Building Superheroes at Marvel Chapter 9: Award
After emerging from the No. 7 crystal laboratory, Kyle made his way to the underground parking lot, where Alice and Gasco had clearly been waiting for some time. The No. 7 crystal, a mysterious artifact with untapped potential, had been the focus of Kyle's recent experiments, drawing parallels to the Tesseract or Vibranium in the Marvel Universe.
Shortly after the experiment began, Gasco received a call. With the influence of financial power, the approval for Kyle's umbrella company was expedited, taking only a day and a night to secure. This rapid approval process mirrored the efficiency of Tony Stark's Stark Industries or Norman Osborn's Oscorp, where resources and connections often fast-tracked bureaucratic hurdles.
Now, the trio set out to find a suitable location for the umbrella headquarters, a task that required discretion and strategic planning, much like the hidden bases of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the X-Men's Xavier Institute.
Two hours later...
"Boss, this is the third location we've seen. Aren't you satisfied?" Alice, seated in the co-pilot's seat, voiced her frustration. The prolonged search was interfering with her work, and she regretted joining the expedition.
Kyle couldn't be entirely blamed; Alice's chosen locations were too conspicuous, failing to meet his expectations for secrecy and security. In the Marvel Universe, hidden facilities like the Avengers' Compound or the Baxter Building are strategically placed to avoid public scrutiny while maintaining accessibility.
For the quest reward, Kyle's primary desire was the T-virus and G-virus from Resident Evil, along with the potential of the progenitor virus. In the Marvel world, where high-IQ individuals like Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark thrive, these viruses could potentially be refined into serums that facilitate human evolution, akin to the Super-Soldier Serum that created Captain America.
[The umbrella company has passed the audit and meets the establishment standards. Rewards are now being issued.]
[Strong Artificial Intelligence·Red Queen (Revised)]
"Gasco, let's head back to the company," Kyle said, pausing his review of study materials on his laptop as the system's voice echoed in his mind.
The location selection could wait; the immediate priority was the reward. Although it wasn't the T-virus or G-virus, the Red Queen, a strong artificial intelligence, was a significant acquisition. Comparable to J.A.R.V.I.S. or F.R.I.D.A.Y. in the Marvel Universe, the Red Queen represented a leap in technological advancement.
"Master, there's something I need to remind you about. You have a party to attend tonight and a school exam this afternoon," Gasco informed, noting the time. The trio had spent two and a half hours scouting Manhattan, and it was now noon.
"Don't worry, I'll attend the exam on time. Let's drop Alice off at the company first," Kyle replied, resigned to the fact that even in this new world, he couldn't escape the rigors of academic life. The thought of taking a high school exam again was exhausting, reminiscent of Peter Parker balancing his superhero duties with schoolwork.
After ensuring Alice was back at the company, Gasco drove Kyle to the manor.
…
In the hall.
With Gasco gone, Kyle finally had a moment to inspect his reward.
"System, is this Red Queen the same as the one from Resident Evil? And what does 'revised' mean?" Kyle inquired, cautious about the implications of deploying such advanced AI. In the Marvel Universe, AI like Ultron had demonstrated the potential for catastrophic outcomes if not properly controlled.
[Yes, the revision indicates that it has been enhanced to achieve strong artificial intelligence. The host has absolute control over it, including the ability to command self-destruction if necessary.]
"Strong artificial intelligence..." Kyle mused, recognizing the immense power now at his disposal. Strong AI, capable of reasoning, problem-solving, and possessing self-awareness, represented a significant leap from narrow AI like J.A.R.V.I.S. The Red Queen's capabilities could rival those of Ultron, but with the crucial difference of absolute loyalty to Kyle.
"System, the Red Queen won't harm the world or go rogue, will it?" Kyle needed assurance before proceeding. The last thing he wanted was to attract the attention of beings like Doctor Strange or the Ancient One, who might intervene if the AI posed a threat to Earth.
[Rest assured, host. The Red Queen will not act independently unless given specific orders.]
With the system's guarantee, Kyle activated the extraction.
"Hello, creator. I am the Red Queen," a mature, aloof female voice emanated from the laptop, a stark contrast to the childlike voice of the original Red Queen.
"You are... the Red Queen?" Kyle was taken aback by the transformation from a childlike AI to a more sophisticated, adult form.
"Reporting to the creator, the child form is a subroutine. The main body is as you see now," the Red Queen explained, highlighting her ability to run multiple subroutines simultaneously, each with capabilities rivaling J.A.R.V.I.S.
Strong AI, akin to a digital deity, could easily destabilize nations if misused. Kyle contemplated leveraging the Red Queen for financial gain, but the system intervened.
[Host, please refrain from using the Red Queen for illegal activities.]
Kyle sighed, abandoning his plan to manipulate global finances. Instead, he focused on integrating the Red Queen into his operations.
"Red Queen, can you access my phone?" Kyle asked, planning to delegate company oversight and security to the AI.
"Creator, the connection has been established. Would you like to proceed?" the Red Queen confirmed, ready to integrate with Kyle's devices and the company's network.
"Proceed. I'm entrusting you with the company's operations, especially the monitoring of the No. 7 crystal," Kyle instructed, relieved to offload some responsibilities.
With the Red Queen managing the company's affairs, Kyle could focus on his broader goals, ensuring that his operations remained secure and efficient, much like the advanced systems employed by organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. or Stark Industries.