Chapter 3 - The Power Shift
Gasps of horror echoed off the marble walls of the grand lobby.
The senator pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his face purple with rage.
"You are a liar and a terrorist!" the senator shouted.
"The Vice President is safely resting in the penthouse suite right now."
Julian pulled out his battered phone and tapped the screen once.
A massive holographic display flickered to life above the center of the lobby.
The screen showed a live security feed of the luxurious penthouse suite.
The Vice President was slumped over a mahogany desk, completely motionless.
A dark pool of blood was slowly expanding across the expensive white rug.
The crowd erupted into screams and frantic whispers.
"Someone in this room orchestrated that assassination exactly four minutes ago," Julian explained smoothly.
"This building is completely sealed, which means the killer is standing right here among us."
Vance sneered from the balcony and pulled a silver pistol from his tuxedo jacket.
"I don't care who owns the building, you are a dead man," Vance growled.
He aimed the weapon down at Julian and pulled the trigger.
Julian did not even flinch as a robotic defense turret dropped from the ceiling.
The automated turret fired a rubber riot slug that struck Vance's wrist with bone-crushing force.
Vance screamed and dropped his weapon over the balcony railing.
The gun shattered on the marble floor at Julian's feet.
Julian picked up the broken pieces and kicked them aside.
"I built the AI that runs this structure to protect the innocent," Julian stated.
"Any further acts of violence will be met with immediate and lethal force."
Suddenly, the massive holographic screen above them flickered and changed images.
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The live feed of the dead Vice President was replaced by a ticking digital countdown clock.
The clock started at exactly ten minutes and began counting backward.
