Chapter 125: Spatial Overlap

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"Initiate!" Link gave the command, and the fusion reactor came to life.

The experiment was being conducted in space, inside the core module of the Avengers' space station. They had brought several modules into orbit to begin the nuclear fusion ignition process.

A fireball emerged—like a miniature sun—while the surrounding equipment remained stable.

"Energy output, convert to electricity," Dr. Otto was overseeing operations and suddenly burst into elation. "We've done it! The system is stable."

Link smiled, knowing his creation had worked flawlessly.

"Good. The core module is fully operational. Proceed with activating the core assembly." Link continued with the next stage of the operation.

The space station's design was simple yet grand—a massive disc structure, comprised of dozens of modules connected to a central energy core. Around this core, eight smaller modules formed an inner ring, creating a compact circular shape.

As construction progressed, additional modules would form two more concentric rings, with eight 'arms' extending outward, which would serve as future spaceports.

The core assembly housed critical systems: water purification, oxygen production, gravity control, and air filtration. All these vital functions were concentrated in the innermost ring.

The middle ring served as residential and recreational areas, while the outer ring was designated for scientific experiments, combat simulations, and training.

The eight extending arms, resembling tentacles, would later be fitted with spaceports for docking fighter jets, energy cannons, and other advanced systems.

Each module was massive, and the Avengers' spacecraft could only transport a few at a time, releasing and assembling them piece by piece in space.

Though there was no gravity in space, assembling these modules was no easy task. After aligning them with lasers, they were securely connected, and the interior passages were opened, integrating them into a unified structure.

Everyone donned space versions of the Iron Man armor, slightly bulkier than usual, with built-in oxygen supplies.

This wasn't a combat version but an escape version—designed for direct entry into Earth's atmosphere. It had a backup system, so if the suit sustained damage, a second suit could be deployed to ensure safe reentry.

With the advancement of nanotechnology, each person carried two sets of armor. This space version would allow them to escape from space to Earth, prioritizing safety.

However, these suits weren't mass-produced, particularly the combat versions, due to their high cost. Despite the Avengers' technological progress, Earth's current industrial capabilities and general level of civilization couldn't support large-scale production or deployment of these suits.

For instance, Earth lacked the infrastructure to build space battleships, underscoring the overall technological lag. The Avengers were forced to face cosmic threats independently, as sharing such technology with any one country would likely result in global conflict.

...

With the core and inner modules completed and operational, the core energy system was activated, and the systems within the inner ring were now functional.

They didn't need to worry about it much anymore. The station would float in high orbit, over 20,000 kilometers from Earth. Although Earth's gravity still had an effect, the station was managed by an AI system that handled micro-adjustments to prevent it from drifting toward the planet.

Link piloted the spacecraft back to Earth to load the next set of modules when a message came in from Thor.

It was the first time Thor had contacted them since they established their communication network. Stark took the call.

"Hey, Thor! Long time no see," Stark greeted.

Thor quickly responded, "Jane is missing. I need you all to meet me right away. I'll arrive at her last known location ahead of time."

"Missing?" Stark was taken aback. "Alright, I'll notify Link. He's currently piloting the spacecraft into the atmosphere. Send me the coordinates."

"Lock onto the Bifrost," Thor said before abruptly ending the call, clearly in a hurry.

Stark immediately instructed Jarvis to locate the Bifrost's energy signature, which was soon detected. Stark quickly relayed the message to Link.

Link, receiving the news, was momentarily surprised but responded swiftly. "Understood. Adjusting course, we'll be there in ten minutes."

He pushed the engines to full throttle, and just as the Avengers' spacecraft entered the atmosphere, it veered sharply toward the British Isles.

The massive ship, even in the upper atmosphere, was visible to the naked eye from the ground.

Instead of heading back to the Avengers' base in New York, the ship flew straight toward Britain, reaching its destination in just ten minutes. It lowered its altitude but didn't land, catching the attention of authorities in the UK. However, Link made no attempt to report in, instead donning his armor and descending.

"Hey, Thor!" Link greeted as he landed, observing some shipping containers arranged oddly, some even standing upright. He immediately grasped the situation.

A rare cosmic alignment was occurring, creating strange physical phenomena, causing overlapping spatial regions. Jane Foster had likely entered one of these other spaces.

"Link, I'm going in to look for her. You stay here!" Thor was about to rush inside, but Jane Foster suddenly walked out.

Due to Link's presence, Thor had stayed on Earth much longer than usual. After returning to Asgard, he'd been busy quelling rebellions. Seeing Jane now, Thor was caught off guard, and Jane slapped him across the face.

"How long have you been gone?" she scolded, her frustration evident.

Link pretended not to notice the tension and instead asked, "Hey, Jane, long time no see. Where did you just go?"

"I've been right here!" Jane Foster seemed confused.

Her student and friend, Darcy Lewis, corrected her, "You've been missing for five hours."

"What?" Jane was startled before fainting, leaving Thor to catch her in his arms.

"I need to take her to Asgard," Thor said anxiously.

"Wait. Let's take her to the med bay aboard the ship first and run some scans," Link suggested. "We need to see what's going on with her body."

"Good idea," Thor agreed, and the two of them flew back to the spacecraft, taking Jane to the med bay.

Once inside, the scanning equipment revealed something unusual within Jane's body. Thor grew concerned. "What is that?"

"I'm not sure," Link said after analyzing the data. "It emits gamma radiation, similar to the Tesseract."

"There's nothing on Earth like this," he continued.

"It looks like I'll have to take her to Asgard after all," Thor said. "Hopefully, my father will know."

"I'll come with you," Link offered. "This thing is no joke. If the Tesseract holds the Space Stone, what could this be? Another Infinity Stone?"

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