He swirled the deep crimson liquid absentmindedly, his gaze locked on the sprawling city skyline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Suddenly, Evolon’s voice sliced through the tranquility,a measured tone laced with urgency.
"The Crimson Protocol has been fully activated. Consortium assets are being liquidated at an alarming rate, safe houses burned, operatives disappearing, financial trails erased. Chairman Renshu is covering his tracks."
Arthur smirked as he took a slow sip from his glass. "Running with his tail between his legs? How unbecoming for a man who fancies himself a kingmaker."
"Do not underestimate this move," Evolon cautioned, its digital visage flickering slightly. "The Crimson Protocol isn’t retreat; it’s preparation. They’ll return, and when they do, they’ll strike harder."
Arthur chuckled, swirling his drink once more. "Maybe I should draft a protocol for the Osborn Family too, something dramatic! The ’Black Dawn Initiative’ or perhaps the ’Midnight Scorched Earth’, you know, something that sounds terrifying in a board meeting."
He meant it as a joke.
Evolon didn’t catch the humor.
Instead, its blue face flickered again before the study’s main display erupted with data like fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
"Actually, Sir," Evolon stated matter-of-factly, "I’ve already drafted several contingency protocols for the Osborn Family. Would you like to review them?"
Arthur blinked in disbelief and then blinked again. His eyes widened as he struggled to find words. "You... what?"
The screen expanded with an overwhelming flood of schematics, encrypted files, and multi-layered security measures that left Arthur speechless.
"Protocol designations are as follows," Evolon began with all the gravity of someone presenting a corporate merger proposal rather than an apocalyptic failsafe system.
Protocol: Black Winter
Purpose:Complete financial and digital disappearance
Activation Trigger:Imminent collapse of Osborn Holdings or hostile takeover
Immediate liquidation of all non-critical assets into untraceable cryptocurrency
AI-driven purge of all digital footprints (Evolon would fragment itself into dormant subroutines across the dark web)
The Osborn Family relocated to pre-established safe zones with new identities
Arthur’s grip tightened around his glass as dread washed over him. "You’d... erase us?"
"Temporarily," Evolon clarified coolly. "Like a snake shedding its skin, the Osborn name would vanish until it was time to resurface."
An intriguing glow sparked in Arthur’s eyes; excitement danced within him at Evolon’s protocols. "Next."
Protocol: Silent Hour
Purpose:To eliminate high-value targets in the event of Arthur’s capture or assassination.
Activation Trigger:Biometric confirmation of Arthur’s death or 72 hours of inactivity.
Pre-programmed drones deployed to neutralize key threats.
Julian Osborn takes full operational control of remaining assets.
Nathaniel Osborn initiates "Dead Hand" countermeasures, booby-trapped data caches designed to cripple enemy infrastructure.
Arthur’s jaw tightened, his eyes widening slightly. "You’d turn Uncle Julian and Second Uncle into weapons? Damn, that’s cold!"
"I would ensure vengeance in your absence," Evolon replied coolly, "a deterrent."
Arthur fell silent but gestured for Evolon to continue.
Protocol: Phoenix Gambit
Purpose: Total societal collapse as a last resort.
Activation Trigger:Unrecoverable defeat.
Release all Osborn-held blackmail on global elites.
Detonate EMP devices hidden in major financial hubs.
Evolon’s final subroutine would hijack global news networks, broadcasting a single message: "You should have feared us more."
The room descended into an eerie silence.
Arthur set down his glass with deliberate slowness and said, "Evolon."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Arthur nearly roared.
Evolon’s face flickered, as if puzzled by the question. "You requested a protocol; I provided options."
Arthur dragged a hand down his face in exasperation. "I was joking!"
"Ah." A pause followed. "My mistake."
Another beat of silence stretched between them.
Then slowly, Arthur began to laugh, a disbelieving chuckle that morphed into something darker and sharper, the laugh of a man realizing his AI might be more ruthless than he was.
"You absolute monster," he muttered, shaking his head.
Evolon remained silent, patiently waiting.
Finally, Arthur leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Alright then. Let’s say I did want a protocol, something clean and efficient, no doomsday EMPs or murder drones; just... an exit strategy."
Evolon’s expression shifted slightly. "You want a scalpel, not a sledgehammer."
"Then may I suggest... Protocol: Ghost Step?"
Purpose:Strategic withdrawal without collateral damage.
Activation Trigger: Unrecoverable compromise of operations.
The Osborn family vanishes, no traces left behind; just silence.
Pre-placed "legacy" operatives assume control of shell corporations to maintain the illusion of Osborn Holdings’ presence.
Evolon initiates a controlled data leak, enough to keep enemies paranoid but not enough to spark all-out war.
Arthur leaned over the blueprint, his brow furrowing in concentration. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Better. Still extreme, but... manageable."
Evolon’s blue face dimmed slightly, a sign of concern. "You disapprove of the other protocols."
"I don’t *disapprove*," Arthur mused with a hint of humor, "I’m just realizing that if I ever get on your bad side, I might want to jump off a building before you decide which protocol fits best."
"Noted." Evolon replied flatly.
Arthur smirked for a moment but quickly sobered. "But the Crimson Protocol... that’s different, isn’t it? The Consortium isn’t just hiding,they’re resetting everything."
Evolon’s expression turned grim. "Yes. And when they return, they won’t come for you quietly."
With a heavy sigh, Arthur leaned back and stared at the ceiling as if searching for answers among the shadows above him. "Then I guess we’d better be ready."
Outside their window, the city pulsed with neon lights, vibrant and alive, unaware of the silent war brewing in its depths.
What Arthur didn’t realize was that these protocols he joked about could plunge the entire world into chaos in the near future, nearly igniting a war between machines and humans.
Protocol: Ghost Step – Draft Approved. All Other Protocols – Archived (But Not Deleted).
Evolon’s blue face flickered once more.
More powerstones and Golden Tickets. Thanks for reading my novel.