"Doctor Laos, we have arrived," announced one of the soldiers accompanying them on the ship.
"Excellent. Take these four containers and tell my team to prepare them; they'll know what to do. And, soldier," the doctor added with a severity that made the man tremble, "be extremely careful with the contents. They are extremely fragile. If anything happens to them, you will know the fury of our lord Zeus."
The soldier swallowed hard and nodded with a rigid movement of his head, hurrying to take the four containers away on a cart. These containers, resembling polarized capsules, held the four kidnapped youths.
"Where are we, Doctor?" Swang asked.
"Ah, that's right, you don't know this place. It's a secret base known only to high command. This place is the most important to me. This is where it all began," Doctor Laos said as he walked off the ship, followed by Doctor Swang, who watched him with a furrowed brow and a thoughtful expression. What does he mean, 'where it all began'? She wondered to herself as the doctor continued his stroll with a strange mix of excitement and nostalgia.
The imposing Zeus also descended from the ship, accompanied by the wounded they had managed to rescue. With a resonant voice that exuded authority, he ordered another group of soldiers present at the secret location to transfer them to the medical bay.
Zeus turned to his other leaders and indicated with a firm gesture that they should maintain a low profile and proceed to their respective branches. They all nodded in obedience and withdrew, except for Aragon, whom Zeus stopped with a wave of his hand.
"Did you bring him? How is Larot?" Zeus inquired with concern.
"He's very badly wounded, sir. What can we do for him?"
"Take him to him. Immediately."
"You mean that person?" Aragon asked, his tone of voice revealing a certain unease.
"Yes, that very person. If anyone can help him, it's him. Go at once. I'll schedule an appointment with him right now."
With surprising agility, Aragon lifted the capsule containing Larot, using his aura to gently extract it from the ship. Meanwhile, Zeus took out his mobile phone and made a call. At the other end of the line, a voice answered in a submissive tone:
"Oh, it's you, my lord. How may I serve you?"
"Maos, I have Larot. He's stable, but in critical condition. I need you to play a little with his brain. I want him to be more obedient and, above all, to make him stronger. Do everything in your power," Zeus ordered in an imperious voice. "Aragon is taking him there now. He suspects absolutely nothing of what you do, and I expect it to stay that way."
"Understood, my lord," Maos replied. "But giving him more strength than he already possesses could drive him mad or even kill him," he warned, with a hint of nervousness.
"Nonsense. I know you can do it. You did an excellent job with him in the past, and now I need him operational and stronger, especially after what happened with that Urion fellow."
"Have him brought to my position. I'm in Sector S of this facility," Maos indicated.
"I'll send him immediately," Zeus replied, and hung up.
Aragon exited the ship, and Zeus reiterated the instructions on where to take Larot. Before he left, Zeus added firmly:
"Leave him with Maos. He'll be in good hands. And then, you will proceed to your position. That's a direct order."
Aragon nodded, although a deep unease began to grow within him. Something didn't add up. The leader of the American division withdrew towards the location his boss had indicated, with a feeling of uncertainty that would accompany him on his way.
Zeus headed towards a capsule-shaped elevator that slid in a straight line along a magnetic track. The silent vehicle would transport him to where Laos was, who was conducting the crucial test to determine if Aiden was the necessary nexus for the activation of the powers, and thus, to be able to create his own army.
Inside the laboratory, vast spaces unfolded, filled with cutting-edge technology, where a large group of scientists worked diligently. However, one section remained closed behind a thick metal door.
"Why is that part closed off?" Swang asked, with curiosity.
"It's a reminder of what happened to my father," Doctor Laos replied in a grave tone, his gaze lost in the distance.
The scene transformed, giving way to a kind of memory, as if it were a film projected in Laos's mind. In it, a professor with a strong resemblance to Laos, but taller, could be seen. It was his father, Mr. Eros Laos, a visionary scientist who was ahead of his time.
"Look at all this, my dear son Richard," Eros exclaimed with a proud smile. "All this is scientific advancement made reality."
As he spoke, Richard stared intently at a group of children connected to a complex machine. In the center of the room, a hooded figure remained motionless. Intrigue began to gnaw at young Richard.
"Ah! You're intrigued to know who's there, aren't you, son?" Eros said with a knowing smile. "Always wanting to know everything, just like your father." He continued, pointing to the room. "Here, at Xerox—or Verox, as some prefer to call it—we investigate all kinds of cutting-edge advancements. And you're probably wondering who that person is. Well, he is my key to activating the machine that will grant powers to all those children you see there."
"And why are they children almost my age?" asked Richard, who was thirteen at the time.
"Because, according to my research, only children are capable of accepting these powers. The younger they are, the better. That means they must be under seventeen years old; otherwise, the machine will eliminate them, turn them into waste, or into uncontrollable aberrations. I have named my creations Metalux. But there are two types, as I have already explained to you: the Anglux, which are created without imperfections and obtain superhuman power, and the Reudux, the abominations that go mad or become deformed with an insatiable thirst for destruction."
"Yes, Father, you've already told me that," Richard interrupted, with a touch of impatience.
"Now, I haven't told you this," Eros continued, in a confidential tone. "In one of my many travels, a subject told me about a chamber where a dark stone was kept, with which unlimited powers could be obtained. The bad thing is that it was guarded by a powerful being, so I could only get those colored stones. Someday I would like to get my hands on it to obtain powers without any deficiencies and create a pure Metalux."
Aquí está la traducción de la tercera parte, continuando con el mismo cuidado y atención a los detalles:
"Ah, is that why they must be young? Could I be a Metalux too?" Richard inquired, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"Of course, son. But the process is extremely painful. Would you accept it?" Eros asked, just before flicking a huge switch.
Instantly, the children connected to the machine began to scream in pain. Richard watched the scene, his heart pounding. He desired to have powers, but he didn't want to experience the suffering he saw reflected in the faces of those children.
"I think I'll pass," he finally said, with a firm voice.
"You're a coward, Richard. A disappointment to me," his father retorted, his face contorted with anger and disappointment. "If you don't seek power, you will always be trampled by others. If I could, I would do it without hesitation."
"But, Father, I have the same intellect as you," Richard replied. "Perhaps I can find a way for adults to obtain these powers as well, and for the process not to be so painful."
"No," his father responded dryly. "But if you achieve it, you will have my respect."
Days passed, then months, and finally years. But Richard made no progress; he only reaped failures. A gaunt Eros, leaning on a cane, confronted him with disdain:
"How useless you are, son. You do nothing right, and to make matters worse, you're going to tarnish my reputation. You are a complete fool. I have already told you: you cannot create a Metalux when one is already an adult. Either one is born with that condition, or one is created before the age of seventeen. Now that you are much older, you have learned absolutely nothing. You are still a weak-minded child, lacking strength. I should have given you character when I had the chance."
With fury, Eros struck Richard in the face with the cane, making his cheek bleed. Richard withdrew from the laboratory, consumed by rage, throwing documents to the ground as he watched his father activating the machine once more. Suddenly, a group of figures dressed in black suits and masks burst into the laboratory with the clear intention of destroying the machine. In the struggle, one of them pushed the elderly Laos, who fell into the machine just as the liquids it contained mixed, causing a violent explosion. Richard, who was returning at that precise moment, could only scream:
"No, Father!"
That was the last time he saw him alive. The explosion destroyed almost the entire laboratory, wiping out his father's years of research. The only thing that survived was a book that Richard had kept at his house. Unfortunately, the book only spoke of beings capable of opening portals to other places inaccessible to humans, like what had happened to young Aiden. Their appearance and characteristics were not described, as his father had never seen any of them. However, the book's notes mentioned the characteristics of these creatures' blood. That was the reason they had carried out so many tests on humans, looking for traces of that blood. Over time, Richard had grown tired of this fruitless search. He came to think that these beings were not of this world. But upon witnessing what happened when he connected the orphan to the machine, he understood that they were real and that perhaps one of his parents had procreated a child with a human.
"I must investigate further now that I have one of those specimens with me," Doctor Laos said to himself, with renewed determination. "You'll see, Father. I will surpass you and achieve the creation of adult Metalux, adults capable of withstanding that power without experiencing any pain. Perhaps that black thing I brought from the other side of the portal will be of use. They all will be."
The professor remained lost in thought, observing the closed-off section of the laboratory, when one of his assistants approached to inform him that the youths were ready and connected to the machines. Doctor Laos snapped out of his reverie and headed to the indicated location. They passed through an imposing door that split in two, revealing the youths lying on a kind of metal bed, bound hand and foot with shackles. In the center of the room, Aiden sat on an improved version of the machine they had used in Milan.
"I see you were very pensive in that particular section," Swang observed with a smile. "Tell me what's wrong. Perhaps I can help."
"I don't think so," Doctor Laos replied. "But if everything goes well, I'll tell you all about it in detail. Without further ado, let's begin."
Meanwhile, Zeus arrives at the facility. From a higher level, in a kind of glass-walled office, he sat like a privileged observer, ready to witness the beginning of his new era.
"Are you ready, Brenda, to begin?" Richard said, showing her a document. "With this, we'll start the process."
Brenda gave him a thumbs-up.
"And if it doesn't go well… you'll tell me everything, Richard," she added, giving him a kiss on the head.
The scientist, with renewed determination, prepared to begin the process. He took some small, cube-shaped containers from his pockets, containing the stones, and placed them in a machine to be restored after Podbe the wolf's howl. Almost instantly, collector robots appeared with the rocks and handed them to a group of assistants, who carefully placed them around the machine. With great care, Richard extracted the nanobot containing the black stone and put it in his pocket.
"Alright, Brenda, which color do you want to start with?" the doctor asked.
"Is there any difference between each color?" she inquired.
"Of course. Each color grants a special ability, as indicated in my father's book. Not all colors can be combined; otherwise, the test subject would die," he replied seriously.
"But why didn't that happen to the boy?" Brenda asked, referring to Aiden.
"Because the boy has blood similar to that of one of those subjects my father used to power his machine."
"Ah, I understand. That's why you did those blood tests on him before everything. Otherwise, you would have killed him," Brenda deduced.
"He was going to be collateral damage, but well… which color do you want to use for each of those three?" Richard asked, pointing to the three youths.
Aiden's two friends and Elena were there, wearing hospital gowns like him, fast asleep.
Doctor Laos began his explanation:
"The red stone grants the power…"
"Coming from fire," Brenda interrupted.
"Not exactly, but there is a connection," the doctor replied patiently. "The red one is related to ranged powers, such as the ability to launch concentrated energy beams from the hands. It's fascinating how it resembles magic in its visual manifestation," Swang commented, observing a sample of the stone with interest.
"There is a superficial similarity, but it's not magic in the traditional sense," the doctor clarified. "In addition to energy projection, this stone confers superhuman strength, increased agility, and other substantial physical enhancements. It increases combat abilities, physical endurance, and the capacity to remain underwater for extended periods. However, there are exceptions. On rare occasions, the recipient of the liquid extract from this stone can choose to expel a massive energy discharge, a devastating last resort, or experience brief visions of the temporal flow, vivid glimpses of the past or the immediate future. Imagine, for example, a young warrior who, after being injected with the red liquid, can concentrate incandescent energy in his fists to deliver seismic blows or anticipate, for fractions of a second, his opponent's movements, gaining a crucial advantage in combat."
"The amber stone, on the other hand, dominates the realm of the mind: telekinesis, telepathy, and all psychic disciplines. It allows, for example, to levitate and manipulate objects with the mind, probe the thoughts of others, project mental illusions so convincing that they are mistaken for reality, and even establish telepathic communication over great distances," the doctor continued, showing a stone of a deep golden color.
"The purple one, however, focuses on magic in its purest form: it grants the ability to cast spells, control the natural elements, manipulate mystical energies, and perform arcane rituals," Doctor Laos explained.
"Ah! This one is real magic!" Brenda exclaimed, interrupting him again.
"Please, allow me to continue with my explanation," the doctor asked, containing a sigh of exasperation.
"Alright, alright," Brenda replied, with a hint of impatience.
"As I was saying," the doctor continued, "the blue stone grants the bearer the astonishing ability to communicate with machines, understand their languages, and manipulate their functions with mere thought. Not only that, but it also allows us to assemble complex devices from basic components using only the mind, and even imbue these creations with a form of rudimentary artificial intelligence. Imagine the possibility of building intricate automatons with the force of will or maintaining a fluid dialogue with a computer as if it were a human interlocutor. Without a doubt, this would be of great use to Lady," Swang added with a wry smile.
"Finally," the doctor concluded, holding a bright emerald green stone, "the green stone is similar to the blue one, but it opens the doors to vast advanced alien knowledge. It grants the ability to understand and speak extraterrestrial languages, breathe in the vacuum of space without the need for life support equipment, and, in some cases, manifest powers of unknown origin, similar to magic, but with a fundamentally different nature. My father's notes suggest that it could allow the understanding of advanced extraterrestrial technologies or even the manifestation of unique biological abilities of other species, such as accelerated cellular regeneration, invisibility, or metamorphosis."
The doctor reflected silently for a moment, contemplating the stones that were slowly transforming into liquid. Brenda looked at the machine with determination and declared:
"Let's do it randomly."
With a precise gesture, she pressed a sequence of buttons, activating the flow of the fluids through the intricate machinery. The substance began to flow, heading precisely towards Aiden while the doctor, with a firm hand, flipped the main switch. A powerful surge of energy coursed through the system, propelling the fluids into the boy's body with brutal force, awakening him with a heart-wrenching scream. The colors, like a chaotic swirl, merged as they penetrated him, but the next instant they separated completely, projecting towards the other three subjects. A single color, without any mixture, entered each of them. Each one felt the same sharp impact, a searing pain that made them convulse on the cold metal tables that held them captive.
Once the painful experience had passed, they saw that the three youths remained apparently the same, with no visible physical changes. However, the machine, courtesy of a Lady, showed intense internal activity.
"It worked, Brenda. Perhaps in my father's time this technology to verify the success of the process didn't exist, but now it does. If everything is correct, we can create more," the doctor exclaimed with a broad smile, celebrating with Swang.
Zeus emerged from his hiding place, applauding enthusiastically.
"You've done very well, Doctor. Now I'll need more…" he murmured with an ambitious gleam in his eyes. "Now I will have my army, and no one will stop me."
Laos responded with an enigmatic smile:
"I think I have the perfect place… or the perfect places."