(POV: Nick Fury)

  "I have a few doubts," said Nick Fury, his firm tone unwavering. "But first, answer me something."

  "Ask away, Director," said Spike, straightening his posture.

  "How many level 6 agents were assigned to this mission?"

  Still a bit uncertain, Spike answered quickly.

  "268, sir."

  "And how many level 7 agents?"

  "32."

  Nick nodded, seeming to reflect.

  "And if you had to describe these agents' skills, how would you?"

  Maria Hill and Coulson, who knew Fury’s temperament better than anyone, discreetly moved back, distancing themselves from Spike.

  Spike, confused but determined to answer seriously, began.

  "They have a high level of intelligence, excellent physical capabilities, and..."

  He stopped when he noticed Fury's lips twitch slightly, his eyebrows raising in a way that made it clear what was coming next.

  "Then explain to me how, out of 300 agents with a 'high level of intelligence,' only two succeeded?" Fury’s voice carried restrained irritation. "Maybe I'm losing my mind, but aren't they supposed to be top-level agents?"

  Maria and Coulson remained silent, watching Spike's discomfort as Fury pressed on, frustration evident on his face.

  Agent Spike, responsible for the report and the mission, felt incredibly wronged. At first, he had been quite happy, considering it a success that two of his agents had received the rewards. But apparently, that wasn't enough for the Director.

  "They're spies, not professional gamers!" That was what Spike wanted to shout, but he didn't have the courage.

  "Boss, I think getting two rewards is good enough," Coulson intervened, trying to ease the tension.

  Honestly, Nick Fury was pleased they had obtained two rewards, but what truly irritated him was the fact that ordinary people, with no training, had managed to surpass the results of his 300 highly trained agents.

  Civilians. Outperforming S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best agents.

  Fury took a deep breath, setting his frustration aside but still focused on what mattered.

  "What’s the analysis of the virtual reality technology used?"

  Spike cleared his throat, adjusting his posture as he tried to organize his thoughts. He wasn’t an expert in virtual reality, but he had played Outer Wilds, and the experience had been something completely out of the ordinary.

  He began explaining.

  "Well, Director, this technology... how do I put it? It seems light-years ahead of anything on Earth. It’s unlike anything else. It’s almost... too real, you know?"

  Fury raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt.

  "First, you don't feel any incompatibility. Everything is so real that, if not for the life and energy indicators, it could easily be mistaken for reality. It’s like you’re actually transported somewhere else. Completely immersive. It feels like your mind and body are there, on the ship, on another planet. It's technology... directly connected to consciousness itself."

  "I suppose it’s something like direct brain stimulation," Coulson suggested, joining the conversation.

  "Yes. But the point is, you really don’t feel the difference. Like, I remember feeling the moon’s gravity, the cold waters of the Giant’s Deep, or the sensation of space expanding in the Dark Bramble. It’s not just seeing—it’s a physical sensation. A full simulation."

  Fury remained silent, waiting.

  "And that’s not even the most incredible part. The most unbelievable thing is that there’s no virtual reality equipment." Spike paused for a moment. "VR equipment isn’t something unreachable for us—we’ll get there in a decade or two—but achieving this without any specific device is impossible."

  Fury crossed his arms, clearly interested.

  "And the conclusion?"

  "The Marveler possibly uses the game as a locator. And the moment a player starts it, the Marveler remotely pulls their consciousness into the virtual space of Outer Wilds."

  "You’re saying there’s someone with technology powerful enough to hijack anyone’s consciousness at any time?"

  "Unfortunately, yes," said Spike.

  Fury, Maria, and Coulson felt an immense pressure weighing on their minds.

  Nick began wondering if convincing the president to boycott the Marveler’s games had been a good idea. After all, if the Marveler wanted to retaliate, he could simply pull the president’s consciousness into some virtual torture space and break his mind.

  'At this rate, I’ll have to call Captain Marvel,' he thought but quickly dismissed the idea. Pure physical power didn’t seem to be enough to solve this kind of problem, not to mention he had no idea where the Marveler was.

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  'I need to find his whereabouts first… and then figure out what to do next.'

  "And what about the rewards?" he asked.

  As frustrated as he was, Fury still couldn’t hide his curiosity. The rewards obtained were two spacecraft, with technology far beyond anything Earth had. That alone was enough to attract Nick Fury’s attention.

  Finally relieved to shift the meeting’s tone, Spike projected all the images of the ships onto the large screen. Detailed information and reports appeared, organized and ready for analysis.

  "The first noticeable thing is that the spacecraft are completely different from the ones seen in the game," explained Spike, pointing to the Heartian ship. "In the game, the original ship was practically a space coffin—unstable and dangerous. Our conclusion is that the ship was designed to fit the game’s aesthetics, meaning it would be impossible to use in the real world without extremely high risks."

  "Makes sense," said Maria Hill, agreeing. "The Marveler seemed to care at least a little about the players' safety. Altering the ship to be something safer was the logical decision."

  Fury silently agreed with the idea that the Marveler had some concern for the players. But what really bothered him was the Marveler’s complete indifference to what happened to the people around those players.

  He didn’t seem to care if players sold their rewards to the wrong people. Thieves, terrorists... who knew what else?

  An entire black market had emerged, with players selling potions, swords, and cloaks for absurd prices. S.H.I.E.L.D. was buying as much as possible to control the situation, but even the organization had its financial limits.

  Fury found himself thinking about all the consequences. He had convinced the government to ban and confiscate all of the Marveler’s rewards precisely for this reason.

  ‘I hope the Marveler doesn’t get upset about this,’ Fury reflected. ‘After all, his rewards could pose a real risk to public order.’

  The Marveler seemed to be a rational person, someone who would probably understand the government's actions. Or, at least, Fury hoped so.

  Spike, without wasting time, brought up a new file.

  "A 'manual' came with the ship. We've compiled the most important information in this document."

  Nick, Maria, and Coulson began examining the document on the screen.

  [Superficial Analysis of the Nameless Ship]

  Dimensions: The ship is approximately the size of a large commercial airplane, measuring 42 meters in length, 36 meters in wingspan, and 19 meters in height. Despite its considerable size, its weight is surprisingly light, only 53 tons. The average weight for an aircraft of this size would be between 280 to 400 tons.

  Note: We attribute the lack of weight to the unknown material used in the spacecraft.

  1st - Command Room

  Function: Area where the crew controls the ship and monitors its main functions.

  Features: The command cabin is equipped with an AI system capable of processing real-time data and assisting the pilot in all operations.

  The panels have adaptive holographic screens, customizable to display different information such as star maps, ship status, and life support systems.

  Ship’s AI: It takes the form of a flight attendant, with a kind and understanding personality. She has no name but states that she can receive one.

  She has absolute control over the ship.

  She has internet access, but due to what she called the 'S.21 protocol,' her access is limited to that of a civilian, and anything beyond that is blocked.

  2nd - Male Quarters

  Function: Rest area designated for the male crew members.

  Features: The room is equipped with three beds, three closets for storing clothes and personal belongings, and a small desk. The space is cozy, with an adjustable temperature control system for personal comfort.

  Bathroom: Includes an attached bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. The water system is pressure-controlled, and waste is recycled by the ship’s life support system.

  3rd - Female Quarters

  Function: Rest area designated for the female crew members.

  Features: Similar to the male quarters but with a slightly modified layout to accommodate customizable preferences.

  Bathroom: Also has an attached bathroom with similar functionalities to the male quarters, including temperature control for water and a waste recycling system.

  4th - Food Storage Room

  Function: Area designated for storing and preparing food.

  Features: The room contains a large variety of supplies, kept in hermetically sealed compartments for long-term preservation. It includes a high-tech refrigerator, an intelligent oven capable of automatically adjusting temperature, and a microwave with structural food analysis capabilities.

  Observation: The room has an automatic sterilization system, ensuring food safety during long journeys.

  Note: A thorough study of all appliances in this area is strongly recommended. The potential applications of such technology are numerous.

  5th - Engine Room

  Function: Area responsible for maintaining the ship’s operational systems.

  Features: The room is equipped with advanced propulsion systems, powered by a compact fusion reactor. The life support system, anti-gravity thrusters, and energy systems are automatically controlled by a high-capacity AI.

  Observation: The ship’s energy core is considered one of the most advanced technologies ever seen, with energy efficiency that exceeds any known standard.

  Note: Nothing in this room has been studied yet. We are awaiting Director Nick Fury's authorization.

  6th - Observatory

  Function: Leisure area.

  Features: Located at the top of the ship, the observatory is surrounded by reinforced glass walls that provide a complete view of space. The ceiling has holographic screens that can simulate different space environments or display real-time data about nearby stars and planets.

  Observation: The astronomical observation function can be integrated with the navigation system, providing data to calculate travel routes with millimeter precision.

  7th - Entertainment Room

  Function: Area dedicated to relaxation and crew distraction.

  Features: Equipped with comfortable sofas, a surround sound system, and holographic screens for movies and games. The entertainment room also features an augmented reality device that allows crew members to access virtual environments for leisure.

  Observation: The ship’s AI can personalize entertainment content based on crew preferences.

  Note: The augmented reality device works with holographic constructions to simulate selected locations.

  [End of Analysis]

  "Why a desk in a spaceship?" Coulson asked, frowning after finishing the analysis.

  Maria had the same question but preferred to stay silent.

  "Well... I don’t know," Spike admitted, feeling slightly uneasy.

  There were many things in the analysis that left Spike with doubts. For example, why use an advanced structural analysis technology for a simple microwave? The image of the Marveler in his mind was starting to feel... odd.

  "There’s something that wasn’t included in the analysis, sir," Spike said, as he placed two silver bracelets on Nick Fury’s desk.

  "And this is...?" Nick asked, his curiosity growing.

  "Storage bracelets."

  Still not fully understanding, Fury remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

  "Due to the size of the ship, these bracelets were given as an additional reward," Spike explained.

  It took Fury only 1.8 seconds to realize what those bracelets meant. His eyes widened slightly.

  "Are you telling me that the ships...?"

  "Yes, sir," Spike confirmed. "The ships are inside the bracelets."

  Nick, Maria, and Coulson stared at the bracelets, incredulous.

  "How can a spaceship fit in there?" That was the thought they all shared.

  "How?" Fury asked, getting straight to the point.

  "Like this," Spike replied calmly.

  He put one of the bracelets on his wrist and picked up a ballpoint pen that was on the desk. The pen vanished the next instant.