A mechanical life-form?
Even someone as forward-thinking as Howard Stark found the concept difficult to digest. After all, carbon-based life was too deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Silicon-based life and the like were not so easy to understand.
"Okay, Rorschach, even if it was as you said and that was a mechanical life-form, how did you discover it?"
Howard Stark once again raised this crucial question.
"Just as I said, I sensed it." Rorschach spread his hands.
"You sensed it?"
"Yes, Mr. Stark. I know you may not fully understand, but my senses are indeed much sharper than those of ordinary people. I believe you know that I'm not an ordinary person."
Even with Rorschach's explanation, Howard Stark still found it very difficult to understand.
In his understanding, being extraordinary meant something like Captain America: every aspect of the body had been enhanced, nothing more.
Not possessing strange abilities that other people did not have.
"Mr. Stark, didn't you and Agent Carter both want to know why I'm different from ordinary people?"
After thinking it over, Rorschach decided to come clean to Howard Stark about his identity.
"Of course, but I hope your answer this time isn't something like 'I was born this way' or 'I'm naturally gifted.'" Howard Stark sounded somewhat helpless.
"Unfortunately, that really is the truth." Rorschach nodded.
"Rorschach, stop messing around. This isn't the time..." Howard Stark felt a headache coming on.
"No, Mr. Stark, you misunderstand. My abilities come from a genetic mutation." This time, Rorschach got to the heart of the matter.
A genetic mutation?
Howard Stark raised an eyebrow.
With his knowledge, he naturally understood the term and knew that mutations could indeed cause certain differences in people.
"My genetic mutation gave me stronger physical abilities and also granted me instincts that other people don't possess, so..."
"So that was why you could detect the life force in that Cadillac?"
"That's right! Charles Xavier is an expert in genetic mutation studies, and some of his papers are very enlightening. I suggest you read them. I like what he calls people like us: mutants."
Mutants?
Howard Stark immediately remembered that word. It summed up the meaning behind it with remarkable precision.
Mutated humans?
Wait a minute!
Howard Stark suddenly caught something and hurriedly stared at Rorschach as he asked for confirmation. "People like us? Rorschach, are there many people like you?"
"Of course!" Rorschach nodded solemnly. "Genetic mutation may be a low-probability event, but humanity's population is so enormous that quite a few people like us are bound to be born."
This was important intelligence!
Howard Stark firmly committed it to memory.
Though this was his first time learning such information, there were no logical flaws in Rorschach's account, and it would be easy enough to verify. For the time being, Howard Stark accepted Rorschach's explanation.
At that point, the full story behind the "Cadillac turning into a robot" incident became clear and complete, without any apparent problems.
"Mr. Stark, have you ever heard of Megatron?"
Rorschach suddenly looked at Howard Stark and asked.
"No. Why do you ask?" Howard Stark was caught off guard by the question.
"Before that mechanical life-form was killed by me, it said, 'Megatron will return.'" Rorschach spoke to Howard Stark with a serious expression.
Naturally, he had made that line up entirely, his purpose being to make Howard Stark investigate Megatron.
And Megatron was the key to finding the AllSpark!
"Megatron will return?"
Howard carefully considered the words and immediately etched them into his mind.
The amount of information contained in that seemingly contextless statement was actually enormous.
First of all, Megatron was undoubtedly a mechanical life-form like the one in the Cadillac.
That meant there was more than one such mechanical life-form!
A return implied that Megatron had failed before, but had been holding back and preparing to make a major move.
Howard Stark had no idea why Megatron had failed or what would happen when he returned, but no matter how he looked at it, it did not seem like a good thing.
They had to stay vigilant.
"Did it say anything else?"
Howard Stark stared at Rorschach again and asked.
"It asked me whether there was any place on Earth that was extremely cold."
After giving it some thought, Rorschach spoke to Howard Stark again.
Naturally, he intended to steer S.H.I.E.L.D. toward investigating the North and South Poles.
Although Rorschach, with his X-ray vision, could personally go to Hoover Dam and scan whether Megatron was really inside, he still needed to lay the groundwork with S.H.I.E.L.D.
After all, he could not exactly return to fool S.H.I.E.L.D. again after discovering that there was nothing beneath the dam, could he?
The best approach was to work on both fronts. He would find an opportunity to check the dam, while S.H.I.E.L.D. could verify the poles.
"An extremely cold place?"
Howard Stark was utterly bewildered. What kind of random nonsense was this? It was completely disconnected and made no sense at all.
Still, Howard Stark carefully recorded the statement. When the time came, he could hand it over to the cryptography team for analysis.
"Rorschach, thank you very much for your cooperation!"
"You're welcome, Mr. Stark. It was only my duty."
Once he had learned everything he needed, Howard Stark personally escorted Rorschach to the entrance of the base.
"Mr. Rorschach, please get in."
Jarvis, who had received instructions in advance and was waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward respectfully and opened the car door for Rorschach.
Though he did not understand what had happened, he could tell at a glance that Howard Stark clearly regarded Rorschach even more highly than before.
"Jarvis, thank you for your trouble."
"You're welcome, Mr. Rorschach."
"Well then, Mr. Stark, goodbye."
"Goodbye!"
Rorschach waved to Howard Stark, and the two said their farewells.
He then got into the car, and Jarvis personally drove him out of the base.
"Notify Carter and Mr. Phillips. Tell them I have something important that needs to be discussed in a meeting!"
After Jarvis drove Rorschach out of the base, Howard Stark immediately gave the secretary beside him a grave order.
Chester Phillips might not have a name as famous as Agent Carter's or Howard Stark's, but he was none other than the last of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s three founders.
He was also the first and only director of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, as well as Captain America's and Peggy Carter's superior.
During Captain America and Peggy Carter's final battle against Red Skull, he had personally driven the two of them off to battle.
His family had deep roots throughout the country's military establishment and wielded tremendous influence.
Overall, he was a low-key powerhouse.
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