Over the past several years, Rilley had taken charge of multiple projects, some already completed and others still ongoing.
«Transformative Source» had been Rilley's main and most ambitious project. It represented, so to speak, an obsessive search for a safe and stable genetic catalyst, one designed to allow biological evolution or enhancement without the catastrophic side effects associated with gamma radiation or the unstable experimental serums that had plagued modern history. His goal was to find whatever preserved the integrity of DNA during transformation.
He researched without rest, and a vast amount of resources was invested into the effort. For that purpose, a dedicated laboratory was built, a private space equipped with a relatively small particle collider that would help him observe special changes in matter at a subatomic scale. His objective was not pure theoretical physics, but rather to understand how high-energy particles interacted with molecular bonds and to observe specific changes or anomalous reactions when subjected to different environments.
All of this was carried out entirely on his own, with the exception of financing and logistics. He used his specialized knowledge in physics and relied on various scientific resources from this world, resources he could only access thanks to his father's influence. That had limited him greatly, but it also allowed him to keep the secret until later results emerged.
Relly Glass agreed to provide his support not because he expected a return on his investment, much less a tangible benefit. Although Rilley had explained to him that the project would be the gateway to genetic improvement, which would translate into a tool capable of treating hereditary diseases, something the entire Glass family eagerly awaited.
The reality was that none of that mattered.
Relly had realized that his son had set his sights on a goal far beyond that. He was proud of the ambition Rilley displayed and the strong determination in his eyes. Because of that, with a simple gesture of his hand, he gave him full support, not caring that it was a project that burned absurd amounts of money.
As a direct consequence of the discoveries made through «Transformative Source», several highly important complementary projects emerged: «Master Key» and «Ultrax Reactor».
«Master Key» allowed for a far deeper understanding of the «Ultrax» phenomenon, leading to the creation of the «Mirage» and «Mirage Ultrax» systems. These tools allowed him not only to take advantage of the special irradiated effects of «Ultrax», but also to capture the free energy resource released after each reaction.
However, operating with this kind of power represented an enormous challenge for his anatomy. Although Rilley maintained excellent physical condition thanks to his training, his birth condition posed an undeniable obstacle in the laboratory: the severe hypersensitivity of his skin. This particular trait made him far more susceptible to burns or damage from exposure to radioactive energies.
Therefore, even though he handled his experiments with the corresponding suits and safety systems, the implementation of «Mirage» required him to double the isolation protocols in his work environment, ensuring that he could manipulate those subatomic forces without the slightest fraction of energy coming into direct contact with his body. At least, not yet, and certainly not at full power.
Rilley could not afford even the smallest margin of error. He had to design isolation and containment protocols for the laboratory that were far stricter than conventional ones, ensuring that not even a single particle of that radiation reached his body. The lack of natural protection in his body turned any mistake in handling tests or materials into an imminent risk of severe burns or irreversible physical damage, forcing him to reach a level of near-absolute perfection in every process.
«Ultrax Reactor», on the other hand, was a later project that opened its path after the closure of «Master Key». If «Master Key» allowed a deeper understanding of the «Ultrax» phenomenon, «Ultrax Reactor» guided the energetic use of «Ultrax». It did not limit itself merely to using it as a clean energy source, but also established a solid foundation for directing its application toward genetic enhancement. From it came not only the creation of the «Ultra Plus Rays», but also the creation of an emission control and modulation system.
Its main function was to filter the energy to perfectly safe levels, ensuring that the human body could assimilate cellular transformation without suffering thermal or radiation collapse during the process.
For Rilley, the vision of this project went far beyond something as simple as electrical energy generation.
He certainly believed nuclear energy was extremely efficient for producing electricity when compared with fossil fuels or clean sources. But he was also clear that no matter how advanced the technique for generating electricity might be, in the end, it remained a low-level form of energy.
The use of radioactive materials, as well as stars and celestial bodies in their pure state, was considered by Rilley to be medium-level energy. On the other hand, energy from other dimensions, space-time rifts, and cosmic sources of the universe were considered by Rilley to be the highest level of energy. And he believed that, because of the strange nature of «Ultrax», it would undoubtedly be the piece that helped him reach true power.
To materialize that vision, a unique and highly special device was created, one into which Rilley poured his extensive knowledge and a massive quantity of resources. This device was named the «Omnicron Generator», sometimes simply called «Omnicron».
The «Omnicron» possessed a system specially designed to capture the high-vibration particles naturally irradiated by the «Ultrax» element. By making them burst against one another through a powerful collision, it triggered a chain reaction capable of generating a perpetual energy-production cycle. The principle behind it was particle acceleration through the vacuum using multiple intersecting cylinders.
The continuous bursts and explosions inside the machine, part of its normal working process, produced a violent chain reaction that caused a series of «Ultrax» particles to emerge in almost endless succession, as long as its fuel remained present.
The first model of the «Omnicron Generator» was the first relatively successful product, a prototype that would serve not only to refine improvements, but also to work directly in special tests.
Under the code name «Goliath», the «Omnicron» prototype was enormous, approximately forty-five meters tall and twenty-three meters wide. A true colossus, without question, but unfortunately an extremely inefficient one.
Despite its name, it was not considered a generator in the strict sense. Its characteristics did not fully qualify it as one. In the strictest meaning of the word, it was more of a burner that digested «Mirage Ultrax» crystals by activating them through a vacuum-impact process. The reaction from that process was what released the condensed energy.
It served Rilley well in his first experiments. During that first year of operation, Rilley was able to identify opportunities to improve his greatest creation, allowing him to glimpse a new path of development. Its creation not only represented progress for his future plans, but also became the entry point for the «Glass Industrial Group» into the country's energy industry, allowing his family to seize an opportunity for new business expansion.
After one year of operation, «Goliath» became obsolete with the manufacturing of the finished product: the second-generation «Omnicron Generator», code-named «Kraken». The most significant improvements compared to the prototype were size and power. Unlike the prototype, the finished product measured approximately twenty-eight meters tall and ten meters wide, while producing triple the power.
Since the prototype could still be used without any problem, it simply received several upgrades and was transferred to the main headquarters of the «Glass Industrial Group». This is the equipment currently in operation, providing enough energy to power a large part of New York City and the rest of GIG's buildings.
Thanks to significant improvements, its output was increased to levels acceptable for its size.
The second-generation «Omnicron Generator» represented an immense advancement both in research and in energy technology as a whole. Over the past two years, Rilley manufactured a total of five of them, which were delivered to different GIG branches to support research. Four were high-intensity models, and one was a low-intensity model.
«Omnicron Generator A1»: The first to be manufactured, delivered to GIG's genetic research branch.
«Omnicron Generators B10 and D9»: Manufactured a few months later and delivered to GIG's pharmaceutical and chemical branches, respectively.
«Omnicron Generator EX-101»: Built three months later, the most advanced of the entire generation after the implementation of several improvements, and currently installed in Rilley's personal laboratory.
«Omnicron Generator EX-SPG» — «Small Power Generator»: Built only a few months later, this low-power generator incorporated all the important improvements of the most advanced model. It was the unit installed at Empire State University for Dr. Connors to use in his research.
Rilley had also become directly involved in Dr. Curtis Connors' limb-regeneration project, the «Cellular Regeneration Project», also financed by GIG. Officially, his role was that of Dr. Curtis Connors' principal assistant, a position arranged by his father with the intention of placing him under the guidance of a qualified mentor.
Connors' work centered on cross-species genetics, seeking to isolate the regenerative capacity of reptiles and apply it to human anatomy. However, Rilley understood very well the fundamental flaw in the formula. Given the instability of molecular bonds when forcing DNA integration, it was highly likely that, without a proper catalyst, the reptilian genome would end up overwriting the human one, triggering an aggressive and uncontrolled mutation.
Rilley spoke with his mentor, proposing ideas and stressing the importance of acting with caution in experiments of such magnitude. Connors could not look down on him because of his young age. As a young genius with the same academic level as himself, Rilley's warnings made complete sense. That was how the young man spoke to him about the genetic catalyst he had been working on and showed him some design data from the «Omnicron Generator», suggesting they could collaborate to integrate this new technology and correct the formula's possible flaws.
Rilley's persuasion fully convinced Dr. Connors. The scientist accepted this vital collaboration, which led to the delivery and installation of the low-power «Omnicron Generator», specifically the «EX-SPG» model, at the university for immediate use.
Of course, Rilley's actions were by no means altruistic. Although he intended to prevent a catastrophic scenario by making use of his privileged position, in truth, he saw the doctor's unstable formula as the perfect opportunity to test the effectiveness of his «Ultra Plus Rays». By using them as a stabilizing agent during genetic sequencing, he sought not only to save Connors' project and protect his family's investment, but also to calibrate the precision of his own biological control system before daring to use it on himself.
The success of the tests gave him extremely valuable data, perhaps even enough to integrate small improvements into the second generation, though still limited for a third generation.