MARVEL: BUYING GODHOOD

Four hours had passed since Obadiah and I finished signing everything.

Most of that time had been spent dealing with the last few documents, moving money where it needed to go and making sure there wasn’t anything hidden in the agreement that Helen or the lawyers had missed.

I was in the living room when White informed me that several people from Stark Industries had arrived.

I had been expecting them, so I told her to let them in.

The group entered carrying locked cases, folders, rolled blueprints and boxes filled with documents.

More people followed behind them, and by the time they finished bringing everything inside, at least ten percent of the living room had disappeared beneath everything Stark Industries had collected on the Arc Reactor.

One of the men handed me a document to confirm the delivery before saying, “Mr. Stane instructed us to deliver everything related to the Arc Reactor project.” I signed it and looked over what they had brought.

Obadiah hadn’t sent me a few blueprints and called it finished.

There were physical designs, construction records, research notes, testing results, material requirements, failed designs and storage drives containing even more information.

Anything Stark Industries had kept concerning the Arc Reactor seemed to be sitting in my living room.

That made sense.

I’d made sure the agreement covered all of it.

Once they left, I told White that I didn’t want anyone disturbing me unless it was important.

Moving everything downstairs took some time even with her helping me, but eventually the living room was clear again and all the material was inside one of the smaller rooms in the underground facility.

I sat down with several of the original designs spread across the table before me.

The drives were nearby, while boxes of older documents were stacked against the wall.

I could probably spend weeks reading everything myself and still miss something important.

I called Research Assistant in my mind before looking down at the largest Arc Reactor blueprint.

“Can we miniaturize this?” Her answer came almost immediately.

“Yes.” I looked around at everything Stark Industries had sent before asking, “What’s the best way to let you do it?” Research Assistant replied, “Let me do it.”

That was what I’d expected, but I wanted to understand what she was doing too.

“Can all the information stay in my mind afterward?” Research Assistant replied, “Yes.

Once I process the information, I can make it understandable to you.” I looked around at the boxes again before asking, “How many Magicules will that need?” Her answer surprised me.

“None. Put everything inside your Storage Space. I can read and process anything stored there without using Magicules.”

I hadn’t thought of that.

“How long?” Research Assistant answered, “Approximately one minute.” I looked around the room again.

Stark Industries had spent years collecting all of this, and she was telling me she could go through everything in a minute.

I stood and started placing everything into my Storage Space.

The boxes disappeared first, followed by the folders, blueprints and locked cases.

I made sure the storage drives went in as well until the room that had been filled with Stark’s research was almost completely empty.

One minute wasn’t long, and almost exactly when it passed, Research Assistant said, “Complete.” I thought about the Arc Reactor, and the difference was immediate.

I understood things I definitely hadn’t known a minute ago.

I knew what the major components did, why they were arranged that way and how they worked together.

For a few seconds, I was impressed.

Then I remembered the weeks I’d spent studying.

“Why didn’t you tell me you could do this before?

I spent weeks studying.” Research Assistant answered, “You did not ask.” I frowned at that.

“You knew I was studying.” She replied, “Yes, but you did not allow me to read your mind. I knew you were studying, but I did not know what you were trying to achieve or that you wanted another way to learn. This time, you asked me for the best option, so I gave it to you.”

I couldn’t really argue with that.

I’d been the one who stopped her from reading my thoughts because I still didn’t trust something else having unrestricted access to my mind.

I wasn’t about to change that, but this was the first time that decision had actually cost me something.

“So if I put information about something in my Storage Space, you can make me understand it?” Research Assistant replied, “Yes. As long as the necessary information is there, I can process it and help you understand the subject.”

I looked around the nearly empty room.

That would have been very useful to know weeks ago, but there wasn’t much point thinking about the time I’d already spent.

At least now I knew it was possible, and I could use it whenever I needed to learn something quickly.

I turned my attention back to the Arc Reactor.

“Can we do more than just make it smaller?

I don’t want a miniature copy.

Can we remake the design and improve it while we’re doing it?” Research Assistant replied, “Yes.

The existing research gives us a working foundation.

We would not need to develop the technology from the beginning, and I can redesign the reactor while retaining the parts that remain useful.”

“How long?” I asked, and Research Assistant replied, “Approximately one day for the improved design if we continue without unnecessary interruption.” That wasn’t bad at all, so I asked how long actually making one would take.

She answered, “That depends on the resources available and how much assistance you are willing to accept.”

“I’m making it myself.” Research Assistant replied, “I expected that. If every required material and manufacturing tool is available, approximately one week. That includes producing the components, assembly, testing and correcting problems discovered during construction. Since you will not allow others to work on the important parts, one week is the minimum estimate I would recommend.”

I looked at the empty table for a moment.

“One day for the design and at least a week to make it.” Research Assistant confirmed, “Approximately.” That was fine with me.

I hadn’t bought the Arc Reactor just to make a smaller Stark reactor anyway.

If I was going to build the entire thing myself, I wanted the finished version to be mine.

I took out a blank sheet and picked up a pencil.

“There’s one more thing.

I want to change its shape.” Research Assistant asked, “What shape?” Instead of answering immediately, I started drawing what I had in mind.

I drew the widest section through the middle first, then the two halves extending in opposite directions until each ended at a point.

There were twelve points around the middle, with triangular sections running from them toward the top and bottom.

I adjusted it a few times until the rough drawing looked close enough to what I wanted.

“A dihexagonal dipyramid.” Research Assistant remained quiet for a few seconds before saying, “That will require significant changes to the internal structure.” I nodded as I looked at the drawing.

“That’s fine. I don’t mean putting the reactor inside something shaped like this. I want the reactor itself designed around this shape. Can we do it?”

Research Assistant replied, “Yes.

The energy generation system, magnetic containment, internal channels and other components will need to be redesigned around the new geometry, but it can be done.” I asked if that would change the one-day estimate, but she replied, “No.

The estimate already included the possibility of significant changes to the original design.”

That was all I needed.

“Then do it.

Keep whatever is useful from the original, improve what can be improved and rebuild the rest around this shape.” Research Assistant replied, “Understood.

I will begin with the new design.”

I leaned back and looked at the rough drawing in front of me.

A few hours ago, all I had was Stark Industries’ Arc Reactor research.

Now I understood it, and Research Assistant had everything she needed to turn it into something different.

By tomorrow, I would have the design.

After that, I would build it.