The proposal to launch the Age of Ultron project, a budget battle at the Standing Committee
The air in Zero Conference Room was frozen.
This oval-shaped table, polished from an unknown black crystal, clearly reflects every cold white band of light on the ceiling, as well as the face of everyone present.
Stability Maintenance Office Director Hela.
Minister of the Department of Technology Wanda.
Head of the Liaison Office Gwen Stacy.
Natasha, Acting Director of the Internal Affairs Inspection Office.
There's also the newly appointed Special Envoy, Jean Grey.
Apart from Gwen Stacy, the gazes of the others, whether open or hidden, never met. The water in front of each of them was smooth as a mirror, without a ripple.
Lynn tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a dull sound.
The sound broke the silence.
"Comrades, we have convened this expanded meeting of the Standing Committee Member today for an important matter concerning the overall defense coordination of the Management Committee."
Lynn's voice was steady as she glanced around the room.
"Recently, both the illegal border crossings by external forces and the potential risks to internal data security have exposed a problem with our existing defense system—its passivity."
He paused for a moment, giving everyone time to think.
"Our response always lags behind the occurrence of crises. The Stability Maintenance Office's Fleet needs to be deployed, the Ministry of Science Department of Technology's firewall needs to be upgraded, and the Liaison Office needs to exchange official documents. Every department is working very hard, but there is still room for improvement in efficiency."
This opening statement was so well-received that no one could find fault with it.
Hela and Wanda remained silent. They both knew that the meeting stemmed from the procedural Bastion they faced regarding data lease access. Now, the Director had personally intervened, suspending all procedures and gathering everyone together, clearly not to hear them report their difficulties.
"Therefore, I have a preliminary idea."
Lynn gestured to Gwen Stacy.
Gwen Stacy stood up and distributed a pre-prepared document to the terminals in front of everyone.
The document's title is eye-catching. "Proposal for Establishing a Fully Automated Defense System for ' Age of Ultron '".
"I propose establishing an independent project to develop a fully automated, intelligent active defense network. This network will integrate all functions, including early warning, analysis, interception, and countermeasures, forming a strategic weapon system capable of self-operation and self-iteration."
Lynn spoke calmly and unhurriedly.
"Its completion will greatly free up our existing departmental manpower, allowing us to focus more on handling core matters rather than being bogged down in dealing with various sudden, low-intensity conflicts. I have named it ' Age of Ultron '."
The meeting room remained quiet.
Hela's fingertips swept across the light screen, quickly scanning the outline of the motion. Her gaze finally settled on the vague statement regarding the "supreme command authority."
She looked up and was the first to speak.
"Director, I agree with this proposal in principle."
She first made her stance clear.
"However, for this level of automated weapon system, the ultimate authority to fire must be fully controlled by the Stability Maintenance Office. This is the bottom line to ensure the absolute safety of the Management Committee and prevent the system from going out of control."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable determination.
Before the words were finished, Wanda's cold voice rang out.
I object.
She didn't even look at Hela; her gaze remained fixed on the documents.
"The core of any automated system is its code. If the system's Source Code and iteration permissions are not subject to absolute oversight by the Department of Technology, then the so-called 'right to fire' is nothing but a joke that can be taken away at any time."
She looked up at Lynn.
"We cannot guarantee that a black-box system will not one day turn its guns on us. Absolute technological control is a prerequisite for discussing military authorization."
The opinions of the two department heads were sharply opposed, with neither willing to yield.
A final trigger.
One must have absolute control.
Natasha picked up her water glass, took a small sip, her gaze shifting between Hela and Wanda, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Jean Grey, on the other hand, watched quietly like an outsider, seemingly uninterested in this power struggle.
The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense once again.
"Director Hela's concerns and Minister Wanda's insistence are valid."
Lynn spoke up, breaking the deadlock. He didn't take sides.
"Safety and controllability are both indispensable. This precisely illustrates that the importance of the ' Age of Ultron ' project has exceeded the scope of any single department's responsibilities."
His finger tapped on the two rejection documents on the table regarding Jean Grey's office location, seemingly making a pointed remark.
"I think it would be better to do it this way."
All eyes were on him.
"To ensure a balance of power and prevent any single party from controlling the system, the ' Age of Ultron ' project will not be assigned to any department."
Hela frowned slightly.
A hint of surprise flashed in Wanda's eyes.
"This project will be a separate module under the Director's Office, and I will personally oversee it."
Lynn presented his proposal.
"At the same time, a joint project oversight committee will be established. It will be jointly led by the Stability Maintenance Office and the Ministry of Science and Department of Technology, with Director Hela and Minister Wanda serving as co-chairs. Representatives from the Liaison Office and the Internal Affairs Inspection Office will attend to oversee procedural compliance. All major decisions must be signed by both co-chairs to be effective."
These words were spoken flawlessly.
It acknowledged the professional authority of the two ministers, granting them the title of "co-chairs," and through the "joint signing" procedure, completely eliminated the possibility of either party acting alone.
Most importantly, the project ultimately ended up in the Director's Office.
Hela looked at Lynn, understanding that if she continued to insist, she would be disregarding the bigger picture and challenging the Director's plan. But if she agreed, Wanda would lose all control of the code.
Wanda is also weighing her options. She can't get everything, but Hela shouldn't even think about getting anything either. A draw seems to be the only acceptable outcome at the moment.
"I agree with the Director's proposal," Hela said first.
"I second that," Wanda followed suit.
A power struggle that could have split the Management Committee's top brass was perfectly resolved by Lynn with a seemingly fair "checks and balances" scheme, and he secured the final victory for himself.
"Very good." Lynn nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "Now that we've reached a consensus, let's discuss the budget."
He looked at Gwen Stacy.
Gwen Stacy immediately pushed another document in front of everyone.
It was a budget request report with a sum so large that it would make any department envious.
With the strategic vision of "overall defense coordination", the political status of "the Director taking personal responsibility", and the "joint supervision" of the two core departments, the passage of this huge budget became a matter of course.
The meeting went very smoothly.
The project has been approved.
Budget approved.
Lynn picked up his teacup, preparing to adjourn the meeting.
"Director."
Wanda's voice rang out again.
"Project approval is possible, and the budget can be approved." Her tone was calm, as if stating an objective fact. "However, there is a fundamental technical issue that wasn't mentioned in the motion."
Lynn put down her teacup.
"You say."
"What we're building is a strong Artificial Intelligence system with self-iterative capabilities." Wanda's gaze was clear and sharp. "It's like building a skyscraper; we need the first cornerstone. We call this cornerstone the ' Initial Core Algorithm '."
She looked around, her gaze finally settling on Lynn's face.
"The algorithm itself must possess extremely high complexity and near-infinite evolutionary potential. Otherwise, no matter how many resources we invest, we'll only be building a slightly more advanced calculator."
She paused for a moment, then gave her final conclusion.
"This level of code simply does not exist in the Management Committee's existing database."