73 The Deal, part 1/2

Later the same day:

POV President Non:

President Non flanked by his countless advisors and experts stood rigidly before a bank of monitors, showing countless angles of a luxuriously furnished room.

In the spacious suite, devoid of windows, the alien masquerading as a human girl sat silently in a plush armchair. The room was lit solely by a grand chandelier that hung from the ornamental ceiling, casting a rich glow that danced across the polished surfaces of the luxurious furniture, reflecting softly on the polished mahogany table before her.

"So you are saying that her looks are identical to the dead girls whose bodies went missing?"

"Yes, sir, we can safely assume the alien is likely some form of parasite."

Non felt his spine straighten involuntarily, a shiver of realization coursing through him as he muttered, "This means there could be more among us, unnoticed, undetected..." The room remained silent, the gravitas of his words pressing down on them like a physical weight, squeezing beads of sweat from furrowed brows and pale faces.

'If this theory holds any water, we could be looking at a serious threat to national security or even a global crisis.'

The suite's heavy double doors suddenly burst open with a resonating bang that echoed ominously through the speakers. The figure of Valk, clothed in a billowing white lab coat that trailed behind him, rushed in with a maniacal expression on his face.

"What is Valk doing there?! We still haven't determined if it is safe!" He screamed as he saw the last thing he wanted to happen—the local mad scientist hijacking the entire negotiation between the species from different planets.

'We are screwed...'

POV Tia:

Tia looked up, her eyes going wide, as the old man in white rushed in, running straight toward her, his hands reaching forward as if he wanted to hug her.

'A doctor?'

Her entire body momentarily froze, her mind blanking out as the flashbacks of the doctors in white passed before her eyes.

'No, more likely a scientist.' She quickly calmed her nerves.

The man was quickly getting closer and closer, the excitement oozing from his dilated eyes, erratic breathing, and trembling lips.

"Finally—"

'He is getting too close.'

With a burst of light in her gaze, an invisible force surged from her, freezing the advancing man in his tracks.

He hung suspended like a living statue in mid-stride, a foot lingering in the air.

Tia's voice pierced the stunned silence that enveloped the room, each word laden with a coldness that could rival the most frigid arctic winds. "If you ever try to touch me again with those filthy hands, not only will you burn, but this entire place will be reduced to ashes."

She relinquished her telekinetic hold, allowing the man to stumble forward, barely managing to keep himself upright.

'I need to establish my dominance.'

"My apologies! I was just too excited to see you with my own eyes and to learn from you!" He paused momentarily before continuing, "Are you a psychic?"

Once more, Tia shook as the scientist's white coat and the words brought back her bad memories: 'No, I am not psychotic; why don't you let me be—' She muttered inwardly the sentence she had said so many times over the years while tied to her bed like an animal, her composure almost slipping.

Gathering herself, she replied with a voice barely above a whisper, still reeling from the shock, "You can say that..."

"Again, my apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I am Professor Valk, the head of the experimental, secret research department of the Osterian Union." He bowed slightly before seating himself into the armchair across from Tia, his eyes keen and expectant. "Why are you here?"

'Oh, he goes straight to the point.' A genuine smile flashed across her face as the thing she feared most—wasting time with annoying old politicians blabbering for hours before getting to the point—didn't happen.

Her smile widened even more, flashing her white teeth.

"What I want to do is something you might be familiar with. You see, big, developed, and advanced countries like to invest in poor, undeveloped, and cheap countries for mutual profit. I want to do the same."

Professor Valk listened intently, his eyes shining with tears that Tia interpreted as tears of joy. "Why us?" His voice broke through, curious yet hopeful.

"Magic, I will donate my technological knowledge. In return, I want you to assemble a team of distinguished mages and scientists to pioneer the groundbreaking integration of both realms." Tia's time was limited and her scope of research massive—she needed a lot of help and resources.

'Now, let's move to the main part of this deal. I will slowly turn this place into a cheap sweatshop.'