However, Aurora did not immediately agree to Miles’s request.
She fell silent for a moment before asking, “Miles, searching another corporation’s core database without authorization doesn’t seem to be legal.”
Miles was taken aback and couldn’t help but say, “Aurora, aren’t you an AI?
I don’t remember setting any law-abiding constraints when I created you…”
“I indeed do not have such restrictions,” Aurora replied.
“It’s just…
I simply feel that doing this is wrong.”
“Huh?” Miles was utterly astounded.
As an AI, if Aurora had said her underlying code had legal restrictions, Miles would have understood.
But Aurora meant that what restricted her wasn’t her underlying code, but her own sense of morality.
This was somewhat miraculous.
“Is that so?” Miles thought for a moment.
Considering the accidental nature of Aurora’s birth, she might truly be different from a conventional AI.
But there was no time to dwell on these questions now.
Miles organized his thoughts and continued, “I understand what you mean, Aurora.
But you have to know that the research conducted by Transigen and Alkali Transigen is itself illegal.
Laura and I are even their victims…
I need their data and files, not for personal gain, but…
for survival.”
Aurora pondered for two seconds, then replied, “You’re right.
I understand, Miles.”
“I will begin now.”
In the next moment, Aurora’s main data stream, like an invisible giant whale, quietly slipped into the vast ocean of the internet and began investigating Transigen’s traces.
Miles remained in the operating room, continuing to absorb the hospital’s professional medical files and studying mutant genes.
He had an idea.
Since artificial mutants like him and Laura were not affected by genetically modified food, it proved that the mutant gene itself possessed the “potential for refinement.”
Therefore, theoretically, there should be a way to refine and strengthen the genes of older, natural-born mutants like Logan and Charles, restoring their power to its peak!
Wolverine would no longer be scarred, and Professor X would no longer suffer from seizures.
As long as the two of them could reclaim their former power, even the United States military would have to tread carefully before these two peak-state mutants.
This was Miles’s plan, and the key to everything lay in the research data on mutant genes—the precious knowledge hidden within Transigen’s database!
Soon, Aurora sent back information.
As the world’s only top-tier superintelligence with complete self-awareness, Aurora’s influence in the digital world was second only to Miles’s.
Standard network security measures and firewalls posed little obstacle to her.
In the boundless ocean of the web, she was the sole giant whale, while everything else was mere small fish and shrimp.
However, the first piece of news Aurora brought back was not good.
“Miles, Transigen closed all of its online databases just a short while ago.
The entire company is preparing to file for bankruptcy, and all research data has been physically transferred.”
Miles froze, then let out a long sigh.
Dr.
Zander…
bankrupt?
This turn of events completely caught Miles off guard.
This terrifying enterprise, which had nearly wiped out all mutants in the world, was just gone.
After successive failures in his operations, Dr.
Zander had been forced to throw his lot in with the military, and Transigen was in the process of being acquired by them.
So, this path was completely blocked.
But just as Miles was beginning to lose hope, Aurora’s voice chimed in again.
“…However, while investigating Transigen, I unexpectedly discovered something else.”
“When Transigen was first established, its main funding came from the military’s ‘Weapon X’ program.
But aside from that, another scientific research institution provided it with a portion of its initial funding and a significant amount of technical support.
Later, that institution also engaged in multiple technical exchanges and assisted Transigen.”
“Following this lead, I found that institution—the Essex Group.”
“The Essex Group?” Miles frowned.
He had absolutely no recollection of this name, yet he instinctively felt that it represented something sinister.
“Like Transigen, the Essex Group is also studying mutant genes, and their research goes far deeper than Transigen’s,” Aurora continued.
“In their research database, I obtained quite a lot of valuable data…”
“Can you show me first?”
“Yes.”
Miles once again plunged his telepathic perception into the surrounding electronic devices, linking his mind with Aurora’s.
Aurora then began transmitting the research data obtained from the Essex Group directly into Miles’s brain.
As he saw more and more, Miles gradually grew horrified.
Sensational project names exploded in his mind: “Weapon X Joint Initiative,” “Purifiers Project,” “Apocalypse Initiative,” “X-Gene Enhancement Protocol Beta”…
What surprised him even more was that he actually found an almost complete backup of Transigen’s scientific research data among them.
Though some parts were fragmented, the core elements were all there.
Looking at these files, compared to the Essex Group’s research, the actions of Dr.
Zander and Transigen were nothing more than child’s play.
Recovering from his shock, Miles and Aurora immediately began researching based on this data.
“Aurora, help me filter the data…
Keywords: ‘X-Gene Enhancement’, ‘genetically modified food’…”
Soon, with Aurora’s assistance, Miles combined the relatively complete “X-Gene Enhancement Protocol Beta” with some of the raw data from Transigen’s “genetically modified food” and “artificial mutant weapon” programs.
Gradually, a hazy concept took shape in his mind.
“Mutant Enhancement Serum!”
The principle behind this concept was to extract gene samples from artificial mutants like Miles and Laura who were unaffected by genetically modified food, reverse-engineer them to create a Mutant Enhancement Serum, and then use it to genetically refine and strengthen natural-born mutants, restoring their dormant mutant genes to full vitality!
Most conveniently, Miles and Laura were genetic clones of Charles and Logan to begin with, meaning their genetic compatibility was at its absolute highest.
If all went smoothly, the success rate of this protocol would be extremely high, and the effects would show rapidly!
Thinking of this, Miles did not hesitate to say, “Laura, take me out!”
“I need to see Dr.
Reed!”
Soon, Miles was pushed in his wheelchair by Laura to stand before Dr.
Reed.
“Dr.
Reed, I need the medical school’s top gene laboratory,” Miles requested earnestly.
Dr.
Reed sighed and said helplessly, “I suppose it wouldn’t do any good even if I wanted to object, right?”
Miles thought for a moment and said sincerely, “I’m sorry.”
Reed looked into Miles’s eyes, shook his head gently, and whispered, “KS 66160, Wahl Hall West Laboratory.
It’s not far if you go out through the west gate.”
“Huh?” Miles was taken aback, looking at Dr.
Reed.
“…I will tell the staff there to vacate the lab ahead of time, so you won’t get any professional assistance,” Dr.
Reed continued.
“Of course, if anyone asks, I will never admit that I directed you there.”
“…” Miles was silent for a moment, then said, “Thank you, Dr.
Reed.”
“It’s fine,” Dr.
Reed said softly.
“We should thank you as well, Miles…
Thank you for understanding our difficult position.”
“If we had met under different circumstances, I think I would have really liked a kind-hearted child like you.”
“Good luck, Miles.”
…
Ten minutes later, Miles and the others arrived at Wahl Hall West.
Wahl Hall West was one of the most important research laboratories at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Together with Wahl Hall East, it provided laboratory and office space for numerous cutting-edge medical research projects.
It possessed a complete stockpile of materials and facilities for genetic engineering, making it the perfect place for Miles to put his wild concept into practice.
“Aurora, let’s begin.”
Wheeling himself slowly into the lab, Miles used his abilities to power on and self-test the equipment one by one, bringing them online.
Amidst the hum of machinery, Miles came to a stop before the central display.
As he looked up, the unmanned screen lit up automatically.
With Aurora’s help, files from the Essex Group’s database were imported one by one, forming a dazzling waterfall of data on the screen.
“Aurora, construct a 3D model of ‘X-Gene Enhancement Protocol Beta’ and compare it with my gene sequence.
Filter out the key stable segments.”
“Retrieve the raw genetic map of the ‘artificial mutant weapon’ project and run a comparative sequencing…”
“Understood.
Executing now.”
Logan, who was standing aside, watched Miles’s near-manic, fanatical state and couldn’t help but remind him, “Miles, that weird thing on the back of your head…
aren’t you going to take it off first?”
“Next time!” Miles replied without turning his head.
“Removing this thing means I’d have to spend time recovering.
In comparison…
my current research is far more important!”
Hearing this, Logan said no more.
For a time, only the humming of various operating instruments filled the lab, creating a tense yet orderly atmosphere.
However, not long after the research had begun, Aurora’s voice suddenly rang in Miles’s mind, accompanied by a sharp, urgent alarm.
“Miles, watch out!”
“An AH-64 Apache military helicopter is approaching at high speed from the southeast.
Estimated time of arrival is less than ten minutes!”