Chapter 7: Extracting Dr. Zola's Genes
The Captain America Project was one of the U.S. government's most classified secrets. But for S.H.I.E.L.D., a secret of that level was like an open book.
Sure enough, only a minute after his call, Ethan's phone buzzed with a new text message from Natasha. It contained the address of the old base, complete with a helpful map link for navigation.
Ethan mounted his phone on the handlebars of his new bike, opened the navigation app, and roared off.
The journey took him from the heart of the city, through winding country roads, and finally onto a deserted mountain path that looked like it hadn't seen traffic in decades.
He had set out in the morning. By the time he arrived at a location that looked exactly like the abandoned military base from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it was 5:00 PM.
Ethan pulled out his phone. No signal. He knew he was in the right place.
"Hello? Anybody here?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the eerie silence.
After waiting nearly a minute with no reply, he was certain the base was deserted. He easily scaled the tall chain-link fence and dropped down on the other side.
Knowing the layout from the movie, Ethan headed directly for a specific warehouse. The entrance was a heavy iron door, secured with a massive padlock. He gave it a hard tug with his human strength, but it wouldn't budge.
He found a steel rebar nearby and tried to pry the lock open, but the bar simply bent, leaving the lock unscratched.
With a sigh, he resigned himself to the inevitable. He had to transform.
"ROAR—"
In a flash, Ethan's body swelled, growing to his full ten-foot Titan height.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He looked down. His brand-new suit, shirt, and shoes were shredded, ripped to pieces by the violent transformation.
"Damn it, I forgot to take my clothes off," he muttered. "I definitely need to build a suit that can adapt."
He abandoned any further attempts to pick the lock. He simply placed a hand on the heavy iron door and pushed.
BOOM!
The entire door was torn from its hinges and fell inward with a deafening crash, a testament to the terrifying power of his Titan form.
The warehouse was pitch black. Ethan used his phone's flashlight to find the main power box. He flipped a large switch, and rows of fluorescent lights flickered to life, illuminating the vast, dusty space.
He navigated through the aisles, making a few turns until he reached a large records room.
After confirming it was the same wooden filing cabinet that Captain America had opened in the movie, he gripped the edge and slid it to the right.
KRR-CHUNK—
The cabinet moved smoothly, revealing a hidden elevator secured with a keypad lock.
Ethan's memory was sharp. He remembered the code Natasha had uncovered with her high-tech phone in the film.
8-5-3-9.
He punched in the numbers.
Click.
The elevator doors slid open.
Without hesitation, Ethan stepped inside. The doors closed automatically, and the elevator began its long descent.
Ding.
The doors opened again, revealing a vast, dark chamber. He stepped out, and after a few paces, the room's systems detected his presence. One by one, lights activated, revealing an ancient, room-sized computer.
Rows upon rows of data banks lined the walls. Staring at the massive antique computer, Ethan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at Dr. Zola's genius.
Whirrrrr...
The ancient computer whirred to life. A line of green text appeared on its central monitor: [INITIALIZE SYSTEM? Y/N]
Ethan reached out a massive finger and typed 'Y'.
The monitor flashed, and a pixelated green face materialized on the screen. A synthesized, raspy voice filled the room through hidden speakers. "Who are you?"
Seeing that Zola didn't recognize him, Ethan correctly deduced that Hydra had not yet connected the doctor's consciousness to the global network.
"My name is Ethan Hunt," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I came here specifically to find you."
"How do you know of my existence?" Zola asked, a flicker of digital curiosity in his voice.
"I'm with Hydra. The new leader sent me," Ethan lied without skipping a beat. To get Zola's genes, a little thing like morality didn't matter. His pride was all that was at stake.
"Oh? And for what purpose?"
"To... resurrect... you," Ethan said, drawing out each word for dramatic effect.
The green face on the monitor flickered erratically. Zola's voice, now filled with excitement, crackled through the speakers. "You can truly resurrect me?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes."
"In 1972, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness," Zola explained. "Science could no longer save my body. So, I uploaded my entire consciousness into this computer system. My mind is stored across twenty miles of data banks. You are, in effect, standing inside my brain. While I am still... myself... I still long for the feeling of life. To think that our organization has finally developed the technology to resurrect the dead... I must confess, I am impatient to have a human body once more."
"Our organization has developed a technology called the 'Regeneration Cradle'," Ethan explained, weaving a believable narrative. "But to build a body that's a perfect match, we need your original DNA. I happen to possess the unique ability to extract genes. That is why the leader sent me to bring you back."
"My physical remains are located directly beneath this main console," Zola said, completely falling for the lie. "Be careful when you access it. You must not sever the data cables."
"Of course," Ethan said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
In his Titan form, lifting the heavy floor panels was effortless. He was careful not to be too rough; Zola was still useful to him, and he couldn't have the system crashing now. The space below was a dense, chaotic web of countless cables. Luckily, they were well-made, or Ethan's sheer bulk would have caused a catastrophic failure.
Following Zola's directions, Ethan located the doctor's body. It was perfectly preserved inside a transparent metal-and-glass tank filled with a clear liquid, looking eerily life-like.
Ethan lifted the heavy tank out and placed it on the floor. Then, he delivered a single, sharp flick with his index finger.
CRACK!
The incredibly durable tank shattered.
He placed his hand on Dr. Zola's corpse and commanded inwardly, System, extract Dr. Zola's genes and fuse them with me.
[Ding! Dr. Zola's genes successfully extracted. Initiating fusion.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully fusing with Dr. Zola's genes.]
As the system's voice faded, a strange, powerful energy flooded Ethan's mind.
"AHHH!"
He clutched his head and let out a bloodcurdling scream. His head felt like it was splitting apart, a pain a thousand times more intense than any physical transformation he had endured.
"You—are you alright?" Zola asked, his voice laced with concern. Ethan was his ticket back to life; he couldn't afford for anything to happen to him.
Five minutes later, the process was finally over.
Ethan collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
"I never want to experience that again," he panted weakly. The pain had been so excruciating he had almost wished for death just to make it stop.
"Was it a success? Was the gene extraction successful?" Zola pressed.
Ethan nodded. "It was. But... you have to let me rest."
"Of course. I will wait," Zola replied, his tone patient.
Even with his Titan-level healing, it took a full thirty minutes for Ethan to recover completely. Once he was back on his feet, he looked at the green face on the monitor.
"Dr. Zola," he said. "Now I need your help. Tell me the process for linking a brain to a computer."
"Why would you need that technology?" Zola asked, his digital voice filled with confusion. "Can't you just... build the body and bring it here?"