Ultimate Alliance - China: Part VIII

Hidden deep in the wilds of China's mountain ranges, the massive underground complex which housed The Most Perfect Science Division hummed like a city, for indeed it was. Intended to preserve superior Chinese technology in the event of global catastrophe, the staff of the complex would often not leave for years, telling friends and family that they worked overseas or on isolated ships. The complex housed everything the Party deemed necessary to a productive and healthy life, including an arboretum and a small zoo, including mostly endangered species native to the mainland. Children occasionally were born and grew up in the complex, though those sired without prior approval were taken away to be raised by the state and the parents suitably punished for their indiscretion. The management of the complex was difficult and expensive, but seen as utterly necessary for one of its outputs; the complex provided China with superhumans.

From multiple iterations of the Crimson Dynamo to many of the now all-but-defunct Great Ten, The Most Perfect Science Division had provided their nation with the superhumans needed to compete with the Western "heroes" for decades. Despite having gained his powers through training and study, Most Accomplished Perfect Physician was well familiar with The Most Perfect Science Division, and had no need to follow the broad route lines painted on the floor to help people find various divisions and facilities. Walking along with Most Accomplished Perfect Physician was a sextet of generals and high-ranking Party members, mostly engaged in a circular and pointless argument about the current superhuman conflict in Hong Kong. Every member of the group had a strong opinion they felt the need to voice, though Most Accomplished Perfect Physician noted silently that none had a genuine idea of how to resolve the crisis.

A final, long corridor brought the group to one of the most secure labs in the complex, though technically it existed on its own separate branch that tunneled deep into the mountains. Although the majority of the labs in the complex gave aesthetics over to functionality, this particular one could only be described as deliberately brutalist, calling to mind incarceration more so than research. In many ways the lab was a prison, designed to resist all but the most powerful assaults from both without and within, as it was this very lab where the most powerful members of the Chinese Superheroes were created. The current occupant, the latest incarnation of the Crimson Dynamo (occasionally known as Socialist Red Guardsman) was the focus of the impending meeting, though fixed as he was to a repair rig, he made for a less than impressive sight, despite the bulky armour and ominous red glow.

After a moment of reverent silence, the argument of the generals reached fever pitch, squabbling like children over the need to deploy the new Crimson Dynamo in Hong Kong to stop Inframan and settle the riots once and for all. To describe the option as "nuclear" was not unwarranted, with the latest few iterations of the Dynamo being atomically powered with technology reverse-engineered from observations of the Atomic Robo; it was, in many ways, literally a walking bomb. Accomplished Perfect Physician noted that any scientists, technicians and other civilian personnel had faded to the far side of the room so as to not catch the attention of any of the Generals, having learnt from past mistakes that being the voice of reason was only something that worked in terrible American cinema.

In a style typical for compartmentalised bureaucracy, with which Accomplished Perfect Physician had become intensely familiar since joining the Great Ten, the generals weren't arguing over weather or not they would deploy Crimson Dynamo, that had already been decided, the man/machine hybrid would be going in. The sticking point was as to whom would be taking responsibility for the destruction and all-but-guaranteed civilian casualties that would result from a major superhero fight in a populated area. If things went wrong, like Dynamo getting out of control, the Western superheroes getting involved, or a nuclear incident on what was considered Chinese Soil. Watching the argument circle in the reflection of the Crimson Dynamo's face-plate, it took Accomplished Perfect Physician a moment to register that the 'pilot' had woken up and was silently watching the proceedings. They locked eyes through the red-tinted porthole for what felt like an eternity.