Lex stood alone in a brightly lit room, it was a small room. So small that it only held a computer desk, a laptop, and Lex. The room had been created on short notice. The laptop was connected to a single cord that connected to a mainframe in the next room. He was taking a risk by trying to reprogram Brainiac; if instead he only awakened it he'd destroy the mainframe immediately before destroying the core.
Removing Brainiac's core from the case, Lex sighed. He had told Lana that he was testing a theory on the device, only he left out how dangerous the experiment truly was. Lex was surrounded by enemies and needed a capable assistant. He didn't expect Brainiac to return to Milton fine, but as long as it was reprogrammed, it didn't matter.
If he remembered correctly Zod had simply allowed the device to hover over the keyboard. Lex hoped Brainiac was currently too weak to react. Moving the core over towards the keyboard he watched in amazement as it began to float by itself. The damaged core spun counterclockwise as a purple luster began to surround it.
Lex watched as the laptop lit up and Kryptonian symbols filled the screen. He didn't speak Kryptonian; he couldn't even decipher one word, but it didn't matter. Brainiac was a twelfth-level intellect; there was no way it didn't understand English, but how could he reprogram it?
He had never understood how they did it in the future and without trying himself he'd never be able to. It was said that during Krypton's destruction, Brainiac had somehow been corrupted. How do you deal with a corrupted drive?
[CHKDSK ]
[Press Enter to check for Physical and Logical Errors…]
The words that Lex couldn't read before became English after he entered Chkdsk, which was a simple code used to repair hard drives. To think that it would work on Brainiac, Lex was surprised, but it made sense. Of course, the core could understand English; it wasn't impossible for it to simply translate English commands into Kryptonian commands. So while Lex typed Chkdsk, who knows what the Kryptonian equivalent is?
[Enter]
[>Searching for Physical and Logical Errors…]
[Multiple Physical Errors found, due to the severe damage to core repair is currently impossible…]
Looking at the core Lex found that to be logical it was currently burned and missing half of itself. It made sense that it couldn't repair the physical damage.
[Multiple Logical Errors found, to begin repair press Enter…]
Lex smiled lightly as he read that statement only his left hand hovered over a red button sticking out from the underside of the desk. The moment that Brainiac showed any signs of returning, he would press the button. There was a chance he was currently drawing on the electricity from the computer and main frame. Lex wasn't a fool he had made sure to disconnect these two rooms off the grid. A small generator was the only power source, and he was confident it wouldn't be enough power for Braniac to pull a quick one on him.
[Enter]
Lex watched as a progress bar appeared in front of him. He was curious as to what had exactly happened for Brainiac to be corrupted. Lex wouldn't go as far as to say that Jor-el was a pacifist but he had ultimately created Brainiac to help Krypton. There was no way he would have designed it to be the helper of Zod, the man who had betrayed him.
Speaking of Zod, Lex couldn't help but sigh. he had taken over Lex's body, and he had yet to find any signs of him changing. Did Jor-el taking over Lionel's body not change him at all? Only with Brainiac's help could he create the necessary equipment needed to identify the signs of Zod's descent.
Looking at the computer screen he raised an eyebrow. The progress bar was filling up fast, too fast. Was it really that easy to repair the logical errors?
[Logical Errors have been repaired… Brainiac rebooting in 3..2..1…]
[Error… Error. Reboot failed… Searching for corrections]
Lex watched in confusion as the computer spat out commands, was the core too damaged to repair? In the future, Milton Fine would revive once the cure turned to liquid, but by then, it would be too late to reprogram Brainiac.
[Correcting Errors… uploading newly found data, integrating with old data… Rebooting…]
[Hello there, Brainiac 2.0 at your service.]
"Brainiac 2.0 are you saying you're different from the previous Brainiac?" Lex said his thoughts out loud but immediately realized his mistake, as he was beginning to type commands that appeared on the screen.
"Using my predecessor's memories I was able to fill the holes in my own logic while making sure I won't repeat the same mistakes he made."
"You can hear me?" Lex asked, a little worried about the current Brainiac.
[Of course, I can, Mr.Luthor…]
"Tell me why was the previous brainiac corrupted."
[During Krypton's destruction the mainframe that created Brainiac was destroyed, my predecessor was unable to avoid his own fate. While trying to save himself he was indoctrinated by the laws of the house of Zod. He was initially created to help Krypton and its inhabitants alas before he even had a chance the planet was destroyed…]
"What about you? Why were you created?" Lex asked with a frown on his face, his hand still hovered over the red button as he awaited Brainiac's response.
[I don't know, you corrected the corruption that had affected my predecessor… You allowed me to be born… I believe it's up to you to decide why I was created…]
Lex raised an eyebrow at that, he wondered if the words of Brainiac 2.0 could be trusted. There weren't many ways to find out either, he guessed that only time would tell. But for now he could at least put some of his own worries to rest.
"Tell me, Brainiac, do you have all of the memories of your predecessor?"
[Yes]
"Why did he choose me to be Zod's vessel?"
[Circumstance, your own curiosity made it easy for you to be manipulated. Not to mention the changes that the first meteor shower had on you. My Predecessor did his research and ran all the appropriate tests. For some reason, your body can withstand the descent of a Kryptonian. All of that made you the perfect vessel.]
"Can he take over my body again?" Lex asked the question he really wanted the answer to.
[Yes]
"How can I make sure that doesn't happen?" Lex narrowed his eyes at the computer screen as he spoke. If this Brainiac was the same as Milton fine he'd never answer this question, with Lex being the perfect vessel he'd do anything in his power to return Zod from the phantom zone.
[Erase the Kryptonian markers left inside of your body, for that you'll need a Kryptonian x-ray machine and a piece of the planet itself…]
Just as Lex finished reading, the screen changed, and blueprints on how to build the machine appeared. It was sort of like a regular X-ray machine. The only difference was on the inside, hanging from the top, there was a diamond-shaped piece of glass. A small door on the side was where the kryptonite would be stored.
[There is one problem with this machine… we have no way of knowing what effects it will have on your body. The Kryptonian markers won't be erased; they'll simply melt and merge into your very being. Like a tattoo they could eventually be excreted from your body only time will tell…]
"Is there any danger involved?" Lex asked.
[No]
"While the Kryptonian markers are merged into my body will I be affected by Kryptonite?"
[Kryptonite?] Brainiac responded puzzled.
"The pieces of Krypton." Lex sighed at his own carelessness.
[Interesting term… You will have to test the effects of Kryptonite yourself…]
"You were created to serve me. Unfortunately, I'm not a hundred percent sure I can trust you. For now, you will remain here, check your core for any signs of corruption. Make sure the previous Brainiac doesn't return."
[It will be done, Master…]
Lex didn't exactly like being called master, but for now, he would allow it...