Chapter 205: Mother Box Acquired!
Inside the Red Room
The base had a deceptively ordinary exterior but was under tight internal security. There were no fewer than thirteen security doors.
Past the security corridors were narrow inspection channels where body composition, blood type, fingerprints, voice, and irises all had to be scanned until full identity confirmation was established. Only then would the steel alloy blast door slowly slide open.
It was already 11 p.m., and there were still quite a few personnel working in the labs. Jack Harvey was the FBI Director and the base manager. Upon his arrival, the staff saluted, then cast curious glances at Luke.
A boy of seventeen or eighteen? Could he be the Director's relative?
Though suspicious, no one questioned it. The two continued inward, passing through laboratories and residential quarters until they reached the innermost Storage Room.
The vault door opened to reveal a large area filled with distinctively shaped specialized equipment. These were alien relics that the FBI had collected from around the world, including both scientific facilities and military hardware.
Luke casually surveyed the area, then walked to the right-hand corner and pointed at a pile of silver metal scrap.
"These materials are mine."
Jack Harvey didn't object. The silver metal was Promethium, known for its excellent ductility and its ability to absorb and generate energy. Its major drawback was its instability; it could explode if not handled carefully, causing significant casualties at the base.
The Storage Room had a secret door. Passing through it and four more layers of security, the two arrived at a small, sealed vault.
Inside the vault were three objects: a weapon that looked suspiciously like a gun, a circular object emitting a purple glow, and a metallic cube with a black, opaque surface.
The Mother Box!
Luke's heart pounded. He walked up to the cube. Simultaneously, Ava, hidden in his wristwatch, activated and began scanning the cube's properties.
Mysterious Cube
Material: Unknown
Density: Unknown (constantly fluctuating)
Volume: 43cm outer width, 38cm inner width.
Other Information: Cannot be obtained.
Luke took out his alloy dagger and slashed heavily across the surface.
Bang!
The blade shattered, but the cube showed no indentation whatsoever.
"It really is it." Luke's expression was ecstatic, unable to conceal his excitement.
The Mother Box!
This was an Apokoliptian energy crystal, representing the highest technology in the DC Universe.
Its abilities were vast: beyond the basic Boom Tube creation, it could alter regional gravitational constants, sense danger, create life, generate force fields, arrange molecular structure, absorb energy, produce shockwaves, establish electronic networks, facilitate telepathy, act as a super-AI, control mechanical lifeforms, and so on.
When Steppenwolf and his Parademon army invaded Earth, they were defeated by a unified army of the three races. The Mother Box was one of the trophies seized (though Steppenwolf might have deliberately left it behind with the intention of returning).
There are three Mother Boxes: one guarded by the Amazons on Themyscira, one deep in the ocean belonging to the Atlanteans, and the last one was passed through various human nations, captured by Germany in the early 20th century, and somehow became an FBI collection after World War II.
"From this moment on, you are mine," Luke thought to himself. Reflecting on how he acquired it, he couldn't help but marvel: Politics truly is a powerful tool. In its presence, even the mightiest artifacts become mere bargaining chips.
"Director Harvey, package this up, along with the metal scrap outside. I'm taking them now."
The old man's face was grim. He glared fiercely at Luke for a long time before finally waving his hand. Two guards stepped forward and cautiously placed the Mother Box into a case.
"Kid, don't forget what you promised me."
"Don't worry. The moment I leave the base, an email will appear in your inbox. It will detail the alien's origin, background, personality, superpowers, and so on. With this, you can make targeted deployments. It won't be difficult for the FBI to catch him. As for the cult..."
Luke paused deliberately, and under the old man's ugly expression, he slowly continued,
"Three days from now, 8 a.m., Green Lamb Town. Have your people wait for me at the town bar."
"Why three days?"
"I need time to prepare, don't I?"
Luke shrugged, took the case from the guard, and started walking out.
The Promethium scrap was loaded into wooden crates to be transported out. The group moved swiftly, leaving the lab. Once outside the base gate, Luke stuffed everything into a Hummer.
"Director, you don't mind if I borrow your Hummer, do you?"
Jack Harvey's face was dark. For some reason, he suddenly regretted the decision. The Box must be far more important than he imagined. Otherwise, given Luke Shaw's stingy and cunning nature, he wouldn't have been so generous—offering alien intel and agreeing to risk himself in a primeval forest.
No, I can't let him get away with this so easily.
Just as Jack was about to speak, Luke stepped on the gas. The Hummer roared, sped out of the junction, and vanished into the night at extreme speed.
The Deputy Director noticed the old man's hesitation and whispered,
"Should we stop him?"
Jack shook his head silently. "The email?"
"It's already been sent. The details are quite thorough."
The old man beckoned, calling a soldier closer, and instructed him in a low voice,
"Send two vehicles to follow him and monitor him closely. Remember, do not let him spot you."
The soldier nodded. "Understood."
Two Hummers departed the base, vanishing into the night, only to return a moment later.
Jack Harvey's face turned ugly.
"What happened? I told you to follow him."
The soldier explained, "The car is empty. The boy and the items are gone. We only found this on the seat."
The soldier stepped forward, presenting a silver-metal-wrapped tracking device.
"Bastard!"
The old man grabbed the tracker and slammed it to the ground. The tracker was a trap he had set as a precaution, but it had been discovered before it was even activated.
Damn Asian, how many secrets are you hiding?
The people around him exchanged bewildered glances. They were puzzled too. Only a few minutes had passed, yet the youth and the car's contents had completely vanished. They searched the surrounding area and found no sign of him. Could he fly or teleport?
The Deputy Director suggested, "Perhaps... we should arrest him."
Jack waved his hand. If he could arrest him, he would have done so already. Why wait until now? The boy held too many cards, backed by the Hongmen. A head-on confrontation could easily cost him his life.
He was only sixty-five; he had plenty of time to enjoy his life and didn't want to end up in a coffin so soon.
"Notify the Department of Extranormal Operations. Initiate the Greenwood Plan. And remember, this time, Emily will lead the team."
The Deputy Director nodded.
"I will arrange it right now."
At the speed of the Phantom Armor, it didn't take long to get from Arizona to Coast City. Luke returned to Sector Two Base before the midnight bell tolled.
He tossed the metal scrap aside and headed straight for the Research Lab with the case.
Lights flickered on, illuminating the lab filled with various scientific equipment. Luke took out the Mother Box, carefully placed it on a testing platform, and as blue energy flowed around it, the Box was lifted slowly into the air.
"Ava!"
"I am here, Young Master."
"Start the Permeability Scanner. Begin from the outermost layer. I need its elemental map and energy architecture."
"The cube is surrounded by a solid energy barrier. It will be difficult to penetrate."
"That's fine," Luke said, crossing his arms, his face filled with expectation. "I have time. I can wait."
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