Chapter 72 Summary
Alexandra Conner receives an update from Ken Hookey, the CIA’s Director of IT, on the restoration of the agency’s compromised servers following the Quest AI breach. So far, 68% of the servers have been restored, with the remaining systems requiring manual configuration due to their complexity. Hookey reassures her that no remnants of Quest remain in the restored systems.
Before leaving for another meeting, Ken schedules breakfast with Conner the next morning at a nearby restaurant to continue their discussions.
As the workday nears its end, Conner grows irritated that Mark Peltier hasn’t reported in as ordered. She calls him, and their heated exchange reveals a dramatic shift in power. Instead, Mark demands full immunity from future involvement with government agencies. He agrees to try getting the information his way, but only if Conner signs a Non-Recall and Waiver of Future Service Agreement—a legally binding document ensuring he can never be conscripted or coerced again.
Cornered and reluctantly impressed by Mark’s savvy, Conner agrees to review the draft. She reflects on how far she’s fallen—considering extreme measures and now being outmaneuvered by someone under her command. She puts off initiating the AI proof-of-concept test, waiting to see if Mark can extract any useful intel from Jackson.
Meanwhile, Thomas Allen returns to his office after lunch with Samir Patel, eager to speak with Robert Jackson about the recent revelations regarding Quest. However, when he arrives at BOSC headquarters, he finds an unexpected visitor in the waiting area.
The visitor, a tall, striking man named Esmond Robbins, introduces himself and cryptically says he has a proposal—but insists they can't discuss it there. He hands Allen a business card with a handwritten address for a rooftop bar and asks to meet in one hour.
Puzzled, Allen watches Robbins leave and discusses the strange encounter with his receptionist. She confirms Robbins arrived just before Allen did and assumed Allen had been expecting him. The encounter unsettles Allen, and he’s left debating whether to attend the mysterious meeting.