In the lab, the air was silent save for the low hum of machinery. The Prometheus Stasis Pod stood quietly in the center, its silver-white metallic shell reflecting a cold, captivating gleam under the lights, like a work of art from the future.
Paul's gaze shifted from the stasis pod to the still-warm encrypted communicator in his hand.
[Someone is tracking your research progress.]
The short sentence was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples through his mind.
Who could it be?
Obadiah? The military? Or that unknown AI lurking in the depths of the web?
Paul's fingertips unconsciously traced the smooth shell of the communicator. He knew that from the moment he had chosen to stand with Tony, he had stepped into the eye of the storm. Both the graphene batteries and the technological acumen he'd displayed, far beyond his years, were enough to make him a target in some people's eyes.
Before, it was just a suspicion. Now, this message confirmed it.
Tracking his research progress… were they trying to steal his technology, or… was there a deeper purpose?
A long-unfelt wave of exhaustion washed over him. The continuous high-intensity work wasn't just physical depletion; it was an immense mental drain.
He had to get back to his peak condition as soon as possible.
Only absolute strength could provide the confidence to face any conspiracy.
His gaze fell once more on the stasis pod, a device brimming with sci-fi aesthetics.
Prometheus.
The one who stole fire.
He had chosen this name for the project, intending to steal the 'divine fire' of life sciences, to break the shackles of the human body.
Now, it seemed it would become his first shield against this unknown storm.
"Baymax," Paul called out softly.
"I am here, Paul." From a corner, Baymax, who had been recharging, walked over with his soft, puffy steps. His round, inflatable body made a series of cute squeaking sounds as he moved.
"Initiate the final 'Prometheus' protocol. Prepare for human biological testing," Paul said, his voice calm and steady.
Baymax's optical sensors blinked as he scanned Paul's body.
"Paul, my scans indicate you have been working continuously for over forty-eight hours. Your heart rate is elevated, and your adrenaline levels are abnormal. I advise you to get at least eight hours of deep sleep immediately."
"I know," Paul said with a slight smile. "That's why I'm planning to sleep in a different way."
As he spoke, he walked toward the stasis pod and pressed the activation button next to the hatch.
*Hiss—*
With a soft depressurization sound, the translucent lid slowly rose, revealing an ergonomically designed reclining structure and a network of micro-sensors and nutrient solution injectors lining the interior.
"Paul, this device has not yet been validated with a living subject and poses unknown risks. Safety protocols state that I cannot allow you to…"
"Override," Paul cut Baymax off without turning his head. "Execute highest priority command. I, the test subject Paul Stark, voluntarily assume all risks. After I enter stasis, you will have full authority to monitor my vital signs. At the first sign of any anomaly, implement the preset contingency plans."
With that, he took off his jacket and lay down inside without a moment's hesitation.
The cold sensation against his back brought a slight release to his tense nerves.
This was the confidence of a genius, and the obsession of a madman. He trusted his calculations. He trusted his creation.
"Good luck, Paul." Baymax's voice seemed to carry a hint of concern that couldn't be defined by programming.
The lid slowly closed, sealing Paul off completely from the outside world.
The last thing he saw was Baymax's round optical sensors, 'watching' him without blinking.
Darkness fell.
Then, he felt a warm fluid begin to spread upwards from the soles of his feet.
It was the golden nutrient solution.
The liquid crept past his calves, his waist, his chest… until finally, it submerged his head completely.
A sense of suffocation!
Even though he rationally knew the high-pressure liquid oxygen system would activate simultaneously, the moment he was fully enveloped by the liquid, his body's survival instincts triggered an uncontrollable panic.
It felt like drowning.
The air was forced from his lungs. He instinctively wanted to struggle, to open his mouth to breathe.
But in the next second, an oxygen-rich fluid with a slightly sweet taste poured down his throat.
No choking, no discomfort.
The sensation was bizarre, as if he had become a fish, returned to the water.
The panic gradually subsided, replaced by an unprecedented tranquility.
He could 'see' countless micro-probes, finer than strands of hair, extending from the inner wall to gently adhere to his skin. High-frequency bio-currents began to stimulate every cell in his body.
Then, the full power of the golden nutrient solution was unleashed.
It was a sensation beyond words.
It was as if billions of tiny, warm hands were performing a deep, cellular-level massage inside his body.
He could clearly 'feel' the brain cells damaged by lack of sleep being rapidly repaired, his thoughts becoming clearer than ever. He could feel the muscle fibers, stiff from long hours of sitting, stretching out again, brimming with explosive power. Even the tiny, latent injuries deep within his body, which he hadn't even been aware of, were being smoothed over and erased by this gentle yet overwhelming force.
This was no longer 'repair.'
This was 'reforging'!
Time lost all meaning in this wondrous experience.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but when the nutrient solution in the stasis pod was completely drained and fresh air filled the chamber, Paul slowly opened his eyes.
The lid slid open without a sound.
He sat up, feeling as if the entire world had changed.
The dust motes in the air, the metallic grain on the walls, the faint whirring of distant instruments… everything was incredibly sharp, as if the world's resolution had been turned up.
His body was filled with strength—not the pumped-up feeling from a workout, but a vitality that radiated from within, from the very source of life.
He leaped lightly from the pod.
His feet landed silently.
But he startled himself.
How high… had he just jumped?
He turned to the waiting Baymax. "What was my vertical jump height just now?"
Baymax's enormous head tilted slightly. "According to the high-speed camera data, your vertical jump height was eighty-three centimeters."
Eighty-three centimeters!
Paul's eye twitched.
An untrained fourteen-year-old with a vertical jump of eighty-three centimeters? If that number were in the NBA combine, it would be considered top-tier!
The effect of this 'regeneration pod' was even more… absurd than he had imagined!
"Run a full-body scan on me, Baymax. The most comprehensive one," Paul commanded, suppressing his shock.
"Of course, Paul."
A soft blue beam shot out from Baymax's eyes, meticulously scanning Paul from head to toe.
A few seconds later, Baymax spoke again.
"Scan complete. Paul, your physical condition is… perfect. Cellular activity has increased by thirty-seven percent, nerve response speed has increased by twenty-two percent, muscle density…"
Baymax rattled off a series of data points that startled even Paul.
This wasn't just fatigue recovery; this was a low-level physical enhancement!
Just then, Paul's gaze was drawn to the pod's waste fluid outlet.
A small stream of dark, almost black, viscous liquid was slowly draining from the pipe into the sealed collection container below.
What was that?
Was it the metabolic waste produced after the nutrient solution's exchange with his body?
But why was the color so dark? And why did it have a faint… metallic tang to it?
He walked over, crouched down, and examined the waste fluid closely.
"Baymax, analyze the composition of the waste fluid."
"Analyzing…" Baymax's voice remained steady. "Composition analysis: ninety-five percent consists of standard human metabolic byproducts, including lactic acid, urea nitrogen, creatinine… wait. Anomaly detected."
Paul's heart sank.
"What kind of anomaly?"
Baymax fell silent for two seconds, seemingly running a deeper comparison and calculation.
Then, for the first time, its emotionless electronic voice carried a grave tone.
"Paul, within the waste fluid, I have detected a non-biological, extremely sophisticated… nanite cluster."