Now that Maya is on my side, she will be working on my first enhancement cocktails.
"This is impossible," said Maya while going through the Extremis stabilization formula in her new lab.
"You didn't just solve the stabilization of the nanites; you went beyond and added safeguards against the side effects that may arise from the virus, like burning out future enhancements or implants. Fascinating!" she exclaimed while glued to the screen and typing frantically.
"Yes, no need to thank me, but how long will it take you to synthesize the serum? I wouldn't like to call it a virus; it rolls badly on the tongue," I said while smirking smugly and holding a glass of celebration champagne I was having with Maya.
"For how this new formula is made, I will need a completely new robust substance to make the nano-phage," she said while nerding out on all the new ways this formula can be used beyond nano-biology.
"Just write a shopping list and I will get it for you; also, this whole arrangement will be temporary; we will have to move to a much more secure location, but that's being taken care of as we speak, Maya. Now worry about your work, and I will worry about mine," I said while getting up, collecting the glasses and dishes scattered around the room, and heading out.
I made a B-line to a guest that is waiting for me.
I've sent an invitation to this person since he's living just around the corner, and I don't need any shenanigans to bring this person into the fold.
Enter Phineas Mason, a brilliant mind with an extraordinary knack for both mechanical and electrical engineering.
However, despite possessing this remarkable gift, he has always been confined to the shadows, hidden away by his innate shyness and introversion, never venturing out to showcase his true potential to the world.
Nestled in the depths of obscurity, Phineas operates a humble repair shop aptly named "Phineas' Fix-It," where he passionately tends to the everyday needs of broken devices and worn-out contraptions.
To confine such prodigious talent within a repair shop would be an injustice.
From what I remember of him from my past life, Phineas possesses an uncanny ability to seamlessly integrate alien technology with human technology.
and this comes from the astute techno-perception that allows him to discern the purpose and function of any object with a mere glance.
"Hi, Phineas. It's nice to see you have accepted my invitation" I greeted him, gently pulling him out of his daze.
"Uh- Y- yes, it's my pleasure. I would like to inquire what I can do for you; I don't usually work outside of my shop." He said shyly, thinking he was here for a job.
He even brought along his trusty tool kit, anticipating a job request.
"No, no, that's not the purpose of your visit—well, not entirely," I clarified, seeking to convey my intentions.
"I am here to offer you a position within my R&D; let's say your talent didn't go unnoticed," I said with a wide smile.
"Sir, I don't know about this; I've never worked for anyone, and I'm not sure I work well with others." Phineas, looking somewhat uncertain, sheepishly expressed his concerns.
"Mr. Mason, you could have your own shop if you want, but at least don't refuse until you allow me to show you the extraordinary resources and brilliant minds you'll be working with, but before you have to sign an NDA, if you're not interested after I show you around, we don't want you running your mouth," I said while playfully shaking my eyebrow up and down.
"Follow me," I directed Phineas as we traversed through a series of secure doors, leading us to Ivan's workshop.
Upon entering, we were blasted with loud Tony Robbins motivational speeches, which engulfed the room. I scanned the area, searching for Ivan's presence, but he seemed to be absent.
Phineas, on the other hand, appeared more at ease now, his eyes widening in awe as he surveyed his surroundings.
It was as if he had stumbled upon a wonderland, his gaze alighting upon the multitude of computers, makeshift server racks, CNC mills, and boxes brimming with cutting-edge computer chips.
"Wow, this is amazing!" he exclaimed, then something else soon captured his attention.
"Is tha- is that what I think it is?" Phineas said his eyes widened in disbelief as he darted to the rack holding a dozen arc reactors.
"How did you manage to get your hands on these? Stark made it clear he wasn't sharing his technology. What makes you so special?" He asked, his eyes filled with a lusty desire.
"Our other resident prodigious talent, Ivan, made them, though I'm not quite sure of his whereabouts at the moment," I explained, scanning the surroundings in search of Ivan.
Suddenly, we heard a peculiar whirring sound, followed by the clatter of tools falling behind a nearby curtain.
Emerging from behind, Ivan made his entrance, sporting his still-in-development prototype power armor similar to Iron Man's.
*Whine, stump, whine, stump, whine, stump*
his face plate contracted with a wide smile behind when he noticed my presence.
"Hi, boss. Are you here for the progress report on the particle accelerator you provided the blueprints for?" he innocently inquired, his English markedly improved.
Glancing back at Mason, I noticed his mouth agape, rendered speechless and frozen in awe.
"Ah, yes, that, and before we delve into it..." I paused, turning to face Mason directly.
"Are you interested now? Shall we set aside formalities and paperwork for the time being and get right into the thick of it?" I posed the question, eager to gauge his commitment.
Knowing Mason's affinity for technology, this place was akin to paradise for him.
He frantically nodded, his gaze still fixated on the suit like a drug addict, before darting toward it.
"Hi, Hi, Hi You should really think about enhancing the actuator's performance by integrating magnetorheological dampers so you can remove the whine. they will also dynamically adjust their viscosity based on the impact force, instantly adapting to changing conditions."
"And you should consider implementing an array of strain and pressure sensors throughout the armor structure and a multi-layered, fractal interconnect system, utilizing nanotube superconductors and distributed energy storage units, you will achieve optimal power transmission efficiency, and..." he spoke, his words flowing at a dizzying speed that left my Kryptonian brain struggling to keep up.
long gone his shy self, now it's replaced with a rabid engineer.
While he was going crazy, Ivan was looking at his suit and listening carefully to what this eccentric, chubby man had to say.
a wide smile forming on his face. "I like him," Ivan declared while looking at me.
"I can already tell you guys will be best friends, and I will greatly benefit from such friendship; I love bringing people together," I said with a proud smile at the two new friends.
They ignored me and went into frantically talking to each other as Ivan dragged a mobile computer terminal and started showing him his stuff, like two cousins meeting on the weekend.
"ahm, ahm. I am still here guys, you know?" I broke them up from barking gibberish.
The frenzied nerding came to a halt as both of them redirected their attention toward me.
"Now that I have your focus again, can we discuss the matters at hand?" I inquired, to which they nodded in agreement, their demeanor shifting to a more serious tone.
" Alright, Mason, since you have accepted our offer to join us, I have tasked Ivan with creating a miniature particle accelerator. which you both know uses giant magnets to fire billions of subatomic particles into their anti-particles at the speed of light to create a miniature big bang," I explained.
"Make final adjustments to all the parts and assemble it because I want you both to work on synthesizing this new element." I opened a file on the big computer screen.
Well, so you know, days before I went to meet with Maya Hanson, I sneaked into Stark Industries by putting their whole security system on a loop, even overriding J.A.R.V.I.S. with the help of Ordis. I went there and looked for the model of the Stark Expo fairgrounds.
Once inside, I made my way to Tony's office since he hadn't made Pepper CEO yet. I found the big glass-encased model of the Stark Expo, and then I used my multi-tool to scan it.
After that, Ordis had little problem extracting the new element's atomic structure hidden in the Stark Expo fairgrounds designs.
Knowing that the Sark Expo won't happen for a couple of months means the events of Iron Man 2 still didn't happen.
Tony's arc reactor was powered by a palladium core. Over time, the palladium was broken down by neutron damage, releasing deadly toxins into Tony's bloodstream, which are slowly killing him.
With the resources I have, I can solve it before he does.
and offer it as a token of friendship, because having someone like Tony as an ally sure will come in handy.
"New element?" they both exclaimed in synchronized voices, their curiosity piqued.
"Yes, it is an exotic, multi-dimensional element that promises limitless energy compared to palladium. It will provide a limitless power source, constantly rejuvenating itself due to its multi-dimensional nature." I explained it the way Ordis explained it to me.
"How did you discover such a thing? The theoretical groundwork alone would have taken a lifetime to develop. H-How?" Mason asked, his eyes locked on the screen.
"Everything you need is contained within the data package, Mason. Would you like to begin working with us right away? We have quarters here to accommodate you," I asked Mason, not knowing if he would get right into it already.
"Yeah, yes, I will stick around," he replied, his face beaming with excitement.
Returning his smile, I extended my hands toward him and said, "Welcome to Emberfall."
While leaving the two to work on their new task I made my way to the door when I heard Ordis in my ears "Ship operating at 100% efficiency, all systems online"
I guess it's time to visit Antarctica, again.