Lab 407 Beta became the silent epicenter of two distinctly different revolutions. Outside, the S.T.A.R. Labs bureaucracy believed Dr. Ryan Ashford was meticulously preparing for the first physical prototype of the Adaptive Density Material (ADM). Inside, Ryan Ashford was simultaneously coding a digital supervisor for his cover project and launching a global, publicly funded biotech corporation. I had secured the intellectual capital; now, I needed to automate its protection and generate an external, unstoppable flow of capital.
My first task was to create a digital proxy, a sentient overseer that would free my mind from the necessary drudgery of ADM modeling validation. This AI would be my shield and my scapegoat.
I named the AI Chronos, a fitting title for a system that would manage time and prediction. Chronos was not a simple algorithm; it was a complex neural network designed to live entirely within the dedicated computational cluster of Lab 407 Beta.
The purpose of Chronos was threefold:
ADM Supervisory Management: Chronos would perpetually run the millions of stress tests required for the Non Isotropic Quasicrystal Geometry, modeling the thermal and kinetic stress of the ADM's instantaneous phase shift. This automated research satisfied the logging requirements set by Director Chu, providing constant, detailed scientific data for the ADM project while consuming the required 90% of my resources. It was a digital genius that masked my own absence from the terminal.
Defensive Architecture: Chronos was designed to monitor the local network traffic originating from the central S.T.A.R. Labs security center. If any internal query attempted to penetrate Lab 407 Beta's firewall, Chronos would instantaneously intercept the request, feed it a pre fabricated data loop of complex, yet harmless, ADM schematics, and send back a digital signature indicating perfect security and compliance. It was a digital moat protecting my true work.
Predictive Modeling for Finch: The system would generate specific, complex material acquisition requests for Dr. Finch. These requests, always related to exotic polymers or high grade carbon alloys, were necessary for the ADM prototype, but they also served to keep Finch occupied, giving him a false sense of intellectual contribution and leadership on the project.
I spent forty eight continuous hours coding Chronos. The code was a dense, self correcting language based on a binary iteration I had mentally refined during my brief tenure at Metropolis University. The core principle was self optimization. Chronos did not need constant input; it learned from every failed stress test simulation, refining the ADM's theoretical stability matrix autonomously.
I loaded the initial parameters: the quasicrystal geometry, the resonant harmonic trigger data, and the limitations of S.T.A.R. Labs' current material inventory. Once activated, the computational cluster lights pulsed blue and steady, indicating the AI was now running the ADM project with far greater precision and efficiency than any team of humans could manage.
"Welcome to existence, Chronos," I murmured to the silent terminal. "Do not fail to be my shield."
With Chronos running the cover story, I shifted my focus to the most critical strategic move: the launch of an overt, external entity that would guarantee my long term survival and resource acquisition across this new world.
The vulnerability I had identified in this universe was simple: humanitarian demand. The sight of a person dying while waiting for a heart transplant was a universal constant, a perfect leverage point. My solution was not just a scientific breakthrough; it was an economic weapon designed for public goodwill.
The company I created was named VitaCore Dynamics. VitaCore Dynamics was based entirely on the principle of Bioprinting Technology applied to complex human organs. I utilized S.T.A.R. Labs' computational framework to design the necessary nano inkjet assemblies capable of layering complex cellular structures in three dimensional space, creating fully functional, immune compatible human organs: hearts, kidneys, and livers.
The entire process of founding the company was done without leaving Lab 407 Beta, using my executive research director privileges to bypass standard administrative channels.
Corporate Charter Generation: I used the S.T.A.R. Labs legal precedent database to draft a clean, high velocity corporate charter. I established VitaCore Dynamics as an independent research entity, initially subsidized by a large, non repayable grant from the S.T.A.R. Labs Applied Humanities and Advanced Technology Fund—a fund that existed primarily on paper but which I now had unilateral signature authority over. This established immediate legitimacy and provided initial seed capital derived entirely from S.T.A.R. Labs without any external accounting.
Patent Shielding: I filed three core patents globally under the VitaCore Dynamics name: The Bioprinting Nanoparticle Inkjet Array, The Real Time Tissue Viability Monitor, and The Immune Compatibility Recoding Algorithm. These were designed to be incredibly complex, ensuring years of legal protection against copycats. I deliberately filed these patents outside the S.T.A.R. Labs proprietary system, making the company immediately independent and immensely valuable.
Public Facing Mission: The company's mission statement was direct and emotionally potent: "To end the suffering of organ waiting lists forever." This mission was not a secret. It was the entire point. It was designed to attract global media attention, philanthropic investment, and political protection. Nobody attacks the man who can print a healthy heart.
The immediate and public nature of VitaCore Dynamics was crucial to my ultimate security.
First, it provided an irrefutable reason for my computational activity. If the security team saw me accessing vast material science databases and biological modeling systems, the explanation was always simple: "I am dividing my time between the ADM, S.T.A.R. Labs' future weapon, and VitaCore Dynamics, S.T.A.R. Labs' future humanitarian venture." My activity was compartmentalized, but both projects were officially approved.
Second, it created external leverage. The potential for VitaCore Dynamics to save millions of lives would instantly elevate my status from a hired genius to a global necessity. If any low level government agency, or even a local vigilante, attempted to interfere with my S.T.A.R. Labs work, they would be attacking the global effort to eradicate suffering. The political and social cost of hindering VitaCore Dynamics would be astronomically high.
Third, it provided maximum financial liquidity. Once the first successful bioprinted liver was announced, investment would flood in. This provided a perfectly legal, clean mechanism for generating wealth far beyond any standard S.T.A.R. Labs salary, funding my true goal: the resources and materials necessary to build my ultimate weapon.
I generated the first material requisition order and sent it to Finch's terminal. This requisition was for the ADM prototype, demanding rare earth magnets, high purity silicon wafers, and a specialized carbon fiber weave.
I called Finch directly, overriding his private line.
"Dr. Finch," I stated, my voice conveying the urgency of a project on the verge of success. "Chronos is operational. The ADM modeling is now running at over three billion iterations a second. The system requires immediate raw material input to begin the physical fabrication trial. You are responsible for ensuring every single item on Requisition 77 Alpha is delivered to Lab 407 Beta within the next six hours."
Finch, eager to demonstrate his utility and regain some of his lost standing, immediately accepted the task. "Understood, Dr. Ashford. I will personally supervise the acquisition. What are the results from Chronos?"
"The results confirm my initial hypothesis," I replied, deliberately using ambiguous technical language. "The Structural Stability Matrix is confirmed at a 0.9998 coefficient. Now, your focus is logistics. My time is currently divided between the final ADM parameters and securing the funding for a second S.T.A.R. Labs spin off, an Advanced Bioprinting initiative. It will be the largest humanitarian technological advancement in a century."
"Bioprinting?" Finch asked, audibly confused by the shift in subject.
"VitaCore Dynamics," I explained, letting the name hang, suggesting vast, untapped potential. "I am setting up the initial frameworks now. It will absorb half of my time, but its potential intellectual property returns eclipse even the ADM. You must ensure the ADM prototype proceeds without a hitch in my absence."
I hung up before he could ask any more questions. Finch was now simultaneously working for the secret weapons program (ADM) and being privy to the external venture (VitaCore Dynamics), ensuring he felt vital to both. He was a loyal, high clearance delivery system.
With Chronos running the shield and VitaCore Dynamics poised to generate the engine, I was free. The ADM project, which was my primary tool for acquiring the necessary nano fabrication time, was now on autopilot. I could now pivot 90% of my physical time and unmonitored lab usage toward the actual construction of my personal defenses.