That number was not good. It was not even acceptable by his standards. He had promised himself that he would not proceed with a compatibility rate below the threshold he considered reasonable. And that threshold was not 50%.
It was much higher than that.
The data also revealed something else: there were no useful new combinations left within the current framework. He could repeat the tests for months, even years, and perhaps obtain only minor percentage increases. Nothing guaranteed that he would ever reach a safe formula. There was not even any guarantee that the human body could achieve clean compatibility without directly studying Peter Parker.
And that last option was out of the question.
Then he noticed the final warning.
[Critical condition: anesthetics may not be used during the procedure.]
Rilley narrowed his eyes, somewhat uncertain about what he had just heard.
S.O.P.H.I.N. displayed the explanation before he could ask.
[Anesthetic and sedative compounds interfere with the response of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum», symbiotic integration, and the modulation of «Ultra Plus Rays». Their use increases the risk of cellular rejection, loss of neurological coordination, and systemic failure during the integration phase.]
Rilley said nothing. He remained silent for a brief moment.
That meant he would have to endure everything while fully conscious. The serum entering his body. The symbiotes integrating into his bones, blood, organs, muscles, and skin. And the «Ultra Plus Rays» passing through his body to carry out the partial rewriting of his biological structure.
All of it without even the slightest amount of anesthesia.
For a brief moment, he remembered the extraction of his bone marrow. He remembered the pressure, the burning sensation, and the feeling of something deep inside him being torn away. He remembered thinking that he never wanted to experience anything similar again.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
This would probably be much worse, he thought.
"How ridiculous," he murmured.
He did not know whether he meant the procedure, the compatibility percentage, or himself.
Perhaps all of them at once.
Rilley leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling of the laboratory. For several seconds, he remained there, motionless, his eyes open and his breathing calm.
For an ordinary person, this would be madness.
And for him, it was madness as well.
There was nothing that could convince him otherwise.
It was a dangerous gamble, one that could kill him or turn him into something that could no longer be considered human.
But what was the alternative?
Wait indefinitely? Continue collecting data that would not change anything essential? Trust that the future would be kinder if he remained still?
No.
Rilley had learned something very early in life.
In this world, those who remained still ended up crushed by forces they could not even comprehend.
Ordinary people died beneath the rubble. They were weak and pathetic beings waiting to be saved. Those even less fortunate became collateral damage, easily discarded during a catastrophe.
At least Rilley had grown tired of belonging to that group.
"Sophin," he called in a calm voice.
[At your command, Dr. Glass.]
"Save all the results of this optimization in the «Grand Database»."
[Order executed.]
"Begin the second phase of research using the predetermined trials and experiments. Wait for the new samples and add them as soon as they become available."
[Order registered.]
Rilley continued staring silently at the screen, lost in thought. His gaze shifted from one display to another as he analyzed their contents. Suddenly, an idea emerged in his mind. It was as if he had entered a brief state of inspiration.
He took the nearby keyboard and began typing a complex series of formulas onto the screen.
After pressing the final key, he stood and walked toward the case containing the three vials of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum». He removed one of them and inserted it into an injector gun.
Rilley called for a medical-assistant android, which arrived carrying monitoring equipment. It took the device from Rilley's hands and helped him lie back on a reclining chair.
What Rilley was about to do was clear.
He would inject himself with the serum right there to test its effects.
A second medical-assistant android approached, bringing with it an «Ultra Plus Rays» catalytic panel. Thick cables trailed behind the panel, connecting it to the primary power source, directly linked to the «Omnicron» inside his laboratory.
There was, of course, a special chamber inside the laboratory for this kind of trial. But in this case, it was unnecessary. The «Ultra Plus Rays» would only be used to accelerate the process, since the triple-concentration vials of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum» had been designed to act without the aid of catalysts.
After lying back and giving the order to the androids, the medical unit injected him with the serum.
Rilley felt the cold fluid enter his bloodstream. Little by little, his body temperature began to rise.
In the next instant, the catalytic panel released a white glow, and a torrent of «Ultra Plus Rays» immediately fell over his body.
The moment he felt the surge, his body stiffened. He forced himself to remain still despite the burning sensation and the faint pain spreading through every part of his body.
After a few brief minutes, the process ended.
Rilley remained motionless, resting where he lay. He felt exhausted, as though he had just run an entire marathon. The medical android beside him took a syringe and extracted a sample of his blood.
After several more minutes of rest, he finally rose with some difficulty. His legs were still weak, but he managed to remain standing and slowly walk toward the seat in front of the computer.
"Sophin, show me the results."
A series of new data appeared on the panel before him.
Rilley remained silent as he observed the preliminary results. His breathing was still somewhat heavy, and the exhaustion in his muscles had not completely disappeared. Even so, he could already notice clear changes in his body.
There was no doubt that the «Ultra Plus Rays» had completed their work excellently, accelerating the assimilation of the serum throughout his body and allowing results to appear in a very short amount of time.
The changes were certainly not exaggerated, much less comparable to a superhuman mutation.
But they were there.
His physical condition had improved to a more normal level. His vision seemed slightly more stable. There was still a faint burning sensation in his eyes, but it had already diminished. He could also feel that the sensitivity of his skin had been reduced to a level that could be considered acceptable.
Even the lingering weakness in his limbs soon disappeared completely.
Rilley did not feel stronger. After all, that was not the purpose of the serum.
But he did feel lighter, as though a portion of the accumulated wear inside his body had gradually been removed.
[Preliminary result calculation completed.]
S.O.P.H.I.N.'s voice sounded again throughout the laboratory.
[The reinforced variant of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum» has shown positive effects on Dr. Glass' organism. Accelerated cellular repair, partial stabilization of sensitive tissues, improvement in metabolic response, and a moderate reduction in cellular stress have been detected.]
Rilley did not look away from the screen.
"And the genetic structure?"
For a brief instant, the display changed. The general medical data disappeared and were replaced by a series of comparative genetic maps. On the left was the registered genetic chain before the application of the serum. On the right was the new reading taken after the procedure.
[The genetic structure shows signs of partial stabilization. Certain minor irregularities have been corrected or reduced. However, the main hereditary defects remain present.]
Rilley did not appear entirely surprised by the news. One could even say that the result was exactly what he had expected.
It was true that, during other special trials and theoretical calculations, the reinforced variant of the serum had proven capable of regenerating tissue, rejuvenating cells, and improving the general condition of the organism.
But repairing cellular damage was one thing.
Correcting hereditary defects deeply integrated into the genetic chain from birth was something entirely different.
"So it isn't a cure," he said in a low voice.
[Correct. The results suggest limited genetic repair and temporary stabilization of the affected segments. However, the hereditary origin of the genetic deterioration has not been eliminated.]
Rilley rested his fingers on the desk.
It was now clear that the «Cellular Regeneration Serum» was not a cure for the Glass family's genetic problems. But not everything was lost.
Although it was not a permanent cure, it was a special treatment that would allow anyone with a genetic defect to live a normal life, as long as the treatment was maintained at controlled intervals.
But if the treatment were interrupted, the body would gradually return to obeying the defective instructions written into its genes from birth.
[Preliminary conclusion: the reinforced variant can be classified as a genetic-maintenance treatment. If administration of the serum is interrupted, a progressive regression toward the previous condition is estimated.]
Rilley remained silent for several seconds.
This could not be considered a failure. Quite the opposite.
It would be an exceptional achievement for modern medicine, alongside the restoration of lost limbs already demonstrated through trials with the standard unit of the regenerative serum.
His body had responded well to the treatment. The reaction had not been perfect, but neither had it shown rejection. The reinforced variant could be considered safe within certain parameters, even in someone with a delicate genetic condition like his own.
That alone was already a valuable result.
After many generations of the Glass family, he had finally found a way to contain the deterioration.
For his father, that meant extending his lifespan and reducing the possibility of his condition developing into more serious illnesses. For his mother, it meant possible protection against what she had always feared since Rilley's birth.
One of the reasons his parents had never had another child was not because they did not want one, but because they feared that the child might be born with a condition similar to Rilley's, or perhaps something even worse.
With the proper application of the serum, following the dosage perfectly as a long-term treatment, the average life expectancy of members of the Glass family would increase from fifty-five years to approximately eighty.
And with further improvements to the formula, perhaps those calculations could be surpassed.
"Compare the new sample with the calculations for «Project Superhuman»," Rilley ordered.
[Understood.]
The data began moving across the screen once again. Rilley's updated genetic chain was inserted into the previous compatibility models. The figures began changing one after another as S.O.P.H.I.N. recalculated his organism's response to the arachnid formula, the regenerative serum, the synthetic symbiotes, and the «Ultra Plus Rays».
Rilley remained motionless.
A few seconds later, the new result appeared on the screen.
[Previous compatibility with Rilley Glass' genetic chain: 51%.
Updated compatibility after application of the reinforced variant: 54.82%.
Result: partial improvement.
Estimated duration of stabilized state: variable.
Risk of progressive genetic regression: moderate.
Recommendation: continue with the second phase of research.]
Rilley observed that number for several seconds.
54.82%.
It was still not enough, but it had increased.
A faint smile appeared on his face. It was not a smile of complete satisfaction. Nor was it happiness.
It was the expression of someone who had just confirmed that the path he had chosen was not entirely wrong.
"So the serum can prepare the body," he murmured.
[That statement is partially correct. The reinforced variant appears to improve cellular stability and reduce certain rejection factors. However, the margin obtained remains insufficient for safe application.]
"I know."
Rilley closed his eyes for a moment.
"Sophin, isolate the components with mutagenic risk from the serum calculated during the first phase. Integrate the formula of the «Cellular Regeneration Serum» as well. Then simulate a reactivation through concentrated «Ultra Plus Rays» inside a specially insulated container. Use my results as adjustment criteria for a general-purpose genetic pathway, incorporating the calculations I performed moments ago."
[Beginning calculations for derived formula. Results available in 00:05:00.]
Rilley waited impatiently.
He then considered that, although he could not achieve permanent genetic enhancement because of the risk of uncontrolled mutation caused by using non-human species as a foundation, he could still develop a human genetic amplifier.
There would be no need to use modified genes from other species as the primary objective.
He could take only the enhancing formula and refine human genetics, at least temporarily, through a new compound.
[Calculations completed. Results:
General compatibility with standard human genetic chain: 93.54%.
Risk of uncontrolled mutation: low.
Risk of cellular rejection: low-to-moderate.
Estimated duration of effect: temporary. Extensive analysis is required to determine the exact duration.
Expected effect: temporary amplification of cellular stability, metabolic improvement, moderately accelerated physical recovery, partial optimization of immune response, and controlled increase in human performance within tolerable limits.
Primary limitation: the formula does not produce permanent genetic modification or confirmed superhuman capabilities.
Recommendation: establish a controlled testing protocol using volunteer subjects.]