United States Of America
The room was too quiet, even with all of us in it. You could hear the air conditioner humming, a sound that usually got lost. Not today.
"Right," a guy at the far end said, leaning forward on his elbows. His voice was steady, the kind you listen to. "Before we all start tripping over our own egos, let's get one rule straight. We don't threaten him. Not a hint. Got it?"
"Threaten him?" a woman to his left scoffed, but it was a nervous sound. "We should be more worried about not annoying him. No posturing. No chest-thumping. And if someone brings up military options again, I swear I'm leaving. This isn't that kind of meeting."
"You're talking about him like he's a hurricane," someone else muttered.
"You saw the same feeds I did," the woman shot back. "He isn't."
The quiet came back, heavier this time.
"So," a younger voice ventured, trying to cut through it. "What do we call him, then? We need a name for the file, at least."
