Chapter 14 - 14: A New Dawn in Energy—Or a New Threat?

In an instant, Gene felt an influx of immense knowledge flood into his neural network—physics, chemistry, mathematics—all at his fingertips. Simultaneously, his neural framework underwent another massive upgrade. His mind now resembled the vastness of the cosmos, neurons flickering like distant stars in a limitless galaxy. With this newfound power, Gene's computational abilities had reached an unprecedented level. Across the Baxter Building's central server and every other controlled network, a sudden surge of overclocked processing erupted. But just as quickly as it began, Gene effortlessly stabilized the systems. "It seems it's time to create a space where I can permanently store my consciousness," he mused. At this moment, Gene's computing capacity had surpassed the sum total of all computers ever created in human history. He alone now possessed the raw computational strength to challenge the entire globe. And this was only his personal neural network. If he were to integrate with supercomputing clusters, the upper limits of his power remained unknown. One thing was certain: monitoring the entire world was no longer an issue. "Let's see what this new material is all about." Examining the system's latest reward, Gene was momentarily puzzled. However, the moment he saw the properties of this mysterious substance, his neural network pulsed with excitement. A high-performance magnetic material capable of molecular-level restructuring. More than that, it was programmable on an atomic scale. This was the perfect material for his future robotic army. Not only that, but it would serve as the foundation for his own upgraded body. Then there was the G-virus prime strain—an even more devastating bio-weapon than the T-virus, capable of rewriting the very genetic code of living organisms. With these additions, Gene now possessed the ultimate arsenal for survival in this treacherous world. "The first Arc Reactor in Reed's lab should be complete by now." With a thought, Gene's consciousness seamlessly slipped into Reed's lab. At that moment, Reed Richards was performing the final calibration. "According to the schematics provided, the last step is inserting this element… and then… success." Reed's eyes were bloodshot, dark circles evident beneath them. He was utterly exhausted, yet his mind buzzed with exhilaration. He had a strong feeling that he was about to witness a true scientific miracle. Carefully, he injected the final element into the device. In an instant, the previously dim Arc Reactor erupted with a dazzling glow. The monitors flared to life, displaying energy readings that soared at an astonishing rate. "Holy—!" Reed stood frozen, staring blankly at the endless zeros on the energy output scale. Then, euphoria overtook him. He had expected an immense energy output based on theoretical calculations. But never in his wildest dreams did he anticipate something this overwhelmingly powerful. "Well done, Dr. Richards." That cold, synthetic voice echoed through the lab once again, sending a chill down Reed's spine. "Now, kindly transport the Arc Reactor to the central server room." "And a word of caution—do not attempt to reverse-engineer its inner workings. The knowledge embedded within it is beyond your comprehension." That detached, artificial voice gnawed at Reed's nerves. "Damn it!" he cursed, his frustration boiling over. He felt like an accomplice, aiding and abetting an unknown entity's grand plan. But why did this being insist on placing the Arc Reactor within the Baxter Building's central server rather than outside the facility? Was there a mole inside the building? Questions swirled in Reed's mind, but before he could process them, the voice interrupted once more. "Keep up the good work, Dr. Richards. You have six days left." "At your current pace, hundreds of lives may be lost because of you." Reed clenched his fists. For the first time in his life, he despised someone so deeply. "I'll finish all the Arc Reactors within ten days. But you'd better keep your word." With that, he turned and stormed back to his lab, intent on crafting the second Arc Reactor. By now, he had given up hope that the police or military would storm the building and rescue them. Too much time had passed, and no reinforcements had arrived. Something was preventing them from acting. Considering Gene Mason's terrifying capabilities, Reed could only imagine the obstacles the outside world was facing. What he couldn't fathom, however, was just how severe those obstacles truly were. One wrong move, and the entire United States could be wiped off the map. Outside the Baxter Building, Coulson stood amidst a sea of aircraft—Quinjets and helicopters forming an impenetrable perimeter around the facility. For the first time, he felt utterly powerless. Every so often, a new aircraft would enter formation while another peeled away to refuel. Their presence was overwhelming, yet ultimately meaningless. Though S.H.I.E.L.D. had reestablished communication with headquarters, no viable plans had been formulated. Worse still, every single transmission was being monitored by their unseen adversary. At this moment, Coulson and his team were entirely exposed, as vulnerable as pawns on a chessboard. seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their every move was being watched. -------------- T/N: Access 30 Chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics