Ch.43 A Machine that Predicts the Future?

"You've asked your questions, now it's my turn," Ronan said, taking a deep breath. This question had been troubling him for a long time and was the reason he agreed to meet with Strange.

"What is it?" Strange replied straightforwardly. After all, Ronan had answered his queries, so he wasn't going to hold back.

Ronan squinted his eyes and made a gesture in front of his chest, instantly enveloping them both in the Mirror Dimension.

Seeing this, Strange was taken aback. He didn't think Ronan would attack him, but he was surprised at how cautious Ronan was being.

"What's so serious that you had to use the Mirror Dimension to talk to me?" Strange asked, his face growing more concerned. "Is Kamar-Taj not even safe?"

The more he spoke, the grimmer Strange's expression became. If Kamar-Taj couldn't handle certain dangers, then nowhere on Earth could.

"No, it's not about safety," Ronan reassured. "I'm just worried that someone might be listening."

Ronan's expression was more serious than ever. Seeing this, Strange also grew solemn.

"Alright, so what's the issue?" Strange finally directed the conversation back to the main topic.

"I want to know if, since you've become the Sorcerer Supreme, you've ever felt like something was interfering with the flow of history. In other words, is there someone like you who can foresee the future and is secretly eliminating certain people?" Ronan asked, dropping a bombshell.

Instinctively, Strange blurted, "Impossible!" But Ronan didn't argue; he just watched him, waiting for his real answer. The initial reaction was natural, but Ronan needed Strange to think it through.

Sure enough, under Ronan's steady gaze, Strange gradually calmed down. His knee-jerk "impossible" had been more about disbelief than certainty.

But the truth was, something like this wasn't out of the question.

"Can I ask why you've come to this conclusion?" Strange inquired. "As far as I know, the only way to observe the future on Earth is through the Time Stone. Even the Eye of Agamotto has sealed that ability for now."

Strange looked at Ronan, eager to understand his reasoning. Who could this other person be, and what kind of power did they have?

Ronan hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. The Time Stone on his chest began to emit a faint green glow, and a scene materialized in front of them.

In the center of the vision were Steve Rogers and Black Widow. Soon, Falcon flew in, carrying a man who looked like he had just been apprehended.

Strange watched with curiosity.

Ronan remained silent, motioning for Strange to keep watching.

"Zola's algorithm picks out targets for Project Insight," the bald man on the ground, still catching his breath, said. It was Agent Sitwell of Hydra.

"Targets?" Steve Rogers asked.

"You," Sitwell pointed at Steve, then continued listing names. "A Cairo talk show host, the deputy defense minister, a high school valedictorian in Iowa."

"Bruce Banner. Stephen Strange."

"Anyone who poses a threat to Hydra, whether they are in the present or the future."

At this point, Ronan glanced over at Strange.

Strange's expression shifted as he heard his own name. He didn't know who this man was, but the fact that his name was known at all was alarming.

"Future?" Steve Rogers asked, pressing for more.

Sitwell looked up at Steve, a smile creeping onto his face. "Why not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught Hydra how to read it."

Seeing the blank stares from the others, Sitwell elaborated. "Your bank records, medical files, voting patterns, emails, phone calls—Zola's algorithm evaluates people's pasts to predict their future."

At that point, the scene froze.

This exchange had taken place years ago when Steve Rogers helped take down S.H.I.E.L.D., or rather, Hydra.

"Did you catch the key point?" Ronan asked, turning back to Strange.

Strange stroked his chin, his expression grave.

"Are you saying that the person who can predict the future is this 'Zola'?" Strange asked. "Even if it's a powerful algorithm, it's still just a supercomputer. It might guess people's preferences, but how could it predict the future?"

Strange still found it hard to believe. As someone who had lived in the modern world and experienced the convenience of technology, he understood its limitations.

Technology could predict preferences, but how could it know what you'd do tomorrow?

That was where Strange's disbelief lay.

However, Ronan shook his head.

"Let me give you another clue," Ronan said. "This event took place in 2014."

As soon as Ronan mentioned the year, Strange shot out of his chair. His previously calm demeanor had vanished.

"2014? At that time…" Strange's voice trailed off as he pieced things together.

"That's right," Ronan said. "Back then, you were still a world-famous surgeon. You hadn't yet become Doctor Strange."

"More importantly, when Sitwell listed you as a threat, he didn't lump you in with regular people. He placed you alongside Tony Stark."

"Subconsciously, this means you were on the same level as Tony Stark, or even higher!"

Ronan's words seemed to strike a chord with Strange.

Yes, at that time, Strange had been just an ordinary surgeon. Even if he was famous, he wasn't involved in politics or any secret dealings.

Why would Hydra consider him a threat? And to place him on the same level as Iron Man Tony Stark, who was already world-famous?

Could it be that Zola had known back then that Strange would become Doctor Strange?

If that were true…

Thinking this over, cold sweat formed on Strange's back.

Had he unknowingly brushed past death?