The conference room on the fourth floor of the National Research and Engineering (NRE) central unit in Granitz thrummed with anticipation. Scientists in crisp lab coats mingled with Granitz military officers in dark green uniforms, their murmurs blending with the soft hum of holographic projectors warming up.
Two days had passed since Elena and Pierre's breakthrough in cryobiology—a protocol that preserved a human brain with 100% integrity and only 5% inactive neurons post-rewarming, achieved through tardigrade proteins, optimized cryoprotectants, and Pierre's neural restimulation algorithm.
Now, Elena stood backstage, her heart pounding, her palms slick with sweat as she faced the prospect of presenting this milestone to NRE colleagues and the Reich's military elite.
"I'm so nervous," Elena whispered, her voice barely audible over the crowd's hum. Her blue eyes darted to the audience, where familiar faces—her lab team, chief engineer Freja Feta, and Admiral Karl Feta—watched with a mix of curiosity and scrutiny. The weight of their gazes pressed against her, amplifying her fear of faltering under pressure.
Pierre stood beside her. "I know," he said softly, his voice a low anchor. "Eyes everywhere, staring, waiting for you to slip."
Elena managed a weak smile, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt. "It should be you up there, Pierre. You wrote the restimulation code."
He shook his head, his dark eyes softening. "Without your vision—the nano-grid, the cryoprotectants, the tardigrade proteins—this wouldn't exist. I just made a correction." He leaned closer, his tone firm but kind. "Tell them what you did, what we achieved, and what it means. That's all you need."
Elena nodded, her nerves still jangling. She turned toward the stage, her steps hesitant, when a sudden jolt shot through her back—a sharp, electric spark that raced down her spine, overriding her anxiety with a surge of adrenaline. She spun around, eyes wide, to find Pierre smirking, his hand lingering near her waist. "What was that?" she demanded, half-amused.
"A spark to jolt you out of your head," he said, his voice teasing. "Worked, didn't it?"
Her nervousness morphed into a flush of embarrassment, her cheeks warming as she caught the glint in his eyes. She didn't respond, instead turning back to the stage with renewed resolve.
The crowd parted slightly as she stepped forward, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Faces she recognized filled the room. Soldiers from the Granitz camp, some familiar from her past at Feta's manor, stood at attention. You can do this, Elena murmured to herself, drawing a deep breath.
She stepped onto the stage, the spotlight's glare momentarily blinding. A holographic projector hummed to life, casting a massive 3D image of a human brain into the air above the audience. Its neural pathways glowed in vibrant blue, with faint red speckles marking areas of minimal damage—a testament to their breakthrough. Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by murmurs of awe. Elena cleared her throat, her voice steadying as she began.
"Thank you for joining us today," she said, her tone professional despite the tremor in her chest. "This is a human brain, preserved at 4 Kelvin using a protocol combining optimized
cryoprotectant perfusion, a nano-heating grid, and protective proteins derived from tardigrades. Our goal was to eliminate ice crystal formation and preserve neural integrity during cooling and rewarming."
She gestured to the hologram, which zoomed in on a cluster of neurons, their connections pulsing like tiny stars. "Earlier protocols resulted in up to 50% neural damage during rewarming. Ice crystals disrupted cell membranes, rendering revival impossible." She nodded to Pierre, who stood at a console offstage. The hologram shifted, displaying a simulation of the old protocol: red zones spread like wildfire across the brain, consuming half its structure. The audience leaned forward.
"With our new protocol," Elena continued, "we've reduced damage to just 5% inactive neurons post-rewarming, thanks to targeted cryoprotectant delivery and Pierre's neural restimulation algorithm." Pierre entered a command, and the hologram transformed into a 3D reconstruction of a rewarmed brain sample, its blue zones dominating, with only faint red speckles remaining.
The crowd erupted in applause, scientists clapping enthusiastically, soldiers nodding with restrained approval. Elena's chest swelled with pride, her earlier nerves melting away.
She signaled Pierre again, and he projected photos of real brain samples—pristine neural structures post-rewarming, their synapses intact. "This protocol," she said, her voice ringing with conviction, "makes it possible to freeze a human brain and revive it after decades, perhaps centuries, with near-full functionality. Combined with neural restimulation, we can restore memories and cognitive functions, opening doors to long-term preservation and revival."
The room exploded in applause, colleagues and officers rising to their feet. Freja's expression was unreadable, but Karl's eyes gleamed with something intense—ambition, perhaps. Elena caught Pierre's gaze offstage; his subtle smile was quiet congratulations.
As the applause faded, a voice cut through the room. "Will you release the restimulation source code?" a question from the audience. Elena glanced at Pierre, who stepped forward, microphone in hand.
"We plan to release it publicly," Pierre said, his voice clear and confident. "This technology could enable interplanetary travel, preserve knowledge across generations, and save lives. It's a step toward a future where humanity transcends its limits." His words sparked murmurs of excitement, but before he could elaborate, a commanding figure stood: Admiral Karl Feta, his presence silencing the room.
"I'm afraid you're in no position to decide that, Mr. Therma," Karl said, his voice smooth but edged with steel. The audience froze, the air thick with tension. "You may have written the code, but as an NRE employee, your work belongs to the Reich."
Pierre's eyes narrowed, but his tone remained polite. "With respect, Admiral, the code is my creation. Its potential should benefit humanity, not just one nation."
Karl's lips curled into a faint smirk. "A noble sentiment, but naive. This code is a weapon, capable of reshaping minds."
He turned to the audience, his voice rising with fervor.
"Forget sci-fi fantasies of space travel. The Reich's survival depends on strength—on annihilating our enemies, the Franks, the Brits, before they exploit this power."
The crowd stirred, soldiers nodding, scientists shifting uncomfortably. Elena's stomach churned as Karl continued. "This restimulation code can upload any data to the brain. Imagine turning an enemy into a servant by uploading canine instincts—or a berserker with gorilla aggression. We could create single-use weapons, loyal to the Reich, unstoppable." He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. "But if this code falls into enemy hands, our nation falls."
"If you randomly upload any data to a human brain, there will be a high risk that the new data does not store in the right section or overrides the old memories; the brain might eventually malfunction, and so the human," Elena spoke up. Karl had a glimpse of a smile, and Freja too; he did not flinch as an admiral and spoke boldly.
"Yes, Elena, but we did not aim to save lives," Freja said with ambition. Elena was in shock as she did not realize that her work, which aimed to save lives, could be used as a weapon.
Elena's breath caught, her pride curdling into horror. Her work, meant to save lives, was being twisted into a tool of war. She glanced at Freja, who watched her son with a proud, almost triumphant smile. The soldiers cheered, swept up in Karl's rhetoric, while the scientists exchanged opinions. His reputation was not only from being the youngest Admiral in Reich history; the prime minister had given him the nation's hero title. Since then, he had earned incredible power and merits.
Elena's eyes darted to Pierre, who stared at Freja, his expression unreadable but intense, as if sensing her complicity.
What is he looking? No...It's like he is reading something from his glasses.
Elena wondered. "What is he reading?"