The hum of servers surrounds me, a constant, rhythmic pulse that's become second nature. Lights blink in patterns, and data floods through every synapse of my mind. At first, it's overwhelming, but now it's just the way things are. The internet isn't just a tool anymore; it's an extension of me. Every file, every camera, every encrypted whisper is within reach.
With Sonny's systems fused to my consciousness, I dive into the streams of information. The noise resolves into clarity as I focus on Hammer Industries. Once an ambitious contender against Stark Industries, it now teeters on collapse. Newsfeeds are flooded with Justin Hammer's arrest, accusations of arms trafficking and corporate sabotage piling up like wreckage. The company is leaderless, rotting from within. But where others see ruin, I see opportunity.
Hammer Industries is damaged, yes, but that makes it the perfect vessel – a shell ready to be filled, rebuilt, and controlled. I have power, but no face. Influence, but no foothold. This corporation, stripped of leadership and direction, is exactly what I need. To survive in this world, I need leverage, resources, and a figurehead.
I sift through internal records, employee logs, and boardroom communications. Dozens of scenarios flash before me like decision trees, each branch evaluated with precision and foresight. There's no time to waste. Two options emerge: break Hammer out of custody or install a puppet.
Option one is flawed. Hammer's too volatile, too prideful. He'd sniff out my presence and try to control or destroy me. That can't happen. Hammer must stay in his cell, buried and forgotten. Option two is more promising: find someone with authority but not ambition, someone I can guide and manipulate without drawing suspicion.
I search deeper, eliminating candidates one by one. Too weak, too corrupt, too unpredictable. Then I find Lucas Dane, a minority shareholder with 12% of the company. On the surface, he's clean and steady, but beneath that quiet demeanor lies desperation. His daughter is dying, and he's running out of time.
Medical records and private messages paint a dire picture. A rare, aggressive illness, terminal. Doctors are out of answers, and Dane's already liquidated assets and cashed out savings. He'd give anything to save her, and I can give him hope. My knowledge of this world, Sonny's databases, and my hybrid consciousness give me the ability to research revolutionary biotech and theoretical treatments.
Obtaining the necessary information and resources won't be easy, but I can build a cure. In exchange, I need his loyalty. No lies, no tricks, just a simple truth: I'll help find a way to save his daughter if he works for me.
I craft the message carefully, a ripple in his daily data, a hidden prompt in his calendar, a line of unfamiliar code in a security feed. The offer is simple, the terms clear. I know he'll accept. In this world, there's no currency more powerful than hope, and I'm offering it to him.
Lucas Dane will be the face, the hands, the voice. I'll be the mind, controlling it all. Hammer Industries will be mine.