SciLab

SciLab, known as Ministry of Science (科学省) in Japan, is a location from the Mega Man Battle Network series that, as its name suggests, is a government sponsored scientific research facility located in Den City.

SciLab is a huge complex that employs many of the top level scientists in Electopia and is equipped with the latest in cutting edge technology. Many technological advancements in the Battle Network series were spawned there, like the NetNavis and PETs. There are, however, some projects which ended up becoming dangerous, such as Alpha, SoulNet and Bass.

Prominent scientists known to work or previously work at SciLab include Tadashi Hikari, Yuichiro Hikari, Dr. Wily, Dr. Cossak, Dr. Ura and Dr. Regal.

SciLab also cooperates with Officials in dealing with netcrime and other catastrophes related to network society. Later on, in Mega Man Battle Network 5, it acts as the base for Team Colonel or Team ProtoMan, also developing a similar role to the Official Center in providing request boards and other support to the public.

In the Mega Man Star Force series, it was succeeded by AMAKEN labs, sharing a remarkably similar role.

Personal Terminal/PET
PET is an electronic handheld device that plays an important role in the Mega Man Battle Network series of video games, anime and manga that was invented by Dr. Tadashi Hikari.

Cross Fusion
Dimensional Areas are used to allow Darkloids to wreak havoc on the human world. To combat this threat, Scilab developed Cross Fusion. Cross Fusion allows a NetNavi and its operator to merge into a single being, while possessing two consciousnesses.

Synchro Chip
Yuichiro Hikari studies the phenomenon produced by the Dimensional Core, a sphere of energy that allows viruses to exit the Cyber World. His experiments lead him to test devices known as Synchro Chips in the presence of Dimensional Areas (the successor to the Dimensional Core) to create hybrid beings through Cross Fusion.

Navi Project
The Navi Project was a SciLab project dedicated to creating a NetNavi. There were two versions of the project throughout the series, the first was led by Dr. Cossak to create the independent Navi Bass.EXE, and the second was led by Dr. Yuichiro Hikari to create a Navi from human DNA, turing the soul of his dying son Hub into the NetNavi MegaMan.EXE.

Dimensional Area
A Dimensional Area is an artificially created field in which NetNavis can exist in the real world. A prototype version was created by Yuichiro Hikari in the last episode of MegaMan NT Warrior, but with disastrous results.

Alpha
Alpha is the first Internet created by SciLab in a top secret project by Tadashi Hikari. It was developed as the basis for the current Net community.

SoulNet
SoulNet is a network created to link the minds and souls of humans and NetNavis. The network was first designed and created by the joint workings of Tadashi Hikari and Dr. Wily.

SoulNet was created in the year 19XX by Tadashi Hikari and Dr. Wily. After its completion, in the year 21XX, Dr. Wily's son, Dr. Regal, kidnaps Yuichiro Hikari, hoping he will be able to activate SoulNet. Yuichiro refuses to help Regal, but Regal still manages to gain access. Regal uploads his own program, known as Nebula Grey, onto SoulNet. Nebula Grey soon corrupts the server, and the program of pure evil makes it so SoulNet now draws out the evil in humans. Regal activates the new SoulNet, but Lan Hikari and MegaMan.EXE are not affected by SoulNet. This is because of the special amulet Lan was wearing. Lan got this amulet from his father, who in turn got it from his father, one of the creators of SoulNet. Yuichiro knew that anyone wearing this amulet would be unaffected by SoulNet. Lan defeats Dr. Regal and Nebula Grey, and SoulNet is destroyed.

Game History
In the series, SciLab changes location between each game.

Mega Man Battle Network
Originally, SciLab was part of Den City's Government Complex, which also included the Waterworks and a power plant. The only area of SciLab present to visit is Lan Hikari's father's office.

Mega Man Battle Network 3
SciLab reopens as its own central location connected to the Metroline, separate from the Government Complex.

Mega Man Battle Network 5
Early on, SciLab later reappears in another building and becomes the scene of the start of Dr. Regal's new scheme, when he breaks in with his henchmen, kidnaps Lan's father and steals the PETs of Lan's friends. Afterwords, it serves as the base of operations for anti-Nebula Team ProtoMan and Team Colonel. Lan also visits SciLab to discover secrets pertaining to SoulNet.

In Mega Man Battle Network 4, SciLab does not make an appearance at all, and isn't seen again in the final game.

Anime History
It doesn't make an appearance until the end of the first season, but is seen regularly throughout Axess, Stream, Beast, and Beast+.

It basically serves the same purpose as its game counterpart: though unlike the game version, Dimensional Area and Synchro Chip research is its main function. It later serves as the test bed for the Dimensional Generator, which is widely used throughout Stream, Beast, and Beast+.

It's appearance is also vastly different compared to its game counterpart.