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Nanite Project scientists

A group of scientists involved in the Nanite Project.

In the early days of the Nanite Program our goal was simple: construct micro-machines to cure diseases, grow cells, regenerate bones...

Caesar Salazar, "Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United"

The Nanite Project, also known as the Nanite Program[1], was a scientific project which led to the development of nanites. The project was led by a team of six scientists, and was chiefly funded by the Consortium. The Nanite Project would ultimately lead to the Nanite Event, which spread incomplete nanites across the world.

Six years after the Nanite Event, the Nanite Project was resumed by Providence under the tenure of Black Knight.

History[]

The Nanite Project was initially conceived for the purpose of using nanotechnology to improve human lives. Nanites would theoretically cure disease, end hunger, and prolong the human lifespan exponentially. The science team behind the nanite project consisted of Drs. Gabriel Rylander (microengineering), Peter Meechum (systems), Van Kleiss (biomechanical integration), and Caesar (artificial intelligence), Rafael, and Violeta Salazar[2]. The project was conducted in the Eastern European country of Abysus[3]. Many of these scientists, particularly Rylander[4] and the Salazar family[5], wholeheartedly believed that the Nanite Project would change the world for the better. The AI Zag RS, developed by Caesar Salazar, was constructed as a decontamination program to destroy any nanites which escaped from the storage tanks[6].

During the early stages of the project, the scientists faced the issue of how the nanites would be controlled. Some proposed a human-machine link, while others believed the nanites could govern themselves. Caesar Salazar held the latter viewpoint and developed a nanite AI program called Alpha which could control other nanites. However, Alpha developed self-consciousness and exhibited the desire to have a physical body. Its attempts to construct its own bodies failed as each body burned out. Alpha attempted to possess living things instead, at which point Caesar deemed Alpha too dangerous to exist. He developed a dimensional disruptor and sent Alpha to the Null Void. After this, the concept of nanite self-governance was abandoned, and the human-machine integration method was pursued. The Omega-1 Nanite was developed as Alpha's replacement, and was capable of self-replicating to produce new nanites.[7].

Consortium era[]

The Nanite Project attracted the interest of a group of wealthy men known as the Consortium, who hoped that the advancements in nanotechnology would allow them to live forever. They used their vast wealth to fund the project.[8]. During this time, a significant difference in ideology emerged among the researchers, and a splinter faction (possibly led by Van Kleiss) formed with different views about how the nanites ought to be used. An accident occurred which seriously injured Rex Salazar, the young son of Violeta and Rafael Salazar. To save his life, his parents injected him with completed nanites, which healed his injuries. The procedure also granted Rex unexpected abilities, including the power to communicate with nanites and control technology (he would later be classified as the first EVO)[9].

The procedure with Rex led the Consortium to reevaluate the Nanite Project and its potential applications. Black Knight, a subordinate of the Consortium, underwent the same procedure as Rex and gained similar powers. The researchers soon discovered that the nanites were capable of altering the very fabric of the universe, but would need a master control nanite to program all the others. The five Meta-Nanites were developed for this purpose, each containing a fragment of a cipher known as the Dominion Code, or God Code. The cipher would instruct each Meta-Nanite to control a different aspect of reality, effectively making anyone who controlled the Meta-Nanites a god[8]. To ensure the Meta-Nanites would not be misused, the Salazar family secretly programmed them to only be controlled by Rex Salazar.

At some point, Van Kleiss attempted to activate the sequence to integrate the Meta-Nanites into himself, but was caught by Rafael and Violeta Salazar[10].

Nanite Event[]

The Consortium, seeking absolute control over the universe, made the decision to implant the Meta-Nanites inside of themselves to gain godlike power. The Salazar family, learning of this, resolved to destroy the Nanite Project to prevent the Consortium from gaining even a fraction of the Meta-Nanites' power. Caesar Salazar initiated a sequence that would cause the nanite reactor to explode. While most of the scientists fled the facility, Rafael and Violeta were trapped inside by Van Kleiss, who broke the hatch of the door leading to the exit[8].

The exact events of the Nanite Event are ambigous, and differing accounts are diven by its witnesses. Gabriel Rylander stated that Rex's powers had saved both himself and Caesar during the event[4]. Caesar gave a more detailed account, stating that the last time he saw Rex was before a replication cycle was initiated by an unknown party, which may have worsened the effects of the Nanite Event. When the event occurred, Caesar fled in his pod laboratory, which was caught at near-light speed; due to time dilation, this sent him five years into the future[9]. Van Kleiss was killed by the explosion, but transformed into an EVO and gained complete control over the landscape of Abysus[3][8]. Rex's memories were erased by the event, and he wandered aimlessly around the world[11]. Peter Meechum and Gabriel Rylander survived the event, with Rylander going into hiding in South America to protect the Omega-1 Nanite[4][12].

The destruction of the nanite reactor spread billions of nanites around the world, including the Meta-Nanites. While this succeeded in temporarily preventing the Consortium from using the Meta-Nanites, it also resulted in unforseen consequences. The programming of the nanites was incomplete at the time of the event, and consequently, all living things on Earth were infused with dangerous incomplete nanites. These nantites would activate at random, causing exponential mutations in their host organisms, turning them into EVOs[3][4]. While this had catastrophic effects on human society, Caesar Salazar would later maintain that causing the Nanite Event was the only way to save the world from the Consortium[1].

The Consortium cut off funding to the Nanite Project after the Nanite Event[4]. They later funded Providence, a global police organization intended to control the outbreak of EVOs around the world[8].

Second Nanite Project[]

The Nanite Project was restarted six years after the Nanite Event by Providence, at the behest of the Consortium, with the goal of finding the Meta-Nanites[1]. The project was supervised by Black Knight, who reassembled the surviving members of the research team: Caesar Salazar, Peeter Meechum, Gabriel Rylander, and Van Kleiss. Caesar cooperated with Black Knight solely because he knew that she would fail, as the Meta-Nanites were programmed only to work in Rex Salazar. A new research was facility was constructed in Abysus atop the ruins of Van Kleiss's castle. Black Knight later killed Vostok, one of the members of the Consortium, and demanded she share the power of the Meta-Nanites with the surviving members[2].

Four of the Meta-Nanites were ultimately secured by Providence, while the fifth was discovered inside of Rex Salazar's body. Rex was brought to Abysus to extract the nanite, but caused the Meta-Nanites to unexpectedly split between the Consortium members, granting them each only a fraction of their total power[8]. The Consortium later attempted a second procedure to unite the Meta-Nanites, but were betrayed by Van Kleiss, who attempted to take the power for himself. All were unsuccessful due to the programming of the Meta-Nanites allowing only Rex to control them. Rex absorbed the completed Meta-Nanite and used it to cure all EVOs on Earth, subsequently instructing it to permanently deactivate.

The second Nanite Project ended after the global cure event, but Caesar Salazar proposed working on a new project with Meechum and Rylander, which they agreed to[10].

Notable scientists[]

Notable equipment[]

Special nanites[]

Trivia[]

  • During the research, scientists were aware of possible mutations but they did not estimate it to be so random.[9]
  • Black Knight accused Violeta and Rafael Salazar for causing a few "setbacks" to the Nanite Project.[2]
  • In Rex's memories, Black Knight was shown wearing a lab coat, implying she could have been one of the scientists working on the Project.[10]

References[]

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