"Am I going to Earth?"
Thor was momentarily baffled by Odin's words.
Only a short while ago, his father had demanded he venture into the Nine Realms to restore the order shattered by Loki's whims.
It was his duty as Crown Prince—a necessary show of Asgard's both iron-fisted authority and its mercy.
"The most vital skill for a King is the ability to prioritize," Odin stated calmly.
"Furthermore, we have never held a grudge against The Blue. We have always maintained a respectful distance, a steady friendship, and healthy trade. Herta is not one to act irrationally."
In truth, Odin had considered using his foresight to peer into Herta's affairs, but a persistent, sour premonition stayed his hand.
Even a stray, unintentional glance in her direction had once earned him a sharp glare from Herta, followed by a warning headache that throbbed for some time.
To pry into the secrets of such a being uninvited was to court unnecessary malice.
Consequently, he had recently forbidden even Heimdall from observing Earth.
"Very well."
Thor lacked his father's penchant for overthinking.
To be honest, he was quite keen on the idea. Since the business with Loki, he'd only been to Earth once and had barely found a moment to spend with his mortal girlfriend.
This trip would be the perfect excuse to steal away and see Jane.
Odin saw through his son's thoughts in an instant but chose to remain silent. Speaking of it now would only stoke the fires of Thor's legendary streak of rebellion.
After a brief period of preparation, Thor departed via the Bifrost for New York.
Upon contacting Asta, he was promptly spirited away by a quantum transport beam, arriving on a star-destroying capital ship stationed just outside Earth's orbit.
Though it was classified as a Star Destroyer, the vessel wasn't merely a floating rack of cannons and deck-guns.
This particular ship housed a vast portion of Herta's personal collection and creations.
It felt less like a warship and more like a colossal, heavily armed storehouse, where the ratio of research scientists to combat personnel sat at a dead even one-to-one.
The method of travel—so distinct from the thunderous transit of the Bifrost—piqued Thor's curiosity.
Before he could fully process the sensation, he found himself standing in a sterile, stark-white chamber. The hatch slid open to reveal Asta.
"We meet again, Prince Thor."
With a ship of this magnitude at their disposal, there was no longer any need for them to cram into a standard small-scale vessel.
"Asta! It has been far too long—well, perhaps not that long," Thor laughed, striding toward her. "I trust you are all well? Please, give my regards to Madam Herta."
"Thank you for your concern. As for the greetings, you can deliver them to Madam Herta yourself in a moment." Asta actually had a favorable opinion of Thor.
It was rare to find a crown prince with such a bright, easygoing temperament—someone who actually rolled up his sleeves when things got difficult.
Especially after her recent, headache-inducing dealings with the Council down on Earth.
"Ah, right. Madam Herta was the one who summoned me," Thor added, a beat late to the realization.
"Not just you, but your companions as well," Asta said. "They should be arriving shortly."
As she spoke, a notification chimed on her phone. It was a text from Nick Fury. Asta glanced at it and sent a quick reply to Themis.
With a soft hum, blue light began to coat the air like a fresh layer of paint, coalescing into human forms. Several familiar figures materialized in the chamber behind Thor.
"What kind of transport tech is this?" Tony Stark asked, his curiosity instantly piqued.
The group hadn't expected to run into Thor here, but figuring Herta had simply rounded him up with the rest of them, they weren't entirely surprised. After all, they were all part of the Avengers.
"Quantum digitization," Asta explained. "It breaks down a person or object into quantum data and transmits them to another location."
"I'm familiar with the theory, I just didn't think anyone had actually cracked the code yet," Iron Man remarked.
He wasn't a stranger to the quantum realm; while not his primary field of expertise, he possessed a solid grasp of the fundamentals.
"It's a trivial matter for Madam Herta," Asta said, leading the way.
"This technology has existed for a long time, though it hasn't seen much optimization since its inception, making it difficult to roll out for civilian use."
"Sounds like Madam Herta finished the research and then lost interest," Tony noted, hitting the nail on the head. He understood that specific brand of intellectual restlessness all too well.
"Precisely. Much of the current technology on The Blue involves taking Madam Herta's finished products and pushing the research further. Even if we only manage to produce a downgraded version, it's still a massive leap forward for us."
The group moved through a corridor that opened into a cavernous hall.
Its sheer scale made one wonder if three Michigan Stadiums could fit inside. However, remembering that this ship was technically larger than the planet Earth itself, they swallowed their shock.
Asta led them toward a wall where a sleek cylinder rose from the floor. After verifying her staff ID and bio-signature, a circle large enough to hold the entire group was carved into the floor.
To the amazement of the newcomers, the floor began to slide forward automatically.
They glided past staff members in various colored uniforms moving in much the same way. Many noticed Asta and offered a nod or a brief greeting.
Not everyone in the crowd was from The Blue; there were plenty of aliens with striking, non-human features, a sight that truly opened the eyes of the Earth-bound Avengers.
"You mentioned that a lot of your tech is based on Madam Herta's finished work?"
After the initial novelty wore off, Tony circled back to the topic.
Generally, shouldn't things like that be locked behind a mountain of patents?
"Madam Herta doesn't care for things she has already solved. Unless it's a discovery she deems 'unready' for the universe at large, her results become research topics for the scientists of The Blue and the Space Station, who come from all over the cosmos."
Asta continued, "Madam Herta is remarkably generous in this regard. She's even been known to leave her personal manuscripts lying around the station like scrap paper."
That was almost impossible to fathom.
Tony felt a surge of genuine respect, followed quickly by curiosity. "Any chance I could take a look at those manuscripts?"
"Mm... that depends on Madam Herta. You aren't exactly a staff member of the station." Asta gave a non-committal answer, which surprised no one.
Soon, they arrived at a set of heavy doors. The moving floor came to a halt, and they followed Asta through a series of corridors into one of Herta's many laboratories.
The doors slid open to reveal a sprawling, somewhat sparse room.
At the far end stood a device over three meters tall, looking for all the world like a portal from a sci-fi epic. A massive, disc-like apparatus was mounted to the wall, with claw-like triangular segments anchoring the inner and outer rings, which pulsed with a constant, ethereal blue glow.
"And this is...?" The group turned to Asta.
But before she could explain, another voice rang out through the room.
"You've arrived at a rather inconvenient time. I'm right in the middle of something else... but never mind. I find myself quite interested in your business as well."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.