Chapter 1/Prologue: An Experiment
"All systems ready?"
"Yes Doc!"
"Don't just give me a yes! Check everything again! This is serious!"
The scientists dispersed. A bird's eye view of the laboratory would make it look like a nest of ants wearing white. Some were checking the power system, some were checking the wires and connectors, some were in front of computer screens while others were checking the levels of different kinds of fluids in a number of containers.
Among the ant-like scientists was one man standing in front of a large capsule. He was middle aged, with a head full of messy hair and a face full of even messier beard. He was looking through the glass window of a capsule at the young man who was inside.
"Cancel, you sure about this? We have never tried such a level of fruit technology before, let alone on a human. All your previous inventions dealt with simpler fruits and were all tested by hundreds of experts before even beginning human trials. I don't think messing with one of the building blocks of the universe is at all safe."
The boy smiled at him.
"It's alright Doc. I have tested this thing on many different animals already. The success rate was 98%, and that's without the level of personalized calibration this thing has gone through in the past month."
Doc sighed. "Cancel, you know as well as I do that the human body is leagues more complex than some critters, and that's without taking into consideration the changes your devil fruit has made to your nervous system. Messing with electromagnetic forces this delicate without the fine control of a fruit user can lead to unforeseen results."
Cancel laughed. "Haha! Chillax Doc, have some faith in your student. Besides, who said I'm not using the fruit in question?" He said with a smirk.
"You found it?" Doc was flabbergasted.
"Yep. And I made use of it in the calibration."
Doc was about to reply when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Everything is ready. The most optimal is 876 seconds. Shall we?"
He couldn't help but sigh again.
"Alright, if you wish. Cancel, I don't know what else I can say except best of luck."
Cancel smiled. He was excited. After all, this little invention of his was going to change the world.
Five minutes later.
A perimeter was set up around 10 meters away from the capsule. All the scientists were standing outside the wire that marked the perimeter. There were two people at the power, three at vitals and three at the red "START" button. Doc was one of the people at the button, staring at Cancel's capsule with a thoughtful look. After the scientists at the power station gave the A-OK, Doc nodded towards the two others with him at the button. On either side of the button, at a distance of one meter from it, were two levers. The levers had biometric scanners on them, and would only work when pulled by two different authorized scientists. Only when the levers were pulled at exactly the same time would the start button be unlocked. Doc and Cancel were the only two people in existence who could push the start button.
"Cancel! This is your last chance to say no! Are you sure you want to do this?" Doc asked after another sigh.
Cancel replied with a smile. "Of course Doc. See you in 876 seconds."
With a final exasperated sigh, Doc finally pushed the now unlocked button.