Adam sat before three glowing screens in his dimly lit room, a mug of untouched tea steaming gently beside the keyboard. The air was quiet, filled only with the subtle hum of the system operating at high encryption. The day had finally come to test the names Nova had sent him.
System: "Secure interview channels established. All voice and visual feeds will be routed through Axis scrambler AI. Your identity is masked via three redundant systems."
"Showtime," Adam muttered, adjusting his hood slightly as if the gesture mattered on an encrypted call.
He leaned forward, and the first feed blinked to life.
Interview #1: Camille Vossa
Location: Buenos Aires
Specialty: Legal architect
A sharp-featured woman appeared in grayscale, framed by bookshelves and wine bottles.
"Let me guess," she said, voice calm. "You're the type who prefers to stay in the shadow."
Adam's voice came through the modulator like soft static. "You've built legal walls for corrupt banks. Now you'll build one for something cleaner. Are you interested?"
Camille chuckled. "Cleaner is relative. But I like smart clients. And silence is my specialty."
"How do you feel about operating under complete anonymity?"
"As long as the money is real and the mission isn't absurd, anonymity is a bonus."
"What do you fear most?"
She paused. "Meaningless work. And clients who lie more than they need to."
"If I lied, you wouldn't be here."
"Fair point. Then I'm in—conditionally. I'll expect precise terms, in writing."
He ended the call with a faint smile.
Interview #2: Linh Tran
Location: Da Nang
Specialty: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure
Linh's camera turned on. She was younger than he expected, hoodie up, sipping bubble tea.
"Hi. So, this isn't a phishing scam, right?"
"Define scam."
"If I end up building a system that erases corruption and keeps my identity off every radar ever? Then fine. Scam me."
Adam chuckled. "You'll have full freedom to build. No limits. No exposure."
"What kind of architecture are you looking for? Military-grade? Government bypasses?"
"Everything. I want a shadow net. Separate from the world, yet inside it."
"Oof. That's ambitious. I love it. Any name for the network?"
"None you'll know yet."
She grinned. "Fine. But I want creative control over the encryption UI. And I like blue themes."
"Noted."
"One last thing. If this turns into crypto-NFT nonsense, I'm out."
"Understood."
She winked. "Cool. Send specs. I'll rebuild the dark web for you."
Interview #3: Marco Di Volterra
Location: Florence
Specialty: Jewelry Artisan
Marco wore a buttoned vest, sleeves rolled up, his hands stained with molten gold dust.
"I've never made something without a signature," he said after Adam introduced the project.
"This will be your legacy," Adam replied. "But you won't sign it. The brand will."
"Mmm. Silent art. Powerful. I like that."
"Can you work discreetly, on limited designs, with untraceable materials?"
Marco laughed softly. "Sir, I come from six generations of people who smuggled diamonds through vases and funeral urns. Discretion is tradition."
"Do you believe in symbolism through design?"
"Absolutely. A ring can declare war more subtly than a speech. Gold has memory."
"Then I want the first piece to whisper power. Nothing flashy. Just... sovereign."
"Ah! You want the kind of piece a king wears in secret."
"Exactly."
"Then let us begin the era of invisible crowns."
The calls ended. Adam leaned back, eyes narrowed.
System: "Preliminary profile integrity confirmed. Assign limited clearance?"
He nodded slowly. "Give them test environments. No mention of Axis. No contact between them yet. Keep them compartmentalized."
"Confirmed. Assignments distributed. Shadow protocol activated."
That night, Adam opened the Vaelore notebook again.
Artisan: Marco.
Web & security: Linh.
Legal architecture: Camille.
Product concept: Exclusive, handcrafted, limited.
Cover location: Still under consideration.
The final line he wrote was underlined twice:
No official link to Axis. Ever.
He closed the book and stepped out for a walk. The night air was cool. Passing a jewelry boutique, he overheard a couple staring through the glass.
"I'd pay anything to wear something no one else has," one of them said.
Adam passed silently, hood up, and smiled to himself.
They will.