Marvel: Starting from Constructor Luke

Everything that happened in Sydney spread across the globe at an incredibly fast pace. No matter how far away you were, as long as you were in the civilized world and could receive internet and TV news, you definitely knew about the big news that was all over the screens. The die-hard wall faction certainly wanted to suppress the news, but the earlier worldwide live broadcast, subsequent news reports, and the resurrection of the Jaeger faction who seized the opportunity made their efforts to control the news flow turn into a mere trickle.

Furthermore, such big news could only be suppressed temporarily, buying them some buffer time.

The collapse of the Sydney Anti-Kaiju Wall splashed cold water onto the faces of all the wall faction fanatics and those who supported them, as cold as the current winter weather! A piece of the city wall breaking also destroyed the trust and hope that the wall faction had worked so hard to build. Although it wasn't a complete collapse, the previously suppressed doubts and opposing voices erupted at this moment. Their momentum was so strong that even many officials, businessmen, and scientists who had previously supported the wall faction had to avoid its force.

The PPDC, an underground organization that had seen its presence diminish for over half a year, once again became the focal point of global attention. However, according to information released by various governments, there were only four functioning Jaegers remaining. In an instant, the angry public became even angrier. They did not reflect on the actions they had taken while supporting the wall faction. They had simply been deceived by those officials and businessmen! Now, in the face of the truth, they had awakened!

Thus, after hearing reports from journalists who speculated that there were only four functioning Jaegers left at PPDC headquarters, the public's confidence in the Anti-Kaiju Wall dropped dramatically, and they once again developed a fear of insufficient Jaeger numbers.

Journalists involved in the Jaeger Program spoke freely, venting their previously suppressed views. Official spokespersons for the representatives of the member countries were caught off guard and couldn't keep up with their questioning. Especially a reporter named Naomi Sokolov, who, with a sharp remark—"We spent years building the Anti-Kaiju Wall, and the Kaiju only needed an hour to breach it"—completely sparked the public's anger and left the spokesperson speechless.

...

Alaska.

The helicopter's rotor blades stirred up snowflakes as Stacker Pentecost, dressed in a thick overcoat, stepped out of the open cabin door. His gaze immediately fell upon a somewhat disheveled man, who hadn't taken care of his appearance in a long time.

Raleigh Becket, the last pilot of the Mark-3 Gypsy Danger.

"Mr. Becket," Stacker Pentecost greeted, protected by a group of armed soldiers.

"Marshal," Raleigh Becket instinctively replied.

"It's been a while."

"To be exact, five years and four months," Raleigh's expression was a bit complex. There were things he didn't want to think about, but sometimes, he couldn't help but think about them.

"Can we talk for a bit?"

"Of course, I have an office," Raleigh Becket nodded and led Stacker to his workspace.

"I've had a hard time finding you. I've been to several places and thought I might come up empty again this time," Stacker said as he observed his surroundings while following Raleigh.

"I have to stick to the wall to have any work to do," Raleigh shrugged. "It's not easy finding a job these days."

After saying this, Raleigh sat on a box piled with miscellaneous items, and Stacker came over to sit beside him. "You can tell me what you're here for now."

"I'm sure you know what I've been busy with these past few months."

"Sorry, I haven't been paying attention to the news for a long time," Raleigh interrupted.

"I spent six months activating and gathering all the remaining Jaegers that might still see combat. One Jaeger, the third generation, needs a pilot," Stacker said calmly.

"I suppose I'm not your first choice?" Raleigh shrugged.

"Actually, you are my first choice. Everyone else who's piloted it is dead, except for you," Stacker replied, shaking his head.

"You know, I can't accept anyone else getting into my head. When my brother Yancy died, I also died with him," Raleigh stood up, refusing, "Find someone else."

"That's not an issue," Stacker looked at him. "Dr. Luke Field upgraded the drifting technology. If you don't need it, you can pilot the Jaeger alone."

Raleigh was silent for a long while, looking at Stacker. "Am I the only one who can do this?"

"There's a saying: If the end of the world comes, would you rather die as a warrior in a Jaeger, or die somewhere else?" Stacker countered.

"What can I do?"

"I have a plan."

...

PPDC Headquarters Base.

"This doesn't look good," Raleigh Becket observed, looking at the bustling and crowded base. It felt almost like a different world.

"Things have changed. Now we are an underground organization without official status, Mr. Becket," Stacker Pentecost led him along with Mako Mori, Hermann Gottlieb, Newton Geiszler, and a few others through the busy base. "The fact that we're still allowed to exist, still have these Jaegers, and still operate around the world while the government looks the other way is already a stroke of luck."

"Alright." Raleigh Becket, carrying his backpack, dodged a forklift and caught up with Stacker. "What's this plan you're talking about?"

"Don't rush, let Mr. Herman explain the situation to you first," Stacker said.

Suddenly, a somewhat neurotic-looking man appeared in front of Raleigh, startling him.

"Look over there," Herman said, stepping backward while pointing behind Raleigh. Raleigh turned and saw a huge countdown clock embedded in a metal wall. Watching the clock, with every second that passed, it seemed to add an overwhelming sense of urgency.

"What is that?" Raleigh turned back to Hermann.

"The War Clock! I figured out the frequency at which the Kaiju come through the wormholes, and I created a mathematical model to predict when they appear and the numbers they appear in," Hermann said proudly.

"Is that possible?" Raleigh asked, surprised.

"Of course. Based on the energy changes of the wormholes and the frequency and size of the Kaiju, I found some patterns and summarized them. I don't have a blackboard here, so I can't list them for you to prove it. But you just need to know that in the upcoming time, the frequency of Kaiju attacks will increase, and their numbers will rise. The next appearance is in a week. Soon, that time will be reduced to days, hours, and eventually minutes! When that happens, a huge army of Kaiju will appear, and humanity will be wiped out," Hermann said, his tone wild and impassioned.

"In fact, he can't prove any of this, meaning his research still lacks sufficient evidence," Newton Geiszler remarked from the side.

"Literature, philosophy, politics, promises—they all lie. But math doesn't!" Hermann glared at his colleague who was undermining him.

"Math doesn't lie, but mistakes in calculations can give you the wrong answer," Newton retorted.

"The Sydney event has proven my prediction! The mathematical model I created works in practice!" Hermann proudly presented evidence.

"That could be a coincidence. After all, you've predicted before, but only Sydney's case turned out to be accurate," Newton shrugged, rolling up his sleeves. Under Hermann's glare, Newton dashed ahead. Hermann, who was a bit slower due to his cane, muttered some curses and slapped his own face before looking back at Raleigh.

"Anyway, the prediction results are pretty grim. If we don't find a solution, our only fate will be extinction. Like the dinosaurs!" Hermann concluded, losing interest in explaining and falling silent.

"Didn't you report your findings to the United Nations?" Raleigh asked, curious. Such important information would surely make them react and make arrangements.

"Hah? Of course I reported it. But what did they say?" Herman scoffed. "Nonsense! We know, Mr. Hermann! We'll discuss it, and we'll let you know once we have results. I could hear their indifference over the phone. If the world ends, they'll bear most of the responsibility!"

"Have you thought of any solutions to this problem?" Raleigh asked.

"Of course. Newton and I have been working on this. The Kaiju appearances, and so on—this is just part of the results," Herman puffed out his chest proudly.

"What about him? What has Dr. Newton discovered?" Raleigh asked, intrigued. It had been more than five years since he left the battlefield, and he didn't mind hearing about new developments.

"He?" Herman scoffed. "He compared some Kaiju samples and believes they are bio-weapons created by an alien civilization. They are the vanguard for an alien invasion of our planet. Some of them even have DNA that completely matches. Ridiculous!"

"This isn't ridiculous at all! Luke also agrees with my research. He believes these Kaiju are bio-weapons created by alien civilizations through asexual reproduction. Essentially, this isn't a monster invasion; it's a war between civilizations! Even though the other side might not be putting in their full effort, we're already on the brink of being cornered," Newton Geiszler suddenly interjected, scaring the two of them.

The two began to argue. Meanwhile, Raleigh, unable to get a word in, noticed Stacker ahead, tightened his backpack, and quickly caught up.

"What exactly do you need me to do?" Raleigh asked as he approached Stacker.

"I have a plan."

"I know you have a plan, but what kind of plan exactly?"

"I plan to close the 'gap' with a 2400-pound thermonuclear bomb. The explosion will have the same power as 1.2 million tons of TNT! According to Dr. Herman's calculations, the power of this bomb will destroy the stability of the wormhole and cause it to collapse! Do you understand now? I plan to have the Striker Eureka carry this bomb, and your job is to protect it and ensure it reaches its destination and completes the mission."

Stacker gave a direct answer.

"Where are you getting that from? Aren't we already an underground organization?" Raleigh asked, surprised.

"There are always channels. Not all countries are disinterested in my plan. The pilots of Cherno Alpha, the Kaidonovsky couple, have been a big help."

"We've tried this before. We tried to destroy the 'gap,' but our ammunition got repelled before it could even enter the wormhole. There's an energy shield!" Raleigh was doubtful.

"Actually, there's already a solution for that."

A clear voice interrupted Raleigh and Stacker's conversation. Raleigh looked toward the voice and saw a young man in a white lab coat, holding a cup of hot water, with a somewhat lazy demeanor, extending his hand.

"This is Dr. Luke Field, the designer and creator of the sixth-generation Jaeger, Kurtulo, and the designer and creator of the latest drift system. He's also the CTO of Shao Industries and a part-time Jaeger mechanic for the PPDC," Stacker introduced Luke, then turned to Luke, "This is Raleigh Becket, the former pilot of Gypsy Danger. He's a good guy."

Luke Field shook hands with Raleigh. Luke was curious about the protagonist of this world but thought, unfortunately, that Raleigh wouldn't have the time to enjoy his victory.

"Can you tell me what the solution is?" Raleigh asked. Stacker also paid attention. If the issue of the wormhole repelling their weapons couldn't be solved, then the plan was impossible.

Dr. Luke Field took a sip of his hot water. "Dr. Newton said this is a war between civilizations, an invasion and counter-invasion. I agree with that." He paused, looking thoughtful. "If we think of the wormhole as a door, then the lock mechanism is clearly on the other side. They can come through the door, but without an invitation or a key, we can't break in. It's a one-way channel."

"So, we need to find the key," he continued. "Those Kaiju that move freely through the wormhole, I believe they are the key."

"Is the other side really aliens?" Raleigh asked, curious.

"There's no evidence to prove that. Just like Luke's method, it still needs verification," Stacker said.

"In fact, there's a way to prove our theory!" Newton Geiszler's voice came again. After drawing everyone's attention, he cleared his throat and said seriously, "I've been thinking—since people can drift and share memories, what happens when we connect with the minds of these Kaiju? If they really are bio-weapons created by aliens, their minds should have residual information. If we could connect with them, we could prove everything."

"That's absurd," Hermann Gottlieb, who had caught up, vehemently objected.

"I think it's worth trying. If it succeeds, we might gain important intelligence from those Kaiju, which will help your plan," Luke Field said quietly, under Hermann's surprised gaze. His words made Stacker's furrowed brow relax.

"We can give it a try," Stacker said, nodding. For someone like him, who didn't have long to live, his greatest obsession was closing the wormhole, and he was willing to do anything to make it happen.

"I volunteer to be the test subject," Newton Geiszler raised his hand.

"You're not suited for it. If this really is an alien invasion, they likely have control over their creations. Drifting with their minds means your memories will be exposed to them too. You can't be part of this experiment," Luke Field decisively rejected Newton's self-nomination.

Stacker pondered for a moment and said to the group:

"I'll find a suitable candidate."