Among the three parties who had signed preliminary agreements with Castle—NASA, Hughes, and Lockheed Martin—NASA played more of an oversight role. The ones truly fixated on Castle's technology were Hughes and Lockheed Martin. Given that Lockheed handled most of NASA's aerospace contracts, they quickly assembled a team to secure early access to Castle's satellite technology while he was still at their Skunk Works facility.
For two days, Castle was harassed non-stop by Lockheed Martin's director of aerospace technologies, who was desperate to extract any additional technical details. Frustrated and exhausted, Castle finally managed to shake them off and escape, dragging Harry with him onto a private jet Boeing had sent to fetch them.
Once airborne, Castle left Harry to obsess over control codes while he leaned back in his seat, finally taking a moment to reflect. He couldn't ignore the pattern that had emerged in his life: whenever he tinkered with new projects or technologies, things quickly spiraled out of control. His lack of a coherent plan had led to the current chaos. Although his innovations brought many benefits, they also drew significant attention—much of it unwanted.
Castle realized that he had been introducing groundbreaking technologies with little consideration for their broader impact. From semi-autonomous drone control systems to missile enhancements, engine upgrades, and now satellite maneuvering capabilities, he had inadvertently made himself the center of global scrutiny.
Luckily, Castle had kept the existence of J.A.R.V.I.S. relatively secret. While there were rumors that he possessed at least a form of weak AI, no one had dared to probe too deeply—partly due to Castle's powerful connections. Still, Harry and J.A.R.V.I.S. had detected frequent attempts by various entities to breach the AI's firewalls.
Castle sighed. He had been naive to believe that casually unveiling these technologies wouldn't stir up trouble. What had started with drones for gathering intelligence in New York had snowballed into partnerships with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and others. Being Northrop's largest private shareholder hadn't brought him the peace and comfort he'd hoped for. Instead, he had become a high-profile target.
Castle mentally tallied the companies he held shares in: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing—three of the top defense contractors in the U.S. He also owned stakes in two major engine manufacturers, General Electric (G.E.) and Pratt & Whitney, and even a fraction of DuPont. These connections should have given him immense leverage, but instead, they had ensnared him in a web of obligations and demands.
Ever since the fall of Stan Aerospace and its ill-fated CEO, Rajad, Castle had avoided direct attacks. However, being "invited" by Lockheed and Boeing for these evaluations—essentially under duress—proved that his strategy of leveraging corporate alliances wasn't foolproof. His goal of a carefree life felt increasingly out of reach, especially now that Beckett was pregnant.
Castle needed a plan to prevent future situations like this. But no matter how he analyzed it, he couldn't see a simple solution. Even if he stopped unveiling new technologies, the ones he had already released—especially visual stealth and engine upgrades—still required his oversight. Neither Lockheed nor Northrop had fully mastered his inventions.
As the jet neared Chicago, Castle set aside his concerns and forced a smile as he greeted Boeing's technical director. For now, he would finish this job and then return to New York to discuss his next steps with Beckett and Gianna.
Boeing had its own agenda. Like Lockheed, they saw Castle as a valuable resource. Though the company's headquarters in Chicago housed its civilian aircraft division (BCA), Boeing's military arm—BDS (Boeing Defense, Space & Security)—had brought Castle here for a strategic reason.
Since the 1960s, Boeing had shifted much of its focus to civilian aviation. However, its defense division still produced key military assets, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and F-15 Eagle. These platforms, originally designed by McDonnell Douglas (acquired by Boeing in 1997), remained vital to U.S. military operations.
Recently, Boeing had become keenly aware of how far behind it was in the competition for Castle's favor. The company had learned that Lockheed had secured access to Castle's satellite maneuvering technology through a collaboration with NASA and Hughes. For Boeing, which had been sidelined in the U.S. space race after the retirement of the Space Shuttle, this was a wake-up call.
The company saw Castle as a potential key to its resurgence in both space exploration and defense contracts. With China making rapid advancements in space technology, Boeing knew the U.S. military would soon pour billions into modernizing its aerospace capabilities. Securing Castle's support could position them to win major contracts.
Unlike Lockheed and Northrop, Boeing approached the situation with a clear understanding of Castle's true value. They recognized that Castle's greatest asset wasn't just the technologies he had developed—it was Castle himself.
After landing in Chicago, Castle was greeted with warm smiles and handshakes from Boeing executives. Unlike Lockheed's pushy tactics, Boeing was determined to play the long game. They wanted Castle to feel respected, not pressured.
While Castle exchanged pleasantries with Boeing's team, he couldn't help but notice the subtle differences in their approach. The company wasn't just interested in immediate technical gains; they were building a foundation for a deeper, more strategic partnership.
As the group made their way to Boeing's defense headquarters, Castle pondered how he could use this to his advantage. Perhaps aligning more closely with one company could help him deflect pressure from others. But which company would be the best fit? Boeing's thoughtful approach was certainly a point in their favor.
For now, though, Castle shelved the thought. His immediate priority was completing the RC-135 evaluation so he could finally return to Beckett and their soon-to-be growing family.
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