Chapter 154: Sharpening Their Knives

The Assembly Hall was packed, every seat taken and every wall lined with people pretending they weren’t craning for a better view. Low whispers buzzed through the air like static.

MJ leaned forward, catching bits of conversation drifting past.

"—military liaison is livid, apparently—"

"—Cox wants a full project audit—"

"—Maxwell himself demanded to be here. Said it was ’non-negotiable.’"

"Big turnout for a Phase 1 update," he snorted and muttered under his breath.

Jake, beside him, didn’t look up from his light brain.

"Half the execs even came just to see if the orphan golden boy finally messed up." He flicked his screen with lazy disdain.

MJ smirked. "That’s bound to fail."

Jake just shrugged. "Looking at them, you would think he personally insulted their ancestors."

Neville Hope walked up to the podium, and conversations died instantly.

No grand posturing. No dramatic pause.

He just walked steadily toward the podium, hands relaxed, expression calm enough to be insulting.

His glasses caught the lights, and someone near the front whispered, "He looks like a damn intern."

Neville reached the podium, tapped the control panel, and the room lights dimmed. The massive holographic display lit up behind him. Personal screens blinked awake in sync.

PROJECT AEGIS: BLACK OCEAN PROJECT

Phase 1: Data Acquisition

Several executives leaned forward, their skepticism momentarily overridden by genuine curiosity. On the raised platform reserved for board members, CEO Grayson Maxwell sat with his usual unreadable expression. His eyes were fixed on Neville, waiting for his presentation to start.

MJ nudged Jake. "Even Maxwell’s paying attention."

Jake whispered, "Hewitt’s staring at Hope with passion."

Keaton Hewitt sat beside Grayson, lips curved in a polite smile, but his eyes were all hearts towards Neville.

Neville finally spoke. "Good day, everyone. I’ll keep this direct, as per Mr. Maxwell’s request. The full documentation is on your devices."

A few people murmured approval.

The display changed, revealing dense webs of data points.

"Phase 1: Data Acquisition was completed ahead of schedule," Neville said. "Our sensor probe network is fully operational. Materials analysis is underway. R&D has confirmed preliminary structural requirements. Design Department—"

Gasps erupted across the hall.

A starship materialized midair in holographic form.

It wasn’t the rough draft that everyone expected. This was a polished, breathtaking model—sleek hull plates shimmering, engine nacelles1 arched like predatory wings, command tower rising like a crown forged from light.

Jake whispered, "Holy— He built that? That looks like it belongs to the Imperial Fleet."

MJ whispered back, "I thought the original proposal was just a boxy transport." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"So did everyone else."

The live chat on MJ’s screen exploded.

[Anonymous_47]: Those engines are monstrous. Power estimates??

[RnD_Rio]: Seventeen sims. All green.

[Anonymous_12]: Is the Compass AI the same private patent he filed?? Bold flex.

[DesignDept_Liu]: Hull geometry can tank a minor asteroid.

Neville addressed each relevant question as they appeared, his responses crisp and well-prepared.

"Yes, the routing system compensates for power load. No, the hull mass doesn’t reduce warp efficiency. Yes, the internal modules remain modular." His responses were fast and precise. "Design’s stress tests are included in Appendix 3."

Someone behind MJ muttered, "Does he ever stumble? He sounds like he preloaded all our questions into his brain."

Chief McCartney whispered, "Kid’s too good. They’re gonna start sharpening their knives."

Right on cue, Director John Hannel activated his mic.

"Mr. Hope," Director Hannel said, voice dripping with skepticism.

"This is... visually impressive. However, I’m more concerned about the real-world failure rates. Specifically: redundancy. What happens when—not if—a critical failure occurs in uncharted space?"

A ripple of murmurs swept the room.

Neville didn’t blink. "A good question, Director. But we already anticipated that exact scenario."

He tapped the screen, pulling up schematics of layered AI systems.

"Our primary Compass system runs diagnostics every 0.6 seconds. Three auxiliary AI units operate in standby. If the main system fails, switchover occurs in 0.003 seconds."

Director Hannel frowned. "You’re saying machines will handle situations even trained navigators miss?"

"Yes." Neville didn’t soften it. "Machines don’t panic."

A few people chuckled under their breath.

But Director Hannel wasn’t done. "And what about interference? Magnetic disturbances? Warp echo deviation?"

Neville zoomed the schematic. "Compass recalibrates automatically. In Phase 2, we’ll gather more data on interference fields for fine-tuning."

Director Hannel raised an eyebrow but didn’t continue to ask.

George Hewitt leaned forward, activating his mic.

"Mr. Hope," he said with a stern tone of an elder, "HW Corporation noticed your design integrates your... unique Compass system. May I ask why a personal patent is tied to a corporate project?"

MJ muttered, "Oh, he’s going for blood."

Neville answered calmly. "The Compass design was created for civilian warp navigation. It performed beyond expectations. Transferring it to Project Aegis was the most efficient option."

George pursed his lips. "So you simply offered your personal creation because of efficiency?"

"If Mr. Hewitt finds that suspicious," Neville replied, "I can show you the legal file of usage publicly."

A quiet "oof" echoed somewhere in the hall.

George’s eyes narrowed. "No need. Just clarifying."

Grayson finally spoke, voice smooth and cool. "If Compass increases Aegis’ success rate by even one percent, I don’t care whose name is on the patent."

The room was instantly silent.

MJ whispered, "Maxwell just told half the board to shut up."

Another hand shot up—this time from Head of the Shipping Department, Cassandra Mille.

"Mr. Hope, what about resource strain? Your projected metal ratio exceeds current quarterly production limits."

Neville nodded. "Correct. I included two alternative metal compositions in Appendix 2-B. You’ll find the comparative stress tests on your screens now."

He moved to another page again, and the screens flashed with new data.

"Option A increases hull durability by 3 percent but costs more. Option B slightly reduces warp stability but is easier to mass-produce. We can begin with A, shift to B during extended manufacturing."

Chief Mille blinked. "You accounted for the shortage before we even filed the report?"

Neville’s tone didn’t change. "I read your memo draft."

"It wasn’t sent yet."

"You left it open in the shared folder at 0300."

Scattered laughter broke the tension.

A nacelle is a streamlined enclosure on an aircraft or wind turbine that houses major components.