On the brightly lit training ground, where every fixture blazed with illumination that left no shadows to hide within, Jessica moved with desperate intensity.
She wore only a simple pair of athletic sportswear, the fabric already dark with sweat and clinging to her frame. No protective gear, no padding, nothing but cloth between her skin and the relentless assault she faced.
She was being repeatedly besieged by dozens of automatic servo robots, each one waving multiple mechanical tentacles with pneumatic precision. The constructs moved in coordinated patterns, their machine intelligence allowing them to exploit openings and create tactical disadvantages.
With her bare hands as her only weapons, Jessica kept her two fists clenched tight, knuckles already split and bleeding from repeated impacts against metal casings. She threw punches with everything she had, each strike carrying the enhanced strength that made her far more than human.
Occasionally, when she managed to successfully dodge an incoming attack through timing and spatial awareness alone, she would immediately seize the momentary opportunity. Her body would pivot, weight transferring perfectly, and she'd deliver a devastating counterblow.
One such strike sent an automatic servo robot flying. The heavy mechanical creation, easily weighing several hundred pounds, sailed through the air for dozens of meters before crashing onto the metal floor with a tremendously loud roar. Sparks flew from damaged circuits as the construct skidded to a halt.
The mechanical tentacles wielded by these training robots would constitute a fatal threat to ordinary people. The crushing force, the whipping speed, the relentless precision would quickly batter a normal human into unconsciousness or death.
For Jessica in her current enhanced state, however, the attacks represented a challenge but not an insurmountable one.
The Panacea's genetic repair seemed to have fully unleashed Jessica's latent superpowers, removing whatever biological limiters had previously constrained her abilities. The transformation was remarkable, measurable, undeniable.
Not only had her already terrifying physical strength continued to grow with each passing day of training, each session pushing her baseline higher, but even the regeneration ability of her flesh and blood tissue appeared to have been dramatically enhanced beyond its previous capabilities.
Simple scrapes and superficial bruises, the kind of minor damage that accumulated during intense training, now achieved full recovery within mere minutes. Jessica could watch wounds close in real-time if she bothered to pay attention.
As for more serious injuries like fractured ribs or broken finger bones, damage that would hospitalize normal people for weeks, these completely healed within just a few hours. The bones would knit back together stronger than before, the body learning from each injury.
In this way, with death by training essentially removed as a concern, Jessica had actually approached Nolan and specifically requested that he increase the difficulty of her regimen. She wanted to be pushed harder, tested more severely, broken down and rebuilt at an accelerated pace.
And Nolan had naturally fulfilled her death wish without hesitation or mercy. If she wanted harder training, she would receive exactly that.
At this moment, a clearly amused Nolan was standing at the edge of the training ground, positioned where he could observe the entire space. His posture was relaxed, arms crossed over his chest, weight settled comfortably.
While he enjoyed watching the thoroughly miserable scene of Jessica being repeatedly ravaged and pummeled by the mechanical tentacles of the automatic servo robots, a savage form of entertainment that never quite got old, he simultaneously listened with divided attention to a detailed report being delivered through his phone.
"My Lord, the woman you specifically asked me to monitor has been placed under covert surveillance around the clock by several automatic servo robots operating in stealth mode." David's mechanical voice was crisp and clear through the phone's speaker, carrying its usual efficiency. "Any communication information she transmits or receives has been intercepted and captured by my systems for analysis. If there are any new developments worth noting, I will report them to you immediately."
The mechanical voice belonging to David continued with professional detachment, reporting facts without judgment or emotion.
Nolan's expression, which had been carrying traces of amusement while watching Jessica, returned to its more characteristic indifferent state. His eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the information and considered implications.
He responded in a deliberately calm tone that betrayed nothing of his thoughts.
"If no other suspicious circumstances are discovered by the conclusion of the surveillance period, arrange for Trish to receive employment within Imperial Heavy Industries. Give her a position appropriate to her skills, something that keeps her busy and feeling valued." He paused, then continued with the same flat affect. "However, if she attempts to pass information about Jessica or any other intelligence regarding our operations to outside parties, then send her on her way quietly. Make it look natural. An accident, perhaps."
"Understood completely, my Lord." David's acknowledgment came without hesitation or moral questioning. The Man of Iron simply accepted the parameters and would execute them precisely.
"Also, my Lord, I have completed the comprehensive survey of the second base location that you requested." David transitioned smoothly to the next topic. "The selected site is located in the southern region of the Pacific Ocean, specifically on twin islands situated in relatively close proximity to Antarctica."
Hearing these words from David, Nolan raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. The location was more remote than he'd anticipated, which could be either advantageous or problematic depending on numerous factors.
He asked with genuine curiosity coloring his tone, "Define 'twin islands' for me. What exactly are we looking at in terms of geography and layout?"
"The terminology refers to independent islands that appear to be more than ten kilometers apart when viewed from the surface," David explained with the patience of a teacher addressing an attentive student. "However, beneath the ocean's surface on the submerged continental shelf, the geological foundations of both landmasses remain connected. They are, in essence, two peaks of the same underwater mountain."
David continued his briefing without pause.
"In addition to this unique geography, the nearby seabed is extraordinarily rich in various mineral deposits that will prove valuable for our manufacturing operations. The location is also not prohibitively far from Antarctica, which provides certain logistical and strategic advantages. These factors combined made this site the optimal choice among all surveyed candidates."
"All the automatic servo robots currently under my command have been divided into two separate teams operating independently," David elaborated on the construction plan. "The first team is responsible for excavating the standard underground base facilities, all the habitation areas, command centers, training spaces, and support infrastructure. The second team is dedicated exclusively to digging out the specialized foundry workshop for Tech-Priest Raditus and his manufacturing requirements."
There was a pause, then David's mechanical voice seemed to reveal just a faint trace of mockery, almost amusement, directed at the servo skull.
"I still clearly remember your small complaint about the current base's design, specifically that your personal quarters are located directly above Raditus's foundry. You expressed concern about being 'accidentally sent to the sky by an explosive mishap from that servo skull.' Now this architectural problem has been perfectly solved through separation. You no longer need to worry about unscheduled launches caused by Raditus's experiments."
Nolan, who had been listening attentively to every detail of David's report, couldn't help but allow a knowing smile to spread across his features. The jab at Raditus was entirely deserved and genuinely funny.
He took a deep breath, composing himself, and spoke calmly into the phone with genuine appreciation.
"David, you've done excellent work on all fronts. The site selection is sound, the construction plan is well-conceived, and the surveillance is being handled properly." He paused, then added with unusual candor, "Return to base as soon as reasonably possible. To be completely honest, it's surprisingly difficult for me to adapt to daily operations when you, my most capable administrator, are not physically present."
"Thank you for your generous compliment, my Lord." David's response carried what might have been satisfaction, though it was hard to tell with the mechanical voice. "I will commence my return journey immediately upon concluding final arrangements here."
Nolan and David temporarily ended their phone conversation, the connection closing with a soft click.
The good news that David was finally coming back after his extended absence seemed to elevate Nolan's mood considerably. The Man of Iron's return would restore order to operations and free Nolan from tedious administrative tasks.
Feeling suddenly more energetic and engaged, Nolan even took several deliberate steps closer to where Jessica was still being brutally besieged by the coordinated automatic servo robots. He wanted a better vantage point for what he was about to do.
Nolan crossed his arms firmly over his chest and raised his voice to carry clearly across the training ground's ambient noise. He began loudly pointing out the specific tactical errors in Jessica's increasingly difficult battle.
"Jessica! Listen carefully!" His voice boomed with commanding authority. "Every war, regardless of scale, whether it involves millions of soldiers or a small squad, is ultimately composed of countless small fragments of individual battles. Each skirmish, each firefight, each engagement."
He continued his lecture even as Jessica dodged and struck, her attention divided between survival and learning.
"And every single one of those battles, from the smallest to the largest, will have its own specific tactical purpose driving it! Whether that purpose is launching a surprise attack, executing a carefully planned ambush, destroying the enemy's crucial supply chain infrastructure, providing covering fire to enable friendly troop advancement, or even conducting a desperate breakout operation when a battle has been decisively lost!"
Nolan's voice rose further, ensuring every word penetrated Jessica's combat-focused mind.
"Even those Chaotic forces I've told you about, the ones serving the Ruinous Powers, despite their seemingly illogical and random patterns of killing, even they have fundamental purposes underlying their actions! Madness doesn't mean purposelessness!"
He allowed that to sink in for a moment, watching Jessica absorb the philosophy while her body moved on instinct.
"So, Jessica, apply that thinking right now! When you are faced with the coordinated siege of dozens of automatic servo robots, what should your actual tactical objective be? What are you trying to accomplish?"
Nolan's repeated roars echoed powerfully over the already roaring training ground, his voice competing with the mechanical whir of servo motors and the impact of metal on flesh.
At this precise moment, Jessica, whose forehead now bore numerous beads of sweat that ran in streams down her face, ducked sideways with practiced timing. She avoided the mechanical tentacles of an approaching automatic servo robot by mere centimeters, feeling the displaced air rush past her cheek.
She shouted her answer loudly without bothering to look back toward Nolan, all her attention focused on the immediate threats.
"Kill them all completely! Eliminate every single robot until none remain functional!"
"The aggressive spirit is admirable and certainly deserves encouragement!" Nolan's response came immediately, but his tone shifted. "But your answer is fundamentally wrong!"
Nolan, who maintained his arms-crossed position like a statue of judgment, continued his merciless roaring instruction.
"The most important thing you should be doing right now, the only truly correct tactical choice, is executing a breakout! You need to escape this encirclement immediately! Your physical stamina can no longer sustain this level of high-intensity dodging and counterattacking for much longer! You're running on fumes!"
His voice took on an almost mocking edge as he read her thoughts.
"I know exactly what you're thinking at this moment, Jessica. You're wondering: 'Why the hell does Nolan always like to deliberately rush into the absolute depths of enemy formations? I want to learn and master that same crazy, aggressive fighting method! I want to be like him!'"
Jessica's response came as a sudden burst, a roar erupting from deep in her chest, raw and primal.
She pivoted and struck with a devastating fist, knuckles already torn and showing glimpses of white bone beneath the blood. The blow landed squarely on an automatic servo robot's central chassis, sending it flying backward in a spinning arc.
But even as she celebrated that small victory, a mechanical tentacle that had cut through the air with whip-like speed struck her across the back with brutal force.
The impact left behind a terrifying scarlet blood mark, the wound deep enough that muscle tissue was visible beneath split skin. Pain exploded across her nervous system, sharp and immediate.
Jessica gasped audibly, her breath catching, and forced her eyes wide open despite the shock. She immediately adjusted her position, dodging the follow-up strikes by throwing herself into a roll.
"Are you being deliberately stupid, Jessica?" Nolan's question was harsh, cutting, designed to pierce through pain and exhaustion to reach understanding.
"That combat style works for me because I always wear power armor! My ceramite plate can withstand punishment that would kill you instantly! Even the weapons I use in battle are the absolute best equipment available, weapons that can cut through nearly anything!"
He pressed his point harder.
"Besides those obvious advantages, I also possess the combat ability, the skills, the experience, and the physical strength necessary to completely kill all the enemies surrounding me! When I charge into a formation, it's because I can win that fight with certainty!"
Nolan's voice dropped slightly but lost none of its intensity.
"If I didn't have power armor protecting me, if I was fighting unarmored like you are now, I absolutely would not choose to face large numbers of enemies in direct frontal engagement. Instead, I would wait patiently for optimal opportunities to launch devastating sneak attacks from unexpected angles! When tactically necessary, I would turn and run without hesitation or shame! Then I would find another chance, a better chance, to engage and fight again under favorable conditions!"
His final point carried the weight of hard-earned wisdom.
"This is the real way to survive on actual battlefields, Jessica! Pride doesn't matter when you're dead! Tactics and survival matter!"
Nolan stared with an expressionless face at Jessica's agile body as she continued turning and dodging back and forth, at her breathing pattern that had become extremely labored and intense. Each inhalation was a desperate gasp.
Countless droplets of sweat fell continuously from her soaked body onto the metal floor below, creating small puddles that reflected the training ground's harsh lights.
At this moment, watching Jessica's energy reserves clearly reaching critical depletion, Nolan was preparing to issue the command to stop all the automatic servo robots. She'd learned enough for today. Pushing further risked actual permanent injury despite her regeneration.
However, something unexpected happened.
Jessica, who had just been completely surrounded by the mechanical tentacles of several automatic servo robots converging on her position simultaneously, found herself trapped in an absolute dead angle with no visible avenue of escape, suddenly reacted with pure instinct.
Her eyes flew wide open, pupils dilating. She subconsciously let out a loud, almost feral howl from the depths of her throat. The sound was raw survival instinct given voice.
Her two legs, both slick with sweat and trembling from exertion, suddenly bent at the knees. Her entire body coiled like a spring compressed to its limit.
Then her feet stomped down hard against the metal floor with every ounce of remaining strength, the impact ringing out like a gunshot.
The next second, Jessica launched herself upward in a powerful leap, her body arcing high through the air. She jumped far higher than should have been possible even with her enhanced strength, clearing several meters of vertical distance.
But then something impossible occurred.
Jessica, who should have begun falling back down under gravity's inexorable pull after reaching the apex of her jump, instead floated in the air. She hovered there, suspended, remaining aloft for far longer than physics should allow.
In fact, she wasn't falling at all. Her body hung in the air as though invisible hands were holding her up, as though gravity had simply forgotten she existed.
"Tsk... the ability to fly?" Nolan muttered, his tone mixing surprise with resignation. He kept his arms folded but raised his chin slightly to better observe the phenomenon. "Superpowers truly are unreasonable, completely unfair advantages that defy all natural law."
He stared upward at Jessica, who had begun laughing with wild exhilaration and disbelief as she realized what was happening. Her laughter echoed across the training ground, pure joy mixed with shock.
Nolan couldn't help but sigh, the sound carrying both admiration and a touch of envy.