Chapter 3 – Experiment Revealed

Lan and Chaud both followed Dr. Hikari through the automatic door located in the lobby. They were all heading to the Experiment Room, as per instructed by Dr. Hikari. Lan and Chaud did not know what kind of experiment he was conducting in there, but it was certain to be important. For Lan, the son of the head scientist in charge of this project, to NOT know what was in store for them, said something about the secrecy of the scientists at SciLab.

All three of them were completely silent most of the way, until Lan decided to break said silence.

"Hey, dad. I was wondering if you would be able to fix my PET," Lan finally said.
"Huh? Is there something wrong with it," Dr. Hikari asked his son.
"Yeah. During a NetSaver mission, some virus did something that messed up the holographic projector.
"Hmmm…that shouldn't be too hard to fix. It shouldn't take more than 4 hours, at most."
"Really? That quick? Would you be able to do it today, dad?"
"Sure, Lan. It would have to wait until we are done with this experiment, though."
"No problem. We can wait, right, Megaman?"

Megaman, who had also gone silent since they passed through the doors to the interior of SciLab, was able to make his voice heard. "Yeah. It's not a really big deal right now. It's just a little inconvenient that I can't see anyone unless the PET's camera is held in that direction."

Dr. Hikari chuckled a little at the Navi's assessment of the situation. It was always like Megaman to not think too much about situations like this. Actually, come to think of it, Dr. Hikari couldn't remember a single time when Megaman thought a lot about a given situation, no matter how big or small it was.

"Well, we better hurry to the Experiment Room. They will be expecting Chaud and Protoman soon," Dr. Hikari informed the boys.

"Hey, dad. What kind of experiment are Chaud and Protoman taking part in," the shorter of the two boys asked. Lan knew that the experiment that Chaud and Protoman were participating in was the very experiment that his father was keeping secret from him, his mother, and basically everyone else for that matter. This did annoy Lan a little, not so much that he wasn't told what the experiment was, but the fact that Chaud and Protoman were the ones that his father asked to participate. Lan expected his father to ask him and Megaman to participate in the experiment. But, from the sound of his father's voice when he asked him to come along, he knew that his father hadn't thought about asking him and Megaman.

"Well, I can't tell you that, yet. But, you will find out when we get to the Experiment Room. Actually, Lan. You should go and watch from the Observation Room," Dr. Hikari explained, as they finally reached the doorway to the Experiment Room. Now, Lan was really angry. Now, he felt like his father, his own FATHER, was snubbing him. While he was angry, he was also a little bit jealous of Chaud and Protoman. Lan knew that whatever experiment this was, it was bound to be something good, and Lan was jealous that he and Megaman were not the first to try it out.

But, nonetheless, Lan listened to his father and took a left to a staircase that lead to the Observation Room. "Man! Why is it that Chaud and Protoman are the ones that get to try everything first," Lan finally said in anger. It was a little loud, but no one else was in the room to hear Lan, save for Megaman.

"Calm down, Lan. It isn't all bad. After all, it is just an experiment. Things can go wrong. Maybe your father asked Chaud and Protoman because he didn't want anything to happen to us," The blue-clad Navi said from the PET.

"When was the last time that something my dad made went wrong during experi…" Lan cut himself off in the middle of the sentence. He knew how Megaman was going to answer that. And, that assumption was proven when Megaman did, indeed, answer the question that Lan didn't finish. "Need I remind you about the Dimension Core or the first SynchroChip experiment?"

"Alright, alright. I get it," Lan said, conceding defeat. "But, just because there are dangers involved, doesn't mean that you and I can't do just as well as Chaud and Protoman."

"That may be true, but that brings me back to my first point. Maybe your father knows risks that we don't, and would rather have someone else, someone more qualified to think of their feet, to be in the experiment than his son," Megaman pointed out to Lan, who, since he had accepted defeat in the argument, simply nodded his head and pressed his face against the window looking into the Experiment Room.

Lan knew the room well. It was where he and Megaman would CrossFuse during Nebula's existence so they could sharpen their skills while CrossFused. Back then, they needed to keep them sharp, as there was no telling when the next Nebula or Darkloid attack would come. They needed to stay in tip-top shape to make sure they were not seriously injured. The SynchroChip was also invented in the Experiment Room. Yup. Lan knew the Experiment room well.

"Hmm…I wonder what kind of experiment that they are going to be conducting down there. Judging from all of the machines, it must be something big," Megaman observed as Lan removed the PET from his shoulder and pointed it towards the window.

"They are going to attempt to materialize a NetNavi into the human world without a Dimensional Area or Copyroid," said a voice from behind Lan. He turned his face and PET away from the window to see Famous standing behind him.

"Mr. Famous. I didn't hear you come in," Lan exclaimed, with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Famous, just Famous," the man told Lan, for the thousandth time since they met.

"Wait…did you just say materialize a NetNavi WITHOUT a Dimensional Area or a Copyroid," Megaman called out from the PET. It was a rather perplexing statement from the man in front of him. Up until…well…just now, NetNavis that wanted to be in the real world either needed to be materialized in a Dimensional Area, placed in a copyroid, or brought via their NetOp performing CrossFusion.

"That's correct," Famous stated. Though, it seemed that he stated that for both Megaman and Lan, since he could see that Lan was just about to ask the same question that Megaman had already asked. "Earlier this month, Dr. Hikari was able to locate specific data in the Net that was apparently from Shademan," Famous continued. "That data was put into Shademan's Navi program when he used the first Rush SynchroChip to enter the human world. Dr. Hikari was able to isolate the data, bring it to SciLab, study it, and write it into a program that could be uploaded into NetNavis."

"So…it's like how Rush is able to move from the Cyberworld to the human world," Lan asked the man standing in front of him. Megaman was able to ask the same question, only worded differently. However, he decided that it wasn't worth it, as Famous would answer Lan's question.

"Almost like it," Famous stated. Now, Lan was really interested. "While Rush is able to travel between the Cyberworld and the human world, he is still considered to be a hologram. If water was to come into contact with him, it would disrupt his data, and he may suffer consequences. However, what Dr. Hikari is testing right now with Chaud and Protoman is something completely different."

"Huh? What do you mean 'completely different'? Isn't it all the same," Megaman asked from the PET. Megaman had to admit, though, that it was a very interesting subject for him to listen to. His thoughts unintentionally started to drift off into a daydreaming state, but briefly. He imagined being able to talk to Lan face to face. He imagined being able to eat the same foods that Lan ate. He imagined a life so much less confining that Lan seemed to live…a life that wasn't confined by a PET.

"There are some key differences with this, though," Famous explained further. "While Rush is just a projected hologram, this program that Dr. Hikari created is different. Instead of NetNavis materializing as solid holograms, this program works by basically removing the NetNavi from the Cyberworld. In a sense, it is bringing the NetNavi to the real world, in living flesh and blood."

Lan was at a lose for words. 'Only dad would think of making a program like that,' he thought, as a small grin appeared on his face. Lan couldn't stop himself from daydreaming just like Megaman was. He dreamed of Megaman, next to him, sharing the same house with him, sharing the same dinner table with him, sharing the same homework with him…ok, maybe not the same homework, but it was Lan's dream, and he wanted it to be like that.

"Is the materialization permanent," Megaman asked, notably with a sense of worry in his voice.

"Not at all," a reassuring Famous said. "While the NetNavi is fully materialized in the human world, they are still tied to their PET through a link that Dr. Hikari calls the 'NetLine.' Basically, the NetLine is what ties the NetNavi to their PET. It is a wireless signal that is transmitted between the PET and the materialized NetNavi. This wireless signal can be used by the NetNavi to return to their PET, and resume normal activities in the Cyberworld. It also acts as a link for BattleChip data. If you have your NetNavi materialized in the real world, you can still download BattleChips to them through the Net Line."

This was a major reassurance for Megaman. He wanted to be able to be in the human world, but, at the same time, he didn't want to permanently leave Roll, Gutsman, Glide, Iceman, and all his other Navi friends. It was a major weight that was lifted off his shoulders, knowing he could come to the human world to see Lan in the flesh, then simply return to his PET to hang out in Net City.

"You'd better turn around. It looks like they are going to start the experiment soon. You don't want to miss this," Famous finally stating, breaking a slightly awkward silence in the room. Lan instinctively obeyed and turned towards the window that looked into the Experiment room. "And, I'd better get down there, myself," Famous added, before heading for the stairs.

"Thanks, Mr. Famous!"
"Famous, just Famous!"

Of all the things that Lan did, that had to be the most annoying thing he did. Putting "Mr." in front of his name made Famous feel old. He wasn't even 30 years old. But, Lan was a boy who always respected those who were older than he was…sometimes…

"So, this is the big experiment that my dad has been working on this past month. No wonder it was taking up all his time. This is HUGE," Lan exclaimed, not showing any restraint for the excitement that had built up inside him.

"You got that right, Lan. This could very well be the biggest breakthrough for NetNavis since the invention of the copyroids," Megaman stated, completely agreeing with Lan. This was huge. In fact, this was bigger than huge. This was GIGANTIC. To enable NetNavis to just leave their PETs and enter the real world, without having to use a copyroid or some kind of portable Dimensional Converter, was news that made Megaman want to be in the experimental process even more than ever.

"Hey, Megaman. It looks like they are getting ready to start," an observant Lan stated. Megaman look out from the PET and saw a lot of movement inside the room next door. 'All this movement…Lan is probably right. It looks like they are getting ready to start the experiment,' Megaman thought to himself.

'I wonder how it will turn out…'

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"Ok, Protoman. Are you ready for the data upload," Dr. Hikari asked the red armor-clad NetNavi, with a small, but obvious, hint of worry in his voice. This would be the first time that they attempted this. And, if things didn't go well, then Protoman might be…

"I'm ready for it, Dr. Hikari. Go ahead and start the experiment when you are ready," Protoman said, showing no signs of any worry or anxiety. In fact, his response was devoid of almost all emotions. For lack of a better word, it was indifferent.

"Protoman. Are you SURE you want to go through with this? You can back out at…" Chaud was cut off by Protoman, "I told you, Chaud. I am fine with it. If anything happens during the experiment, I know I can count on you to bring me to safety."

Chaud smiled inward at the statement. He could remember when he first got Protoman. He was just excited that he got a NetNavi as such a young age. However, after his mother died, his father thrusted him into the corporate world, and Protoman became less and less of a friend, and more and more of a computerized personal assistant. To be able to gain back the friendship they once shared much earlier in their lives, whether Chaud wanted to admit it or not, was priceless in his eyes.

"Ok, then. Everyone, get to your consoles. We will begin in 1 minute," Dr. Hikari said in a stern and commanding voice. Dr. Hikari, while he was very forgetful when it came to certain things, never liked to be late for starting an experiment. He always wanted to start critical experiments on-time, as the data and end result from such experiments were crucial in his research.

"I'll leave everything to you, Chaud. Just make sure you know what you're doing," Protoman said, with a slight grin on his face. Chaud looked at Protoman, and returned the grin. As the grin faded, Chaud jacked Protoman into the Experiment Room computer system. Protoman appeared inside the Navi capsule that was used during the initial CrossFusion experiments. He then looked at Dr. Hikari, and give the green light.

"Alright, Chaud. Here we go, Protoman. If at any point you feel as though something is not right, don't hesitate to let us know. We'll shut down the experiment if you do," Dr. Hikari said, seemingly being the last set of instructions he was going to give Protoman before the experiment began.

"Not a problem, Dr. Hikari. I am sure nothing will go wrong. This is, after all, a process you invented," the red-armored NetNavi said, without any worry in his voice.

"Ok, Protoman," Dr. Hikari said, making a motion to a few of the scientists in the room. "Alright, everyone. Let's start. Begin uploading the the M-Program into Protoman's NetNavi data core."

The M-Program was the name given to the Materialization Program Dr. Hikari created. Instead of a full name, a simple use of the letter 'M' would suffice. The scientists starting pressing keys on their keyboards at a fast rate. They were all working to make sure that nothing went wrong during the process. They all knew that if something did go wrong during this process, Protoman's NetNavi data might be lost in the Cyberworld and need to be found and recovered, or, even worse, deleted altogether.

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"…I still think it isn't fair that Chaud and Protoman are the ones that get to test this out. We are just as good as they are, right Megaman," Lan said, looking over at the PET resting on the window sill. The PET was setup so that Megaman was able to see into the Experiment Room.

"We are. But, we probably have your father's concerns for you to thank for not being the first ones to test it out," The blue Navi responded back to this NetOp. Lan simply nodded his again, again in complete agreement with Megaman, and continued to look into the Experiment Room, where Protoman's experiment was currently in process.

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"Everything seems to be ok so far, Dr. Hikari. Protoman's data is completely stable," one of the scientists stated, while still looking down intently at his monitor. Dr. Hikari looked over the scientist and give a nod and smile. Something was working fine, for a change.

-WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!-

Dr. Hikari's smile immediately left his face, and an expression of extreme concern and worry crept into his complexion. "What happened? Protoman! Is everything alright?"

"I…-static- sur…-static-…ore…" Audio contact with Protoman was then cut off. All of the scientists, including Dr. Hikari, scrammed to re-establish communications with Protoman.

"Protoman! Protoman! Respond at once! PROTOMAN," Chaud yelled into his PET. But, it was all to no avail. There was no response from Protoman. Chaud's usual demeanor quickly changed. Now, instead of being indifferent about what was happening, he immediately began to worry about Protoman's safety. Something in the experiment went wrong, and Chaud needed to find out what…for Protoman's sake.

"Chaud! Quick! Is the NetLine still active on your PET," Dr. Hikari yelled to the boy, who immediately was brought out of all thought when he heard the scientist's voice.

"Yeah. It's still active!"
"Good. That means Protoman is still alive somewhere. I need you to input the override code and retrieve his NetNavi data before something happens to it."
"What is the code?"
"The code is MPRGM015. That override code will forcibly retrieve Protoman's NetNavi data and put it back into the PET. However…"
"However, what? What will happen?"
"However…such a forced retrieval of a NetNavi's data may cause some serious damage to it. If you use that override code, you may permanently damage Protoman beyond repair."

Well, this wasn't good at all. Chaud had two choices: Let Protoman fend for himself and probably be deleted, or do a forced retrieval, possibly damaging him beyond repair, and leaving him a state of who knows what. But, Chaud quickly came to the decision that a damaged NetNavi was better than no NetNavi at all. Chaud quickly opened up the M-Program on his PET and input the override code.

There was a huge surged of energy through all of the equipment in the Experiment Room. A few monitors blew out, but no one was seriously harmed. Just a few scratches here and there on a few people. Nothing a bandage wouldn't help.

~~!~~
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There was a huge flash of light that emanated from the Navi capsule where Protoman was at the beginning of the experiment. The light was blinding. Megaman and Lan had to cover their eyes to make sure they would be able to see after the light had dissipated. It only took a few seconds, but the flash of light from the Navi capsule disappeared. There stood Protoman. But…not quite as he was at the beginning of the experiment. There were numerous places around his structure that were damage, and the data inside was starting to seep out. One would consider this to be how a NetNavi "bleeds." Though, Protoman wasn't actually inside the capsule. It was just a hologram. He did return to his PET.

"Protoman! Megaman…look at him…his data is breaking up," Lan said, stating the obvious. Megaman had never seen Protoman so damaged. Sure, during their battles, Protoman would get a scratch or two, maybe a dent on his helmet at the worst. But…Megaman was at a lose for words. This was the first time he had ever seen Protoman so badly damaged.

"I guess this is why your dad didn't want us to be the first to try it. If it is this dangerous when the experiment fails…who knows what would have happened to me," Megaman finally said. Lan just simply looked into the Experiment Room, still in shock at what had happened to Chaud's NetNavi.

~~!~~
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"Protoman? What happened to you," an extremely worried Chaud asked.
"I…don't know. Before I knew it…it felt like my data was being ripped…apart."
"Ripped apart? But…how?
"Maybe there is something…with the program that…ahh!"

Dr. Hikari heard the scream from Protoman, and rushed over to the Navi capsule. "Protoman. Try not to use too much for your strength. Your data was damage severely." Dr. Hikari then looked over at Chaud, with a warm expression on his face. "Chaud. You should probably leave Protoman here at SciLab. We will be able to see the extent of Protoman's damage. If it isn't what we thought it might be, he should be fine."

"Well, that would be good news," Chaud replied to the older man. He then took his PET and handed it to Dr. Hikari.

"Thank you, Chaud," Dr. Hikari said, as he handed the PET to Famous.

"Don't worry about Protoman too much, Chaud. I'll do everything I can to fully restore him," Famous said, as he headed for the doorway. He then left the Experiment Room and headed down a corridor to the NetNavi Recovery Laboratory.

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"That just beats all," Lan said, breaking an uneasy silence in the Observation Room. Megaman was still staring in amazement. The experiment was a failure, but for such a thing to damage Protoman like that…he was actually glad that him and Lan were not the first to test it out.

"Yeah. Kinda makes you glad we weren't the first to give it a go," Megaman said back. "Though, now I feel sorry for Chaud and Protoman. Do you think we should go and talk to Chaud?"

"Nah. He probably just wants to be alone right now."