Chapter 266: fusion

“That’s the cover-up that I used to convince the then Aragan superiors to approve my research, my ambition for the project was much more unbelievable than they were led to know”.

The white-bearded old Professor Granit kept on pouring insights to his much younger new test subject, answering all his queries. Clark was focused, listening with rapt attention.

“Acute brain dysfunction, pneumatic brain radiation, radical wear and tear of the brain, these and a lot of other brain diseases was the reason that I gave them”.

“They easily believed in my project as those diseases were the main enemies of humanity after the age of exotics and technology began, there was no way that we could avoid it”.

“Though medical technology improved a lot after the discovery of exotics, our exposure to radiations and a lot of other harmful things brought lots of new mutated diseases that haunted us for years”.

“The appearance of the alien led us to a tremendous increase in technological and medical skill, but it also brought us a lot of harm”.

“In the end, no matter how much we augment ourselves, we’ll still remain inherently humans. The human body is too fragile to take on a lot of vigorous activities”.

“Well, let me skip the topic of the eventual doom of humanity”.

“Though I lied to the Aragan superiors, if my research project was successful, it would have still solved most of the disease problems that I listed out if not all. That is how revolutionary my experiment is”.

“For high-grade soldiers like you, you may think that because of the strength that you wield you’ll be vulnerable to diseases. Well, let me break your bubble, that’s a big no”.

“Due to your strength, you may feel that nothing affects you. Now let me tell you this, diseases affect high-grade soldiers the most, it’s just that their evolved genes do much in suppressing it”.

“This is a secret known by the upper echelons of human society, but I’ll still tell you as your fate is already tied to my research results”.

“Your superiors will never tell you, but the truth is that high-grade soldiers can only take 2 life prolongment treatments in their lifetime. Anything apart from that is vanity, your evolved genes neutralize it all”.

“So you see, your strength is as much of a curse as it is a blessing to you”.

“Though this is a great defect for soldiers like you, congrats in advance because that’s what my research project aims to correct”.

“My ultimate ambition was to make Aragan high-grade soldiers take more life prolongment treatments than anyone else, not only that, I literally wanted them to become immortals”.

Sensing Clark’s widening gaze, Professor Granit chuckled.

“It seems impossible, but that was my lifelong ambition. My greatest regret in life was not fulfilling this ambition. Even if it was fulfilling only 30% of it, I would have been satisfied”.

“You are my last test subject; you are the last eligible soldier that I can get my hands on before the energy reserves of this research base get depleted”.

“Fusing with the bean quadrant enhancer is accompanied by a lot of dangers, but the benefits are completely worth it”.

“Before you say no, I want you to remember that you have no choice here. You are now in my dome, I have the power of a god here, your petty strength can do fart here”.

The Professor’s gaze softened. “Though I can do anything I want to you, I don’t want to force anyone again”.

“I forced lots of soldiers in my heyday and none of them could fuse with it. You’re my last hope to make my ambition a reality, I want this last chance to count, so please I need your cooperation”.

“Don’t worry, though lots of dangers are involved, if it is successful, I dare say that you’ll become the soldier with the most potential in the whole world”.

“In a few years, it’s no exaggeration to say that you’ll become the undisputed strongest soldier in the world”.

“Your brain will basically become a mega supercomputer. I’m not exaggerating, piloting a real mech will be the most basic thing that you can do”.

“Don’t you feel attracted to mechs, those giant works of technology? With them, you’ll practically have the strength to battle and kill soldiers of a higher rank than you are”.

“If you’re a ranged soldier, your brain would become so impeccable that if the conditions are right, you can snipe a soldier on Earth directly from the faraway Mars”.

“Your speed of advancement through the ranks will become outrageous”.

“Even if you’re not a technical soldier, your comprehension ability will go off the roof completely. I dare say that if the fuse is successful, you have a chance of becoming the world’s greatest mechanic”.

“Don’t you have the dream to be a mech pilot, not just a mech pilot, also becoming the mech designer that will make your own mech”.

“Come on soldier, have a dream!”

Professor Granit finally slowed down after this fervent impassioned speech, his face already red. “So, what do you think?”

Clark kept quiet, his eyes like those of a puppy’s as he looked at the Professor with an incomprehensible expression on his face. Professor Granit felt a bad premonition immediately.

“Can I take the bean quadrant enhancer away? I have no intention of fusing with it, it’s my main mission target”.

Clark’s voice tone reduced at a gradually increasing frequency as the Professor kept staring at him, eyes now blazing with what could only be described as fury.

“Oops!”

“What did you say?” Professor Granit tried to calm himself by stroking his spear-like beards.

“Umm, nothing”. Click quivered under his piercing gaze.

“Kid, do you know how old I am?”

“No”.

“Good. I bet you don’t want to know because over the years, this my old brain has learned a lot of methods in which I can make you voluntarily decide to fuse with my baby”.

“This is for your own good kid. If you insist on calling it something mission target again, I’ll just have to discipline you. Don’t worry, I have a lot of experience on that, my kids were not exactly the most pliable”.

“Now for the last time Clark Pendragon…” The Professor narrowed his eyes. “What do you think of my proposal?”

“Gulp!”

“…I accept”.

“That’s much better than letting it fall into another soldier’s hands”. Clark consoled his guilty conscience with this, he felt like he just failed his soldiers by doing this.

He may not even survive the fuse, so why making a fuss?

The Professor grinned on hearing his reply. “You made a good choice”.

“I…”

Before Clark could barely make a sound through his mouth, his surroundings distorted a bit as the familiar feeling of his head spinning hit him again.

He felt like he was stranded in a giant washing machine.

The next moment, when his eyes finally opened and adjusted to his surrounding, he discovered that he was now in a laboratory room, just like the one where he first landed with Dickson.

The only difference was that, if that one was iron, this one was diamond.

He was currently strapped to a white bed by thick white rope restraints, holding him firmly to the bed. As he inclined his head to observe more, a voice suddenly spoke out.

[Test subject has entered the fusion laboratory room.]

[Initiating preparations for fusion…, fusion preparations initiated.]

[The hatch has been opened; the bean quadrant enhancer has been released. It is now dropping at a speed of 30km/h.]

Clark felt his body tighten on hearing this familiar alien voice. He felt an urge to shout out for help but in the end, he held himself back.

His implant already informed him that this dome was the Professor’s ultimate domain, he could hardly resist nor do a thing here.

As his eyes flickered with various thoughts flashing through his mind, he suddenly saw something dropping slowly inside the laboratory room.

With white mechanical tentacles submerging it in a defensive effort, the bean quadrant enhancer sat majestically in the middle of this mechanical convergence.

Seeing it up close, at first Clark felt curiosity, then guilt for trying to horde the mission target, then panic for the words that Professor Granit schooled him with.

This thing was dangerous to him.

“Calm down kid”. As if seeing his agitated feelings, the Professor’s sage-like voice calmly echoed in his mind.

“I know that you have a lot of misgivings but please calm your mind. Abandon all fleeting thoughts in your head, that will increase the fusion chances tremendously”.

“Just keep thinking of what you will get if the fuse is successful”.

“Think of a brain that is faster and better than a computer, think of piloting world-destroying mechs, think of a liberated brain that heralds a liberated life…, think of immortality!”

Taking advantage of Clark’s temporary distraction, a fluid was quickly injected into his body from the side of the bed. By the time he reacted, the fluid already entered his body.

He opened his mouth to speak but no words came from his mouth. His vision quickly grew dizzy and hazy, his senses dulling and slowing down to a crawl.

With a small prick sound, he felt something cut into his head. A surgical knife being operated by a robot cut his head open but he hardly felt a thing, only feeling slight numbness on his forehead.

Through his hazy vision, he saw the bean quadrant enhancer slowly being dropped down into his head.

He felt his brain become slightly hot as the biological device was dropped in. Another robot came forward, operating a strange machine as the cut in his head was quickly healed and attached back.

He heard the familiar voice again but this time it was echoing, making his head seem bigger all of a sudden.

[Test subject has fused with the bean quadrant enhancer.]

[Stimulation processes are under the right conditions…, engaging the brain liberation process immediately.]

[Duration: 1- 24 hours.]

It came slowly at first. Clark felt a slight itch on his forehead, it slowly grew in frequency as the urge to scratch it increased in him.

He still felt light-headed and dizzy but this itchy feeling was overwhelming his sense organs.

The next moment, the feeling entered a next level. The itch exploded as he felt like millions of snakes were slithering through his brain, the feeling was traumatic.

Pain quickly erupted, biting hard at his consciousness. The combination of itching and pain pushed him through the edge as he felt like bashing his head against a rock to stop this suffering.

This was not all. Hot! Hot!! Hot!!!

Another feeling of extreme hotness exploded, combining with the other 2 sensations to increase his suffering as he suddenly felt the need to die invading his mind.

The sensation was too much, his brain felt like it was being pricked by needles, being cooked in a fire, and also a feeling that maggots were squirming and moving in his brain.

Ah! Ahh!! Ahhh…!!!!!!!!!

[Thanks for reading, here's the second chapter for today.]