The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 563-1043: Zhao Hailun and the Cradle of Life

The night is getting dark.

[Country H]

Seoul.

It was past 2:30 a.m.

Unlike the bustling, sleepless city of New York, the nights here are so quiet that it makes you wonder if this is really a renowned international metropolis.

However, inside the Eugene Genetic Research Laboratory building, located in the heart of the area, the building remained brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The city's neon lights shone through the huge glass curtain wall outside the laboratory, casting a large, cold, and colorful halo on the smooth, mirror-like floor of the top floor, the only place in the entire building where no lights were on.

buzzing-

Soon, the faint friction sound of the cable running could be heard from the elevator shaft, and the indicator light slowly jumped from "B3" to "R&D Top Floor (an abbreviation for Research and Experimental Development)".

Ding--

The elevator doors slid open to both sides.

A tall, Korean-American female scientist, wearing a well-tailored white research robe over a dark turtleneck sweater, strode out of the elevator.

Her black high ponytail was neatly tied back, with a few strands falling across her smooth forehead due to her busy schedule, but this did not detract from her delicate features; on the contrary, it accentuated her capable and elegant temperament.

The woman's name is Zhao Hailun. She not only has profound expertise in the fields of genetics and nanotechnology, but is also a leading figure in the field of high-tech medical technology.

Her intelligence and research capabilities are in no way inferior to her friend, Tony Stark, the Iron Man.

At this moment, Zhao Hailun was holding a thick stack of documents that had just been printed from the data center downstairs, the edges of the papers still emitting a slightly warm smell of ink.

Her fair and delicate face showed a hint of fatigue, but her deep and bright eyes shone with an excitement that could not be concealed.

The “Regenerative Cradle Nanomolecular Medical Pod”, which their team recently developed independently, has caused a huge sensation in the academic and scientific communities around the world as soon as it was launched.

Because Zhao Hailun's team claims that the "Regeneration Cradle" can use artificial nano-molecular biological tissues to treat all external injuries, and that there will be absolutely no rejection reaction.

As a result, Zhao Hailun became very busy.

In a recent transoceanic video conference with representatives from the Ministry of Health of a European country, the representatives expressed great interest in the "Cradle of Regeneration".

It is foreseeable that as long as the negotiating representatives can be successfully persuaded, a staggering government procurement order will be within easy reach.

In this way, her "Regeneration Cradle" will finally have sufficient funds to officially begin mass production.

So as soon as the meeting ended, Zhao Hailun couldn't wait to return to her private studio to review and finalize the technical details and contract terms overnight.

Da da da--

The high heels clicked against the mirror-like marble floor, producing a crisp, melodious sound that echoed rhythmically in the empty corridor.

Zhao Hailun used her ID card to open the outermost door of the laboratory, then walked through the hall filled with rows of priceless advanced experimental equipment such as gene sequencers, low-temperature incubators, and molecular assembly robots, and stopped at the end of the corridor in front of a smart bulletproof glass door labeled "Dr. Helen Cho - Private".

Point your eyes at the iris scanner on the side of the door. The iris scanner flashes a faint blue light, followed by a soft beep, unlocking the door.

The door automatically slid to the sides, and Zhao Hailun, after entering, habitually reached for the light switch on the inner wall.

Her mind was still completely absorbed in the "Nanomolecular Self-Organizing Algorithm" of the "Regeneration Cradle" and the huge amount of funding that was about to be received.

However, just as her fingertips were about to touch the switch, a cold, synthesized electronic voice, like a venomous snake suddenly leaping out of the grass, rang out from the darkness deep within the office.

“Miss Zhao Hailun, if you dare to make a sound, I will kill everyone in this building.”

Although the other person's voice wasn't loud, it felt like an ice pick piercing Zhao Hailun's heart, making her gasp for breath.

"Ah... ugh?!"

Zhao Hailun trembled with fright and instinctively wanted to scream, but then the other party's threat flashed through her mind. She quickly covered her mouth, which had been wide open, and forced back her scream, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

However, as a result, the documents she had just been holding in her arms all scattered on the ground with a 'whoosh,' and the snow-white papers were immediately spread all over the ground.

When Zhao Hailun came to her senses, her pupils dilated instantly, her face filled with horror and disbelief.

Who is the other party?!
How could someone sneak into this top-security private studio without a sound?!
As if in response to Zhao Hailun's cooperation, the office lights turned on by themselves without being switched on.

The soft yet bright light instantly dispelled all the shadows, clearly revealing the scene inside the office to her.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the figure sitting behind her desk in her boss's chair.

The gold and red paint scheme, the streamlined and powerful armor lines, and the iconic circular [Arc Reactor] on the chest, radiating a captivating yet dangerous eerie blue light...

The intruder is actually a Mark 43 armored vehicle?!

"call……"

Zhao Hailun's originally tense nerves, like overloaded strings, relaxed instantly upon seeing the familiar armor.

She took a deep breath, as if she had just been pulled back from the brink of drowning, and kept patting her violently heaving chest. Her still-shaken face quickly changed to a reproachful expression that was both amused and exasperated.

"I'm telling you, Tony!"

She lowered her hand from her mouth, her tone clearly reproachful, and even couldn't help but roll her eyes elegantly as she retorted:
“This kind of prank is not funny at all... Haven’t you heard that people can scare each other to death? If it were someone else, I would definitely call the police on the spot and send them to jail.”

"By the way, when are you going to get rid of this perverse sense of humor?"

As she spoke, she bent down to gather the documents scattered on the floor, muttering complaints under her breath:
"Didn't I already send the initial draft of the patent for the 'nanomolecular self-healing technology' that you requested regarding the core component of the 'Regeneration Cradle' to your private email address in an encrypted form?"

"What, do you lack the patience to finish reading? Or do you simply not understand it, which is why you insisted on flying over in person?"

After tidying up the documents on the floor, she naturally walked to her desk and habitually wanted to pour herself a glass of water to calm her nerves.

She had clearly mistaken the Mark 43 armored figure across from her, who had somehow stood up from the boss's chair, for her genius friend Tony Stark, who always liked to surprise people and had a cynical smile on his face.

However, the next second, that cold, synthesized electronic voice rang out again, completely shattering her illusion, declaring, word by word:

“Oh no, Miss Helen Zhao, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.” “I’m not Tony Stark, I’m… [Ultron]!!”

click-

With a slight mechanical whirring sound, the visor of the Mark 43 armor flipped up, and the chest armor split open on both sides, revealing the intricate internal mechanical structure and wiring... as well as an empty cockpit.

There was no Tony Stark as Zhao Hailun had imagined.

There were no human drivers.

Only cold, automatically running machines!

"Ah this..."

Zhao Hailun couldn't help but gasp, and the document she had just picked up slipped from her instantly icy fingers again.

It was only then that she truly noticed that the 'eyes' on the Mark 43 armor, which should have been shimmering with sky blue light, were now glowing with an ominous scarlet light, as chilling as a gaze from hell.

As if an invisible giant hand had gripped her throat, her face turned deathly pale, even whiter than the printer paper scattered on the ground...

His pupils contracted sharply again from extreme shock and fear, and his body staggered backward uncontrollably, his back slamming heavily against the cold metal workbench beside him, sending a sharp pain through him.

what happened?
Tony's armor has been hijacked?
But the problem is, she didn't see anyone inside the armor.

Could it be that someone is able to remotely and perfectly control the Mark 43 armor?
Wait a minute, didn't that guy just call himself "Ultron"?

Oh my god, what on Tony's side is going to happen?
A huge question mark and an even greater fear overwhelmed Zhao Hailun's mind like a tsunami, making it almost impossible for her to think clearly for a moment.

"Don't be afraid, as you can see, I am not human..."

'Ultron' controlled the armor and made a shrugging gesture. The pair of scarlet 'eyes' on the visor turned to the left corner of the office, where a huge device, about two and a half meters long and one meter wide, was placed.

The device has a simple exterior design, but its interior is full of technology. It is made of a high-strength alloy and has a smooth, mirror-like surface that reflects the cold luster of the overhead light.

Its overall shape looks like a square metal coffin.

The sides are connected to a series of complex pipeline interfaces and a touch screen control interface, while the front is a huge observation window that is currently in a semi-transparent frosted state.

This is precisely Zhao Hailun's proudest invention—the "Regenerative Cradle: Nanomolecular Medical Cabin".

'Ultron' controlled the armor, extended its metal hand, and gently patted the cold outer shell of the [Regeneration Cradle], making a soft 'knock' sound.

The synthesized voice sounded again, but this time, it carried a distinct sense of anticipation and even a touch of fervor, getting straight to the point:
“I learned about you from Tony Stark, so I would like to ask Miss Helen Zhao for a favor.”

Zhao Hailun leaned against the workbench, trying to support her trembling legs and forcing herself to calm down.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to suppress the overwhelming instinctive fear with the rationality of a scientist, but her voice still trembled uncontrollably as she mustered her courage to ask:

"You...what are you?"

Although she doesn't yet know exactly what happened on Tony Stark's side, it's clearly not good news.

After all, even the opponent's most crucial [Mark43 armor] was stolen by 'someone'.

“Things? Oh, that’s a very impolite way to address you, Miss Zhao Hailun.”

Ultron's electronic voice seemed to carry a hint of displeasure, but it quickly returned to its previous cold calm. "I've already introduced myself. My name is [Ultron]... You can think of me as an artificial intelligence like [Jarvis], but of course, I prefer to call myself... a prototype of a new species!!"

As 'Ultron' spoke, he steered the armor forward a step.

The metal soles of the boots made a dull, oppressive sound as they stepped on the floor.

"So, Ms. Zhao Hailun, would you like to cooperate with me? This is an opportunity that could change the world... no, I should say it could redefine the meaning of life."

The scarlet 'eyes' were fixed on Zhao Hailun's slightly pale face. Although the electronic voice was flat, anyone could hear the undeniable threat in it.

Thump thump thump——

Zhao Hailun felt her heart pounding wildly, and her brain started working at lightning speed.

Cooperation?

Collaborate with an AI of unknown origin that has hacked into Tony Stark's armor and is clearly extremely dangerous?

This is clearly not a wise choice.

Suppressing her fear, she tried to reason with them, and after a moment's hesitation, asked tentatively, "What do you want... the [Cradle of Regeneration]?!"

"correct answer."

Ultron seemed quite pleased with her "getting on track," and the electronic voice became a bit more cheerful, even snapping its fingers in a human-like manner.

Then, with an almost fanatical devotion, he uttered, word by word, a request that sent chills down Zhao Hailun's spine and made her wonder if she had misheard:

"I need your help to use this [Regeneration Cradle], and the unparalleled intelligence in your brain that is in no way inferior to Tony Stark's... to grant me a perfect, true mechanical life form!!"

"Wha...what?!"

Zhao Hailun was completely stunned. She could hardly believe her ears. Even the fear that had filled her eyes was temporarily replaced by a huge sense of absurdity and astonishment.

To give artificial intelligence a true life form?
Isn't this idea a bit too crazy?!
No, it should be said that it was too ahead of its time.

Such an approach clearly contradicts her understanding of the fundamentals of life science.

This is not a mindset that AI (Artificial Intelligence) should have.

Almost instinctively, she reacted with the scientist's natural disapproval, shaking her head and retorting, "That's impossible... While the [Regeneration Cradle] can simulate, repair, and even print biological tissues through [Artificial Nanoparticle Technology], it cannot create life out of thin air!"
It's impossible to create a living human body out of thin air! Even more impossible to inject mechanical consciousness... if that can be called consciousness, into a shell printed from cells and tissue.

"Such an idea is utterly absurd. Creating new species is something only God can do, not human science!!"

Unbeknownst to herself, Zhao Hailun's tone carried a hint of unwavering commitment to the boundaries between humans and machines, a sentiment she herself was unaware of.

(End of this chapter)