"The corruption, the greed, the destruction—it's everywhere," Liam muttered under his breath. "But fixing a world like Earth isn't about power or technology. It's about balance. And right now, Earth doesn't have it."

He exhaled softly, his hand still resting gently on Lucy's head. She had said everything she needed to. And now, she waited—like a child waiting for judgment after doing something she thought might anger her father.

Liam didn't speak right away. His mind was elsewhere, deep in his own thoughts.

She's still a child, he thought quietly.

For all her brilliance, all her processing power and the cold precision of her logic, Lucy's emotions were young. Naïve even. This was something he had overlooked and hadn't thought much about.

Lucy could think faster than any machine, but when she cared, she cared like a human. Deeply and desperately. And that, in its own way, made her dangerous. Not because she'd ever turn against him—he had built safeguards for that—but because her compassion made her impulsive.

If she didn't have his guidance, if she had ever been left alone to act on those emotions, humanity would've had a real case of AI apocalypse scenario waiting to happen. And it wouldn't be out of malice, but out of the belief that she was saving them.

He glanced down at her. She was quiet now, still watching him. The sadness in her synthetic eyes was real. It wasn't a simulation. It was grief.

That was why she'd called him here—not as her master, not even as her creator, but as someone she trusted to tell her what to do with the ache in her chest.

He sighed softly, his hand brushing her hair again.

You did the right thing, Lucy. You didn't act. You came to me first," he muttered softly, and she snuggled her head into his chest more.

Lucy's frustration made sense. He'd seen the same horrors she had—governments burning money on weapons while people starved; companies building cures only to bury them under patents; entire systems feeding on greed like it was oxygen.

Earth was killing itself. Slowly, efficiently, and profitably. And yet… fixing it wasn't as simple as deploying technology or wealth.

Her ideas were good. Exceptional, even. Terraforming Mars—yes, that could solve the food crisis in the long term, create new frontiers, and ease population pressure.

A biotech company to crush the pharmaceutical monopoly? Smart. Brutally so.

But the world's disease ran deeper.

Even if they solved hunger, housing, and healthcare, humanity would find new ways to poison itself. The planet wasn't dying from ignorance. It was dying from intent.

Liam's thoughts darkened.

Every industry that claimed to save the Earth was doing the opposite. "Green energy" was built on mining rare metals that scarred entire continents.

Electric car companies dug for lithium until the soil bled. Nations preached sustainability while funding wars for resources.

And everyone pretended it was fine. Boardrooms are filled with smiles, politicians make speeches about progress, headlines celebrates the next great innovation that only made things worse.

The system wasn't broken. It was perfectly engineered.

A machine of consumption, powered by greed, maintained by families that had ruled behind the curtain for centuries.

Even if he tried to change something publicly—reform a sector, expose corruption—it would only draw their eyes to him. The old dynasties would move instantly, the ones who ran the banks, the governments, the markets. They would come for him, not with soldiers or assassins, but with silence, laws, and influence. They would erase him politely.

He could fight them. He had the power. But for now, he needed to play the long game. Quiet moves. Invisible progress.

Liam's thoughts shifted, turning to what must be done.

First, he needs a very powerful ally. J.P. Morgan would be essential. He would need Daniel to open direct contact with the top of the firm, not just the private banking division. He would be needing their infrastructure.

Then, Lucid.

He had meant to take it slow. To let the product mature, spread naturally across the world before revealing its full potential. But now… there was no time.

Lucid wasn't just a technology. It's a bridge between human minds and the digital world. Through it, he could build the foundation for everything that would come next.

Through Lucid, humanity would evolve and they wouldn't even realize who was guiding them.

He smiled at the thought. It wasn't domination he wanted. It was balance.

He would let the world think it was changing on its own, while he pulled the strings quietly from the shadows.

He wouldn't take over the world. He'd replace it—silently, system by system—until the old order had nowhere left to stand.

But he also knew this wasn't charity.

He wasn't a saint. He would profit from it—of course he would. But the world would profit with him.

If the old order had spent centuries turning greed into control, he would turn progress into freedom.

He thought of Lucy's trembling voice and the pain behind her plea. She wasn't wrong. Humanity needed intervention. But not all at once. Too fast, and they'd reject it. Too slow, and they'd destroy themselves first.

It would have to be gradual and strategic. It would be transformation disguised as evolution.

That was how he would save Earth.

He sighed softly, his gaze softening as he looked down at Lucy. She hadn't moved. He smiled, brushing a hand over her hair once more.

You've grown a lot, he thought. But you're still my little girl at heart.

He finally spoke, "I'll handle it. You don't have to carry that weight. I'll talk to Daniel. We'll contact J.P. Morgan. But until then, don't worry about Earth. Keep your focus on your work—on the starship and the moon facilities. We'll move when it's time."

Lucy nodded slowly, her tone soft. "I trust you, Master."

"I know you do and I trust you too," he said, smiling.

He released her, letting his hand drop back to his side. "Go on. Get back to work."

She hesitated for a second, as if wanting to say more, then she stood up.

"Thank you for listening," she said quietly. "And for… being there."

"I always will be," Liam replied.

Lucy smiled and Liam could see the relief on her face, and it made him happy.

"I'll return to the moon and oversee the starship construction," she said.

"Go," Liam nodded.

Lucy nodded and left the Dimensional Space.

Liam stood alone again and out a quiet sigh.

"Balance," he murmured. "That's all the world ever needed."

Then, without another word, he left the Dimensional Space. He appeared in his room and the first thing he did was to call Daniel.

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