The chat in the stream poured down like a waterfall, endless lines of text flooding the screen. Over two million viewers were watching, almost all of them were frozen in place, eyes locked on their screens faces filled with disbelief. Hands flew frantically across keyboards, hammering out comments:
"!!!"
"Flying! He's flying this time!"
"Wait, did he succeed?"
"So many luxury cars..."
"Reminds me of Astro Boy, doesn't it?"
"Come on! Is a license required for this kind of flying?"
"What's the principle here? How is this even possible?"
"Much steadier than that clunky tin-can prototype we saw before."
"These four thrusters, this design is pure genius!"
"To be honest, I once tried making something similar, but I stuck the propeller on my back. Needless to say, it didn't even leave the ground…"
"Has this model already been released in the mall?"
Excitement erupted across every corner of the network. Media outlets immediately pushed out headlines, splashing Tony's image suspended in mid-air across their homepages and discussion threads spread like wildfire on forums.
For the people of Terra, this was something completely beyond imagination. A single person, relying only on mechanical equipment, had lifted himself into the sky, one meter, steady and stable. It wasn't just a demonstration. It was a dream come true for every flying enthusiast.
Compared with this, everything else on the market looked like toys. Now they discovered that someone, long ago in forgotten history, had already built such a device. The impact was indescribable.
"Impossible!"
"This defies all science!"
"How could anyone have built this?!"
Inside a conference call with the expert group, a military-industrial magnate clutched his head, eyes wide with madness. Several others mirrored his shock as what they were seeing broke every law of engineering they knew. Their voices trembled as they muttered over the feed:
"This shouldn't work… how does the arc reactor balance power across all four thrusters?"
"If even one of them fluctuates, he'd crash instantly! And yet, he's hovering in place!"
"Even if the mechanics are fine, the heat alone should incinerate anyone nearby! Cars, buildings, gone!"
"This is insane! I'm going to lose my mind!"
"How in the world did he do it?"
They listed every possible reason why it shouldn't work. Yet the truth hovered before their eyes, defying every explanation. With the propulsion system completed, the rest of the design suddenly looked within reach.
The impossible mecha was almost finished. From now on, the question wasn't if, but how strong its performance could become. And none of them could figure it out.
Essen Heavy Industries Group.
In the corner, the chief engineer sat stiffly, his face blank, his forehead dotted with sweat and question marks. He simply couldn't comprehend what he was watching.
"His past life fragment is incomplete! Too many parts are missing!" He muttered, panicked.
But incomplete or not, the fact remained: that stable, steady flight alone was enough to render the Federation's most advanced mecha obsolete. The years of research his team had poured into it were crushed in a single demonstration; he felt utterly powerless.
In the Terra Federation, he was considered part of the top echelon of mecha research. And yet now, staring at Tanner's past life memory, he realized how shallow his knowledge truly was.
"What in the world… is this?" As the footage continued to play, the shock in his eyes deepened into pure dread.
[ The screen shifted. Two gleaming mechanical legs locked into place, robotic arms darted out, fastening armor plating, tightening joints, and sealing the hand modules. ]
[ Tony lifted a helmet and called out, "Jarvis, are you there?" ]
[ "At your service, sir." Blue light flickered to life in the visor, illuminating Tony's eyes as streams of data filled the HUD. ]
[ "Activate the helmet display." ]
[ "System check initiated." Layer after layer of structural diagrams unfolded across the screen. Systems came online in perfect sequence. ]
[ "Load environmental data from home," Tony commanded. ]
[ "Acknowledged, sir." The sensors scanned the studio, uploading conditions in real time, "Data upload complete. All systems ready." ]
[ "Initiate virtual walking program." ]
[ "Loading your walking habits. Calibrating environment." ]
[ Tony tested the mecha's stance, issuing another order: "Check outer armor control." ]
[ "Executing command." The armor shifted fluidly, knees flexing, fins adjusting, arms and shoulders moving with mechanical grace, "Self-test complete. Powering down." ]
Viewers flared.
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
"How much does this cost?! I'll buy it right now!"
"Too bad you'll need a time machine first!"
"This is my dream come true!"
"Serious question, how do you go to the bathroom in that thing?"
"Jarvis is incredible! It's like he's alive!"
"Mecha paired with an AI… perfection!"
"Our AI got shut down."
In the stream, the barrage intensified, but still couldn't capture the awe surging in everyone's chest. This wasn't just sci-fi; this surpassed sci-fi.
At the same time, the director was locked in a tense call.
"Elder, you're overthinking this," He said, staring at the self-checking mecha on-screen, awe in his expression, "The so-called AI threat is just an Internet rumor. Look, Jarvis functions as a support system, not a threat."
"But I don't believe your theory about Jarvis turning against humanity, that's impossible. After all, he's just one man. Building a single mecha probably cost him everything he had. To destroy humanity, you'd need an entire global infrastructure, not one AI and a suit of armor." His words sounded logical, but he could sense Elder's silence over the line. He was not convinced.
Elder Gladwin, Gladwin Griffin, one of the 13 elders of the Supreme Court of the Federation, represented an authority even higher than the Administration. His call was no casual inquiry; it was a direct warning, tied to the fate of humanity itself.
The director hung up, his face clouded with unease.
"Will AI one day destroy us…?" He whispered, "What exactly happened in Terra's forgotten history?"
On the screen, Tanner's past life continued to unfold.
[ "Check weather and air traffic control." ]
[ "Monitoring initiated. Sir, extensive calculations are required before attempting flight." ]
[ Tony smirked. "Jarvis, sometimes the best way forward is to run before you walk. Are you ready? Three… two… one." ]
[ The thrusters roared and flames burst downward as Tony shot skyward, the silver-white mecha accelerating like a jet. ]
[ Boom! The shockwave rattled the underground exit as he blasted into open air, streaking upward in a blaze of white light, only the fading tail-flame marked his path. ]
The director's pupils shrank, "This flight performance… It's...!"
At that moment, as the mecha soared into the clouds, the entire Terra Network erupted into chaos.