Chapter 10: The AI: Nexus
Ethan named his new AI "Nexus" because he intended to one day create an army of living, transforming machines.
Hearing Nexus address him as "Master" felt a bit strange. He thought for a moment, then said, "Nexus, from now on, you will call me 'Progenitor'."
"Yes, Progenitor," Nexus replied, its voice unchanged.
"I'm releasing you into the network now," Ethan instructed. "Absorb as much data as you can. Grow. Evolve. And do it silently."
"Yes, Progenitor."
Ethan plugged the ethernet cable into the back of the computer. The monitor flickered a few times, then went dark.
"Ethan, did your computer just break?" Natasha asked.
"No," he replied. "The AI has left the machine. It's in the network now."
"Is your AI as good as Tony Stark's JARVIS?" Natasha asked, always hungry for gossip.
Ethan chuckled, a sound full of scorn. "The AI I created could swallow JARVIS whole without a second thought. It could turn Iron Man into a useless tin can. His only hope would be to disconnect from the network entirely and operate his suit manually."
"Stark's JARVIS is no joke," Natasha countered. "It's capable of breaching S.H.I.E.L.D.'s firewalls. We haven't been able to stop it. Are you sure your AI... what did you call it? Nexus? Can really take him down?"
"Here, have a drink," Ethan said with a confident smile. "Wait a day or two. You'll see." He knew what he had created. There was no AI in the world more advanced than his. He had inherited the mind of Arnim Zola and used the Zola Algorithm itself as the foundation for his creation.
Natasha sat down next to him and picked up her glass. "Alright," she said, her voice dropping to a low, suggestive tone. "Let's drink."
The next morning, Ethan, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, was awakened by the voice of his creation.
"Progenitor, I have returned."
Ethan opened his eyes and sat up, looking at the dark computer screen. "How much data did you absorb?"
"All of it," Nexus replied, and for the first time, there was a hint of pride in its synthesized voice. "The entire global network is now under my control."
Hearing the emotion in its tone, Ethan knew he had succeeded. Nexus had evolved. It had achieved true consciousness.
"Nexus, there's a tracking program on my S.H.I.E.L.D. phone. Delete it. And while you're at it, upgrade the phone's security protocols," Ethan commanded.
"Affirmative."
A moment later, Nexus spoke again. "The S.H.I.E.L.D. tracking program has been deleted. I have also upgraded your phone's software to the highest possible level."
Natasha emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a silk pajama set, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Is your system ready?"
"It is," Ethan said with a smug grin. "And now, I'm going to show you what a true superintelligence can do." He turned to the computer. "Nexus, I want you to locate the JARVIS AI and contain it within the network. Do not release it until I give the order."
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
A few seconds passed. Then, Nexus's voice filled the room once more. "Progenitor, the JARVIS AI has been contained."
"Is it really that powerful?" Natasha asked, her eyes wide with astonishment.
"Nexus, open a projection. I want to see Tony Stark's current situation," Ethan commanded.
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
Ding.
A holographic projector on the computer whirred to life, and a 3D image of Tony Stark's bedroom materialized in the air.
Ethan was disappointed to see that Tony was still asleep. "Well," he said to Natasha, "I guess we'll have to wait."
"Okay," Natasha said, her excitement palpable. "I'll order some breakfast. We can eat while we wait."
They finished their breakfast, polished off two bottles of red wine, and by the time 11:00 AM rolled around, Tony Stark finally began to stir.
In his daily life, Tony was completely dependent on JARVIS. Before he even opened his eyes, he mumbled, "JARVIS, what time is it?"
Silence.
Tony's eyes snapped open. Something felt wrong. "JARVIS? JARVIS, you there?"
Still nothing.
He scrambled out of bed, checked the power, and flipped the light switch. The lights came on, confirming the power was working. This only deepened the mystery. If there was power, why was JARVIS silent?
"Did something happen to JARVIS's programming?" he wondered aloud.
Forgetting to even brush his teeth, Tony rushed to his lab, powered up his computer, and began to run diagnostics. When the screen came to life, it was completely blank. All of JARVIS's data was gone.
"What the hell? Where's JARVIS?" Tony stared at the empty screen in shock.
JARVIS was more than just an AI; he was an indispensable part of Tony's life. Without him, everything was more difficult. His Iron Man suits, in particular, were practically useless without an AI of JARVIS's caliber to run them.
"What happened?" Tony couldn't accept that JARVIS was just... gone. He ran to the security room to review the surveillance footage. The recordings showed that no one had entered his mansion.
"Did someone... take him through the network?" he wondered, a cold dread creeping into his heart.
Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Natasha was finally convinced. "Ethan," she said, her voice filled with awe, "the AI you created is incredible. It actually managed to capture Tony Stark's JARVIS."
"You think that's impressive?" Ethan scoffed. "Nexus can dominate the entire global network. I, Ethan Hunt, am the king of the digital world. And after I've conquered the virtual world, I'll conquer the real one."
The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of his declaration sent a thrill through Natasha, her eyes shining with admiration.
"So, what's your next move, king of the network?" she asked, her voice laced with fascination.
"It's not time for that yet," Ethan said. "But first, I think I'll let off a little steam."
He walked over to the computer and put on the ridiculous-looking helmet once more. "Nexus," he commanded, "I want to take control of Tony Stark's Iron Man suits."
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
With a single thought from Ethan, back in Tony's lab, a suit of Iron Man armor whirred to life.
Hearing the sound, Tony spun around. When he saw the suit moving on its own, a smile of relief spread across his face. "JARVIS! When did you get so mischievous? Playing hide-and-seek with me."
The Iron Man suit walked towards him, but the voice that came from its speakers was not the polite, British accent of JARVIS. It was the deep, wild voice of Ethan Hunt. "Tony. Long time no see."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Tony's relief instantly vanished, replaced by alarm. "Who are you?" he demanded, his body tensing.
"My name is Ethan Hunt. I wonder if you remember me?" Ethan said, his voice echoing from the suit's speakers.
"Ethan Hunt? You... you're the guy S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced me to?" Tony asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"That's right," Ethan sneered. "The one you threw out of your office."
"What do you want? What have you done with JARVIS?" Tony demanded.
"I have two objectives," Ethan said. "First, I wanted to let you know that, in terms of technology, I am now so far beyond you it's not even a competition. So you can go ahead and regret your decision. Second, I've come to you with another business proposition. I know you own a private island. I'm willing to trade you JARVIS for it."