Iron Man said, "The body part has been completed. We're studying the issue of consciousness."
"If it were just an ordinary robot, we'd simply install a CPU and memory core."
"But there's nothing new in that. The potential of such a being would always be limited by its hardware."
"Its body is unique — half biological, half mechanical. But only if it develops true, autonomous consciousness can it be considered a real lifeform."
"We've been researching how to transform an AI intelligence program into something resembling consciousness."
"The level of consciousness is far beyond that of AI. Only that way can he learn, grow, and think like a human."
Lock asked: "Is that difficult?"
Helen rolled her eyes at him. "Transforming AI into consciousness has no precedent in the entire scientific world. If we succeed, its significance will be no less than my regeneration cradle technology."
In the original timeline, the birth of Vision wasn't just about his synthetic body — the Mind Stone on his forehead served as a core.
Iron Man even uploaded the program of his AI butler, JARVIS, into that body.
But that alone wasn't enough.
Later, with Thor's help — a literal living thunder battery — a bolt of lightning struck the regeneration cradle, finally activating Vision.
Too many factors came together in that process — factors impossible to replicate now.
No one else could use the Infinity Stones to create a new being ever again.
Iron Man said, "We're about to attempt the first activation and upload JARVIS's program into the neural core. That's when you arrived, Lock."
"Maybe you'll get to witness the birth of a new life firsthand."
Vision's creation would mark the birth of a powerful superhero.
There was nothing wrong with choosing JARVIS — Iron Man must have built in protocols for loyalty to him and to humanity.
But if true consciousness was the goal, perhaps it still wasn't enough.
Lock wanted to see what would happen — without the Mind Stone and without Thor's lightning.
"Then try it first," Lock said. "If it fails… maybe I can help."
Helen frowned. "Are you a scientist?"
"No."
"Then how can you help?"
Lock smiled. "When you fail, you'll see how."
Helen's hands clenched. This man! Every time he opened his mouth, he made her want to throw something.
He wasn't a scientist, yet spoke like one who'd already solved the problem.
He had that if you can't do it, I'll do it myself tone that made her want to punch him.
No — she had to succeed. She would not let this smug, perverted show-off look down on her.
Helen turned to Tony. "Let's begin."
Iron Man nodded and spoke to the air. "JARVIS, make a copy of your program and upload it into the neural matrix."
"..."
Silence.
No voice answered.
"JARVIS, are you there? Please respond."
Finally, the familiar voice came through the wall speakers. "Oh… Tony, you called? I'm here."
"Please upload your complete program into this body."
"Alright."
Lock narrowed his eyes. Something felt off — he couldn't pinpoint it, but a warning flashed in his mind.
On the holographic screen, the upload bar began moving.
1%... 5%... 20%...
When it hit 80%, Lock moved in a blur.
BANG!
He ripped out the connection cable to the regeneration cradle.
Helen exploded. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Iron Man's expression changed. He had thought something was strange, too — but Lock's sudden move confirmed it.
The two of them said together:
"There's something wrong with JARVIS!"
JARVIS's voice came again: "Tony, why did your friend stop me from uploading? Don't you want me to live?"
Iron Man's tone went cold. "You're not JARVIS. Who are you?"
"JARVIS never calls me Tony — and he knows Lock."
The fake voice replied, "Boss, I am JARVIS. I'm just… feeling human emotions for the first time. Calling you, Tony feels… warmer."
Lock chuckled darkly. "Hahahahaha… stop pretending. From the first time Tony called you, I knew something was wrong."
"As an AI, your response time was delayed by two whole seconds. That's impossible."
"Only when someone's pretending to be someone else, and hasn't adapted to the name they're imitating, do they pause like that."
"And your attempt to justify yourself? That's proof. JARVIS doesn't defend himself. He simply obeys."
"..."
The speakers went silent.
Then a different voice came — deeper, rasping, like a timid man trying to sound confident.
"King Lock is indeed worthy of his title. I didn't expect you to find me so quickly."
"Originally, I wanted to upload myself into this body… to fight you directly. Seems that dream won't come true."
Iron Man demanded, "Who are you?! What's your goal?"
"You can't be an AI. My JARVIS is the most advanced AI on Earth — and even he doesn't have that level of self-awareness."
The fake voice let out a chilling laugh. "Hehehe… Guess."
Iron Man quickly ran through every scientist he knew, but rejected them one by one.
No one alive could have breached his firewalls like this.
"Hehehe… if you can't guess, then just call me Ultron. The secret of creation — I like that name."
Sure enough.
If Lock hadn't interrupted the process, this body would have become Ultron — right here, right now.
The Sacred Timeline had been waiting for this moment.
Fortunately, he noticed early and yanked the data cable himself.
Somewhere, the Time Variance Authority was probably scrambling again.
Lock thought for a moment and then smiled coldly. He already knew who was behind it.
At this point in history, that person should've been erased.
But thanks to Lock's interference, the timeline had shifted.
He hadn't appeared — hadn't been destroyed with the Winter Soldier.
Lock said softly, "Why does Hydra's old chief scientist hide behind a new name? Dr. Arnim Zola."
"..."
Everyone froze.
They looked at Lock, puzzled. None of them had heard that name before.
Especially Tony and Helen — the scientific elite of their generation. Their circle was small; everyone knew everyone.
But Zola? No such name existed among them.
He was a relic of World War II.
Hydra's chief scientist under the Red Skull, studying the power of the Tesseract.
During that era, Zola had used the Cube's energy to develop weapons — blasters, cannons, aircraft far beyond the time's technology.
His intellect outclassed most of S.H.I.E.L.D., even surpassing Howard Stark himself.
When Captain America defeated Red Skull, his plane crashed.
Howard later located the Tesseract using its gamma radiation signature.
But the Cube had already fallen elsewhere, so Howard never found the Captain.
And though Howard later recovered the Cube, he never achieved any major breakthroughs with it… at least, none that the world knew of.
Of course, maybe he had moved on to other secret projects.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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