home

search

Chapter 14: Nick Furys Dilemma part 2

  "You've become a magician now?" Coulson joked, letting out a laugh.

  Spike ignored him and touched the bracelet with his other hand, making a small screen appear in the air.

  [Storage (2/60)]

  Unnamed Ship

  Blue Ballpoint Pen

  "As you can see, it's possible to store almost any item inside. The bracelet works based on 'willpower.' You need to want to store something while touching the object with your hands," Spike explained. "Since this item seemed to have strategic importance, I kept it as confidential as possible. That's why it wasn’t included in any of the analyses you've seen so far."

  Nick felt slightly satisfied with Spike’s decision.

  'No wonder he's one of the best Level 8 agents,' Fury thought.

  "I should assume that, besides us, only the two other agents who received the reward know about this, correct?" Nick asked, not taking his eyes off the bracelets.

  "Yes, sir," Spike replied firmly. "I made the confidentiality of the matter very clear and also assigned three agents to monitor them discreetly."

  "Well done," Fury said, approving the action.

  He picked up one of the bracelets and put it on his wrist. To test it, he used the bracelet to store the other one, watching it disappear instantly.

  "That was the superficial analysis," Fury said, turning his gaze back to the screen. "Now, show me the technical analysis."

  "Of course, sir," Spike replied.

  He then opened another file, but this time, he had to enter two passwords before accessing the content.

  [Unnamed Ship

  Note: The Navigation Manual contains only basic information about the ship’s operation and does not provide enough technical details to replicate its technology. Below is the technical analysis of the systems we have managed to investigate so far.

  1st - Ultra-Advanced Navigation System with AI

  Description: The ship is equipped with a navigation system that utilizes a high-level artificial intelligence, capable of performing automatic stellar calculations and providing precise routes. The system has a detailed map of the solar system and can accurately identify any planet and its characteristics. It also calculates estimated travel time based on the ship’s maximum speed.

  Note: We tested the estimated time to reach Mars. The result was 12 days and 3 hours, suggesting that the ship can reach up to 0.073% of the speed of light.

  Observation: Many details about how the AI operates were omitted. It is recommended that Director Nick Fury personally review it.

  2nd - XN21 Semi-Self-Sustaining Life Support System

  Description: This highly advanced system converts internal carbon dioxide and humidity into oxygen semi-automatically, regulating the ship’s atmosphere according to the crew’s needs. There is also a set of emergency oxygen tanks sufficient to sustain the crew for up to six months.

  Note: The system appears efficient for long space travels, maintaining the ship's sustainability.

  Observation: The full operation and materials used for the life support system still require further investigation.

  3rd - Advanced Omnidirectional Ionic Propulsion System

  Description: The ship is equipped with next-generation ionic thrusters that allow omnidirectional movement. They provide up to 7 megatons of power, which would normally be devastating, but the manual states that the thrusters do not cause damage to the surrounding area.

  Observation: Simulation tests showed results consistent with the manual’s descriptions. However, it was not possible to verify how the energy dissipation occurs without causing destruction.

  4th - Anti-Gravity System

  Description: The ship has an artificial gravity system that remains constant, even under atmospheric variations or in the vacuum of space. The gravitational field is automatically adjusted to ensure comfort and safety onboard.

  Observation: The system has not been tested in real operation for obvious reasons.

  5th - Ultra-Resistant Composite Metal Hull

  Description: The ship’s hull is made of an unknown composite metal, highly resistant to physical impacts and space radiation. It outperformed reinforced titanium by over 420% in resistance tests. The metal also offers extremely high resistance against radiation.

  Observation: The hull material has not yet been identified. A deep analysis is recommended to discover its exact composition and potential military applications.

  6th - Defense System

  Description: The ship has two main defense systems:

  1. A powerful virtual lock capable of preventing any hacking attempts. So far, all attempts to hack the ship have failed.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  2. The hull integrity is strong enough to withstand meteor collisions without visible damage.

  Observation: Although the manual mentions the hull’s superior resistance, the exact material used in its construction has not been identified.

  7th - Radial Containment Field

  Description: The radial containment field generates an invisible barrier around the ship, serving as an additional layer of protection against cosmic radiation and external threats.

  Observation: The field was activated in a simulation and functioned as expected, but real-world tests are necessary to verify its effectiveness in high-radiation environments.

  8th - Advanced Space Suit

  Description: The ship is equipped with 5 sets of 3 advanced space suits made of highly resistant material. These suits offer extra armor against attacks and harsh conditions. They also automatically adjust to gravitational variations and have elasticity that conforms to the user’s body, providing full mobility in any environment.

  Observation: The suits have only been superficially analyzed and have not been tested in real combat conditions or high-radiation environments.

  9th - Sanitary System

  Description: The ship’s sanitation system is compact and highly efficient. It recycles carbon waste and transforms it into oxygen, with the remaining waste being disposed of cleanly.

  Observation: The recycling technology is advanced and provides a sustainable solution for prolonged space travel, but it still requires a detailed investigation.

  10th - Emergency Teleportation System

  Description: If the ship’s structural integrity reaches a critical level, the emergency teleportation system will automatically activate, teleporting all crew members back to the ship’s origin point. The manual states that teleportation occurs regardless of the ship’s location.

  Observation: The system has not been fully tested, and the exact method of how teleportation works remains unknown. It was not possible to determine whether magical elements are involved, as indicated in the manual.

  End of analysis]

  "Reaching Mars in 12 days?" Maria was shocked. "0.073% of the speed of light? Is that even possible?"

  "Yes, for small objects," Spike replied. "But for a spaceship, it should be impossible."

  "Apparently, it’s not," Fury said. "I noticed there are no weapon systems."

  Traveling into space with an unarmed spaceship is the same as walking into a jungle empty-handed.

  Fury knows very well the dangers that space presents, and he's not too eager to explore the vastness—at least not without some powerful weapons on board.

  "I guess the Marveler doesn't care about weapons..." That was Spike's guess.

  "Just like billionaires don't care about diamonds... They can have them whenever they want." Fury added.

  "Another thing I left out of the report is that there's a private communication network for spaceships." Spike revealed.

  "A private network?"

  "Yes. You need the other ship’s communication code to send an invitation. Once both accept, basic functions are unlocked, such as video calls, mutual ship status verification, and real-time location tracking. By the way, both ships are already connected."

  "Sounds like a social network." Coulson remarked.

  Nick Fury remained silent for a moment before asking, "Anything else?"

  "Actually, yes." Spike then continued, "Throughout Outer Wilds, we found some things that were a bit off-theme."

  "Go on."

  "Of course. I prepared a full report on it."

  [Tombs of the Forgotten]

  Resting place of the members and allies of the Howling Commandos.

  Inside the starting village, Timber Hearth, there's a cemetery with the graves of the team members led by Captain America, Steve Rogers.

  Each gravestone has a simple inscription with the name, birth date, and death date.

  However, the gravestones of Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Peggy Carter contain information that can only be found in S.H.I.E.L.D. files.

  The strangest part is that the graves of Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Peggy Carter are open and empty.

  "As a Level 8 agent, I know that former Director Peggy Carter is still alive. And if we judge symbolically, the Marveler is insinuating that Captain America and Sergeant Bucky Barnes are still alive." Spike concluded.

  In truth, he didn’t really believe that. But he had heard that Howard Stark spent a good part of his life searching for Captain America, convinced that he was still alive. That was enough to make him doubt.

  "Captain... alive?" Coulson asked in disbelief, though he couldn't completely hide his excitement.

  Maria Hill also felt a strange sensation. She had grown up hearing stories of how the Captain heroically saved the world, and now there was a chance he was still alive.

  Nick Fury fell into deep thought. Unlike the others, he already knew that Bucky Barnes was alive—he had seen the footage of Howard Stark's murder, where Bucky was the killer.

  If the Captain really was alive, the next question was: How does the Marveler know this?

  But regardless, Fury made his decision.

  "After this meeting, we need to reassess Captain America's death."

  He was already planning to send a search team to the Atlantic Ocean once the meeting ended.

  "...," Spike hesitated before moving on. "Next."

  [Strange Hammer at Feldspar’s Camp]

  Inside the planet Dark Bramble, at Feldspar’s makeshift camp within the skeleton of a dead anglerfish, there is a hammer made of an unknown material.

  Engraved on the hammer is the phrase: 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor!'

  The hammer is impossible to lift—every agent who tried to pick it up failed.

  "Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Maria repeated, then added, "I remember Dr. Marveler mentioning something about Thor’s hammer being real."

  "He said, 'As real as Thor’s hammer' when I asked about the rewards." Fury recalled.

  "Does that mean Thor exists?" Spike asked.

  "I don’t know."

  There have been too many things I don’t know lately. I don’t like it. Fury thought.

  "There's one more thing..." Spike started to speak but was interrupted by a rapid and urgent knock on the door.

  Whoever was on the other side seemed to be in a hurry.

  "Come in!" Fury shouted without hesitation.

  A woman rushed in, out of breath, as if she had run all the way there.

  "Director, Secretary of Defense Alexander Pierce is requesting your presence in the conference room immediately. He said it's a matter of extreme urgency!" She finally caught her breath after delivering the message.

  "Extreme urgency?"

  Fury frowned. Alexander rarely used the words extreme and urgency in the same sentence, which immediately made Fury realize the problem could be much bigger than it seemed.

  "Alright, you're all dismissed." He said, already preparing to leave.

  Without wasting time, Fury walked quickly toward the conference room. As he entered, he saw only one screen active, displaying Alexander Pierce’s concerned face.

  "Things aren’t looking good, Nick." Alexander began, getting straight to the point.

  Fury stepped up to the table in front of the screen and sat down, crossing his arms.

  "Now tell me—what exactly isn't looking good?"

  "Your plan to use the government against the Marveler."

  Nick was momentarily stunned.

  "What happened?"

  "We received an email from the Marveler demanding that we lift the bans and return anything confiscated from the players..." Alexander started explaining, but Fury, already irritated, cut him off.

  "You panicked over an email?"

  "Haha, yes." Alexander gave a nervous laugh. "But along with the email came a compiled set of classified Level 10 files. Including Project Insight."

  Fury fell silent, processing the information. Alexander’s nervousness did not go unnoticed.

  In fact, the Marveler had also sent Alexander confidential Hydra files, which prompted him to contact Fury immediately. Alexander was beginning to form an impression of the Marveler.

  He doesn’t seem to care about Hydra... which is good. Maybe there's even a chance for cooperation.

  Alexander's simple thought was: If he’s not an enemy, maybe we can work together.

  "Son of a b—" Fury snapped, losing his patience. "All he wants is for us to lift the bans?"

  If that was all, Fury was ready to call the National Council that very moment.

  "There’s one more thing." Alexander replied, this time with a genuine smile. "He wants S.H.I.E.L.D. to donate 10,000 computers to underprivileged youth."

  "S.H.I.E.L.D. specifically?" Fury asked, narrowing his eyes.

  10,000 computers were nothing for an organization of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s size. If necessary, Fury could even pay for them himself with just a month’s salary.

  "It was something like this: 'I hope S.H.I.E.L.D. donates 10,000 computers to children and teenagers who can’t afford them. I know you know who to give them to. And lastly, I want the money to come directly from the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nicholas Joseph Fury. You have two days.'"

  Nick was silent for a moment, staring at the screen.

  "Son of a bi—"

Recommended Popular Novels