POV: Aritra NaskarDate: September 20, 2012Location: Nova Tech Headquarters – Executive Suite & Security Operations Center, Salt Lake Sector-V, KolkataTime: 6:30 AM IST
The first shafts of dawn slanted through the louvered windows of my executive suite, illuminating the geometric patterns of raindrops on the glass. I sat at my desk, freshly returned from Kashmir, the cold mountain air still lingering in my bones. Two days had passed since the drone‐aided relief mission, yet the aftermath pressed on my mind. In Kashmir, I had watched relief rations bear down on fragile villages, saved lives with thermal imaging, and outmaneuvered militants with a carefully deployed beacon. But even as I docked into the monotony of my Salt Lake routine, I could feel unseen currents undulating through Nova Tech's network: ledger anomalies, rising international demands, and—undercurrent to it all—the ever‐present, circling specter of Blackwood's influence.
I sipped a strong black coffee and tapped my tablet, bringing up the real‐time dashboard:
Kashmir Node 2: Stable (100% uptime)
Singapore Node 4: Stable (99.99%)
Penang Node 3: Stable (100%)
Accra Node 5: Stable (100%)
Dhaka Node 6: Stable (100%)
Each node glowed emerald, yet four amber flags blinked: scheduled maintenance windows in Malaysia, a software patch rollout in Ghana, intra‐office stress tests in Dhubri, and one unaddressed alert: "US NODE 8 – LUCIDAI PROJECT INTEGRATION PENDING". Nova Tech's US expansion was slated for next month, but I hadn't yet allocated resources for the final integration with LuciDai's AI forecasting module. A knot formed in my stomach—if I didn't clear that backlog, our expansion could falter.
I pressed "Dismiss" on the LuciDai prompt and swung my chair around. The suite's door opened, and Ishita Roy slipped inside.
"Morning," she said softly, handing me a digital brief. "A trio of news alerts—you likely saw them en route."
I scanned her tablet:
"Pakistan Denies State Sponsorship in Kashmir Attacks"
"Interpol Issues Red Crescent Brigade Travel Ban"
"Blackwood Holdings Stock Surges After Tribunal Formation"
I frowned. "Item three—what does that mean?"
Ishita tapped the third alert. "Market analysts speculate that Blackwood's stock rally stems from perceptions that Viktor's influence—albeit curtailed—will still redirect infrastructure contracts toward his network. Despite the Tribunal's oversight, investors believe Blackwood will capitalize on Nova Tech's expansion."
I sank back. "Even under the Tribunal? They think Viktor has a back door."
She exhaled. "There's chatter that Viktor is setting up a shell network to procure infrastructure hardware through back‐channels, bypassing Nova Tech's supply contracts. Someone tipped analysts off, and the stock price responded."
I ran a hand through my hair. "He's undermining the Accord, trying to erode our market position. We need to confront this head‐on."
I stood. "I want a forensic audit on Blackwood share transactions over the past week. Follow any suspicious trades. Also, rerun red‐flag checks on procurement logs for our Malaysian and Ghana sites—any anomalies. Priya's team can pull that."
Ishita nodded. "I'll begin immediately." She paused. "Katherine's on standby in her office—she wants to discuss Vietnam pilot details before your 9 AM session."
I acknowledged with a curt nod, then turned back to the dashboard. The ledger's green nodes reminded me: every line of code carried weight, every oversight could become a weapon if left unchecked.
Location: Nova Tech – Katherine's OfficeTime: 8:45 AM IST
Katherine stood by her window, arms folded, peering out at the rain‐soaked courtyard. The morning's dim light rendered the lush palms grayish‐blue. I entered quietly; she turned, eyes bright but tense.
"Vietnam pilot—launch slated for October 5th," she began without preamble. "We have approval from Hanoi's Ministry of ICT, but they need assurances on transparency protocols—specifically, community oversight councils and rapid disaster response. Similar to Kashmir, except terrain will demand amphibious drone variants."
I sat across from her. "We'll adapt the drone config. Rhea's team is designing a waterproofed hull for Alpha and Bravo swarms—amphibious drones that can land in flooded rice paddies, then either hover or shift to ground roving mode." I tapped my tablet: "Project Codename: Mekong Sentinel." "We'll overlay Mekong River flood‐mapping with thermal scans for displaced villagers."
Katherine nodded, relief flickering. "Good. But budget committee wants cost estimates by Friday. And… we must address Blackwood's stock rally. Investors see a fracture in the Accord—if they believe Viktor still has clandestine leverage, they'll question our joint governance model." Her lips pressed together. "We need a public statement clarifying that any Blackwood‐linked networks are outside Nova Tech's purview—any procurement not routed through us is, by definition, unauthorized."
I swallowed. "A direct call. I'll draft it now." I stood. "I'll see you at 9 AM—Global Expansion Task Force briefing."
She offered a grateful smile. "Thank you. We'll reinforce our message: transparency includes oversight of partners."
Location: Nova Tech – Global Expansion Task Force Conference RoomTime: 9:00 AM IST
The glass-walled conference room overlooked Salt Lake Sector-V's monolithic architecture. By 9, Priya Menon, Arnav Basu, Elena Vasquez, Minister Faisal (via video), and Commissioner Adesanya (live from Abuja) were seated around the oval table. I took the head seat; Katherine sat to my right. Cameras poised for a later webcast of the Vietnam announcement.
I began: "Thank you all. First, Vietnam pilot logistics: we've finalized drone‐amphibious designs—thank you, Rhea. We'll ship prototypes tomorrow, begin field tests by September 25. Data centers will locate in Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City, with fallback nodes in Phnom Penh to secure cross‐border stability."
Arnav chimed in: "Budget stands at $12 million, covering hardware, training, and community workshops. We'll finalize procurement by week's end."
Elena spoke up: "Great. One quick item—Blackwood's stock impact. I've reviewed trade data. While there's no direct violation of the Accord, there are suspicious patterns: trading volumes spiked in shell corporations linked to Viktor's middlemen." She tapped her tablet. "Our suggestion: Nova Tech issue a formal notice—any hardware or software acquired outside our authorized channels will be subject to immediate Tribunal review. If Blackwood's affiliates—even inadvertently—use those channels, they risk contract suspension."
I nodded. "I will draft a formal press release, co-signed by Katherine and me. We'll send to the media and post on our portals."
Priya added: "Meanwhile, we'll lock down our procurement ledger—flag any non-Nova Tech LPOs in Vietnam, Ghana, or Malaysia, and run daily forensic scans."
Commissioner Adesanya leaned forward. "From the African Union's side, we'll publicly reaffirm our support for the Accord—emphasize that transparency is non-negotiable. We'll issue a joint communiqué."
Minister Faisal's face flickered on the screen. "We stand with Nova Tech. Any attempts to circumvent protocols will not be tolerated. I'll draft a statement from Malaysia's Ministry of ICT."
I exhaled, feeling a small victory. "Thank you. Let's maintain unity. Now, let's focus on Vietnam. Katherine, would you lead on community council frameworks?"
She straightened. "Happy to. We'll convene a working group with local NGOs, ensure the MoU includes a floating council of villagers, not just officials."
Minutes later, the meeting adjourned. As everyone filed out, I lingered with Arnav.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly.
I offered a tired smile. "Vietnam is on track. Now we need to keep Blackwood on a short leash."
Arnav's lips quirked. "Viktor's pride will bristle, but we have allies—he's isolated."
I nodded. "For now."
Location: Nova Tech – Executive SuiteTime: 11:00 AM IST
Back in my suite, I opened my tablet's secure app and began drafting the press release. My fingers flew:
"Nova Tech Official Statement—September 20, 2012In light of recent fluctuations in Blackwood Holdings' stock, Nova Tech reaffirms its unwavering commitment to full transparency under the Naskar‐Blackwood Accord. Any procurement, hardware allocation, or software licensing originating outside authorized Nova Tech channels—especially those associated with Blackwood Holdings—is subject to immediate Tribunal review. Partners and clients are advised to verify all contracts through Nova Tech's secure procurement portal. Nova Tech and Blackwood Holdings remain dedicated to collaborative innovation; however, vigilance ensures integrity in every region we serve."
I re‐read it, then added our names at the bottom. Before sending, I paused—wondering what ripple effect these words would cause. I hit "Send to Media" and "Publish on Portal."
The moment the statement went live, alerts flashed on my tablet: social media feeds, industry blogs, and financial analysts dissecting the language. A new node of tension had been added to the network—one of caution and accountability.
I leaned back, glad to have acted decisively, yet aware that Viktor and his operatives would watch closely. Any slip could let his hidden agendas slip through the cracks.
Location: Nova Tech – Security Operations CenterTime: 12:00 PM IST
In the subterranean hum of servers, Priya's team monitored live media reactions. Monitors showed last night's datastream from Kashmir still green, and the Vietnam node build-out schematics glowing blue. But a new alert flickered on one monitor:
"BLACKWOOD SHELL CO. UINT-59 — Proposed acquisition of 'ThermoSight' surveillance tech for Ghana pilot — not authorized."
Priya raised her voice: "Unauthorized procurement flagged—ThermoSight is not on our approved vendor list." She tapped the ledger: "This purchase request came from 'Global Horizons LLC'—a shell corp traced back to Viktor's proxies."
Arnav's brows knitted. "Block the transaction. Notify Ghana's project lead that TechSight will not be integrated. We'll source through approved channels."
Priya nodded. "Initiating block. Alert sent to local team. I've also escalated the forensic log—flagged for Tribunal review."
I stepped up, breathing deeply. The pattern was clear: Viktor's network was trying to weave its own surveillance tech into our projects, likely to gain a backdoor. I felt both relief that we'd caught it and a surge of anger.
"Cut off every thread they own," I said firmly. "We'll not let them undermine our mission anywhere."
Location: Nova Tech – Aritra's Executive SuiteTime: 1:00 PM IST
I returned to my suite and found Katherine waiting, tablet in hand. She pointed to a chart: "Vietnam Ministry just called—their Board of Ethics is drafting a joint clause regarding vendor vetting. They'll require local assembly of drones, not imports."
I nodded. "Excellent. That undermines Viktor's reach. If we build locally under Nova Tech's watch, we seal that leak."
Her eyes softened. "Good. But be careful, Aritra. He's digging deeper."
I reached across the desk and squeezed her hand. "I know. But with every ledger block we secure, every drone we deploy for relief and surveillance, we build a wall he cannot breach."
She smiled, though tension lingered in her eyes. "Then let's keep building."