章節 21: Chapter 21: Mister Fantastic
"I hope you'll cooperate, Mr. White. This story is just too far-fetched."
"Oh? That's unbelievable?" Noah leaned back in his chair, feigning surprise. "How about this one, then? In the second year of the Reconstruction era, a wandering gambler arrived at the Wayne estate…"
"Stop!"
Fury slammed his hand on the table, the veins on his forehead bulging. This was getting ridiculous. At least the last one was modern; now it's the second year of Reconstruction era? How could that possibly connect to you?
If you're going to make up stories, at least make them plausible!
"Alright, let's skip where you came up with this nonsense. Didn't you claim you could predict or foresee the future? Fine. Tell me what you see. What's going to happen?"
Taking a deep breath, Fury decided to act as if none of this had happened.
"See? Now we're getting somewhere." Noah shifted comfortably in his seat. Whatever else could be said about S.H.I.E.L.D., they sure had comfy chairs. Probably genuine leather, he thought idly.
Ignoring Fury's murderous glare, Noah stretched and rolled his shoulders before finally speaking, "I see the Helicarrier crashing from the sky."
Fury tapped his cigarette ash into the tray, remaining silent.
"And it all starts with the Fantastic Four—or rather, Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards. That genius of his? It turns him into a zombie."
Fury frowned. "That's impossible. We ran thorough scans on everyone boarding the Helicarrier. No one was infected."
"You're right," Noah replied. "But Reed is a science-obsessed shut-in. And, oh yeah, he's a grieving father who lost two kids. Mentally, he's not in great shape."
"If he discovers that the zombie virus offers immortality without the need for sustenance, he might just infect the Fantastic Four to achieve some warped form of evolution."
"Of course, you'd never let him get near the virus to develop a cure, right?" Noah added, smirking with a mocking glint in his eye.
Fury's expression didn't shift, but he pondered Noah's words. As far-fetched as it sounded, the idea wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Reed Richards—brilliant, curious, and infamously obsessive. The man was one of the smartest minds on Earth, but that genius came with a single-minded determination that could border on reckless. He once spent three straight days trying to solve a problem, only to collapse from exhaustion on his lab bench—a tale Victor Von Doom often mocked.
If…
Fury suddenly looked up at Noah. "Wait a second. You said those zombies don't eat, drink, or sleep and can still live forever? How would you know that?"
"I'm a prophet," Noah said matter-of-factly with a shrug.
Of course, he knew because in the original comics, it was this very same Mr. Fantastic who injected the zombie virus into the Fantastic Four, using it to sabotage the Helicarrier from the inside.
"Computer," Fury barked. "Pull up surveillance on Reed Richards' lab. Also, downgrade the priority of the underground shelter project from A to B."
The holographic screen shifted, displaying the interior and exterior of a laboratory. Inside, Reed Richards stood in his white lab coat, engrossed in his work. His elongated arms stretched across the lab, easily retrieving a beaker from a high shelf. At the same time, his neck extended several meters as he examined a zombie corpse through a magnifying lens.
He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that two people were watching him through the surveillance feed. He continued tinkering with various tools on the corpse, his actions meticulous but seemingly routine.
"He looks fine to me," Fury remarked dryly. On screen, Reed exhibited no odd behavior or alarming actions. He simply looked like a scientist doing what scientists do.
The kind that creates Frankenstein's monsters, Noah thought, shifting in his chair.
"Why not lock the door and test him?" Noah suggested, pointing at the screen. "I'm sure Mr. Richards, being the noble superhero he is, wouldn't mind a little misunderstanding. After all, it's a harmless precaution."
"No harm, no foul, right?"
Fury stared at Noah for a moment before nodding slowly. He tapped a few commands, and the lab doors suddenly sealed shut with a loud clunk. Inside, Reed flinched at the sound, startled. He turned around quickly, looking confused.
"Uh, hello? Sue? Is that you?" Reed called out uncertainly, glancing around the sealed lab. His voice carried a note of hesitation, his eyes scanning for any sign of what was going on.
The lab was now silent and sealed. Fury watched Reed's reaction, his expression unreadable. Reed tapped on the doors, trying to establish contact with the outside world. His face betrayed a flicker of unease and doubt, as if trying to reason out the cause of the sudden lockdown.
"Sue? If it's you, come out and explain. What's going on?" he asked, still trying to keep calm.
Finally, Fury activated the intercom, his voice resonating from all corners of the lab. "Reed, there's been an incident. A potential infection was detected on the Helicarrier. We've locked down all rooms to conduct a thorough sweep for any signs of contamination."
"But don't worry. You're on the whitelist. You're safe."
Reed exhaled in relief but quickly followed up with concern. "Wait, what about Sue? And the others? Are they okay?"
Fury's voice softened. "They're fine. Actually, Susan is on her way over now. I'll let you two catch up."
With that, Fury cut the intercom. On screen, Reed's expression brightened at the mention of his wife. But Noah frowned. The hallway outside the lab was empty—not a soul in sight.
Fury ignored Noah's look of skepticism and continued issuing commands. "Computer, dispatch an L.M.D. to level 30. Make it look like Susan Storm. Once preparations are complete, unlock Gamma Sector 16's containment protocols."
The Life-Model Decoy (L.M.D.) was one of Fury's favorite tools. These hyper-realistic androids could mimic not just the appearance and voice of their target but even some of the unique traits of carbon-based life forms. On rare occasions, these high-tech machines would even develop self-awareness and turn on Fury, a fact he considered an occupational hazard.
Wait a second, Noah thought with a chill. What if this Fury is an L.M.D.?
"Don't be so surprised," Fury said, as if reading his mind. "The decoy I'm deploying is just a bait model. Expensive, sure, but it's worth it to maintain trust with Reed."
Fury exhaled a long breath, his tone growing heavier. "Honestly, I'm torn. I want your prediction to be right so I can neutralize a threat. But I also don't want to lose another friend. I've already lost too many today."
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Fury returned his attention to the monitor. The hallway outside Reed's lab suddenly parted silently, and a beautiful blonde woman in a blue uniform emerged, her movements smooth and deliberate.
"Awaiting command," the "Susan" android said flatly.
"Simulate Susan Storm's personality. Probe Reed Richards' attitude toward the zombie virus."
"Understood."
The android's eyes rolled upward, its body twitching briefly. Its head jerked unnaturally, and the once-composed demeanor crumbled into a more human-like expression of sorrow. Its eyebrows furrowed, and its lips curled downward in a mournful pout—the look of a mother grieving her lost children.
The lab doors unlocked with a hiss, and the heavy mechanical sound echoed through the air. Reed's head snapped toward the entrance as the figure of his "wife" stepped inside.
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