298 The Hearing Begins

Aldrich first passed through a bare hallway, the door of the waiting room shutting with a pressurized click behind him. Another helper bot detached from the ceiling and hovered beside him, though this one was not hacked.

"All members of your hearing have gathered. Do you require additional time, or are you free to proceed?" said the bot.

"Free to proceed," said Aldrich. At the other end of the hallway was one more door, then, the entire world. Eerily, he could not hear anything at all except the rhythmic hum of shield generators. Both the hallway and the waiting room seemed to be soundproofed.

Aldrich pondered whether he had done the right thing.

Fundamentally, he and the Stranger could not align their goals.

The Stranger wanted world domination. Aldrich wanted world order. They were diametrically opposed.

If the Stranger rose, Aldrich would have to strike him down to preserve order. If Aldrich rose, the Stranger would try to tear him away from the top to try and take over.