Chapter 9
Part 10 — The True Legacy
The glow of the old computer was reflected in everyone's face.
The message remained motionless on the screen.
ORIGINAL PROTOCOL UNLOCKED.
LOCATION OF THE TRUE AVAILABLE LEGACY.
For several seconds, no one uttered a single word.
It was Ethan who broke the silence.
Dad... what is the Origin Protocol?
Daniel remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the monitor.
It seemed as if he were reliving a memory he had tried to forget for many years.
Finally, he took a deep breath.
— It's the one thing I hoped would never be activated.
Richard Vale approached slowly.
The arrogance was gone from his face.
Just curious.
So... he really does exist.
Daniel looked at his former partner.
— You always thought that Project Aurora was the most important secret.
You never realized it was just a smokescreen.
Richard frowned.
Are you saying I wasted ten years looking for the wrong thing?
Daniel answered calmly.
- Yes.
Silence returned.
Ethan still didn't understand.
So... what is the true legacy?
Daniel walked over to the computer and placed his hand on the keyboard.
An old photograph appeared on the monitor.
It was a picture taken twenty-five years earlier.
There were three very young people in it.
Daniel.
Richard.
And Professor Alexander Hoffmann.
The three of them smiled in front of a small university laboratory.
On the back of the photograph there was a handwritten phrase.
"Science only has value when it belongs to humanity."
Daniel smiled sadly.
— It was the professor who wrote this on the day we finished the first prototype.
Ethan watched intently.
— He created it. I thought the professor had invented the energy cell.
— He created the concept.
But he was never able to stabilize it.
It was Richard who found the funding.
And I was the one who solved the technical problem.
Richard slowly lowered his head.
- And truth.
For years, the three worked as a single team.
The manager approached.
So... when did everything change?
Daniel closed his eyes.
— On the day the first investors appeared.
The computer emitted a new signal.
A window opened automatically.
It required three biometric authentications.
CREATOR 1.
CREATOR 2.
CREATOR 3.
Everyone was surprised.
Daniel placed his hand on the reader.
The first light turned green.
Richard hesitated.
Then he did the same.
The second light also turned green.
There was only one left.
Ethan looked around.
The teacher isn't here.
At that moment, the system displayed a new message.
Remote authorization detected.
The third light turned on by itself.
Green.
Professor Hoffmann had authorized remote access.
The monitor went completely white.
Then only one folder appeared.
LEGACY.
Daniel looked at Ethan.
Open it.
The boy took a deep breath and clicked.
I was hoping to find secret projects.
Patents.
Diagrams.
Billions of euros invested in technology.
But none of that was true.
The folder contained only a single file.
Its name was:
"Worldwide License – Public Domain."
Richard's eyes widened.
- No...
Daniel smiled.
Ethan opened the document.
The first few lines explained everything.
All the energy cell technology had been automatically registered to enter the public domain as soon as the Origin Protocol was activated.
No company.
No investors.
No government.
No one could claim exclusivity.
Anyone in the world would have free access to the project.
Richard let out an incredulous laugh.
We spent years fighting... for something that can no longer be sold.
Daniel nodded.
That was the plan from the beginning.
When did you do that?
— The night I disappeared.
The manager smiled for the first time.
That's why you never wanted to get the company back.
Daniel replied:
The company was never important.
Technology doesn't either.
The important thing was to prevent anyone from turning it into a weapon or a monopoly.
At that moment, all the computers in the workshop switched on at the same time.
The system automatically started the transmission.
A countdown appeared on the screen.
Send to universities...
Send to research centers...
Send to international organizations...
Within seconds, thousands of institutions around the world began receiving the files.
No one could stop it anymore.
Richard watched everything in silence.
Then he approached Daniel.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Richard extended his hand.
I spent years blaming you.
Daniel shook her hand.
— And I spent years running away.
Perhaps we were both wrong.
Richard smiled.
The professor was right.
Science should never belong to just one person.
A few months later, the official investigation revealed the entire conspiracy orchestrated by the former investors.
Those responsible for Daniel's disappearance have been convicted.
Daniel Carter's name has been officially recognized as the principal inventor of the technology.
Richard cooperated with the authorities and helped recover missing documents.
The former stand has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the history of the project.
At the center of the exhibition remained the golden hypercar.
It was no longer seen as a symbol of luxury.
But as the beginning of a scientific revolution.
One spring morning, Ethan entered the restored workshop alone.
He started the car for the last time.
A message appeared on the screen that was different from all the previous ones.
RECOGNIZED CREATOR.
Then another one.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
And finally, a third.
The future belongs to those who share it.
Ethan smiled.
He turned off the engine.
He carefully closed the door.
Because he understood that his father's true legacy had never been an extraordinary car.
Not even an invention capable of changing the world.
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It was the courage to ensure that knowledge remained free for all.
End.
