Chapter 134: Trade, Power, Bolt Guns, Titans

Eastern sector of the underground base.

In a train headed to the southern construction zone:

This train wasn't as comfortable as civilian maglev trains, more akin to a traditional subway, with rows of seats on both sides and handrails for standing passengers.

However, inside the base, everything prioritized efficiency. There was no need to offer the same services as civilian trains, hence the simplistic design.

At the moment, Samuel Young sat by the window, using his personal phone to review and approve company matters, such as:

- "The main universe's Italian government expresses interest in purchasing 1,200 sets of police-grade mechanical exoskeletons, along with related accessories and system upgrades."

- "Progress report on cold fusion reactor research — Department of New Energy, under the Research Division.

 Attached document: Progress in the research of Titan Nano Composite Material Integrated Protective Suits — Power Armor Research Project."

- "Draft C of the expansion plans for the Pandora Shipyard — Engineering Division."

- "Detailed proposal for the Bolt Gun project — Weapons Development Center, Akra Underground Base."

The Italian government initially hoped to purchase standard ARS (Rapid Response Force) infantry equipment. Four months ago, during a joint investigation of anomalous creatures conducted by the Investigation Division and ARS, the Italian government was thoroughly impressed.

Although online discussions about the event had subsided, the investigation centered around Sicily, giving the Italian government access to some of the truth.

Subsequent economic and military exchanges fueled their interest in ARS standard infantry gear.

By early August, they submitted a request for 2,000 sets.

Samuel's response was, "Each set costs 7 million. If paid in full upfront, Atlas will offer a 10% discount, totaling 12.6 billion."

Additionally, Samuel clarified that ARS infantry gear involved core technologies that were not for sale, but due to the strong cooperation between the parties, they had prepared a version available for export.

The Italian government understood Samuel's polite refusal but shifted focus to the police-grade mechanical exoskeletons used by the New Akra Police Department, unwilling to give up easily.

Given Italy's enthusiasm and the fact that the police-grade mechanical exoskeletons were surplus from Atlas' frontline troops, Samuel no longer hesitated and assigned the Foreign Affairs Department to handle the deal.

Next was the cold fusion reactor.

After Samuel opened the portal to Universe 02 (Avatar), acquiring advanced fusion technology and preliminary antimatter engine designs, Atlas experienced a breakthrough in energy research, accelerating development.

Hydrogen-related fuel cells were also perfected and improved, significantly extending the operating time of mechanical exoskeletons and various mechs.

However, using hydrogen cells in power armor proved insufficient.

Both power armor and exoskeletons enhanced strength and speed for the wearer. The two had much in common, making them difficult to distinguish. However, for Atlas, the biggest difference was between "full coverage" and "semi-permanence."

Currently, elite combat platoons and companies from the ARS, AECS (Emergency Response Force), and ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) used full-coverage exoskeletons capable of continuous operation in harsh environments.

However, these exoskeletons had a limited endurance of only about 72 hours, which could drop to 20-40 minutes in extreme conditions, such as outer space.

The power armor research project, led by the Research Division, sought to replace hydrogen cells with miniature fusion reactors to achieve semi-permanence.

After years of analysis, trial and error, and experimentation, the Research Division successfully developed a prototype cold fusion reactor.

Though still large — about half the size of a White-leg Falcon fighter's engine — it represented rapid progress compared to other projects.

Cold fusion is a type of nuclear fusion reaction that occurs at room temperature and normal pressure, making it much safer and more stable.

That's why the Research Division saw the cold fusion reactor as the ideal power source for power armor.

Simultaneously, another project was underway: the Titan Nano (Ti-Ta Nano) Composite Material Integrated Protective Suit.

Universe 03 (Doom) and its joint aerospace company allowed Atlas to expand further in genetic engineering and nanotechnology. This progress made the development of a nano suit, worn between the skin and outer armor, a reality.

High-end combat uniforms equipped by the ARS, AECS, ODST, and the Investigation Division already had good bulletproof capabilities, effectively resisting close-range 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds.

However, in the intense combat scenarios of outer space and alien planets, these combat uniforms were insufficient to meet the needs of power armor.

With a more mature understanding of nanotechnology, the Research Division began developing the latest integrated combat suits to accompany power armor.

After quickly reading the cold fusion report, Samuel opened the attached file and began reviewing the progress of the nano suit.

According to the Research Division, on August 18, 1999, they conducted the first suit-fitting test on a D-class unconscious clone wearing the second prototype of the nano suit.

The experiment resulted in 81% of the clone's body suffering multiple fractures, leading to biological death.

Upon investigation, the Research Division found that the suit's active liquid metal layer, which acted like electronic muscles, amplified each movement to an excessive degree when stimulated by electricity.

For instance, a normal arm extension at a 0-degree angle resulted in a reverse 30-degree hyperextension, snapping the elbow joint and both the radius and ulna of the lower arm.

Because the liquid metal layer theoretically enhanced the wearer's strength, reaction time, and agility, the clone's brain couldn't process the feedback fast enough, leading to high-intensity, high-frequency movements that crushed its entire body.

In simpler terms, the suit "squeezed" the clone to death.

"…"

Samuel's face remained expressionless as he read this, but internally, he couldn't help but draw parallels to the test scene for the Mjolnir power armor in *Halo*.

In *Halo*, ordinary humans who wore the Mjolnir armor were immediately killed or permanently crippled. Only the Spartans, who had undergone neurological and skeletal enhancements, could properly use the armor.

Years ago, Samuel had participated in the development of the power armor project and had anticipated this kind of result.

The Research Division wasn't surprised either; they were merely gathering more data using clones.

Two days ago, on August 22, they borrowed a cryogenically retired re-engineered soldier from the Biological Division and conducted another test.

This time, there were no fatalities. The soldier, fitted with a wired nano suit, managed to walk 12.36 meters.

The attached file concluded that the data collected would help improve the nano suit, though the wearability threshold couldn't be lowered.

Reading this, Samuel wasn't concerned about the threshold issue.

There were already candidates who could meet or exceed it: the ten Thunder Warriors who had just completed a combat trial.

Additionally, Samuel could have the Biological and Research Divisions collaborate to produce Tyrants that met the requirements to wear the nano suit.

But he had no intention of mass-producing these bio-weapons due to the high costs.

After weighing the options, once Alexia and her core team perfected the gene-seed and achieved mass production of Astartes, they would still be the most cost-effective choice.

At this moment, Samuel closed the file and opened the "Pandora Shipyard Expansion Proposal" for review and made some notes and adjustments.

After responding to the Engineering Division's proposal, he opened the file on "Bolt Guns."

The Bolt Gun, a firearm capable of firing explosive rounds, was a concept he had proposed, which was then refined by the Weapons Development Center at the Akra base.

In the combat trials, the Thunder Warriors used prototype bolt rifles, produced by the Weapons Development Center.

The standard caliber was .75, with a machine gun caliber of 1.0.

Without mechanical exoskeletons, even the most elite soldiers wouldn't be able to handle the recoil.

Each bolt round had a small booster that accelerated the projectile after it left the barrel.

In effect, each bolt round could be considered a miniature rocket.

From this perspective, the Bolt Gun project Samuel proposed seemed similar to the various types of bolt weapons in *Warhammer 40k*.

However, it actually had more in common with Atlas' modular weapon system (AMWS), allowing components like extended barrels, grenade launchers, and underslung shotguns to be added based on mission requirements.

It could also work with the infantry system to adjust aim and fire a variety of smart ammunition, such as homing bolt rounds.

The addition of rocket boosters significantly enhanced the homing capabilities of bolt rounds, allowing for "curving bullets," a feature that ordinary .30-caliber smart rounds couldn't achieve.

The core of a standard bolt round contained 2 grams of metallic hydrogen, which would detonate 0.03 seconds after impact, releasing the energy equivalent of 80 grams of TNT. This is why a D-class personnel hit by a single shot would explode instantly.

The user could also manually control the delay time of the explosion via a selector switch or the infantry system.

Additionally, the barrel featured electromagnetic coils powered by a condensed battery to achieve higher initial velocity.

Thus, Samuel had borrowed the iconic concept of *Warhammer 40k* to name Atlas' bolt-caliber firearms.

Seeing that the Weapons Development Center had finalized the plan, Samuel approved the project and prepared to open a dedicated production line in the underground base, starting with a batch of bolt rifles and various types of bolt rounds.

Just then—

"Dad, where are we going?"

A drowsy child's voice came from Samuel's left side.

?

Samuel turned slightly to see his son, Dorn, stretching. Dorn was wearing a yellow short-sleeved shirt and black shorts, rubbing his eyes.

Dorn was just over four months old, under a meter tall, with a round, youthful face and his

 signature white hair.

Sitting to his right was Vulcan, who had fallen asleep in his dark green vest. Unlike Dorn, Vulcan had black hair, healthy tan skin, and a sturdier frame, almost a meter tall.

Both of Samuel's sons were still children, and Samuel always took them with him, or had hunters look after them when he couldn't.

After observing the combat trials, they left the testing center and boarded the train to the southern construction zone.

Hearing the question, Samuel put away his phone, reached out with his left hand to ruffle Dorn's hair, and smiled softly, "You'll see when we get there."

"Is it something fun?" Dorn's eyes lit up, now fully awake.

"I think so…" Samuel replied, unsure.

"Think so?" Dorn paused, counting on his fingers. "Is it a new plane? A new tank? Or maybe a new construction robot?"

"If I guess right... heh heh— Dad, I saw a cool building block set on TV yesterday. Can I... get it?"

Dorn eagerly shifted the topic to buying toys.

Samuel chuckled, "Even if you guess wrong, you can have it. You've been well-behaved recently, and Dr. Ashford praised you for being an honest boy."

"Yay! I can build my own little castle!" Dorn cheered quietly and hugged Samuel.

"Castle... have we arrived?" Vulcan, waking slowly, asked groggily.

"Soon…"

Samuel was about to reply when the train's broadcast interrupted him:

"Titan Project Center, arriving."

There's one more chapter to come. Sorry for the delay, I caught a cold yesterday and was feeling a bit groggy.

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