Earth Warriors (Undergoing Revision)

Chapters 124 - Rude Awakening

October 19th, 2026. 07:34. Underground laboratory. 

Many secrets lie in one dimly lit room, where the only sources of light come from the panels embedded in the walls and ceilings. It's one big network of transparent tubes and pods that are full of luminescent liquids that reach many corners of the room and project an image of many dynamic fluids. Combined with the faint hum of machinery, it's one out of many rooms that reflect the cold and mechanical nature of such labs made under the Zlocu. One dedicated to the research of the evolved warrior to follow everything as foretold by the Kujar, willingly or not. 

But amidst the large quantities of unoccupied pods placed near each other, a peculiar one lies in the center of the room, one that's quite ergonomic and sleek in looks. It's one with a smooth, metallic material that feels like it camouflages itself with the metallic environment, and inside, even with a huge amount of liquid inside, one figure is spotted through the transparent lid of the pod. 

A cyborg connected through an abundance of wires, circuits and tubes in various parts of his body that are from the ceilings and walls near the pod. One fitting enough for Jason Garreth, in fact. One with a more refined body of alloy that resembles a metallic muscle in many ways, with a special focus on the chest area where he was impaled during his fight against Su Hyon. 

One where Rita and Julian still made it out, at the cost of Su Hyon. 

Surrounding the pod are many machines that even when left on their own show the screens with Jason's vital signs, the presence of new upgrades to the armor as well a percentage showing how much of Jason is fully charged, and it currently sits at a 59%. It seems that there are only a few things needed that can fully show Jason in his new state, and yet, he lays motionless there, like a newborn in the cradle who wants to rest in solitary, away from the dangers of the world. 

All he can do is nothing but float around the pod, staying alone with all the thoughts he has for himself. 

At that very moment, the door at the other end of the room slides wide open, showing a brighter light from the other end with a peculiar silhouette in the middle of it. One that looks it folded their arms in the pockets of the suit they wear, yet remains silent as the room itself. At least, until the figure starts humming a peculiar melody as they walk toward the room where Jason lies in stasis, and the further the figure approaches, the door closes itself, leaving only two living beings in the cold room. 

It's Boris Macek with one small smirk on his face as he approaches the pod that has Jason, his eyes highly gazing at the robotic figure himself without ever batting an eye at anything else in the room, all while the lights from the panels and walls reflected on his body, showing more of the wrinkles and scars around him, a sign of the years he has spent for so long, one befitting of a surviving "warrior" of many calibers, or so would they say. One's experience in battle has to be defined in more ways than simply counting how many bullets they unleashed through the press of a trigger. 

Boris eventually reaches the command console that shows most of the vital signs and upgrades for Jason as he still floats from the liquid then places a hand on the keyboard. 

"Quite a fortunate place for someone like you, but even so, you have to make up for what happened last time," Boris says as he continues pressing some pads of the keyboard, which leads to a big sign in the console that says "CONFIRM ACTION? Y/N". With one press of the "Y", the machinery starts to function around the pod. From there, the liquid is sucked out by the vents in the pod, each showing bits and bits of Jason's cybernetic body in the clear, up until the pod is fully transparent. Then the pod slides wide open, giving Jason some proper room to breathe, at least in cybernetic terms.