Damon, Felicia, and Xela moved deeper into the Research & Development Zone of the IUAS, where the very boundaries of science were being pushed by the universe's top minds.
Unlike the structured elegance of the Administration Center, the R&D Zone was chaotic in design yet supreme in function, an ever-shifting labyrinth of floating platforms, data streams, and containment fields that held everything from microscopic quantum experiments to miniature artificial suns.
The space was layered, stretching vertically with floating walkways and transport beams allowing scientists to move freely between levels.
In every direction, there were holographic schematics that floated mid-air, displaying projects in progress from gravitational field stabilizers to dimensional compression engines.
Some rooms were sealed behind translucent energy barriers, within which scientists tested exotic materials capable of rewriting the very laws of physics.
