Chapter 116

Dr. Carlisle sat in his dimly lit office, staring at the report in front of him—the culmination of months of investigation and analysis. Malik had been a remarkable specimen, the first verified human with an ability that defied all scientific explanation. Carlisle had never been more excited in his career. He took a deep breath, lost in thought, and allowed his mind to drift back to a peculiar memory from years before.

It had all started with an anonymous forum he used to frequent—StarGazer. Back then, it was just a small online community where like-minded individuals discussed strange phenomena and fringe science. One day, someone posted a thread titled "Mental Fortitude through Meditation", under the username 'Star Gazer.' At first glance, it was just another pseudoscientific claim. But as Carlisle read through the comments, he found himself intrigued by the level of detail and insight offered by this mysterious user.

The forum post had offered something different from the usual nonsense. It was grounded, logical, and detailed an approach to meditation that seemed to unlock potential far beyond common mental exercises. It wasn't just about peace of mind; it promised something greater—cognitive clarity and enhanced focus. Like many others, Carlisle had tried the method for himself, out of curiosity more than anything else.

At first, it worked like a charm. His mind felt sharper, his thoughts clearer. He found himself focusing on his work with greater intensity. But soon, the side effects hit him hard—headaches, exhaustion, and a strange sense of disconnection from his own thoughts. It became overwhelming, and like many others in the forum, he eventually gave up on the practice.

Still, that username stuck with him: Star Gazer. For years, he'd been curious about who this person really was. As time passed, the forum began to disappear, and all traces of 'Star Gazer' vanished. He had even hired a hacker, hoping to trace the enigmatic figure, but it had all been in vain. Every lead hit a dead end.

It was during this time that he shifted focus back to his work—particularly, studying individuals like Malik. When Malik emerged as the first publicly known person to wield an unnatural ability, Carlisle was among the first scientists to dig into the matter, intrigued by the possibility of a new evolutionary shift in the human genome.

Carlisle had thrown himself into the research, analyzing every piece of data he could gather from Malik. Over months of study, observing the captured Malik under controlled conditions, he started seeing patterns in his genetic code. At first, they were unexplainable mutations. But as Carlisle dug deeper, he noticed something strange—a new genome.

Carlisle leaned back in his chair, staring at the genetic markers on his screen. It wasn't just that Malik had some dormant ability activated. This was something more profound—a genetic structure that had never existed before in the known human genome.

It was entirely new, as if humanity was evolving in real time.

He realized it wasn't just some latent potential. These abilities were genetically designed, like a blueprint coded into Malik's DNA from birth but only activated under specific circumstances. Perhaps a cosmic event, environmental shift, or something else had triggered it. But it was clear: the ability to manipulate metal was encoded into Malik's very biology somehow, something that had only now emerged and became part of the DNA structure.

He thought about the meditation techniques from the StarGazer forum. Back then, he hadn't realized it, but there had been hints of a broader understanding of the human mind, maybe even its hidden potential. But now, with this new genetic evidence, the idea that someone like Star Gazer might have known more about the mind than they let on seemed far less far-fetched.

Carlisle returned his focus to Malik. The man had once been reckless, showing off his powers in public, manipulating metal with ease, thinking he was invincible. But even with his newfound abilities, he had been outsmarted and captured. Carlisle smirked, remembering how the government had used a woman to get close to Malik, poison him after drawing his blood, and finally bring him down. His abilities made him powerful, but they hadn't made him invulnerable.

For months now, Carlisle had been researching Malik's abilities and the new genome that had emerged. He was convinced that Malik wasn't a one-off phenomenon. There could be more—people walking around with abilities they didn't even know they had. But how many more? And what would trigger these abilities to surface?

And then, of course, there was Star Gazer. Carlisle had long since given up on finding him. But now, with this new revelation about the genome, he wondered if perhaps this person had known more than they were letting on. Maybe the meditation techniques had been part of an experiment to unlock potential in the human mind. Maybe Star Gazer had been studying the same things he was, but from a different angle.

Or perhaps it was just coincidence.

Carlisle shook his head, pushing the thought aside. It didn't matter. What mattered now was that he had a lead on the biggest scientific discovery of the century. And nothing was going to stop him from getting to the bottom of it.

With renewed determination, Carlisle began preparing his report. The government had Malik, and Carlisle was determined to officially join the team studying him, whether through official channels or by more subtle means. He would find a way to get even closer to Malik, to study this new genome fully.