From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 658 Everything is finally back on track
Meanwhile, on this side of the medical bay observation room of the Hyperion.
Inside the isolation chamber, soft light streamed down from the ceiling, illuminating the transparent observation hood of the sealed chamber.

Sarah Kerrigan lay quietly inside, her pale skin almost transparent in the cold light of the medical pod. The psionic patterns that had once ravaged her had completely faded, leaving only a few faint scars, as if they were proof of some cruel experience.

Her breathing was steady and shallow, and the rise and fall of her chest was almost imperceptible, as if she were simply lost in a deep dream.

Outside the isolation room, Jim Reynolds' hands were pressed against the metal frame of the floor-to-ceiling observation window, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

He had already shed his iconic CMC power armor and was now dressed in classic casual clothes, with traces of sweat from the battle still visible on his collar.

His gaze was fixed on Kerrigan inside the sealed chamber, as if she would disappear again if he looked away even slightly.

Tychus Finley stood to one side, his thick arm casually draped over Jim's shoulder, an unlit cigar dangling from his mouth.

Open flames are strictly prohibited inside the medical ward, and this burly man clearly obeyed the rule for once.

"Relax, Jimmy."

Tychus's voice was deep, with his usual nonchalant attitude, "Didn't that guy Aigon say that your crazy girlfriend's physiological indicators are all normal, but her brain is still rebooting, commonly known as being in a deep coma?"

As he spoke, the burly man grinned, revealing a row of yellow teeth. "Honestly, if it were anyone else possessed by something like Amon, they would have been a pile of rotten flesh by now. But her? Ha, she's the Queen of Blades. She won't be so easily defeated."

Jim didn't respond, but his taut jawline relaxed slightly.

Leon, Mike, and Chris stood a little further away, having also changed out of their nanotech suits and into the Investigation Department's standard uniforms: dark black turtleneck jackets, with silver dragon badges pinned to their left chests.

Leon crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze calmly sweeping across the medical data screen before turning to Jim.

“Commander Renault.” Leon’s voice was calm and polite, with a businesslike restraint. “As a friend, I understand your concerns, but as a representative of the Investigation Department, I also have a duty to formally make a request to you.”

Jim finally turned around, his brow furrowed slightly: "What request?"

“Once Ms. Kerrigan awakens,” Leon looked directly into her eyes, “we hope she can return with us to the main universe to assist with further research.”

Jim's eyes instantly turned cold, and his knuckles tapped lightly on the window frame: "So you want to use her as a lab rat? What's the difference between you and the Terran Empire and Mengsk?!"

"Come on, buddy."

Mike interjected at the opportune moment, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "With her psionic power that could overturn a planet, who would dare to dissect and study her?"

Mike shrugged. "We just need to collect some basic data—blood samples, psionic fluctuation records, and so on. It's standard procedure."

Chris Redfield also crossed his arms, highlighting his extremely muscular physique, and added:

"Moreover, the final decision-making power does not lie with us, nor with you."

Chris gestured with his chin toward the sealed chamber. "It depends on Ms. Kerrigan's own wishes."

"."

Upon hearing this, Jim fell silent.

A moment later, his gaze returned to the sealed chamber.

Sarah Kerrigan's face appeared unusually calm in the dim light of the medical bay, as if the madness and pain of the past had never happened.

Jim recalled the rainy night with Mar-Sarah, and the figure on Charles twisted by Eamon. Now, she had finally returned, but might be swept into another strange universe.

“If she agrees,” Jim finally spoke, his voice slightly low, “I will respect her choice, but until then—”

"We will not do anything that crosses the line," Leon continued, his tone sincere. "This is the promise of the Investigation Department, the guarantee I give, and also the decree of the Emperor."

"what!"

Tychus chuckled and patted Jim on the shoulder: "Did you hear that? Even their glittering boss has spoken."

He leaned close to Jim's ear and whispered, "Seriously, Jimmy, if you actually went to the so-called main universe, you might be able to become a commander in the psionic forces. That's better than being treated like a monster here."

"."

Jim ignored Tychus's teasing and simply turned to look at Leon and the others: "You'd better keep your word."

Swish-!
At that moment, the safety gate of the medical pod suddenly slid open, and Egon Stetman, whom Tychus had mentioned before, walked in holding a data tablet.

The medical officer, sporting an afro and wearing rather cool glasses, adjusted his glasses and glanced at the group after seeing that they were still there. He then said:
“The situation has changed; Ms. Kerrigan’s brainwave activity has begun to accelerate.”

Then, Aigon pointed to the suddenly active waveform on the data screen, "She may wake up soon."

Upon receiving this news, everyone's attention immediately focused on the sealed chamber.

Jim Reynolds' breath hitched slightly, and his fingers unconsciously tightened.

The air inside the medical pod seemed to freeze for a moment.

Inside the sealed chamber, Sarah Kerrigan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pale fingertips unconsciously curled up.

The waveform on the monitoring instrument spiked dramatically, before the piercing alarm had even fully sounded—

boom--! ! !
A visible psionic shockwave suddenly erupted from the sealed pod, sweeping across the entire medical bay like an invisible tsunami.

The incandescent light bulbs on the ceiling shattered one after another, and the fragments rained down, only to be crushed into dust by the aftershocks of the psionic energy before they even reached the deck.

The sturdy explosion-proof observation window was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and then shattered with a crash, sending shards of reinforced glass flying in all directions like bullets.

Jim Reynolds, who was closest to the blast, didn't even have time to react before being violently thrown into the air by the shockwave.

His back slammed heavily against the alloy bulkhead several meters away, the air in his lungs was violently squeezed out, everything went black before his eyes, his ears were ringing, and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood.

He tried to prop himself up, but his muscles felt like they were filled with lead, and he could barely move a finger.

Tychus Finley's massive body crashed into the medical equipment rack like a rag doll, the metal frame twisting and deforming under the impact.

"Forehead"

The muscular man groaned, and blood dripped down his chin.

"Damn it!" Tychus cursed hoarsely, his thick arms trembling as he braced himself on the deck, unable to stand up for a moment. "This is fucking more exciting than being hit by a Thunder Beast!"

The most tragic fate was that of Dr. Aigon.

The frail body flew directly across the entire medical pod, losing consciousness the instant its back made intimate contact with the pod wall, sliding limply to the ground, a shocking bloodstain seeping from its forehead.

However, the three agents from the investigation department demonstrated physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people.

The moment Lyon was thrown back by the shockwave, he adjusted his posture, and his broad back made contact with the bulkhead first.

Bang————!
Amidst the teeth-grinding impact, his body cushioned the impact like a spring, his legs slightly bent, and he landed steadily.

There wasn't even a trace of pain on that sharply defined face; only a furrowed brow as he stared towards the sealed chamber.
No wonder many of his colleagues in the investigation department, who like to joke, call Leon "Steelback," and this nickname is perfectly proven at this moment.

Mike reacted much faster.

He completed a near-fake spin in mid-air, the shock-absorbing gel layer on the sole of his special leather boots making a slight sticky sound when it came into contact with the cabin wall.

Using the force, he landed on the deck as lightly as a feline, his hands even having enough room to protect his head and deflect flying shards of glass.

Chris Redfield's performance was the most brutal—

He adjusted his center of gravity directly to meet the shockwave, his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest to protect himself.

When his body slammed into the bulkhead, it left two clear dents on the metal surface. After landing, he shook his slightly numb wrists, his eyes sharp as knives.

"The money spent on gene enhancement wasn't wasted." Meanwhile, the medical pod was a complete mess.

The twisted machinery sparked electricity, and the liquid medicine pooled on the ground, forming eerie, colorful streams.

At the heart of all this chaos—

The protective shield of the sealed chamber had completely shattered, and the medical fluid evaporated into a hazy mist.

Sarah Kerrigan had sat up at some point, her messy brown hair draped over her shoulders, her hands gripping the edge of the bed tightly, her chest heaving violently.

Those eyes—

It was no longer the brownish-yellow of when Amon was in control, nor the dark purple of when she was the Queen of Blades, but her most original turquoise green.

At this moment, however, that green hue was churning with indescribable chaos and pain, like a drowning person who had just awakened from an endless nightmare.

? !
Sarah Kerrigan's emerald green pupils contracted slightly as she quickly scanned the cabin.

Broken instruments, twisted metal frames, and figures lying haphazardly on the ground.

Her breathing was still rapid, and she was clearly not yet fully awake from her confused state of mind.

But when her gaze fell on Leon, Mike, and Chris, an instinctive hostility surged up again.

Psionic energy gathered around her, and tiny blue arcs of electricity appeared in the air. The metal instruments inside the medical pod began to tremble uncontrollably, as if they would be twisted into scrap metal by an invisible force at any moment.

Lyon reacted extremely quickly.

He immediately raised his hands, palms facing forward, and made a clear "retreat" gesture.

Mike and Chris took two steps back in unison, forming a non-threatening triangular formation that maintained distance while avoiding any actions that could be misinterpreted as attacks.

“Calm down, Ms. Kerrigan.” Leon’s voice was calm, as if he were soothing a frightened beast. “No one here is your enemy.”

"."

Kerrigan's fingertips trembled slightly, and the psionic fluctuations lessened somewhat, but her vigilance was not completely lifted until—

Sarah.

A hoarse call came from the side.

Jim Reynolds struggled to sit up, the blood on his forehead still wet, but the emotions in his eyes were quite complex.

First came excitement, then guilt and worry, all mixed together.

The Ranger commander's voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, yet it was like a sharp blade piercing Kerrigan's heart.

"Jim?"

Her voice was also hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.

The psionic fluctuations vanished instantly, replaced by a fragile sense of bewilderment.

Barefoot, ignoring the shards of glass scattered on the ground, she strode quickly toward Jim.

The floor of the medical pod was ice-cold, but she seemed to feel no pain, or rather, compared to the chaos in her mind, the pain was insignificant.

Jim struggled to stand up, but groaned as the sharp pain in his chest caused him to collapse.

Sarah almost instinctively reached out to support him, and Jim's hand visibly trembled the moment their fingertips touched.

Jim stared at Kerrigan's face and asked, "Do you remember... what happened?"

Kerrigan frowned, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes.

Fragmented memories flooded back—Amon's whispers, the hissing of the insects, her torn self-awareness. She instinctively covered her temples, her breathing becoming rapid again.

“Scattered fragments,” she whispered, “like a nightmare from which I can’t wake up.”

Jim's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes filled with deep remorse. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been here sooner."

Kerrigan reached out to stop Jim from continuing, "Don't be silly, Jim."

He managed a weak but genuine smile, "This isn't your fault."

The atmosphere between the two subtly eased, even bringing a long-lost sense of relaxation.

“Seriously,” Kerrigan suddenly raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a familiar teasing tone, “after four years, you welcome me with this bruised and battered face?”

?

Jim paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, but gasped as the movement aggravated his injuries.

"Compared to your 'warm hug' just now, I think what I did was quite decent."

Just as Kerrigan was about to retaliate, a gruff voice suddenly broke in—

"Good heavens, can you two wait a bit before you start flirting?"

Tychus Finley stood up, using the twisted machine rack as support, and brushed the shards of glass off his body with a look of disgust.

"My bones are about to fall apart, and I still have to watch you two being all lovey-dovey?"

While making exaggerated jokes, Tychus casually picked up a flattened cigar on the deck and said, "With the medical bay in this state, Horner is going to be furious."

Jim shook his head helplessly, and Kerrigan immediately noticed his discomfort, instinctively wrapping her arms around his waist to help him steady himself.

“You need to lie down.” Her tone left no room for argument. “You may have a fractured rib.”

"Wait a minute." Jim suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Leon and the other two. "What you were saying just now..."

Lyon nodded slightly, indicating that there was no need to discuss it now.

“We’ll talk about it after you’ve all received treatment.” Leon’s gaze lingered on Sarah for a moment before turning to Jim. “We have plenty of time.”

Mike had already helped the unconscious Dr. Aigon to his feet and was skillfully examining his injuries.

"Vital signs are stable, but the head injury requires immediate treatment." Mike looked towards the hatch. "The medical robot should be arriving soon."

Sure enough, the safety gate opened.

Three medical-grade Terminators stepped into the cabin, their red scanning beams quickly sweeping across the chaotic scene.

One of them headed straight for Egon, while the other two began treating Jim and Tychus's injuries.

Sarah stood there, her bare feet on the cold metal floor, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Is this how the nightmare of several years has come to an end?

She looked down at her hands—

There were no psionic patterns, no mutated bone spurs, just an ordinary human hand, bearing some scars and the marks of time.

Jim seemed to notice her dazed state and gently took her wrist.

“This time,” the Ranger commander’s voice was firm, “I will not let go this time.”

Sarah didn't answer, but simply gripped his hand tighter. The lights in the medical pod flickered on and off again, but at that moment, it seemed everything was finally back on track.
(End of this chapter)