Chapter 761

Restaurant B was supposedly a cafeteria built for employees working underground. The facility’s blueprints cited two reasons for its existence: the inconvenience of traveling between floors and the need to protect operational secrecy by minimizing unnecessary movement in and out of the underground complex.

Naturally, the cafeteria offered a wide selection of delicious meals, along with indoor recreational facilities where employees could unwind after work.

According to the official documentation, it was the perfect example of the company’s commitment to employee welfare.

At least, that was what the blueprints claimed.

In reality, nobody would mistake this place for a restaurant. Anyone who could sit down and enjoy a meal after seeing what lay inside probably had some very unusual dietary preferences.

Restaurant B was, in truth, Moira’s personal exhibition hall for her bioweapon research.

The enormous chamber was dimly lit, its cavernous interior lined with row upon row of towering biological containment tanks. Inside them floated the fruits of Moira’s research, preserved in nutrient-rich fluid.

Moira herself stood before one of the tanks, making meticulous notes.

Unless something demanded her attention at the Black Chapter, she spent most of her days either conducting experiments in the laboratory or tending to her creations here.

When she noticed Evenson and the others entering, she immediately approached them.

The Eredar Twins dispensed with the pleasantries.

"How are the specimens coming along?"

"Final adjustments are nearly complete," Moira replied with a nod. "Everything has met our expectations so far. Theoretically, at least."

She paused before continuing.

"They haven’t been tested in actual combat. Until they’ve been exposed to real battlefield conditions, I can’t guarantee they’ll perform as expected. Science requires practical verification, after all. And plenty of it."

"A very sensible answer." Evenson nodded approvingly.

That was the attitude a proper scientist needed: enthusiasm tempered by evidence, ambition restrained by a willingness to acknowledge uncertainty.

He approached one of the containment tanks and examined its occupant.

The creature inside was a massive humanoid, standing roughly three meters tall. Its skin was an ashen gray, and its completely bald head matched the rest of its hairless body. Every muscle bulged beneath its skin, yet its proportions were remarkably balanced. There was no excessive bulk or awkward distortion. Its physique possessed an almost sculpted perfection.

Evenson circled the tank, studying it from different angles, but couldn’t determine its sex. The creature possessed no discernible sexual characteristics whatsoever.

Apparently, it was an agender organism.

"A Fel-corrupted human, huh?"

The specimen’s eyes were closed. Its stern, chiseled features remained motionless as it floated in the nutrient fluid, dozens of tubes connected to its body. It appeared to be in a dormant state.

When Evenson moved behind the tank, however, he spotted something familiar.

A series of hard, bony spikes protruded through the skin along the creature’s spine. They were subtle enough to escape notice at first glance, but unmistakable once seen. The tips carried a faint green glow.

Evenson remembered the first generation of Fel-corrupted humans he had created using the blood of Hailermondas.

Those creatures had been little more than grotesque monsters, their bodies twisted into barely recognizable shapes.

This specimen was different.

It resembled a giant fashioned by the gods of mythology, a being whose monstrous strength had been tempered by a craftsman’s hand.

"Impressive," Moira said with a pleased smile. "Your original idea for creating Fel-corrupted humans was remarkably innovative. It would have been a waste to abandon it."

"BOWs," Evenson said, turning toward her. "Biological weapons. The single most important requirement for any organic weapon is controllability."

He gestured toward the towering specimen.

"The original Fel-corrupted humans had none. They were monsters through and through. Some were completely uncontrollable, while others teetered on the brink of losing their minds. A little stimulation was enough to send them into a berserk frenzy, attacking anything in reach without distinguishing friend from foe."

His expression sharpened.

"Have you solved that problem? Because if you haven’t, these things aren’t proper BOWs. They’re liabilities, and liabilities have very little value on a battlefield."

"Of course." Moira nodded firmly. "The overall project builds on your original concept, but I’ve made extensive scientific adjustments and improvements."

She turned toward the Eredar Twins and bowed deeply.

"First, these specimens have received only a tiny amount of Fel energy. Their intake is probably less than one-fiftieth of what you used in your earliest prototypes."

Her gaze lingered respectfully on the two women.

"Which brings me to an important acknowledgment. I owe our mistresses a great deal of gratitude for generously providing this extraordinary power."

"It’s nothing worth mentioning," Aluseseth replied, casually waving a hand.

The amount of Fel energy they had contributed to the project was insignificant to them.

"Please, continue."

"As you wish."

Moira straightened.

"Although the specimens have received very little Fel energy, the corruption began when they consisted of only a single cell. Their earliest stage of development was already intertwined with Fel energy. It wasn’t something introduced into a fully developed organism. It became part of their biological foundation."

She continued with the quiet satisfaction of a researcher explaining a particularly elegant solution.

"During their accelerated growth, I also incorporated a diluted version of Nadia’s specialized blood serum. The serum acted as a stabilizing agent, preventing the worst side effects of Fel corruption."

"The result is that they retain the tremendous physical power granted by Fel energy without suffering the grotesque mutations that plagued your original creations. What you see before you is the final result: a relatively stable, physically optimized organism."

"Relatively stable," Evenson repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Moira ignored the remark and moved to a metal cabinet beside the containment tank.

"There are additional safeguards."

She entered a few commands on the control panel. The cabinet opened, revealing a long black coat.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary piece of clothing, albeit one with an unusually long hem. The interior told a very different story. Intricate mechanical components lined the fabric, and two rows of sharp needles were mounted along the back.

Judging by their positioning, the needles were designed to penetrate the wearer’s spine and interface directly with its nervous system.

"These devices suppress neural activity and inhibit negative emotional responses," Moira explained. "If a specimen begins displaying signs of instability, the restraint system can prevent its condition from escalating."

Evenson nodded.

That was the mark of a competent scientist: one solution backed by another, with contingencies waiting behind the contingencies.

He glanced back at the specimen.

"Now, what did you use as the biological foundation? You said the Fel corruption began at the single-cell stage. What kind of cell was it? A genetically engineered human cell?"

"Asgardian."

Evenson stared at her.

"Asgardian?"

For a moment, he wondered whether he had misheard.

"Who?"

"Originally, I intended to select a group of physically powerful humans for the experiments," Moira explained. "I was considering Russians in particular. I even asked Natalia whether she could persuade her father to arrange a supply of physically robust Russian death-row inmates."

She shook her head.

"Unfortunately, that approach proved unnecessarily complicated. Fortunately, our generous mistresses provided me with something far more valuable: an experimental subject that had been sitting unused for quite some time."

Her eyes brightened with excitement.

"After the Thor incident, one of our mistresses personally traveled to Spain and captured an Asgardian deserter named Elliot Randolph."

"Oh. Right."

Recognition dawned on Evenson’s face.

He had supplied the intelligence that led to Randolph’s capture. Afterward, the deserter had been transferred to the underground hive beneath the Evernight Grand Monastery, located in the suburbs outside the city.

At the time, they hadn’t had a suitable researcher to examine him, so Randolph had been left in cold storage.

Evenson had nearly forgotten the man existed.

"Although Randolph is a relatively low-ranking Asgardian, and a former member of the Berserker army, his background is rather ordinary. He was a stonemason before becoming a soldier."

Moira glanced toward the specimen tank.

"Even so, his physiology is vastly superior to that of an ordinary human."

She could barely contain her excitement.

"Essentially, these biological weapons are clones of that deserter."

There were plenty of biologists on Earth who conducted horrific experiments in pursuit of scientific advancement. But how many could claim to have dissected the secrets of a being once worshipped as a god?

Moira could.

And her opportunities had only grown richer since Randolph’s arrival.

Along with the Asgardian, the organization had begun transferring large numbers of Chitauri humanoid corpses from the hive. These were the remains that had been concealed after the Battle of New York, and they were now arriving at the facility one shipment at a time.

For a scientist, experimental material was the most precious resource imaginable.

With these specimens at her disposal, Moira believed humanity’s biological evolution was on the verge of a monumental breakthrough.

"Actually," Evenson said thoughtfully, "we have access to a higher-grade Asgardian, don’t we? I brought one back just a few days ago."

He snapped his fingers as he remembered.

"The Valkyrie named Sigrun. I don’t know exactly how she ranks among Asgardians, but she served in the Valkyries, one of Asgard’s elite military formations. Surely she’d be a better source of material than a stonemason who happened to serve in the army. As long as you don’t go overboard, you could extract a few cells for your research."

Moira’s enthusiasm faded.

"Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work. I’ve heard that the Valkyrie was resurrected through your necromancy. Technically, she’s dead. And to give her the lifelike state she currently enjoys, you infused her body with a substantial quantity of Fel-corrupted blood."

She hesitated before elaborating.

"Her cells have been altered by the interaction of those different energies. They are no longer biologically pure, making them unsuitable for this particular line of research."

"What a shame."

Evenson pursed his lips, disappointed.

Then another thought occurred to him.

"By the way, where is she now? She’s still here, isn’t she?"

"We’ve arranged accommodations for her in this building," Aluseseth replied.

Then her expression cooled.

"Why? What exactly are you planning to do with her?"

"Nothing terrible." Evenson shrugged. "We can’t afford to keep a perfectly capable person around doing nothing."

He turned to Moira.

"Assign her to the Black Chapter. Once she’s learned the rules and procedures, put her on field operations."

He paused, then added with a perfectly straight face, "And one more thing. If she doesn’t ask about it herself, don’t tell her that paid employment is a thing on Earth."

Moira’s mouth twitched.

"Understood."

Internally, she had several objections.

First, Sigrun had been a soldier. Had Odin really run his army without paying his troops? Was Evenson assuming Asgardian military service consisted entirely of volunteering for the privilege of being stabbed?

Second, and considerably more importantly, when exactly did Moira intend to receive her own overdue wages?

She kept both questions to herself.

"By the way," Evenson said, apparently remembering something, "have you named these BOWs yet?"

"Of course," Moira began automatically.

Then she noticed the expression on his face.

His eyes were practically glowing with anticipation.

Moira paused.

"Not yet," she corrected herself. "Perhaps you’d like to name them?"

"Tyrants."

The instant the word left his mouth, Evenson felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Biological weapons needed a certain classic model, and the Tyrant was practically an institution. He had used that name before, of course, but that was no reason not to bring it back.

"That’s the designation for this model," he continued. "The T-002. Classic edition."

"Very well." Moira nodded.

As it happened, the mistress had considered the same name. Apparently, they shared more than a few ideas about biological weapon design.

Evenson studied the specimen again, reaching out with his senses to probe the creature’s interior.

Something was missing.

"There are no souls in these things, are there?"

"None whatsoever," Moira confirmed. "Strictly speaking, they barely qualify as living organisms. They’re weapons made from flesh and blood. Nothing more."

"I see."

Evenson thought of the Abominations employed by the Scourge.

"How intelligent are they? Please tell me they aren’t mindless idiots whose only ambition in life is to eat meat."

"They aren’t quite that limited," Moira replied, though her expression suggested she wasn’t entirely pleased with the results. "They can distinguish friend from foe, operate weapons, and follow simple commands. But their capabilities don’t extend much beyond that."

"That’s disappointing."

Evenson frowned.

They sounded only marginally more sophisticated than Abominations.

"Then they can’t coordinate their attacks effectively."

"Not on their own," Moira said with a smile. "Which is why we’ve prepared this."

She pointed toward another section of the chamber.

Partially concealed behind the towering Tyrant tanks stood a much smaller containment unit. It was easy to overlook beside the enormous specimens surrounding it.

Evenson approached.

Inside floated a woman.

Unlike the Tyrants, she possessed an entirely normal human appearance. Her features even bore a striking resemblance to Nadia.

But that wasn’t what caught Evenson’s attention most.

He could sense a soul within her.

"This specimen was created by combining one of Nadia’s ova with genetic material from the Asgardian deserter," Moira explained. "Like the Tyrants, she underwent Fel-induced accelerated development. However, due to Nadia’s unusual physiology, she hasn’t suffered any visible physical mutations."

Moira gestured toward the woman.

"Her physical strength is inferior to that of a Tyrant, but she’s considerably more agile. She’s also developed telekinetic abilities. According to my tests, she can disassemble a car with nothing more than her thoughts."

Evenson raised an eyebrow.

That was certainly useful.

"But her telekinesis isn’t her most important feature," Moira continued. "She’s connected to the Tyrants through a form of hive mind."

Her smile widened.

"Think of her as a queen bee. The Tyrants obey her commands and follow her instructions. She functions as their central control unit."

Evenson looked from the woman to the surrounding tanks, beginning to understand.

"One of these specialized organisms can control as many as thirty Tyrants. Under her direction, they can coordinate their movements and attacks without communicating through any conventional means."

Moira spoke with growing confidence.

"Their coordination will surpass that of even elite special forces units with years of combat experience. After all, those soldiers must communicate, interpret orders, and react to one another. The Tyrants don’t need any of that. They share a single mind."

"Now that’s impressive," Evenson said, genuinely admiring the design.

A force that literally thought with one mind. There was something wonderfully efficient about it.

He glanced at the woman floating in the tank.

"Then her name will be Nemesis."

He nodded once, as if the matter had been settled by some higher authority.

"Decision made."

Moira’s lips twitched again.

"Whatever you say."

The Black Chapter’s newest biological weapons had their names.

And somewhere in a containment tank, a new queen awaited the moment she would command her army.