Chapter 112: RoboCop
While Harry was promoting ctOS, Norman was canvassing for votes.
**Mississippi.**
"A few months ago, an alien hit me on the head—literally hit me on the head—right here."
Norman pointed to the top of his head toward the crowd below, and laughter erupted from the audience.
"It hurts, but luckily, I was wearing a helmet. A helmet is very important. It can prevent accidental injuries and protect your most vital parts."
Norman gestured to his head.
"But on the day of the attack, not everyone was wearing a helmet. In fact, it can be said that we, the entire United States, were not wearing helmets."
"We need a better protection mechanism to keep ourselves safe."
"Not just protecting America, but safeguarding this fragile blue planet."
"And the so-called protection is certainly not about firing a nuclear bomb at your own city—without even knowing whether it will work."
"The world is changing, and we should be prepared for it. This preparation is not as simple as painting a suit of armor in the colors of the Stars and Stripes..."
Just as Norman was mid-sentence, the massive electronic billboard behind him was hijacked.
A 50s- and 60s-style video played, featuring a cold man wearing sunglasses.
"Some people think I am a terrorist, but I consider myself a mentor."
"America, prepare to learn a lesson."
Norman spread his hands toward the crowd below and rolled his eyes at the big screen.
"Here we go again." Norman continued, "You see, guys like this are the ones who should be monitored, but the CIA knows nothing about it and instead focuses on monitoring our people and allies."
"Yeah!" a bearded strongman stirred up the atmosphere below. "The only thing they can do is give that thing called the war machine a new paint job. It's pathetic!"
Boos echoed throughout the crowd.
Norman smiled and continued: "The day the aliens attacked, many citizens donned powered exoskeletons to fight alongside us. I truly don't understand why the Pentagon was so panicked."
"The heroes are all around us; these terrorist elements have to fear."
Unlike other places, in a location like Georgia, the electorate is mostly rugged.
Even though the big billboard behind them was still blaring, they were not intimidated.
"...And Norman Osborn, you have rejected my teachings. I don't know what you'll look like when my people find you."
"Without that high-tech equipment, without those bodyguards, and unarmed, can you truly engage with me as an equal?"
The place fell silent.
This statement was new and had previously only been directed at President Ellis.
Norman was unfazed: "Interesting. I truly want to face him face-to-face, but unfortunately, he is just a clown hiding in the shadows."
"Haha, I like the way you talk, Osborne, but do you dare to have an old-fashioned arm wrestling with me?" A man with a big belly stepped out of the crowd, flexing his thick arms, seemingly challenging Norman to an arm-wrestling match.
This guy looked almost two meters tall and had the build of a WWE player, especially with the cowboy hat perched on his head.
The crowd, filled with people who didn't take things too seriously while watching the spectacle, began to boo.
Norman smiled: "Are you the strongest here? Is there anyone stronger than him?"
"I am the strongest here, what do you say? Regardless of victory or defeat, if you dare to have a duel with me, my good brothers will vote for you."
"Your cowboy brothers?" Norman stepped off the podium, and the bodyguard nearby grew tense. "Relax, I like cowboys."
"Okay, let's find a piece of land."
The two found a table and sat down, clasping hands together.
The strength in Norman's enhanced hands was measured in tons. Defeating this strongman would be easy; defeating everyone here was no problem.
Did Norman truly want to win against this strongman? Of course not.
The strongman quickly exerted his strength, discovering that this gentle entrepreneur was surprisingly strong, and their faces flushed with effort.
But the balance of victory tilted toward the strongman as expected. After holding on for nearly a minute, the strongman prevailed.
"Wow! The winner is the brawny cowboy!"
Norman pulled back, "You're really strong, big man."
"You are much better than I expected. This Osborne is a real man! This is ridiculous. I was just wondering if you would don your gorgeous battle suit!"
After the arm-wrestling match, the cowboys wanted Norman to stay and drink beer, but Norman politely declined.
"Finally, I want to address this terrorist member."
Norman said to the camera: "I'm not afraid of you. I'm right here. Like you said, you're just a coward who attacks the old, weak, women, and children. New York, Illinois, Tennessee...we have established a defense line. Soon, the entire United States will be connected, and there will be no weak points."
"And you, no matter where you are, I will find you—prepare to collect your body."
This scene spread across the Internet with the title "Norman Osborn Provoking the Mandarin."
After finishing his speech, Norman called Connors.
"Doctor, how is the project progressing?"
On the other end, Connors was adjusting Alex's high-tech prosthetics.
"Very well, but I saw the recent news that the equipment on his body needs to be strengthened for heat resistance and explosion resistance."
"Okay, complete the plan as soon as possible."
Alex's left hand and foot had been entirely replaced with high-tech prosthetics, which were now more closely integrated with his body.
Each of his movements transmitted brain activity data back to the lab, not just for him, but for all the subjects involved in the Apollo program.
This data would enhance prosthetic upgrades and advance brain science.
"Doctor, I have to say this feels a bit strange, with machinery on one side and my physical body on the other."
Alex moved his limbs.
His body had been infused with a protein complex, a program Harry had derived from Spartan Strengthening Technology, to build muscle strength.
Injecting small amounts of the complex fortified Alex's body with a significantly reduced chance of side effects.
"That's why we need to balance the power on both sides of the body."
These prosthetic limbs were not just limbs. With input instructions, pieces of armor extended from the prosthetic limbs, covering the limbs, spine, and head, similar to the Mark armor.
In addition to enhancing the strength of the other side, the mechanical data transmitted back by these armors allowed Connors to better study and strategize for the future.
Semi-biochemical and semi-mechanical enhancement is not as unified and harmonious as purely mechanical or purely biochemical modifications, but this allows researchers to gain a better understanding of both technologies.
Once the armor was in place, Alex felt much more at ease.
"Am I Iron Man now?" Alex gazed at the cool outer armors in disbelief.
"Strictly speaking, no, you don't have repulsor cannons, jetpacks, or micro-missiles..."
"I know, I know, Doc, it doesn't have that big shiny battery in the chest either, I just think it's cool."
Connors smiled at this: Actually, there is a piece of energy.
"David is going to love it..." Alex stroked his mechanical body.
David is his son. Hearing this name, Connors was stunned: "Is your son named after the crew of RoboCop?"
Alex smiled sheepishly: "Yes."
Connors thought this man was quite interesting. His name matched the film character's, and he named his son exactly the same.
But now he was indeed "RoboCop."
"Now that all your equipment has been activated, your left prosthetic arm is equipped with modified cobra venom. This is a neurotoxin that is non-lethal but will cause the enemy to lose consciousness instantly."
Alex raised his left hand, and an aiming frame appeared in his field of vision. It seemed to be self-aiming.
"If all goes well, this should be the next generation of law enforcement ammunition. Use it boldly, RoboCop," Connors encouraged.
Boom!
Alex fired his rounds at the dummy.
---
Chapter 113: Presidential Election Day
It's November, the exciting presidential election day.
Voters wrote an unaffiliated name on their ballots:
"Norman Osborn."
Generally speaking, the president will be elected from the candidates nominated by the two parties, but it is also valid for voters to write their names directly on the ballot.
As long as a relatively large number of voters in each state write Norman Osborn's name when voting, then all the electoral votes in that state will go to Norman Osborn.
When the two parties are battling, there will be so-called safe states and battleground states, but when it comes to Norman Osborn, it can be said that every state is a battleground state.
Norman is the only president in history who has withstood nuclear bombs and fought against aliens. Today, when panic is spreading across the United States, everyone hopes they have a strong president.
The National Guard commanded by Norman also performed quite well in the face of such sudden large-scale attacks. After the war, with the help of Osborn's latest technology, New York was rebuilt remarkably well.
In addition, New York, under ctOS governance, is highly efficient; the crime rate has reached an all-time low, and there is truly no fault in the administration.
The more uncomfortable ones are the behind-the-scenes consortium and Hydra that invested in the election, such as Roxon Petroleum Company—but unfortunately, as an energy giant, Osborn's nuclear fusion technology has caused them to suffer a major blow. Even if they wanted to act, they couldn't do anything anymore.
As for Hydra, they had been lurking for so many years and finally had the opportunity to intervene in the position of President of the United States. They only needed to eliminate Ellis to replace him with a more obedient vice president, but now Osborn appeared.
Of course, they will not be convinced. Before Norman comes to power, they will definitely use all means to prevent this from happening.
Norman's support team:
Osborn Group, a super technology company that leads the world in energy, biomedicine, and aerospace, has extended its hands to the financial industry and various manufacturing and construction sectors after the war, with great intentions of expanding into all walks of life.
Stark Industries is an established military enterprise that also frequently produces black technologies. Stark's choice to close its weapons manufacturing business directly caused Congress to almost spend all its military funds. The most important factor is that they have Iron Man, which is a significant symbol. It proves very useful in canvassing.
As one of the few giants to maintain expansion momentum after the Battle of New York, it basically represents the future.
As for those traditional financial companies, the Battle of New York has almost wiped out their industries in the United States. If the recession continues, they will truly flee and leave the country.
In addition to the business world, in the political arena, Harry also utilized activity enhancers, money, the high support rate brought by terror attacks , ctOS, and strategic leverage to attract many people to their side.
Additionally, there are only three individuals who have endured a nuclear bomb, and they all support Norman Osborn coming to power. Even if you claim that the Osborns and his son are in the same group, Tony Stark is not.
In this country, there exists a rare situation where there is a high degree of unity from the grassroots to the top. Norman Osborn became a president who received votes from all 50 states in the country on election day.
MAGA must rely on industry and companies like Osborn and Stark. Everyone has reached a consensus.
The other candidates don't want to waste any more time debating with Norman—the only issue they can raise to attack Osborn is:
Why did Osborn's robots liberate so much of the male workforce but little of the female workforce?
This kind of question.
On the night of his victory, Norman delivered a victory speech in Washington, D.C.
"Today, the United States has ushered in a historic moment—the last president who did not belong to any political party and received all the electoral votes dates back more than 200 years ago when the great George Washington founded this country after enduring the trials of war."
"Today, after the same trials of war, 50 states, 538 votes, and 3 million people stand together once again. This proves one thing:"
"We have never been a mere red or blue political party; we are, and always will be, the United States of America!"
"Since that attack, we have lived in fear, dread, and doubt. Now, in this historic moment, because of your efforts, America is once again transforming."
"I understand that you chose me not for myself. You did it because you recognize the magnitude of the task ahead. Even as we revel in celebration tonight, we also acknowledge that we are facing the most difficult challenge for our nation—and indeed for the planet:"
"Enemies from outer space, a threatened Earth, and a century—no, a once-in-a-millennium Great Depression."
"Before me stood a weakened America, battered by war and assault, filled with bankrupt businesses and people struggling to make ends meet, wondering how to repay loans, cover medical bills, and save for their sleeping children."
"But we will be great again. We have mastered new energy, and the new world is beckoning to us."
Norman on the podium resembled Washington stepping out of history. This moment made all Americans unable to stop fantasizing about that moment 200 years ago.
The government of the past seems to be completely isolated from the Norman Osborn of this time. Such unusual voting results also leave people questioning whether this is an election in some other country.
Passed unanimously, so frightening.
The president is basically Norman, and there is only one desperate virus left to deal with before officially announcing his inauguration next year.
"Come on, little powder kegs," Harry muttered to himself.
Due to the special nature of Washington, D.C., ctOS has not been installed here. In the eyes of the outside world, Norman's personal strength relies on equipment rather than human enhancement.
This is definitely a huge security vulnerability. Someone once asked Norman: Are you afraid of working in Washington, D.C.? After all, your system is not present.
Norman's response was: Of course not; my people are in the same situation—why can't I?
As a non-partisan candidate, Norman has many potential enemies, but he just doesn't know what they will do.
But no matter what, if they intend to act against Norman, they must do it before the entire United States is encompassed by ctOS surveillance. That is to say, they must do it in Washington, D.C., during this time.
If they want to take action here, they must involve many forces, but limited by the actual conditions, the most they can do is assassination and other schemes.
But Norman isn't afraid of driving a roadster, and their actions will have consequences.
At the end of the speech, across the sea of cheering people, Norman and Harry exchanged glances and smiled.
"Tonight is destined to be a night of miracles, but my work has just begun. Together, we can make America great again."
The crowd below erupted in cheers, waving support sticks and banners rising and falling like waves.
"Make America Great Again!"
---
Chapter 114: Appearance
Under Harry's instruction, Bishop Company spent a considerable amount of money to hire someone to produce a documentary about the Battle of New York.
In addition to documentaries, various forms of books, interviews, and songs were created, covering almost all art forms.
Of course, that includes movies.
There are two versions of the movie. One version focuses on documenting superheroes and is titled "Avengers."
The other version is much more tragic, highlighting the experiences of ordinary citizens during the Battle of New York. For this purpose, Harry specifically invited directors known for their Soviet art films. The film is called "Battle of New York."
The first movie had little substance; it primarily promoted individual heroism—there are always people who do this in this world, anyway.
To promote these ideas, Harry personally traveled to Hollywood to participate in a talk show.
The host warmly welcomed Harry: "Welcome to my talk show, Harry. When you come to Hollywood, you must visit the New York Grand Theater. Have you been there?"
"Not yet, but I do plan to check it out—oh no, I just revealed my itinerary."
"Haha, you fell into the trap." The host smiled, "So let's dive into today's topic. What do you think of the film that Bishop's company is producing? It's about the 'attack' film, and you were present during the event."
"Honestly, I believe Bishop Company is the perfect choice to produce this film. They have the resources, the strength, and of course, the investment."
Harry leaned back on the sofa and spoke to the camera.
"As you all know, my father and I were there when it happened—but the protagonists of this movie are not us. After all, we are not Avengers or superheroes; we are just concerned citizens."
The audience chuckled, and the host shrugged helplessly at the camera.
"You say you're not a superhero? That's interesting. Is it because someone online referred to you as a green skateboarder?" the host asked, covering his mouth. "I remember you mentioned on social media that you disliked that name."
Faced with the laughter from the audience, Harry smiled and shook his head: "No one would like that name—and let's not mention the Green Goblin! The latest equipment has no green elements!"
"Hahaha, I wasn't even going to say that!"
Harry made a face, as if to say, "You were going to say it."
"Okay, okay, you guessed right." The host glanced at the cue cards and continued: "What about the other film?"
Harry straightened up:
"As for the other work, I primarily want everyone to understand what occurred there from the perspective of ordinary people. If you only focus on the first movie, you might think: wow, is this an alien? It doesn't seem like much. So, we have the Avengers!"
"But what everyone needs to understand is that we paid a heavy price in this battle. In fact, a movie may not be able to reflect much. I believe a documentary should be made to capture the changes before, during, and after the war."
The second film aims to convey anxiety, focusing on the gravity of the situation—and promoting Osborne.
Not everyone can review the whole event in detail afterward, and this film is here to assist them in that reflection.
In the movie, viewers will witness the U.S. authorities and ignorant citizens who displayed an ugly face towards Osborne before the war; they will see the citizens who relied on ctOS and fought heroically to protect these individuals during the battle; and they will observe the citizens after the war, experiencing the Great Depression and Osborne's significant role in the Reconstruction.
The host continued: "So what can we expect to see in this movie?"
Harry replied without flinching, "We will see the entire event, from before the war to after it."
It's just that important points were selected due to limited playback time.
"That sounds incredible! We need a work like this to honor these individuals. Next question: what are your thoughts on the recent terrorist attack? This incident has made the entire country very anxious, especially that individual; he also..."
The host pointed at Harry before finishing his sentence.
Implying a threat to Norman Osborn, his father.
"There's nothing to worry about. Although my father is just an ordinary person, he has the ability to protect himself. He also has his own 'battle suit,' remember?"
"Furthermore, I think we should focus more on our city heroes, who are improving with Osborne's assistance and are actually here today."
The host feigned surprise, and the audience expressed their confusion.
Thirteen mechanically transformed urban heroes stepped onto the stage amidst gasps. These urban heroes, all engaged in security work, were clad in armor. They resembled Iron Man.
These semi-reformed individuals stood center stage, removing their armor and revealing their clothes. They looked nearly identical to ordinary people, smiling and waving at the audience and the camera.
"That's exactly what we need, isn't it? They come from diverse backgrounds, possess courage, are willing to act, and the only difference between them and Tony, I mean Iron Man, is that they don't have as much money and talent."
"But Osborne is willing to provide them with those resources—each of them costs over $2 billion, all funded by the Osborne Group."
The audience gasped at this staggering figure.
The host exclaimed, "That means the total value on this stage now exceeds $26 billion!"
Harry smiled and nodded.
In truth, if he hadn't leveraged technology, achieving this effect would be difficult with just $26 billion.
The principle is similar to Tony's Mark Armor—Tony claimed that a set of armor cost $2 billion, but in reality, even if the military invested $200 billion or $2000 billion, they couldn't replicate it.
When it comes to research, it's a complex matter, especially in this world.
"OMG, $26 billion?" The host was so astonished he struggled to find words, clapping his hands while eyeing these mechanical warriors worth hundreds of millions.
"Is that a lot? It certainly is, but I believe it's worth it. We need a safer environment, don't we? Whether it's facing aliens, terrorist elements, or anything else."
Harry shrugged and stood beside the men.
"These urban heroes will portray their stories as actors in the film—and possibly in documentaries later on. In short, they are a commendable group, and you will see that."
There remains a profit to be made from creating superhero documentaries in a world of superheroes. The key is the benefits beyond just monetary gain.
The host stood before the audience, as if waking from a dream: "Thank you to these city heroes for their actions in the face of disaster. You are role models for everyone. It's not that I don't appreciate the big guy known as Iron Patriot, but these city heroes are obviously more relatable to many of us."
The thirteen individuals revealed their faces before departing the stage, heading to the Grand Theater.
---
Chapter 115: RoboCop VS Desperate Soldiers
As an 85-year-old building, it has been well maintained.
Because the news of his arrival at the Theater was posted online, the already crowded area was blocked off.
Looking at the vast sea of people, Harry thought it would be great if there was ctOS here.
"I have to say, it's a good thing I'm not Tony Stark; otherwise, these ardent fans would have blocked the whole street."
Harry said to Alex as he signed autographs.
"Actually, it's not much different, boss."
As a time-travel visitor, Harry had always felt that Tony's popularity was ridiculously high, but he didn't realize he was not much worse than him now, and even more famous.
After all, Tony is in his 40s, and Harry is only 22.
"Don't cut in line!" A fan shouted in dissatisfaction after being pushed aside.
In the chaos, a fanatical female fan pressed herself against him and tried to hug him, which was quite soft.
Harry thought, Just push in; why are you shouting so loudly?
Before Harry could see the female fan's face clearly, another fanatical male fan squeezed in, and the smell of sweat almost made Harry gag.
Harry righteously accused, "Are you going a little too far? Sir, could you please stop cutting in line?"
Facing the enthusiastic fans, he shook hands with them cordially and interacted with them.
Just as he was signing autographs, a huge fat man fell from the sky and smashed into the stall next to him!
The crowd hid behind Harry's luxurious security team in panic.
These semi-reformed individuals acted quickly, immediately forming a front line. After all, they were originally supposed to maintain law and order.
Harry recognized the fat man as Tony's head of security, Happy Hogan.
He asked knowingly, "Happy? What are you doing here? Filming?"
Happy was stunned. He raised his head and saw Alex, who was covered in armor. The pain made him almost speechless.
"...that..."
Before he could finish speaking, Alex spotted a suspicious-looking man with a crew cut.
"Suspicious target found... Wow, what's going on with his body temperature? Have you seen this?" From Alex's infrared perspective, the crew-cut man looked like a fireball, and his body temperature was alarmingly high.
The remaining individuals nodded, and the armor covered their bodies. The crew-cut man was stunned when he saw them.
What's going on? Thirteen Iron Men?
"What's going on with that man? His body temperature is over 100 degrees Celsius!" Alex scanned and identified a man with an extremely abnormal body temperature.
This man also had mutilated limbs. AIM's Extremis virus could make him grow limbs. The problem is that there was a high probability he would self-destruct.
This is how the explosions happening everywhere were born.
Alex didn't need Harry to remind him that something was wrong.
"Everyone, stay back and get out of there!" Alex shouted, urging the people around him to move away as the three reformers surrounded him.
The flat-headed man wanted to run away when he sensed something was wrong, but the remaining reformers immediately surrounded him.
"Listen, I feel like I've fought against you before, but I suggest everyone just run away. Do you understand?"
After saying that, he pushed off the ground and jumped over the crowd at the side!
However, several modified individuals were not idle, so they quickly grabbed him!
Before a few could restrain the crew-cut man, something happened on Alex's side.
The body of the man infected with the Extremis virus was glowing red, and his body temperature instantly exceeded 1000 degrees, still rising!
"Savin! Help me! Help me!" This guy is going to explode!
Harry could only remind, "Use your nerve-freezing gun! Control that guy first!"
Alex had already locked onto the target, and the neurotoxin containing cobra venom entered the man's body instantly!
This is the advantage of using the script—cobra venom can prevent the next-generation variant of the Extremis virus from causing the host to explode. In theory, it can also have a similar effect on the Extremis virus.
The toxin immediately spread through the man's body, and the terrible biochemical reaction was delayed—
But the problem was that the temperature was still rising!
Harry frowned. Regarding the Extremis virus, it seemed that this thing could only weaken the reaction, but the explosion still could not be prevented.
"Don't worry about that guy with the flat head; use your explosion shield to block this thing; he's going to explode!" Alex shouted at his companions.
These modified individuals were all firefighters and police officers. They were equipped with explosion-proof shields made mainly of tantalum and hafnium carbide alloy. The shields were filled with a large amount of energy-absorbing material and could withstand high temperatures and impacts of 4000 degrees Celsius.
The explosion center temperature of the Extremis virus is 3000 degrees Celsius, and the explosion-proof shield is enough to control the explosion!
When these reformers heard Alex's voice, they immediately took off their shields from their backs and surrounded the man, forming an explosion-proof barrier over 2 meters high.
Several individuals held onto their shields tightly and looked at the soaring temperature numbers on the sensors. They felt quite nervous, but the implants in their bodies automatically cleared away the excess hormones that would affect their body's reactions.
Boom!
The force of the explosion was suppressed in the explosion-proof circle built by Alex and the others, and a mushroom cloud rose from the riot-proof circle formed by several individuals!
Fortunately, there was nothing high above, and the force of the explosion was directed vertically. It did not cause too many casualties, but the lanterns were burned out.
Ordinary citizens looked at the center of the explosion in shock. The shields of the thirteen cyborgs were blown black, and several people raised their heads after realizing what had happened.
"OMG... we resisted." Several faces were filled with disbelief and a hint of surprise.
Harry clapped with satisfaction.
It seems these devices are enough to deal with desperate soldiers.
The applause seemed to call back the spirits of everyone present, and the rescued citizens also joined in.
"Thank God..." Happy, who was lying on the ground, breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as he relaxed, the pain in his back began to intensify. "Ouch... damn crew cut."
It seems that the fat bodyguard suffered a broken bone—but compared to being seriously injured by the explosion in the original work, this was already much better.
...
On the other side, Killian watched the video of the scene.
"There's something about those mechanical cyborgs. The explosion has been controlled. Savin, what do you think of their combat effectiveness?"
He was talking to Savin through the communicator, and Savin, the crew-cut man, took advantage of the explosion to flee the scene.
"Generally, there may be some tricks, and their strength may be comparable, but I can feel they are not used to it yet, and their movements are a bit stiff—after all, it is not their original hands."
Killian rubbed his eyebrows: These transformed soldiers don't seem easy to deal with.
The good news is that Harry Osborn didn't suddenly manifest his superpowers and leave Savin behind.
Robots, private security, ctOS... these things are really troublesome; maybe we need to find some allies.
---
"This is the first attack to be stopped since the Mandarin launched the Terrorist attack. Thirteen heroes, who were unfortunately disabled in the Battle of New York, have become superheroes under the sponsorship of Osborn."
"It is reported that this technology is an upgraded version of Osborn's mechanical prosthetics and implants."
"These heroes are documented police officers and firefighters, and we have our own superheroes!"
"Now let's go on a commercial break, and then we'll resume with interviews with these heroes."
What is being showcased in the advertisement is Osborn's latest electric cars that are now in production. Relying on ctOS, these cars can achieve true driverless driving.
As for the company producing the cars, it is Tesla, the electric car company that Harry just acquired. Considering Osborn's outstanding achievements in energy technology, the directors certainly will not cling to this company.
After all, Tesla was a great physicist, and Harry truly didn't want to see this name buried.
Regarding the R&D team, there are four technological workers from related industries involved in the Apollo project. After surgical enhancement, their intelligence and creativity have been significantly improved, making them fully qualified to research and develop this kind of civilian technology.
"It's a very nice car; did you make it?" Tony commented from the side.
Harry replied, "No, remember the Apollo project? The researchers who underwent the transformation are now working under the Osborn name."
These personnel transferred to the development of civilian technology are filed under Project Athena, dedicated to civilianizing front-end technology.
Happy, who was lying on the hospital bed, looked at the two of them, held an apple, and said to Tony, "I thought you were here to see me, not the commercials. I even have to peel my own apples."
Happy had been sent to Osborn's hospital with a spinal fracture. It was not too serious and only required a little training to recover.
Hearing this, Tony smiled and took out a small tool from his bag.
"Fully automatic peeler, isn't this here to peel apples for you?"
Happy pursed his lips and nodded. "That's not bad."
The peeler was very efficient. Tony added, "In fact, you can also peel other fruits. You're welcome."
After visiting Happy, Tony and Harry found a place to sit down.
"RoboCop, right? That's a good idea; I have to say thank you." Tony sighed.
"You're very welcome. Superheroes are indeed great, but we still need a complete mechanism to defend against these attacks," Harry replied.
After all, superheroes symbolize superhumanity. At most, they can represent a spiritual symbol, providing hope or something similar.
But people need to eat to survive. Not only do they need to eat, but they also require a safe environment and a healthy social structure, learn to love themselves, and then realize their potential.
It is abnormal to directly transcend these material foundations and believe in some empty ideals, leading society to collapse.
Strengthening these ordinary people is also a part of establishing new mechanisms.
Thinking of this, Harry sighed, and a little devil Harry poked his head with a trident: You are a capitalist! Harry Osborn!
Another little angel, Harry, kicked him away: Only through the development of society can we live longer, right?
Shaking his head, Harry continued, "So what? My father will take office next year. How is the research on the scepter? In fact, I went back and learned a lot on my own, and now I can keep up with your rhythm."
Tony took out a holographic device with a half-smile.
"Really? How about you come and take a look at this?"
The holographic device opened, revealing 27 incredible data structures of various shapes and colors in front of Harry. These things initially appeared like stars of different colors, but upon closer inspection, they resembled stars due to their varying masses, each having different internal structures, characteristics, and more.
These data presented a strange sensation, and Harry was momentarily stunned.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? I divided the matrix inside the scepter into 27 parts based on human emotions. These emotional matrices can interact with one another to generate other emotions that are difficult to describe—in short, I made 27 types. There aren't really only 27 categories."
"These matrices are just models, and Jarvis can't even fully download any of them."
"After each matrix is given to AI, the AI will gain new learning capabilities. When you input scenarios to these AIs with emotional matrices, they will process this information in an unknown way."
Harry carefully examined the matrix of emotions. "Like teaching a human to deal with problems?"
"That's right." Tony nodded.
It took him considerable effort to isolate these matrices, and he discovered that human emotions are not that simple.
If it only took three days, he might be able to roughly intercept some matrices to construct a strong artificial intelligence in his imagination, but that AI would be incomplete, and the consequences could be unpredictable.
Once they find a way to completely integrate these matrices into an AI, they would have truly created the consciousness of a living being.
"We are very close. Your idea is correct. We can use this thing to create a brand new species—and truly understand the meaning of consciousness," Tony confirmed Harry's idea. This discovery regarding the origin of life greatly encouraged him.
Now they can't even fit any matrix entirely into a memory the size of a human brain, but they can still attempt this by reducing the complexity of the matrix or utilizing a very large supercomputer.
There was just one question. Harry thought for a moment and said, "How do you define those emotions when you separate these matrices?"
"Black box testing. Input a scene, and then detect its output and compare it with the reaction of normal people under different emotions," Tony explained matter-of-factly.
Harry cast a suspicious look—he knew that although people have 27 definitions of emotions, different individuals respond differently to the same emotion.
For example: When two different people encounter the same scene of being violently violated, some will cower in fear, while others will fight back angrily. This is different.
Under Harry's gaze, Tony seemed to understand. He raised his hands. "...I used myself as a template for comparison."
Harry said slowly, "So there is another question here. If these emotional matrices are treated as an AI learning and response capability, then there should be a core—a core that interacts with these emotional matrices—"
Tony probably understood what Harry meant, but he motioned for Harry to continue.
It seemed that the opportunity to name this Stark was given to him, Harry thought.
Harry continued, "The personality matrix exists. The emotional matrix together generates a personality matrix. The personality matrix acts on these emotions, influencing each other and layering upon one another."
Tony pondered for a moment and said, "It seems we need to upgrade our computer technology."
The two contemplated together. They required more advanced computing technology, quantum computers, or something else.
At this moment, new news was broadcast on the TV: the Mandarin hijacked a Roxon accountant and demanded Norman Osborn and President Ellis, who had not yet resigned, to call him.
"...The one on my left is Norman Osborn, and the one on my right is Matthew Ellis," the fake Mandarin displayed two mobile phones.
"Now, the numbers of these two mobile phones have been sent to your devices. Call me, or I will kill this man, and you will have to make your choice."
Tony said, "Looks like you need to handle this first."
Harry shrugged. "My father is the next president, not me."
Ellis will definitely make the call, but Osborn won't.
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