Andrea studied Ms. Scipio for a moment through the comms window while the aerotaxi descended gradually through layers of evening traffic. The naval background explained a great deal immediately. Not just the posture or the formality. The stillness too. Corporate executives tended to fill silence reflexively — explaining, framing, reassuring. Scipio waited instead, composed and attentive in a way that suggested patience rather than passivity. Everest’s influence was obvious there as well. Andrea suspected the Founder preferred competent people who did not require constant emotional management. No wonder she'd opted for military top brass, then.

“Good evening, Admiral Scipio.” Andrea said, inclining her head slightly. “I won’t keep you long. I mainly wanted to introduce myself properly before we schedule something more substantial within the next forty-eight hours.” A straightforward opening. No performance of authority. No attempt to immediately establish dominance over a department head who had almost certainly forgotten more about institutional survival than most executives ever learned.

“I’ve reviewed your profile.” She continued. “You’ve had a very different career path than most corporate security directors. Some would even say intriguing.” Not flattery, merely a statement of fact. The city lights shifted across the taxi windows as it banked lower through the skyline. “As part of the transition, I’m touching base with senior leadership to identify ongoing situations that might not be fully reflected in the formal reports crossing my desk.” Andrea folded one leg over the other slightly in her seat. “Projects, concerns, operational headaches, external pressures.” A faint smile touched the corner of her mouth. “Or the things they avoid putting in writing at all.”

She let the moment breathe naturally before continuing.

“I’d appreciate your own assessment of where security’s attention is currently focused, and whether there’s anything you think I should understand early rather than discovering for myself. I'd like to upfront with one another, Admiral. That's all.”