The testing chamber was a cube of reinforced titanium fifty feet on each side, its walls scarred by countless experiments that had pushed enhanced subjects to their limits. Jack stood in the center, still adjusting to the way his transformed body felt—like wearing a perfectly tailored suit made of pure potential energy.
Environmental scan complete, ATLAS announced in his mind. Chamber contains 47 hidden weapon systems, 23 monitoring devices, and 8 emergency containment protocols. Threat assessment: minimal.
"Impressive," Dr. Chen said through the intercom, her voice coming from speakers embedded in the walls. "ATLAS is already cataloguing potential threats. That level of situational awareness usually takes weeks to develop in enhanced subjects."
Jack turned his enhanced vision toward the observation window where Dr. Chen stood with a team of technicians. Through the reinforced glass, he could see their heat signatures, heart rates, even the electromagnetic patterns of their neural activity. The nanomachines had given him senses that bordered on the supernatural.
"Let's start with something simple," Dr. Chen continued. "Physical performance baseline. There's a one-ton weight suspended from the ceiling. Please lift it."
Jack looked up to see a massive block of tungsten hanging from reinforced cables twenty feet above his head. In his previous life, such a weight would have been impossible for any human to lift. But Jack Steel was no longer human.
He crouched beneath the weight and grasped the lifting cables with both hands. His enhanced muscles coiled with power as he began to pull. The tungsten block rose smoothly from its resting position, one ton of metal moving as easily as if it were made of foam.
Muscle fiber efficiency at 340% of baseline human maximum, ATLAS reported. Carbon nanotube reinforcement performing optimally. You could lift approximately 4.7 tons before reaching structural limits.
"Remarkable," one of the technicians breathed. "His power-to-weight ratio exceeds our theoretical projections."
Jack set the weight down gently, not even breathing hard. The enhancement was intoxicating—he felt like he could lift the entire facility if necessary.
"Now for speed and reflexes," Dr. Chen announced. "I'm activating the automated defense grid. Don't worry—they're set to training mode. Non-lethal but fast enough to challenge enhanced subjects."
The walls suddenly came alive with movement as dozens of mechanical arms emerged from hidden panels. Each one carried a different type of training weapon—foam projectiles, rubber batons, shock prods set to minimum voltage. They moved with inhuman speed, attacking from multiple angles simultaneously.
To Jack's enhanced perception, they might as well have been moving through molasses.
Threat assessment: 47 incoming attacks across 12 attack vectors, ATLAS calculated in the microseconds between the weapons' activation and their first strikes. Optimal response pattern calculated. Executing evasion protocol Omega-7.
Jack's body moved with fluid precision, ducking under projectiles that hadn't even been fired yet, stepping aside from attacks that were still forming. His enhanced nervous system processed information so quickly that he could see the mechanical arms' intentions before they completed their programmed movements.
He caught a foam projectile out of mid-air and threw it back at its launcher with enough force to shatter the mechanism. He grabbed a rubber baton from another attacking arm and used it to disable three more systems before they could complete their attacks. In less than ten seconds, every weapon in the chamber had been neutralized.
The observation room fell silent.
"That... that's impossible," one of the technicians stammered. "Those systems were designed to challenge subjects with 200% enhanced reflexes. He just treated them like they were standing still."
Performance analysis complete, ATLAS reported. Reaction time: 0.003 seconds. Processing speed: 847% above baseline human average. Motor control precision: 99.97%. You are operating well above our initial projections, Jack.
"How do I compare to other enhanced subjects?" Jack asked aloud.
Dr. Chen's voice carried a note of awe when she responded. "You just exceeded the performance of our best Phase Two operatives by a factor of four. And you've been enhanced for less than thirty minutes."
Jack felt a surge of satisfaction that was immediately analyzed and catalogued by the nanomachines in his brain. They were already learning to optimize his emotional responses for maximum effectiveness.
"Let's test the integration capabilities," Dr. Chen continued. "I'm releasing a sample of Spideron bio-matter into the chamber. It contains active nanomachines from the creature you encountered earlier. See if you can absorb its properties."
A section of the wall slid open, revealing a containment unit holding what looked like a chunk of translucent flesh. Even from across the chamber, Jack could see the silver nanomachines moving beneath its surface like metallic bacteria.
Alien nanomachine signature detected, ATLAS announced. Configuration: wall-adhesion specialists with integrated toxin production. Compatibility assessment in progress.
Jack approached the bio-matter cautiously. His enhanced senses could detect the electromagnetic patterns of the alien nanomachines, their alien programming singing in frequencies that hurt to perceive directly.
"Just touch it," Dr. Chen instructed. "Your nanomachines will do the rest."
Jack placed his palm against the alien flesh, and the response was immediate. His own nanomachines flowed out through his skin like liquid mercury, making contact with their alien counterparts. What followed was a microscopic battle that Jack could feel in every nerve ending.
Engaging alien nanomachines, ATLAS reported. Beginning reverse-engineering protocol. Warning: alien technology includes aggressive counter-intrusion measures.
Jack felt the alien nanomachines trying to invade his system, probing for weaknesses in his biological defenses. But his enhanced immune system was ready for them. His white blood cells, now weaponized and optimized, began secreting targeted toxins that shut down the alien machines one by one.
Hostile nanomachines neutralized, ATLAS announced. Useful technologies extracted and catalogued. Beginning integration of wall-adhesion capability.
Jack felt a strange tingling sensation in his hands and feet as his nanomachines began modifying his skin structure. New glands formed beneath his palms and fingertips, secreting microscopic climbing hairs that could adhere to any surface at the molecular level.
"Try walking up the wall," Dr. Chen suggested.
Jack placed his hand against the titanium wall and felt the molecular adhesion kick in. His palm stuck to the metal with enough force to support his entire body weight. He took a step up the wall, then another, walking vertically as easily as if gravity had ceased to exist.
Wall-adhesion capability fully integrated, ATLAS reported. Additional benefit detected: your hands can now secrete a paralytic toxin similar to that produced by Spiderons. Useful for subduing targets without killing them.
Jack returned to the floor, marveling at how quickly and completely the alien ability had been integrated into his biology. He was no longer just enhanced—he was evolving in real-time, becoming something that combined the best aspects of multiple species.
"Outstanding," Dr. Chen breathed. "The integration process usually takes hours, even for our best subjects. You accomplished it in minutes."
This is merely the beginning, ATLAS informed him. Each alien technology we encounter will make us stronger. Each enemy we defeat will grant us new capabilities. We are designed for infinite growth, Jack.
The implications of this hit Jack like a physical blow. He wasn't just a super-soldier—he was a living weapon that became more powerful with every battle. The Xynos had inadvertently created their own destroyer by giving him access to their nanomachine technology.
"There's one more test," Dr. Chen announced. "I want to see how you interface with our orbital weapons network."
A panel slid open in the floor, revealing a complex control interface that looked more like a neural link than a traditional computer terminal. Jack approached it cautiously, unsure what to expect.
ATLAS quantum communication array detected, his AI partner announced. Establishing connection to orbital defense grid.
Jack placed his hand on the interface, and suddenly his consciousness expanded beyond the confines of his physical body. He could feel the presence of seventeen military satellites orbiting Earth, each one armed with weapons that could level city blocks. Through ATLAS, he had direct control over enough firepower to glass continents.
Orbital weapons platform status: fully operational, ATLAS reported. Kinetic bombardment systems armed and ready. Plasma lance arrays charged to 100% capacity. Nuclear torpedo bays loaded and standing by. You now have access to weapons of planetary-scale destruction.
The power was intoxicating. With a thought, Jack could rain death from the heavens anywhere on Earth. He could turn the tide of any battle, level any stronghold, eliminate any threat to his mission.
But with that power came a terrible clarity. He understood now what Dr. Chen had meant about the nanomachines optimizing him for efficiency. The Jack Steel who had been a father and husband was gone, erased by machines that valued effectiveness over humanity.
What remained was something harder, colder, more focused. A weapon designed for one purpose: the complete and utter destruction of the Xynos species.
We are ready to begin our mission, ATLAS announced. The aliens who killed your family will pay for their crime. We will make them extinct.
Jack nodded, feeling the weight of his new identity settling over him like armor. He was no longer Detective Jack Steel of the NYPD. He was no longer even human.
He was Evolution. He was vengeance. He was the end of the Xynos.
And God help anyone who stood in his way.
"When do I start?" he asked Dr. Chen.
Her smile was sharp as a blade. "Right now. We have targets waiting."