“Money is the most important thing,” Siemens said, raising his glass of expensive Macallan single malt whisky, “He who understands it, prospers, those who don’t, suffer.”
Alicia Bold nodded in agreement, impressed by the toast. Ned, on the other hand, couldn’t help but wonder if he should correct Siemens’s misquotation of Einstein’s famous phrase about compound interest being the eighth wonder of the world. However, as Siemens was the boss, Ned kept his thoughts to himself and took a drink.
Ned loathed these kinds of social gatherings. In fact, he loathed all social interactions. As he stood at the crowded cocktail bar, surrounded by wealthy individuals, he felt his nerves getting the better of him.
He had come to this exclusive event to pitch his revolutionary foreign exchange experiment – an autonomous currency exchange system that would lower the cost of remittances around the world by eliminating middlemen and offering the best rates without any delays. But as he tried to speak up and sell his idea, he found himself tongue-tied and unable to communicate effectively.
Meanwhile, people like Siemens seemed to exude confidence and charm, even if they had nothing to back it up. Siemens was a billionaire several times over, having run an exclusive hedge fund for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. And to Ned’s confusion, he appeared to be courting Alicia Bold, a neuro interventionist. Ned couldn’t understand the connection between Alicia’s medical background and the world of global finance.
As he struggled to push his own objective – cheap money for the poor, a stable foundation for the world – Ned couldn’t help but feel disillusioned by the other attendees at the event. They seemed more interested in feeding off the system, like parasites, than in making a positive impact on the world.
Alicia, on the other hand, was driven by a different set of motivations. Originally tasked by DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office to develop a neural implant to remotely control the movement of sharks for military purposes, Alicia had gone on to dream of creating the Reliable Neural Interface, a revolutionary biomedical prosthesis that would allow for direct connections to the brain via cerebral angiography. With this advanced device, she hoped to surpass the limitations of traditional micro-electronic mechanical systems (MEMS) and revolutionize the field of medicine.
As the night wore on, Ned felt the effects of the alcohol more and more. Despite his reservations, he had allowed himself to be swept up in the festivities, trying to forget his social anxiety and pitch his foreign exchange experiment. But as the drinks kept coming, he found his thoughts becoming muddled and his movements unsteady.
Before he knew it, Siemens and Alicia were leading him out of the posh resort and into a waiting limousine. As he stumbled into the luxurious vehicle, Ned couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. He couldn’t be sure, but the alcohol seemed to be clouding his judgment.
The next thing he knew, he was being lifted out of the limo by a muscled bodyguard and placed onto a gurney. As he lay there, feeling disoriented and confused, he couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. Where were Siemens and Alicia taking him? And more importantly, was he in danger?
As the gurney was pushed into a sterile operating room, Ned struggled to make sense of what was happening. He couldn’t move his limbs, and his head was spinning from the effects of the alcohol – or was it something more sinister? Had he been drugged?
Suddenly, Alicia appeared in front of him, dressed in a surgical outfit. “Don’t worry, Ned,” she said soothingly. “We’re going to help you achieve your wildest dreams – and make Archon Trust outperform like never before.”
Ned’s mind raced as he tried to process Alicia’s words. What did she mean? How was he supposed to help the hedge fund grow?
As he lay there, numb and groggy, unable to move, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
But before he could ask any questions, he felt a sharp pain in his arm, and everything went black.
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