That afternoon''s technology seminar was dominated by a barrage of questions from the military delegation, all zeroing in on the project''s potential.
"Is this technology capable of rapidly stopping bleeding and repairing internal organ injuries in harsh battlefield conditions?" Mr. ck asked, his tone grave.
His question brought the meeting room to a sudden, tense silence.
Byron, frowning as he flipped through his notes, looked uneasy-he was an engineer, after all, and medical science wasn''t exactly his forte.
Joel, meanwhile, was furiously scribbling calctions into his notebook. Spotting this, Faye quickly ducked her head and pretended to jot something down as well, inwardly cursing her luck-this was miles outside her area of expertise.
She thought, It''s not just me—even Joel can''t make any guarantees here.
Just then, a clear female voice broke the silence. "In theory, nanorobots could achieve that."
Eleanor stood up, all eyes turning her way as she stepped to the projector and pulled up a set of research data.
"I ran a simr simtionst year." She zoomed in on a 3D model. "By improving the current nanomaterials and using maic field guidance, we can achieve micro-suturing within thirty minutes."
A flicker of admiration crossed Garrison''s face. He rose and said, "Miss Sutton''s experiments are highly practical."
Across the table,n''s lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile.
Eleanor proceeded with a calm, confident demonstration, exining the technical details.
"How long would it take to trante this technology to clinical use?" a military expert pressed.
"If we have militaryb support..." Eleanor paused in thought. "We couldplete animal trials within two months."
"With Meridian Dynamics'' currentb capabilities, that''s absolutely feasible," Joel added, brimming with confidence.
At the other end of the table,n watched Eleanor, who was now the center of attention.
The woman presenting in front of the military-grade holographic disy barely resembled the version of her he remembered.
"Mr. Goodwin?" Byron whispered. "If we go ahead with this, we''ll need Miss Sutton working at Meridian Dynamics for two months."
Byron continued, "But I heard Miss Sutton is currently leading an independent project for you."
At that moment, Eleanor nced over. It was true if she joined this research, coordinating live with both Meridian and the military, there''d be no way to continue her other experiments.
Their eyes met for a few seconds before Eleanor looked away.
After a brief silence,n said to Byron, "Alright, you can have her for two months."
A smile spread across Byron''s face. "That''s excellent news."
Faye, who''d earlier feigned note-taking to avoid being called on, now watched as Eleanor not only answered the toughest question but also volunteered to spearhead the project-stealing the spotlight yet again.
But wait, wasn''t Eleanor busy withn''s project? There''s no way she could handle both. Maybe this was her chance.
"Mr. Goodwin, I''d like to volunteer as the project liaison," Faye interjected quickly.
Beforen could reply, Garrison spoke up. "Miss Sutton is the only logical choice. She''s the only one at Meridian Dynamics with direct experience."
The military experts nodded in agreement.
Joel chimed in, "Eleanor''s published three major papers on this exact subject. She''s the obvious fit."
Once the meeting wrapped, both sides exchanged contact details for future cooperation. Mr. ck and his team scheduled a follow-up for the next day before leaving.
The coboration was settled smoothly.
That evening,n made a reservation at a restaurant for all participants-a chance to unwind after a heavy day.
Byron went out of his way to invite Eleanor, eager to discuss the project''s specifics over dinner.
She epted.
At six, Joel came by to invite Eleanor to share a cab downtown-the restaurant was in the city center, and everyone was looking forward to rxing a little after the meal.