At six o'clock in the morning, Artoria was awakened by a rhythmic humming coming from the basement.
It was the low hum of a five-axis CNC machine on standby. She sat up as the morning light leaked through the gaps in the blinds, cutting slender strips of light onto the wooden floor. Today, she would begin the actual manufacturing.
While washing up, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her long blonde hair was a bit messy, and there were faint dark circles under her emerald eyes—she had stayed up until three in the morning last night optimizing the processing plan for the first batch of parts. But she was in high spirits, feeling a long-lost sense of focus and excitement.
Breakfast was simple milk and cereal. As she ate, she checked her procurement list on her tablet. She had placed orders with three suppliers last night:
Micro Servo Motors (High-Torque Type): 72 units, Made in Japan, unit price $850, total price $61,200
Multi-axis Force Sensors: 24 sets, German brand, unit price $1,200, total price $28,800
Neural Network Processing Chips: Custom model, tape-out fee $150,000
Special Flexible Wiring: 500 meters, U.S. aerospace grade, unit price $300/meter, total price $150,000
Vision Sensor Arrays: 6 sets, Sony custom, unit price $8,000, total price $48,000
Including other miscellaneous items, the budget for the first batch of core materials was $820,000, which was $20,000 over the estimate. But it was worth it—she was building a companion to stay with her for a long time, not a cheap toy.
At eight o'clock sharp, her phone rang. It was the technical consultant for the German sensor supplier, a middle-aged man with a rigorous voice.
"Miss Artoria, the force sensors you ordered require a special interface protocol. Our standard version supports CAN bus and SPI, but the data throughput you specified... we need custom firmware."
"That's fine." Artoria pulled up the technical documentation. "I need real-time six-dimensional force/torque data, with a sampling rate of no less than 10kHz and a latency of less than 0.1 milliseconds. Use Gigabit Ethernet for the interface, and follow the protocol standard I sent you."
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. "This performance... is close to laboratory research grade. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I'll pay the rush fee."
"Understood. Delivery within two weeks; we'll include debugging software and documentation."
After hanging up, an email from the Japanese servo motor supplier also arrived. They confirmed the order but politely inquired about the intended use—high-torque micro servo motors are typically used in surgical robots or precision industrial machinery, and it was indeed rare for an individual to purchase such a large batch.
Artoria replied: "Private research project, complies with export control terms." She attached the "Scientific Research Use Exemption Certificate" provided by S.H.I.E.L.D.
At nine o'clock, Tony sent a message: "I've arranged the chip tape-out for you. We're using the semiconductor production line at Stark Industries; sample chips will be ready in three weeks. The cost will be deducted from the subsequent profit sharing."
Such high efficiency. Without Stark's channels, the chip tape-out alone would have required waiting in line for three months.
"Thanks," she replied.
"Don't mention it. I'm curious what you're going to build with these parts. Once it's finished, I must see it."
"Deal."
At ten in the morning, she went to the basement. The machine tool had finished preheating, and the standby green light was flashing on the control screen. She imported the processing program optimized last night into the system—the first step was to manufacture the complete spinal skeleton, not just those seven vertebrae, but the full 24 (7 cervical + 12 thoracic + 5 lumbar).
"Let's begin."
She pressed the start button. The machine tool emitted a soft hum, the spindle rotated, and the cutting tools moved. A fine white mist of coolant sprayed out as the titanium alloy plate was fixed to the workbench and precision cutting began.
She stepped back to a safe distance and leaned against the wall to watch. The metal was peeled away like butter under the tool, and the shavings were washed away by the coolant, revealing a gradually forming precision structure. This was a strange sense of ritual—a design from the digital World was being transformed into a physical entity.
Three hours later, the first cervical vertebra was completed. She stopped the machine to check: a dimensional error of 0.003 mm and a surface roughness of Ra 0.2—it met the standards perfectly. She placed the part into the ultrasonic cleaner and then continued processing the second one.
Lunch was a simple sandwich. As she ate, she checked the game data. mei le ge mei's daily income had stabilized at $1,200, and downloads had surpassed 50,000. The comments section was still lively, with some cursing the game's difficulty, some showing off their clears, and others researching exploit strategies.
The funds page showed: $5,311,794. Although she had just spent over $800,000 on orders, the balance was still ample.
At two in the afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Artoria frowned. There shouldn't be visitors at this time. She walked to the door and saw an unfamiliar blonde woman standing outside through the peephole—around thirty years old, wearing a proper beige trench coat, carrying a briefcase, with a professional and gentle expression.
Not someone from S.H.I.E.L.D.; the aura wasn't right.
She opened the door. "Who are you looking for?"
"Miss Artoria?" The woman smiled and handed over a business card. "I am Melinda May, an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem and her name were printed on the card. Artoria took it and stepped aside. "Please, come in."
Mei walked into the living room, her gaze quickly scanning the environment—simple, clean, with almost no personal belongings. Her gaze lingered on the open computer in the study for half a second before naturally moving away.
"Agent Coulson is busy with other missions, so the Director sent me to follow up on some situations." Mei sat on the sofa, her posture relaxed yet alert. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"What is it?" Artoria poured a glass of water for her.
"Two things." Mei took a tablet from her briefcase. "First, you ordered a large number of precision parts last night, including controlled force sensors and vision systems. Although you have a research exemption, we need to record the end-use according to protocol."
"Private research, a bionic machinery project," Artoria said. "The detailed design drawings involve technical secrets and cannot be provided."
"Understood." Mei recorded it on the tablet. "The second thing... is about the abnormal phenomenon on the coast."
She pulled up a video. It was surveillance footage from around Artoria's cottage last night—in infrared mode, a pale blue dot of light appeared on the sea surface outside the terrace, hovered for seventeen minutes, and then slowly submerged.
"This thing is observing you," Mei said. "It's been three consecutive nights. And... it's getting closer. Five hundred meters away on the first night, three hundred on the second, and one hundred last night."
Artoria watched the video. The brightness, size, and pulsation frequency of the light dot were all consistent with the data Tony had given her.
"Has S.H.I.E.L.D. reached a conclusion?"
"The preliminary assessment is that it's an energy-based lifeform with basic intelligence and learning capabilities. It seems to be... interested in you." Mei paused. "We suggest you move away temporarily, at least until the investigation is clear."
"No need." Artoria shook her head. "It has no ill intent."
"How can you be sure?"
"Intuition," Artoria said. In reality, it was Artoria's Instinct—the B-rank danger premonition hadn't been triggered, meaning there was no fatal threat, at least for now.
Mei stared at her for a few seconds and nodded. "Alright. But we need to install a few safety sensors here to monitor abnormal energy fluctuations. Do you agree?"
"Fine, but not indoors."
"Only outside the house; it won't involve your privacy." Mei took several coin-sized silver discs from her briefcase. "Magnetic attachment type; just attach them to the exterior walls and terrace railings. The data will be transmitted directly to the S.H.I.E.L.D. monitoring center, and we will issue an alert in case of an anomaly."
Artoria took the sensors. They were very light, with smooth surfaces and no visible interfaces.
"Also," Mei stood up. "The Director asked me to convey that there might be more than one deep-sea anomaly. Our sonar arrays have detected multiple similar energy signals along the East Coast, and their range of activity is expanding. If you encounter an emergency..."
She handed over a black wristband, similar to a fitness tracker but bulkier.
"An emergency beacon. After pressing it, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Rapid Response Team will arrive within five minutes. Hopefully, you won't need it."
Artoria took the wristband and put it on her left wrist. It adjusted its size automatically to fit her skin.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Mei walked to the door and then turned back. "Lastly... does Mr. Stark know about these things?"
"He knows some of it."
"He's a good man, but sometimes he's too curious." Mei smiled. "It's always good to stay vigilant. Goodbye, Miss Artoria."
After she left, Artoria returned to the basement. The machine tool was still working, and the fourth vertebra was nearly finished. She attached the sensors Mei had given her to the exterior walls and terrace railings—six in total, evenly distributed.
Just as she finished attaching the last one, her phone vibrated. It was Tony.
"Did someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. go to see you?"
"They just left. How did you know?"
"Jarvis monitored her car leaving." Tony paused. "Did they talk to you about that thing in the deep sea?"
"Yeah. They suggested I move out, but I refused."
"Wise. Moving is such a hassle." Tony's tone was relaxed. "However, I made a new probe last night—stealth coating, silent propulsion—and I'm putting it in the sea tonight. This time, it shouldn't be discovered."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. told you not to probe."
"They said'suggested'." Tony laughed. "Besides, my probe will be in international waters, so it's legal. Data as per the old rules—share it?"
"Share it."
"Deal. By the way, the servo motors you ordered have shipped; they're going through Stark Logistics' express channel and will arrive the day after tomorrow. I've pushed the chip tape-out schedule, aiming for samples in two weeks."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. I'm waiting for your masterpiece." Tony hung up.
Artoria returned to the basement and continued working. At five in the afternoon, she completed the rough machining of all 24 vertebrae. Next would be finishing and surface treatment, which would take at least two more days.
In the evening, she had a simple dinner and sat on the terrace looking at the sea. The setting sun dyed the clouds golden-red, and the sea surface shimmered. The silver sensors attached to the railings were almost invisible.
She was thinking about the halo in the deep sea. Why was it interested in her? Because of the energy signature emitted by her Photograph ability? Or because of... something else?
When night fell, she returned to the study. She turned on her computer and began designing the next step of the skeleton—the thoracic and pelvic structures. These were more complex parts, requiring handling the assembly precision and dynamic coordination of multiple components.
She worked late into the night. At eleven o'clock, the wristband vibrated slightly—it was a test signal from S.H.I.E.L.D.
At eleven-thirty, as she was preparing to rest, that pale blue halo lit up again on the sea surface outside the window.
This time it was even closer. It was just fifty meters below the cliff, the light pulsating softly, like breathing. She could feel a certain gaze—not malicious, but curious, even slightly... probing?
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and met the light's gaze.
The halo moved slowly, tracing a complex trajectory, and then became still again. It was as if it were expressing something, or waiting for a response.
Artoria watched for a moment, then raised her hand and gave a gentle wave.
The halo flickered, its brightness intensified, and then it slowly sank into the sea and disappeared.
She lowered her hand, a strange sense of peace in her heart.
This World was vast; there was S.H.I.E.L.D., there was Iron Man, and there were unknowns in the deep sea. And she, a traveler who had crossed over with a System, was quietly creating her own companion here by the coast.
Not lonely. At least not at this moment.
She Turn off the light in the study and went up to the second floor. Outside the window, moonlight spilled across the sea.
Tomorrow, the processing would continue.
Tomorrow, the parts would arrive one after another.
Tomorrow, another step closer to the goal.
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