Winston reclined on the living room sofa, the television murmuring a broadcast about villain activity that failed to capture his attention. His mind was preoccupied, diligently seeking a method to enhance his latest creation: the Slipstream device.
David had informed him that he would be unable to provide assistance for the foreseeable future, as his duties as a senior representative of I-Island and the impending annual I-Expo consumed his time. Winston harbored no resentment; in his estimation, David had already contributed more than adequately, and the last thing he desired was to impose further on his friend. This left Winston to independently devise a means to render the Slipstream more compact and efficient. He had recently become aware of the inherent instability of Lena's Entropic Energy, and the current Slipstream's capacity to contain that energy was limited.
'What a blessing that synthetic nourishment exists... though I truly ought not to allow Lena to consume too much of that flavorless fare,' Winston thought idly.
He felt no particular apprehension regarding Lena's challenges with speech and writing. He could always re-educate her, and given Lena's rapid assimilation of new concepts, it was merely a matter of time before her proficiency returned.
"I suppose my immediate priority is to miniaturize, optimize, and improve the Slipstream..." Winston murmured to himself. "I should also integrate some language acquisition programs; addressing the linguistic impediment sooner rather than later would be prudent..."
Emitting a sigh, he rose from the sofa and proceeded to the kitchen, where he prepared an exceedingly large quantity of food before descending to the basement with it. He made his way to Lena's containment capsule, unlocking it with his optical scanner. Within the capsule, a singular bed was visible, accompanied by a small couch, a table with two chairs, a small partitioned section clearly serving as a bathroom, and a bookshelf brimming with tomes alongside a compact television.
Winston's gaze shifted to the brown-haired girl lying on the bed, absorbed in reading a book about... robotics? Well, that was unexpected.
'Can she read yet?... No, judging by her expression, she's forcefully attempting to decipher the letters.' Winston thought with a tired, gentle chuckle. "Hey Lena, I've brought lunch!"
Lena startled slightly, then set the book aside and looked at her father. Her eyes then widened, sparkling with excitement, as she caught sight of the food.
'It's a nuisance that her Quirk is fueled by calories. Her current state is akin to her Quirk being perpetually active, which causes her to become hungry far more rapidly than other individuals... My theory is that if I can successfully optimize the energy flowing into the Slipstream and suppress the Entropic Energy leaks, I could alleviate her constant hunger. Concurrently, this should enable her to resume using her Quirk under normal, albeit significantly restricted, circumstances.' Winston mused as he embraced Lena, who had risen to hug her father.
Lena drew back from her father before approaching the table with a smile. It was only then that Winston realized Lena had, without his notice, already claimed the entire mound of food.
Winston simply shook his head and observed Lena eating with a subtly disapproving expression. "Lena, manners, you're consuming that like an uncivilized creature!"
Lena merely pouted at him before continuing her meal in a more refined manner – hungry, yet refined.
'You transform into a colossal gorilla with your Quirk, Dad! You are the beast, not I!' Lena thought, a playful pout still lingering on her face.
Winston could only offer a wry smile before exiting the pod and proceeding to his computer. He launched a 3D design application, exclusively tailored for electronic devices, and loaded the schematics for the Slipstream 4.0 Prototype, commencing his modifications. Winston sighed, aware of the numerous hours it would demand to conceive an optimal design for the substantial machine. "These next few months are going to be quite demanding..."
The U.S. Department of Technology and Science was considerably excited by David and Winston's recent discoveries concerning Entropy. Some scientists began to delve into understanding Entropic Energy and exploring whether it could be harnessed to manifest various phenomena that, at the time, remained purely fantastical—for example, traversing through time, decelerating the aging process, or even reanimating the deceased by reversing their temporal flow.
These concepts alone ignited the fervor of almost the entire American scientific community, fostering intense competition to determine who would be the first to achieve the desired outcomes. They remained oblivious to the scrutiny of other nations closely observing their research, particularly two scientists named Moira O'Deorain and Angela Ziegler, each driven by distinct motivations.
Ultimately, no scientist managed to make any groundbreaking discoveries due to the absence of a consistent source of Entropic Energy. The projects were swiftly abandoned or classified as top-secret. After all, allowing humanity to gain control over something as intricate as Time would undoubtedly lead to sheer chaos.
Winston was at that moment meticulously operating a 3D fabrication machine to construct an artifact. This device was neither particularly large nor exceptionally small. It resembled a form of chest armor, though it featured a peculiar, unlit circular element at its core. The unusual armor, which appeared far too exposed to provide genuine protection, was colored in hues of white and gray, embellished with black leather straps. For the wearer's ultimate comfort, its interior was lined with a specialized blend of fabric and cotton, expertly processed by a Quirk specialist to ensure maximum ease.
"Finally... it's complete!!!" Winston exclaimed, his voice brimming with elation that he had at last succeeded in finalizing a compact and functional Slipstream. All preceding attempts had been utter failures; in fact, this marked the sixty-ninth endeavor.
Carefully lifting the device with trembling hands, he held it as if it were something immensely fragile and invaluable. Winston's veins throbbed with exhilaration as he thoughtfully examined the New Slipstream. After years of scientific retirement, after such a long interval, he once again experienced that profound sense of accomplishment, the gratification of creating something that filled him with genuine pride. He had not felt this when fabricating various artifacts for the U.S., nor even when he constructed the containment capsule for Lena. At that time, he was simply desperate not to lose his daughter, and after learning she was "stable," he had ultimately collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
Shaking his head to dispel the encroaching memories, he began to slowly walk back towards the capsule where Lena had been residing for the past three years.
Lena had rapidly regained her proficiency in writing and speaking English, thanks to Winston's dedicated assistance, though it took her approximately a year to completely relearn Japanese from scratch. Lately, she had been contemplating whether to acquire an additional language beyond these two.
Throughout these years, Lena had pursued various activities beyond linguistic re-education. Under Winston's supervision, she eventually managed to utilize 'Acceleration' and 'Recoil' once more, although these actions consumed an abysmal amount of energy, likely attributable to the Slipstream and her prevailing unstable condition. Capitalizing on the abundance of free time at her disposal – given that she could not exit the pod without dematerializing into a temporal anomaly – she discovered numerous avenues for distraction. These included engaging with video games and perusing books, but one activity she had embraced with particular zeal was physical exercise.
For some inexplicable reason, she genuinely seemed to enjoy it, and Winston harbored no particular objections. While permitting an eight-year-old to engage in rigorous physical training might not typically be advisable, Lena's Secondary Quirks appeared to activate, preventing her from incurring permanent harm and instead yielding tangible physical benefits. Even Winston was surprised when he reviewed the analysis on his computer.
Winston opened the capsule door. Inside, Lena was on a treadmill, running at high speed. Around her, other items were visible, such as several dumbbells, a squat rack, and more exercise equipment.
Upon hearing the pod door open, Lena halted the treadmill and took a sip of water before turning to look at her father.
"Hi! I'd offer you a hug, but I'm rather sweaty right now..." Lena replied with a dazzling smile.
Lena had matured considerably in the preceding years; she was notably tall for an eight-year-old (141cm). She maintained short hair, as she found the process of spending hours combing long hair irksome. Thanks to her consistent physical regimen over the past year, she was remarkably physically fit.
In truth, there was another underlying reason for Lena's rigorous exercise: an inherent effect of her own Quirk. You see, you might have observed that despite being only eight years old, Lena possessed an unusually tall stature for a girl of her age. This anomaly stemmed from the paradoxical nature of her Quirk, which was, in fact, retarding her natural growth. Lena could potentially live to be 120 years old or more and still present the appearance of a mere twenty-year-old. To anyone hearing this, it might sound like a divine blessing of eternal youth, but in reality, it was far from it. Her body's temporal synchronization would become disrupted, leading to a myriad of severe side effects: cancer, persistent nausea, memory lapses, optical and auditory illusions... and the list continued.
To address this unforeseen complication, David proposed an inventive application of Entropic Energy. The decision was made to leverage Entropic Energy against itself: instead of inhibiting growth, it should accelerate it, thereby promoting stabilization. The challenge, however, was their failure to account for the inherently unstable and unpredictable nature of Entropic Energy. The outcome: they did succeed in decelerating Lena's time, yes, but inadvertently, every time she utilized Entropic Energy, she marginally advanced or altered her natural growth. Winston and David were surprised, but as the diagnostic scans revealed no long-term dangers, they simply accepted it as a favorable outcome... although Lena was not particularly fond of her body resembling that of a twelve-year-old.
Winston smiled amiably as he attempted, in vain, to conceal the Slipstream device. "No worries about that. How's the exercise progressing?"
"Not bad! I can run approximately 30 kilometers before collapsing from exhaustion... what is that?" Lena replied, taking another sip of water before pointing her finger at the device cradled in Winston's arms.
Winston walked over to Lena before revealing the device with a smile. "Surprise! I've brought you a gift... one that will finally allow you to venture beyond these walls!"
Lena's jaw dropped. "Is this—"
Winston nodded with a warm smile. Lena could almost feel tears welling up as she extended a hand to grasp the device. She was about to seize the new Slipstream, but—
"First, go take a bath; I'm not going to let you handle this with your sweaty hands," her father instructed sternly, leaving her with a pout, yet far too excited by the prospect of experiencing the sun outside to voice a reply. Thus, she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.
After a few minutes, she emerged from the bathroom, dressed in casual attire: a beige T-shirt and orange shorts. With Winston's assistance, Lena donned the new Slipstream... although it possessed a slight weight, it was nothing Lena couldn't manage.
"First, redirect the energy from the old Slipstream to the new one..."
Lena nodded before closing her eyes. The ambient sounds of the world completely faded. Only she and a peculiar sensation that enveloped her entire body remained, this sensation expanding to a specific location, to what Lena recognized as the Old Slipstream. Taking a deep breath, she transferred the entire sensation to the New Slipstream in an instant.
FUUUUUUMMMMM!!!
With a tremendous sound, the central circle of the Slipstream illuminated with a light blue glow. Above it, a small circular projection displaying varying lines materialized. Lena suddenly felt a chain, whose existence she hadn't known, break apart. When she had been linked to the Old Slipstream, she sensed an insurmountable barrier... but now that barrier was gone.
Lena couldn't help but become emotional, shedding a few tears. Winston simply offered a gentle hug to his daughter, who could finally perceive the world anew. After several long minutes, they eventually separated from the embrace, with Winston tenderly wiping away Lena's tears of happiness.
Winston simply smiled softly before elucidating the new features of the Slipstream: "As you can observe, this new model is significantly more comfortable and smaller than its predecessor. It is also more optimally designed for daily use, so you should encounter no issues with it."
Winston explained, transitioning into his scientific mode and speaking deliberately. Lena paid the utmost attention to her father. She was resolved not to repeat the same mistake that had cost her so dearly and caused her father such distress.
"What if the Slipstream is damaged or destroyed?" Lena inquired, tilting her head to the side, though deep down, she already knew the answer.
"You... well, you will dematerialize and lose synchronization with the present once more; essentially, you will revert to being a ghost," Winston replied, frowning as he observed Lena's fears being confirmed. "I have incorporated an emergency signal that would alert me to your last known location if the Slipstream is ever destroyed."
After providing Lena with further instructions regarding the Slipstream, they finally both exited the basement. Lena felt a profound sense of nostalgia at seeing the house again after such a long confinement; it felt surreal, and the surge of memories almost brought her to tears once more.
Winston led her to the backyard of the house. Upon opening the door, they revealed a small garden adorned with grass and a scattering of various colored flowers. The weather was idyllic: the sky was clear, bathed in bright sunlight, accompanied by a refreshing breeze.
Winston was the first to step out into the garden, while Lena remained at the doorway, observing. Winston was puzzled by Lena's immobility, but he noticed her hand trembling slightly, so he decided to take it to reassure her and gently guided her outside.
Lena felt as though she were experiencing a dream. She wondered if this was merely an elaborate construct of her imagination, designed to preserve her sanity during years of confinement, or simply a trick of her mind. Yet, it felt undeniably real... the texture of the grass, the vibrant hues of the flowers, the gentle caress of the wind, the warmth of the sun's rays... everything. It felt utterly natural...
Unbeknownst to Lena, tears began to stream down her face as she gazed at the sun. Winston stroked her head as he silently held her in a comforting embrace.
Only after feeling the warmth of her father's hug did Lena truly comprehend that she was not dreaming, that this was all reality, and that she would not simply vanish from one moment to the next.
At last, she was free.