Ambassador

"Master Makana, have you figured out what this is?" King T'Chaka asked the current chief scientist of Wakanda, a serious-looking elderly gentleman with deep-set eyes.

"It's a unique crystal that uses nanostructures to confine and regulate light," Makana said slowly. "With its ability to regulate photoconductivity, the development of our quantum computers will accelerate by hundreds of years."

"So, it's valuable?"

"Extremely valuable."

"Valuable enough to trade for Vibranium?"

"That's for you to decide," Makana said calmly.

"I'd like to hear your opinion."

Makana paused. "I believe this trade is worthwhile. At our current level of development, I can't tell you how long it would take us to master quantum computing. But with this crystal, it would only take ten to twenty years."

King T'Chaka was deep in thought when he heard a hurried set of footsteps. "Daddy, I heard there was an intruder. Did you kill him?" Seven-year-old Shuri rushed into the room and ran straight to her father. King T'Chaka smiled and picked her up. "Why are you in such a hurry? Your mother wouldn't be happy if she saw that you'd forgotten your manners."

"She isn't here, right?" Shuri said, sticking out her tongue—a gesture that deepened T'Chaka's smile. "So where's the intruder?"

"There's no intruder. Someone just came to talk."

Shuri turned her head and spotted the crystal on the table. "Oh, a Photon Crystal. Since its refractive index changes periodically, it's the perfect material for making quantum computers. Master Makana, is this some new model you wanted to synthesize?"

Makana revealed a rare smile. Everyone knew that this stern man only showed genuine smiles when teaching the princess. "No, this is a new material your father just brought back."

"Really? Something like this actually exists in nature?"

"Daddy," T'Challa suddenly called as he entered the