Liam left Whitlock's office nearly two hours later, the meeting having stretched well beyond the single hour he'd originally planned. Whitlock had asked pointed questions throughout—not about the nanites themselves, but about Liam's broader vision for where humanity was heading.
Where did Nova Technologies fit into the global order five years from now? Ten years? What happened to governments when a single private entity could offer its citizens longer, healthier lives than any national healthcare system ever could?
Liam had answered some questions directly and deflected others. By the time Daniel stood to leave alongside him, Whitlock's expression had shifted from cautious cooperation into a complex mixture of anticipation, calculation, and what might have been genuine excitement beneath the professional veneer.
The moment the door closed behind them, Whitlock sank back into his chair and stared at the ceiling, as the office felt quieter than usual.
