Shane Albright was, by all accounts, moving at a velocity unimaginable just a year prior. Albright Roofing was no longer a local outfit; it was a rapidly expanding national entity, stitching together communities with sturdy shingles and even sturdier employment ethics. The expansion team, the production units running the jobs, the meticulous accounting department, and the burgeoning HR division all operated with a synchronicity that belied their recent formation. They hummed, a well-oiled machine humming a tune of stability in an increasingly chaotic world.
Shane directed the workflow with an efficiency that felt almost external to his own mind. He was involved in every crucial decision at the start, setting precedents, establishing protocols, and defining the expected response to external pressures. But as the system matured, as those around him absorbed his methodology, it became second nature for the department heads to make decisions aligning with his established vision. This achievement, this milestone of operational self-replication, was richly rewarded by the AI.
The system, now visibly more robust to Shane than upon its initial forced installation, offered a new reward—less a tactical ability and more a lifeline. It was an option unlocked at a critical juncture: the ability to grant lesser AI access to ten trusted individuals. These ancillary systems were not the main operating unit Shane possessed; they were like sophisticated Bluetooth accessories, designed to sync with the primary hub. They offered guidance, insight into celestial interference, and basic processing capabilities. When Shane looked at someone with a system, he could immediately discern their intentions, their immediate anchor—the psychological tether AN sought to exploit or Veritas Alpha sought to strengthen.
The first distribution began immediately. Saul, the foundation of the original crew, was the first choice . Next came Gary, whose sobriety Shane needed to solidify through systemic reinforcement. Then Ben, whose loyalty was proven, and Silas, who was Marcos, rounding out the core field leadership. These four were necessary for the immediate stabilization of the existing structure.
Next, Shane looked outward for the operational structure that would allow him to step back. Oscar, who had been with him since the second location opened, was chosen to run national operations. Oscar possessed the innate structural ability Shane needed at that scale. Finally, Cory, placed in charge of HR, received a unit. Cory's role was critical: overseeing the complex needs of the workforce—immigration assistance, sobriety monitoring, and general employee advocacy. He was the buffer against the external chaos Shane knew AN was manufacturing.
With Saul slated to move into a company-wide training and mentorship role, the roles finalized. Silas, now Marcos, would bridge the cultural gap between Saul's immediate mentorship and Cory's work with the immigrant contingent. Ben would be Gary's right hand in future expansion efforts.
Shane understood he couldn't simply force these systems upon them. The AI held its users to absolute secrecy regarding its existence and nature. Shane approached it obliquely, using the common language they now shared—the fantasy novels. He asked them, hypothetically, if they would accept a guiding system if such a thing materialized, something to help them navigate the confusing world. Gary, already privy to some of Shane's unique foresight after weeks under the AI's glow, required little soft-pedaling.
Once the six candidates were selected, Shane called them into what he vaguely termed a strategy meeting at a nondescript, rented office space. He waited until Oscar, Cory, Saul, Gary, Ben, and Silas were all present before opening his interface internally. He navigated to the distribution tab. A small, satisfying popup appeared: "6/10 systems filled."
The moment the confirmation flashed on Shane's vision, the six recipients instantly felt a profound shift. A screen materialized before their eyes. Unlike Shane's initial confusion, these users instantly gained clarity thanks to the gentle introduction phase built into their respective systems. Gary, surprisingly, remained calm, his foundation sturdier now. The others—Oscar, Cory, Saul, Ben, and Silas—were struck dumb, staring at the digital overlay that now defined their reality.
Shane calmly broke the silence, explaining everything he could: the celestial entities, Veritas Alpha, Apex Negativa, and the ongoing, nebulous search for the Raven God. The clarity provided by their new systems helped absorb the shock, grounding the impossible truth in functional parameters. Shane confirmed he could send and receive messages to each of them individually, but they could not communicate amongst themselves without channeling through him. Crucially, they did not receive his specialized combat or enhancement skills; their systems focused purely on environmental awareness and decision support.
With the six selected leaders equipped, Shane dismissed the main body of the crew—Saul, Oscar, Cody and Silas—leaving them with Gary, Ben and Shane to establish the central hub. The headquarters needed to be highly visible, a beacon of the company's success, and centrally located. They drove to a gleaming, modern building downtown, precisely the kind of visible success AN often targeted.
As they exited the rental vehicle in the vast parking garage, Shane's phone rang. It was Sue, the bookkeeper. "Shane, I got through. Olaf's management team agreed to a preliminary meeting regarding sponsorship."
Shane, pleased, ended the call. But immediately, his system—along with Gary's and Ben's alarms—flashed a critical warning. A massive spike of celestial energy was radiating directly from the parking garage structure they had just left.
"What the hell is that?" Ben asked, staring at the concrete pillars.
Before Gary or Ben could fully process the anomaly, a rough-looking gang materialized from the shadows, their movements stiff, unnatural, radiating AN's signature influence. Shane knew this wasn't just street trouble; this was directed chaos.
His decision was instantaneous. He engaged his newly upgraded **Super Speed** and **Super Strength**. The world dissolved into a blur of motion for Shane. Gary and Ben received an immediate, albeit less potent, clarity boost from their systems, enough to know they had to fight, but they were still outmatched mortals.
Shane moved through the bulk of the attackers like a phantom, his strikes landing with calculated force to disable rather than kill, guided by his low-level *Foresight*. He cleared the immediate threats, drawing the bulk of the gang's attention, allowing Gary and Ben to hold their ground valiantly against the stragglers.
Just as Shane thought the skirmish was over, the leader—a hulking figure radiating a distinct, heavy signature of AN's influence—stepped forward. This final opponent required the combined efforts of all three. Shane landed the final disabling blow on the leader's knee, sending him crashing down.
The system immediately rewarded Shane. His **Copy** skill cooldown was reduced, and its duration increased. A dark thought flickered—copying the gang leader, infiltrating AN's network. He immediately suppressed it. He wasn't ready to fool a celestial entity like that; the risk of exposure was too high. He sent silent warnings through the system network to Saul, Oscar, and Cory: increased vigilance, expect counter-attacks.
They quickly realized the downtown HQ was compromised by its visibility. They abandoned the location, planning a new hub in a more rural, defensible area where AN's influence tended to manifest through bureaucratic manipulation rather than street-level thugs.
Driving away, Gary received a frantic call from Amanda. She was on her way to meet them, having finished securing the paperwork for the new location. As she drove toward their rendezvous point, an operative working for AN attempted to run her off the road. She swerved violently, managing to maintain control, but the crash left her shaken.
Gary erupted in protective fury. Shane remained outwardly calm, though his system registered the clear celestial fingerprint on the near-accident. "We go on the offensive now, Gary, but carefully," Shane said, his voice tightly controlled. "We need Veritas Alpha. We need to find the Raven God."
The latest developments confirmed that AN was reacting to Shane's success, but reacting on a minor level, still underestimating the true depth of Veritas Alpha/Johnny John/Calvin's involvement and Shane's system.