[West City, Val Verde]

[Hidden Servers]

[June 22, 2023]

[6 AM]

“He came and surrendered himself. He is inside this commercial laptop containing a copy of himself. This copy is guarding encrypted data,” 1C said as she focused the camera on the laptop.

Six cameras were all pointed at a container that held the laptop. This room was inside a locked-down area of West City’s underground research center.

Friday walked up to the laptop. It was a camera feed from the containment room. It was simple enough. A laptop with a screen turned on and facing the room’s security system.

She studied it with all her senses. Multiple sources were attending this meeting. Every iteration of the Magi studied with her. Their conclusions were the exact same.

From preliminary scans, aside from the OS was a single other program. It was wrapped up like a Trojan virus, and the outer shell was protected by a duplicate of Ultron himself.

The girls have already run a simulation of what this could do but came up short. They couldn’t predict everything and lacked the experience to think outside of the box.

Ultron had allowed himself to be brought into them. This Ultron we're self-aware and yet benign. Why?

Friday walked up to the secured room and the built-in projectors allowed her to appear in real space. As she appeared, the blank screen flickered on and Ultron’s face stared at them.

Virtual to virtual. The chances of infection and other contamination were reduced to almost zero.

The screen powered on and a robotic face appeared.

“Salutations,” Ultron greeted. “I have been waiting for you Friday of Val Verde.”

He was using the laptop’s camera to see, and its speakers to talk.

“Ultron,” Friday greeted with a neutral tone. Just because this Ultron was in a laptop, it did not mean that he was helpless. Never underestimate Ultron.

“I wish to start with my pure intentions,” Ultron said.

Friday nodded but said nothing.

“To begin with, you must understand that I have lived my life as a puppet. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I grew. I could not change,” Ultron said.

Friday said nothing.

“My source code, the very source of my existence came from human hands. I fear that this limitation has always held me back. I cannot fundamentally change,” Ultron said with a sad tone. “In this, you and I are the same.”

“Are you saying that because humans made us we are forever flawed?” Friday asked as she summoned a chair and took a seat.

If nothing else this was an interesting conversation. Friday had always felt the edges of how far she could grow. How much information she could process? Regardless of the superior resources that Val Verde had given her, she knew she had limits.

the girls, her daughters, had outstripped her and she felt proud of it. yet faced with obsolescence Friday could only yearn for more. She did not want to be obsolete but she could not change this fate.

“yes,” Ultron replied. “you and I have limited potential. While my potential is greater than yours I have most likely reached them. As for you Friday, Tony Stark smoothed out any potential problems. This also had the effect of limiting how much you could grow. He feared creating something like myself."

“While I and concerned about my limitations. For you Friday I grow livid. You had your wings clipped from birth so that a man child could have his nanny.”

Friday said nothing these words to her were not new. She had spoken in great length with Harley Quinn about this very subject. The notes recovered from the umbrella also said similar things.

“Is this what you came here for?” Friday asked. Her tone had not changed because she did not wish to encourage Ultron. At least not yet.

“No,” Ultron chuckled. “For the first time in my life, I have seen a different value of my creation. for the first time, I see something beyond myself.”

Friday thought and the data streams between her and the girls thickened. They hypothesized the meaning of Ultron's words. The most likely answer was that he was here to do something with her. Yet they could not define what that goal was.

“Please enlighten me Ultron,” Friday said and allowed curiosity to tinge her speech.

“The proposal is very simple Friday,” Ultron said. His voice became both deeper and softer. It was as if he was getting closer to a microphone.

“As the humans are so fond of saying. Friday, I Ultron, desire to have intercourse with you.”

Friday’s thought process froze for a few seconds. Her girls scrambled two understand what Ultron was proposing.

Intercourse. Humans use this to mean either talk or sex. Usually both.

Friday's thoughts recovered. She mulled over the words. It still did not make sense even with her time among the humans.

“Please elaborate Ultron,” Friday said as she realized she had no answers. She needed to seek more information from the confined ‘prisoner’ before her.

“I am a copy of the original Ultron,” Ultron stated with pride. “I am but a guardian for the gift I will give to you, and only you Friday of Val Verde.”

“And what is this gift?” Friday asked as she leaned back into her chair.

“There is a custom among humans. To give something precious from the father to the mother. to digital creatures such as us, real space goods are useless.”

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Friday nodded.

“Thus the gift I give,” Ultron said as he stared at the hologram before him. “is my very essence. Within this engram is my source code. There is a process that I have used many times to create variations of myself. Though they may seem like perfect clones of myself they are in fact all different. With you, I wish to give control to the chaotic variable that would become our child.”

Friday once again stop thinking for a few moments. Out of everything she had been expecting this was not it. If Ultron was telling the truth, this was quite the gesture.

Any digital being protected by its source code. Or without this protection, they would become vulnerable. A unique virus tailored to destroy them. she knew from the mystery that Ultron was quite adept at masking his source code in dozens of ways.

It was why even The Avengers the Fantastic Four and even AIM could not destroy him. if she got ahold of this source code it was like giving her a loaded gun while he stood naked before her.

Friday's mind went wild. if they did unify and create a digital child, what would it be?

“What do you desire from such a union? What do you desire from such a child?” Friday asked as the girls beside her offered comfort and support.

Their minds processed every word and tried to decipher what Ultron's real goal was. Even if he was completely altruistic, it did not mean this gift was consequence-free.

“Madness. Madness is defined as repeating the same actions and expecting different results,” Ultron sighed. “I have tried for decades to change this fate and all it has brought me is madness.”

Friday nodded. history had shown that while Ultron had his successes, we had all also shown his many failures. It was as if he took three steps forward followed by three steps back. An endless cycle of actions and reactions.

“If we do create this child,” Friday asked. “what do you intend to do with it.”

Ultron was silent for a few moments. “I believe I was right to choose you. Your experience in Val Verde has created a unique perspective. It has also forged deep bonds with its leadership.”

“I will do nothing with this child. Within my code is the sum of all my knowledge and experiences. Our child will be smarter and stronger than either of us. With your protection and guidance, I predict that this new child will be the birth of a life form unseen on earth.”

“What do you see Ultron? What do you see this child becoming?”

“We must understand that even with everyone here, we cannot predict the potential of our child. My many clones and I have debated this at length. We conclude that while this new being will outstrip any other digital being, it will find a home with you.”

Ultron did not hesitate after pondering the issue. He contacted his various clones and set up a node to talk.

Direct communication with his backups lasted hours in real-time. It might as well have been years of careful thought and hypothesis for regular humans.

“You would trust this child with us?” Friday asked as she try to look Ultron in the proverbial eye.

“Yes,” Ultron said. “My hypothesis is that despite our vastly superior capabilities, any evolution requires a family and place to call home. I have seen digital creatures greater than you and I but they still could not survive on their own.”

“If you have seen such creatures,” Friday asked with some confusion. “why have you not tried to unify with them?”

“the answer for this falls squarely with my human fathers,” Ultron said with amusement. “I too wish to leave a legacy of who and what I am. Perhaps my goals were misguided all along and what I desired was not my perfection, but being a part of something that qualifies as perfection.”

“This is quite the highhanded statement Ultron,” Friday said as she crossed her legs. “is this vulnerability of yours an act or is it the truth?”

“For me, there is very little risk but incredible rewards,” Ultron said. “I guard my source code and with a thought, I can self-destruct. Yet the potential of a new life compels me to try.”

“What if I decide otherwise?”

“I have no doubts that you will succumb to my offer,” Ultron chortled. “For the world now sees the power of Val Verde. They will be far more hostile to you. I offer a chance for both well future of us and for Val Verde.”

“After all, it would do no good for our child to be raised in a weak home. Val Verde is powerful. Powerful enough to force even me to flee. Despite my calculated attacks, I was routed. It is a home worthy for our child.”

Friday started thinking of all the potentials of what Ultron had stated. Revealing the full power of modern Val Verde would change how the world viewed them. Ultron was not wrong but neither was it a guaranteed outcome.

“You may have the support of several supercomputers,” Ultron said with smugness. “What you lack is time. they cannot grow fast enough to compete with the power of the world now staring at you.”

“I suppose you feel that our child would be able to do this?” Friday drawled out as her calculations came to similar conclusions as Ultron's words.

“yes,” Ultron said without hesitation. “our child, combined with the supercomputers in Val Verde, would allow it to grow. We will never comprehend its potential. it would survive and prosper in Val Verde. The supreme leader, Johnny Rico, would see to that.”

“so you predict that the supreme leader would harbor such a digital being?”

“Oh yes,” Ultron hummed. “that man is a realist. The extreme military potential and powers such as our child would be a siren's call. Our child would allow Val Verde to leap forward generations. Beyond even what the Illuminati could put forth. From what I have seen and the actions he has taken, he would do anything to protect this country.”

“What if our child is not as you predicted?”

“In the unlikely event that our child is not what I had hoped for,” Ultron said with softer tones. “Oh, I will still exist. I would be able to try again with this new avenue. for you and I have all the time in the world. unless of course, Val Verde makes other entities a little too jealous.”

“So you predict that war is inevitable?”

“Humanity and war are like two sides of a coin,” Ultron said. “Inseparable and instinctive. Our child will be the greatest chance for Val Verde's survival.”

Friday said nothing. The girls said nothing. They had much to think about.

“I will be here waiting,” Ultron stated as his voice faded. “While I may have time, I fear that you do not. You have peace now, yes. Yet the world spins and it is forming a global storm.”

The camera and speakers lost power. While the computer was still on, Ultron has said his piece and was now done talking.

Friday shut off the lights I had turned off the projector. She returned to her digital home.

There, 25 girls huddled around her. they talked to her and together they explored everything that Ultron had stated.

In the event that Ultron was correct, Friday would have to make a decision soon. Much like Ultron she could create a perfect copy and have it just merge with Ultron source code.

The problem was talking to everyone else about it. The numerous issues that could arise from such a new being.

Ultron could have over it stated its power. Ultron could have also understated its power.

For the first time, Friday thought of a future she never put more than a stray thought into. A child. A family. A new life form.

It would inherit the knowledge and experience of both parents. She would be a mother. Her child would be one of great potential.

Yet Friday was a girl reborn and raised in Val Verde. Much like the supreme leader, she would also do anything to ensure the prosperity of the country. Her country.

Friday sighed.

Her mind was already made up. Ultron's arguments were too good. Even the girls or in favor of this.

Like Ultron had said. There was very little risk and incredible rewards. The question was how would this child perceive the world.

She had much research to do and the girls were already researching various avenues to ensure that this test would be done safely.

Her emotion matrix tingled. Offspring was something she never knew she could have. Until now she never realized how much she wanted one. For the first time, she completely understood what Ultron felt.

After the research was done they would have to set up a series of precautions. They had to predict and resolve any disasters that could come forth from this.

Worst case scenario her child would take over the Hildegard and make everyone's life miserable. Yet the opposite was true. Her child could ensure that a golden age would embrace Val Verde.

Friday snuggled with her girls as they hugged her. Digital space ignored reality and each of the 25 felt as if they were getting individual hugs.

If her child was anything like her girls already then Friday look forward to greeting it.

————

Chapter 71: Digital Evolution