Chapter 003: STAR Labs

Author: WolfSpatial

Editor: None

[Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.]

●●●●●

As Harrison Wells stepped off the private jet, Sebastian jumped down from his seat and followed him out onto the tarmac. Harrison glanced back at the cat, surprised to see it had followed him, but didn't shoo it away. Instead, he continued to walk, taking in the sights and sounds of the busy airport. Sebastian stayed close to Harrison, his curiosity piqued by the strange man and his even stranger technology.

As they walk, Harrison talked to himself, discussing his plans and musing about the various possibilities of the future. Sebastian couldn't understand some of the words, but he could sense the intensity of Harrison's focus and the weight of his thoughts. He wondered what could be so important to this man, and why he seemed so driven.

As they reached the terminal, Harrison stopped to check his messages and make a call. Sebastian took the opportunity to explore, sniffing around the feet of the bustling travelers and darting after the occasional mouse or pigeon. Harrison kept an eye on the cat, amused by its antics, but ultimately had other things on his mind.

Harrison and Sebastian made their way to a small cafe in the airport. Harrison ordered a variety of foods for both of them, including a bowl of milk for Sebastian. The cat sat beside him, waiting as the food was prepared. Harrison couldn't help but notice the intelligence in the cat's eyes as if it was trying to understand the menu. Once the food was ready, Harrison sat down with his meal and Sebastian took a few laps from his bowl of milk before lying down beside the table, watching Harrison eat.

"You're a lot smarter than you look," Harrison commented, cutting a small piece of his steak off and setting it in front of Sebastian.

Sebastian didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed by his action of following Harrison around, in his eyes, he was a cat right now and should act like one. Despite that, Harrison had noticed his intelligence and even spoke to him as if he was a person. That made Sebastian slightly nervous, though he still enjoyed the seasoned steak that Harrison had given to him.

"I wonder…" Harrison gave a small smile filled with mischievous plans, "How would you like to come hang out at STAR Labs? What am I saying? You can't even understand me."

Sebastian meowed in response, eliciting a brow raise from Harrison, as well as a small chuckle.

As they walked back to the private jet, Harrison turned to Sebastian and said, "Well, buddy, it looks like we're headed to Central City. I have a feeling you're going to like it there."

As they settled into the plane, Harrison took out a book to read while Sebastian curled up on the seat next to him. The jet engines hummed to life and the plane began to taxi down the runway. Sebastian couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as he watched the city of New York shrink in the window.

The flight was relatively uneventful, with Harrison occasionally looking up from his book to pet Sebastian or offer him a piece of chicken from his own plate. When they finally landed in Central City, Sebastian couldn't wait to explore his new surroundings.

As they disembarked the car from the airport, Harrison was greeted by his team at STAR Labs, including Dr. Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon and Hartley Rathaway.

"Dr Wells, who's this?" Dr. Snow asked, picking up Sebastian and petting him.

"This is a cat I found while in Egypt," Harrison said with a smile. "He's surprisingly intelligent."

"You're taking in more strays?" Hartley said, glancing to Cisco.

Caitlin Snow was a tall woman with striking features, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders in loose waves. She had a sharp jawline and a thin nose, with full lips that were often curved in a thoughtful frown. Her eyes were a bright blue, and she had a habit of pushing her hair behind her ears when she was deep in thought.

Cisco Ramon was a short and stocky man, with dark brown skin and a wide smile. He had a thick head of curly hair, which he often styled in a bun. He had a round face and a mischievous spark in his eye, which made him seem younger than he actually was.

Hartley Rathaway was a man of average height, with a lean build and sharp features. He had a long face with high cheekbones and a sharp jawline, and his hair was a dark brown, styled in a messy, windswept look. He had piercing green eyes, which seemed to take in everything around him, and a sneer that he often wore as a default expression.

The team at STAR Labs were in the middle of discussing the progress of the particle accelerator, which was set to be finished in about a year and a half. Harrison was deep in thought, his eyes scanning over the blueprints in front of him as he listened to the others talk.

"The construction is coming along nicely," Caitlin said, her eyes flicking over the numbers on her calculator. "We're on schedule and within budget."

Cisco, STAR Labs' resident engineer, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the team is doing a great job. We've had a few hiccups here and there, but nothing major."

Hartley, a protege of Harrison's, let out a snort. "You call a few hiccups minor? We've had to replace half the team because of injuries."

Harrison shot Hartley a glare, but the younger man didn't back down. "Those injuries were preventable and you know it, Harrison."

Just as the conversation was getting heated, the door to the lab opened and Ronnie Raymond walked in, a large bag from Big Belly Burger in hand. "Food's here!"

Ronnie was tall, with short, dark hair and green eyes. Despite his rough exterior, his eyes were kind and friendly, and he had a smile that could light up the room.

The group gratefully accepted the burgers and fries, taking a much-needed break from their discussion. As they ate, they continued to talk about the accelerator, discussing plans for how it would bring in a new era of technology and energy efficiency once it was up and running.

Sebastian, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, watched the team with interest. Though he couldn't understand the technical jargon they were throwing around, he could tell that they were passionate about their work and the potential impact it could have on the world.

Harrison Wells listened attentively, his gaze fixed on the blueprints spread out on the table in front of him. "And what about the structural integrity?" he asked, his voice calm and measured.

Ronnie nodded, "We've run multiple simulations and stress tests. It's all looking good, but we're still making some small adjustments to the design to ensure maximum stability."

Hartley chimed in with a snide remark, "Because we wouldn't want the entire city to be destroyed, now would we?"

Wells shot him a cold look before turning back to Ronnie. "And what about the projected energy output? Is it meeting our expectations?"

Cisco nodded somewhat-confidently, "Absolutely. The accelerator will bring in a new era of technology and energy efficiency, just like we planned."

Wells listened intently as Ronnie presented the latest updates on the construction. "The superconducting magnet is almost finished, but we're still having some issues with the cooling system. We're working on resolving that as quickly as possible."

"I've been working on a solution for that as well," Cisco chimed in, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I think we can modify the existing systems to make them more efficient."

Wells chimed in, "And what about the power supply? We need to make sure that's stable before we can move forward with the tests."

Ronnie shot Cisco a look before continuing, "The power supply is on track. We're currently integrating it with the rest of the system, but we're still on schedule."

Wells nodded, as if he wasn't surprised in the slightest, "Good."

Finishing his burger, Wells threw the wrapper in a nearby trash bin and started walking away, "I'll be back."

Sebastian, curious to see more of the facility, followed after him. Wells left the main lab and walked down a dimly lit hallway, his footsteps echoing on the concrete floor.

Wells placed his hand on the wall, which slid open, revealing a brightly lit room. Inside, there was a single mannequin dressed in a yellow suit and a hologram of a woman's head floating above a pedestal in the center of the room.

"Gideon, show me the future," Wells commanded.

"Of course, Dr. Wells," the hologram, Gideon, responded. The image of a newspaper appeared in front of Wells, displaying a headline that stated "Flash Missing; Vanishes in Crisis" and a smaller one that said "Red Skies Vanish."

Wells let out a small sigh, "As expected."

"Is there anything else you need, Dr. Wells?" Gideon asked.

"No, that's all for now," Wells replied before turning to leave the room.

Wells turned to leave the room, but something caught his eye. Sebastian, the cat that had been following him, was sitting patiently just inside the door. Wells had been so focused on his work, he had almost forgotten about the feline. He paused for a moment, studying the cat. He had noticed the intelligence in the cat's eyes earlier, but now it seemed even more pronounced.

"Gideon, is it possible for a cat to possess this level of intelligence?" Wells asked, turning to the hologram of his AI assistant.

"It is highly unlikely, Dr. Wells," Gideon responded. "Cats are known for their independent nature and basic instincts, not advanced cognitive abilities."

Wells nodded, deep in thought. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something off about this cat. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Sebastian and study him further.

"I'll keep that in mind," Wells said, before turning and leaving, Sebastian following closely behind.

As they walked out of the secret room, Sebastian couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He couldn't quite put his paw on it, but something about the way Wells and Gideon interacted felt off. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this man and this particle accelerator than meets the eye.

He sent a look to the AI who winked before vanishing, the lights in the room shutting off. Sebastian frowned internally, noting the AI's behavior as strange, 'Does it know me? If it's from the future, I should take it into consideration. Maybe Harrison's from the future too? But, why wouldn't it tell Harrison about me?'

"Now," Wells turned in the center of the hallway to kneel in front of Sebastian, "Let's see about a name for you. And, who knows? We could have another Grodd."

Scooping Sebastian off the ground, Wells looked into the cat's eyes as they scanned his face. Sebastian wondered, 'What's he doing?'

"What are you looking for, I wonder?" Not expecting, or getting, a response, Wells gave a smirk before pulling the cat close to his chest and walking into a lab with a caged gorilla.

Sebastian stared at the gorilla curiously, then his eyes locked into a license plate titled 'Grodd' that was being used as a nameplate. His mind raced at Wells' words earlier, realizing that Wells wanted to use him for an experiment.

'No way in hell am I letting a second person use me for their own gain.' Biting Wells' hand, Sebastian jumped from his hands and ran out of the room. Not only did he not want to be a Guinea Pig, but he also had no interest in strange gorillas that sat in a crazy scientist from the future's lab. Except maybe a source of power, gorillas had strong muscles after all.

Sebastian tore through the hallway, making his way back to the Cortex where the rest of the team was working on independent projects and Ronnie was talking up Caitlin.

[A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know if I missed anything or you have any suggestions. As always, I don't want your damned Power Stones. Have a great day.

Join the Discord: [discord.gg/PawRYvp]

~Wolf out.]