The hidden lab was dark. Still. Silent.
Until I turned on the main breaker.
A series of arc lights buzzed overhead, flickering into life one by one, casting long shadows across concrete walls and rusted steel beams. Dust danced in the air. The underground bunker was cold, humid, and abandoned since the fall of a small Hydra cell weeks ago.
I had cleaned it out, purged every trace of its former purpose. And now, it was mine.
A lab.
Which will soon be leagues ahead of any other lab in the whole world.
I walked across the floor to the raised platform where the foundation of my first project lay—a crude frame of steel, vacuum tubes, electromagnetic coils, and enough miles of copper wire to string a guitar for every soldier in Europe.
My first machine.
This was GENESIS-0—the seed from which everything else would grow.
A computer.
Not the sleek laptop with dozens of different features which would be a common thing from my previous world or floating interface like in the future of this world.
But soon it would reach that level. And even surpass it. Though it would take time. But not too long.
I leaned over the terminal, watching the tubes glow as I powered the machine for its first full boot cycle. The size of a van, the machine hummed to life with the gentle warmth of flowing energy.
It wasn't intelligent—not yet. But it could store, process, and calculate.
A miracle for 1945.
Of course, to me… it was laughably primitive. But for this world? It was the most advanced computing device on Earth.
And it was only the beginning.
When I'd first sketched the design, I had to balance innovation with plausibility. The world wasn't ready for silicon microchips, better to say they didn't even have microchips. So I fell back on early computing architecture—vacuum tubes, punch cards, magnetic drums.
But the arrangement of it?
That was pure 21st-century tech filtered through a 1940s lens.
I'd copied knowledge from Howard Stark's prototyping and energy systems, Arnim Zola's quantum mechanics, and a dozen wartime scientists whose talents had been wasted on bombs and blood.
And for this I have visited almost all notable institutions and work place related to my project and copied the skills and knowdlege of all the people whose knowledge could help my projects.
Merged with my own past-life knowledge of programming, circuit logic, and machine design, I had everything I needed.
All I had to do was work.
Two Weeks Later.
Sweat rolled down my back as I soldered the final joint into place.
GENESIS-0's core frame was now complete—bolted down, stabilized, and protected behind reinforced steel shielding.
Behind me, crates from Stark Industries had been delivered under the radar—relabeled as medical aid and experimental mining tech. My power as a shareholder had its uses.
From Frost Industries, I'd obtained high-grade alloys, rare metals, and access to experimental heat-resistant materials—perfect for power insulation.
I had money. I had parts. I had knowledge.
All I needed was time.
And I had plenty of it.
Once GENESIS-0 was operational, I began uploading the first custom-coded programs.
Not BASIC or COBOL—those wouldn't even exist for decades.
I wrote my own language a hybrid of assembly and high-level directives based on my past-life experience.
Each function I added was like carving stone with a hammer.
Because the tech was ancient. Too old. Even though it was leagues ahead of anything today. It was slow like a snail to me who had seen computers and mobile phones of top quality.
Memory Management: Built-in.
Data Classification Algorithms: Primitive but functional.
Simulation Matrix: Capable of running basic combat and tactical scenarios.
Encryption Tools: Decades beyond anything the Allies or Axis would understand.
It wasn't sleek. It wasn't fast. But it worked.
And more importantly—it was mine.
1 November, 1945
I stood before the machine in a darkened lab, the only light coming from the flickering readouts on the vacuum-tube panels.
I pressed the ENTER key on the terminal.
GENESIS-0 churned, ticked, clicked—like a dragon clearing its throat.
Then lines of green phosphor text scrolled across the small CRT monitor.
[MAINFRAME ONLINE]
[COMMAND INPUT: _]
I smiled.
This too big, too slow, and ancient computer was the beginning and more was soon to follow.
One day, it would run simulations, decrypt classified intelligence, generate schematics, automate surveillance, even design weapons.
In time, it would help me build a private technological strength just like Tony Stark would have in future.
Strength came in various ways and technological strength was still a strength and it was strong too. Take Tony for example. He was amortal but using his brain and tech he battled supposed Gods. Defetaed Thanos who had all Infinity Stones.
Even though in the end he had to sacrifice himself he still commanded respect. So much that everyone bowed down to him out of respect. But that is a thing for future and might necessarily come to be as I am here.
But for now?
GENESIS-0 was the heart of my future.
[System Notification]
You have created a functional computing system based on future-level design within a pre-digital era.
Skill Level Up: Mechanical Systems Engineering (Lv. 9)
Skill Gained: Primitive Computing Engineering (Lv. 1)
I sat back, looking over the humming machine.
This wasn't just the birth of a computer.
It was the birth of a network, of an empire, of dominion over information—before SHIELD, before HYDRA's rebirth, before any digital revolution.
Everyone else was playing catch-up.
I was already writing the future.
And I had no intention of sharing it.
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