Watching the two helicopters carrying the CEOs of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin lift off into the sky, Castle finally breathed a sigh of relief. What had started as a straightforward "trap-and-catch" operation had snowballed into chaos, thanks to the relentless meddling of deep-pocketed media conglomerates and their ever-hovering helicopters over New York.
Castle was fully aware of the precarious situation he was now in. Thanks to Jarvis' network monitoring capabilities, he already knew that, following last night's television broadcast, intelligence agencies from multiple U.S. allies had turned their attention to him.
The technology he had developed—or rather "borrowed"—from the Marvel universe's S.H.I.E.L.D. was revolutionary. His version of the "optical deflection camouflage" was essentially an advanced iteration of flexible optical electronic ink display panels.
The core idea behind this technology was deceptively simple: install large, flexible display screens on the underside of an aircraft—particularly its belly, which is most visible from the ground—and use a powerful onboard computer to control the screens. The computer would dynamically adjust the display to blend the aircraft into its surrounding environment, making it visually "invisible" against the sky.
These flexible electronic ink displays were a marvel of non-self-illuminating technology. While they could display up to 2,048 colors, they consumed power only when changing colors and required none in a static state. This energy efficiency allowed them to cover large areas of an aircraft's surface without creating a significant power drain.
Made of aerospace-grade special materials, the display panels were thin, lightweight, and flexible enough to seamlessly adhere to an aircraft's surface without compromising its aerodynamics. The only major limitation was their inability to function on supersonic aircraft. Once a plane exceeded the speed of sound, the intense friction with the air would generate enough heat—up to 300 degrees Celsius—to instantly destroy the delicate optical electronic ink panels.
For now, Castle's first-generation stealth technology could only be applied to subsonic aircraft.
But even with these limitations, the technology was groundbreaking. Solving the "existence" problem—proving that such a technology could work—was always the hardest step. Refinements and improvements could come later.
While several countries had dabbled in similar camouflage technologies for special operations, Castle's version was the first to make a significant leap into aviation. This is why aerospace giants like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, as well as multiple foreign governments, were scrambling to gain access to it.
The broadcast footage of Castle's drone switching from stealth mode to attack mode mid-air had thrown the world's intelligence community into overdrive. Jarvis had intercepted orders from at least ten countries directing their operatives in the U.S.—especially those in New York—to confirm the authenticity of Castle's technology and, if possible, steal it by any means necessary.
But Castle wasn't overly concerned.
Why?
Because the real key to his technology wasn't the flexible display screens—it was the control code behind them. The algorithms he had painstakingly crafted (with a little help from Ramsey and the tech-savvy hacker, Little Fatty) were what made the system truly revolutionary.
Moreover, the first-generation technology still had glaring weaknesses. Besides its incompatibility with supersonic aircraft, the stealth effect was easily compromised under strong lighting conditions. Castle wasn't too bothered by these shortcomings; after all, he already had plans for a fifth-generation version that could achieve true invisibility even on supersonic jets. Compared to the potential of future iterations, this initial version was little more than a practice run.
Even if someone managed to steal the flexible display panel's manufacturing process, they wouldn't get far without the corresponding control algorithms.
With this knowledge, Castle found it hard to take the growing global interest in his technology seriously. He understood the Pentagon's urgency—they likely wanted to see if they could retrofit his stealth system onto their B-2 bombers in time for next month's mission to Libya. Three B-2s, including the one Castle and Little Fatty had modified at Missouri's Whiteman Air Force Base, were likely set to carry out a long-range strike on Colonel Gaddafi's air defense systems and airports.
But Castle had no intention of making things that easy for them.
He wasn't a wish-granting fairy. If he handed everything over on a silver platter, these bureaucrats would take his efforts for granted. By making them wait, he could ensure they valued his contributions—and that he retained leverage.
Besides, with the "Olympus Has Fallen" plotline about to unfold, Castle had bigger priorities. He needed to find an excuse to bring President Benjamin's wife and children out of Washington before Kang Yeonsak—disguised as the South Korean prime minister's aide—led an attack on the White House. If the first family were taken hostage, Benjamin's hands would be tied during the crisis.
By preemptively removing them from harm's way, Castle could ensure Benjamin owed him a personal debt. Even if the president later realized Castle had prior knowledge of the attack, how could he hold a grudge against the man who saved his family?
Castle's musings were interrupted when Beckett and Joe entered the room. The two women informed him that the forensic work on the northern beach was complete. The four suspects captured at sea were being transported to the NYPD's headquarters in the city, where they would be held and interrogated. Beckett and Joe were heading to the city as well, but they warned Castle not to step outside and stir up trouble with the reporters still loitering at the gates.
Castle, feeling somewhat aggrieved, agreed to Beckett's stern instructions. After the NYPD and FBI left the estate, he would have to stay put until Beckett returned. Together, they'd discuss how to handle the fallout from last night's drone stealth reveal and his newfound status as a target for international intelligence agencies.
With Beckett and Joe gone, Ivan and his team of burly Russian bodyguards resumed full control of the estate's security. Their first order of business was to chase away the reporters who had begun encroaching too close to the gates.
Realizing Castle was unlikely to make another appearance, most of the reporters started packing up. Only two TV crews remained to broadcast their surroundings, while the rest decided to leave. After all, the day had been eventful enough to generate plenty of material. The attempted attack on Castle's estate, the shootout that occurred mere feet from the journalists, and Castle's fiery rant against his critics—all of this would provide ample fodder for articles and interviews in the days to come.
By the time Castle collapsed into bed for a well-deserved nap, he was blissfully unaware of the storm his actions had unleashed across the globe.
Governments everywhere were now salivating over his stealth technology. Meanwhile, the Japanese government was in a frenzy. With their intelligence apparatus stretched thin by ongoing plans with Amir Barkawi in Argentina, the last thing they needed was for the Watanabe family to complicate matters with their vendetta against Castle.
"Dammit," one official muttered in frustration. "Right when everything is coming together, Watanabe had to go rogue and escalate things in New York? This is chaos!"
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]