Chapter 65: Scientific Research is About Stumbling Upon the Unseen
The next morning, after his usual routine of physical conditioning and breakfast, Ryan returned to the warehouse with several enhanced soldiers where they had held Luke Cage overnight.
Luke Cage still hung suspended from the chains, the mouth spreader device still forcing his jaw apart.
"Have you given my offer some thought?"
Luke glanced up at Ryan, neither nodding nor shaking his head - just staring with barely contained fury.
Ryan chuckled and gestured to his soldiers. "Clear the laboratory level for the day. I need exclusive access to the research facilities."
Two super-soldiers lowered Luke from his restraints and escorted him to the underground laboratory complex.
After securing Luke Cage to the examination table with vibranium-reinforced restraints, Ryan approached with several syringes containing different colored serums.
"I have HIV variants, aggressive lymphoma cells, ALS-inducing retroviruses, and hemorrhagic fever pathogens. I'm curious whether your 'unbreakable' physiology can handle biological warfare agents."
Biological experimentation always relied on viral vectors. For example, the super-soldier serum was essentially a genetic enhancement compound that Ryan had developed using controlled cancer cells to systematically replace Steve Rogers' original cellular structure.
Cultivating viral agents wasn't particularly difficult - most biotechnology and environmental research facilities worldwide maintained virus storage and cultivation departments.
Luke Cage's eyes filled with terror, but he continued to resist, straining against his bonds.
Just as the needle approached his forced-open mouth, about to pierce the soft tissue of his tongue, Luke finally broke.
"I'll cooperate! I'll do whatever you want!"
"Disappointing. I thought you had more backbone than that," Ryan said, withdrawing the syringe with mock regret.
Turning to his enhanced soldiers, he ordered, "Take him back upstairs and record a full confession implicating S.H.I.E.L.D. in terrorist activities. Deliver the evidence to Secretary Ross and have him issue federal arrest warrants for Captain Marvel and the remaining Avengers."
After the super-soldiers escorted Luke away, Ryan sat at the laboratory workstation and began analyzing the blood samples he'd extracted the previous night.
Luke Cage's superhuman abilities resulted from a sabotaged prison experiment - classified as radiation-induced genetic mutation. This type of enhancement had a relatively low power ceiling, and Ryan certainly wouldn't use it on himself, but it could prove valuable for mass-producing enhanced soldiers.
His plan involved isolating the radiation-altered genetic markers and incorporating them into his existing serum formula, essentially reprogramming human DNA at the cellular level.
Squeak! Squeak!
Ryan snatched up a white laboratory mouse that had been contentedly nibbling on a protein pellet. Ever since he'd begun developing enhancement serums, this particular mouse had served as his genetic baseline - injected with samples from every superhuman he'd studied.
The mouse represented a living repository of combined genetic data, making it the perfect control subject for comparative analysis.
The mouse, displeased at having its meal interrupted, squeaked indignantly and clawed at Ryan's gloved hand as blood was drawn.
After the sample was prepared and catalogued, the mouse scurried back to its enclosure.
Once the RNA sequencing was complete, Ryan positioned himself at the electron microscope and used micro-injection needles to introduce the mouse's genetic material into Luke Cage's cells. Then he reversed the process, injecting Luke's genetic markers into the mouse's cellular samples.
The results from this genetic cross-contamination were dramatically different.
The mouse's genetic profile was significantly more advanced than Luke Cage's. When the mouse's enhanced genes were introduced, Luke's cells immediately began rapid expansion and division, demonstrating remarkable increases in durability and strength.
Conversely, the mouse cells injected with Luke's genetic material withered within seconds and subsequently lost all vitality.
"Fascinating..."
After receiving Thanos's genetic material months earlier, the laboratory mouse's genetic compatibility with Ryan's own DNA had reached 84% - essentially making it a biological proxy for Ryan's enhanced physiology.
Several minutes after the injection of Luke Cage's cellular material, entirely new blood cell variants began differentiating - a discovery that surprised even Ryan.
"Radiation-enhanced super-soldier serum... worth pursuing?"
Ryan categorized enhancement methodologies in a clear hierarchy: cosmic/dimensional genetic enhancement > self-actualized enhancement > radiation-induced mutation > cross-species genetic fusion.
Ryan had replaced his human genes with Eternal genetic templates. Captain America and Captain Marvel both represented self-actualized enhancements - though Dr. Erskine's era was limited by available technology. With modern resources, Steve Rogers could have been significantly more powerful.
Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and the Hulk all resulted from radiation exposure. These could be biochemical accidents, contaminated viral agents, or direct radiation exposure. External stressors causing beneficial genetic mutations fell into Ryan's "radiation enhancement" category.
The final category - genetic fusion - was exemplified by abominations like Dr. Curt Connors' Lizard transformation.
In Ryan's professional opinion, combining genes from different species represented the most scientifically irresponsible approach possible. He classified such creatures as biological aberrations - neither human nor animal, completely violating fundamental principles of genetics and evolution.
Now that he'd accidentally developed a viable radiation-enhancement serum, Ryan immediately wanted to conduct human trials.
BEEP!
He activated his communication system. "Bring the remaining test subjects to Laboratory Level 3. Immediately."
Secretary Ross had previously provided four volunteer test subjects for human experimentation. Two had died during earlier trials, leaving two survivors - perfect candidates for this new research.
The volunteers were quickly delivered to the laboratory under armed escort.
The first claimed innocence of his crimes and sought sentence reduction through experimental participation. The second was a disabled veteran - missing his right arm from an IED explosion in Afghanistan - who volunteered for dangerous medical trials to secure financial compensation for his family.
Ryan reviewed both men's recent medical files while seated in his observation chair. "I need to be completely transparent: this experiment carries significant risks. I cannot predict what the long-term consequences might be."
The disabled veteran responded with military stoicism: "Honestly, death would be preferable. At least my family would receive the full insurance payout."
The convicted criminal added, "If I die during this experiment, I hope the federal government will posthumously clear my name. I refuse to be remembered for crimes I didn't commit."
Ryan closed the medical reports and smiled coldly. "Sometimes death isn't the worst possible outcome. What's truly horrifying is surviving in a condition worse than death."
Ryan led both subjects to the testing area, drew blood samples, and performed cellular compatibility screenings.
Any genetically dissimilar individuals would inevitably experience some degree of biological rejection. Ryan adjusted serum concentrations based on rejection intensity, aiming for optimal balance between enhancement and survival.
"You're first," Ryan indicated the disabled veteran. "Remove your clothing and position yourself on the examination table."
Radiation-induced enhancement didn't require the massive bio-energy conversion chambers used for other procedures. During the enhancement process, controlled radiation automatically altered the subject's genetics, simultaneously damaging and repairing cellular structures to complete the genetic transformation.
The primary drawback of this mutation type was completely unpredictable outcomes.
The same viral serum might produce entirely different mutations when used on different subjects. This unpredictability was precisely why Ryan rarely researched radiation-based enhancements - he despised leaving results to random chance.
The disabled veteran stripped to his underwear and lay tensely on the examination table.
Though fearless in combat, no one could remain calm facing such unknown scientific procedures. The anxiety stemmed from humanity's instinctive terror of the unknown.
"Help me secure him with the restraint system. Not too restrictive - just enough to prevent him from injuring himself if he convulses," Ryan instructed the second volunteer while calibrating the serum mixture.
After final adjustments, he activated the digital recording system to document the entire experiment.
"Time: 10:27 AM, September 26th. N1 Radiation-Enhancement Serum Human Trial, Phase One. Subject: Anthony Martinez, Age: 41, Weight: 183 pounds, Heart Rate: 137 BPM, Serum Concentration: 47%."
Ryan presented the baseline data to the recording device, then approached the examination table with the prepared radiation-enhancement serum to begin the trial.
End of Chapter 65