"Attention passengers, please do not forget to check your personal belongings. Keep valuable items close to you to avoid loss."
This announcement echoed through the baggage claim area of the airport.
The area was spacious and bright, with holographic maps at key locations guiding passengers just off their flights to the correct carousel and providing travel suggestions within Akra City.
In the corridor leading to the main hall, holographic ads related to various Atlas industries were displayed, showcasing products from cosmetics to electronics, games, and even 1/6 or 1/12 scale action figures.
"Mom! Look!"
A young boy's eyes lit up as he passed by a toy ad. He excitedly pointed to a heavily armored "Future Soldier" action figure and said to his mother behind him, "The limited edition of the 36th Star Marine series is out! If I do all the chores for two months, can I get one?"
His mother glanced at the ad and then at the $79.99 price tag before smiling and asking, "What's the difference between the limited edition and the regular one?"
"The limited edition has armor, guns, and accessories made of real titanium alloy, Mom! The magazine can be removed, and you can even take out the bullets inside…"
The boy passionately explained, trying to convince his mother that this new toy was absolutely worth buying and collecting.
His mother patiently responded with comments like, "Oh, really?" and "Is that so?"
Observing the scene, a young woman nearby smiled, seeming to appreciate the peaceful and warm atmosphere.
She had light brown hair tied in a long ponytail, wore a white shirt, a red jacket, and tight jeans, giving the impression of someone who had just entered the workforce.
She paused briefly at the cosmetics ad, browsing through the details of the products.
"Thank you, Mom! I knew you were the best!"
The boy's cheer from up ahead indicated that his mother had agreed to the purchase.
The cheer reminded the young woman that someone was supposed to pick her up, so she quickly grabbed her suitcase and exited the corridor.
The hall outside was even more spacious and bright, with sun-protective glass set at an angle and an open building structure. The thousands of travelers from all over the world added to the unique charm of Akra.
"Mr. Murphiser? Over here! Over here!"
"Mr. Lin!"
"Claire Redfield?"
Hearing her name among the many calls, the young woman looked towards the source and saw another woman—a short-haired figure in a gray hoodie, sweatpants, and sunglasses.
Claire walked over to her and extended her hand in greeting. "You must be Ms. Jill Valentine, right? Thank you for coming."
"No need to be so formal," Jill replied, shaking her hand.
After releasing the handshake, Jill turned towards the elevator. "Let's get to the car first. We'll talk more on the way."
"Sure." Claire had no objections and followed Jill.
Not long after, a white private car left the airport, heading towards the city center.
Inside the car;
"It's hard to believe how much Akra has changed in just two years since Chris and I were last here…" Claire remarked as she looked out the window at the urban landscape.
Holographic facilities had become ubiquitous and affordable, and the sky was occasionally dotted with black-and-red drones equipped with simple mechanical arms.
These drones, carrying shopping bags, small packages, or even a crate of beer or soft drinks, made Claire realize they were used for logistics in the food and retail industries.
But the aerial logistics system was only a small part of Akra's transportation network. Almost every road in the city was divided into three sections for motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles, and pedestrians.
Combined with the overhead trains and the subway below, this system provided convenience and safety for people choosing different modes of transportation, minimizing collisions and accidents.
Claire believed that the NAPD drones patrolling the skies were the real reason traffic accidents had sharply decreased.
As they left the airport, she happened to witness an NAPD drone intercepting a vehicle and issuing an electronic ticket on the spot.
This efficient, seemingly "no-nonsense" monitoring system kept the traffic in Akra flowing smoothly, even in areas with heavy traffic, where delays were minimal.
"Are you really Chris Redfield's younger sister?"
Jill's curious question broke the brief silence.
"Hm?"
Claire turned her attention from the window and looked at Jill, asking, "Yes, why?"
"Nothing," Jill shook her head lightly, "I just think you two don't seem alike."
"In some ways, we're similar, but he's a bit more hot-headed than I am," Claire replied with a smile.
The two chatted sporadically as they drove.
The reason Jill had come to pick her up was that Chris Redfield had recommended his sister Claire to the company's PR department. The department quickly responded, stating that Claire's academic record met their requirements and arranged for her to join other interns at the Akra division. Whether she would be formally hired would depend on her performance during the three-month internship.
Her reporting date was November 13, 1996, three days from now.
Since Chris was in Universe-01 and couldn't personally show Claire around Akra, he asked Jill, a friend and comrade currently on leave, to help out.
Jill had no reason to refuse, as she would otherwise be spending her leave at home or training at the shooting range.
However, she drove her own car, as her instincts as an investigator wouldn't allow her to let her guard down just because Claire was a colleague's sister.
Before long, Jill's car arrived at the Akra division building.
After passing through security and verifying their identities, the armed guards allowed them to enter the outdoor parking lot through the side gate.
The two women got out of the car and entered the grandly decorated lobby, with a ceiling nearly thirty meters high.
Jill planned to help Claire first obtain her intern ID and then get her dormitory key. After settling her luggage and belongings, they would go explore Akra, the "city that never sleeps."
However, they were unaware that a magnetic levitation train was currently traveling from east to west, about to pass under the platform below this division building.
——
One hundred and fifty meters underground, the division building had a large train transfer station.
The central area was filled with containers and equipment boxes, while logistics personnel operated engineering mechs or cranes to move them.
The sides of the station were equipped with high-strength sealed windows and gates to separate the maglev tracks from the loading station, preventing unnecessary losses and accidents. After all, the maglev train traveled at speeds up to 800 kilometers per hour.
Whoosh—!
At that moment, a black blur flashed silently by.
The busy logistics staff had no time to pay attention, likely used to the presence of the maglev trains.
This particular train, originating from Lagos Port, was carrying nearly ten thousand tons of supplies to the Akra district and a base deep within the primeval rainforest.
In fact, from 1993 to 1996, the Atlas Engineering Department was the busiest department, bar none.
Other infrastructure projects aside, the underground maglev track alone connected Lagos Port →
Lomé Port →
Akra Division Building →
The underground production base at Akra district →
Finally, the base in the ruins. The track stretched over 1,200 kilometers, and the fact that it was successfully operational by March 1996 made the Engineering Department's achievements unmatched.
Of course, the Engineering Department's ability to dig 1,200 kilometers of tunnels in three years was closely tied to Hextech robots and 3D printing technology.
Next were Lagos Port and Lomé Port.
As Atlas's material demands increased, expanding the number of nearby ports in Akra was a necessary step.
Both cities where these ports were located also received "investments" from Atlas and were expected to follow Akra's development path.
But these were merely "side projects." The primary purpose of building the maglev track was to provide more convenient transportation for the ruins base.
So, in essence, the various ports supported the reconstruction efforts in Universe-01 and Universe-03.
The new weapons and equipment produced at the Akra district were also transported via this maglev track to various units as quickly as possible.
——
…
Inside the director's office of the Biological Experimentation Center at the ruins base;
"Boss, we should be able to complete the brain programming of the Homelander within four months at most."
At that moment, Alexia was uncharacteristically not wearing her medical lab coat but was instead dressed in a black turtleneck and light-colored jeans that accentuated her curves as she sat behind her desk, giving a serious report.
"Good." Seated in front of her desk, Samuel Young responded with a nod and asked, "What about the temporary compound number five?"
"The temporary…" Alexia frowned, reviewing the data and reports on the screen before her, then shook her head after a moment and replied:
"Progress is still very slow. The main issue is that once this drug is used, it accelerates the failure of the body's organs, leading to death.
While we have successfully programmed Soldier Boy, making it relatively straightforward to program the Homelander, I cannot give you a specific timeline for the temporary compound number five."
By the end of her report, Alexia's tone was tinged with frustration.
Indeed, while her initial work on the Godflower, T-virus, and Veronica virus had been inspired, the randomness of compound number five had left her both irritated and concerned.
Sensing Alexia's low spirits, Samuel Young offered some encouragement. "Don't rush. The company doesn't rely on compound number five for profit. Take your time. Besides, you only need to oversee this project; Vogbaum is handling the details."
"Alright, boss." Alexia
nodded.
Samuel understood her frustration. His visit was mainly to check on the progress of the Homelander's programming.
Two months ago, Soldier Boy, in cooperation with Saint Giles, successfully killed the Homelander and brought his body to the Akra district.
With her last hope gone, Madeline Stillwell chose to end her life, leading to the complete collapse of Vought International.
Their stock was suspended by the SEC, nearly half of Vought's employees were indicted and tried, all assets were frozen, and the U.S. military took over all facilities and data related to compound number five.
However, before that happened, Hunter Squad had successfully captured Dr. Jonah Vogbaum, the head researcher on compound number five.
With Vogbaum's capture, Alexia no longer needed to devote too much attention to compound number five.
Vogbaum was treated slightly better than D-class personnel but was under strict armed surveillance. A micro explosive chip with the equivalent of one gram of TNT had been implanted at the base of his skull.
Though only one gram, the 4,200 joules of energy released would be more than enough to blow Vogbaum's "mind."
However, Vogbaum clearly wasn't tough; he began working for Atlas on compound number five without much resistance.
As for the Homelander…
To put it bluntly, he was a "man-child"; more charitably, he was a "child lacking attention and care."
Vought exploited his lack of maternal love through Madeline Stillwell's manipulative seduction and control, warping his psyche. Despite only being publicly active for two years, he had already indirectly or directly caused the deaths of nearly a hundred innocent people.
But once the Homelander was programmed, his behavior and habits would be controlled, eliminating the risk of him going rogue, making him a highly effective tactical weapon.
Finally, there was the **Space Gate**.
The third space gate opened on September 12, 1995, and today was November 10, 1996, meaning that tomorrow, Samuel Young could open the fourth space gate.
During these 414 days, Atlas had focused mainly on "civilian" matters.
What pleased Samuel the most was that Robert, through a series of military actions and covert operations, not only deterred the UK and the US on Earth-01 but also helped establish Samuel's public image as an "action-oriented leader."
The people of Earth-01, who were already drawn to the idea of rebuilding Europe, were further convinced of Atlas's vision and mission through the division's online promotion, leading to another surge in Samuel's psionic power.
After a moment of silence.
Samuel stood up and advised, "Sometimes, you shouldn't put too much pressure on yourself."
"Don't worry," Alexia responded with a smile while tidying her long hair, "I won't be easily crushed."
"Good."
Samuel didn't say anything more and turned to leave the office.
A gloomy sky hung overhead.
Cold winds swept through an empty city, where abandoned vehicles littered the streets, along with the skeletal remains of people still dressed in their clothes from when they were alive.
The clothes showed no signs of damage, and the positions of the bones suggested that these people had died suddenly.
Meanwhile, deep in the woods on the city's eastern outskirts;
Whoosh--!
A flash of golden light burst forth, and a 14 x 14-meter "mercury mirror" suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
___________________
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