It was only upon arrival at Whiteman Air Force Base that Castle realized Mark's invitation was solely for a technical evaluation, not the immediate start of an upgrade project as Castle had initially assumed. This made sense. Despite Castle's extensive skills and knowledge in mechanical design, weaponry, and aviation—gifts from a system channeling the expertise of Marvel's Tony Stark—he was still a novice in the field without such extraordinary assistance.
Upgrading a strategic stealth bomber, a mature platform that had been in service for over 20 years and cost over $2 billion per unit, was far from a straightforward task.
Castle's earlier assumptions about launching directly into the upgrade process turned out to be unfounded. Mark and his team were conducting a preliminary evaluation, with Castle's presence serving as an opportunity for him to familiarize himself with the aircraft and offer insights as the inventor of the semi-intelligent flight control system.
Northrop had already tested Castle's flight control software in their own simulators and on a B-2 stationed at their facilities. They had even brought an advanced flight simulator to Whiteman Air Force Base, enabling the 509th Strategic Bomber Wing pilots to test the system and provide feedback before deciding whether to pursue a broader upgrade initiative.
Unlike Castle's expectations, there was no immediate rush to implement upgrades on aircraft worth their weight in gold. Any decision required the pilots' feedback and a comprehensive assessment of the pros and cons. Additionally, funding approvals were necessary, as Northrop was a private contractor and not a government entity.
The Air Force, flush with resources, would certainly have the budget, but convincing them to invest depended on the appeal of Northrop's proposed upgrades. Mark's real intention for bringing Castle to Whiteman was to explore another of Castle's innovations: his recently developed engine optimization and upgrade proposal. This was the true motivation behind Castle's presence.
Castle's engine upgrade concept had already been exchanged with Pratt & Whitney for 0.9% equity in the company. However, Northrop, lacking ownership rights, sought to use the proposed engine upgrades as a bargaining chip to persuade the Air Force to adopt the semi-intelligent flight control system for the B-2. The proposal involved upgrading the four General Electric F118-110 engines powering the B-2, which had been in service for two decades.
Negotiations between Northrop, GE (as the engine manufacturer), and Pratt & Whitney (as the holder of Castle's engine optimization rights) would be required to realize this vision.
Castle's primary role during this trip was simply to observe and understand the B-2 better before the next phase of the project.
Meanwhile, Castle's assistant enthusiastically followed Mark, observing as the 509th Wing's pilots conducted test flights using Northrop's new simulator. Castle, however, spent his time aimlessly wandering the airbase like a tourist. With his Pentagon-issued highest-level access pass, no one stopped him as long as he refrained from taking photos.
Realizing his presence was merely for an introductory purpose, Castle found himself drawn to the three B-2 bombers stationed at the airbase. If this world mirrored his previous one, these planes would soon carry out strikes on a North African military airfield in five months. This knowledge gave him a sense of witnessing and participating in history.
However, the Missouri trip lasted only two days. After the 509th Wing's pilots completed their simulator trials, Mark remained behind for further research, while Castle and his assistant boarded a military transport plane to return to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Castle felt his presence unnecessary during the subsequent verification and coordination phases. Instead, he decided to return home and deal with a more immediate threat: dismantling the Roxette organization, which had begun targeting him.
The anonymous agent investigating Castle in the Vincent Adler case was unaware that Castle had instructed Jarvis to monitor their every move. Castle planned to meet with Joe Martinez upon his return to New York. He intended to trade a valuable resource with the joint command center in exchange for their guarantee to drop the case against him.
Castle's plan was to offer the FBI a "weakened version" of the God's Eye software that Beckett had previously acquired from the Ramsey case. This software, coveted by both the CIA and Roxette, would serve as a bargaining chip with the FBI. Castle had no concerns about the software falling into Roxette's hands, given the longstanding rivalry between the FBI and CIA.
This approach allowed Castle to neutralize both the FBI's pursuit of Adler's treasure and Roxette's attempts to undermine him, all without direct confrontation.
Once his rear flank was secure, Castle planned to fully expose Roxette. He deliberated whether to hand over the secret organization's membership list to journalists for public exposure or to deliver it to Benjamin Arthur. However, with Arthur's presidency still two months away, Castle doubted the acting administration would act decisively against Roxette. Moreover, the organization might retaliate if given the chance.
Thus, Castle leaned toward exposing Roxette's members after thorough investigation, ensuring the matter stayed under control.
Meanwhile, Roxette continued its pursuit. The anonymous agent, while halting actions against Castle himself after learning of his involvement with the B-2 upgrades, shifted focus to his connection with the Vincent Adler case.
Roxette had linked Castle to the resurfacing of WWII-era artworks from Sean's operations in North Africa. These discoveries tied directly to the missing artifacts from the U-845 submarine Adler had sought.
Another weak link in Castle's chain was Neal Caffrey. The consultant, previously on conditional release to assist the FBI, had acted suspiciously during the Adler case. Despite official reports stating Neal had turned against Adler in exchange for a pardon due to threats against his girlfriend, Castle suspected there was more to the story.
Roxette was now keenly exploring these unresolved threads.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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