บท 6: Introduction

Back in the real world, Richard and Mr. Storm could be seen sitting inside a small office. Both of them were lying down completely still until they suddenly reached for their eyes and removed the glasses.

"That's amazing," Mr. Storm said, impressed at how easy it was to not only enter but also to exit the space.

"Well, the idea was for it to be used in our scientific community so they can experiment without worrying about a budget."

"I feel like this would revolutionize the world as we know it, from games to meetings… everything would change."

"Well, virtual reality of this level would change everything," Richard said as he sat up from the chair.

"Now that I actually think about it, this thing can also be considered a portal of sorts too," Mr. Storm said as he examined the glasses.

"Actually, it's more of a bridge than a portal. The portal I built was made so that the space itself would be born; the glasses serve as a means to connect this world and that space," Richard corrected.

"This is nothing short of breathtaking, but unfortunately, the Baxter Foundation can't support you in the creation of this thing. We have barely figured out inter-dimensional travel, and you have already created a bridge. Besides, this technology looks as perfect as it can be. If I didn't know better, I would think you had another motive for coming here," Mr. Storm said as the atmosphere suddenly became serious.

"Ha! As expected, you're right. I simply came here because I heard from a reliable source that you guys were making history here."

"And that history is?"

"I don't know. I just want to leave my name in the books, man. This technology may do it for me, but you and I know I will probably be dead before it truly starts making the rounds."

"So, you want to use us to make your mark in the scientific community before you release this… very smart. I like it," Mr. Storm said with a smile as the tension in the air immediately relaxed.

Richard expected the man to figure out that he had an ulterior motive for coming here. After all, he had the money to sponsor himself in bringing his brand of virtual reality to the world.

If Mr. Storm didn't figure this much out, then honestly Richard would be disappointed. After all, this was something that anyone with a bit of brains and information would figure out.

"Then I welcome you to the Baxter Foundation, Mr. Griffon. Come, let me introduce you to the rest," Mr. Storm said, then led him out of the room and introduced him to the major staff that worked in the building.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived in front of a large gate that looked like it had a hangar behind it. Under Mr. Storm's command, the gate was opened to reveal a massive room filled with scientists and engineers of all kinds walking around and going about their business.

"And here is where the main magic happens," the man said as they walked into the room.

"Mr. Storm!!" a male voice called out, interrupting him just when he was about to say something.

Turning to the source, Richard saw four young people that looked to be around the ages of 23-28 running towards them.

"Mr. Griffon, meet your new team. This is Reed, Susan, Victor, and finally Jonathan," Mr. Storm introduced as the group came closer.

"Hi," Richard said to the team.

"Hi… Dad, what's going on?" the only female in the group, Susan or Sue, asked.

"Mr. Griffon here will be joining us from today, and guess what, our friend here had once built a functional portal."

"What?" the entire team asked, confused.

"You heard me. Mr. Griffon, these four are the greatest minds I have ever met, and I think that the five of you may just make this thing work."

"Wait, you built a functional two-way portal?" Reed asked, obviously interested.

"Yes. Creating the general frame wasn't that hard; the hard part was figuring how to get things in and out safely."

"I know, right? What about a power source? What did you use?"

"Umm… I don't think I should speak on that. It's kind of illegal," Richard replied with a nervous laugh.

"We understand," John said as he immediately hung his arm around Richard's neck, dragging him off for the team to get to know him better.

Hearing the team's reply to his nervous statement, Richard couldn't help but smile. The group was probably thinking that he blacked out the city with his experiment, but unfortunately, he had a fusion reactor sitting in his workshop.

It may seem normal, but it was illegal to handle nuclear material without permission, which he obviously didn't have.

Later that evening, Richard returned home feeling extremely fulfilled. He had achieved his aim.

He had absorbed more knowledge from the entire Fantastic Four, and just like he expected, they gave him a whole different perspective on what he already knew.

Unfortunately, the new perspective didn't give him a solution to his problem.