Where Was the Promised Historical Inertia?

Siberia!

When people think of Siberia, they instinctively think of snow-covered lands, extreme cold, vast emptiness, barbarity, as well as concentration camps and exile.

This is a misconception. In fact, Siberia is a descriptive area rather than a specific geographical term. Siberia covers a very vast region, including the area east of the Ural Mountains and the northern part of the entire Asian continent.

People thought this place was only ice and desolation, but they didn't know that this vast region also contained cities, forests, oceans, rivers, lakes and swamps.

Siberia boasts abundant land resources, including vast tracts of undeveloped chernozem, the world-renowned Siberia forests, and thousands of lakes and rivers. It also contains Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake by volume, which alone accounts for 20% of the world's freshwater reserves!

In terms of energy, Siberia is particularly rich in energy resources, with huge reserves of oil, natural gas and coal.

As for mineral resources, they are even more impressive. Whether it is metallic or non-metallic minerals, Siberia possesses almost all the mineral resources that have been discovered in the world.

Siberia is a must-contend territory in farming-themed novels. Possessing this land allows for an easy transition from an agricultural to an industrial nation, and even space exploration and colonization would be a breeze.

That's right, it's that awesome!

These things have little to do with Russell now. The secret base is located in the mountains of Eastern Siberia, one of the coldest regions in the world. Permafrost covers the entire area, with short, wet summers and long, harsh winters, with freezing conditions lasting up to six months. The average annual temperature in most areas is below 0 degrees Celsius. The living environment is harsh, and most places are sparsely populated, essentially unsuitable for human habitation.

The location of the secret base was not exaggerated to the point of being deserted. After all, building a base requires manpower, and even if prisoners of war were used, there would still be a road to transport people and supplies.

About 30 kilometers to the southeast of the base is a city of moderate size, connected by a highway. There are also a few scattered villages in the surrounding area, which are in the transition from agriculture to industry and are very backward.

Russell didn't come here to enjoy himself. He will stay here for a while before the end of World War II. The most important plan now is to turn Bucky into the Winter Soldier, numbered -0.

The base was fully equipped with experimental facilities, and before he arrived, he had replaced all the soldiers there with his own men through personnel reassignment. Even though many Hydra soldiers were not bound by Enslavement Contract, they were still under the management of their superiors and were extremely loyal to him.

After some time, Russell would spread the news of Schmidt's death, and then he could officially become the leader of the base. Judging by the timeline, he figured Schmidt should already be dead—no, he should have begun his journey into outer space.

Bucky woke up from his slumber and exploded when he saw Russell. But with his hands and feet bound tightly and an indescribable sphere stuffed in his mouth, he could only stare helplessly.

Unable to Enslavement Bucky, Russell arranged for researchers to hypnotize him, thus eliminating the brainwashing process. This was part of his twisted sense of humor; after the experiment ended and Bucky's soul Enslavement, seventy years later he would have him confront Captain America, tearfully fighting each other while their bromance was palpable—the thought alone was somewhat exciting.

The base is located inside a massive mountain, at the far end of which is a hollowed-out laboratory surrounded by enormous instruments and equipment. In the center is a coffin-like experimental platform; if the experiment succeeds, Bucky will become the third Super Soldier; if it fails, he will be buried along with the coffin.

The equipment here is almost identical to the lab where Dr. Erskine administered the serum to Steve. This is no coincidence; it was built based on Erskine's lab. He and Schmidt were colleagues, and they left behind many blueprints when they escaped Hydra, so replicating them exactly was no problem at all.

The real difficulty lay in the Super Soldier Serum. Only Erskine knew the correct formula, and even then, success required luck. Russell had samples of the Super Soldier Serum, as well as research data from Schmidt and Zola. With his own analysis, he was able to create a weakened version of the serum.

Beside the instruments, many researchers were adjusting the equipment. Bucky, his eyes vacant, was strapped into a coffin. He was wearing only a pair of shorts, and his left shoulder was bandaged. The ricocheting bullets weren't very lethal; if the experiment succeeded, he should be able to save his arm.

This is good news, after all, his dominant hand is his left hand!

"Sir, our energy supply cannot guarantee this experiment. It requires a huge amount of electricity, but the base still has coal-fired generators..." The researcher looked at Russell expectantly, because he had promised to bring the best generators.

Russell nodded, took the Thunder Beast from his arms, and placed it on the test table. "Didn't I bring it? A pure, natural, green, pollution-free, environmentally friendly, high-energy generator!"

The researcher was completely bewildered. "Don't think you can fool me just because you're the boss. This is clearly a cat, just a bit oddly colored."

"Momo~~~"

The Thunder Beast let out a cute cry, shook its ruffled fur, and suddenly transformed into a two-meter-tall thunderous behemoth, its scarlet eyes staring intently at the researcher.

The latter remained motionless, unable to utter a single scream or high-pitched cry in the face of the sharp teeth and claws so close at hand; he had already fainted from fright.

The sudden appearance of the Thunder Beast caused a minor commotion in the laboratory. Everyone was terrified and wanted to escape, but then they saw the Thunder Beast docilely lower its head and nuzzle Russell's shoulder.

Crackle!

Russell exhaled a puff of black smoke and slapped the Thunder Beast across the face, forcing it to obediently carry the cable in its mouth and act as a makeshift generator. Russell stood beside it; the Thunder Beast's instantaneous power output was enough to destroy the entire base, so a regulating valve was necessary to limit the power output to a stable and efficient level.

The researchers immediately calmed down, their fearful gazes shifting to Russell, and they all treated him with the utmost reverence.

"Stop daydreaming, the experiment is starting now. Record the data..." Russell instructed, then paused and continued, "I don't want the experiment to go wrong. The materials we have are very valuable. If we fail, it will be even more difficult in the future."

"Yes, sir!"

Russell was to oversee the electrical energy project, and the specific experimental procedures were to be carried out by the researchers. In reality, it was just a matter of giving an injection, and the most important serum had already been prepared in advance.

The researchers opened the safe, took out six test tubes filled with blue liquid, and installed them in the sockets on both sides of the experimental table. Then, they used a dense array of needles to inject micro-injections into the muscles of Bucky's arm, heart, and other parts of his body.

This is an extremely painful process, the first test of Bucky's willpower. The serum will immediately cause cellular changes, to put it simply, his whole body will melt away little by little.

"Ah..."

Moments after the serum was injected, the intense pain jolted Bucky awake from his hypnosis. His eyes widened in fury, and he felt as if ants were gnawing at his entire body, the pain so intense that his scalp felt like it was about to explode. However, because he was immobilized, he could only tremble and let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The researchers dared not be careless and immediately carried out the follow-up operations. The faster they went, the less pain Bucky would suffer, and the higher the success rate of the experiment would be.

The test stand can be erected and folded up to form a real iron coffin. The reinforced material can eliminate radiation, ensure that energy is used efficiently, and shorten the test time.

Russell patted the Thunder Beast and began to steadily input electricity. The energy was converted into VITA radiation by a special instrument, filling the experimental chamber where Bucky was located.

Once the VITA radiation have fully penetrated Bucky's body, they will complete the cellular strengthening and reorganization, transforming him completely. However, the process will be far more painful; his entire body will be torn apart and then reassembled, and his brain will be so highly active that he cannot faint—the experience is unimaginable.

Unfortunately, the Super Soldier Serum that Russell created was a weakened version, causing even more intense pain.

"Waaaaahh..."

As the VITA radiation charged, starting from 30%, Bucky's screams grew louder and louder. By 60%, his voice had become so hoarse that it was no longer human.

The experimental chamber emitted a large amount of bright white light. The researchers put on their Goggles and dared not breathe, watching the pointer on the instrument panel break through 80% and continue to move forward.

90%!

95%

At the last moment, hearing Bucky's screams gradually weaken, Russell slammed his hand on Thunder Beast, raising the stats to 100%!

"Ah..."

"Boom!!"

Energy overload caused sparks to fly from the test bench, and the machines malfunctioned one by one, with the VITA radiation pointer dropping to zero instantly.

"Snap!"

The coffin lid was lifted, and the researchers stepped forward to help Bucky out, who was panting heavily. He was soaked in sweat, his body looking as if it had been coated with workout oil, his muscles clearly defined, and even the edges seemed to have a reflective effect.

Russell stood there, his face ashen. He hadn't heard the system notification, which meant the experiment had failed. Bucky hadn't died, but he hadn't become Super Soldier either.

"Why did it fail? Where exactly did things go wrong?"

Russell's face was ashen, his gloom sending chills down the spines of those around him. He had prepared for this experiment for two years, and had even specially chosen Bucky, who was supposed to be a superhero/villain, to increase the success rate, but it still failed.

What happened to the historical inertia?

"Get out of my way!"

Bucky punched the researcher to the ground, and the Hydra soldiers outside the lab who rushed up were all sent flying by his punches and kicks. He was incredibly strong and had amazing resilience; the soldiers' batons bounced high into the air when they hit him.

Bucky took on more than a dozen Hydra soldiers by himself. When he caught sight of Russell out of the corner of his eye, he roared and swung his right fist at him.

Snap!

Russell caught the punch steadily, bending his knees slightly to force Bucky to his knees on his back. Bucky's face flushed red, veins bulging in his neck, and he glared at Russell through gritted teeth, spitting out each word. "You damned Hydra, I curse you to hell!"

Russell pretended not to hear, looking at Bucky with delight. The experiment hadn't failed; Bucky had indeed been enhanced. Although he didn't have massive pectoral muscles or the America's Ass that Black Widow envied, his strength had reached the limits of a normal person; the serum enhancement was a success.

As for why the system did not determine the task was completed...

Russell glanced at Bucky's left arm, which Bucky hadn't used during the fight and was now hanging limply at his side. Compared to the massive muscles of the rest of his body, this arm was noticeably darker in color and so thin it looked almost deformed.

"Okay, I take back what I just said, this damn historical inertia!"

"Awoo..."

The Thunder Beast suddenly moved, opened its mouth and bit Bucky's upper body. After a series of crackling sounds, Bucky collapsed to the ground with his eyes rolled back.

"Looks like I'm going to have to build an electronic robotic arm myself..." Russell raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider, "I wonder how the robotic arm in 2035 will compare to the original one."

Speaking of robotic arms, Russell suddenly thought of Wakanda, the home of Vibranium. Once he had developed his power, he would go and knock on that closed door.