Path Of War

Arthur stepped into the laboratory space. Koko followed closely, her mischievous eyes darting from one already-placed piece of sophisticated equipment to another.

The first task was establishing the foundational infrastructure.

Sturdy shelving units were lined against the walls to support heavy scientific equipment. Drawer units were positioned beneath work surfaces, each labeled with attention to detail. Chemical-resistant gloves were then hung neatly on specialized hooks alongside the white lab coats arranged in a closet.

"What does this do, daddy?" Koko asked, pointing at the electron microscope.

Arthur's response was calm and educational: "It allows us to see things far too small for certain eyes to detect..."

"Can I look?" she asked in wonder.

"Not yet," he said, carefully removing the instrument from its protective packaging and positioning it on a designated workstation. "Later..."

"Awe!" she pouted. "Fine...!"

Now the massive freezing container demanded his special attention. Nearly the size of a small room, it looked to have been quite complex for the construction crew to install.

Arthur had disguised it as some giant refrigerator in his blueprints.

He checked the temperature gauge, monitoring its descent to the extremely low point he required. This wasn't a standard freezer, but a preservation unit capable of maintaining biological specimens in perfect condition—rare samples, sensitive compounds, and, more importantly, dead bodies.