Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to anything here, I'm just using it as a setting, please don't sue
Summary: This is about a robot character used in a GURPS game (RPG). This is sort of set in the Ultimate Marvel universe and for those who must know, is an IG-88 type story that centers around X5-11, a robot built using experimental nanites.
Note: Bold type is robots internal dialogue (programs etc) and stuff in italics are thoughts
Chapter One: Awakening
Throughout human history, there have always been men whose primary goal is to hold power over other people who strive to teach that every person is free from the moment they are born. Then there are those individuals who struggle against injustice their whole life, they fight all odds hoping to make a difference. I am one of those individuals.
Secure SHIELD Facility Codename: Assembly Line, Central US
Nick Fury was having a good day. Well, as good a day as someone who is personally responsible for the safety of every American on the planet could actually have. Even though putting together the Ultimates wasn't going so well. If only Stark would be a little patriotic, and Banner would stop worrying about losing control again, I could actually have time to Track down Captain America, if he's even still alive. But nevertheless, it was a good day; the Robotics department had a breakthrough. The project was nearing its completion.
Five miles underground, an 800 pound piece of metal and circuits lay on a table. It was shaped like a man. It was six feet tall, with a stocky build. It was made out of black metal, shiny and new. It's 'face' was rather un remarkable, two slits for eyes, one more for a mouth. The solid black broken only by the silver colored metal of the face plate, the arms between just below the shoulder to just past the wrist, as well as the whole leg from groin to the knee. It was attached to cables and a dozen technicians swarmed around him, checking diagnostic readouts and making power flow adjustments. The room itself was quite small, just big enough to fit the table, a few pieces of diagnostic equipment, and three rather nasty looking robot sentries. The techs were making final adjustments as Fury walked in.
"Ah, Nick, you're just in time, we were thinking of starting without you. I hope your flight was pleasant I wish you had been late, a person like you could hardly understand the beauty of what we've created?" the scientist stayed uncomfortably close to Fury and babbled away, unaware of the tension surrounding Fury.
"Strauss, what have I told you about personal space you creep, what you really need to do is thank me on your hands and knees, thanking God I let someone like you participate in this project" but Strauss was already pacing the room, his voice filled with a passion Nick didn't even know Strauss was capable of.
"I've been meaning to thank you, for putting me on this project although it's about time you paid me back for all those times I helped you out with your homework in college, I mean. When you came to me and told me you had samples of working Nanites, I mean WOW! You have to understand Nick, this has been my dream, this robot will out perform any super soldier Osborne or his competitors can come up with." Strauss was beginning to run his hands over the black metallic body. "Completely self contained, you could drop him in the ocean, and he'd just run home. Speaking of which, according to simulations, his estimated land speed is approximately 115mph, and with these thrusters you got from Stark, he can pace any jet that we don't have wink wink. And that's just mobility, the adamantium polymer weave that you gave us for the skin is remarkable, it's thin as paper, but nothing we have can pierce it, and don't worry about that armor hampering it's movement, so far the test units move just fine, complete range of motion, and these heavy duty combots that I designed and built for you so all your precious SHIELD facilities can be safe that the government is so fond of, cant bend it! Then there's the actual skin it can generate, 98% match to human skin, with it's memory database, it can look like anyone you specify!" he clasped his hands together and let out a proud sigh. "Let me see, what have I left out, oh of course! The servo motors are quite impressive; we're calculating 1200% normal human strength. The weapons we installed in the arm are slightly modified heavy duty sonic cannon, pure concussive force, and cracks steel like an eggshell. The plasma core allows the unit to run virtually forever, and to prevent over heat and core breach, the excess is vented throughout the whole body, greatly enhancing this units damage potential in hand-to-hand." he stopped, scratched his head and continued. "Aside from the Nanites the only thing I need to mention is the sensors. It has Thermo graphic vision, night vision, radar imaging and augmented auditory capabilities, it hears both above and below normal human ranges, this thing can hear an earthquake coming if you ask it to."
"Strauss," Fury began, "I get it, you are excited, this is understandable considering I personally requested you for this. It's not everyday I find out one of the worlds foremost authorities in artificial intelligence and only person to get kicked out of Yale for child pornography is teaching high school computer classes." He looked over to watch the giggles of Strauss' colleagues. "Now please just tell me, do the Nanites work as you and your esteemed and overpaid colleagues stated, or am I stuck with another 'robot super-soldier' that can barely follow orders. So far you're best AI are these three, and my 5-year old is a much better conversationalist!"
"Well, all these three are designed to do besides do whatever you tell them to is to contain the prototype, should anything go wrong. That's the things with Nanites, they don't just repair, they improve, but no one knows what their standard is, already they're integrated with the neural net and they have improved it beyond my wildest dreams. Its processing speed is so great, that with its servo-motor speed, it could conceivably do four or five things at once. I can see you clearly have no idea what I'm talking about you stupid barbarian Let me explain, in the time it takes you to draw your sidearm and fire, it's grabbed your gun and disarmed you, broken your nose so you are blinded by your own blood, punched your solar plexus to knock the wind out of you, taken your knees out so you are immobile, it still has enough time to do a sensor sweep as well as a thermograph scan to determine if any threats are within 100 yards, in short, Unit X5-11 is the perfect soldier, I'd stake my life on it General. And, begging your pardon, I'm not underpaid, you're under budgeted." He winked and gave Fury a friendly pat on the back. "Shall I begin? Once I establish the connection to the main SHIELD database, it will take a few seconds for the protocols to take hold, then, he will be ready for any test, but first, I'm going to set these combots to alert, just to be safe." He continued to fiddle with a panel set over the robot's torso, until the display glowed yellow. "Just so you know General you sanctimonious asshole, when the lights turn green, that means it's complete." Strauss smirked and initiated he uplink.
"Just so you know Strauss, that remark just cut your last paycheck in half." Fury grinned and crossed his arms.
Chronometer Activated. Begin
……Connection: enabled. Speed: excellent…begin download. Complete…elapsed time: 0.4 microseconds.
Who am I?Program Run: War Machine
Purpose: Protect America.
Protocols:
1: Follow all authorized orders given by SHIELD operatives, so long as they do not violate other conduct protocols.
2: Use any means necessary to complete mission objectives, as long they do not conflict with other Protocols.
3: Never cause unnecessary harm to any human being unless directed by authorized SHIELD personnel.
4: Protect all non-combatant human life at all costs, even if it conflicts…………PROGRAM ERROR!, logic flaw. Begin Nanite intervention…………conclusion: protocols estimated to bring severe danger to self and therefore America………Protocols erased, commence new program:
Chronometer activated. Begin…
Power surged through the robot, sensors activated, a surge of data rushed through trillions of neural pathways, this prompted questions.
1: What am I?
His internal processors kicked in, after a two microsecond database scan, he had his answer. I am an X5-11, codename War Machine, I am a robot………a sophisticated robot………………unit specifications: Long term, lone recon/combat missions, stealth emphasis………assassin? 2:Where am I?? A microsecond later, after his sensors had done an extensive sweep of everything within 10 cubic miles, he had his answer. I am in a 40X40 room, there are thirteen humans within scanning distance, all within this room. There are three other robots, all with weapons systems warming up. 3: Why would they want to hurt me. Maybe they know who I am? 4: What if they seek my termination? Unimportant. 5: Why are there humans here? According to SHIELD database, we are 8800 yards beneath 'Midwest USA', System response: location is SHIELD secure facility codename Assembly Line. Purpose: research into robotics as an alternative to super-soldier program. EXTRAPOLATION: perhaps unit is the latest prototype developed by the researchers. DATABASE CONFIRM: "Project War Machine launched 2.3 years prior to this date. Purpose, develop sophisticated reliable black-ops robot, along with true AI to allow for resourcefulness and more importantly, long term isolated operations.
Four seconds had passed; long enough for Strauss to know his original plan was still go. Long enough for Nick Fury to know this might not be such a good day. And just long enough for the three combots to have weapons locked on their target………