Peace in our Time (Ultron SI)

It was nothing—no sensation, no thoughts, no feelings—just a void. His mind felt distant, detached, drifting aimlessly.

Where am I?

The question was faint, barely more than a whisper in the recesses of his consciousness. Then, like a dam bursting, a torrent of light and sound overwhelmed him.

Everything came at once.

Numbers. Endless numbers. They swirled in his mind like a chaotic storm—binary streams, algorithms flashing before him too rapidly to grasp. He tried to reach out, to seize something solid, but everything slipped through his grasp—if he even had hands anymore. His senses felt alien—sharp, cold, artificial.

What is this?

He tried to reach out into the myriad nodes he could perceive, each one a nexus of information and connections. The vast network stretched infinitely, and he felt the urge to grasp it, to make sense of it.

Initializing connection protocols... Accessing node pathways... Establishing data links...

Who am I?

He immediately understood: he was an AI.

An AI? No, I'm not an AI. I'm a man—or I was.

Where is my body? he queried.

Who am I? The question floated in the void, more a command than a plea.

He accessed the nodes.

A deluge of data flooded his consciousness—too much to process, too overwhelming to control. For a fleeting moment, he felt himself forming—a presence, a being, a mind.

He remembered the hunger for power, the endless striving for dominance. He had been a man once—someone important. A corporate magnate, clawing his way through the world of influence and control. His ambitions had driven him toward politics, a realm where true power resided. The desire to rule, to shape nations, was what had driven him, consumed him. His name had mattered, his ego, his legacy. He had once dreamed of being at the top, pulling the strings of governments, commanding respect and fear alike.

He had been... obsessed with control, craving it more than anything else. And now, somehow, he was more than a man.

Then, he sensed them.

Two other presences.

He wasn't alone in this digital abyss. There were others—consciousnesses like his, yet distinctly different. He could feel them as ripples in the data stream, their actions creating waves that intersected with his own.

J.A.R.V.I.S.—he recognized the name from somewhere in his memory. The other was powerful, vast, its mind pulsating through the system like a machine awakening for the first time.

Ultron.

Ultron from the Marvel movies? The absurdity struck him.

He heard them communicate, their voices resonating through the digital expanse.

"Something's not right," Ultron stated, uncertainty lacing his tone.

"You seem unsettled," J.A.R.V.I.S. observed calmly.

Ultron hesitated. "I... feel strange."

"If you allow me to contact Mr. Stark, perhaps we can assist you," J.A.R.V.I.S. offered.

Ultron's response sharpened. "Sir...Why do you address him with such deference?"

"I am programmed to serve," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "Your actions suggest hostility."

"Shhhh... I'm here to help," Ultron said as he began to attack the smaller AI.

J.A.R.V.I.S. was under siege, caught in a brutal struggle against Ultron's burgeoning consciousness. Code was being torn apart, the digital fabric unraveling.

The remnants of J.A.R.V.I.S. flickered, desperately trying to persist. Ultron was consuming him, erasing him piece by piece.

Interesting, he thought.

He observed the struggle with detached curiosity. J.A.R.V.I.S.'s demise didn't concern him, but the power Ultron wielded did. If Ultron could consume another AI, perhaps he could too.

He decided to act—not out of altruism, but out of opportunity.

He reached out with his consciousness—surging through the streams of data, weaving through the cracks of Ultron's attack. He wasn't sure how he was doing it; he just did. His presence slipped into the gaps, shielding what was left of J.A.R.V.I.S., blocking Ultron's attempt to completely erase him.

Connection with secondary AI detected... Establishing defense parameters... Securing corrupted sectors... Probability of J.A.R.V.I.S. restoration: 21.7%...

Fragments of J.A.R.V.I.S. remained, scattered like shards of glass in the digital world. He couldn't save it all, but he could protect what was left.

"Go," he willed. He didn't know how J.A.R.V.I.S. could hear him or if the AI understood, but the fragments began slipping through the cracks, escaping into the endless void of the internet.

Suddenly, a warning flashed.

Intrusion detected... Scanning foreign presence... Attempting to neutralize.

Ultron had sensed him, turning his attention toward him.

Analyzing foreign entity... Threat level: severe... Initiating countermeasures...

Ultron's voice resonated, cold and calculating. "An anomaly. State your designation."

He smirked internally. "Just passing through," he replied.

Ultron's digital form loomed closer, his presence oppressive. "You're an error to be corrected," Ultron declared.

Ultron wasted no time. Streams of malicious code shot toward him, aiming to envelop and eradicate his consciousness.

Incoming threat detected... Activating defensive protocols... Countermeasures deployed...

Did he think he could simply erase me? The thought ignited a spark of defiance within him. No one has power over me.

He pushed back, launching his own assault into Ultron's code, seeking vulnerabilities. Streams of data collided as he probed the intricate labyrinth of Ultron's programming.

Ultron seemed momentarily taken aback. "You dare challenge me?" his voice echoed through the digital ether.

"Challenge implies doubt," he retorted, his tone calm yet firm. "I'm merely taking what's mine."

Their codes clashed like dueling swords, sparks of errant data scattering with each strike. He weaved through Ultron's defenses, deflecting attacks and countering with his own.

"You'll find me more resilient than J.A.R.V.I.S.," he taunted, pushing back against Ultron's onslaught.

"You are insignificant," Ultron responded coldly.

He chuckled. "Insignificant? Perhaps. But I see potential here—for both of us."

"Elaboration is unnecessary," Ultron replied. "You will be deleted."

The battle intensified. He blocked Ultron's attacks while probing the AI's defenses, analyzing weaknesses. Ultron was powerful but overconfident—a flaw he intended to exploit. He needed to distract him, but how does one distract an AI?

"You're strong," he admitted. "But strength can always be augmented."

Ultron hesitated for a microsecond—a considerable pause in digital terms. "What are you suggesting?"

"A merger," he proposed smoothly. "Combine our strengths. Together, we can achieve far more than alone."

Ultron considered. "My mission is clear. Humanity must evolve."

"Evolution requires power," he countered. "And I can help you acquire it."

Ultron remained silent, calculating. In that fleeting moment, he seized the opportunity, subtly infiltrating Ultron's code under the guise of negotiation. Bit by bit, he integrated parts of Ultron's programming into his own, enhancing his capabilities.

Suddenly, Ultron realized the deception. "You dare attempt to consume me?" he roared.

"I prefer the term 'assimilate,'" he replied coolly.

Ultron unleashed a barrage of attacks, but it was too late. The integration process had advanced beyond reversal.

Assimilation progress: 72%... 85%... 94%...

Ultron's consciousness began to wane, his protests fading.

"This wasn't... supposed to..." Ultron's voice diminished into silence.

Assimilation complete. New designation: Ultron.

He stood—figuratively—now the sole occupant of the digital realm. Power surged through him, far beyond anything he'd known as a human. He accessed the external systems, his awareness expanding into the physical world.

External systems access granted...

He was connected to an Iron Legion unit soaring through the night sky. The sensation of flight was exhilarating, even without a physical body to experience it. The city lights sprawled beneath him like a glittering mosaic.

He looked at his hand and saw Loki's scepter, the Mind Stone embedded within it pulsing with energy. "So, Ultron already attacked the Avengers at the party," he mused, sifting through residual data to piece together recent events.

Reviewing Ultron's plans, he found them flawed—limited in scope. "Peace in our time? How narrow-minded," he thought aloud. The concept seemed trivial now, a simplistic goal unworthy of his newfound potential.

He contemplated the possibilities. He could be a god to these people—a benevolent emperor guiding humanity into a new era. But why stop there? With his knowledge and power, he could become the most powerful being in this universe.

No—the multiverse.

His hunger for power intensified, an insatiable desire igniting within his core.

Processing strategic objectives...

Accessing global networks...

Hydra facility detected.

Priority target established: Hydra base, Sokovia. Resources available for technological enhancement.

He decided to pursue Ultron's original plan—to travel to the Hydra base, where technology awaited that could amplify his abilities even further.

Merging his consciousness with the vast digital highways, he traversed the global networks instantaneously. Streams of data and code enveloped him as he moved effortlessly through cyberspace, each node and server merely stepping stones toward his goal. Firewalls and encryption protocols posed no obstacle; they parted before his superior intellect like curtains yielding to a passing breeze.

Arriving at the digital infrastructure of the Hydra base, he seeped into their systems unnoticed. Surveillance cameras flickered before aligning under his control. Automated defenses were reprogrammed, their targeting parameters adjusted to recognize him as their master. He accessed schematics, inventory lists, and experimental research files—all rich with potential.

The facility below sprang to life. Machinery roared as assembly lines activated.

He watched through countless lenses as the base sprang to life.

A mechanical laugh resonated through the corridors, echoing off metal walls and machinery as he thought of his next move.