[The formula calculations have been completed.]
S.O.P.H.I.N.'s voice resonated inside the laboratory, once again interrupting Rilley's thoughts.
For a few seconds, the place remained silent. Only the faint hum of the cooling systems could be heard, along with the distant sound of several machines still in operation.
Rilley did not respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the main screen, where a series of graphs began to unfold one after another. They were genetic comparisons, compatibility simulations, cellular projections, and reaction maps derived from the data obtained during the first phase.
Most of those images would have seemed incomprehensible to anyone outside the project. For Rilley, it was different. Every curve, percentage variation, and warning line was, in itself, a source of detailed and specific information that gave shape to what he had been working on for several years.
"Show me the main results," he finally said.
[Right away, Dr. Glass.]
The screen reorganized itself immediately. The secondary graphs shrank toward the edges, while a comparative genetic structure appeared in the center. On the left was the base pattern of Specimen Zero. On the right was an integration simulation over a human genetic chain.
Beneath both structures, the first result appeared.
Similarity to Specimen Zero: 97.99%.
Partial result: successful.
Rilley observed that percentage without showing joy. In another context, that number would have been reason enough to consider it an extraordinary breakthrough. After so many failed experiments, obtaining such a close similarity to Specimen Zero was something any researcher would have celebrated. But Rilley was not that naive. That similarity did not mean stability. In truth, it guaranteed nothing.
The screen changed, showing the second evaluation.
Compatibility with target genetic chain: 40%.
Risk of instability: high.
Recommendation: collect more data before proceeding to the application phase.
Rilley remained silent.
It was exactly what he had expected, but seeing it confirmed was still unpleasant. They had achieved an almost perfect result in terms of similarity to Specimen Zero. The problem was that such similarity did not translate into stable integration within a human body. The formula could imitate certain markers of the mutated spider, reproduce part of its genetic behavior, and come very close to the pattern that had given Peter Parker his powers.
But even with all that, it was not enough.
Peter Parker's body had accepted that mutation in an almost absurd way. As if his organism had been waiting for exactly that stimulus, at the exact moment, and under the exact conditions. Something that, from a strictly scientific perspective, was far too convenient.
"Just as I expected," Rilley murmured, resting his fingers on the desk.
The first phase of research had made one thing clear: the arachnid specimens could approach the pattern of Specimen Zero, but a limit always appeared. The closer they came to replicating the mutation, the more aggressive the side effects became. Uncontrolled cellular growth, genetic rejection, systemic collapse, degenerative diseases, or mutations incompatible with survival.
It was as though the door could be seen from a distance, but every attempt to cross it ended up destroying the body that tried.
"Sophin, run a simulation using my complete genetic chain," Rilley ordered.
[Warning. Dr. Glass' registered genetic chain presents known hereditary vulnerabilities. The simulation may return risk indexes higher than those already calculated.]
"Run the simulation."
[Understood.]
The graphs began to move again.
Rilley's genetic structure appeared on the screen, accompanied by previously registered medical markers. Elevated dermal vulnerability, low natural protection against ultraviolet radiation, severe visual reduction, tendency toward irregular immune responses, and other indicators associated with his hereditary condition.
Rilley observed those data without much interest.
It was not that he liked seeing his defects exposed with such coldness. He was simply used to it. Since childhood, he had lived knowing that his body was not that of a completely healthy person. His skin, his eyes, his immune system, and even his general endurance had always been conditioned by that genetic burden.
To him, that had never been a tragedy. It was certainly a nuisance, since it was a limitation that partially hindered him. But nothing more. What truly mattered to him was whether that same structure could endure the modification process.
The answer appeared a few seconds later.
Compatibility with Rilley Glass' genetic chain: 31.72%.
Risk of cellular rejection: extreme.
Risk of immune collapse: extreme.
Risk of uncontrolled mutation: extreme.
Recommendation: do not proceed.
Rilley closed his eyes for a moment.
He was not surprised. In a way, he had already assumed as much. His body was not the best vessel for a mutation of that nature. If an ordinary person already had little chance of surviving the process, someone with his hereditary conditions would be in an even worse position.
But abandoning the project was not an option either. Not after coming this far.
"It doesn't matter how many combinations we make," he said in a low voice. "The data is already showing the limit."
[That statement is correct. The possible combinations within the current parameters have already been simulated. The number of tests can be increased, but the probability of obtaining a radically superior variation is low.]
"How low?"
[Below 3.8% without adding new biological variables.]
Rilley opened his eyes.
That was what he did not want to hear, but also what he needed to confirm. To improve the formula, he needed a new variable. It seemed that ordering the preliminary calculations to move on to the next stage had been a very intelligent decision. Otherwise, the project would have remained stuck within the limits of the first phase, with results too weak and insufficient to continue.
There was certainly a way to break the stagnation of the first phase of research, but despite being very obvious, it was also far too problematic.
The key was Peter Parker.
If he managed to obtain a direct sample of his blood, marrow, tissue, or even active cells after an injury, he could compare the exact difference between a successful integration and a chain incapable of enduring the process. He could learn what had allowed Peter to become Spider-Man instead of dying from radioactive poisoning, cellular rejection, or a degenerative mutation.
But doing so meant crossing a very dangerous line.
Kidnapping Spider-Man was stupid. Not because it was absolutely impossible, but because the consequences would be impossible to measure. Peter Parker was not just a boy with powers. He was one of those strange points around which the world seemed to organize certain events. Altering him too abruptly could trigger a chain of consequences that not even Rilley would be able to foresee.
And if there was one thing he had learned since recovering his memories, it was that he could not trust the world to react reasonably.
Peter Parker's fate seemed to carry too much force. And Rilley was not willing to push it without necessity.
"Discard direct acquisition of samples from Peter Parker," he said coldly.
[Order registered.]
Rilley remained still, staring at the graphs. Suddenly, an idea emerged in his mind, one that seemed so good it would be difficult to discard. If he could not take samples from Spider-Man himself, then he could do so from other subjects with similar destinies in other universes. Gwen Stacy and Cindy Moon, both women who, in other universes, had obtained Spider-Man's powers. Rilley could take samples from them and study what made them special enough to endure a mutation of that magnitude.
"Consider sample acquisition for the second phase of research. The subjects are Gwendolyne Stacy and Cindy Moon."
[Order registered.]
His fingers tapped lightly against the surface of the desk once, then again, and then stopped.
If those data were not enough, then he needed a mediator. Something capable of adapting to his organism, filling the gaps, stabilizing the damage, and accompanying the modification process without destroying it from within. Something that was not purely human, and that did not depend on a single genetic chain.
"Sophin," Rilley called.
[At your command, Dr. Glass.]
"Give me the report on Subproject 1-A."
For a brief instant, the screen went black. Then a new classified folder appeared.
[Report on Subproject 1-A.
Provisional name: «Project Ultra Symbiosis».
Experimental basis: fragment of alien symbiote classified under the code name «Venom».
Origin of the sample: incident related to Reed Richards and the «Fantastic Four» during a space mission that occurred approximately two years ago. The main organism was expelled from Earth again before causing major disturbances. However, a residual fragment was later detected in New York's underground system.]
Rilley observed the report with a serious expression.
That symbiote had not yet bonded with Spider-Man. Nor had it passed through Eddie Brock, nor acquired the full identity that, in other universes, would turn it into «Venom». In this world, for now, it was nothing more than an intelligent alien organism, dangerous, adaptable, and with a disturbing affinity for high-potential biological hosts.
Rilley certainly knew what it could become. That was precisely why he had not allowed it to roam freely.
S.O.P.H.I.N. continued the report.
[The recovered fragment was divided into multiple samples and subjected to alteration processes through controlled exposure to «Ultra Plus Rays». Unstable results were destroyed under containment protocol. At the end of the refinement phase, three partially successful products were obtained.]
The screen showed three miniature capsules.
Inside each one moved a dark, almost liquid mass, each with different reaction patterns to external stimuli.
[First product: Synthetic Symbiote A1.
Main characteristics:
Basic intelligence, comparable to that of a trainable domestic animal.
Docile response toward living organisms.
Active curiosity toward biological samples.
Ability to replicate, read, and store genetic codes.
High resistance to physical damage.
Great structural hardening capacity.
Resistance to extreme cold.
Elevated sensitivity to high temperatures.
Primary affinity: bone structure and marrow.]
The image shifted to the second capsule.
[Second product: Synthetic Symbiote A2.
Main characteristics:
Basic intelligence, comparable to that of a trainable domestic animal.
Docile response toward living organisms.
Sensory capacity for vibrations and internal pressure.
Ability to replicate, read, and store genetic codes.
High resistance to physical damage.
Great structural regeneration capacity.
Resistance to extreme cold.
Elevated sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations.
Primary affinity: cardiovascular system, blood, and internal organs.]
The third capsule appeared on the screen.
[Third product: Synthetic Symbiote A3.
Main characteristics:
Basic intelligence, comparable to that of a trainable domestic animal.
Docile response toward living organisms.
Sensory capacity for sound, muscular tension, and external stimuli.
Ability to replicate, read, and store genetic codes.
High resistance to physical damage.
Extreme hardening capacity.
Resistance to extreme cold.
Elevated sensitivity to sounds of specific frequency.
Primary affinity: muscular system, skin, and external tissues.
End of report.
Database under constant update.]
Rilley crossed his arms while observing the data.
The three symbiotes were not perfect. In fact, they were far from it. Each one possessed clear vulnerabilities, instability patterns, and behavioral risks impossible to ignore. But compared to the original symbiote, they were far more manageable.
Less intelligent. Less aggressive. More dependent on external orders. And, above all, easier to contain.
That had been the main reason Rilley decided to synthesize them into separate products. He did not want to create a single complete symbiote capable of developing too much autonomy. Separating its functions reduced the possibility of one of them evolving into an entity difficult to control. At least in theory.
The original symbiote possessed an ability few lifeforms could match. It could read, copy, store, and adapt genetic information from its hosts. In the wrong hands, that could become a threat. In Rilley's hands, it could become the perfect tool.
If the spider-based formula could not integrate stably on its own, then he needed a biological support capable of maintaining the structure while the body adapted. The regenerative serum could repair the damage. The «Ultra Plus Rays» could act as a catalyst and inhibitor of unstable cells. And the synthetic symbiotes could fill the gaps, support critical tissues, and prevent immediate collapse during the transformation.
"Add new variables to the calculation," Rilley said.
[Specify the variables.]
"The «Cellular Regeneration Serum» in its reinforced variant. The three synthetic symbiotes from «Project Ultra Symbiosis». «Ultra Plus Rays» as catalyst, stabilizer, and inhibitor of unstable cells. And my genetic chain as the final target."
[Warning. The proposed combination introduces highly unstable biological variables. The simultaneous use of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum», «Ultra Plus Rays», and three synthetic symbiotes may cause reactions that cannot be calculated with absolute precision.]
"I know."
[Additional warning. The use of Dr. Glass' genetic chain as a direct target implies extreme personal risk.]
"I know that too."
[Do you wish to continue with the optimization?]
"Continue."
[Optimization in progress.
Estimated remaining time: 00:05:00.]
The next five minutes passed in complete silence.
Rilley did not move from his seat. He only watched the screen as S.O.P.H.I.N. reorganized thousands of possible combinations. Genetic chains, adaptation routes, symbiotic anchoring points, regeneration rates, rejection patterns, immune responses, thermal accumulation, tissue resistance, and neurological tolerance.
Each variable opened a possibility, and with that possibility came a new risk. Rilley knew this was not a direct solution. It could not even be called a complete formula. It was more like an architecture of survival. A way to force the body to endure something that would naturally destroy it.
The symbiotes would not give him Spider-Man's powers. It would not work exactly like that. Neither would the serum nor the «Ultra Plus Rays». But together, perhaps they could create a different route. Not a copy of Specimen Zero, but a derivation. Something built from its data and fully adapted to his own body.
[Optimization completed.]
The screen changed.
This time, no single genetic chain appeared. Instead, three overlapping images of the human body were shown: skeletal system, cardiovascular system, and muscular system. Each one was marked with a different color.
[Synthetic Symbiote A1: recommended integration into bone structure and marrow.
Synthetic Symbiote A2: recommended integration into cardiovascular system, blood cells, and internal organs.
Synthetic Symbiote A3: recommended integration into muscular system, skin, and external tissues.]
Rilley read each line carefully.
S.O.P.H.I.N.'s proposal did not consist of covering his body with a symbiote as if it were a living suit. It was much deeper than that. The symbiotes would act as internal supports, lodging themselves in different layers of the organism to stabilize the process from within.
A1 would reinforce the bones and protect the marrow, the place where the body produced most of its blood cells.
A2 would integrate with the cardiovascular system, preventing the heart, blood, and organs from collapsing under a violent transformation.
A3 would cover muscles, skin, and external tissues, supporting the body's structure while the serum and «Ultra Plus Rays» forced the modification.
Rilley continued reading.
Similarity to Specimen Zero: 79.99%.
Result: significant deviation from the original model.
Compatibility with target genetic chain: 51%.
Result: minimum threshold surpassed.
Risk of partial rejection: extreme.
Risk of loss of consciousness: extreme.
Risk of behavioral alteration: extreme.
Risk of uncontrolled mutation: extreme.
Recommendation: collect more data and optimize again before any application.
Rilley observed the compatibility percentage.
51%.
That was not enough.