chsdbacks Chapter 1 Awakening in the Medical Chamber
Chapter 1 Awakening in the Medical Chamber
Chen Haotian was awakened by a pungent smell of disinfectant.
Consciousness, like a drowning person in the deep sea, struggled to break through a thick, viscous darkness and suddenly surfaced. He struggled to open his eyelids, which felt like they were filled with lead. His vision was initially blurred, with only large patches of cold, pure white and metallic silver-gray interwoven, before it slowly focused.
Before him lay a futuristic, enclosed space. The arched dome emitted a soft, even, milky-white light, illuminating the soft yet unfamiliar bed beneath him. He was lying in a device resembling a medical pod; the transparent canopy was raised, and several thin tubes were attached to his arm, through which an unknown pale blue liquid was dripping into his veins at an extremely slow rate.
A wave of weakness washed over me, as if my body had been hollowed out. Every muscle felt sore and weak, and even moving a finger was incredibly difficult. My throat was dry and tight, as if it had been scorched by the hot winds of the desert.
"Where...am I?"
The question had barely formed in his mind when a torrent of chaotic, fragmented memories, unlike his own, surged into his consciousness like a flood bursting its banks.
Howard Stark...Maria Stark...Tony Stark...Stark Industries...Expo...Car Accident...Funeral...
Images flashed by like a revolving lantern, accompanied by intense emotions—a secret longing, a feeling of being ignored, a distant admiration, and a deep-seated resentment.
He, Chen Haotian, a top student and playboy who enjoyed a top academic reputation in his original world, moved among many confidantes, and was used to controlling everything with wisdom and strategy, is now lying in a completely unfamiliar place, occupying the body of a young mixed-race man with the same name "Chen Haotian".
And this world seems to be... the Marvel Universe?
He forced himself to calm down, his rapidly processing brain working like a sophisticated instrument to analyze the current situation. He'd transmigrated, and become Iron Man Tony Stark's half-brother—a character who had never appeared in the original comics? The product of Howard Stark's romantic escapades?
This identity is certainly exciting.
He tilted his head slightly, beginning to observe his surroundings more closely. The room containing the medical pod was very spacious. Besides the clearly top-of-the-line treatment unit beneath him, there were several medical monitoring devices he had never seen before, their screens displaying complex data streams and physiological parameter curves. The walls were made of matte metal, with cold, clean lines, reflecting Stark Industries' consistent design style.
Besides the smell of disinfectant, there was also a very faint odor in the air, similar to a mixture of ozone and lubricating oil, a unique smell of high-end machinery in operation.
His gaze swept over an inconspicuous black hemisphere in the corner of the room, where a tiny red light seemed to flicker briefly before going out.
Surveillance? Or something else?
Chen Haotian closed his eyes, not to rest, but to immerse himself in his body, trying to sense the deeper changes within it. Apart from the memories belonging to the original owner that were not yet fully integrated, he seemed to vaguely perceive something slowly awakening deep within his consciousness, or rather, at the bottom of his soul.
It wasn't a physical entity, but rather a complex, indescribable set of three-dimensional runes composed of light and shadow. They seemed to possess life, silently floating in his perception, flowing with obscure and incomprehensible energy fluctuations. This feeling was mysterious and profound, yet undeniably real.
"Transmigration through the heavens?" A vague thought naturally surfaced, as if this was an innate ability that had just been awakened.
He tried to concentrate and touch the dormant runes. At first, there was no response, but when he poured all his will into it—the focus and dedication he had when tackling scientific problems in his original world—the runes trembled slightly, and a barely perceptible ripple spread out from him, disappearing in an instant.
At that very instant, the red light on the black hemisphere in the corner of the room flickered rapidly a few more times.
Almost simultaneously, a gentle, steady, yet utterly emotionless synthesized electronic voice filled the room; the sound was soft, but crystal clear:
"Vital signs have stabilized and consciousness has returned to normal. Mr. Chen Haotian, you are out of danger. I am Jarvis, Mr. Stark's smart assistant, and it is my pleasure to serve you."
Chen Haotian felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained impassive. He slowly opened his eyes and looked in the direction the sound came from—it was the black hemisphere. It was Jarvis, after all. Tony's eyes and ears were everywhere.
He didn't respond immediately, but first tried to clear his throat, producing a hoarse and dry sound: "Water..."
"Your request has been received. The IV drip will be accelerated to effectively alleviate your physiological dehydration. Meanwhile, the medical staff has been notified." Jarvis's voice remained calm.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Haotian felt the flow rate of the liquid in the tube on his arm increase significantly. A slightly cool and comfortable sensation spread along his blood vessels, relieving his body's heat and thirst.
He didn't thank him, but continued to ask the question befitting his current "identity" in a slightly confused and weak tone: "Where...am I? What happened?"
"You are currently at the top medical center in Stark Tower," Jarvis replied. "You were injured in a traffic accident in Manhattan a week ago and were brought here for treatment. According to police and hospital records, your identification information is temporarily unavailable."
Accidental traffic accident? Missing identity information?
Chen Haotian sneered inwardly. This explanation was truly watertight. It seemed that Tony had discovered something, which was why he had taken control of this "mysterious" person who might be involved in the Stark family's secrets and kept him under his control.
His face, however, revealed just the right amount of confusion and a hint of unease, his brows furrowing slightly: "Stark Tower? You mean... Tony Stark's Stark Industries?"
"Yes, sir," Jarvis confirmed.
Just then, the sliding door to the room opened silently, and a doctor in a white uniform with a professional expression, along with two nurses, walked in. The doctor was holding a tablet computer, which displayed Chen Haotian's various physiological data.
"Mr. Chen, you're awake? How are you feeling?" The doctor stepped forward and began to skillfully check his pupils, heart rate, and other basic indicators.
"It's alright, just not very strong." Chen Haotian cooperated with the examination, but his gaze secretly swept over the name tag on the doctor's chest—Stark Industries Medical Department, Senior Physician, Eric Selvig.
Selvig? That name sounds familiar. He quietly noted it down.
"This is normal. Your body has experienced significant trauma and a prolonged coma, and it needs time to recover," Dr. Selvig explained while recording the data. "We will provide you with the best treatment and rehabilitation plan."
Chen Haotian nodded, forcing a tired but grateful smile. "Thank you. My... has there been any progress on my matter? Who am I, and where did I come from?"
Dr. Selvig exchanged a glance with the nurse beside him, his tone reassuring: "The police are still investigating, please rest assured. Mr. Stark is aware of this matter, and we will do our best to help you."
Sure enough, Tony Stark had already noticed him.
After completing the basic examination and adjusting some equipment parameters, the medical staff politely left the room. The sliding door closed silently again, restoring the interior to its former state of technological sophistication and subtle, unseen surveillance.
Chen Haotian lay back down, closed his eyes, but his brain was racing.
The transmigration is a foregone conclusion, but the identity is sensitive, the situation is delicate, and the body is under constant surveillance by artificial intelligence. The original owner's memories have not yet been fully digested, and the mysterious transmigration runes within the body have only just awakened, making the situation fraught with uncertainty.
The road ahead seems fraught with peril, but for Chen Haotian, crisis often means opportunity. The Stark family's resources, the technology of the Marvel universe, and the seemingly random yet powerful runic abilities that connect to countless worlds…
A faint, almost imperceptible sense of excitement for challenges and the unknown, unique to a playboy and a cunning academic genius, quietly began to grow in his heart.
This game seemed far more interesting than any academic contest or emotional maneuver he had ever experienced before.
He needs more information, needs to take the initiative more quickly, and needs to better disguise himself.
First, we must completely integrate the memories of this body and figure out "Chen Haotian's" past in this world. Second, we must quickly understand the detailed rules and ability limitations of the transmigration rune.
As for Tony Stark, the "brother" he had never met but was destined to clash with... Chen Haotian's lips curled into a faint, playful, and calculating smile from an angle unseen by anyone.
It’s just a good show.