After Steve Rogers heard that not only his best friend Bucky, but also his lover Peggy were both harmed by HYDRA, Steve fumed within the chair as he held a hand to the glass as if trying to send his feelings thru to her.
The two most important people in his life were both sleeping within glass chambers, one frozen while the other just slept before him. Seeing a doctor come up to the control panel and begin running a few final tests, Steve just ignored her and focused on Peggy.
Adam walked up and spoke to Steve, "She will be fine, the liquid is a regenerative fluid containing various microbes and nanobots that are healing her body. It is removing any scars and regenerating any necrotic tissues both inside and out. In fact, once she is awake she will not only feel better mentally, she will probably be able to kick your ass physically too."
Steve finally looked up and gave a small smile, then the liquid slowly drained from the pod. The doctor then turned and politely stated, "If you wouldn't mind I need to open the pod and dress her. You can return in 10 minutes. She will be awake by then. The artificial substance has been completely cleared and the proteins that were destroying her brain cells have cleared and the damaged cells have recovered. She has a clean bill of health for someone of her age."
Hearing that Peggy would be fine the smile Steve had widened. Giving Steve a pat on the shoulder Adam got Steve's attention, "Come on my friend, let's use this time to go check on your bud Bucky. Shall we?"
Taking one last look at Peggy after he stood up, Steve gave Adam a nod in agreement and followed after Adam. Tony soon fell behind them and gave Steve a comforting pat on the back.
Over the course of this mission Tony had ultimately dropped his dislike for Steve, he didn't really like Steve since his father used to never stop talking about how he helped make Captain America. Tony resented Steve since he felt the man took much of his father's pride and approval that should've gone to himself.
Walking across the hall to the cryo bay, this was where the Infinity housed its own Mark VIII Cryogenic Suspension Chambers used for extended trips thru slipspace. Upon entering Tony couldn't help but whistle. "Wow so do these really work?" Tony couldn't help but ask since in general typical cryo freezing would kill any normal human.
The only reason Steve and Bucky are able to survive is mainly due to the super soldier serum, so even Tony was unsure of the viability of cryogenic technology.
"Yes. We use them for long distance travel or if the ship is damaged. We can conserve our food supplies en route, also they are tied to the ship's AI and are monitored 24/7 when in use." Adam answered as they walked to the small group of technicians who were going over the information from their tests.
"What, you don't have food replicators?" Tony joked as he walked with the two up to the group who were making some preparations to connect their systems to the chamber Bucky was in.
"Yea that's a big no, if they were real I wouldn't have needed to steal some food from those HYDRA bases now would I?" Adam asked rhetorically as they made it to the chamber, then he proceeded to ask one of the technicians who had stepped out from the others and was giving him a military salute, "So what have we got?" Adam asked as he returned the salute.
"Sir, the subject is alive but this cryo technology is so backwards. I'm truly amazed that the man is still alive. They didn't give the man a cytoprethaline injection to prevent ice from forming within his cells or even give him bronchial surfactant to protect his lung tissue either. So he probably suffered 'freezer burn' every time they woke him up. We are currently fabricating some attachments so that we can use our systems to begin the process to bring him out of the current chamber as safely as possible." The man reported their findings.
"Good, has the medical team already examined his physical condition?" Adam asked as we watched them beginning to connect the various instruments and systems the ship uses to regulate the cryo chambers.
"Yes, they said the man has had a hard life. Various fractures and bone spurs are found throughout his body, as if he had been tortured repeatedly. Also his brain shows signs of degradation due to electric shock, most likely used to torture as well as assisted in his programming. It seems they used an electrical current to damage the receptors which made him more susceptible to their mental programming. But it isn't anything an hour or two in the healing pods can't fix, Sir."
Giving a nod in acknowledgement Adam turned to see Tony studying what the group of technicians were doing and asked questions, while Steve had various emotions all flash across his face ending with a tired look. He has been on a wild emotional rollercoaster for two days now, so he felt really drained mentally.
"Steve, we will have him good as new. Also if he wants to get rid of that mechanical arm we can probably provide one that doesn't scream fake metal arm. It would still be bionic but it would look like a regular arm but with lots of bells and whistles." Adam comforted, "How about we head back over to Peggy and check on her, she should be awake and I need to talk to her to see my next steps. It will be a bit before we can wake him, I can have Eve contact you if you want to let you know when he will be awake." Adam offered which Steve accepted.
Tony had decided to stay with the technicians since he wanted to help, Tony was a superb tinkerer and what these guys were doing was right up his alley of expertise, plus he would get a chance at working with unknown tech which was fascinating to him.
As Adam and Steve walked back over to the medical bay, they saw the elderly Peggy standing and talking to Natasha. Seeing his love now looking much better than the last time he saw her, a joyful feeling bubbled forth causing Steve to run up and hug Peggy who had noticed Steve and moved to him as fast as her old body allowed.
Tears of happiness streamed down both of their faces as they held each other and whispered sweet words to one another, although Peggy was a little more conservative in her whispers because she felt she was old and no longer was able to have a life with the man she loved.
She was in her early 90's while Steve still looked the same as he did in his mid 20's when he first became Captain America in 1943. Although she loved him with all her heart, she couldn't see much of a future for either of them.
That was why with Peggy, tears of sorrow and pain were mixed in with her happy ones.
After giving the couple a few minutes Adam cleared his throat, "I do apologize for interrupting you two love birds, but I do have a few things to get done before we head back to Earth. So I will make this quick, Peggy Carter my name is Adam and I am the commander of the space ship UNSC Infinity which is the ship you are currently on. I had my people bring you here for two reasons. The first is complete, you are healed completely." Adam began as Peggy gave her undivided attention to Adam as she studied him up and down.
Peggy wasn't a trusting person but seeing that her Steve was with this man she decided to give Adam a bit of trust for now to see what it was he wanted from her, she wasn't sure what else he could want from her considering she wasn't rich and if he asked for some of the secrets she was privy too she would just have to deny him.
Adam continued, "This brings us to the other reason I had you brought here. I am in need of good people, so I offer you a job. The pay sucks, but the perks are well worth it."
Adam's request stunned not only Peggy herself but also Steve and a few of the widows who were listening in.
"Are you serious? I'm not sure if you noticed but I think I'm well past the age to begin working again. Especially if what you say is true and we are on a space ship, and since when has the UN had a space ship?" Peggy asked as she looked at Steve as she asked the last question.
"Oh don't worry about age, and we aren't part of the UN you're thinking of, well at least not yet anyway. Let's just say if you accept my offer we can give you your youth back and a little extra. Although you won't be as strong as your soldier boy here, you wouldn't be very far behind. Like I said before, the pay sucks but the perks more than make up for it." Adam laid out his chips and what he could offer. "In return you will become a UNSC personnel under my command, I won't ask anything about your previous position of Director of SHIELD since there probably isn't anything you could tell me I didn't already know, but I do expect the same nondisclosure for anything you gain from us unless you get prior approval."
Peggy and the others were still trying to process his words, to be told that not only would they be able to give her back her youth but also turn her into a super soldier was a lot to take in.
Peggy's body began to shake in excitement as she looked at her hands and arms, seeing her wrinkled skin and grey hairs she looked at Adam in his eyes to look for any hint of deceit as she asked, "You're not joking or pulling on my leg or you? Cause if this is supposed to be a joke it isn't funny. If you aren't then what exactly would I be doing working for you?"
"No joke Miss Carter. The UNSC has made massive breakthroughs in genetic sciences and although we aren't immortal, ageing is almost completely gone. You see that doctor, she is way older than you are. I won't say by how much since I don't want to be on her bad side but we do have crew members well into their 300's. As for what you would be doing, I would have you run the space station we will be building. Your job will be to defend Earth and this sector from any invasion, while the Infinity and I go do our mercenary thing in the galaxy to earn galactic credits, also you would coordinate mining operations as well as trade agreements." Adam explained in a straightforward manner since he knew she would be able to pick up on any deceit. Although everything he said was true what he didn't mention is that most of those who truly were a few hundred years old were mostly due to extended or repeated cryo sleeps.
The average life expectancy of humans during peace times in the halo universe was roughly about 200 years thanks to advances in the genetic and medical fields. That was also without the aid of cryo sleep, if you added that in you could technically live however long and just wake up when needed.
Seeing no hint of him lying to her it didn't take Peggy long to make her decision, what woman especially one in their 90's would pass up regaining their youth again, so she accepted the position.
Upon her agreement Adam gave a very sincere smile and gave a nod to the female doctor who then pulled out an injector that was loaded with the customized serum for Peggy.
After instructing her to lay back, she began to inform Peggy that she would be put under due to the pain being intense, so to reduce risk the serum will put her into a chemical induced coma as it rebuilds her genetic code and kick starts her Telomere cells or T cells.
The process would take about an hour so Adam requested a bed be brought in and placed near Peggy so that Steve could rest. Adam could see Steve was mentally tired from recent events, Steve came over and to Adams surprise Steve gave him a big hug and thanked him before he laid in the bed brought over and fell asleep.
Needless to say after Adam walked away from the two he was set upon by Yelena and the other widows who had all began to ask if he was still hiring. Once they learned that they could stay looking younger for longer if they worked for him they all wanted in, even Natasha wanted in. Especially since it looked like her sister would be joining, she wanted to be able to be where her sister was to make up for lost time.