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The rapid-fire translation left Kingo stunned.
He pointed at Katie—who had her backside aimed at him, clearly wanting to leave the tent but not quite daring to—and asked, "This little one is… complaining?"
Henry said awkwardly, "Tiger language doesn't actually have that many words. And a tiger's thoughts are simpler than a human's. That is roughly what she means.
"But the phrasing you heard—I rendered it in a more irritable tone. I do have a 'polite' version programmed, but since we're out and about, I can't adjust the translation profile.
"So… just take it as flavor text. I honestly never planned on letting the translation play aloud for normal people."
"Pfft—ha! Hahaha!" Kingo burst into laughter. "Then why not keep the translator permanently set to this mode?"
"Battery life," Henry replied matter-of-factly. "Originally, the output volume was extremely low—just enough for me to hear. Amplifying it so ordinary humans can hear increases power consumption several times over."
He called Katie back and switched off the external voice output.
In standard mode, the twin earpieces could last about seven days without charging. With audible human-level translation turned on, the battery would die in four hours.
Henry had no desire to constantly search for charging outlets—or to explain to ordinary people why his tiger could speak—so Katie reverted to looking like a normal tiger again instead of a chatty, grumbling little brother.
The reason Henry chose that slightly abrasive tone for her translation was simple: tigers should sound like kings of the forest. If she spoke like a courteous gentleman, it would feel absurd.
Originally, he had experimented with giving her a Black urban accent—the translated voice came out like rap lyrics. But it was so obnoxious even Henry couldn't stand it. If he had kept that version, it might not have been long before he'd be brewing tiger bone wine…
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Kingo was clearly intrigued by the device. He didn't take it for a pre-recorded gimmick. After all, Henry wasn't pitching a product for investment.
Considering Henry's accomplishments in Hollywood over the past year—using new digital imaging technology to challenge traditional film systems—it made sense. Without real achievement, how could he have earned the respect of that famously brilliant billionaire heir and been entrusted with one of his companies?
Curious, Kingo asked, "How did you come up with this? Care to explain?"
"You're actually interested?" Henry raised a brow.
"Of course," Kingo replied. "When you've lived long enough, something genuinely new becomes exceedingly rare.
"Your digital imaging technology is an evolution—pushing existing foundations further. The difference between you and companies like Sony is simply that you moved faster and produced something practical.
"But this translator… I can't even imagine how you conceived it. Tell me."
Henry thought for a moment. "Do you know Professor X from the X-Men?"
"I'm aware of them. A well-known mutant group."
"It started the first time I encountered Professor X."
Henry briefly described the incident—how his mind had been invaded, which sparked his desire to develop mental defenses.
"At first, I only wanted to create something like Magneto's helmet—a device to block psychic intrusion.
"Later, after raising a tiger, I began to think more deeply about brainwave research. Combined with sensory hardware and data analysis, I spent over a year refining the methodology to reach this stage."
Kingo looked surprised. "So although a mutant triggered the idea, you achieved all this using nothing but a tiger? You didn't collaborate with other mutants?"
"How would I even ask?" Henry laughed. "'Hey, Professor X, I'd like to build a helmet to block your telepathy. Please assist with testing.' Who would willingly help create something that counters themselves?"
"Fair enough." Kingo leaned forward slightly. "Then what conclusions have you reached about psychic abilities?"
Henry didn't quite understand why the question mattered, but it still felt like a reasonable exchange.
"To be honest, building a functional psychic-blocking helmet now wouldn't be difficult for me.
"The real problem is testing it. I can't exactly go provoke powerful telepaths. And if a test fails, I can't just kick them out of my mind and pretend nothing happened.
"But defense aside—regarding brainwaves, I can now read them. At least, I can interpret Katie's with high accuracy.
"For other species—including humans—I'd need far more comparative data. As for interference, my capabilities are limited.
"For example, I can convert human speech into a brainwave pattern Katie understands—essentially a universal translator concept. But compared to the Kree's cosmic translation tech, I'm nowhere near that level.
"If you're asking about manipulating consciousness—erasing memories, altering perception, locking away awareness…"
He shook his head.
"I've never had the need. So I haven't pursued technological solutions for that."
Kingo had shed his playful demeanor entirely. He listened intently, fingers lightly tapping the table in thought.
"You mentioned you can currently read tiger brainwaves. What about other organisms? How long would research take?"
Henry smiled. "The hardest part with Katie wasn't decoding her—it was building the methodology and defining the research framework.
"Once the framework exists, adapting it to another organism mainly requires accumulating comparative data. The time investment depends on the goal.
"If I wanted precise, word-for-word translation of an unknown language or animal cognition, that would take significant time. But if I only needed emotional states? That's relatively simple."
Kingo's gaze sharpened.
"And if you were to influence a human consciousness—could you?"
Henry blinked. "I don't commit crimes. Well… fine, psychic manipulation isn't technically codified in most legal systems. But ethically? That's questionable."
Even as he answered, Henry was thinking.
Why is he so focused on this?
Could it be about Thena?
Mahd Wy'ry—the Eternal madness. In the film, her condition stemmed from residual memories bleeding through, triggering violent episodes.
Is that happening here too?
If so… is Kingo looking for a cure?
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