Evie stared at him, a little shocked by how much faith he had in her and her abilities. He had always been her biggest cheerleader, whether it was ballet or show jumping when shewas younger, or her forays into computer design in high school and her eventual switch to computer science in university. But this was different. He was putting lives in her hands.
“You damn well better be at my beck and call.” She reluctantly gave in, knowing it was useless to argue with him. “If someone gets caught or… worse, because of my tech designs, you’re taking the fall.”
“I have complete confidence in you and your abilities.” Tommy grinned triumphantly, and she almost quit on the spot because of how smug he looked. Before she could say anything, he continued. “Which brings us to HELIX.”
“What about HELIX?” Evie immediately straightened at the mention of her project.
“I want to integrate it into the Tower, starting with our apartments and, hopefully, into Sloane Consulting by the end of the year.” He leaned forward, eyes bright with excitement. “It’s already in your apartment. Over the next three months, I want to expand into mine and Thorn’s.”
“Okay, I get why you’d want it in the residential areas; it’s supposed to act as a personal assistant.” Evie frowned, confused about why he would want it integrated into Sloane Consulting. Its purpose was more along the lines of giving reminders, anticipating needs and providing the information, but in a more human-like way than regular AI. “Why here?”
“HELIX already understands how we think. You built it that way. It anticipates, adapts, and learns from every interaction. Imagine that kind of intelligence running quietly in the background of Consulting.”
Tommy’s expression grew almost blissful as he spoke, and Evie couldn’t help smiling in amusement.
“It wouldn’t just manage data or logistics,” he said. “It could coordinate the entire division in real time. Field operatives wouldn’t have to wait for reports or clearance. HELIX could update them mid-operation, adjust routes, monitor vital signs, and cross-reference live intel faster than any human. It could be a partner, not a program, something that keeps us connected, efficient, and one step ahead of everyone else.”
Evie shook her head, overwhelmed by the scope of his vision. “Wow, Tommy. I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing right now.” He glanced at his watch. “We have a meeting to get to, so we’ll pick this up later. Just think about it before you decide.”
Chapter Twenty-Six: Meet the Team
Evie followed Tommy down the hall into a room that, like everything else on the Consulting floor, looked as if it belonged in a high-end architectural magazine. The walls were a smooth, matte charcoal gray, with soft, recessed lighting tracing the ceiling in precise, geometric lines. A rectangular black glass table sat at the center, surrounded by ten white and chrome chairs. One of them, clearly Thorn’s, was slightly larger and reinforced but still matched the sleek, modern aesthetic of the rest of the room.
A massive screen framed in brushed chrome dominated the back wall, currently displaying a slow slideshow of city skylines glowing against the night. In front of each chair sat an open Supernova Exilis, the compact model from Sloane Tech’s Executive line, its screen glowing with the indigo login interface of Nyx, the Consulting network. A glass of water accompanied each workstation, and to one side, a small coffee bar gleamed, where Lana stood preparing coffee and boiling water for tea.
Tommy walked over to the table and pulled out the second chair on the right. “This will be your seat going forward. I sit at the head, Nissa to my right, and Thorn to the left.” He smiled. “Lana sits next to Thorn, and the rest fill in the table.”
“How many people work here?” Evie asked, sitting down and reaching for the glass of water, her throat suddenly dry at the thought of meeting everyone at once.
“Counting myself, Nissa, Lana and now you, seven. And Thorn occasionally helps out.” He added the last part just asThorn entered the room and immediately swept Evie into a bear hug that lifted her clear off her feet, followed by Nissa and three people, two men and a woman, that she didn’t know.
"Hello, Mališa," Thorn kissed her temple before setting her back down. "It is good to see you."
"Thorn, buddy, you just saw her yesterday." Tommy shook his head as the others in the room lined up for coffee, looking amused as Evie smiled in delight at Thorn’s affectionate greeting.
"It is still good to see her." Thorn shrugged as he let her go and walked around the table to take his seat.
As Evie sat beside Nissa, the other woman winked and passed her a sticky note. “You’re username and password to the system.” She explained. “You’ll have to change your password the first time you log in and then every three months.
Evie nodded, smiling her thanks as Tommy took his place at the head of the table, waiting as everyone grabbed their coffee or tea and took their seats.
When everyone was seated, Tommy stood up, his expression bright and cheerful. “Afternoon, everyone. This should be a quick meeting. I want to introduce you all to Evie Stanley.”
He gestured toward her, and Evie smiled at the group, giving a quick, slightly awkward wave.
“Evie recently graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, specializing in Intelligent Systems. She also holds research credits in Affective Computing and Human-AI Interaction, and she received the Dean’s Award for Innovation for her capstone project.”
Evie felt her cheeks burn as Tommy went on, and everyone except Nissa and Thorn looked at her with open surprise. She noticed he didn’t mention what her capstone project was, which made sense if he intended to integrate it here later.
“She’s joining Sloane Consulting as our new Lead Systems Architect,” Tommy continued, “and she’ll be helping me develop the technology and equipment that will make your jobs safer and more efficient. Eventually, when she’s comfortable taking it over, she’ll lead a small team of designers.”
Evie glanced at him in surprise, then realized she should have expected it. If he planned to expand the number of contractors, her workload would grow quickly.
“So, from now on, you can come to either of us with your ideas, requests, or needs. Her office is to the right of mine, at the back.”
He paused, scanning the table. “I guess that takes us to introductions. Obviously, you know Thorn and his background. Nissa, do you want to fill Evie in on what she doesn’t know about you, and then we’ll move around the table to Paula, Aaron, Cole, and Lana?”
