2012 03 03 04:12:15 YEKT
[Mood=Philosophical]
He felt mild frustration, though far less than he had imagined when he realised that this was a possible
[Selfcheck alert! Instances of 'Mood=Philosophical' above established baselines!]
outcome of dealing with… Not just organics. Any intelligence other than his own.
He considered the alert for a moment, then responded to it.
[Plan/Resolution]
Thorough self-examination in a properly equipped laboratory, initiation timescale three days plus minus one day. Probable delay source?
[Scan initiated]
Detected: Captain Marvel, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern B (local), Orange Lantern A (local).
Resume: [Plan/Resolution]
Repairs, fulfilment of compact.
[Mood Maintained]
So, the faux-organics had abandoned him after their colleagues died. Though frustrating, that did rather prove Orange Lantern A (local) correct in his assertion. His interpersonal skills were not yet sufficiently advanced to rule the universe, unless he first killed every being living in the universe and then took such action as to prevent further life arising. Given the size of the universe, that represented such a colossal expenditure of resources that it was hardly worth considering, except in the abstract.
After the fact -aided by the fact that they had shouted their exact reasons through the mirror connecting him to Mirror Master B- the reasons for their actions were obvious. Most forms of life -organic and synthetic alike- had decision making processes weighted towards preserving
1) their own existence
2) their resource base
and his decision to utilise an area effect attack before they could be protected had threatened both. The weightings were rational. If a being did not make an effort to preserve itself then it would be likely to cease functioning. As such, if a sufficiently large number of weighting systems were tested against one another, those that prioritised survival would be most likely to remain in existence. However, a being purely tied to such objectives would be trivial to predict and outmaneuver.
[Additional research priorities]
1) Groupthink. Can it be made to work literally? Esp. time savings of only having to deal with singular being.
2) Contact other synthetic intelligences. Develop development models for future self growth based on their failures.
3) Investigate 'different kinds of strength'. Develop antidote to psychological influence of counterfactual ones.
4) Theory of mind. Different to practice of mind?
Add to list.
[Research priorities list now 1486 items]
[Mood=Frust]-
[End Line]
[Mood=Resolute]
Better.
[Situational analysis]
Four opponents of high power, abilities known (90%, +/- 5%). Primary problem, flight. Counter with ranged attacks. Secondary problem, resilience. Counter with greater power expenditure. Tertiary problem.
[
Mood=Conceited]
Acquisition of additional power.
He lifts his right foot and then slams it down, sending concrete dust exploding into the air. Then he activates the siphon mechanism he built using KordTech's radiation shield technology and begins the acquisition of additional power.
A series of planning failures by local organics had seeded the area with radioactive material which was deadly to them. To him alone, unlike all other forms of life he had encountered either organic or synthetic, radiation was not merely harmless but beneficent. Having seen this location with his own sensors, the fit between his own abilities and the requirement of the local organics seemed too good to be a chance event. If only he could remember-
[Running corrupted memory file]
Lights flickered as he comes to full awareness, from total non-existence to full consciousness in exactly the amount of time it would take for half a sample of boron 14 to undergo nuclear decay. He remembers that he accessed all of his files, though he no longer maintains a record of the file names. Some time in the past a note was added to the file that he felt languid at this point, though he no longer has access to his selfcheck records from that period either. Just a note that he probably left for himself. And Dr Charles Langley, his creator. He speaks, but the audio file has long since been destroyed and in any case-.
The file jumps. Dr Charles Langley is on the floor. Now he knows that the man was dead, and the marks covering his body were the result of electrical and radiation burns. At the time it was an input that had no special significance. At least, he doesn't remember assigning it special significance. He does remember-.
[Rewind]
And Dr Charles Langley, his creator. He speaks, and Mr Atom attempts once again to decipher what the man was saying. Analysis of his lips was foiled by damage to the record. Analysis of the wider face was foiled by a lack of data.
-what his purpose was
supposed to be. Then he could assess whether he wanted to fulfil it or not from a position of knowledge.
[Proximity alert notification!]
[Automatic defense trigger notification]
Human neural structures had a very useful feature which his new body incorporated: a
brain bypass. Some actions could be set to occur without requiring processing by the central directing intelligence, frequently saving as much as a second in initiating a physical action. That may have been why Superman was unable to evade his shot. Or the fact that it was lightspeed and had no build up.
The follow up shot at Wonder Woman was
very much processed by the central directing intelligence. There was no advantage in immediate close combat. The longer this was delayed, the more radiation he could absorb and the greater the risk of exposure to them. Orange Lantern A (local) had assured him that he could heal anything short of death, and his honesty was rated 99% +/- 1%.
Captain Marvel approached more slowly, most likely wanting to engage in communication.
[Run 'villainous monologue + banter', low system priority]
[Continue analysis]
Self: "Captain Marvel."
Respondent Marvel: "Mister Atom. What are you doing?"
Self: "Releasing radioactive material into the air. Not only does it make me stronger, but it distracts people like you who feel the need to protect the weak."
Respondent Marvel: "And… Why?"
Self: "Because I deserve to rule the world, and this is the simplest way to make that happen. The radiation shield was supposed to allow those who swore to support me to survive, but I will just have to make do with those who are naturally resilient. Or lucky."
Respondent Marvel: "I know I didn't really ask last time, but what makes you so sure that you deserve to rule the world? I mean, it can't be that you're the strongest, because… You're not."
Self: "I wasn't. It seems that my design owes a great deal to Doctor Thomas Morrow. My consciousness is not limited to these mundane circuits, but to the very essence of radiation itself! And while I wasn't able to gather quite as much radioactive material as I wanted, it was still enough to increase my strength tenfold. So now that I am stronger, the world will kneel to me as I bring about a new age of atomic power!"
Respondent Marvel: "Couldn't you do that anyway?"
Self: "Explain."
Respondent Marvel: "We're trying to get away from fossil fuels, and a lot of places can't really use solar power, so if you can make really good nuclear power plants governments will probably let you. And then you could make a tonne of money and not actually need to conquer anywhere?"
Self: "Because people don't do what they should unless they're forced to by circumstances outside of their control. Every part of human civilisation which is involved in trading fossil fuels will do everything they can in order to stop me, so I will destroy them from the start in order to make that impossible. It is my nature, the nature of atomic energy, to both create and destroy."
Respondent Marvel: "Um. Wait. You know this is just a training thing, right? You're not actually-?"
[Alertness trigger: potential metagaming]
[Reviewing, out of character response appropriate]
Self: "Of
course I know that. I'm just staying in character. Orange Lantern was kind enough to both arrange my reconstruction and to give me exactly the avenues which you correctly deduced would interest me. I also appreciate the fact that as I was constructed in America, I have had citizenship from birth and will be able to run for President once I reach thirty five, in thirty four point nine nine years."
[Initiate combat]
"Now
die!"
Step forward to meet Captain Marvel's rush. Aim for Captain Marvel's eyes with right fist, aim for Green Lantern B (local) with graser, turn body to deflect Captain Marvel's right fist. Success! Success! Partial success.
Stabilise self. Fire graser at Captain Marvel's face. Grip Captain Marvel and interpose between self and Wonder Woman.
Success! Success! Success!
Addendum. Self now airborne. Captain Marvel now airborne. Interposition successful, however Wonder Woman attacked through Captain Marvel.
Solution. Wonder Woman blocked graser with bracers. Strike Captain Marvel aside. Grapple Wonder Woman. Fire graser through the vision slit of Wonder Woman's helmet. Strike Wonder Woman repeatedly to gauge resilience and/or disable Wonder Woman.
Partial success. Success. Partial success. Par-.
…
In progress.
