Page 114 of Claim Me
Inside, several men are already seated. Most of them are alphas, with only two betas among them. A colonel sits at the head of the table, with a lieutenant colonel beside him reviewinga thin folder, and across from them are a civilian representative and a technical specialist, all seeming more interested in the upcoming presentation than in us.
Blue walks in without hesitation and takes his place at the table, while Simon sits next to him and begins setting up a portable projector. I position myself by the wall where I have a clear view of everyone in the room, and no one objects to my presence.
"Mr. Lowen," the colonel says, his tone neutral. "You may begin."
Blue acknowledges him with a slight nod and immediately takes control of the room.
"Thank you for having me."
Simon dims the lights slightly and activates the projector, and within seconds the blank surface behind Blue shifts into a clean, structured display. The first images appear gradually, showing detailed internal cross-sections and layered designs of the nanotechnology, almost elegant in their construction.
I focus on the men at the table instead of the screen, watching for their reactions as the presentation begins.
Most of what he’s saying isn’t clear to me, as he uses a lot of terms that are completely unfamiliar, all from biotechnology, but one thing becomes obvious.
The labs under Blue have developed bionanobots capable of entering the human bloodstream and, if needed, multiplying and forming microscopic transmitters that can reveal the location of infected individuals.
That’s not their only function either. They can migrate to other organisms through bodily fluids.
Infection occurs through contaminated food or drink, and then that person can spread it further.
I'm curious if they are similar to what he has in his body.
I watch Blue as he explains all of this, and I’m struck by how, even with so many people watching him with skepticism and sharp attention, he speaks smoothly, without hesitation, with a level of confidence I’ve never had.
Every sentence is so well-constructed it could be written down exactly as it is and still sound polished. There are no stumbles, no filler sounds, no "ummm" or "eeee," and he answers every question thoroughly.
I get a read that everyone here is impressed with the presentation, even the general sitting slightly off to the side, observing everything without a word, seems favorably inclined.
The meeting comes to an end, and Blue wraps up the presentation.
One of the men states that the proposal will undergo a thorough evaluation.
Simon and Blue stand, Blue offers a brief farewell, and we all leave the room, escorted by the same soldier as before.
Blue exchanges a few technical remarks with Simon about details in the presentation that could be improved, and then we return to the limousine.
The entire way back, Blue is on the phone with someone from his research department, probably Adams, discussing areas he thinks need further improvement or development. His mind seems to exist in a constant state of refinement, always building, always optimizing, at a level of creativity I have never seen in anyone else.
I catch myself staring at him with… admiration and respect and, yeah, longing. It seems impossible for someone like him to feel anything for… me.
That magical moment we shared on the balcony beneath the fireworks already feels unreal, distant like something from another lifetime, losing more of its shape and weight with every passing day.
And this distance between us… mixed with the way he keeps subtly watching me, is slowlykillingme.
It’s only later that evening, during dinner, that I finally work up the nerve to ask him,
"Do you think the military will buy your invention?"
Blue raises one brow slightly, as if even the sound of my voice is something unexpected.
"Of course. They are the primary party interested in this product. During last year’s innovation expo, their representative approached me and left his card."
I hesitate for a moment. "You did really well," I add in a hushed voice. "You’re great at this. You don’t get stage fright speaking in front of people, I would’ve burned out from nerves in there."
Blue seems almost amused. "That kind of feeling is natural when you’re twenty-one, Gabriel. When you’re forty-two, you know exactly what you want from life and what you have to offer others."
"Seriously, you weren’t stressed? There was a general there and a whole group of military officials."
