After that altercation, Shuri showed Ryouta around the lab, and explained everything that he asked about. Almost everything. She seemed excited to have someone to share her work with. Throughout the whole tour, she was animated, and responded to his questions with obvious enthusiasm.
The true lab was huge. There were very few scientists, and Shuri seemed to be the one in charge, judging from the way that she acted. There were also inventions and prototypes everywhere. All of them utilized the unique properties of vibranium. Seeing all of this, Ryouta realized the usefulness of vibranium. It was an extremely versatile substance. It appeared to be the basis for all of their technological advancements. It was strong and flexible, but it was always synthesized. No where, not even in the weapons, was there a trace of raw vibranium.
But there was one subject that Shuri was hesitant to talk about. There was one project that she seemed to have trouble with. She was attempting to create a war suit using nano-technology that would be stored in a necklace, and would utilize the unique properties of vibranium to absorb and re-output blows.
She wouldn't answer him, though, when he asked why it was a cat suit. At least, she didn't give him a legitimate answer. She had said that she just liked cats. She was clearly experienced with telling little lies. Ryouta pushed these things to the back of his mind, focusing on the concept itself. It was certainly an interesting idea.
But then Ryouta noticed something else. It was based on another design. There was already a cat suit of vibranium. The design was titled the Black Panther. Ryouta wondered, but he did nothing about it. If he were to get into the computer again, he would be able to find it in the files.
In the meantime, though, Ryouta needed some vibranium. After Shuri was done showing him around the lab, Ryouta just stood there and looked at her.
"I'm not giving you any vibranium," Shuri said. But her voice wasn't exactly full of resolve. he could see it in her eyes. The same curiosity that he knew so well. Both of them were dying to know the answer to the question. What would he do? What would he do once he got vibranium? What would he make?
Ryouta just stood there.
Eventually, Shuri sighed.
"Fine," she said. "But don't blow anything up."
Ryouta nodded eagerly. Shuri walked away, and Ryouta followed her. She led him to a large safe made purely out of vibranium.
A holographic screen appeared in front of Shuri, and she typed in a pass code. Ryouta made a mental note of the pass code. It could come in handy.
Inside, there was vibranium. So, so much vibranium. It was stored in small glass tubes filled with a viscous solution. Each one had a peice of vibranium.
"We have a small reserve here," Shuri said. "Usually, we send requests to the forge, and they make what we need, and then we assemble it here."
That could pose a problem. Ryouta frowned slightly. His inspiration came in bursts. When he was inspired, he was extremely intelligent, but he was almost a different person. He tried not to let anyone that he knew interact with him when he was like that, because he tended to be rude and unsympathetic, and to expect everyone else to obey him. If he needed to wait for a smith, then he could lose his inspiration. Or worse. He could retain it. He could stay that way. Surly and proud.
"Or, we have a smaller forge here," Shuri said hastily, seeing his expression. She certainly was eager to see what he would make. "I don't have time to teach you how to use it, but if you already know, or if you're willing to figure it out, then you could work there."
Ryouta nodded slowly. This was a bit too convenient. Almost as if his actions were being guided.
Shuri led him back through the disorganized ideas, to a small room near the staircase up to her private lab. It seemed out of place, to have a building in the middle of another building, but so it was. And conveniently not being used. Ryouta's suspicions rose.
"Go on inside," Shuri said. Ryouta walked over to a sealed door, and, for lack of a better thing to do, placed his palm in the middle of the outline. When the door unsealed itself, Shuri seemed a bit surprised. There was probably some sort of DNA code or something of the sort. He should eventually figure out why it had opened.
Then Ryouta entered his own personal heaven on earth, and his doubts vanished. This place had to have been built for him. There was a rather small forge at the opposite end of the room, and all sorts of tools between him and it. All of that, on top of having a new substance to experiment with. There was also a noticeably empty area at the center of the room.
Ryouta stepped up to the empty space, and looked down. There was a myriad of sensors built into a small dias on the floor.
It was... A computer. A highly advanced computer, built to interpret the actions of those who stood on it as directions. That was the best that Ryouta could figure.
Ryouta waved his hand above the dias, and it began to glow softly blue.
"Hello, Starborn," the computer said. "What would you like to create?"
Ryouta waggled his fingers slightly.
"No response detected," the machine reported. "Beginning physical scan. Disproportional strength detected. Disproportional strength has been resolved."
Ryouta frowned. What did the computer mean by resolved?
"Speech impediment detected," the machine said. "Unable to discover solution. Speech impediment remains unresolved."
Speech impediment, Ryouta thought bitterly. It's more than that. I can't speak at all.
"Information of the operating system is beginning upload. Please stand by."
A single tentacle-like appendage emerged from a previously unnoticed hatch in the dias.
"Please remain still," the machine said. "No movement detected. Proceeding."
Then a needle emerged from the end of the appendage.
What happened next happened quickly. The machine stabbed the needle directly into Ryouta's spine, apparently attempting to transfer information through an electrical connection with his brain via his spinal cord.
However, even though the process was painless, it was not safe. Within a few seconds, when Ryouta's brain realized that he was dead, his vision began to shut down. It faded slowly into black.
Strange, that they should keep such a dangerous little toy here, Ryouta thought. And then he was gone.