CHAPTER 201: THE FINAL PROJECT

More than four years ago, when Eleanor first proposed a central satellite-based surveillance system for counter-terrorism to the NATO Special Committee on Terrorism, they considered it an overly ambitious project. Furthermore, Eleanor claimed the project would be completed within five years... an assertion most dismissed as unrealistic.

Fortunately, Fiona Elizabeth Raynor had allies within NATO who pulled the necessary strings, and the proposal was eventually forwarded to the Military Committee for appraisal. As the senior military authority of NATO, composed of member nations’ Chiefs of Defence, they found the proposal intriguing. However, their primary concern lay in the matter of sovereignty... a core NATO principle. Questions were raised about how data control and national privacy would be preserved in such a shared surveillance programme.

The proposal was passed to the Defence Policy and Planning Committee, which acknowledged the military potential of a surveillance satellite system for counter-terrorism operations. Several conditions were added: Data Sovereignty Clauses, Classified Access Levels, National Control Over Hosted Infrastructure, Decentralised Data Processing, and Opt-Out Rights. After these additions, the revised proposal was handed over to the NATO Communications and Information Agency to assess the system’s security, integration capability, and infrastructure requirements.

After multiple adjustments to the contract, it was agreed that Heimdall Technologies Inc. would bear the full cost of implementation. NATO would provide land in its member and allied countries for ground stations, as per Heimdall’s requirements. Although these ground stations would be operated by Heimdall, supreme authority would remain with NATO and the respective member nations. NATO’s financial obligation was limited to covering the operational cost of the God Eye Project. Profits generated from any secondary use of the infrastructure would belong exclusively to Heimdall, subject to NATO approval.

Unofficially, NATO also indicated it would assist Heimdall in securing loans from international banks under the guise of the Worldwide WiFi Project, the public-facing front of the God Eye system. Additionally, NATO would facilitate smoother regulatory clearance across its member states.

Ultimately, the proposal was unanimously approved by the North Atlantic Council.

Prior to the project’s launch, Heimdall and NATO had signed a comprehensive contract containing extensive clauses to safeguard the interests of all parties involved.

Now, with the successful deployment of the first beta version, a specialised team from Allied Command Transformation was stationed permanently at the Virginia NATO Data Centre.

Following a successful report from Vice Admiral Martin J. Connell, Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development, NATO Headquarters officially authorised construction of the remaining ground stations as outlined in the contract.

Heimdall was more than ready. Plans, permits, and resources had been in preparation for years.

In the United States, three additional ground stations would be constructed... Alaska, California, and Texas, alongside the already-operational Virginia site. One would also be established in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Across Europe, five ground stations were planned: in Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, and Turkey. In the Mediterranean, two more were planned: Italy and Greece. In the Arctic, a station would be placed in Greenland.

In the Pacific Islands, three would be built: Guam, Hawaii, and Diego Garcia.

A station would also be constructed under direct NATO command at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Separately, under a tri-party agreement between NATO, Heimdall, and the respective host nations, twelve additional ground stations would be built in: Israel, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines, Chile, Morocco, Kenya, and South Africa.

Once authorisation was received, Heimdall’s teams moved at once. All locations, personnel, and logistics had been pre-arranged. The only thing remaining was execution.

With Nora’s support, Eleanor had already tuned the God Eye to near-perfection. She hoped that, by the time she returned from the Trial, the entire system would be fully operational.

The only downside of partnering with NATO was that it placed certain regions off-limits... countries such as Russia, Belarus, China, North Korea, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. For these, Eleanor had other plans: to build independent surveillance systems under a different structure and brand.

For NATO and its member states, God Eye was a tool to detect terrorists before they strike, and track them down after an attack. Governments also saw potential in using the integrated system to capture domestic criminals.

Public surveillance systems were willingly linked to God Eye, as participating countries maintained full control over data and ground stations.

According to the contract, any surveillance or intelligence system, as well as domestic data, must comply with national laws. Countries retain the right to restrict access to data collected within their borders. Only authorized personnel with both national and NATO clearances may access sensitive data streams. Furthermore, countries can determine what information, if any, is shared back with NATO Command.

Ground stations located within a country’s territory remain under that country’s physical and legal control. While NATO or coalition operators may utilize these facilities, they must operate in full compliance with the host nation’s regulations. Surveillance data may be processed locally, with only filtered metadata or specific threat intelligence forwarded to NATO Command.

Additionally, the Opt-Out Clause explicitly states that even if the system is NATO-wide, any member country may opt out of specific operations, data-sharing protocols, or deployments involving its national territory.

In accordance with the contract, Heimdall was obligated to staff each ground station with at least 50% personnel from the host country. These conditions gave participating nations confidence, believing they remained in full control of their data and facilities.

No one suspected that Nora, the sentient AI, could bypass all protocols and enter any system undetected.

Even more significantly, no one realised that while they were busy setting the rules, Eleanor had already built the key.

Eleanor was busy in her office, adjusting the ground station plans for the European countries, when her phone vibrated. Fiona was calling.

"Nora, continue adjusting the plans for the other countries. I need to take this call," she said, picking up the phone and holding it to her ear.

"Grandma, good afternoon," she greeted warmly.

"Eleanor, the order has come from the King," Fiona said. "All selected candidates have been asked to report at Kvernheim within ten days. I’m hoping you’ll bring the first batch of Raynor and Blanc clan members with you."

Eleanor sighed. The time had come. Although reluctant, she had no choice but to go through with it. "Okay, Grandma. I understand," she replied.

"What about Ethan? Have you two decided what you’re going to do?"

"Yes, Grandma. We’ve talked. I’ll go with the first batch along with the rest of the Raynor clan. He’ll join the next batch, after I return," Eleanor said.

"That’s good. Don’t worry about Freya. She’ll be fine with us. While you’re away, I’ll try to stay in Manchester unless something urgent comes up," Fiona assured her.

"Thanks, Grandma. I’ll come visit you later," Eleanor said and ended the call.

She slowly put the phone back on her desk, then stared at it for a long moment.

Truth be told, she was deeply reluctant to participate in the Trial of Yggdrasil. But with the King’s order issued, and every other future clan head preparing to join, she couldn’t back out. If she did, the other clans would surely look down on the Raynors.

Her fate was sealed the moment she awakened the Elizabeth bloodline. Whether she wanted it or not, she had to become an Ascendant to lead the clan. Unless another Raynor was born with a purer form of that bloodline, there was no escape.

Though she had always tried to spend as much time with Freya as possible, she knew in her heart it had never been enough. Her businesses, her ambitions, her selfish goals had taken too much of her time. To make up for it, she built autonomous companies and appointed strong, independent people to lead them... so that, once the God Eye Project was fully operational, she could finally take a step back and live a quiet life at home with her daughter. She thought the God Eye would be her final project... the one that would oversee all others and ultimately set her free.

But fate had other plans.

She hadn’t even completed her primary goal, and yet now, she was being pulled into an entirely different world.

Her thoughts drifted back to when she had been a naïve girl in her human life. Gullible, often bullied, used by the Whitmores... but life was simpler then. No matter how bad the day was, she could always return home with a smile.

Then came the turning point... her transformation into a werewolf, the birth of her beloved daughter Freya, and her gradual descent into the intricate world of the supernatural. A web that grew more tangled with every step.

She thought of all the people who had supported her along the way, how each decision she made pulled her deeper into the quicksand. No matter how she struggled to climb out in search of a peaceful, simple life, it only dragged her further into the jungle of this complex existence.

Her reverie was broken by Nora’s voice.

"Master, including Trafford Park station, all thirty ground stations have now been remodelled. Please check and confirm so I can forward them to the relevant departments."