Tuesday arrived faster than Barry expected.
He showed up at STAR Labs at 1:55 PM, five minutes early. The facility was impressive. Modern architecture. State-of-the-art security. The kind of place where serious science happened.
Caitlin met him in the lobby. "Right on time. I appreciate punctuality."
"Professional habit," Barry said, following her through security checkpoints.
She led him on a tour of the facility. Research labs. Engineering spaces. The massive construction site where the particle accelerator would eventually be built. All of it cutting-edge and expensive.
Wells met them in his office. Large space. Windows overlooking the city. Walls covered with whiteboards full of equations and diagrams.
"Mr. Allen," Wells greeted warmly. "Welcome to STAR Labs. What do you think so far?"
"Impressive. You're building something significant here."
"We're trying to." Wells gestured to chairs. "Caitlin mentioned your neural interface work. I'd like to understand it better. Where do you see the technology going?"
Barry explained his research carefully. Enough detail to demonstrate expertise but not so much that he revealed the Thinking Cap's true capabilities. He talked about neural monitoring systems. Brain-computer interfaces. Potential medical applications for treating cognitive disorders.
Wells listened intently, occasionally asking sharp questions that tested Barry's understanding. Caitlin took notes, her analytical mind clearly evaluating every response.
After an hour of technical discussion, Wells leaned back in his chair. "You're the real deal, Mr. Allen. Not just clever. Genuinely brilliant. How old are you?"
"Twenty-three."
"Exceptional for your age." Wells exchanged a glance with Caitlin. "I'd like to make you an offer. Consulting position as discussed. Twenty hours per week. $150 per hour. Work on projects related to neural monitoring for our particle accelerator safety systems."
$3,000 per week. $12,000 per month. On top of his patent royalties and other income streams.
Barry calculated rapidly. The money was good but the real value was positioning. Being inside STAR Labs. Having legitimate access to their research and equipment. Knowing exactly when the particle accelerator would launch.
"I'd need to maintain my independent research," Barry said. "No non-compete clauses or IP restrictions."
"Agreed. We're not trying to own you. Just benefit from your expertise on specific projects."
"Then I accept."
They shook hands. Barry officially became a STAR Labs consultant. Part of the team that would eventually create the explosion that changed everything.
Caitlin walked him out after the meeting concluded. At the exit, she paused. "Can I ask you something personal?"
"Sure."
"Why neural interfaces? Most people your age in tech are chasing apps or social media platforms. You're working on brain-computer systems. That's unusual."
Barry considered his answer. "Because understanding the brain is fundamental. Everything else is just applications built on top of our neural architecture. If you can enhance cognition directly, you enhance everything humans can achieve."
Caitlin studied him. "That's either brilliant or slightly terrifying."
"Why not both?"
She smiled for the first time since they'd met. "You might fit in here better than I expected. Welcome to STAR Labs, Barry."
He drove home with a sense of achievement. Everything was coming together. Money. Connections. Position inside the organization that would create meta-humans.
His apartment felt small when he returned. Cluttered with equipment and research notes. The Thinking Cap prototype sat on his dining table, still functional but primitive compared to what he could build now with better resources.
Barry's phone buzzed. Text from the venture capital firm. They wanted to move forward with funding discussions. Preliminary term sheet attached.
He opened the attachment and read through it. $3 million Series A investment. 20% equity stake. Board seat for the lead investor. Standard terms for early-stage funding.
Life-changing money. But also giving up a piece of his company.
Barry's enhanced intellect analyzed the tradeoffs. The funding would let him build a professional lab. Hire assistants. Accelerate development by years. But it would also mean oversight. Investors who wanted returns. Pressure to commercialize rather than focus on pure research.
Worth it? Maybe. Probably. He'd need to negotiate better terms but the fundamental opportunity was solid.
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