Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1414 (First Spacewalk) (Part 2)

"So, Agent Coulson's expected lifespan is insufficient to complete the mission?"

"To us, they only disappeared for a few seconds, but to them, time continued to pass normally." As the intelligence chief of the Royal Guard, Supiluliumas was communicating with Regent Victor von Doom via holographic projection. Victor von Doom was deeply involved in many of the Emperor's plans. The Coulson Agent Team's journey to the future was an unexpected mission, but even so, he still took on the responsibility of coordinating the overall situation, monitoring all the Emperor's pawns so that they could not escape his control, and even the Royal Guard had to report to him.

"Although we have Kree samples, we lack the manufacturing process and formula for GH-325, making it impossible to restore the numerous mutations GH-325 causes in human genes." Supiluliumas put down the paper and shook his head. He had read the medical report; Agent Coulson's genes had suffered severe damage and mutation, but due to special components within the Kree body constantly repairing the damaged genetic material, Agent Coulson's physical condition was extremely complex. "The medical officer believes that Agent Coulson has a high probability of developing organ failure, brain tumors, lymphoma, leukemia, bone cancer, and other ailments. His immune system is being challenged, and more complications may arise in the future. Yes, he's going to die, Regent."

"Can we extend his life?"

"Targeted gene therapy might be possible, but it requires testing by a medical officer," Superuliumas presented a medical officer's conjecture on the treatment method, with gene repair listed as the top priority. "However, this method is related to Agent Coulson's own will to live and his level of cooperation, and the gene repair treatment cycle is long; Agent Coulson may not be able to survive that period." The Regent remained silent, carefully examining the report provided by the Guardian Order medical officer and the medical records within S.H.I.E.L.D. Every number, every test was repeatedly examined, decay reports between multiple gene samples, simulations of Agent Coulson's brain state using induced stem cell cultivation of a nervous system... all the reports pointed to the same conclusion: Agent Coulson's life was as fragile as a candle in the wind, and no one knew if he would die on the mission.

"Does He know about this situation?"

“Yes, Your Excellency, He learned of Agent Coulson’s condition immediately,” Superuliumas said. “But He did not specify how to keep Agent Coulson alive.”

"Then let's try both, Supilulius, and open a secret communication channel with Agent Coulson. I think he definitely doesn't want his comrades to know about his physical condition, just like all those pretentious characters in TV dramas."

Supilulius pretended not to hear the Regent's highly humorous analogy. "Agent Coulson might refuse the life-extending surgery," the Guard said, pointing to the section on psychological analysis in the report. "Agent Coulson is currently highly self-destructive; the likelihood of him undergoing treatment is very low."

"Could this be more important than the US election?"

Viktor von Doom knew that the emperor's public image was vastly different from his private one. That imposing demeanor was reserved for public occasions; the emperor, with his keen sense of humor, would seize any opportunity to unleash it. This exceptional social skill was one of the reasons he was pulled out of the cabin. Now, Viktor von Doom felt himself gradually being transformed by the emperor's private personality, becoming more cheerful, approachable, and even more humorous.

"You can tell Agent Coulson that if he accepts treatment, we'll arrange a meeting between him and Steve Rogers," the Regent said in a light tone. He reached for the golden eagle staff leaning against the table—its design inspired by the ancient Roman military standard. Besides being a powerful spellcasting tool, this staff, which should have been planted on a chariot, was also a symbol of status—the psionic circuitry hidden within the golden eagle contained numerous privileges, allowing him free access to the Immortal City, Skysword Station, and all of Latvinia, even to places with psionic restrictions. "I know that Agent Coulson anonymously supported Steve Rogers on social media when the Avengers split, even though he was called a traitor, Coulson supported him."

"That's a good idea."

"Then go ahead and carry it out. As far as I know, Agent Coulson isn't the only one you need to keep an eye on." The Regent stood up, leaning on his cane. "How are the guests at the Dhaulagiri Observatory doing now?"

"Laura Crawford has recovered well, both physically and mentally. He allowed her access to many historical secrets, which I think will temporarily quell her thirst for knowledge."

"Laura Crawford's fate is inextricably linked to her place in history, and her discoveries will uncover some secrets we desperately need to know. Protect Laura Crawford, Supilulius, and do not withdraw security personnel even after she returns to England."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Supiluliumas bowed his head. His holographic projection almost filled the entire space of the Regent's office from floor to ceiling, the captured photons meticulously depicting the short sword he wore at his waist—a short sword for the Royal Guard, but a longsword for ordinary people—engraved with an oath known only to the Commander of the Royal Guard and the Emperor, and carried by every member of the Royal Guard as their final weapon in a desperate last stand. "Would you require assistance from the Royal Guard in your upcoming itinerary?"

"I'm not too weak to walk yet, Supilulius." Regent Victor von Doom walked towards the office door. The inner office was where matters were discussed, so the decor was very warm and inviting, with warm colors that made one feel relaxed. The outer office, on the other hand, was a cool black and white, where Regent Victor von Doom was about to face a barrage of requests and accusations, and to mediate the already strained relationships between officials in various regions.

"Actually, I'm still young!" He weighed the staff in his hand. "This thing can also be used as a hammer, and I think I'll definitely need it later. Please arrange a carpet cleaning service for me; I think it will definitely come in handy, as the brains and bone fragments in the carpet are not easy to clean."

The first lesson was a spacewalk.

The extravehicular activity (EVA) suits on the Tianjian space station are not as bulky as other white spacesuits. Although they are also one-piece designs and have the same capabilities to allow astronauts to withstand the vacuum environment of space, alternating high and low temperatures, and resist space radiation and micrometeoroids, they look more like intravehicular emergency pressure suits. They do not require heavy external oxygen supply equipment, and the helmets fit the human body more closely. Wearing the EVA suit does not cause difficulties in limb movement or hand gripping.

Like students waiting for food, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lined up before the pressure gate, undergoing inspections of their spacesuits as they awaited their first spacewalk. Soldiers from the First Class Regiment, clad in Void Combat Suit and armed with laser weapons, waited for them before and after the pressure gate. The agents' first spacewalk would be supervised; after completing various maneuvers, they would return to the medical bay, where medical officers would conduct a thorough examination to assess their suitability for the next stage of the program. Agent Coulson knew their spacesuits were not fully functional, as he saw deep red warnings such as "Long-range radio connection lost" projected on their helmets' HUDs.

"I thought we were going to do an umbilical walk," Agent Coulson asked.

"No, once you learn how to activate the magnetic closure on the soles of your shoes, you won't need to use tethers." The soldier's calm voice came through the headset. "If you accidentally drift into space, please follow the standard procedure to activate the distress beacon and remain calm to reduce oxygen consumption. Use your miniature jetpacks to actively avoid other equipment. We will dispatch a ship to retrieve you within half an hour."

"That sounds reassuring," Melinda May muttered softly. "But we only have enough oxygen for thirty minutes, including the course."

"As long as you follow the standard procedures, there won't be any accidents," the soldier calmly answered Melinda May's question. The latter wasn't familiar with the spacesuit's operating system and therefore hadn't shut down the short-range radio communication. When Melinda May clumsily followed the standard procedure to shut down the communication system, it turned back on, no matter what she did. She glared fiercely at the soldier not far away, but no one felt any resistance from her gaze. "This spacesuit is safe; it can withstand a large number of micrometeoroid impacts. Because we recently destroyed many communication satellites, the micrometeoroid index is C today, but you won't encounter too many of these little guys flying around."

"That's really reassuring," Daisy Jensen began to complain. The impact of a micrometeorite might be stronger than a 7.62x51mm rifle bullet, and before confirming that the spacesuit could withstand such an impact, going on an extravehicular activity would be like gambling with one's life.

"The air recycling agreement has been completed."

The voice prompt, delivered in a soft, multilingual voice, announced: "The airtight gate is about to open."

"Everyone, please hold onto the handrails to avoid the pressure shock."

The soldier instinctively placed his hand on the grip of his rifle in front of his chest, simultaneously activating the magnetic function of his Voidsuit boots. Another soldier in his squad also became alert and made the same preparation. Although the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were undergoing training, they remained high-risk targets. All soldiers of the First Class Regiment had been granted firing clearance, allowing them to use laser heat to burn through human bodies if necessary.

The First Class Regiment's recruits came from all over the world, all having undergone tactical bone conduction surgery, received translators, and received a small number of human enhancement implants. Even Melinda May, the most skilled close-combat agent in S.H.I.E.L.D., was no match for them. But the soldiers' eyes were all fixed on Elena Rodriguez, who possessed superhuman speed, and Daisy Jensen, who could unleash shockwaves. The muzzles of their two laser weapons were intentionally or unintentionally pointed at them.

To ensure the process could proceed safely, the First Class Team also brought in an outside helper.

"You are about to embark on your first walk. Please be sure to follow the route planned by the drone."

The route the soldier was pointing to was projected by lights from two drones, much like the temporary routes projected by lights when riding a bicycle at night. This isn't high-tech; it's just training equipment. The truly high-tech aspect is the drones flying in a vacuum. "What you see from the landing craft's cabin or behind the space station's windows is nothing. Now you're facing real space. Don't worry, if anything happens to you, we'll use your spacesuits to locate you and bring you back. We absolutely won't let any bodies contaminate orbit."

The soldiers' humor did not elicit laughter from the agents.

"That's reassuring." This time it was Alfonso McKenzie. Outside the airtight door, a figure in a Void suit stood before the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The helmet lights and the light projected onto the internal HUD allowed the agents to see who it was. "Pietro Maximov?" Agent Coulson felt a lump in his throat. "You actually brought another enhanced being here. He's been missing for a long time..."

"As you all know, I'm unemployed," Pietro Maximov's voice crackled through the comms, a dull thud that seemed to penetrate his polymer helmet. He spread his hands, his tone light and cheerful, almost dancing on the outer armor of the Skywarp space station. "A superhero title doesn't guarantee a good job in New York. Forget the NYPD and FBI that harass me daily; the NSA and DHS call me every day to make sure I haven't left New York. Even if I buy a taco from a street food truck, the TFI (Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, under the Treasury Department) investigates whether the bill is illicit and whether the food truck belongs to some intelligence agency. So I need a relatively free job, and luckily, my blood relative…"

Pietro Maximov eventually stopped the inappropriate information leak.

"...Ahem! Hello, Agent Coulson! I recognize you. Steve Rogers mentions you from time to time, especially at the boys' beer parties!" He pointed to each S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, calling them by name, especially Elena Rodriguez. "I will be your instructor for the spacewalking course. Don't get too excited about it. There are no neon lights here. If you cross from the sun to the shadows, all you'll see is darkness and scattered lights. Elena Rodriguez, please don't try to jump while running. I know you've all activated your magnetic boots, but floating in space is always a hassle."

"Why are you so surprised? He's an Inhuman too?" Elena Rodriguez asked in a hoarse Latina accent. "What's his superpower?"

"He runs fast, Yoyo, even faster than you." Alfonso MacKenzie took a breath. "You don't know him? He's a member of the Avengers!"

"Oh~"

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(End of this chapter)