With the rising popularity of artificial intelligence threat theories, many trivial fragments of the past were unearthed, sparking small waves on the Internet. But at this moment, Tanner's previous life images drew the most attention. The clarity and detail of these images made countless eyes widen.
[ In a spacious basement, rows of luxury cars lined the windows. Beside a workbench, Tony welded components of a mechanical leg with a steady hand. A mechanical arm held a magnifying glass in front of him, adjusting its position.]
[ Ton focused on the leg parts, muttering: "Next, lift it. Stop moving, that's fine. Moving it will only make a mess, so shift it there; I'll handle it here."]
[The mechanical arm retreated, momentarily blocked by Tony's arm.]
["Okay, don't move, you're hopeless sometimes."]
[ The mechanical legs were intricate. At the back, a device mimicked human muscles, flexing under hydraulic pressure. Tonio tapped a button, and the back panel opened, revealing a cavity perfectly sized for his foot. ]
The live audience was awestruck.
"This mechanical arm is artificial?"
"Artificial? It's like Pandora's box, untouchable!"
"Bro, you're not welcome here."
"This mechanical leg is too advanced."
"I'm a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering, and even I can't fully grasp this."
"The leg uses extensive bionics and mechanical design. Did you see the back move like calf muscles?"
"Exactly, it replicates human muscle dynamics."
"Genius! Incredible! Tony's a genius!"
"It's amazing to replace human muscle with machinery!"
"Send Pandora straight to hell!"
Backstage, Tanner watched the rewards accumulate. Satisfaction spread across his face, and a daring idea rooted itself in his mind: "Build a suit!"
Though previous life clips only gave brief flashes of the process, Tanner's memories filled in the details of constructing the suit. Bit by bit, the vision emerged. Having once dreamed of flying in an Iron Man suit, Tanner now saw it coming to life before him.
"But money is an immediate concern." Currently, his 2,000 Dollars in rewards, plus a 10,000-dollar live broadcast fee, might only buy a handful of components. Many required parts, according to his fused memories, probably didn't exist on Terra. He would have to innovate himself.
The life footage continued, crystal clear as Blu-ray.
[ Grid induction ranging board, power box, manipulator, camera, fill light, everything was prepared.]
["Okay, let's succeed!" Tony grasped the switch wrench, wearing the freshly welded mechanical legs, and stepped to the center of the ranging board. ]
["Start half a meter behind the center." He inhaled deeply: "Be alert. Stay close and prepare the extinguisher. You start recording." ]
"Is this human-computer interaction?"
"Haha, Tony isn't embarrassed talking to the robots?"
"The key is power technology."
"Rich! Ridiculously rich!"
Military leaders and expert observers watched, smiles on their faces.
"Impressive courage," One commented.
"Building two mechanical legs independently is commendable, but creating a personal mecha? That's extraordinarily difficult. Our top-tier combat units already represent the pinnacle of current technology. A large, simple mecha has a slight chance at success, but a personal model…"
"Tonio's wealthy, this may just be for fun."
"Rich people play with technology, indeed."
Though they doubted Tanner could create a new personal mecha, they had no reason to ridicule him. Even constructing mechanical legs alone was a remarkable achievement, one that incorporated unprecedented structural designs.
"Sir, for a mechanical leg this size, does each bionic muscle need a small motor?"
"If it were just a motor, smooth movement would be impossible. We've studied this design for a while. With this structure, research may finally make breakthroughs."
"Congratulations in advance, President."
"The angular momentum, energy conservation, distribution systems, and bionic dynamics in this leg are extremely advanced."
The director quietly listened, waving to his assistant.
"Sir?"
"The life files of account are classified as level 3 extraordinary."
The assistant blinked in surprise. He looked at the chief in disbelief.
The Administration stored past life profiles in a tiered, airtight system. Ordinary archives differed from extraordinary files, which were prioritized from levels 1 to 9. Level 3 files were rare, even more secure than records of vampires recently captured by Aldice.
Elenora's past life had only been classified as Level 3 through recommendation. Being in an extraordinary file offered privileges ordinary people could never receive: security for family, 24-hour personal protection, and more. Few could envy such a status. But now, Tanner was granted a Level 3 file. It was unprecedented.
"Okay, Chief, I'll make arrangements."
"A high-level AI is sufficient for Level 3 classification. Sadly, this second-generation mecha will likely fail, or it would be mentioned." Experts nodded: difficult indeed.
[ Tony gripped the switch wrench, bending his legs slightly. ]
[ "Start cautiously—10% axial load." ]
[ "Prepare!" ]
[ "Three!" ]
[ "Two!" ]
[ "One!" ]
[ Bang! Sparks flew, and Tony was thrown by the force, hitting the ceiling and slamming into equipment behind him. The arm manipulator located him, paused, then slowly deployed the extinguisher. ]
"Pfft! That's ridiculous!"
"It's painful to watch."
"That's it? Pathetic!"
"The first attempt is always rough."
"Ten percent of endurance could launch someone straight up?"
"Seems plausible, but still incredible."
Video-connected experts laughed, while military bosses, who had doubted mecha development, exchanged astonished looks.
"The axial bearing issue isn't the only challenge."
"This technology rivals AI development, yet progress is slow."
"Energy output stability doesn't meet equilibrium requirements."
"Some charity might help this time."
Heads shook in unison. Johan remained calm, recording everything. Their reactions, preserved for history, might one day matter greatly for Terra's future.