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“You can only step into my office when I call for you.”
“I just wanted to know if you needed a morning coffee, sir.” I couldn't help the distaste in my voice.
“No.” He replied almost immediately, fixing me with a bored expression.
I frowned but it soon dissolved when I recalled another motive. “Thank you for the clothes.”
He pressed his lips in a thin line. “Use the door, and this time, do so gently.”
He didn't have to mention…
Since good composure was out of it, I had respect and obedience. With a small nod, I turned around and opened the stupid door… gently.
So much for a great start.
nine
Ethan
I sat at the head of the conference table. Staring at the diagrams and notes that dominated one conference room wall, I could see Project Hornet coming to life. The nine-member team was doing well.
The Air Force base had reached out with a finalized contract. We had two months from now to produce a prototype for the combat drone.
With a curt nod, I cleared my throat. All eyes turned to me. I felt hers the most.
“Alright, team, let's get down to business. Project Hornet is a go. We've got a tight deadline and some crucial steps to nail down.” I turned to David, a bald, young guy and the head of Mechanical Engineering. “Let's start with production planning.”
He nodded. I didn’t miss how he briefly glanced at Evie before talking. I didn’t like it one bit.
“Thank you, sir. We've reviewed the contract specs and broken down the components needed for each drone. Material procurement is already underway, and we're finalizing the assembly line schedule to ensure timely delivery.”
A raised finger drew my attention to them. I fixed my gaze on the brunette. She turned to David.
“I’m Chloe, the product manager. David, have we factored in the potential delays for that new guidance system component?”
David furrowed his brows. “Important observation, Chloe, thank you. There was a slight hiccup with the supplier. We're working on a backup option, but there might be a one-week lag.”
One week? If we wanted to meet the schedule, we couldn't afford such.
“That’s too much time, don’t you think?” Maxwell took the words out of my mouth.
“It is,” I interjected. “We need to minimize any potential delays. David and Chloe work together to see if we can expedite the backup option or explore alternative suppliers. We can't afford to fall behind schedule.
They both wrote briefly in their jotters before nodding. “Yes, sir.”
I turned to Maxwell. “Maxwell, how's quality assurance coming up? These drones need to be military grade. No mistakes.”
“We've already implemented our most stringent QA procedures. Every component will undergo rigorous testing, from flight performance to stress simulations. We're also conducting penetration testing to ensure the drones' impenetrable security systems.”
“Over to you, Evie.” He added, turning to her.
I clenched my jaw when she stopped writing on the iPad and locked eyes with David.
“Thank you, Maxwell.” Her eyes roamed each member, but not me.
“I’ll be working closely with Maxwell to ensure the psychological implications of the drones on the soldiers operating them. Reviewing existing research on relevant subject matters and analyzing the drone’s design and capabilities in terms of level of autonomy, sensory information, and others would be the first few steps.”
A strange sense of pride shot through me at her words. Indeed, she was smart and had said everything reasonable.
