Dr. Grant shook his head with difficulty. "Not exactly. If they had truly succeeded, they wouldn't still be called Semi-Finished Assets."
"But whatever is in that batch is undeniably the critical missing link. It might be a stabilizing agent, a neural reconstruction model, or simply a flawed prototype they cobbled together from Chief Engineer Wynn's original data."
As he spoke, Dr. Grant grew visibly agitated.
His chest heaved, and the heart rate monitor beeped faster as his pulse spiked.
Serena reached out and pressed gently against his wrist.
She waited until his breathing steadied before speaking in a calm tone. "Take your time."
Dr. Grant looked at her, his eyes welling with tears. "Serena, they completely misunderstood what Chief Engineer Wynn was trying to achieve. Project Genesis wasn't meant to breed monsters."
"She wanted to save lives."
"She wanted to give people suffering from irreversible nerve damage, genetic defects, and neurological diseases a second chance at a normal life."
"But The Black Sun twisted her life's work into a weapon!"
"They want to use the neural chips for mind control, and genetic restructuring to forge obedient Obsidian Augments."
"They aren't scientists. They're butchers wearing lab coats!"
He practically ground the last few words out between his teeth.
Serena didn't interrupt him. She just quietly watched the elderly man.
This was a brilliant pioneer who had once stood by her grandmother's side, dedicating his life to Elyndor's Project Genesis.
He had been imprisoned by The Black Sun for years, forced to recreate the very work he cherished.
His family was murdered, his entire life ruined.
Yet, despite everything, his greatest agony wasn't the torture he had endured.
It was the fact that the research his mentor had intended for salvation was being weaponized for slaughter.
Serena lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow over her eyes.
"Dr. Grant."
Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable, comforting strength. "I know everything."
"Grandma Aria did nothing wrong. The Black Sun is the one at fault."
Tears spilled from Dr. Grant's clouded eyes.
He nodded vigorously. "Yes... yes, Chief Engineer Wynn was innocent. She was always innocent."
Julian had wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but seeing Dr. Grant in such a state, he just offered a gentle question. Dr. Grant, where will those Semi-Finished Assets be taken once they board the ship?"
Dr. Grant closed his eyes, straining his memory. "I'm not entirely sure. Project Zero- Transit doesn't have a fixed docking schedule."
"It stops at various black market rendezvous points near Whitecliffe Harbor to pick
up passengers in batches before sailing into international waters."
"The actual transactions and transfers take place on the high seas."
"The contents of The Sanctum Vault might be offloaded mid-journey, or they might
be transported to another Black Sun facility."
He paused. "But Special Envoy Mordecai did mention one detail."
"He said that this voyage of Project Zero-Transit wasn't just a transport mission. It was a screening."
Serena looked up. "A screening for what?"
Dr. Grant shook his head. "I don't
know. He didn't elaborate. But my
the
guess is it has to do with Semi-Finished Assets, or perhaps
the specific individuals invited on
board this time."
The icy glare in Nicholas's eyes deepened. "Will The Raven be on board?"
Dr. Grant fell silent for a few
seconds. I've never seen The Raven
in person, but Special Envoy
Mordecal once mentioned that The
Raven is placing extreme
importance on this voyage
"He said..." Dr. Grant's voice dropped to a whisper, "The Raven wants a front-row
seat to a very specific show."