Chapter 11
Bori took the report from Slade's hand, the document containing General Vic's approval of Jenny's proposal.
Adjusting his glasses to sit more firmly on the bridge of his nose, Bori opened the report and placed it on the table. He spoke in a calm, thoughtful tone. "I didn't expect Jenny to come up with such a method. Truly, her talent in biology is remarkable."
Bori began flipping through the pages of the report. Jenny had bypassed him to submit the proposal directly to Vic, outlining her plan to target Bardi's spinal nerves and cord in order to restrict his movements. The detailed scientific explanation was, of course, lost on Vic, who cared little for technical specifics.
Bori knew Vic well. He was a man who focused solely on results. The "how" of achieving those results was irrelevant to him. So long as Bardi remained alive, useful, and under control, Vic was satisfied. The gruesome details, whether cutting tendons or targeting spinal nerves held no interest for him.
What had swayed Vic's approval was not the academic jargon Jenny had provided. Instead, it was the subsequent sections of the report, which had cleverly highlighted the strategic benefits of her approach.
The report explained a secondary project tied to the procedure: a semi-finished drug Jenny had been developing. This drug could temporarily increase the speed of human neural responses by 1.5 times. Over time, prolonged use of the drug could allow the body to adapt to this heightened state, making the effect permanent.
In practical terms, this meant soldiers without specialized training could achieve reflex speeds comparable to those of elite athletes. For the military, this was a potential game-changer.
Bori skimmed through the details Jenny had provided. Reaction times for untrained individuals typically ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 seconds, with professional athletes achieving between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds. The drug would allow an ordinary person to match or even exceed the reflexes of trained professionals. For soldiers, it was a significant advantage in the field.
Beyond this, Jenny's report made bold claims. She insisted that, through her relationship with Bardi, she had gained his trust. Bardi, she claimed, was willing to share his knowledge and assist in genetic research, provided he was not permanently harmed. With Bardi's guidance, breakthroughs in both technology and biology could be achieved far more rapidly.
To Vic, only three key points mattered:
1. Jenny's biological research had potential military applications.
2. The alien could be rendered completely harmless yet remain alive and available for study.
3. The alien was willing to cooperate, offering both scientific knowledge and access to his advanced biology.
The romantic undertones of Jenny's report, her declarations of mutual affection with Bardi were dismissed entirely by Vic. Such sentiments held no value to him.
With these assurances, Vic had signed off on the proposal without hesitation. From there, the report had been passed on to Slade.
Bori smiled faintly and turned to the colonel. "Colonel Slade, I must admit, I misjudged you. I thought you were just an executioner, someone who only understood brute force. But your approach to this situation is... unexpectedly nuanced. It seems my student was no match for your strategy."
Slade's sharp gaze remained fixed on Bori. Sitting tall and upright, his presence was commanding and unyielding. "Dean Bori," he said flatly, "are you mocking your own student?"
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy under Slade's intensity. His eyes, cold and piercing, carried the weight of someone who had seen countless battles. Facing him, even someone as seasoned as Bori might have felt a moment of unease.
"Not at all," Bori replied, his tone calm but tinged with a faint sigh. "I'm simply stating the facts. Jenny has extraordinary talent in biology, far surpassing anything most of us could hope to achieve. But when it comes to human interaction... well, she has her shortcomings."
Slade's expression remained unchanged. "If that's the case, you shouldn't be exploiting her."
Bori waved a dismissive hand. "Exploit? That's not how I'd put it. Jenny's attachment to Bardi has indeed distracted her from some of her duties, but in the long run, this will only drive her to excel further. Once Bardi is paralyzed, rendered permanently immobile—it will undoubtedly shatter her emotionally. But that heartbreak will fuel her. She'll throw herself into her work, desperate to find a way to heal him."
Bori paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Her passion for research will become an obsession. She'll push the boundaries of biology and genetics in ways we've never seen. Her determination will be unparalleled. And Bardi, paralyzed and guilt-ridden, will have no choice but to cooperate fully. Together, their contributions will be invaluable."
He gestured vaguely toward the document. "I had thought to use Jenny's emotions to extract knowledge from Bardi, exploiting their bond to our advantage. But your plan, Colonel Slade—your plan is far more effective. By ensuring his paralysis, you'll not only secure Bardi's compliance but also lock them both into a cycle of mutual guilt and desperation. It's genius, truly."
Slade's face remained impassive. "I don't care about research," he said curtly. "My job is to ensure the alien remains under control. Permanently."
Bori chuckled lightly, as though amused by Slade's single-mindedness. "You're far too tense, Colonel. Bardi has been under our control from the very beginning—physically, mentally, and emotionally. He hasn't shown any inclination to resist us."
Slade's jaw tightened. "Bori, I need your guarantee. If the spinal nerve procedure doesn't completely incapacitate him, I will personally ensure Dr. Jenny's proposal is overturned."
His voice was cold, firm, and uncompromising. There was no room for negotiation.
Bori's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly composed himself. "You have my word, Colonel. I will personally oversee the adjustment of the magnetic pulse frequencies and ensure everything proceeds as planned. Bardi will be paralyzed completely and without question. There will be no accidents."
Slade said nothing further. His instincts, honed from years on the battlefield, told him the alien was far more dangerous than anyone in this facility realized. Even confined, even weakened, there was something about Bardi that radiated a quiet, unshakable confidence, a predator's calm assurance that the future was already his.
Bori however, dismissed such concerns as paranoia. To him, Slade's unease was a natural, almost childish reaction to confronting something more powerful than himself. Fear of the unknown was a common, human response. And in this case, it was unfounded or so he believed.
"I'll see to it personally," Bori repeated, his tone light. "Jenny will activate the pulse herself, paralyzing Bardi and ensuring his continued cooperation. Everything will proceed smoothly, Colonel. You have nothing to worry about."
Chapter 12
In the pristine white room, now repurposed into an operating room, Jenny and Bori were clad in light green sterile surgical gowns, latex gloves, disposable hats, and masks. Two assistants stood nearby, ready to help, while several tall soldiers waited on standby not far away.
Bardi lay anesthetized on the operating table, his broad shoulders, thick back, and imposing figure making him seem formidable even while unconscious. His muscular outline exuded an aura of strength that made it clear why Slade instinctively considered him dangerous.
Jenny's figure, elegant and slender, was accentuated by the close-fitting surgical gown. However, her bloodshot eyes and the tense expression on her face betrayed her exhaustion and stress. She hadn't slept in two days. Every nerve in her body was taut, her mind constantly replaying scenarios from the operation that would soon determine Bardi's fate.
This surgery wasn't just a procedure to her, it was everything. Jenny was determined to ensure that Bardi wouldn't spend his life confined to a wheelchair. She wanted to walk alongside him, hand in hand, for the rest of their days. The future Bardi had painted for them had completely enraptured her, filling her heart with hope and unshakable determination.
Biting her lower lip hard to keep herself grounded, Jenny focused her thoughts. Bardi lay before her, trusting her completely. She couldn't fail him.
"Jenny, are you alright?" Bori asked, his tone feigning concern. He could see how deeply invested she was in the operation.
But his false sympathy masked the reality of the situation. The outcome of this operation had already been decided by Slade and Bori. In their eyes, Jenny was nothing more than a pawn, playing her role in a meticulously crafted plan.
What Bori didn't know, however, was that Bardi wasn't just a pawn, he was a player. Quietly biding his time, he waited for the perfect moment to turn the tables.
Even Slade, with his natural wariness, suspected Bardi's cunning, which was why he remained on edge.
As Bardi lay motionless, Jenny took a scalpel in her hand, steadying her breath. Her movements were precise as she made the first incision in his powerful back. The blade cut through his muscle fibers with difficulty, like slicing through thick leather, revealing layers of flesh and finally exposing the white glint of his spine.
Jenny's exhaustion vanished as her focus sharpened. With the precision of a surgeon and the determination of someone deeply invested, she reached the spinal column and took the steel needle from Bori. The needle, designed to stabilize the nerve fibers near the spine and interface with the bone marrow, was passed to her without comment.
More than half an hour of meticulous adjustments followed. Jenny's concentration never wavered. Finally, she stitched the incision closed.
When it was done, a needle now protruded from the back of Bardi's neck, connected to a long guide wire that fed into a sleek, metallic wheelchair. The wheelchair was outfitted with a control screen capable of monitoring Bardi's heart rate and even functioning as a lie detector.
Unbeknownst to Jenny, the wheelchair also housed hidden mechanisms to shock or poison Bardi at the press of a button. The pulse radiofrequency needle embedded in his spine could sever his neural signals, leaving him unable to control his limbs, effectively rendering him a prisoner within his own body.
With the operation complete, Dean Bori instructed the soldiers to move Bardi to the wheelchair. They connected the guide wire to the chair's interface, securing him in place with metal restraints around his legs, waist, and wrists.
Jenny, her forehead glistening with sweat, removed her mask and exhaled deeply. For the first time in hours, she allowed herself a moment of relief, a small, warm smile lighting up her tired face.
But her work wasn't finished yet. The final step would come when Bardi awoke, and she would have to adjust the pulse radiofrequency settings carefully. Too much or too little could leave him permanently paralyzed. Though she had taken every precaution and measured everything meticulously, doubt still gnawed at her.
Her legs felt weak beneath her as she leaned on the wheelchair for support. Despite her fatigue, she looked at Bardi's face, her thoughts drifting to the scar etched deeply into his features and the stories behind it. She envisioned the future they had dreamed of together and drew strength from that vision.
When everyone else had left the room, Jenny bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to Bardi's cheek. She ran her fingers through his hair, lingering as if reluctant to leave. Finally, she switched off the lights, leaving the room in darkness as she left to rest, waiting for Bardi to wake the next day.
--
In the dead of night, a shadow slipped into the room unnoticed. The intruder approached Bardi's wheelchair, fingers working deftly at the controls. Subtle adjustments were made, concealing the true pulse signals beneath the settings Jenny had programmed.
"Tsk…" A faint, disdainful sound broke the silence before the figure vanished into the night, their footsteps fading away.
On the operating table, Bardi's eyelids twitched briefly before settling again.
--
The next morning, Bardi's eyes fluttered open. His body, still heavy from the lingering effects of anesthesia, struggled to respond. But he could feel it—the sensation of his body, though faint, was still there. He registered the cold, metallic intrusion of the needle embedded in his spine and the restrictive embrace of the wheelchair.
Despite everything, his mind remained calm. He understood what this meant. The wheelchair would monitor his every heartbeat, track his lies, and serve as a constant reminder of the control others held over him. But it also signified something else, an opportunity. He wasn't locked away in a white room anymore. Though his freedom was tethered, it was a step toward reclaiming his agency.
Jenny had been waiting for this moment. The relief on her face was immediate as she smiled and said softly, "You're awake."
Bardi managed a small smile in return but didn't speak. Before he could respond, Slade, standing nearby in his military uniform, cut in coldly. "Let's get on with it. The anesthetic is wearing off."
Soldiers armed with rifles stood behind Slade, while others guarded the perimeter outside. The security measures were exhaustive—Slade's paranoia evident.
Bori had already confirmed Bardi's inability to move, but Slade's distrust ran deeper. He would take no chances.
Jenny ignored Slade entirely. To her, he was nothing but a cruel, overbearing man who seemed to delight in making things difficult for Bardi. She hated him. Her attention was solely on Bardi, her gaze tender and filled with concern.
When Bardi gave her a faint nod, silently assuring her, Jenny drew strength from it. Releasing his hand, she moved behind the wheelchair to begin adjusting the pulse radiofrequency settings.
Chapter 13
The wheelchair reclined slightly, with Bardi's head resting against the cold metal backrest. He could feel the faint chill of the pulse radiofrequency needle embedded in his spinal cord.
As the anesthetic gradually wore off, for the first time in nearly ten months, he could sense faint responses from his body. The sensation was weak, he could barely register the touch of a hand on the metal wheelchair's handle, but his brain couldn't send commands to make his body move.
Bardi's gaze flickered briefly, glancing at Slade and Bori, who stood nearby, their figures stark against the sterile white of the room.
Relief settled faintly in Bardi's heart. His carefully calculated plan to manipulate Jenny had worked. She had followed the trajectory he'd laid out for her, and now they had reached this pivotal moment.
It had succeeded.
Even if he truly ended up paralyzed, it wouldn't matter. Bardi had already resigned himself to this possibility, fully prepared to trade genuine paralysis for a sliver of freedom.
In fact, real paralysis would ensure they let their guard down around him.
This was the key to his plan.
Now, he could gain some limited freedom. Though confined to the wheelchair, this access would allow him to observe the layout of the underground base and study the advanced technology they were developing. Every detail he gathered would bring him closer to regaining his independence.
For Bardi, this was a glimpse into the future.
The only thing more terrifying than his current state of captivity was the prospect of permanent imprisonment, cut off from the outside world forever. But with a little freedom, he could exploit their complacency, feeding their greed until they gave him the chance to break free completely.
His heart swelled with a dark satisfaction as he began strategizing the next phase of his plan. If he could reestablish contact with the crashed spaceship, it would unlock even more possibilities.
For example, the spaceship's onboard artificial intelligence could wreak havoc on this base. It alone was enough to destroy everything. If played correctly, he might not even need to lift a finger to reduce this underground prison to rubble.
But for now, patience was critical. He couldn't risk exposing the AI, it was still a trump card they hadn't discovered yet. This fact had been confirmed from the information Jenny had unknowingly let slip.
The time to act would come, but first, he needed to stabilize Jenny's emotions. She was critical to his plans. Her love had blinded her, making her overly naive and trusting.
Once she activated the pulse radiofrequency needle, it would paralyze him completely. To her horror, she would believe she had caused Bardi's lifelong paralysis. The guilt would crush her, leaving her vulnerable and easier to manipulate.
Bardi silently rehearsed how he would comfort Jenny in the aftermath, carefully considering how to navigate her collapse and despair. After all, she would blame herself for crippling him, unaware that it was part of his design.
He wasn't the only one playing the game, though. Slade, Bori, and even General Vic all believed they had won.
Slade wanted Bardi completely paralyzed, removing him as a threat, and he had achieved that. Bori sought to extract the knowledge in Bardi's mind, confident that his immobility would force him to cooperate. Vic had obtained Jenny's research results, advancing their technological capabilities.
On the surface, it seemed like everyone had gotten what they wanted.
But beneath it all, Bardi remained the one holding the strings. Like the fisherman controlling the net, he had used Jenny as a pawn to position himself at the center of their tangled schemes. They thought they had ensnared him, but in truth, he was the one orchestrating their downfall.
From behind him, Jenny's voice broke his thoughts. "I'm starting, Bardi. Let me know if you feel anything." Her voice trembled with nervousness and concern as her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on his face.
Even though she had checked the pulse radiofrequency needle's settings multiple times, she couldn't suppress the unease twisting in her heart.
"Okay," Bardi replied, smiling softly. His calm expression reassured her, easing her restless mind.
Colonel Slade, standing to the side, observed Bardi with a cold, scrutinizing gaze. To him, Bardi's serene smile was unnerving. It was the smile of someone in control, someone who had calculated every move.
This alien… doesn't he care that he's about to be paralyzed?
A flicker of doubt crossed Slade's mind. His hand hovered near the pistol at his waist. Perhaps it would be better to eliminate this alien now, before he became a bigger threat.
But Slade couldn't act. He was only a single node in the larger web of power within the base. Like the knots of a fishing net, he was connected to and restrained by others—Vic, Bori, the soldiers under his command. Shooting Bardi would jeopardize everything he had worked for, including his position as Vic's confidant.
The decision not to act would become the greatest regret of his life and the nightmare that haunted him in the future.
Jenny's hands trembled slightly as she pressed the switch. Holding her breath, she stared intently at Bardi, bracing herself for his reaction.
The moment the switch was activated, a jolt of pain tore through Bardi's body. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as an excruciating sensation coursed from the soles of his feet, shooting up his spinal cord. The electric currents seared through his nerves, tearing through every muscle, bone, and tissue until they reached his brain.
It was pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, far worse than the scalpel cutting into his flesh. His body screamed in agony, yet at the same time, he felt a rush of life. Every fiber of his being surged with energy as dormant muscles roared back to life. His veins bulged like writhing serpents, pulsating with raw power.
In that moment, Bardi realized that if he were to stand and throw a single punch, he could obliterate Slade and anyone else in the room. The sheer force of his movements would make it impossible for the soldiers to react in time. He could tear through them like a storm.
The temptation was overwhelming. His teeth clenched, his face twisted with pain and a violent urge for destruction. His body demanded release, demanded retribution.
Kill them. Kill them all. Destroy everyone who dares to imprison me.
But even as rage surged within him, Bardi's rational mind prevailed. He caught sight of Slade's pistol and the soldiers' rifles trained on him, their black muzzles ready to fire at the slightest provocation.
Drawing on the meditation techniques from the Kryptonian Union, Bardi forced himself to calm down. He replayed the steps of his plan in his mind, reminding himself of the stakes. A single misstep could destroy everything he had worked for.
Slowly, he released the violent thoughts clawing at him. His hands gripped the stainless-steel wheelchair handles so tightly that they dented under the pressure, leaving clear handprints.
Sweat poured down his face as his breathing grew labored, exhaustion overtaking him.
Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the sensation of control over his body vanished. His connection to his limbs was severed, the pulses from his spinal cord silenced. It was as though he had never felt his body at all.
The brief moment of strength had been enough to prove his capability, but Bardi knew better than to act now. Rising from the wheelchair and attacking would expose his true potential, shattering the carefully constructed image of a peaceful Kryptonian prince.
If they saw him as a threat, their precautions would intensify, and all his efforts to lower their guard would be undone.
Chapter 14
"Bardi!!"
Jenny's scream pierced the air, her voice laced with panic. According to her calculations, the reflex nerve flow guided by the pulse radiofrequency needle should have been connected seamlessly. There should have been no pain—none at all.
Bardi should have temporarily lost all nerve response in his limbs without experiencing any discomfort, let alone the intense pain and convulsions she had just witnessed.
Jenny's eyes darted to Bardi's sweat-drenched face. His weak and exhausted expression made her heart seize in fear. She reached out instinctively to wipe the sweat from his face, her hands trembling as panic set in.
"Jenny, check what's going on," Bori ordered calmly, halting her frantic movements. His voice carried a tone of authority as he stepped forward to examine the situation alongside her. His gaze met Slade's briefly, the exchange loaded with unspoken meaning.
Slade caught the subtle signal from Bori's eyes and slightly relaxed his tense stance. However, his hand remained firmly on the pistol at his waist, his eyes never leaving Bardi.
Slade couldn't shake the image of Bardi moments ago, veins bulging like coiled ropes as he gripped the wheelchair handles with enough force to dent the stainless steel. The sheer display of strength had sent shivers down his spine, every hair on his body standing on end.
Now, seeing Bardi panting and motionless, seemingly drained of all strength, Slade allowed himself a small measure of relief, but his wariness lingered.
Jenny, jolted back to her senses by Bori's command, immediately turned to the control console. Her hands trembled as she began tapping frantically at the keyboard, her eyes darting across the data on the screen.
"This… this doesn't make sense!"
"It shouldn't be like this!"
"Impossible! How could this happen?"
Her face drained of color, her wide eyes dull with shock. Jenny shook her head over and over, stiff and mechanical, as if in denial of what she was seeing.
She had handled every aspect of the operation herself, double- and triple-checking each detail. How could this have gone so wrong?
The screen displayed Bardi's condition in excruciating clarity: from the neck down, there were no detectable nerve responses. He was truly paralyzed, completely and permanently.
The pulse radiofrequency needle hadn't just severed the nerve signals; it had disrupted the transmission pathways in his body, causing catastrophic disarray in his nervous system. This disruption had resulted in the intense pain Bardi had experienced, and now, his nerve reception system was entirely destroyed.
Jenny stared blankly at the screen, the weight of the realization crashing down on her.
"Jenny," Bori's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Didn't you calculate the action potential threshold? Bardi's body is far stronger than the average human's. You should have accounted for that. The action potential values for someone like him can be ten times higher than normal."
Bori's scolding tone pierced through her self-blame, but Jenny didn't react. She was already drowning in guilt, her mind replaying the operation over and over.
Her voice came out weak, almost detached, as she muttered to herself. "Did I miscalculate…?"
"The difference between high and low action potentials…"
"The nerve fiber signals… they went wrong…"
"The pulse radiofrequency needle… it disrupted the nerve signals…"
"The signals collided, and the feedback loop caused irreversible damage…"
Wave after wave of guilt and despair crashed over her, each more suffocating than the last. Her hands fell limply from the keyboard as she stared at Bardi, her vision growing hazy. The edges of her world darkened, and her legs threatened to give out beneath her.
It was her fault.
Because of her, Bardi would never walk again.
Her selfishness had done this.
Her desire to create a future with Bardi… her dreams of walking hand in hand with him… it was all her fault.
The abyss of despair opened beneath her, its cold grip pulling her deeper. The weight of her self-blame and remorse was unbearable. She began muttering incoherently, her voice hollow.
The room dimmed in her eyes as she teetered on the edge of collapse.
"Jenny!"
Bardi's voice broke through the haze like a lifeline, jolting her back from the brink.
The power of his call snapped her out of her downward spiral. His voice, strong and steady despite his exhaustion, shattered the darkness encroaching on her vision.
Jenny blinked rapidly, her focus returning. She saw Bardi clearly again, his presence anchoring her to reality.
Desperately, she stumbled toward him, her legs weak and unsteady. She fell to her knees at his side, clutching his large hand. The veins that had bulged with power moments earlier were now still, and his palm was damp with sweat.
"Bardi… I'm here!" Jenny choked out, her voice hoarse with emotion. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Kneeling beside his wheelchair, Jenny grasped his limp hand tightly, her cries of self-blame pouring out uncontrollably.
Bardi, still drenched in sweat, felt an itch to wipe his face. But his body refused to obey him. Through his sweat-streaked eyelashes, he looked at Jenny. Her once-confident and elegant demeanor had crumbled. Now, she looked like a lost child abandoned in the cold.
Bardi couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. He wanted to reach out, to stroke her hair, to comfort her. But his body remained lifeless.
Still, the sight of her emotional breakdown was reassuring. Her reaction was stronger than he'd anticipated and that worked in his favor.
"Jenny, I trust you," Bardi said softly, his voice weak from the ordeal.
His words cut through her despair like a knife.
Jenny's sobs intensified, her voice breaking as she cried, "Bardi, I've let you down. I… I caused this. I caused you to be paralyzed!"
Despite her anguish, Bardi's expression remained calm. He gave her a faint smile and repeated, "Jenny, I trust you."
Jenny's sobbing turned into gasps for breath, her tears falling onto his motionless hand.
"I don't deserve your trust!" she cried, shaking her head in despair.
Bardi's voice remained gentle as he replied, "Jenny, I believe in you. This is just another day in the wheelchair, no different from what I expected before."
"Jenny, I trust you. You're a brilliant biologist. One day, you'll find a way to make me walk again. I believe in you."
His words were steady and filled with quiet conviction.
He continued, "The confidence you show in your work is the real you, Jenny."
Bardi couldn't let her spiral any further. He still needed her, needed her brilliance and her dedication.
Slowly, his words began to calm her. The sobs faded, replaced by quiet sniffles. Jenny bit her lip, forcing herself to stop crying. Her emotions stabilized, and she clung to his reassurances like a lifeline.
Straightening herself, Jenny leaned closer to him, resting his head against her chest. Bardi could feel the faint warmth and smell the faint fragrance of her skin. She bent down, kissing the top of his head softly.
"I'll do it, Bardi. I'll fix this," Jenny whispered with determination.
Nearby, Bori and Slade watched the scene unfold, their expressions unreadable.
This was exactly what they had anticipated.
And Bardi knew it too.
The satisfaction on their faces mirrored his own. Everyone believed they'd achieved their goals.
Bardi was paralyzed.
He would contribute the knowledge in his mind.
Jenny would throw herself into her research, working tirelessly to "fix" him.
In this silent war of strategies, everyone thought they'd won.
But in truth, the only one who truly held the upper hand was Bardi.
Because even paralyzed, even imprisoned, he remained the one in control.
Chapter 15
Time flew by. Another six months passed, and Bardi had now spent a total of one year and three months in this underground base, cut off from the light of day.
His life had changed significantly.
For any ordinary person, such a drastic shift in circumstances, whether for better or worse, would inevitably bring a mixture of resistance and reluctant acceptance. Change, after all, is necessary to break the monotony that breeds despair in intelligent life.
For Bardi, even the smallest change was welcome. Though his newfound "freedom" only allowed him to leave the white room, traverse a steel corridor, and arrive at either the large research room where his battered Kryptonian spacecraft was being studied or a few workshops, it was still a step forward.
But he couldn't show his contentment outwardly. The pulse radiofrequency needle embedded in his neck remained firmly lodged in his spinal cord. It wasn't merely a tool to sever the motor reflexes of his limbs but also a device capable of monitoring his vital signs for any indication of deceit or disobedience.
While his limbs showed no response, his autonomic nervous system—controlling vital functions such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and blood pressure—remained intact. This allowed the device to detect physiological changes indicative of lies or heightened emotion.
However, Bardi was far from helpless. The Kryptonian meditative techniques he had learned enabled him to maintain composure under any circumstance, even going so far as to control his heart rate. He could feign excitement, joy, or calmness on command, reflecting the emotions they wanted to see from him while concealing his true intentions.
--
A knock at the door of his white room pulled Bardi from his musings.
"Mr. Bardi, Dean Bori requests your presence," one of the two soldiers announced respectfully before opening the door.
Their behavior, though outwardly courteous, carried undertones of command. It was a forced politeness, better than outright disdain but still hollow.
Bardi knew this respect was a recent development, born out of the significant scientific contributions he had made during his time here. He had helped them make substantial progress in several fields: advancing the development of magnetic flux compression for electromagnetic railguns, confirming the existence of only three types of neutrinos in particle physics, and even leading the creation of the world's first optical information mathematical processor.
Without these contributions, Bardi doubted they would bother with the pretense of respect. They would likely treat him as nothing more than a tool to extract knowledge from, squeezing every bit of information out of his mind.
Through the scattered conversations of the researchers, Bardi had learned that many of his contributions had brought them immense benefits, including several Nobel Prize-level achievements.
Bardi, however, found it amusing. He had never given them complete scientific breakthroughs, only fragments and general directions. This approach fit the persona he had carefully constructed: that of a Kryptonian prince, not a scientist.
He remembered the time Bori had greedily asked him to document all the scientific knowledge in his head. The old man's ambition to hoard future technologies was almost laughable.
Bardi had responded with an air of mock incredulity, feigning ignorance and pointing out the absurdity of the request.
"As a prince," he had said, "I don't hold comprehensive knowledge of scientific principles. That's the domain of scientists. I can share ideas and theories, but detailed formulas? I couldn't possibly recall those."
He had intentionally spouted a mix of vague concepts and overly advanced theories, enough to sound impressive but ultimately useless in their current technological state. Ideas like detecting photons or superluminal transmission were well beyond their comprehension.
"Write it down if you want," he had told them. "Perhaps in a few hundred years, you'll be able to verify it."
His explanations often left them baffled and frustrated, but he didn't care. Instead, he provided them with just enough information to guide them in the right direction, future space navigation principles, for example, or fragmented tidbits of unimportant knowledge.
When Bori pushed too far, even General Vic had intervened, slapping the old man on the shoulder in irritation. "We're not ready to leap into interstellar travel! Take it one step at a time, Bori!"
The old man had calmed down after that, realizing that holding advanced knowledge meant little without the foundational technology to support it.
Since then, they only called on Bardi when they encountered specific challenges. His answers, though often vague, were enough to point them in the right direction. This earned him the unofficial title of "scientific consultant."
Bardi nodded at the soldier, a polite smile on his face. "Alright, let's get to work."
His calm and harmless demeanor was something they had all grown accustomed to.
In the early days, Slade himself had been the one to escort Bardi around the base, controlling his wheelchair at every turn. But over time, limited conversations and observations had led Slade to conclude that Bardi was nothing more than a paralyzed man—a relic of Krypton without the ability to pose a threat.
Despite his lingering intuition about Bardi's extraordinary nature, Slade could no longer justify treating him as a significant danger. The pulse radiofrequency needle embedded in Bardi's spine was enough to neutralize him. Even if Bardi had the will of a prince, he lacked the physical capability to act on it.
Eventually, Slade stopped personally monitoring him, delegating the task to soldiers. Bardi's movements were restricted to the base, and as long as he remained within its confines, Slade was content to let him be.
For Bardi, this was a relief. Slade was the only one who seemed to sense the deeper truth beneath his facade, and his scrutiny had been a constant source of tension. Now, with Slade's vigilance diminishing, Bardi's performance as the harmless prince was paying off.
--
The soldiers escorted Bardi to the research room housing his Kryptonian spacecraft. Visits to this room were rare; it was clear they didn't want him near the ship often.
Bori was already waiting for him. As the soldiers handed over control of the wheelchair, the old man smiled thinly and approached.
"Mr. Bardi," Bori began politely, "I've called you here today to ask about the virtual imaging technology used in your spacecraft."
Bardi raised an eyebrow, his smile unchanging. "Are you asking about the use of interference and diffraction principles to project and record 3D radar scans? Or perhaps you're interested in using interference patterns to disable enemy satellites?"
Bori's expression flickered with surprise, Bardi had guessed his intentions perfectly.
"Both," Bori admitted with a chuckle. "But the ship is too damaged for us to extract any usable information."
Bardi's response was calm and measured. "I'm afraid I can't be of much help there. I've only ever used the technology; I don't have an in-depth understanding of how it works. Without artificial intelligence, replicating it would be nearly impossible."
Bori nodded, accepting the explanation. Then, with a glint in his eye, he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a small object.
It was a long, cylindrical key—the kind used to activate Kryptonian spacecraft. Its shape was identical to the key shown in the Superman movie, though this one lacked the distinctive "S" insignia.
"Mr. Bardi," Bori said, holding the key aloft, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What can you tell me about this?"
Chapter 16
Bardi's expression froze momentarily, but internally, he was already running through his meditation techniques, carefully controlling his heartbeat. He raised it slightly to mimic the reaction of someone genuinely caught off guard, someone surprised at the sight of the object before him.
And truthfully, he was a little stunned. He hadn't expected the key to be in Dean Bori's possession. On his previous visits to the research room, he hadn't seen it and had assumed it was lost, a fact that had secretly filled him with regret.
"It's a key," Bardi finally said after a brief pause, his mind racing.
He wasn't sure how much Bori had uncovered about the key's functions. Several half-truths formed in Bardi's head, ready to be used if necessary. Even if the old dean had some knowledge about the key, Bardi planned to deceive him into keeping the key locked away and heavily guarded.
Under no circumstances could Bori discover the truth: that the key was more than just a tool for the spacecraft. It housed a fully functional artificial intelligence, created by Bardi and Faora for his personal use.
"A key?" Bori echoed, raising an eyebrow. He had assumed the object was some kind of insignia or ceremonial relic, not an actual key.
"How much have you studied this key, Bori?" Bardi asked casually, his tone light but his mind already working on how to exploit the old man's greed.
Bori paused, choosing his words carefully. "I've drawn a few conclusions, but I was hoping you could clarify a few things for me, Mr. Bardi."
Bardi smiled faintly. He could tell that Bori was trying to fish for information without revealing how little he actually knew. Perfect. The old dean's greed and arrogance were weaknesses he could exploit to push his plans forward.
Everyone in this base had a flaw.
Bori for example, was greedy and vain. He would do anything to acquire and hoard knowledge or objects of value, often disregarding the lives or well-being of others in the process.
Slade, on the other hand, was a soldier with a sharp sense of danger, meticulous to the point of paranoia. To Bardi, Slade was the most difficult obstacle to deal with.
Then there was General Vic, a man consumed by ambition. Vic had promised Bardi freedom after he made sufficient contributions to the base, a promise Bardi knew was empty. Still, he played along, feeding Vic tidbits of knowledge like candy to keep him satisfied.
"I see," Bardi replied, his tone easygoing. "Bori, let me save you some trouble: you won't uncover much from this key on your own. But I will tell you this, it's no ordinary key. On Krypton, this key was both a disaster and a treasure."
Bori's eyes narrowed at the statement. "A disaster?" he asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Bardi replied, his expression darkening as if recalling painful memories. "It was the source of much conflict on Krypton, the spark that ignited power struggles between factions. Ultimately, it played a role in the planet's destruction."
Bardi's tone shifted slightly, tinged with mockery as he looked at the key with feigned disdain. "And yet, this same key unlocks the greatest treasure of Krypton's royal family."
At the mention of treasure, Bori's eyebrows shot up, his pulse quickening. He could scarcely contain his excitement.
"A royal treasure?"
Bardi nodded, his expression one of reluctant remembrance. His pupils drifted upward slightly, as if lost in thought, and he maintained a perfect facade of sincerity.
"Yes, a treasure containing the entirety of Krypton's advanced civilization: star charts for interstellar navigation, records of alien races, a complete scientific library… Everything you'd need to propel a planet like Earth into the era of space exploration."
As he spoke, Bardi watched Dean Bori carefully. The old man's face betrayed his inner turmoil—shock, disbelief, and unbridled greed flickered across his features.
Bori's breathing grew shallow, his pupils constricting as he struggled to process what he was hearing.
But, as expected, the old scientist quickly composed himself, his skeptical instincts kicking in. "That's… quite the claim," Bori said cautiously, though his tone couldn't fully mask his excitement. "How can I believe that such a treasure existed? And if it did, why would you share this information so readily?"
"I can't lie to you Bori," Bardi said plainly, tilting his head slightly. His voice carried a subtle reminder of the lie-detection capabilities of the pulse radiofrequency needle embedded in his spine.
Bori glanced at the monitoring equipment reflexively. The readouts showed no indication of deceit, yet he still hesitated.
"It's hard to believe," he admitted. "Even if what you say is true, why would you dismiss something so significant?"
Bardi sighed dramatically, his tone tinged with self-deprecation. "Because it no longer matters. The treasure is gone, destroyed in the explosion that consumed Krypton. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't recover it. This key is nothing more than a remnant of a lost world."
Bori's face fell slightly at the revelation. His grip on the key tightened as he processed the implications.
The treasure was gone.
Destroyed.
But…
The key itself was still an artifact of an interstellar civilization. Surely it held some value, some secrets waiting to be uncovered.
"Don't you need it?" Bori asked, shaking the key slightly in front of Bardi, testing his reaction.
Bardi smirked faintly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What would I need it for? Do you think the treasure is going to miraculously fly to Earth?"
Bori exhaled slowly, his disappointment tempered by the faint thrill of owning such a unique object. "Then I'll keep it for now…" he said, trying to sound casual.
Inwardly, Bori's thoughts churned. Even if the treasure was gone, the key itself could still yield valuable research opportunities. The lightweight, durable material alone was worth studying, and there was always the chance it contained hidden technology.
Unbeknownst to him, Bori's greed played directly into Bardi's hands.
"Aren't you curious enough to study it further?" Bardi asked, his tone playful, subtly teasing the old man's insatiable hunger for knowledge.
Bori chuckled, waving off the remark. "I'll get to it eventually. But tell me, Mr. Bardi, how are you and Jenny doing these days?"
The sudden shift in conversation caught Bardi off guard, but he quickly recovered.
"Very well," he replied with a warm smile. "Jenny comes to see me every day."
Bori nodded, pleased. In his mind, Jenny's connection to Bardi kept the alien tethered emotionally to the base. As long as the two remained close, there was no risk of Bardi becoming a problem.
It seemed like the perfect arrangement.
Then, Bardi seized the moment.
"Bori," he said, his tone serious. "I need your help with something. I want to marry Jenny."
Bori paused, his mind racing. The idea of the two marrying seemed harmless enough, if anything, it would deepen their bond and solidify Bardi's role within the base.
And then, a thought struck him. What if they had children? A child born of two vastly different genetic makeups… The scientific implications alone made Bori's heart race with excitement.
"Yes," Bori said after a moment. "You and Jenny should get married. Perhaps I can even serve as your witness. The union of an alien and a human, quite the historic event."
Hearing Bori's agreement, Bardi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. After months of effort, his careful planning had finally yielded results.
Bardi smiled. "In that case Bori, I'll need a ring."
Bori laughed, shaking his head. "Of course, of course. Consider it a gift. This key of yours… the treasure may be gone, but it's a fascinating little trinket. I'll see to the ring myself."
His tone was light, but his intentions were clear. He would keep the key for himself, a secret trophy of his greed and vanity.
Bardi's smile deepened. "That works for me."
Chapter 17
Bardi took another crucial step forward, his thoughts turning as he strategized his next moves.
Gaining Bori's trust was proving to be a valuable asset. Bori's willingness to help, fueled by his greed and self-interest, could be exploited further. Next, Bardi would need Bori to either speak favorably on his behalf to Slade or distract him entirely, both actions were critical to his plan.
In the Kryptonian culture that Bardi had carefully fabricated and introduced, it was customary for lovers to bathe in the sunlight together before fully committing to their shared lives. This symbolic ritual, akin to a religious practice, was a process of purification and renewal before embarking on a future built on mutual ambition.
Bardi had subtly woven this "tradition" into his conversations with Jenny over time, shaping it into a belief that seemed intrinsic to Kryptonian customs. In a society like the West, where individual freedoms and beliefs were respected, such a tradition was unlikely to be questioned, making it the perfect cover.
Every word and action Bardi took was calculated. Everything he said about basking in the sunlight served one ultimate purpose: to secure a reasonable opportunity to absorb solar energy.
To Jenny, it all appeared selfless and romantic—a lover yearning to honor their bond.
But Bardi knew Slade remained an obstacle.
"I'll have to avoid Slade as much as possible," Bardi thought to himself. Even though Slade's vigilance had somewhat relaxed, there was no chance he would permit Jenny to take Bardi anywhere near sunlight, especially a restricted part of the base.
There was only one place in the underground facility where sunlight could reach: a research lab located on the second level. It was equipped with multi-layer composite glass designed to study the electromagnetic spectrum of sunlight, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, ultraviolet, and infrared light.
Nominally, it was a space for weapon research, particularly on spectral rays and energy conversion. But for Bardi, it was the closest he could get to true sunlight without leaving the base.
From Jenny's conversations and his own observations, Bardi had learned that the underground facility was composed of four levels. He was being held on the lowest, most secure level: the fourth subfloor.
On two occasions, Slade had escorted him to the third level for research on neutrino-related projects. During those trips, Bardi had carefully memorized the pathways, security protocols, retinal scanners, and guard rotations between the fourth and third floors.
However, unrestricted access to the first and second levels was reserved for only three people: Jenny, Bori, and Slade.
Closing his eyes, Bardi leaned his head back against the cold steel of his wheelchair. The pulse radiofrequency needle piercing his spinal cord remained an ever-present reminder of his confinement.
Suddenly, a pair of soft, slender hands reached from behind him, gently massaging his temples. The cold professionalism of the base was replaced by Jenny's warm voice, now tinged with concern. "Are you tired?"
Bardi opened his eyes, letting a trace of warmth flicker across his face as he felt her comforting touch. "No," he replied softly, "I was waiting for you."
Jenny ignored his answer, knowing he didn't need a massage. She moved to the front of the wheelchair, gently pulling his hands away from the armrests and letting them hang limp.
Without hesitation, Jenny sat down on his lap, her graceful figure settling against him as her legs crossed beneath her. One knee rested on the armrest of the wheelchair, while her back leaned against the opposite side.
She adjusted his arms, one draping over her thighs while the other rested against her chest. Her slender hands guided his limp fingers, their warmth almost brushing against her skin.
Jenny nestled against him like a bird seeking shelter, pressing her face to his shoulder. She inhaled softly, taking in his scent as her body melted into his.
"Can you feel anything?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of hope and tenderness. She didn't seem to care about the surveillance cameras in the room, her affection unrestrained.
The sweet fragrance of her hair filled Bardi's senses, and the warmth of her body against his was almost enough to make him forget his precarious position. He chuckled lightly. "Yes," he replied, his tone teasing. "Didn't you notice?"
Jenny's eyes widened briefly in surprise before she realized what he meant. She patted his chest playfully, her face flushing as she muttered, "You've done so much for them, why can't they give you a proper room?" Her hand lingered on his chest, kneading it absentmindedly.
"Miss Jenny," Bardi said with mock seriousness, "are you eager to invade the body of an alien?"
"Yes, I am, Monsieur Barmulodi," Jenny replied boldly, straightening her back as she leaned closer. Her chest pressed against his, and her lips found his in a kiss that was both passionate and possessive. She poured every ounce of her feelings into it, savoring the sweetness of the moment.
Bardi returned her kiss with equal enthusiasm. This was a routine between them now, a nightly ritual that often ended with Jenny staying by his side until he fell asleep.
During these intimate moments, Bardi subtly steered their conversations, drawing out details about her work and gathering tidbits of information about the staff and the base itself. It was a slow, methodical process, but each piece of information was another step toward his eventual freedom.
Tonight, however, one detail she mentioned sent a chill down his spine.
"Your cells are a bit strange," Jenny murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. "They show subtle changes under infrared light. Is it the light causing the changes? Or the heat?"
Bardi's heart skipped a beat. The heat transmitted by the sun, primarily through infrared radiation, was what activated his Kryptonian genes. In essence, it was what made him stronger.
Maintaining his composure, he asked casually, "How are you handling it?"
Jenny sighed, still leaning against him. "I'm continuing to expose the cells to infrared light. I've also added a gene serum catalyst to see what reaction occurs by tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
Bardi's heart sank. By tomorrow, the results would be visible not only to Jenny but also to the other researchers, including Bori and Slade. Once they realized his cells could respond to sunlight, there would be no turning back.
Even though the base's artificial infrared rays weren't as potent as real sunlight, prolonged exposure would still produce noticeable effects. And knowing how meticulous researchers were, they would test every possible spectrum of light to uncover the truth.
Jenny's brilliance was a double-edged sword. While her love for Bardi was genuine, her talent and curiosity could inadvertently unravel everything.
"No," Bardi thought, his mind racing. "I need to act before they discover the truth."
The plan he had been carefully crafting for months would have to be executed earlier than anticipated. It wasn't perfect yet, but he couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"Jenny," he began softly, tilting his head slightly to rest against hers. "Tomorrow… can you take the day off and accompany me to bathe in the sunlight?"
Jenny froze, her breath catching. She understood the significance of his request. In Kryptonian culture, as Bardi had explained countless times, basking in the sun together was a sacred ritual, a declaration of love and a prelude to marriage.
Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled back to look at him. Overwhelmed with emotion, she moved from his lap to her knees, wrapping her arms around his head and pressing him tightly against her chest.
"I will," she whispered through her tears. "Bardi, I will."
She kissed the top of his head, her voice trembling with emotion. "Bardi, I love you."
"No matter what happens, I love you."
"Even if it costs me my life, I'll protect you."
Bardi closed his eyes, his face pressed against her chest, feeling the faint lace of her clothing against his skin. Her scent filled his senses, warm and intoxicating.
But in his heart, there was only cold resolve.
"Yeah?" He thought silently, his expression unreadable.
Chapter 18
The next morning, at nine o'clock, the golden rays of the sun began spreading from the eastern horizon.
Bardi could only pray that it wasn't a cloudy day. Nothing would devastate him more than losing this chance. No one in the entire underground base longed for sunlight as desperately as he did. For Bardi, sunlight was more than warmth and light, it was life itself. It was the source of power for all Kryptonians.
He had spent the entire night wide awake. After Jenny had left the room, he had closed his eyes, feigning rest, though his mind refused to quiet.
Jenny had been running her experiment in the lab all night, exposing his cells to infrared light combined with the gene serum catalyst she'd created. Bardi didn't know what results she might have achieved, but one thing was certain: it couldn't be good.
Even the slightest unexpected reaction could unravel everything.
For hours, he lay still, forcing himself to practice the Kryptonian meditation techniques to calm his racing mind and suppress the storm of anxiety brewing within him.
The sterile white room was illuminated by the harsh light of an overhead incandescent bulb. Bardi opened his eyes, letting warmth radiate through his gaze, a practiced warmth that reflected the happiness of a man about to marry the woman he loved most in the world.
Moments later, the door opened, and Jenny entered, her face glowing with joy. She couldn't contain her excitement. Her radiant demeanor made her look even more stunning.
Today, she wore a bright red, form-fitting dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Her blonde hair flowing all the way to her slender waist and graceful silhouette were dazzling, and her confident, sensual elegance exuded a charm that could captivate any man.
This striking transformation from her usual cool, professional attire left Bardi momentarily breathless.
His obvious reaction brought a delighted smile to Jenny's face. She walked behind him, her fragrant presence intoxicating, and began guiding his wheelchair forward.
As they moved, Bardi spoke words of admiration, complimenting her beauty in a way that was both sincere and calculated. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with affection and lighthearted warmth.
"I'll stop by the lab first to check on the results from the infrared irradiation experiment," Jenny said, pushing the wheelchair with practiced ease. Her concern for Bardi's condition was ever-present, and she was eager to see if her work had yielded any progress in reversing his paralysis.
Bardi's heart clenched at her words. He couldn't allow her to see the results, not yet. Maintaining his composure, he gently stopped her.
"Jenny," he said softly, "today is about us. Let the lab wait—it's not as important as this."
Jenny hesitated briefly but quickly relented, touched by the sentiment. She glanced at her dress, remembering the significance of the day Bardi had planned for them. It wasn't the time for scientific pursuits, it was their moment.
"Alright," she agreed with a smile. "I'll ask Bori to check later."
Her words made Bardi's heart sink further. If Bori examined the results, the situation could spiral out of control even faster. But he said nothing, knowing he needed Jenny's help to leave the lower levels of the base.
As they exited the white room and began down the corridor, Bardi's sharp gaze caught sight of Bori approaching.
The old man's eyes immediately flicked to Jenny, and he couldn't help but notice her unusual attire. He then turned his gaze to Bardi, an amused, knowing expression crossing his face.
Jenny spoke first, her tone direct and unapologetic as always. "Bori, I've been running an experiment irradiating Bardi's cells with infrared light combined with the gene serum catalyst. There might be some changes, I need you to take a look later."
Even as she spoke to her superior, Jenny's tone carried a matter-of-fact authority. It was as if she were issuing instructions rather than making a request.
Bori didn't take offense. He was accustomed to Jenny's blunt manner and admired her dedication to her research.
"Of course," he replied easily. His curious eyes drifted back to her dress, his amusement deepening. "And where are you two headed?"
Jenny glanced at Bardi with a sweet smile before answering. "I'm taking Bardi to get some sunlight."
Bori froze for a moment, surprised. The only place in the base where sunlight could reach was through the high-strength composite glass on the second level—a restricted area.
For security reasons, Bardi's movements were deliberately confined to the lower fourth floor. Even when he was escorted to the third floor for research, Slade had remained vigilant, ensuring he was never unsupervised.
Letting him go above the second floor, even accompanied, would be highly unusual.
Bori's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the situation. But then, his gaze returned to Bardi, slouched in his wheelchair, paralyzed and entirely dependent.
He glanced at Jenny again, who radiated nothing but joy and excitement, and his suspicions eased. The ground above the first floor was a heavily secured military base, swarming with armed soldiers. Even if Bardi somehow posed a threat, there was no chance of him escaping.
Before Bori could voice his concerns, Bardi spoke with a casual, disarming smile.
"Bori," he said lightly, "about what you promised me yesterday…"
His tone was playful, harmless, as though he were merely reminding Bori of a small favor.
The old dean blinked, caught off guard, before realizing what Bardi meant. His expression softened, and he reached into the pocket of his white lab coat, pulling out a small red box. He placed it gently on Bardi's lap.
"I didn't forget," Bori said with a chuckle. "Here it is."
The red box held the ring, a symbol of the promise Bardi had manipulated him into fulfilling.
Bori's earlier hesitation melted away. After all, the underground base was impenetrable, and Bardi was confined to his wheelchair. Fulfilling such a harmless request posed no risk.
Bori smiled. "Congratulations, Mr. Bardi. I wish you the best."
"Thank you," Bardi replied sincerely, his gratitude carrying a depth that only he truly understood.
Jenny, meanwhile, was overcome with emotion. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the red box. She looked at Bardi with such love and devotion that it seemed her heart might burst.
Bori nodded politely and turned to leave, heading toward Jenny's lab to examine the cells irradiated with infrared light. Bardi felt a pang of urgency, but he forced himself to remain composed.
The time for worry would come later. For now, his focus was on the moment at hand.
As Jenny pushed the wheelchair toward the elevator, her joy was palpable. Bardi could see it in her every movement, feel it in the way she handled him with care.
The elevator ride was smooth, the soldiers stationed at the checkpoints offering only routine questions before allowing them to pass. Jenny's credentials as a senior researcher granted her access to the upper levels, and they saw no reason to deny her.
As the elevator ascended, Bardi's thoughts were focused on the sunlight awaiting him. But as the doors opened, his heart sank.
Standing in front of them was Slade, his imposing figure blocking the exit.
Slade's sharp eyes swept over Jenny's vibrant dress before settling on Bardi. His expression was as unreadable as ever, his tone cold and direct.
"Where are you going?"
Chapter 19
Underground base, at the elevator.
The atmosphere froze as Slade stepped out of the elevator, his imposing figure blocking the path of Bardi's wheelchair.
"Where are you… going?" Slade asked coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping over Jenny's striking appearance before settling briefly on Bardi.
It wasn't a glare, nor was it a prolonged stare. It was the kind of dismissive glance one gives to something beneath notice, a mere formality to assess the subject of one's disdain.
Slade's eyes lowered, glancing down at Bardi in the wheelchair.
Paralyzed and immobile, Bardi was, by all accounts, harmless. And yet, Slade's intuition told him otherwise.
A spark of anger ignited within Bardi, rising to his throat before he suppressed it once more.
If not for the unfortunate circumstances of the spacecraft's explosion that had left him stranded and captured, no one would dare look at him like this. The sheer lack of respect from these people gnawed at him, particularly Slade.
Despite everything Bardi had contributed to the underground base, Slade's attitude remained unchanged. He saw Bardi only as a prisoner—a paralyzed, powerless prisoner and nothing more.
Slade's unyielding suspicion and obstructiveness infuriated Bardi. Without Slade, he would have been basking in the sun long ago.
But Bardi forced himself to remain composed. He could not afford to reveal even the faintest trace of his anger not in his blood pressure, his pulse, or even his microexpressions.
Jenny's cheerful face turned cold, her joy replaced with irritation. She stepped out from behind the wheelchair, her voice sharp and biting.
"Slade, I'm taking him to the surface for some sunlight. Do you have a problem with that?"
Her tone was as frosty as her expression. She had long despised Slade's treatment of Bardi, and his discriminatory attitude only fueled her disgust.
Slade, tall and broad-shouldered in his military uniform, stood like a stone pillar at the elevator entrance. His voice was firm and unyielding.
"As the security director of this base, I have the authority to restrict his movements," Slade said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "He is an alien, and he could still pose a danger. I cannot allow him to leave the fourth sublevel."
Jenny's body trembled with anger, her fingers curling into fists. Her knuckles whitened as she fought the urge to lash out physically. For a moment, it looked as though she might rip off her high heel and drive its pointed tip into Slade's face.
But before she could escalate the confrontation, Bardi intervened.
"Jenny," he said gently, his voice calm and reassuring. "Go check on the experiment with Bori. I'll speak with Colonel Slade."
Jenny hesitated but eventually relented. She stamped her high heel against the floor in frustration, shot Slade a glare that could pierce steel, and turned sharply on her heel.
"Hmph!" she huffed, storming off toward the lab.
Bardi watched her leave, her frustration evident in every step. He hoped Bori hadn't yet discovered the changes in his cells caused by the infrared light. If Bori realized the implications, his support would crumble, and Jenny's efforts would be for nothing.
As the sound of Jenny's footsteps faded, Bardi shifted his focus to Slade. From his position in the wheelchair, he had to tilt his head slightly to meet the man's gaze, his eyes locking onto Slade's impassive face.
"Colonel Slade," Bardi began, his tone neutral but probing, "may I ask why you're so terrified of me? Why do you remain so cautious, even toward someone as crippled as I am?"
Slade's gaze remained unwavering, but his silence spoke volumes.
"You're dangerous," Slade finally said, his voice low and measured. "My intuition tells me so."
Slade repeated the word "dangerous," as if reinforcing the gravity of his instincts. And though he couldn't fully explain why, he knew that Bardi posed a threat unlike any other.
Bardi let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Am I dangerous now? Look at me, Colonel. I can't even move my limbs. What threat could I possibly pose?"
For a fleeting moment, Slade's expression softened. A trace of hesitation, almost pity, flickered in his eyes before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
Pity.
It was something Bardi despised more than ridicule.
Sympathy from someone in a position of strength, directed at someone in weakness, was an insult masquerading as kindness. It was a reminder of the power imbalance, a condescending acknowledgment of the recipient's inferiority.
Bardi shook his head, his lips curving into a faint, bitter smile. "Colonel Slade," he said, "do you know why you fear me so much?"
Slade's silence invited him to continue.
"You fear me because of my faith," Bardi said, his voice growing stronger. "Because faith gives me strength. It gives me conviction. And that is something you will never understand, a will so resolute that nothing can break it."
Slade's brow furrowed slightly as Bardi's words settled over him.
"The sun," Bardi continued, his tone filled with passion, "represents life. Hope. Warmth. Light. Vitality. Prosperity. Renewal. A new beginning."
With each word, his voice grew more fervent, each syllable laden with meaning.
Slade's eyes narrowed, his instincts flaring. He had seen this kind of zeal before—in fanatics willing to sacrifice anything for their beliefs. Bardi's conviction radiated the same dangerous intensity.
"You fear me because of my will," Bardi said, his gaze piercing. "Not because of my strength, but because I am unwavering. That terrifies you because it's something you lack."
Slade's expression hardened. His instincts told him Bardi was right. It wasn't physical power that made him uneasy, it was the sheer force of Bardi's resolve.
"And that," Slade said coldly, "is exactly why I can't let you leave the fourth sublevel. You can marry Jenny here. I'll even arrange for a new room as your home."
Bardi's expression remained calm, but his tone carried an edge. "Colonel, I won't let you rob me of this. Let me bask in the sunlight. Let me wash away the past, renew myself, and start a life with Jenny. That is all I ask."
"No!" Slade's voice cut through the air like a blade, his frustration boiling to the surface. "You will stay here!"
For a moment, the two men locked eyes, the tension between them palpable.
Then, Bardi's voice softened. "Slade, do you know what it's like to have seen planets destroyed by star-destroying cannons? To witness alien races in the vastness of space? To stand at the edge of a black hole, staring into eternity?"
Slade's silence betrayed his discomfort.
"I've seen it all," Bardi said, his voice tinged with weariness. "And yet, here I am, falling in love with someone who looks just like me. That, Colonel, is the greatest gift I've been given. Don't take it away from me."
Before Slade could respond, rapid footsteps echoed from the corridor. Jenny and Dean Bori approached, their faces flushed with urgency.
"Slade!" Bori called out, grabbing the colonel's arm. His tone was breathless but excited. "Let them go to the surface. The gene serum—General Vic's project—it worked!"
Slade's eyes widened. "It worked?"
Bori nodded emphatically. "Yes! It's a success. We need to refine it, but it's ready. Let them go. It's just sunlight."
Slade hesitated, glancing at Bardi and then at the old scientist.
Bori tightened his grip. "There's no harm in letting them do this. You have no reason to stop them."
After a moment of tense silence, Slade finally relented. He ordered two soldiers to follow Bardi and Jenny for security and radioed the upper levels to raise their vigilance.
As Slade turned to follow Bori down the corridor, Bardi let out a small breath of relief.
Jenny pushed the wheelchair into the elevator, and as the doors slid shut, Bardi's gaze lingered on Slade's retreating figure until he disappeared from sight.
Chapter 20
Underground base.
"Colonel Slade, I don't understand you." Bori spoke quickly as he pulled Slade along the corridor. His wiry frame moved with surprising speed as he pressed his point. "Bardi has explained his planet's beliefs countless times, and yet you insist on stopping him. Are you trying to drive him to desperation? Do you really want him to die?"
Slade followed, his expression cold and stoic as he broke free of Dean Bori's grip. "I'll stop anything he tries to do," he replied flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.
It wasn't logic that drove Slade's decision, it was his unshakable intuition.
From the very beginning, he'd known there was more to Bardi than met the eye.
But why?
That was the part that eluded him, the part that gnawed at his mind like an itch he couldn't scratch. It wasn't something he could explain, and that made it all the more frustrating.
Bardi's unwavering belief, the way he spoke of the sun, his willpower, it was all too much for Slade to dismiss as mere eccentricity. It felt like something deeper, something dangerous.
Bori, flushed with frustration, turned to glare at Slade. "Do you even understand how valuable Bardi is to us? His worth isn't just in the knowledge locked away in his head! Jenny's experiment succeeded last night."
Slade's expression didn't shift, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Jenny managed to use the gene catalyst on his cells, combined with infrared light, to produce a working serum," Bori continued, his excitement palpable. "We have it—a real, functioning serum. All that remains is clinical testing, and I can promise you the results won't disappoint."
He paused for dramatic effect, his words hanging in the air like a challenge. "He cannot die. Fulfilling his religious belief is nothing compared to what we stand to gain. As long as he's alive, we'll have an endless supply of blood samples to work with."
Slade's sharp eyes flicked toward Bori, a flicker of understanding crossing his features. "I know," he said coolly. "That's why I've already stationed a fully equipped team on the surface and raised the base's alert level. The ground-level entry and exit points are sealed. No one's getting in or out. I've made sure of it."
Bori's expression softened slightly, though his irritation lingered.
"Since he claims to want a peaceful life with Jenny," Slade continued, his tone edged with skepticism, "then there should be no trouble."
Still, Slade's instincts screamed otherwise. He couldn't shake the unease that clung to him like a shadow.
"Colonel," Bori said, his tone softening into something more conciliatory, "your precautions are... thorough, as always. Perhaps overly so."
Slade said nothing.
They reached the door to Jenny's lab, and Bori pushed it open, revealing a room bathed in clinical white light. Inside, various pieces of advanced equipment stood neatly arranged, but all attention was drawn to the single test tube resting in the center of a workstation.
The tube contained a vivid red liquid, clear and gem-like.
It was the genetic serum.
Dean Bori's thin face lit up with childlike excitement as he moved closer to the workstation. "Look at this," he said breathlessly, his voice trembling with awe. "Jenny truly is a genius—a genius among geniuses."
Suddenly, a loud banging sound broke the quiet.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The noise came from a glass enclosure at the edge of the room. Inside, a white mouse, roughly the size of an adult's palm, was ramming itself violently against the glass, its red eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity.
Bori's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"This is the result of the serum," he explained, moving closer to the glass. "Before I came to find you, I injected the mouse with a small dose. The effects were almost instantaneous. Its body size has increased by at least fifty percent, and its strength has more than doubled."
Slade's eyes were locked on the mouse, his sharp features betraying a flicker of unease. "It looks... agitated. Are there side effects?"
Bori frowned but quickly dismissed the concern. "I'll run a test," he said, grabbing a syringe and approaching the enclosure. With practiced ease, he restrained the mouse, drawing a small sample of its blood.
Slade watched in silence as Bori moved to a nearby station and began analyzing the sample. The seconds stretched into minutes, the tension in the room thickening as the mouse continued to thrash against the glass.
Finally, Bori straightened, his face glowing with excitement. "The genes are completely stable," he announced triumphantly. "No signs of collapse. None of the issues we encountered in previous attempts. Jenny's gene catalyst worked, it stabilized the genetic structure perfectly."
He turned to Slade, his thin frame trembling with exhilaration. "Do you realize what this means? With this serum, we could replicate Bardi's physique, a body as strong as his, capable of lifting ten tons or more."
Slade's breath hitched. Ten tons.
For a moment, he let himself imagine it. If he had a body like Bardi's, with that kind of strength, would he still feel this gnawing sense of fear and inadequacy?
The thought was intoxicating.
Bori moved to a computer terminal, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he accessed Jenny's experimental records. The screen's glow reflected off his glasses, illuminating his face as he scanned the data.
"It's all here," he said, his voice brimming with admiration. "Jenny recorded everything, the exact procedure, the catalysts, the wavelengths of the infrared light. She even speculated that different wavelengths might produce different effects, potentially even superhuman abilities."
Slade's head snapped toward Dean Bori. "Superhuman abilities?"
The old man nodded, his excitement spilling over. "Yes! Imagine what we could achieve if we pushed this further. The possibilities are endless."
Slade's mind raced. He thought of Bardi, of the strange conviction in his eyes when he spoke of the sun. A chilling thought began to form.
"Do Bardi's cells respond to far-infrared light?" Slade asked, his voice low and deliberate.
Dean Bori paused, caught off guard. "Yes," he said slowly. "Far-infrared light, in the 4-14 micron range, is particularly effective. It promotes internal heat, expands microvessels, and stimulates circulation. The effect on Bardi's cells is even more pronounced."
Slade's jaw tightened. "And if his cells respond to infrared, could they also respond to the other rays of the sun?"
Dean Bori hesitated. "It's... possible. But we'd need to conduct further experiments to be sure."
Before Slade could respond, the walkie-talkie on his belt crackled to life with a burst of static.
Then came the scream.
A high-pitched, blood-curdling scream that echoed through the room, sending a chill down both men's spines.
Slade grabbed the walkie-talkie, his sharp instincts kicking in. "What's going on? Report!"
But there was no answer, only the sound of heavy breathing and distant chaos.