Chapter 5: The Jupiter Stargate and Future Projects
Max worked in his Alchemy Room, surrounded by an array of devices and arcane symbols, the quiet hum of his equipment filling the air. The room was a strange mix of old-world mysticism and cutting-edge technology, where ancient tomes lay open next to holographic interfaces and glass vials shared space with advanced materials. His latest project sat in the middle of the room: a Stargate, much like the ones from the TV series, though this one was of his own design, a perfected version.
The Stargate stood at an impressive height, towering above him, adorned with runes and circuits that intertwined like veins of energy pulsing through stone. Each symbol glowed faintly, reacting to the calibrations Max was inputting through a holographic screen. With precision, he keyed in coordinates, adjusting the aperture controls to account for the energy fluctuations in the room.
He glanced at the second Stargate, already packed neatly in a special container—an advanced case he'd designed himself. The case could hold up to 1000 cubic meters of materials inside a pocket dimension, giving it the appearance of an ordinary duffel bag while allowing him to transport an array of equipment effortlessly.
Max double-checked his work, stepping back to admire the gate in his lab before sealing the second Stargate inside the case. The moment was brief, though, as he shifted his focus to his next task: setting up the second Stargate in space. His Puddle Jumper waited in the hangar, cloaked and prepped for a long trip.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, locking down the Alchemy Room's security systems. "Time to head to Jupiter."
As Max ascended through the atmosphere in the Puddle Jumper, the Earth's curvature vanished beneath him, giving way to the cold, infinite expanse of space. The stars became sharper, brighter. For a moment, the endless blackness felt like a clean slate, a void ready to be filled with whatever his mind could conjure.
The Puddle Jumper hurtled past the moon and Mars, heading for the asteroid belt that loomed between Mars and Jupiter. He calculated the journey to take about two days. Max reclined in his seat, checking the ship's status. The Puddle Jumper was more than capable of the trip, with its advanced life-support systems and cloaking devices keeping him hidden from prying eyes. Not that anyone was looking for him in the vastness of space—but better safe than sorry.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Nick Fury stared out the window of his S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, brow furrowed in thought. Tony Stark's miraculous return from Afghanistan had raised more questions than answers. He'd watched the footage—Stark's abrupt announcement about Stark Industries no longer producing weapons—and something wasn't sitting right.
"How the hell did Stark make it back?" Fury muttered under his breath, turning toward Agent Coulson, who stood patiently by his side.
Coulson, as always, maintained his calm demeanor. "We've reviewed satellite footage, sir. There's a significant gap between when Stark went off-grid in Afghanistan and his reappearance in New York. No conventional aircraft can account for the time he spent missing."
Fury narrowed his eye. "I want you to find out how Stark did it. I don't like unanswered questions, especially not with someone like him."
"Understood," Coulson replied with a slight nod. "I'll handle it."
As Coulson left the room, Fury turned back to the window, lost in thought. Whatever had brought Tony Stark back was no coincidence. And Fury didn't believe in coincidences.
At Stark Industries, the atmosphere was tense. Obadiah Stane had been keeping a close eye on Tony ever since his unexpected press conference. The idea of shutting down the weapons division had thrown the board into a frenzy, and Stane was already pulling strings behind the scenes, making moves to wrest control of the company. Tony's sudden moral shift was a threat, and Stane wasn't going to let it derail everything he'd worked for.
Pepper Potts was equally concerned, but for entirely different reasons. She could see the toll Afghanistan had taken on Tony, not just physically but mentally. He had changed—there was a determination in his eyes now, a seriousness that hadn't been there before. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that Tony was spiraling. Between the emotional trauma and his decision to cut off the company's most profitable division, it seemed like only a matter of time before something gave.
Tony's Malibu Workshop
In the dim, industrial glow of his Malibu workshop, Tony Stark worked with methodical focus. The blueprints for the new arc reactor were spread across his workbench, illuminated by holographic displays floating around him. His old reactor, the one embedded in his chest to keep shrapnel from reaching his heart, lay before him—about to be replaced by a newer, more efficient design.
"Pepper, can you give me a hand with this?" Tony called out, lying back in his chair. He wasn't exactly thrilled about pulling out the old reactor—after all, it had saved his life—but it was time for an upgrade.
Pepper stood nearby, watching him with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Tony, are you sure about this? I mean, we could call someone else. You don't have to do it all yourself."
"I'm sure," Tony replied, flashing her a quick grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's just a minor operation. We'll be done in no time."
With reluctance, Pepper approached. She'd helped him before, though the whole process still made her nervous. Tony handed her the extraction tool, showing her where to position it. His skin was pale, and dark circles underlined his eyes, a testament to the toll the reactor had taken on him.
"Okay," Tony said, inhaling sharply. "On three. One, two—"
Before he could finish, Pepper activated the tool, pulling out the arc reactor in one swift motion. Tony gasped as it came free, his body seizing momentarily, but he forced himself to remain still. His chest cavity, now a hollow, exposed mess of wires and circuits, felt unnervingly empty.
"Got it," Pepper whispered, carefully setting the old reactor aside.
Without missing a beat, Tony grabbed the new arc reactor, already prepped and ready. "Alright, let's get the new one in. No time to waste."
Pepper nodded, her hands steady despite her anxiety. She helped Tony guide the reactor into place, watching as it clicked into position and the lights in his chest flared to life. The hum of energy filled the room, and Tony exhaled, feeling the familiar surge of power coursing through him.
"Perfect fit," Tony said with a lopsided grin, though his voice was strained from the ordeal.
Pepper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."
Tony chuckled, sitting up slowly. "Don't worry, Pep. I've got enough heart problems for both of us."
Despite his flippant remark, Pepper could see the exhaustion in his face. She made a mental note to check in with him more often, knowing that Tony had a habit of pushing himself to the brink.
Near Jupiter
After two days of travel, the Puddle Jumper arrived near Jupiter. Max floated in his chair, the planet's massive form filling the viewscreen in front of him. Its swirling storms and bands of gas created a mesmerizing sight, but Max wasn't here for sightseeing. He had work to do.
Carefully, he guided the ship into position just outside the asteroid belt, selecting a stable orbit. The field of rocky debris stretched out like an endless ocean of stone, bathed in the faint glow of distant sunlight. This was the perfect spot to set up the second Stargate.
Max activated the ship's cargo bay, and with a flick of his wrist, the Stargate emerged from his dimensional storage. It floated weightlessly in the void for a moment before Max used the ship's tractor beams to maneuver it into place.
He programmed the gate's coordinates with precision, ensuring that it would align perfectly with the gate back in his Alchemy Room. Once the settings were locked in, the gate's symbols began to glow, and the ring spun into place, emitting a low hum of energy. Max watched as the familiar kawoosh of the wormhole rippled through space, the shimmering blue surface stabilizing within the ring.
"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Let's test this out."
With a calm, practiced ease, Max piloted the Puddle Jumper toward the gate. The ship glided smoothly through the wormhole, the vastness of space around him bending and distorting for a split second before he emerged on the other side.
The familiar walls of his Alchemy Room greeted him, the Stargate in the center of the room pulsing softly as the wormhole closed behind him. Max landed the Puddle Jumper in the hangar bay adjacent to the room, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over him.
It had worked. His Stargate system was now operational, connecting his lab to a point near Jupiter. The possibilities were endless.
With the major task out of the way, Max felt his stomach grumble. He chuckled to himself, shutting down the Puddle Jumper's systems and heading toward the kitchen. A well-earned meal was waiting for him, and after that—his favorite indulgence.
After eating, Max slipped into the warm, bubbling waters of his jacuzzi, letting the tension melt away as he stared up at the ceiling. The weekend had almost come to an end, but his mind was already racing with new ideas for the future.
The next project on his list: replicating the Asgard beaming technology from Stargate Universe. With that, he could build the atomic forge—a teleporter capable of assembling matter atom by atom. It would revolutionize how he constructed things, allowing him to fabricate a massive space station in orbit around Jupiter with ease.
Once the station was built, Max could use it to produce Stargates automatically. The potential for expansion was limitless. And after that, there was the Zero Point Module (ZPM) project—a source of nearly infinite energy that would power everything from the station to future interstellar ships.
Max leaned back, letting the warmth of the jacuzzi soothe him.
His thoughts drifted to another project—one inspired by Newt Scamander's enchanted suitcase from Fantastic Beasts, but with his own twist. He wasn't interested in magical creatures. Instead, his version would be a portable workshop, a pocket dimension where he could store and access all of his tools and projects at any time, anywhere.
The future was brimming with possibilities, and Max's mind buzzed with excitement. The next steps were clear: complete the Asgard beaming tech, finalize the ZPM, and start building. Once the space station and ships were in place, he'd be free to delve deeper into the magical side of his research.