Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.
Phase 8: Prometheus
=SI=
Part 1
=SI=
Stark manor
New York
Earth
Becoming a part of SWORD's Oversight Committee, a consultant, and a SHIELD consultant changed things up. It meant more work, scrutiny, and, more importantly, access to all kinds of classified R&D programs the US military and allies were running. More access to scientists and laboratories to expand ongoing research efforts too.
That, of course, meant even more work to get around all kinds of legal entanglements.
The following months were highly exhausting in that regard. There was little time to do science. Fortunately, these days I was primarily stuck in waiting mode as far as any significant breakthroughs were concerned. Information flowing back from dozens, now hundreds, of research centers proved we were on the right track. However, pushing the boundaries of science and engineering took time and money. It often required tremendous amounts of energy for practical experiments.
One thing everyone agreed on. A network of fusion reactors providing practically unlimited energy in the future would be vital for making most scientific advancements practical for mass deployment. Then there were all the scientists and engineers busy trying to build better tools and push what was possible manufacturing-wise forward as well.
Meanwhile, I did get a consolation prize to play with in my copious spare time, which meant very rarely as of late. SHIELD managed to scrounge fifty grams of vibranium for me. That was the same material my father built Captain America's shield of. Unironically, said shield was the inspiration for SHIELD's name.
The alien material did have remarkable properties, on par with many of the best and rarest materials I was familiar with. In certain regards, it was better. So much, in fact, I was half-convinced that the damn thing wasn't natural at all.
I had to dig into my father's classified notes to find out how to work with it without potentially wasting the sample. Trial and error were obviously out of the question, considering how little vibranum I had to work with.
Long story short, a week before my prototype fusion reactor was ready for testing, I had the core of a repulsor made of vibranium. As bullshit as this material was, without tons of it, or supporting technologies that were still out of reach, it could do only so much. Nevertheless, with Jarvis's help, I had a vital proof of concept in my lab after burning through much of my spare time on tinkering.
It was shaped roughly like a rifle and linked to one of my spare Arc reactors. While somewhat less convenient to carry around than battery packs, they had an obvious advantage in keeping me alive for the time being. That was why I built a few spare ones.
"Sir, all simulations show it should work. The only question is if the mundane elements can support the heat and power transfer," Jarvis focused my wandering mind. Perhaps some shuteye would be in order? "Sir, I must warn you to be cautious when testing this prototype."
"We'll do it outside and use a remote switch."
"You need to build a remote first."
I went to the reinforced corner of the lab, where my daughter spent a lot of time when we both were around. There, I picked up one of the remotes meant for her drones, then one of the mostly intact drones awaiting repair. Soon enough, I had the control unit in my hands and linked it to Jarvis to make the necessary software alternations. While he was busy with that, I pondered the best way to attach it to the experimental repulsor weapon.
=IS=
It was late winter, and the weather ensured everyone remembered it. There was no snow for the past week. However, the cold more than made up for it. I was now almost accustomed to that after spending so many years in warmer climates.
Members of my expanded security detail, SWORD agents, included, looked anxiously at my new toy. In the past month, they got to play with a few of the new experimental blaster rifles SI was trying to perfect and make ready for field testing for the military.
Among other things, those weapons offered my security more options against lightly armored vehicles and slowly prepared them for future development. They also wore new armor – better than anything on the market now, but still a far cry from what we needed to stop energy weapons.
Needless to say, we would be selling it to law enforcement and militaries worldwide starting next month when limited mass production lines would come online.
I noted that the rumor mill still operated as fast as usual. My next security detail shift arrived earlier to watch the show. The setup was identical to the one we used for testing the blaster, minus the watermelons.
This time around, no one was close to the weapon when it was about to fire. We were all inside when I pressed a button on the remote. I heard a loud humming followed by a bright flash and a crack of displaced air.
Glancing outside, I could see the target was off the table holding it. It was out of sight, smoking near the far wall. The repulsor weapon smoked but otherwise appeared to be intact.
Practically speaking, this was enough. With available materials we could build, the repulsor core would have detonated, if less spectacularly than the ones used in Jericho missiles. I wasn't crazy enough to feed it that much power in my backyard.
The critical part was that the weapon worked and didn't blow up. I would need to take it apart and see how the regular component handled the shot. However, that was a secondary concern. Now I knew for a fact that we were on the right track. We needed much better materials science to open the way forward, and I had the device to prove it.
As importantly, I now knew for a fact that my repulsors could be practical, direct energy weapons, among other things.
The downside was that with the coming circus surrounding my fusion reactor, I would have no time to play with the repulsors in the coming weeks, which was a damn shame.
=SI=
SI is about to take the personal armor market by storm. Their new Knight armor series are rumored to be better than anything currently for sale.
Guns and Ammo magazine
Representatives from dozens of countries will gather in New York next week for the ceremony to unveil and ignite Stark Industries' prototype fusion reactor. Multiple groups vow to protest the reckless proliferation of nuclear energy.
New York Times
Commissioner Shepard promises increased security across the city next week. Riot police will be out in numbers. There are even rumors about the Governor considering activating the National Guard in case of too much civil disturbance.
New York Times
Unprecedented cooperation between often competing research centers and laboratories nationwide is poised to reshape scientific development's future! In the past few months, a similar initiative also took by storm European Union. Are we looking at the dawn of a new age?
Popular Science magazine
Despite winter conditions, hundreds of nationwide construction firms are busy refurbishing infrastructure using new wonder materials! While according to many sources, the initiative is both vital and long-time coming, the disruption in transport makes many people angry. This is particularly true as far as rebuilding and reinforcing various bridges is concerned. In contrast, the repair and reinforcement efforts on numerous dams across the country have caused little to no disruptions.
Washington Post
France is the first European country to pass a major budget amendment aimed at a significant infrastructure upgrade program focused on new Stark Industries materials. Germany might follow suit after their snap elections next month caused by the Greens leaving the governing coalition. The core focus of the coming German elections will be the proliferation of fusion power and the conflicting claims about it either being a safe source of clean energy or the inherent dangers of this new nuclear race.
Euronews
The Polish government is negotiating with Stark Industries over a major weapons import contract and infrastructure hardening plans because of increasing instability in Eastern Europe. The ongoing civil war in Sokovia is cited as one of the primary reasons for overhauling and upgrading the Polish military with new hardware.
Euronews
=SI=
Part 2
=SI=
Stark manor
New York
Earth
Another sign of the times was that trying to find enough uninterrupted time to spend with Hannah was becoming increasingly troublesome as of late. Case of a point, this evening, I had to divide my attention between various tasks. First was my daughter finishing her homework, which she wasn't too keen on, and going over tons of reports and suggestions from the acting CEO and various SI branches.
While Hannah might have inherited something of my family's penchant for tinkering and mathematics, the same thing apparently can't be said for English. She was in an odd place where what was typically for her age group was too easy and done with. At the same time, what she had to deal with in her personally crafted program in her private school was proving tedious and frustrating. Part of it was her young age, which was to be expected. That was why everyone in that school had personally crafted classes to deal with. They depended on what they excelled in and what they had trouble with. The school was also very secure and a good place for social contact with peers who were as brilliant as Hannah.
My daughter was a Stark, all right. No pressure intended there. However, she was happily advancing in math and what were elementary engineering classes meant to keep her engaged more than anything. Various subjects were less interesting to her, but there were some issues there.
It helped that I could feel her frustration with the short and relatively simple essay she had to write tonight. Usually, that was a bit ahead of what an almost eight years old was supposed to tackle, I guessed.
"Hannah, take a break and calm down," I told my daughter.
She perked up and jumped off the chair as if wearing a rocket pack.
Unsurprisingly, Hannah picked up her pet stuffed dragon, then went to the corner of her room, where she was busy taking apart a remote-controlled car. That was another project for school, if a longer-term one. The general idea was to teach kids the right mindset and habits that can be useful in various engineering fields for everyone involved. That apparently worked for those who love to tinker. For anyone else, it was likely as frustrating as English was for Hannah.
I kept an eye on her while returning most of my attention to the tablet in my hands. Where was I? Financial flow projections for the next quarter. After outbidding Disney for Star Wars, SI's assets would be tight for a few months. That was, of course, partly due to all the money we were throwing at bleeding-edge research. However, even that paled compared to the billions flowing into infrastructure as part of the many ongoing projects worldwide. That orders of magnitude more money would keep flowing back for years was excellent, yet beside the point.
We were looking at a few months of relatively light action until we could build up reserves for significant acquisitions. Meanwhile, the plan was to low-key leverage our de-facto monopoly on the new construction materials to break into construction from the ground floor. A new SI branch would be buying the whole or parts of smaller construction companies worldwide, with the end goal being a regional consolidation for the future. The aim was to keep specific future construction projects in the house, so to speak. That was so we could maintain quality control and ensure timely results. Both would be vital when we get the tech to build proper defensive infrastructure. Everything from shelters to ground-based anti-orbital weapons and planetary shields. That and the inevitable major overhaul of the energy-distributing grid worldwide.
Being a significant player in that would make the bank due to the inevitable government contracts.
"Finish your homework. Then we can pay for a bit before dinner." That announcement got me mixed feelings. Hannah left the mostly disassembled toy back and went to her desk while grumbling to her pet dragon.
"I hate English!" Hannah declared to no one in particular.
"That's a known phenomenon worldwide, especially among those who have to write English homework. Sadly, it's not an excuse to get you out of writing said homework."
"It's stupid homework!" Hannah countered.
"That's not an excuse either. Just before you ask, a dragon ate my homework is not an excuse either." Not on Earth, at least.
Now back to my boring homework.
Ah, a report from the telecommunications division. That one got an expansion and standing orders to take the smartphone market by storm. They were also working with our software development department to create a new platform that would compete with, if not outright replace, the likes of Facebook and other social media in the future. When all was said and done, buying one of the existing giants would be a colossal waste of money when we can do it better in-house. Marketing would have to earn their keep in the weeks before unveiling our new platform. It would also come pre-installed on all our devices that could support it.
At least that particular combination of headaches and opportunities to influence public perceptions was at least a year away right now. On the bright side, the reports were promising. The only real question was if we could achieve the necessary reach for our platform to be relevant, but that was something for others to figure out.
By the time I finished with the latest reports, Hannah had perked up.
"I'm done!" Hannah gleefully announced.
"Good. What do you want to do?"
"Fly!"
"There's the next best thing to a snowstorm outside. One of the reasons I wanted you to get the homework out of the way is that tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be all right so that we could get out." Tomorrow would also be the last Sunday before I would be busy for at least a few weeks, so I intended to make up for that while I still could.
"Fly inside!" Hannah picked up her dragon and waved it in front of me to demonstrate.
"Terrorizing the staff and security, it is." I nodded sagely.
Hannah squealed and ran out. I put away my tablet and warned the security room about what was about to buzz all over the manor before following Hannah out.
=SI=
State Department will deploy protection teams in New York for the ignition of the Prometheus test fusion rector. Representatives from over a hundred countries will arrive in the city for the ceremony, and the security situation is expected to be 'fluid.'
New York Times
Coal Lobby leaders refused permission to protest next Saturday in New York.
New York Times
Vice-President Howards will attend the Prometheus fusion reactor ignition next Saturday.Washington PostAn FBI spokesman warns about credible threats at the next week of the Prometheus ignition ceremony. New Yorkers can expect increased security measures leading to and during the following weekend.
USA Today
=SI=
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