manynovel Chapter 39 Laboratory Reorganization
Chapter 39 Laboratory Reorganization
Warm water washed over his body, cleansing away the dust, sweat, and faint stench of decay from the world of the walking dead. Chen Haotian stood on the marble floor of the luxurious shower, letting the water flow over his skin, savoring the comfort and tranquility of modern civilization. But this moment of relaxation didn't last long; his mind was already racing with his next plan.
After showering and changing, he put on a casual outfit provided by Tony, which surprisingly fit him perfectly. When he walked back into the lab, Tony was also looking refreshed, wearing his signature black vest and casual pants, standing in front of the control panel, holding a glass of deep red wine. Another glass was already poured and placed on the bar next to him.
"A Romanée-Conti from 1945," Tony swirled his glass, gesturing to another on the bar, "a celebration of... well, coming back alive and bringing back some 'local specialties.'" His tone was laced with his usual sarcasm, but his eyes swept sharply over the sample boxes and energy canisters that had been carefully placed inside a specially designed isolation analysis chamber.
Chen Haotian walked over, elegantly picked up the wine glass, gently inhaled the complex and mellow aroma, and then took a sip. "It certainly tastes much better than the bottled water in the ruins." He smiled slightly, walked to the isolation pod, and looked at the items inside through the high-strength glass. "Well then, after the celebration, it's time to begin our 'unpacking' work, brother."
Tony grunted, downed his drink in one gulp, and set the glass aside. "Jarvis, activate the full restructuring protocol for the 'Prometheus' Labs. I need a completely independent analysis zone with the highest levels of bio-isolation, energy shielding, and information encryption, specifically for processing these extraterrestrial resources."
"Command confirmed, sir. Reserved space on floors B7 to B9 of the Stark Tower has been used to begin structural modifications. Nanoengineering robots have been deployed and are expected to complete the basic isolation framework within three hours and all equipment installation and commissioning within twelve hours."
As Jarvis responded, the wall on one side of the laboratory silently slid open, revealing a huge vertical passageway behind it. Countless tiny nanobots surged into the space below like a silver tide, beginning high-speed construction according to a pre-programmed sequence. The faint buzzing sound of construction could be heard, signifying the start of a massive project.
"Before that," Chen Haotian turned around, his gaze falling on the analysis table where the samples had been temporarily placed, "we need to do some preliminary, safe pretreatment. Especially... these little guys." He pointed to the specially made alloy box that contained the virus samples.
Tony also became serious, walked to the control panel, and brought up the holographic interface for the biosafety protocol. "Jarvis, initiate remote robotic arm operation. We'll begin by performing a physical inspection and reinforcement of the outermost layer of the virus sample."
Two sophisticated robotic arms descended from the ceiling and skillfully opened the alloy case. Inside were layers upon layers of independent, sealed chambers, each containing test tubes or petri dishes with different numbers. These chambers contained samples of zombie tissue from the world of The Walking Dead, isolated viral stock, and biological tissue slices from some mutated organisms. Even through multiple layers of protection, an ominous, deathly stillness seemed to emanate from the case.
"Scan the integrity of the sample container," Tony commanded.
"All sealed chambers are intact, internal pressure is stable, and no signs of leakage have been detected," Jarvis reported.
"Very good. Perform a second vacuum seal and inject inert gas for preservation. Until the dedicated laboratory is built, they will stay in this reinforced isolation chamber." Tony watched the robotic arm operate skillfully, his tone tinged with caution. "Until we figure out exactly how powerful this thing is, and whether it is equally infectious to life on our world, we must assume it is the most dangerous pathogen."
Chen Haotian nodded in agreement, his academic instincts and caution towards the unknown taking precedence at this moment. "That's right. Moreover, according to Wesker's team's research, this virus has extremely strong mutation and environmental adaptability. Direct exposure research is too risky. We need to conduct remote observation and analysis under conditions that completely simulate its original environment first."
After processing the most dangerous virus samples, the two turned their attention to the energy shielding container. Inside, several void energy crystals emitted a soft and mysterious glow, and liquid energy seemed to be slowly flowing within them.
"Now, take a look at these beautiful 'stones'." Tony's eyes gleamed with the light of an engineer seeing a new toy. He personally operated the control panel and brought up the energy analysis module. "Jarvis, attempt a non-contact energy sensing scan. Keep the power at the lowest setting and avoid any form of energy interaction."
An extremely weak probe wave swept across the energy shielding container. A series of complex data streams and energy spectrum diagrams immediately appeared on the holographic screen.
"Sir, a highly ordered and stable unknown energy field has been detected. Its energy density is initially estimated to be 327 percent of the Mark III core of the Arc Reactor, and... the energy decay rate is extremely low, almost negligible." Jarvis's voice remained calm, but the data he reported was enough to shock any physicist.
"Three hundred and twenty-seven percent? Almost no attenuation?" Tony repeated, his fingers flying across the virtual keyboard to bring up a more detailed analysis report. "This energy form... is neither pure electromagnetic energy, nor nuclear energy, nor magical energy... it's something... closer to the origin? Like... the tension of space itself has been solidified?" He became more and more excited as he spoke, but his brows furrowed more and more tightly, because this completely overturned his existing understanding of energy.
Chen Haotian leaned closer to the screen, gazing at the obscure data and models. A faint resonance seemed to emanate from the transmigration rune within him. "Void energy… the name is fitting. It seems to originate from the 'gaps' between worlds, or rather, 'fragments' created when the rules of different worlds collide." He recalled the energy characteristics he sensed in the world of The Walking Dead. "It reacts to my rune; perhaps… it can become a key energy source for stabilizing the transmigration passage, or even expanding its scale."
"A replacement for the Arc Reactor?" Tony suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Haotian. "Do you realize what this means? If this energy can be used safely and controllably, it could not only solve the ultimate problem of miniaturizing and sustaining the energy of my armor, but it might even trigger a global energy revolution! Clean, efficient, and virtually limitless!"
"That's how it is in theory," Chen Haotian said calmly, pouring some cold water on Tony's excitement. "But the premise is that we can use it 'safely and controllably.' Don't forget, we just experienced an accidental time travel caused by energy interference. This thing is stable, but once it's triggered, its reaction may far exceed our imagination. We need to thoroughly understand its nature and establish an application system that is completely different from existing energy technologies."
Tony took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "You're right. We can't rush things." He turned to the control panel. "Jarvis, establish the 'Void Energy' research sub-project. Priority tasks: simulate compatibility tests of this energy with existing Arc Reactor technology, and explore the fundamental theoretical models for its energy extraction, conversion, and control. All experiments must be conducted within the highest level of energy shielding."
"Mission established, sir."
Finally, their gaze fell upon the smallest, but perhaps most mysterious, item—a fragment of DC metal from the brain of a mutated zombie. It was sealed separately in a smaller, transparent container reinforced with multiple layers of magical suppression runes.
"This fragment..." Chen Haotian stared at the piece of metal that emitted a faint magical fluctuation, "It feels to me even more... 'abnormal' than the virus and the energy crystal combined." The runes within his body once again pulsated with an extremely subtle tremor. Unlike the resonance with the energy crystal, this time it felt more like... vigilance or even repulsion.
Tony also retrieved the preliminary scan data from the fragments. "It's not composed of any known elements, and its structure exhibits a...non-Euclidean geometric complexity. Jarvis detected very weak magical fluctuations, but their essence is extremely high, seemingly involving something at the level of...laws." He looked at Chen Haotian, "Your 'rune,' does it react specially to it?"
"Hmm," Chen Haotian didn't deny it, "It doesn't feel very friendly. This thing... might come from a very high-level world. Before we figure out what it is and why it's in a zombie's brain, I suggest we list it as a top-risk project and put it on hold for now. We can try to make contact with it again after we've accumulated more cross-world experience, especially after we have a deeper understanding of energy and laws."
Tony nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Jarvis, upgrade the encryption level of the 'Unknown Metal Fragment' project to the highest 'Odin Level,' physically seal it in the core vault of B9, and prohibit any form of access or probe without the joint authorization of Chen and myself."
"Command confirmed."
After handling the initial arrangements for these three key "local specialties," the laboratory reorganization was also progressing steadily thanks to the efficient work of the nanorobots. Chen Haotian walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looked at the dazzling night view of New York City outside, and took a sip of the remaining wine in his glass.
"A brand new laboratory, dedicated to serving the knowledge and items we 'collect' across the world..." he said softly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "It feels like we're building the foundation for our own 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' or 'S.W.O.R.D.' that transcends dimensions."
Tony walked over and stood beside him, looking down at the familiar yet strange city. "S.H.I.E.L.D.? Come on, they can't get their hands on zombie viruses and magical metals from other universes." He paused, his tone becoming serious. "But kid, you're right. We are indeed standing at an unprecedented starting point. But the more this is the case, the more careful we must be. The next time we 'open the door,' we must take the initiative, instead of being accidentally thrown into some apocalyptic world again."
Chen Haotian glanced at Tony, his eyes sparkling with the academic genius's desire to explore the unknown and the wanderer's eagerness for adventure, but deeper within was a hint of the calm calculation of a cunning person.
"Of course, the initiative... must be in our hands." He responded softly, as if stating a given fact, "and all of this begins with thoroughly analyzing what we've brought back."
Outside the laboratory window, the city night unfolds peacefully. Inside, the hum of nanobots under construction signals the rapid formation of a base dedicated to exploring the mysteries of countless worlds. Two exceptionally intelligent men have already set their sights on even more distant and unknown dimensions. A new chapter has officially begun, amidst the lingering echoes of clinking glasses and the silent flow of data.