Chapter 263: No Need to Dwell on the Dead
Once the production lines were running, Tony knew that even more money would flow in, so he didn't care about the initial expense. Sonya, meanwhile, expanded its operations to six smaller islands, distributing different production stages for space jump technology across them. This division of labor was essential for protecting the core information from being leaked.
After setting everything in motion, Sonya reached out to some of her high-profile clients, letting them know that Tony Stark had successfully developed a space jump technology with performance metrics that matched the best on the market. Doing business with Void Island meant faster delivery times and avoiding the bureaucratic red tape that often slowed down other deals, which made Tony's technology highly sought after.
On the open market, space jump technology typically sold for 30 to 40 million, but Tony was selling them for 20 to 30 million. The military-industrial companies had to pay enormous sums for research and development, keep large teams running, and maintain their exclusivity, which kept prices high. But Tony, with his genius and minimal overhead costs, could easily offer more competitive prices while splitting profits with Harvey.
Tony knew that these early models weren't the most advanced. In a year or two, once he perfected the technology, he planned to offer a higher-performance version at a premium price. However, with the news of impending trouble on Blue Star, Tony realized he didn't have time to fully develop the next iteration just yet.
After overseeing production for about a month and ensuring that the three initial versions of the product worked flawlessly, Tony entrusted operations to Lalatina in early September 2013. He then set off on his journey back to Blue Star, carrying a haul of alien technology, materials, and research books.
Tony hadn't forgotten his next big challenge: improving the propulsion systems. Even though Blue Star didn't offer the best environment for such research, he could still make progress on the theoretical side. Thanks to his self-made space jump technology, the return journey was much shorter—he was back on Blue Star in just twenty-seven days.
Meanwhile, Harvey, after informing Sonya, returned to Blue Star himself to watch the unfolding events.
As soon as Tony arrived back on Blue Star, he reunited with Pepper. After a warm embrace, the two spent hours in each other's arms, catching up and sharing everything that had happened in their time apart. It was during this intimate exchange that Pepper revealed some surprising news.
"Who's Killian?" Tony asked, absentmindedly running his hand along Pepper's smooth skin.
"Aldrich Killian, the CEO of AIM," Pepper explained. "He initially approached me with a proposal for collaboration. His focus was on biotechnology, and I noticed he had already injected himself with some sort of serum. So, I did a little digging."
Pepper continued, her voice calm but firm. "I found out that Killian developed something called the Extremis virus. Successful injections allow people to regrow limbs, enhance their strength, and even manipulate fire."
Tony nodded thoughtfully. "Extremis virus, huh? Sounds impressive, but with a name like that, it's probably not without side effects. What's the catch?"
Pepper sighed. "Oh, there's a big one. The injections have a high failure rate, and even those who succeed, have to keep getting injected to maintain stability. The virus ends up destabilizing the body over time—it's more like poison."
"So where is he now?" Tony asked, sitting up slightly. "Did you kill him?"
Pepper chuckled softly. "Yeah. I found out he was using the virus to carry out terrorist attacks. So, I took him out and dismantled his organization, freeing the people he was holding."
What Pepper didn't mention was that Killian had tried to lure her into a trap, attempting to forcibly inject her with the virus while claiming he had feelings for her and promising they could 'transcend' humanity's limitations together. She hadn't wanted to reveal this, knowing it would only infuriate Tony.
"Shame," Tony muttered. "Sounds like he had real potential, but he went down the wrong path."
"If I hadn't killed him, Steve or someone else would have taken him out sooner or later," Pepper added casually, though part of her motive for eliminating Killian had been his disturbing obsession with proving he was better than Tony.
"Yeah, his talent was wasted, but he picked the wrong road," Tony agreed. "Wait, you said he had something against me? Why would that be?"
"I don't know," Pepper replied, feigning ignorance. "But when I interacted with him, I got the feeling he resented you. He even tried to offer me more than you ever could to work for him, like he wanted to prove he was better than you."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "This is the first time I've even heard the name Killian. I guess I should have been in the loop earlier."
Pepper smiled playfully, her fingers tracing light patterns across Tony's chest. "It doesn't matter now. He's dead, so let's not dwell on it."
Tony exhaled, his muscles relaxing again. "Yeah, no point getting worked up over a dead man."