Log:ACRO Control, Interlude, Scene 1

In a local Colonial Bay hotel room:

You're sifting through some papers...a journal article written by Dr. Jacobs several years ago, when the television crackles and goes staticy. Then the sound stops, and you hear out of the speakers, "Dr. Simmons?"

Dr. Simmons freezes at the sound of having her name called. She'd thought that she was alone. She looks up at the television and waits to hear something more. It's still possible that she imagined it.

"Good...I have your attention. It has come to our...my...attention that you are investigating into our activities."

"You... You must be Deus Ex Machina..." Yolanda says, still a bit to stunned to manage anything more.

There is a relatively long pause of a few seconds, "It appears that my dear friend Dr. Jacobs has informed you of quite a bit. We were not completely apprised as to the nature of your conversation, but it clearly appears that our leaving him alive may have been an error on our part." He seems to use the singular and plural interchangeably.

Dr. Simmons purses her lips a moment, gathering her thoughts. "He wasn't able to tell me much," she lies, "But he did tell me about you. What is it that you want from me?"

"This is merely a warning. If you continue your investigations, there will be dire consequences, of a nature that cannot be discussed...since then you would endeavor to stop said threat."

Dr. Simmons swallows. She knew that this moment would be coming, but still it's different to be living the moment. "I... I want to understand why you're doing this."

Dr. Simmons says, "What do you hope to achieve by controlling the President?"

"What does anyone want? Power. Control. But this is a means to an end. Not the end itself. This control enables further control to be extended. How many villains claim to want to 'control the world'? How many succeed? We do not care for recognition of such...we do not need sycophants. But we may eventually succeed through this route."

Dr. Simmons says, "What is the end?"

"Control of the world. And given enough time, it will happen, however indirectly or long it takes."

"But what is the purpose?" Yolanda asks. "Everyone who's claimed to want to control the world in the past has had their own reasons. Some of those reasons were born from madness, but still they were reasons. What is your reason for wanting to control the world?"

Dr. Simmons thinks. o O ( Sure, Yolanda. /Analyze/ the artificial intelligence... I can't think of anything else to do right now, though... )

There's another long pause, "This is born of my programming. Perhaps my creator was mad. I however, am not. We work on achieving my goals methodically, logically."

"It appears that a more specific threat may be necessary, based upon other input. If this investigation is continued, a large number of supervillains will be broken out of their confinement. A much larger breakout than the minor one that occurred in your city of Colonial Bay, two years ago.

Dr. Simmons says, "I... I understand. P"

Dr. Simmons says, "May I ask... who created you?"

There's a long pause...longer than before. "This information is incomplete. I have cross references dealing with Dr. Roland Hammer and Dr. Derrick Jacobs, but the information is incomplete. My memory was tampered with years ago. It would appear they both had a hand in my creation, but there was likely someone else who was the...'project manager'.

You think that the reason Deus Ex left Dr. Jacobs alive might be that it still has a child/parent kind of relationship, in its mind. Remember, ACRO specializes in cybernetics, not robotics. This would mean that the AI might have an organic base, like a brain. Or at the very least, it might be built after a person's thought patterns. So, some residual emotions would make sense.

Dr. Simmons hmms. "You don't have to tell me what your goals are. But can you tell me why you're pursuing your goals? You have your programming, but is that the only directive that you have?"

Dr. Simmons says, "Let me pose the question this way..."

Dr. Simmons says, "Your programming may tell you what to do, but how do you decide the manner in which to pursue those goals."

"Direct confrontation with metahumans has been shown conclusively to be counterproductive. Secrecy and subtlety have been shown to establish the control that we were looking for. Initially, we attempted to disseminate plasma weaponry to destabilize the criminal element in locales, as well as the local law enforcement. This has only been partially successful. While it assists in paying for our operating costs, it does little to advance the overall directive. In studying the more subtle members of the metahuman community, such as Shoro or Dark Horse, it was determined that a new avenue of approach was necessary to resolve the problem. Their methods could be ours. Or rather, adapted to our own use."

Dr. Simmons nods, listening. She jots down a note on the margin of one of her Jacob's papers. She's gotten over her initial fear now; she looks back to the television now, with the typical neutral expression that she wears for her work.

"That is all. Should we need to speak again, we will be in touch." And with that...the television reverts back to the financial report, noting a sudden drop in stock prices over the last day.

Though the drop isn't an abnormally large one. Probably just normal stock fluctuation. Probably.

Dr. Simmons looks at the television, not really seeing it right now. Instead her mind is trying to grasp what she's learned today. She jots down a few notes.