Michael Reyes stood at the podium, wrapping up his announcement with a confident smile. The applause from the audience was still echoing in the room when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Trying to maintain his composure, he discreetly checked the screen and saw a series of urgent notifications.
"Thank you all for your time," Michael concluded, stepping down from the podium. He motioned for Bridget, Juliet, and Antoinette to join him backstage.
Once they were out of the spotlight, Michael pulled out his phone and read the messages.
[Weather Manipulation Satellite Active!]
Michael's heart skipped a beat. The message was unexpected and alarming. He quickly scanned the details and realized the gravity of the situation. The United States was attempting to use the satellite without his authorization. He needed a moment to process this.
"Just a moment," Michael said to his team, his voice tight. "I need to handle something urgent."
Without waiting for a response, he stepped into a quiet, secluded corner of the room. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend the implications of the alert. He knew he couldn't share this information with his team; it was a confidential matter between him and the United States government.
There was only one reason why the United States would use his satellite, and that was to start a war against China. He had expected this would happen in the near future, but not this early.
Fortunately, the satellite won't work without Michael's go signal. After all, if there would be a war, he wanted to be informed. And since he is not informed about the matter, then unfortunately for the United States, their plan is thwarted.
***
Meanwhile, in the Oval Office.
President Thomas Greene sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the digital clock on the wall. The seconds ticked by slowly. He turned to Reginald Thornton, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was on the phone and speaking with someone. Reginald's face was taut with frustration.
"What's happening, Reginald? Has the operation started?" President Greene asked, his voice tinged with impatience.
Reginald covered the receiver and turned to the President. "No, sir. It hasn't. The satellite won't work."
President Greene's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, it won't work?"
Emily's eyes widened slightly. "That's a good point. Let's check the security logs and see if there's any indication of an authorization failure."
Sarah accessed the security interface and began sifting through the logs. After a few moments, she found something.
"Here," she said, pointing to the screen. "It looks like there's an authorization protocol that wasn't completed. The satellite is awaiting confirmation from an external source."
Emily's brow furrowed as she read the log. "It says the satellite requires an authorization code from the primary contractor. That would be... Michael Reyes."
Mark's eyes widened. "Of course. The satellite was developed in partnership with Reyes Corporation. They must have built in an additional security measure requiring Michael Reyes' authorization for activation."
Emily turned to the team, her expression serious. "We need to report this immediately. The President and the Joint Chiefs are expecting results."
She quickly drafted a message detailing their findings and sent it to the upper officials. Within minutes, her secure line buzzed with an incoming call from Reginald Thornton.
"Dr. Carson, what did you find?" Reginald's voice was tense.
"Sir, we've identified the issue. The satellite requires an authorization code from Michael Reyes to execute the command sequence," Emily explained. "Without his approval, the satellite remains inactive."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Reginald responded. "Understood. We're contacting Mr. Reyes now. Thank you for your quick work, Dr. Carson."
***
In the Oval Office.
Reginald Thornton just got off the phone with Dr. Carson and turned to President Greene, who was pacing the room.
"Mr. President, we've identified the issue," Reginald said, his voice steady. "The satellite requires an authorization code from Michael Reyes to execute the command sequence. Without his approval, the satellite remains inactive."
President Greene's expression darkened. "So, we need Reyes' authorization to proceed. I didn't expect him to embed something on the satellite. Well in that case let's contact him."