Chapter 1 BOT-ched Plans

"You must lose a fly to catch a trout." Proverb

It was so simple a question; "Do you have any idea what it is?" she asked, but with it he heard the sound of glass exploding – like windows blowing out of a high-rise building like you see in one of those intense action movies. He suppressed the emotion that went with that image and instead, thanked her for bringing it to him and assured her he would keep her in the loop. He was a tenured professor at Harvard whose research in nanotechnology - the engineering of functional systems at the molecular level - had just been unveiled the week before to the thunderous applause of the engineering community and beyond. No one had made the advances he and his team had completed, and they were the first to reveal the invention at so advanced a stage. Time magazine wanted a cover story next week.

Now he gently inspected the object that threatened all of that.

"Ted, it's Damien. We have had an interesting development in the lab. You know those security checks you've been doing all this time? Well, one of them didn't work Ted. Do you know Dr. Alex Chase? Yes that one. She's brought something to our attention and we need to discuss it immediately. Is there a problem? Yes, there's a problem. Someone has been using our secret technology and I am holding the proof in my hands. Meet me at my office. Oh and Ted? Make sure you bring an explanation for how this happened!" the professor said slamming his smartphone on the desk.

Damien White was not a patient man by nature. He pushed his hand through his white hair and then ran it down his face. He gently tugged at the Windsor knot of his tie to loosen it just a little. Suddenly, everything felt tight to him. The mere thought of someone stealing his life's undertaking was more than he could tolerate. He picked up the petri dish that contained the tiny object that the woman had brought to him. "Now, where did you come from and what sonovabitch genius hacked our technology to make you?" he thought as he squinted at the object. He gently placed the container in the top drawer.

This obviously would take a great deal of explaining on his security administrator's part. Damien poured himself a scotch in a glass and took a slow sip of the liquid fire. He pulled the top drawer opened again and checked to make sure the gun was loaded and handy, just in case he didn't like Ted's answer - and there was little chance that he would. Thievery among top secret labs wasn't entirely unheard of, but this was different. Not only has someone stolen his work- they had already improved upon it.


Ted had dropped everything to check the mainframe data. He barked orders into the phone for his IT guys to go over everything. Within minutes, the reports all came back the same – no detectable breech. Whoever was doing this was either very good at hacking into a system – or it was a leak from within the lab. Ted started to perspire as he took what reports he could grab and headed over to the lab.

"Doctor White, we have checked everything and there have been no breeches to the security. I swear on my life," were his poorly chosen words.

"It might just take that Ted, because if someone didn't get in, then explain how our technology got out?" Damien asked with a fierce look about his eyes.

"Sir, I've checked every log myself. There is nothing to show someone got in. As for your staff, we have every lab monitored. Hell, we have their cell phones bugged, but there's nothing to indicate someone spoke to anyone. There are only three people besides you and me who have access to that lab and not one of them has all the information. How do you know it's the same?" Ted asked finally taking a breath.

Damien gritted his teeth slowly. "How do I know? Ted, Dr. Chase brought me a robotic insect. It was flying around her hotel room when she met up with an old friend. She's noticed its odd actions because she studies insect behavior for a living. She caught the damn thing and realized it was not organic. That means not living, Ted," Damien said condescendingly.

"You mean it looked like a real fly?" Ted asked incredulously. "If someone stole our technology, why would they use it to spy on Doctor Chase?" he asked further.

"I don't know –maybe to see if she would be able to tell the difference. That's not the question, Ted. The question is who would do it?" Damien said.

"Maybe it wasn't meant for her. Who was she with?" Ted asked, his investigative skills coming to the fore. Damien stared at him a moment surprised by the inquiry. He looked at his IPad.

"She spent the weekend at the Westin Hotel with an old marine buddy. He's an IRS Agent now," Damien said.

Alex Chase had given him any information she had – given that she was concerned and surprised by the intruder. She had seen the demonstration of Damien's work just last week and thought just maybe this was part of his research. She wasn't sure what it was - only that it was not real – she had no idea the amount of technology she was holding when she brought it in. Damien had downplayed it and said it might have been from his lab and he would check to see how in God's name it got into her hotel room in downtown Boston.

"Why would someone spy on an IRS agent who was off duty? That does not make sense," Damien concluded.

"Maybe it belongs to the IRS Agent. Perhaps this is how they're going to check up on the underworld crime suspects. Could someone inside the White House know about this?" Ted asked, playing the "We're all impressed that Damien knows people in high places" card to appease him. It worked. Damien immediately grabbed his phone.

Damien wasn't sure of anything at the moment, but the threat of losing millions of dollars in research grants and contracts was making him jumpy. He grabbed the tie and let his hand slip down it releasing it at the end as he accessed the contact number.

"Doctor Damien White for the Vice President," he announced into the phone. Silence. "Mr. Vice President, how are you, sir? Thank you for taking my call. Things are getting back to normal in Boston, sir. How is DC? Yes, well I told you this job would never give you a minute's peace," Damien said into the phone.

Fifteen minutes later, he had an assurance from the second highest office that he would check into any and all branches of the government to see if anyone was picking up any chatter about this kind of instrument. If someone in the government had stolen Damien's technology, his old fraternity brother would find out. Ted was relieved to hear they would have someone else exhaust all those possibilities.

"Doctor White, forgive me if this question sounds offensive, but is it possible that someone else discovered this technology on their own?" Ted asked and held his breath. He knew where Damien kept that loaded gun.

Anger spewed in Damien's throat at the mere suggestion and yet, there was no denying that his worst fear was a possibility. He didn't dare show Ted what was inside the petri dish inside the desk drawer. It seemed impossible to Damien that someone could have advanced past his work when he had 'help' advancing where the rest of the field was. His work was touted as 'a year ahead of where the rest were'. A year in the nanotechnology field was the equivalent to a decade in any other field.

"It took us over twelve years to find the right materials – some of which weren't invented until recently – to manufacture the beebot. It took millions of dollars in research and teams working 24/7 to get our prototype. It would have to be someone with long arms and very deep pockets," Damien said, stroking his tie oddly. The gesturing caught Ted's attention who accepted the professor's quirky behavior as a sign of stress.

"I'm going to review your staff's activities on the video feeds," Ted said hoping this was his exit. Damien waved his hand dismissing him.


Damien pulled out the drawer and was glad he didn't shoot Ted. He was still a necessity at the moment. He took out the petri dish with the black fly that was so realistic looking he was amazed. His own prototype insect looked like a whirlybird – a stem with the wings on top and a triad of motion tracking markers on the bottom. His technology was impressive, the design functional, but it in no way resembled the real thing in nature.

'How did someone figure out how to get this delicate technology inside a case that resembled a real fly?' he wondered. As much as he despised the person for stealing it, he admired their brilliance in design.

He pulled the container up to his face to inspect it closer and the most amazing thing happened. Right in front of his eyes – the fly disintegrated. Damien watched in horror as his proof disappeared and all that was left was a small pile of tiny black specks. He knew he would be able to decipher the elements used in this design, but how did they get it to act like a real fly? That boggled the professor's mind. He called in his assistant and asked him to run the contents through the photoelectron spectroscope and report the findings only to him.

Damien sat in his corner office trying to slow down the thumping in his chest. Then his phone rang. It didn't take the Vice President long to find out that there was only one place where that technology could have come from – and it was indeed the IRS. He would reach out to the people in charge if Damien wanted to talk to them.

"That would be great, Mr. Vice President. I do appreciate this. We wouldn't want this getting into the wrong hands," he said slowly. The Vice President thanked his former college roommate for being on top of the security issue. "It's my pleasure," Damien said back.

He ran his fingers over the gun in his drawer. Someone was trying to rob him of his shining moment. 'Thieves deserve to be stopped – at any cost', he thought emptying his glass of scotch.


The call came in directly to Mrs. Frederic. If she knew of anyone working on the development of nano-bots, they were to report to Doctor Damien White at Harvard University to discuss their findings. She assured them that they would have the agency's full cooperation.

After all, it was the Vice President of the United States who was calling.


As you can see, I read and pay attention to all your comments, feedback and thoughts so thank you in advance to those who will take the time to do so. I appreciate each and every one.

Up next - guess whose 'fly' is far more advanced? Our resident genius of course!