The night in Mountain View was still.
The lights at Google Park were still on, but the hallways were mostly empty. The only people left were those who treated the company as their home.
David Chen, Vice President of Google Infrastructure, sat in his office with two screens in front of him. One displayed the real-time after-hours stock price curve, while the other showed a press release just published by a competitor. The press release was plainly worded, but every sentence perfectly hit the needs of the Federation Procurement Committee.
"Our system design prioritizes national security without functional limitations.
"Our team has completed the Federation security clearance and is ready for technical review by the procurement department at any time.
"We understand that in an era of strategic competition for the nation, the responsibility of technology companies is to serve, not to set boundaries."
