Dwight D. Eisenhower had graduated from West Point, risen to the rank of five-star general during World War II, and eventually become President of the United States.
That was exactly the example the twins wanted Ross to remember.
"You want me to enter politics."
Ross understood immediately.
Ada smiled.
"Why not?"
"When one road reaches its end, you simply choose another."
"Isn’t that the most practical solution?"
Ross couldn’t deny it.
Military officers had crossed into politics before.
His own military career was all but over.
Perhaps politics really was the only path left.
Ada’s expression suddenly grew serious.
"Tell me something, General."
"What kind of man do you believe you are?"
"For years you’ve devoted your life to research that officially wasn’t even supposed to exist."
"Why?"
"For your country?"
"For its people?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No."
"You wanted to prove yourself."
"You wanted history to remember your name."
"The Abomination incident destroyed everything you’d built."
"But now..."
"Another path has appeared."
"And it’s a shortcut."
The Eredar had tempted countless mortals over millennia.
They understood ambition better than most people understood themselves.
Ross might not have begun his career for fame.
Perhaps he had genuinely believed in protecting his country.
But decades of classified projects...
Political bargaining...
Compromises...
Somewhere along the way, his original ideals had blurred.
Recognition had quietly become the goal.
Carla pressed the advantage.
"The funding we mentioned earlier..."
"...isn’t payment."
"It’s an investment in your political future."
"In America, money opens every door."
"Campaigns."
"Advertising."
"National speaking tours."
"You’ll need enormous resources."
Ross’s eyes lit up.
American democracy gave everyone the right to run for office.
Winning, however, was another matter.
Candidates had to introduce themselves to voters.
Buy advertising.
Travel.
Hold rallies.
Build organizations.
None of that came cheap.
Without financial backing, most campaigns never even left the starting line.
The political system naturally favored those supported by powerful interests.
Ross knew that reality perfectly well.
With Umbrella financing him...
He would begin the race miles ahead of most competitors.
Carla continued.
"And as long as our partnership continues..."
"The funding will never stop."
Ross’s heartbeat quickened.
A permanent source of campaign financing.
That wasn’t merely helpful.
It was transformational.
Ada raised her glass.
"With our continued support..."
"Becoming President would still be difficult."
"But Secretary of State?"
She smiled.
"That seems entirely achievable."
Ross almost stopped breathing.
Secretary of State.
One of the most influential positions in the entire federal government.
Generals came and went.
There was only one Secretary of State.
"You..."
He struggled to contain his excitement.
"...can actually promise something like that?"
Ada laughed softly.
"We’re promising funding."
"Not miracles."
"If our cooperation continues, the money won’t stop."
"But whether you succeed politically..."
"That depends on your own ability."
"If you’re incapable of winning elections, no amount of money can save you."
Ross nodded instinctively.
She wasn’t wrong.
Money couldn’t replace competence.
Fortunately...
He had considerable confidence in his own political instincts.
Give him enough resources, and he believed he could outmaneuver almost anyone.
"I think..."
He leaned forward.
"...it’s time we discussed the actual partnership."
His enthusiasm had completely replaced his earlier caution.
The sooner Umbrella entered the picture...
The sooner his comeback could begin.
Carla reached into her briefcase and placed a sealed document folder on the bar.
A crimson maple leaf emblem had been printed across the cover.
Below it were three letters.
EVA.
"Our cooperation begins with one division of Umbrella’s Evangelion Project."
She tapped the folder.
"This particular program carries the codename..."
"Edge of Tomorrow."
Ross frowned.
The names meant absolutely nothing to him.
Then again, American military projects were rarely named for clarity.
As long as the title sounded impressive, nobody complained.
What Ross didn’t know was that the twins themselves had no idea why Evenson had chosen those names.
He’d handed them the folder with everything already prepared.
Personally...
Names like Burning Path or Shadow Dominion would have sounded far more appropriate to two former demon commanders.
Ross opened the file.
He read only a few pages before his expression changed.
"This..."
His brow furrowed.
"...isn’t super-soldier research."
Ross possessed a doctorate himself.
He immediately recognized what he was reading.
Neural interfaces.
Bioelectric signaling.
Mechanical systems.
Cybernetic integration.
Interesting...
Very interesting...
But completely unrelated to human enhancement.
Ada tilted her head.
"When did we ever say we’d be cooperating on super-soldier technology?"
Ross blinked.
She was right.
The twins had promised advanced technology.
He had simply assumed they meant the enhancement program.
His frustration boiled over.
He slapped the folder onto the bar.
"Why?"
The disappointment was genuine.
Super-soldier research had consumed most of his career.
Even if he intended to enter politics, abandoning that dream overnight wasn’t so easy.
For one brief moment, he’d believed Umbrella could give him everything.
His life’s work...
And political power.
Reality proved rather less generous.
Ada remained patient.
"Umbrella possesses far more than one breakthrough."
"What we’re offering now is every bit as valuable as our enhancement technology."
Ross’s expression remained unconvinced.
She sighed.
"We’ll share that research eventually."
"If our partnership continues."
"But not yet."
"There’s still... an obstacle."
Ross leaned forward immediately.
"What obstacle?"
"Perhaps I can help."
"I’ve spent decades working in this field."
If the problem was technical...
He still had plenty to contribute before retiring from military research.
Carla answered with a single word.
"SHIELD."
Ross immediately developed a headache.
That...
Was indeed an obstacle.
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