A compliant cover for falsified data, emotional garbage in an abandoned dimension
The White Bone Hall, the Director's Office.
Lynn picked up her teacup but didn't drink it.
The water in the glass reflected the Eternity burning white bone chandelier on the ceiling, the light and shadow stable and undisturbed.
The office was quiet.
Dragging TVA into the mire in exchange for seven precious standard working days. The standoff at the entrance of the S-1 Data Center was also forcibly brought to a close with an official document.
But everyone knew this was just halftime.
The Rule Envoy of the Living Tribunal's rules still resides within its jurisdiction, like a pair of emotionless eyes hanging over everyone's heads. The rift between Wanda and Hela is only temporarily held together by the tape of Discipline, and will shatter at the slightest touch.
What Lynn needed was not temporary peace, but a final, permanent resolution.
A conclusion that satisfies the Living Tribunal, while also completely dispelling Wanda and Hela's doubts.
He cannot destroy the evidence. The essence of that "Assistance Investigation Notice" is to trace the source and demand an answer. Just because you tear up the document doesn't mean the problem no longer exists.
He has to submit an answer sheet.
A report that is detailed in data, logically consistent, and legally impeccable.
Lynn put down her teacup and closed her eyes.
His consciousness sank into an interface inaccessible to outsiders. In his field of vision, a pale blue system screen silently unfolded, and lines of item information flowed like a waterfall.
He needs a prop to fabricate an "answer" out of thin air.
His finger traced through the air, finally resting on an inconspicuous item icon.
[Targeted Dimension Entropy Growth Catalyst (Defective Product)]
[Description: A disposable consumable. Within a specified low-energy Abandoned Dimension Dimension, it can forcibly catalyze all residual information, energy, and matter, accelerating their disorderification and aggregation into a high-energy mixture.]
[Side effect: Due to batch issues, the aggregate will preferentially absorb and amplify emotional energy dissipating from surrounding Dimension. The energy characteristics of the final product are extremely unstable and cannot be accurately predicted.]
This is it.
Lynn opened his eyes and his gaze fell on the Negative Zone global Star Map hanging on the office wall.
It was a huge three-dimensional map, marking thousands of Dimension coordinates within the Management Committee's jurisdiction. Most of them were lit up with green dots representing "developed" or "explored".
But in the very edge of the Star Map, in the Chaos region near the endless void, there are a few scattered areas marked in gray.
That's Abandoned Dimension. A dead end formed naturally during the evolution of the universe, devoid of resources and life, with an extremely low energy level, marked as "undevelopable" by the Management Committee's archives.
Like a neglected garbage dump in the city.
Lynn's gaze was fixed on one of the gray dots numbered "D-78".
He pressed the Internal Communicator on the table.
"From the Technology Integration Department, under the Applied Physics Group Three, headed by Lister."
After a brief hiss, a respectful yet slightly nervous male voice came through.
"Director, I am Lister."
The Applied Physics Group 3 was an insignificant group within the vast Department of Technology system, responsible for peripheral tasks such as processing exploration data and monitoring environmental background values. The group leader, Lister, was a meticulous but unimaginative Technician.
This is exactly what Lynn needs.
"Team Leader Lister," Lynn's voice was calm and emotionless, "I'm assigning you a temporary task."
"Director, please give instructions."
"My office's service mech will deliver a seventh encrypted storage box to you. Receive it yourself; don't let anyone else touch it."
"Yes."
"Then, you take the two most reliable people in your group and, under the guise of 'exploration of background radiation in distant Dimension,' head to the Abandoned Dimension D-78."
Lister on the other end of the communication line was stunned for a moment. D-78? That place where there was nothing but space dust?
But he didn't dare ask.
"Once you reach the designated coordinates, deploy the equipment according to the operation manual inside the storage box. After that, you don't need to do anything else; just stay on site and record all energy readings in the area 24 hours a day."
"Remember," Lynn's tone became more serious, "Your task is simply to record. Whatever anomalies occur, your sole responsibility is to record the data verbatim and report it to me immediately."
"Understood, Director."
"Go."
Lynn hung up the call.
He stopped paying attention to it. The seed had been planted; now all that was needed was to wait for it to sprout "naturally."
Two days later.
The White Bone Hall, the Director's Office.
Lynn is reviewing a quarterly report on energy rationing Defense Line the border.
The Encrypted Terminal on the table suddenly emitted a short beep.
It was a secret, one-way message from Lister.
Lynn clicked on it, and a report filled with complex curves and data popped up. The report's title was simple, "Observational Record of Anomalous Energy Enrichment Phenomenon in D-78 Dimension".
The report was very dry, consisting entirely of data.
However, at the end of the report, a summary by Lister was included.
"Director, based on 48 hours of continuous observation, a high-energy aggregate with an energy reading that is climbing exponentially has appeared at the center of Dimension D-78. We have conducted a preliminary analysis of its emitted energy spectrum..."
Lister paused here, seemingly considering his choice of words.
"Its energy characteristics are more than 90% similar to the sample in the attachment to the ' Assistance Investigation Notice of Unknown Emotional Dimension Residual Energy ' that you previously forwarded internally."
"However, its energy composition is more complex and chaotic, and timestamps show that its decay cycle spans millions of cosmic years. Preliminary assessment suggests that this aggregate is not recently formed, but rather more like... a naturally formed zone of emotional energy sedimentation."
"A junkyard that, over countless long years, has gathered countless lost universes and the unclaimed emotions left behind by Timeline that were cut off..."
It's done.
Lynn looked at the report, which Lister had "discovered" and written, his face expressionless.
This report perfectly explains the source of the "Assistance Investigation Notice".
It wasn't caused by any one person or event; it's a natural phenomenon.
They are the tears of the universe, the dust of time.
Since it is a natural phenomenon, there is no way to assign blame. The Negative Zone Management Committee, as the discoverer, is not only without fault, but also deserves credit.
Lynn turned off the report and connected with Gwen Stacy, the Liaison Office Chief.
"Director Gwen Stacy, come to my office."
A moment later, Gwen Stacy walked in.
"Director."
"The Applied Physics Group 3 of the Department of Technology has made a major discovery in the Abandoned Dimension D-78." Lynn forwarded Lister's report to Gwen Stacy's terminal.
"You will immediately, in your capacity as the Executive Deputy Team Leader of the Task Force, lead the establishment of a Joint Investigation Team, with one deputy from the Stability Maintenance Office and the Department of Technology each participating, to review this phenomenon."
Gwen Stacy quickly skimmed through the report, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she asked nothing.
"Clear."
"The review process must be meticulous; every procedure must withstand scrutiny." Lynn leaned back in her chair, looking at Gwen Stacy. "I need to see the first draft of the investigation report before I leave work today."
"Yes, Director."
Gwen Stacy accepted the order and left.
The office returned to silence.
Lynn picked up the cup of tea, which had gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp.
The physical layout is complete.
He has created a perfect scapegoat and dressed it up in the guise of compliance.
Now, only the final step remains.
Can this report, which the Management Committee itself "discovered," "investigated," and "wrote," fool that envoy from the Living Tribunal, a person devoid of emotion and bound only by rules?