Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.
Phase 4: Changing world II
=IS=
Part 1
=IS=
The Conspiracy of the century continues to unravel! Hundreds of SI employees were arrested on charges of bribery, fraud, weapons sale, and potential treason!
USA Today
Rumors persist in Washington about potential Senate hearing over Stark Industries scandal.
C-SPAN
Kidnapping and shootout in Tampa connected with Tony Stark's abduction in Afghanistan!
New York Times
Tony Stark has a daughter!
US Weekly
=SI=
Stark mansion
New York, US
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. Investigations discovered nearly a thousand compromised SI personnel all over the continental US. Over two-thirds were among the security, engineering, and maintenance staff responsible for various manufacturing plans. Over a hundred believed they were building "ghost" weapons for the US government. According to them, it was either for special forces or to sell to allies that we couldn't offer advanced weapons without political repercussions. The rest of the bastards were corrupt crooks.
Ward's initiative got him quiet recognition because it was his contact with Stane that helped uncover the rot much faster than it would be otherwise possible. Stane's attempt to cover his tracks copied and flagged many suspicious files, some holding on ghost drives attached to the SI's internal networks. That saved a lot of time and headaches for everyone trying to excise the rot.
I wish I could be surprised. However, I knew from experience that you couldn't get such an operation like the one I suspected existed without many people supporting it. Even if the people involved knew only a fraction of the overall picture, there would have to be many who had to close their eyes and go along with the scheme to make it possible.
It was simply impossible for a handful of people to make as many advanced weapons vanish and find their way into the hands of terrorists without anyone else being the wiser.
Even if everyone burned in the combined investigations were a fraction of the SI's personnel in the US alone, those were still a lot of people. There were even murmurs about Senate hearings, and a few voices from the competition pushed for nationalizing SI.
That's where many sleepless nights since getting home began to pay off.
Despite everything that was happening, my name still had some influence left. Playing nice with the Special Task Force and the military did help.
That was how I ended up meeting a group of US military brass in my home. Since the US military helped me get Jarvis' servers back here from California, they've been impatiently waiting for a presentation about what I could offer them. Strictly speaking, this wasn't a bribe.
In practice, this meeting had the potential both to alter my future and change the world.
We met in a refurbished conference room, made to be as secure as possible. It had no windows and was deep within the mansion. Sound-dampening material lined the walls, and jammers and scanners for bugs had their slots and independent power sources. The only connection to the outside world when the room got sealed was a hard line to Jarvis' new server space in the basement.
Considering the importance of the meeting, a group of vetted SHIELD Agents led by Ward came to visit to inspect my security and ensure there were no unpleasant surprises.
I was at the head of a mahogany table, the same one that Howard once upon a time used to gather the SI's Board of Directors around, mentally preparing myself for the meeting.
Ward led the brass to the door, nodded at me, and stepped to the side.
First to enter was a striking woman in her mid-fifties wearing an Air-Force uniform. This was Carol Danvers. She was the first woman to reach a flag rank in the US Air Force. Thanks to my new contacts in SHIELD, I knew she was one of the rare people with first-hand experience with aliens.
The second was a familiar and not exactly welcome face. This was Lieutenant-General Thaddeus Ross, the same man who mucked up that Hulk fiasco couple of years back. His presence was an unpleasant reminder that there were beings on this Earth and in the galaxy that could squash me like a bug as I was right now. Well, this meeting was the first significant step towards changing this.
Next came another Army General – Samuel Scudder. He was a lean man with light cocoa skin. Notably, he was the man in charge of the US Special Operations Command. If one branch of the US military knew of the alien threat and was expected to be first responders in an accident, it was the special forces, obviously.
Finally, we had Admiral James Jones, Navy. He was a bald dark-skinned man who briefly reminded me of that bastard Windu. At a second glance, the resemblance was superficial, luckily for the Admiral.
These four had only one thing in common besides their high ranks. They were all aware of the potential alien threats.
"Lady and gentlemen, please take a seat." I gave them my best professional Tony Stark smile I had – awe the brass so that you can sell them more weapons.
"Stark." Ross scowled. "We're not here to watch a weapon demonstration. Cut the theatrics. The place is secure, isn't it?"
"A demonstration? No. A glimpse of a possible future? Certainly. Jarvis?"
"Sir, my hard line is the only connection to the outside world. All jammers operate at a hundred percent capacity. The available scanners can't detect anything out of the ordinary. SHIELD Agents swept the room for bugs shortly before the arrival of your guests, Sir."
"Some of us have been waiting to see what you can do when you put your mind to it, Mr. Stark," Scudder spoke calmly. "The suit we recovered in Afghanistan was fascinating if impractical, but that was to be expected considering your circumstances and goal."
"We all know you're very much aware we aren't alone in the universe. There are threats we're hilariously outclassed by out there." Danvers stared at me curiously. "I understand you are either a potential threat or uniquely qualified to do something about it. We're open to hearing what you have for us. But please, don't waste our time with bullshit."
"I must agree with our colleague, Stark." Ross shifted on his leather chair and crossed his legs. "For once, SHIELD came clean with what can be a piece of vital information. Fortunately for you, people above my head decided to give you a chance. Don't waste it."
"Ah, so that's how it is." I smiled and let everything that was Tony Stark leech away. I straightened up and crossed my hands behind my back. "You're right. Barring any friendly aliens who are military veterans, I doubt there is someone more qualified than me on Earth right now to figure out how to keep our world intact.
"Mr. Stark, I think it's high time we all get on the same page. Summarize your credentials and show us what you can offer. Our presence here today is a gesture of good faith and proof that we're ready to play ball." Danvers explained. "Within reason, of course."
"I've fought in three galaxy-wide wars and a series of smaller conflicts. I was first a regular soldier, then an officer in the army and navy. To qualify for warship command rank, the nation I remember being of required a degree of engineering education. I specialized in fusion reactors, energy weaponry, and shield technology. Over the years, I've picked up useful knowledge on various advanced technologies, their use, and maintenance. However, I can't recreate the whole tech base from scratch by myself." I pointed out. "I can offer useful theories and pointers to research teams to work in fields I didn't specialize in. Are those credentials enough for you?"
Wary disbelief, a hint of respect, and raw hunger washed over me as soon as I focused entirely on my guests.
In particular, Ross' eyes shone with greed.
"What about super-soldiers? Ways to enhance people?" He demanded.
"I am aware of two practical ways that can be eventually combined and know that work—genetic and cybernetic enhancements. The primary issue with the former is that, to the best of my knowledge, here on Earth, we have very few methods that can safely alter the genome of adults in any feasible way. I can be of no help in that regard. However, with the right tools and know-how, genetic manipulation can make soldiers faster and stronger, significantly increasing their endurance and the rate they heal as well. The primary drawback is the need for much more calories to fuel a potentially huge increase in peak and average performance. Other issues could be problems with the heart and an increased risk of internal hemorrhages. The reason is simple - the blood vessel system won't necessarily be able to handle the strain of the increased performance. This includes the risk of brain hemorrhages. State-of-the-art equipment, enhancement methods, and the best people in the galaxy doing the procedures can greatly mitigate some of the risks." I explained and looked pointedly at the soldiers.
"We lack some if not all of those," Danvers noted. "The other option?"
"Cybernetics. Good enough cybernetic tech can greatly mitigate most practical risks for the enhanced person. The primary downsides are reintegration in civil society and how those people handle being more machine than flesh. The latter can lead to psychological issues. Developing civilian prosthetics alongside high-performance and endurance military ones can mitigate the first issue. Needless to say, you need to be certain of the loyalty and mental stability of any candidate you want to turn into a combat cyborg. They will also need extensive training to ensure they can safely use their enhanced capabilities. While this path is both viable and certain to work, we're years of research and development from making it viable. Until then, and even then, there are more practical ways to increase combat power, which would continue to be power multipliers for enhanced troops."
"Power armor. Better weapons." General Scudder suggested.
"Precisely."
I noted Ross was leaning forward and smiling in a way I would have found most disturbing before Afghanistan.
"I certainly like what I have heard so far, even if some of the implications are disturbing. Make your case, Mr. Stark. We'll hold any more questions until you've finished." Admiral Jones offered.
"Jarvis, spin up the holos, and put up Sunshine."
Holographic projectors came to life before me, building a 3-D image of a commercial fusion reactor.
"This is the foundation upon which we can reshape the world and prepare to defend Earth if we get enough time."
