Chapter One – Technos Enterprise
"You have a package awaiting you, Dr. Nero."
"Thank you, HIVE Mind." He told the A1. He strode down the corridor, watching the students melt into the wall as he passed. Fear, he told himself, with seal the mouth but widen the mind. He closed the Black box and entered his office.
The box sat on his desk. It was of clean, white cardboard. His code-name, and one of HIVE's safe houses had been printed on it by a computer. He flipped open the Black box again. "Has this parcel been checked?"
"Yes." HIVE Mind replied. Nero flipped it shut again.
Nero carefully opened the large package. On the top lay a letter, addressed in a somewhat familiar scrawl to 'Dr. Nero'. He opened the letter, and began to read.
The letter was headed with the logo for 'Technos Enterprise'.
'To Dr. Nero.
In this package I have sent you, there are several gadgets I would like you to sample and see if you approve. This is a purely courteous gesture. I feel that it would be in your interest to look at them, and insure that they do not have any obvious connections with any HIVE technology. You may destroy the technology if you wish, but I believe that you would wish to keep it. I feel that my company would be a sufficient supplier of technology to the villain world, provided I am introduced, and the opposition fully briefed. It would be a good business opportunity. Laura agrees with me.
Your former pupil,
Otto Malpenese.'
"Otto Malpenese." Whispered Nero. He had heard little of Otto since his graduation, only being informed by Professor Pike and HIVE Mind that he 'was setting up a company'. It had been ten years since Otto had graduated. He whipped out his Black Box, and said to HIVE Mind, "Information on 'Technos Enterprise' please." HIVE Mind gave what would have been the ghost of a smile and said; "'Technos Enterprise' is a still developing but well-know Technology Company, already with a name for 'innovative, new, well working technology.' The pupils that would be of interest to you are Otto Malpenese, CEO of the company, and Laura Brand, his wife and Head of Programming and Security."
Dr. Nero smiled. "Mr. Malpenese has been busy."
HIVE Mind took this as a cue to continue, and went on. "Technos Enterprise now operates in fourteen different companies, and works with the USA's Pentagon and NSA on black-list technology projects. It –"
"Thank you, HIVE Mind." Dr. Nero flipped the Black box shut with a snap (again).