Hidden Blade Project

"UNN Exclusive Report: Confirmed by the Confederacy National Security Center, Augustus Mengsk, leader of the Korhal Rebels, has secretly signed a treaty with the Protoss, exchanging human sovereignty in the Koprulu Sector for military support in order to establish the Mengsk Family on Antiga Prime."

"The Tarsonis Confederate Congress recently issued a statement declaring that all illegal military actions on Antiga Prime are acts of treason, Confederacy will take all necessary measures to suppress the rebels' brutal rule in Antiga. The Terrans have only one legitimate government, and that is the Terran Confederacy."

"General Gath Duke, who recently rejoined the army, will soon arrive at the front lines on Sigma Prime."

As Augustus and Raynor walked off the bridge of the Hyperion, the sound of UNN news gradually faded into the distance.

The Hyperion's narrow but well-connected internal corridors led Augustus to the warship's scientific laboratory compartments, along which he could see many engineers reinforcing the bulkheads and welding cables. On the exterior of the Hyperion, on the ship's deck, there were also a dozen or so construction teams working on adding a more robust titanium alloy coating to the warship.

During the installation of the Yamato Cannon's main gun, several compartments inside the Hyperion were opened up and rebuilt to make room for the main gun and weapon charging equipment, which further reduced the space in the crew quarters and other compartments.

With more of the Korhal Revolutionary Army's Behemoth-class Battlecruiser added to the list of ships awaiting main gun installation, the Revolutionary Army Fleets will gain a game-changing advantage in battles against Confederacy Fleets of similar size.

After Augustus ordered Rory Swann and Viktor Kaczynski to further upgrade his Fleets warships, the need for larger and more advanced warships was also put on the agenda. The old Leviathan- class and the long-serving Behemoth-class were no longer able to meet the needs of increasingly brutal warfare. As long as humanity wanted to continue to stand in the stars, a new generation of battlecruisers would be indispensable.

Currently, the Terran Confederacy, the Kel-Morian Combine, and the Umojan Republic all have their own plans to develop a new generation of warships. The Revolutionary Army is ultimately too small, and they can only learn from others' ideas.

"It sounds like the Confederacy doesn't know we also have troops stationed in places like Haj and Altera." Raynor was still analyzing the UNN news he had just listened to, stroking his newly grown short hair as he spoke.

"The Confederacy's high-ranking officials and nobles may not yet have figured out exactly what happened in the Edge Sector," Augustus replied. "Or rather, they have some reliable intelligence, but dare not make it public yet."

"The Confederacy forces lost vast amounts of territory when the Zerg army was pressing in; how could they possibly admit that some planets declared destroyed by the Zerg survived under the protection of the rebels?"

"As always, the Confederacy, politicians, aristocrats, and scavengers around their masters who pick up the scraps of exploiting the people only care about their ruling position and interests, and are pretentious and affected," Raynor commented.

"The people of the Terran Confederacy's Edge World are being slaughtered by the Zerg, while the ruling class is still thinking about their power and their decadent lifestyle."

"They've had their good days for so long that they've forgotten that not everyone is a hardworking Kel-Morian," Augustus.

"There will always be some people who, no matter how hard they work, can't earn a living. Talented people are cruelly oppressed, and idealists have to succumb to reality," Raynor said.

"Discontent will continue to build until it explodes."

"Even without me, sooner or later someone would oppose the Confederacy's rule." Augustus said as he walked into the Hyperion's science laboratory.

When the hatch opened, a dozen researchers in white overalls were working at the workbenches and control consoles. The interior walls and dome of the entire laboratory were covered with various wires, pipes and sophisticated equipment. Behind the upright glass cryogenic tube curtains were pale green solutions bubbling with bubbles, filled with strange creatures or crystals emitting brilliant light.

Each label affixed to the cryogenic tube reveals the value of these specimens. The central Xel'Naga Artifact Fragment fetched an astonishing price from the Umojan Republic, reportedly enough for Augustus to rebuild his empire after losing all his Fleets.

Dr. Francos, a former Confederacy Zerg research expert for the Revolutionary Army, was discussing a report with his short apprentice Egon Stetmann, so much so that no one noticed the arrival of Augustus and Raynor.

"That Xel'Naga creation is still radiating some kind of mental disturbance outwards, Egon. You must constantly monitor its changes under Sigma rays and record them," Dr. Francos instructed his young apprentice.

"I can handle this task," Egon said after a moment's thought. "Well, I mean, I'll do my best."

Egon Stetmann's talent in fields such as energy fields and alien biology has proven him to be a rare genius, which is why he has gained the favor and devoted training of Francos, who even treats him as the successor in Francos' laboratory.

Although the boy whom Augustus casually brought back to the Revolutionary Army from the Tyrador III was not good at communicating with people, he was undoubtedly a kind and innocent scientist. Egon Stetmann firmly believed that he was doing something great and longed to know that his research results would benefit the people.

"Dr. Francos, I hope to hear some good news from you."

Augustus's gaze was immediately drawn to the huge, cryogenic glass tubes in the laboratory containing various specimens, including Zergling, Hydralisk, and local creatures infected after the Zerg invaded the human planet, as well as some Void Crystals from the Xel'Naga Temple.

"The Hyperion Laboratory has always been at the forefront of the Revolutionary Army's cutting-edge technology." Dr. Francos adjusted his glasses and led Augustus to a running control panel screen. "I dare say, no one can compare to us."

"Technological research that could change the entire war is right here on the control panel in front of you."

"The research equipment here may not be the best, but the materials available for research are always the most abundant, up-to-date, and comprehensive." Augustus walked to the control panel and noticed a tree diagram of several ongoing experimental projects, which included several completely different research directions.

"Compared to your team, I'm not very satisfied with the progress of the Cerberus Project Group."

The control panel displays several technologies under development, such as resin shields and viscous carbon explosion-proof shields, Power Armor battery fast-charging technology upgraded from Protoss technology, new warship armor plates designed with reference to the Ultralisk deck, self-healing polymer nanomaterials, and a recovery agent inspired by the Zerg's terrifying regenerative abilities.

Some scientific research was taken for granted as taboo because, although recovery drugs could greatly accelerate the recovery of the wounded, they could also produce unpredictable mutations, such as the growth of bizarre tentacles and other deformities.

To Augustus's dissatisfaction, only riot shields and new alloy plates were ready for production, but he knew these were the result of the scientists' tireless and sleepless research.

Augustus's finger swiped across the control panel screen, finding an item labeled "Psionics Waveform Infusion," which also mentioned the special crystalline minerals Phantom Gold Terrazine found in Mar- Sara and other regions.

The report mentions Francos's research on these newly discovered resources. It is no secret that Terrazine can significantly enhance human Psionics power, but recently it has been shown that phantom gold can neutralize this effect and counteract the side effects of Terrazine, such as mental instability and extreme violence.

As a result, ideas based on this discovery were quickly put forward, such as using Terrazine and phantom gold to greatly enhance the power of Ghost operative, making each of them an extremely powerful Psionics. And the higher the level of the Psionics, the more supernatural abilities they would obviously possess.

But every Ghost operative in the Revolutionary Army was a precious asset to Augustus, and he was reluctant to let these Psionics participate in this experiment. Even Jack Haller, the commander of the Nova Squadron who volunteered to participate after hearing about the experiment, was stopped by Augustus and his offer was suppressed.

Meanwhile, an even bolder plan was proposed by a researcher on the Hyperion: to mass-produce Psionics by infusing ordinary people with only rudimentary Psionics with Terrazine and phantom gold.

Terrazine and Phantomhive can grant ordinary people Psionics powers, and allow those with only low Psionics talent but not enough to become Psionics to become telepaths.

However, even with the neutralization of Terrazine, it is still very likely to have irreversible and terrible effects on the ingested person, not to mention that the mind of an ordinary person is already easily corroded by Terrazine.

But if it's combined with further socialization, then it's a completely different story. Augustus will have a group of Psionics assassins.

Researchers believe that directly reforming Revolutionary Army soldiers or civilians might not be acceptable, but it would be entirely different if the subjects were death row inmates.

Ordinary people who undergo modification will not possess excessively strong Psionics power, but that will make their combat strength far exceed that of ordinary people.

"It's insane," Augustus commented. "But I won't be considering using this technology on Ghost operative at the moment."

"Initiate the second plan, and test it on those unforgivable Confederacy officials we captured from Vardona and Halsen. -- Name this project Project Hidden Blade Project, and have Jack Haller temporarily manage it."

Augustus muttered to himself, "This fellow can't possibly say I didn't give him a chance to prove his loyalty."

"There's more and more amazing black technology out there." Raynor, standing next to Augustus, glanced at it casually. "I wouldn't be surprised if they came up with something earth-shattering one day."

"How did you come up with the idea of bringing these genius madmen together?" he whispered to Augustus.

"Science and technology are the primary productive forces," Augustus said calmly.

"More strange things." Raynor shrugged. "But I'll write them down; maybe I'll use them when I write my memoirs in the future."

"Make a note of this plan, Hidden Blade Project Egon. I value this project highly." Dr. Francos walked to Augustus's side. "If we had ten thousand Psionics warriors, we could easily wipe out the nobles and Confederacy officials of Tarsonis."

"You're really vicious, Francos," Raynor retorted. "How come I never realized that you, the bespectacled, refined Dr., could say such things?"

"I will stop at nothing to achieve victory and save the world." Francos's thinking was not extreme; he was merely a ruthless researcher loyal to Augustus.

"There's no need to be impatient for quick success," Augustus. "We can achieve final victory even without these warriors. But our enemies are not just the Terran Confederacy."

"What about the newly captured Cerebrate?" Augustus then revealed his true purpose for coming here.

The brain worm that was accidentally captured on the surface of Char by the Shadow Guard of the Dark Templar Vorazun was given by Zeratul to the Revolutionary Army as a gift to Marshal Augustus of the Revolutionary Army.

Regardless, even though the Zerg are an extremely powerful enemy, the Protoss Empire forbids any Protoss from conducting in-depth research on Zerg. This is both to prevent the Protoss's pure genes from being contaminated and to reflect the Protoss Empire's Conclave's disdain and contempt for the Zerg.

The Dark Templar had no intention of conducting various experiments on the Cerebrate; they preferred to leave it to humans.

In any case, this unfortunate Cerebrate hadn't done anything wrong. It had just been born and hadn't even taken a single life yet when the Dark Templar came knocking on its door and captured it before it could even assemble its forces.

"The Cerebrate Alpha, the first and only Cerebrate we've obtained, is a milestone in the field of Xenomorph research and an invaluable treasure for human biology," Dr. Francos said, his eyes shining.

"I'll take you there right away," he said excitedly to Augustus, even using a respectful title. "Marshal, you absolutely cannot imagine how magnificent those creatures are."

"Have you ever seen the swallowtail butterfly of New Sydney? It's a beautiful creature with a wingspan of fifteen inches, and its larvae before metamorphosis are just like that Cerebrate. I believe that the Cerebrate will also transform into a beautiful ultimate creature in the future."

"Its beauty is unparalleled."

As Francos spoke, he opened a control valve in the laboratory. With a hissing sound from the hydraulic system, a control panel on the laboratory floor slid down, revealing a vertical elevator, similar to those in battlecruisers, to Augustus.

What was originally a warehouse has now been lavishly expanded into a laboratory to house the precious live Cerebrate specimen.

Below the elevator shaft, an even larger experimental chamber appeared before Augustus, its bright white lights making it as bright as day.

Rows of white alloy or glass curtain walls of varying heights and orderly arrangement divide the lower laboratory into several areas. Armed soldiers and researchers are all staring intently at the energy cage in the center of the lower laboratory, where Sarah Kerrigan and the Protoss Dark Templar Zeratul are among those inside.

In the very center of the energy cage lay a wriggling worm-like creature, its body radiating a beautiful glow. It moved its clumsy, bloated body with difficulty, like the queen of a swarm of bees or an overweight royal minister.

"You pathetic two-legged Drone without ventral fins, what are you laughing at! Don't underestimate the wisdom of a great Swarm leader!"

When Augustus went in, the Cerebrate, which the Revolutionary Army researchers named α, was still chattering away.

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