Chapter 7 Summary:

Four highly accomplished individuals—Dr. Robert Jackson, Dr. Thomas Allen, Dr. Samir Patel, and Dr. Lana Harding—are brought together under strict secrecy in a secure, windowless facility located several floors beneath the White House.

At exactly 8:00 a.m., the President of the United States enters the room with two aides. He formally welcomes the group, emphasizing the grave national security threat posed by Artificial Intelligence. He tasks them with assessing and neutralizing AI threats—both current and potential—whether from foreign adversaries or domestic sources. This elite team, now formally named Team Q, has been assembled based on their exceptional expertise and their ability to work without family constraints, as all members are unmarried.

The President underscores the top-secret nature of their mission and introduces Dr. Alexandra Conner, Director of Analysis at the CIA, who will oversee the team’s progress. After the President departs, Conner introduces each team member and outlines their responsibilities:

• Dr. Robert Jackson (FBI cryptologist) will lead Team Q.

• Dr. Thomas Allen (CEO of Bit of Security Corp) will oversee privacy and cybersecurity protocols.

• Dr. Samir Patel (MIT mathematician) will develop and analyze algorithms to detect and counteract hostile AI activity.

• Dr. Lana Harding (Yale behavioral psychologist) will monitor the mental health and team dynamics, and assist in identifying AI-driven psychological manipulation via social platforms.

With expectations clarified and roles assigned, Dr. Conner exits, officially leaving Team Q to begin their top-secret mission beneath the highest seat of power in the country.