What are you two talking about?" Timothy asked indirectly. "The basic principles of the Treatment Pod?
"She didn't ask about that; instead, she shared some intelligence with me. She's truly a wonderful person." Colt seemed to think of something, pursing his lips in a smile, his eyes sparkling and his face slightly flushed.
Timmy suspected that the non-alcoholic champagne purchased by logistics had gone bad, which was why it tasted a bit sour. He was surprised that his boyfriend actually blushed when talking about someone else, even though that someone else was considered part of his family. But Barbara was truly charming; no one could help but like Barbara!
“What kind of intelligence did you all exchange?” Timothy didn't want his words to sound like an interrogation, so he explained, “I mean, the intelligence you exchanged—maybe I could provide some clues as well.”
Colt sipped his milk tea slowly, his gaze fixed on Timothy's face. "You certainly can provide something. We discussed Red Robin's romantic history; for example, his intimacy with Wonder Girl, but his attempt to clone and resurrect his teammates when Superboy went missing also seems somewhat suspicious."
Timothy began to cough, the coughing grew more severe with each breath.
"Don't worry, I wasn't with you back then, so I won't be jealous." Colt patted his back.
Cough, Tim and I are just teammates, cough, cough, pure teammates.." Timmy shook his head. He wasn't in a rush; he had just choked on some champagne. Once he finally managed to suppress the coughing and gave Colt's smiling lips a quick kiss, he said seriously, "I happen to be going to Titans Headquarters tonight, come with me.
“Not tonight.” Colt gently bumped his forehead against Timmy's forehead. "Oracle predicts that today and tomorrow will be the calmest days in the next month, she has made an appointment with me to conduct an experiment tonight."
Timothy couldn't believe that Oracle dared to bypass him as the intermediary and contact Colt directly; his expression looked as pitiful as if he had been betrayed.
Colt gave him a comforting kiss.
Timothy put on a stern face: "Save the important things for last; you were just trying to scare me earlier, weren't you?"
Timmy demanded more compensation.
After Colt confirmed their relationship, Timothy would subtly act spoiled toward him, gradually transforming from cool and handsome to adorable.
He liked this change; this was something not found in the stories—a vivid Timothy.
..
Tim didn't go to the Titans Headquarters tonight.
Colt made an excuse that he needed to discuss the January make-up exams with Timothy, informing Joseph that he would be staying out all night again, then arrived early at the adjacent room to prepare the Treatment Pod. Timothy went to pick up Oracle, but he brought back more than just Oracle; he also brought back the quiet Orphan.
The basement of the Safe House had been converted into a simple laboratory. The dismantled Treatment Pod sat in the center of the lab like a heavy metal coffin, with several thick cables trailing from its base. Some cables were connected to a power supply, while others were connected to the main computer lined up against the wall.
"Hello, Oracle. Hello, Orphan," Colt greeted.
The AI voice Timothy had debugged was much closer to the voice in his dreams, with almost no hint of a mechanical or electronic quality.
“Hello, Ghost,” Oracle responded friendly. She was wearing casual clothes and wasn't wearing a Domino Mask: “Barbara Gordon, you can call me Barbara, or Babs is fine too.”
Hello, Ghost." The Orphan was wearing her uniform, but she was equally friendly. "Cassandra Cain. My friends call me Cass.
They both introduced their real names and shared the nicknames that only family and friends would use.
Colt looked at Timothy.
Timothy was adjusting the software matching values between the computer and the Treatment Pod.
Colt thought for a moment and activated the holographic projection. It wasn't the gloomy virtual avatar used by the family to deal with online exams and children's organizations, but a holographic avatar personally crafted by Timothy, which looked much more like his actual self.
Colt Reed, you can call me Colt.
Colt felt a bit embarrassed because Timothy liked to treat his avatar like a dress-up doll, dressing him up like an elf and even sculpting pointed elf ears for him.
Wow," Barbara exclaimed, "very handsome, Colt.
The Orphan also gave a thumbs up.
"This is the result of Tim's hard work on virtual imaging technology, not my actual appearance." Colt felt it was necessary to clarify this.
He had no interest in cosplaying as an elf.
"Yes, my virtual imaging technology is too poor to show even one ten-thousandth of Colt's beauty," Timothy interjected from the side, sounding as serious as if he were stating some profound truth.
Colt protested, "It is forbidden to use 'beauty' to describe me."
"Fine, handsome," Timothy said with a shrug.
Ugh, why is a romance between a human and a Quantum AI so nauseatingly cheesy?
Barbara grumbled inwardly and rolled her eyes. "Let's start the experiment. What do I need to do to prepare?"
Colt asked the Orphan to lead Barbara to the sterilization room to change into a special bodysuit, then had Barbara lie down in the Treatment Pod, where Timothy attached various data-collecting patches to her.
"The treatment will take about two hours. During this time, I will perform a full-body scan to observe your physiological changes. The energy used for the scan is non-radiative and theoretically will not affect you in any way. Your physical data will also be kept strictly confidential. Thank you for your cooperation," Colt explained in a clear, unhurried voice.
Once the Treatment Pod closes, it will release a gas that soothes the nerves and relaxes the muscles. Please rest assured, this is safe. The pod doors are two-way transparent, Cassandra and Tim will be watching you the entire time. If any abnormal bodily data is detected, we will terminate the experiment immediately.
Once the equipment detects that you are ready, it will begin infusing the medicinal liquid. The infusion will not cause you to suffocate; the special gas from earlier will help you transition into a fetal-like internal breathing state, the medicinal liquid will provide the oxygen required for life. Once you inhale it, it will flow through your entire body with your blood, moving from the interstitial fluid into the tissue cells to perform its function. This process will take approximately one and a half minutes.
You have not been anesthetized or hypnotized, so you will be able to remain conscious of the changes in your body. At this time, you might feel an itching sensation in your wounds and soreness in your lower limbs; this is a necessary part of the nerve repair process. It might take a little while, so please bear with it. Once the repair is complete, the special energy within the medicinal liquid will be activated. It will form a protective layer within your body, purifying and preventing the regeneration of foreign alien energies..
Colt recorded the human body's reaction process to the medicinal liquid while using a calm tone to inform Barbara of the progress of the experiment.
The green medicinal liquid gradually became transparent, visible changes also appeared on Barbara, who was lying in the Treatment Pod.
The dark circles under her eyes caused by long nights of staying up late had vanished, her skin, which had become rough due to computer radiation and neglect, had become smooth. The most obvious change was her legs; her legs, which would have inevitably atrophied no matter how carefully she cared for them, had become plump, even swaying slightly in the medicinal liquid.
The Treatment Pod finished its operation after exactly two hours of work.
The discolored medicinal liquid was drained into a connected container, the transparent door opened. Timothy quickly removed the patches and wires from Barbara. Colt withdrew his spiritual power used for scanning cellular reactions, saving the records for later review.
Thank you for your cooperation, Barbara. How are you feeling?
Thanks, I feel great." Barbara leaned halfway against the Orphan's shoulder, her expression somewhat dazed. "My legs feel sore, numb, a bit swollen, like the feeling you get when blood circulation is restricted after squatting for too long like a normal person.
Colt controlled the holographic projection to nod at Barbara. "This is a normal reaction to the medicinal liquid still working within your body; theoretically, the aching and swelling will disappear within six hours. The nerve damage in your spinal cord has been completely repaired, the medicinal liquid has stimulated cell growth, bringing your lower limb bone and muscle structures up to healthy standards. You can try walking now."
Barbara supported the Orphan and tried to move her legs. She blinked suddenly, looked around, then looked at Colt. "My eyes?"
She found that she wasn't wearing glasses, yet she could see even more clearly than before.
The treatment is comprehensive. Not only has your myopia been cured, but your cervical spondylosis, neurasthenia, pharyngitis, chronic gastroenteritis, heavy metal toxicity issues, such as slight lead poisoning, have all been healed. However, there is a polyp in your colon with a diameter exceeding 5 millimeters; it cannot achieve rapid self-healing through cellular stimulation and requires continuous observation. Come back for a follow-up in one month. If the diameter drops to the theoretical value of 3 millimeters, you won't need to worry about it anymore.
The Vigilante Forum seems healthy, but due to his inverted sleep schedule, his body is full of ailments.
Colt scanned Timothy and discovered that he also had excessive heavy metals in his body, neurasthenia, an unhealthy digestive system, even mild acid reflux, even a missing spleen that could not be regenerated, which caused his immunity to be lower than that of a normal person. Timothy seems fine now, but as he gets older, all sorts of problems, big and small, will come looking for him.
The Orphan helped Barbara go to take a shower and change her clothes.
Colt connected to the printer using the Quantum Terminal and printed out Barbara's complete medical record to hand to Timothy.
Thank you," Timmy hugged Colt, "Bruce has always felt guilty and self-reproachful regarding Barbara's injuries; there could be no better New Year's gift than this.
“Without you, there would be no Knowledge Explorer, I wouldn't have been able to get the Treatment Pod." Colt rubbed his face against Timothy's, resting his chin on his shoulder. "This was an experiment, I'm grateful for Barbara's voluntary help in letting me obtain the complete data. I hope she can be under observation for 612 hours, with a full-body scan performed every hour. It would be even better if I could track her for another week, with a check-up once a day, then once a week for a month, then once a month thereafter for half a year."
Colt always believed that knowledge was the most important thing. Even if they could obtain a hundred Treatment Pods through the Dream Station, it would be no better than mastering knowledge and grasping technology himself to reproduce the Treatment Pod in reality.
Barbara was very cooperative; she only made a quick call to her family and decided to stay.
The Orphan rode Red Robin's Vibranium motorcycle to help Barbara with her luggage, Timothy went downstairs to tidy the guest rooms, Colt accompanied Barbara during her rehabilitation in the fitness training room.
Colt timed the scans and recorded the data.
Barbara leaned against the handrail, stumbling a few meters forward to approach Colt's holographic projection. She took the projection's hand and shook it, sighing, "The latest 3.5D holographic projection technology can interact with people through air molecule vibrations. If you wear virtual equipment, you can do everything any couple can do. Except for having babies—I mean, biological children."
Colt controlled the projection to shake hands with Barbara. "I'm not an AI, it's just that my situation is a bit special, so I can't interact with you all in my true form."
I know, an AI can't make a collapsed mine passable while simultaneously changing the density of the rocks." Barbara laughed heartily. "You are the Quantum Ghost, a lifeform that cannot be observed in the three-dimensional world. Timmy is the special one; he can see you and touch you.
Colt asked the question he had been wanting to ask for a long time: "Why don't you suspect that I am Timmy's hallucination?"
Barbara thought for a moment and said seriously, "We did doubt it, but we believe Timmy can tell the difference between a hallucination and reality, so we believe you truly exist."
Colt still didn't understand: "You guys really don't mind Tim dating me?"
Colt, Timmy's last romantic partner was a coffee machine. Dick even held a wedding for him and Coffee Machine No. 5," Barbara said, lifting her foot. "You're asking me to stand up again, but a coffee machine won't do that, a coffee machine certainly can't write love letters in 131 different languages.
Love letters, in 131 different languages—could such a coincidence really exist in this world?
Colt thought of Patron No. 1, who was listed on the online translation website, that long-winded love letter that had almost given him PTSD regarding moonlight, roses, gemstones.
It seemed Timothy had kept quite a lot from him.
Chapter 56
When the Orphan returned, accompanied by a Jester, the house instantly became lively.
Hey, Timmy's boyfriend, the car you gave Timmy is super cool. Shake on it, I'm Stephanie Brown, just call me Stephanie. Babs, this is the best New Year's gift, Bruce will be moved to tears!
The girls huddled together, whispering as they announced they would all sleep over together tonight.
Stephanie was busy taking photos and recording videos, while Barbara, as the person involved, gained the right to be the first to post on her social media circle.
Barbara was quite cautious: "Keep it a secret for now. We'll talk about it once we're sure it won't recur and there are no lingering effects."
As expected of the eldest sister of the Bat Family, she is steady and reliable.
Timothy contributed the food supplies from the refrigerator to feed the sisters, then brought out spare toiletries and sent them back to their rooms to sleep. Before leaving, he also gave instructions: "The bathroom is a safe zone, the surveillance in the rooms has been blocked. However, Colt will perform a scan every hour, his vision might overlap with yours. Make sure you all dress properly before you go to sleep, okay?"
"Timmy, you can go compete with Dick for Mom's affection now." Stephanie gave Timmy a roll of her eyes.
"This isn't for you, it's to protect Colt's eyes." Timothy quickly shut the door, blocking the thrown pillow behind it.
I won't spy on them," Colt declared solemnly. "My spiritual power control can reach the atomic level; I will never scan things I shouldn't.
I'm just reminding them not to have a pajama war in the room because of the excitement." Timothy moved the computer to the first-floor study, dragged a chair over, sat down next to Colt. "I'll stay up late with you.
Colt stopped organizing the data. "I'd rather open the Dream Treasure Chest."
Timmy propped his chin on one hand and gazed at him with a smile: "Dear, I'll give you a chance to rephrase that: do you love me, or do you love the treasure chest more?"
Colt said nothing.
Timmy winked at him and blew a kiss.
Colt was amused, "Love you."
Timothy was a high-energy individual; an all-nighter was nothing more than two cups of coffee to him. His fatigue level was only at 37, enough to keep him going for another three days and three nights; forcing him to sleep would actually be a form of torture for him.
Correct answer." Timothy leaned in and kissed Colt, "I have a slight understanding of the human body. Do you need my help with data analysis?
“You already have enough on your plate; don't put more pressure on yourself. This is knowledge I need to fully grasp, I have to think through it on my own." Colt moved over to squeeze into a chair with Timothy, using the voice he had personally tuned to recite into his ear: "When I look at the moon, its moonlight is the starlight in your eyes; when I look at roses, their petals are your soft lips; when I look at gems, their brilliance is your radiant soul."
Timothy froze for a moment, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued in an even gentler tone, "The rose is my love, the gem is my treasure. Come, darling, holding the rose and carrying the gem, let us embrace under the moonlight."
Colt shuddered, getting goosebumps: "Hello, Patron."
Timothy remained unflappable. "Hello, hello, Mr. 'My Pen Can Write Answers' himself."
Colt sighed, feeling that his skin was nowhere near as thick as Timothy's: "My account has strict protective measures; how did you find my translator account? Don't call it a coincidence, I don't believe it."