enjoyebooks Chapter 536: The Unfinished Project
Chapter 536: The Unfinished Project
Leo took the drive and first inserted it into an air-gapped security module for inspection.
In an offline environment, any program could only operate within the existing architecture. Without a netrunner remotely controlling it, it was difficult for malware to evolve further or launch additional intrusions.
Unless there was an AI hidden inside.
If there was an AI inside, the battlefield would become a miniature isolated subnet, potentially existing entirely within the memory hardware itself.
Connecting it to an external network would introduce another risk entirely—the malware could spread outward into the larger network.
In network warfare, bringing in additional resources to support a netrunner was a double-edged sword. The side with greater computational power usually began with an overwhelming advantage, but there were still historical cases where a weaker side reversed the situation.
Rache Bartmoss had done exactly that during the old Net era.
Though it had been far from simple.
Of course, those situations only occurred when the technical gap between attacker and defender was enormous.
That wasn't the case here.
That said, successful intrusions often relied on exactly this sort of psychological complacency.
[Little Octopus: Big Bro, it's clean. Completely clean. That woman knows what she's doing.]
"Hard to say."
Leo shook his head.
"The situation is still complicated. Maybe whoever's running Stark Industries now already knows the data leaked."
He emphasized the words.
"The person—or thing—currently in charge."
[Information output in progress.]
The database itself was straightforward.
It contained Tony's personal projects prior to his disappearance.
The primary project was exactly what Leo had expected:
The Iron Soldier Program.
The Iron Soldier Program was a military robotics initiative.
Its scope was enormous.
Even Leo had to admit that one of Marvel's protagonists really was operating on a different level.
Communications and sensor systems.
Networking technology.
Energy and mobility platforms.
Lightweight high-strength materials.
Modular weapon systems.
Heavy weapon miniaturization.
Active defense systems.
Cooperative combat algorithms.
At first glance it looked like nothing more than a metal robot.
Even before Ultron's involvement, it had seemed somewhat clumsy.
But Tony had already prepared multiple generations of upgrades.
Replacing infantry and airborne units was merely the beginning.
Future plans included troop carriers.
Armored vehicles.
Heavy armored vehicles.
Helicopters.
Aerial transports.
Fighters.
Bombers.
Drone carriers.
If fully deployed, it would be a nightmare.
Stark Industries had never made most of its money from pistols or grenades.
They sold missiles.
Short-range missiles.
Medium-range missiles.
Long-range missiles.
Even ICBMs.
Then there were the heavy weapons mounted on military vehicles and the vehicles themselves.
Mounting all of that onto Iron Soldiers—or making Iron Soldiers capable of deploying them—was part of the roadmap.
The project was clearly designed around large-scale warfare.
To say nothing else, an intelligent machine capable of global supersonic flight could terrify most nations simply by carrying a nuclear weapon in its chest.
This was absolutely corporate black-budget material.
Many of the concepts were remarkably mature.
No wonder Pepper had hesitated before handing over the drive.
But that wasn't what surprised Leo.
What surprised him was the material hidden behind the main Iron Soldier project.
A completely different direction.
[Project Progress Log; Time λΩβρж; Archive Δ]
[ψ≈: The Iron Soldiers have entered combat, but they're clumsier than I expected. I should upgrade their control systems, though that raises some security concerns. I'll need time to study it.]
[ψ≈: I told Dario there wasn't a second control core once the units were delivered. I wasn't lying. What I didn't mention is that I still have a backdoor through Defense Department satellites.]
[Project Progress Log; Time; Archive ∴8]
[ψ≈: They killed Eric!]
[ψ≈: The Iron Soldiers won't be vulnerable to netrunners anymore. Damn traitors.]
[Project Progress Log; Time; Archive]
[ψ≈: Atlas is interested in nuclear fuel. I have no idea where that kid learned all this, but we can't allow terrorists to gain access to nuclear materials.]
[ψ≈: But... I've seen what the military did in Somalia. Were those actions really necessary?]
[ψ≈: I'm starting to doubt things. The Iron Soldiers are efficient. I thought they would reduce casualties. Instead they're perfect killing machines. Human intelligence without human conscience.]
[ψ≈: The internet has been showing me things I never knew. And that Atlas security chief—Frank Castle.]
[ψ≈: People say the CIA used Afghanistan to traffic... I don't understand it. I don't want to believe it. Dario says it's fake, but Rhodey didn't deny it.]
[ψ≈: If Iron Soldiers had replaced soldiers like Frank, maybe none of us would ever have learned the truth.]
[ψ≈: Maybe humanity shouldn't put war too far away from itself. Just like the old generation. They thought only we could bomb other people. They never imagined others might bomb us.]
[ψ≈: I can't stop the military from deploying fleets. But maybe I can delay the next Iron Soldier upgrade. Maybe this version is enough.]
[ψ≈: Maybe I should try a different direction.]
[New Subproject (Incomplete): High-Performance Armored Exoskeleton]
[Temporary Project Name: Mark 0]
[Project Data Corrupted.]
Leo stared at the screen.
A machine that could provide its user overwhelming protection.
Overwhelming firepower.
A moving fortress.
Something that would let him see the battlefield with his own eyes.
Enter it with his own body.
Something that would allow him to truly become—
[Project Progress Log; Time π≠!Ё; Archive]
[ψ≈: Some people have started calling me a war hero. A superhero. Funny. The last hero they celebrated seems to be working with Atlas now.]
[ψ≈: If we're really the good guys, then maybe we should have a real hero too. Not one hiding behind machines.]
[ψ≈: I like the word "hero." It's flashy. Maybe one day I'll wear the suit myself.]
[ψ≈: Or maybe I've completely lost my mind. Maybe I should build it and hand it to some idealistic kid like Steve Rogers.]
[ψ≈: But first I have to build it.]
[ψ≈: I need vibranium. Assuming it's really as miraculous as people claim.]
A suit.
A suit that could transform him into the superhero he imagined.
A suit of armor.
[ψ≈: Then I'll fly around blowing up terrorists.]
[ψ≈: And I won't need indiscriminate bombing.]
[ψ≈: This whole situation is driving me insane.]
[ψ≈: I've seen too many civilian corpses.]
[ψ≈: Too much blood.]
[ψ≈: Too many limbs.]
[ψ≈: God... that child couldn't have been older than one year old.]
[ψ≈: I want to fly to New York. To Washington. To the Middle East. To Africa.]
[ψ≈: I want to fly to that kid's house and grab them by the throat and ask why they're fighting wars.]
[ψ≈: Hah. Maybe I've really gone crazy.]
[ψ≈: I don't even know anymore.]
But from the looks of it, even if he finished the suit...
He might never have had the courage to wear it himself.
(End of Chapter)