"And don't forget," William said coldly, "who just saved your fleet from a crisis that could have destroyed all of you."
The Yautja leader scowled but couldn't refute William's words. This disaster had stemmed from their greed—seeking the enhanced Xenomorph genetics instead of simply using their energy cannons to obliterate the pyramid and every Xenomorph within it.
On top of that, losing William's cooperation could mean no more healing talismans in the future. Begrudgingly, the leader operated the console, pulling up data on Xenomorph behavior and a method to use genetic samples to create a device capable of detecting Xenomorph traces.
"Sunday, immediately upgrade the scanners on the combat robots. Equip all close-range units with AA-12 automatic shotguns and explosive rounds," William ordered.
If regular human weapons weren't enough for Xenomorphs or Yautja, then it was time to up the firepower with full-strength armor-piercing rounds and the devastating AA-12 with 35-round drum magazines and explosive shells.
"Understood, Sir. The modifications will be completed in two hours."
Thanks to the massive facilities at the Yellowstone base, production capacity was ten times greater than that of the automated factory beneath Oxford Castle.
With the recent acquisition of the Yautja's micro-ship technology, William had already planned to establish a base on Mars. Once the ships were ready, he would send a team of engineering robots and materials to the mountainous southern hemisphere of Mars.
By tunneling into the mountains to create a small, sealed facility, he could use his portals to transport supplies and expand it into a full-fledged production base for ships.
Once the infrastructure was operational, mining on Mars could begin, creating a steady flow of resources to support Earth.
For the northern hemisphere's vast plains, William envisioned establishing a research base, eventually growing it into a city—or even a Jurassic Park-like attraction to generate revenue.
Given that Mars's material composition was similar to Earth's, the southern base would eliminate the need for costly resource extraction. His portals could solve transportation and distance issues.
As for the maximum range of the portals, William didn't know yet. But when testing near Saturn, he hadn't felt any strain. It seemed likely that any celestial body in the solar system could serve as a resource depot.
The only obstacle to building a fleet was energy. Without energy crystals, space jumps wouldn't be possible.
Using other energy sources, a ship might reach speeds of one light-year per day, but traveling to another star system would still take years—decades, even centuries for further destinations.
This realization made William wonder: Was the Yautja's jump technology cutting-edge, or was it commonplace across the universe?
It couldn't be unique, or the Yautja leader wouldn't have surrendered it so easily after losing their wager.
While William was deep in thought, the Xenomorph-Yautja hybrid, imbued with the Yautja's hunting instincts, avoided immediately attacking the nearby town. Instead, it led a group of Xenomorphs and Facehuggers into a bridge tunnel, converting the homeless sheltering there into Xenomorph hosts.
The hybrid bided its time, waiting for nightfall.
The warrior-class Yautja who had pursued it to Earth transmitted images showing the hybrid exhibiting significant intelligence. It understood the value of stealth, unlike most Xenomorphs.
What truly alarmed both William and the Yautja leader was the hybrid's ability to lay eggs directly, bypassing the need for a Queen.
"We need to destroy it with the ship's cannon immediately," William said grimly. "If we wait, this town of 3,000 will become a Xenomorph haven by morning.
Colorado is in the western-central United States, surrounded by five or six states. If another Queen emerges, Xenomorphs could overrun the entire country within a month."
"No," the Yautja leader shook his head. "A Xenomorph hive can have only one Queen."
"Only one?" William asked, incredulous. "Then how did your planet fall to them in just a year?"
The leader's expression darkened. After a moment's hesitation, he explained, "As long as a Queen has sufficient energy and food, her body can grow indefinitely, producing an endless number of eggs."
"Energy?" William turned to Sunday. "Check if there are any power plants near this town."
"Sir, there is a nuclear power station in Carson Town," Sunday reported.
Hearing this, William snapped at the Yautja leader, "You hear that? What are you waiting for? Blast the hybrid's hiding spot with your cannon!"
"It's not that simple," the leader replied, shaking his head. "This isn't two millennia ago. We are bound by an agreement not to expose ourselves to the public and to allow Earth to develop freely."
"What kind of damned agreement is this?" William cursed. "And if these so-called people who made the agreement exist, why aren't they handling this crisis themselves?"
"Silence!" a booming voice commanded.
A second voice, calmer but tinged with authority, followed: "No, brother. Father has forbidden us from interfering with Midgard."
The ship's control room fell silent after the brief exchange.
Hearing the voices, the Yautja leader immediately stood, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing deeply in respect.
"Midgardians?" William muttered, puzzled. Then he turned to the Yautja leader. "So the ones who made this agreement with you are Asgardians?"
The idea surprised him at first but quickly made sense.
Who else but the long-lived Aesir would consider Earth their domain and make such agreements with the Yautja thousands of years ago?
The alien species that crash-landed on Earth over 1,300 years ago with the Moven beasts had likely been Asgardians—humanoid beings indistinguishable from Earth's humans.
That time coincided with the tail end of Odin's campaigns with Hela, a period of aggressive expansionism. It wouldn't have been out of character for them to annihilate the apex species of an alien planet.
By 1,000 years ago, however, Odin, perhaps aged and weary, had shifted Asgard's policies to a more peaceful stance. His imprisonment of Hela, whose ambition had grown too dangerous even for him, likely marked the turning point.
Sometimes, when the crown prince grows too strong and the king lives too long, a fall from grace becomes inevitable, William mused.
Author's Note:
I've been debating for over 40 chapters whether to weave this into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've written and rewritten connected plotlines multiple times but hesitated, fearing it wouldn't resonate with readers.
Readers have previously complained about being tired of spy and gunfight tropes.
Delving into outer space has been exciting, but writing it isn't always as engaging as watching it on screen.
The protagonist's current power level also demands a worthy opponent, so after much consideration, I've decided to tie this into the Marvel Universe.
Rest assured, this will remain a power-fantasy novel—no forced power scaling or weakening of the protagonist.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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