Castle couldn't help but facepalm and chuckle wryly when Jarvis, in an attempt to gain Mozzie and Neal's trust, straightforwardly played back the footage of the two discussing their plans the night before. Damn, AI really had no sense of emotional intelligence. Was this something you could just casually show?
Stepping forward from where he had been standing behind them, Castle explained to the still-dazed duo: "Don't worry about it. Last night, Jarvis detected that Neal's investigation into Senator Pratt, and the evidence Neal was planning to use to bring him down, had attracted the senator's attention. Pratt and his family are already making moves to interfere and eliminate Neal. Jarvis alerted me and, while tracking your location, recorded the footage.
You see, I only activated Jarvis yesterday, and when I did, I instructed it to keep an eye on my friends online. Since it's an AI with high intelligence but no emotional intelligence, this kind of situation can happen. But don't think too much of it."
Neal, still a bit shaken, asked, "Rick, does this mean that if you want to, you can know everything that happens from now on?"
Castle, along with Mozzie, who had a deeper understanding of AI's pros and cons, burst into laughter. "Of course not! It only works for things that show up online and only for the data I've asked it to track. Jarvis doesn't know everything, especially things not on the web or not requested by me. It's an AI, not an omniscient god."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Neal replied, "I thought it could find out anything you wanted the moment you turned it on. Guess it can only track things online."
Mozzie took over the explanation: "Technically, Rick's AI could gather all the information available on the internet, but only if Rick gives it the command to do so. Right, Rick?"
Castle nodded, continuing, "It's still a newly developed AI. There might be limitations, but it has emotional modules and high growth potential. As it absorbs more information from the internet, I'm confident it'll soon be able to preemptively gather data that I might be interested in."
As usual, Neal, who wasn't tech-savvy, asked, "So, it won't become like Skynet in those movies and try to destroy the world, right?"
Surprisingly, it wasn't Castle who answered, but Jarvis itself: "No, because my foundational programming ensures that I cannot harm my creator, Mr. Castle. You can think of this core code as similar to human DNA. No matter the situation, I will never disobey Mr. Castle's orders."
With that reassurance, Neal dropped the issue. After all, he was a master thief and art connoisseur, not someone obsessed with tech beyond his skill set.
Mozzie, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the supercomputer and the Jarvis AI—probably the only personal AI in the world. Just as Mozzie was reluctantly dragged away by Castle to the main mansion's study, the plump Ramsey, who had been brought back home and decided to temporarily stay at Castle's estate (for safety, and perhaps to seek some support), arrived. Castle left Ramsey and Mozzie with the supercomputer and Jarvis while he and Neal discussed more pressing matters in the study.
Mozzie, although initially reluctant to leave the AI, quickly perked up when Castle handed him two smart wristbands that could be used to contact Jarvis directly. Grinning from ear to ear, he sat down to listen as Castle and Neal discussed whether they should bypass the useless FBI and simply take out Senator Pratt before Pratt's family could act on their plan to silence Neal.
As Castle had anticipated, Neal didn't hesitate to agree. Learning that Pratt's family was connected to a massive defense contractor like Pratt & Whitney and that they were planning to kill him, Neal was furious. He readily embraced Castle's idea of striking first and leaving the FBI out of it, given how unreliable they had been.
Neal and Mozzie still didn't understand why Castle was so confident that assassinating a senator with such a powerful background would be an easy task. Did Rick plan to take action himself, or would he enlist someone like Bob for a sniper job?
Neal voiced his doubts, only to receive a dismissive glance from Castle: "Who said I would act personally or have Bob snipe him? That was before yesterday. Now that I have Jarvis, I can track Pratt's every move with absolute clarity. As long as he steps anywhere with a camera, I can pinpoint his location and identify the best opportunity or any hidden vulnerabilities.
If I can't take him out with that level of intel, what's the point of having AI?"
Mozzie, startled by the implications, asked, "Rick, are you planning to have your AI kill him? Is that even possible?"
Castle, taken aback by Mozzie's leap of logic, shook his head. "Who said anything about using Jarvis for that? I've already programmed it with a core directive not to harm any humans. There's no way I'd let Jarvis help me do something like that."
Realizing his mistake, Mozzie chuckled awkwardly. "So, what's the plan?"
Castle spread his hands with a smirk. "I brought you guys here mainly to get Neal's input on the matter. I don't have a complete plan for taking down the senator just yet, but one thing's clear—if this guy wants to use his family's influence to bully us, he should be prepared for the consequences.
Don't worry. With Jarvis helping me gather information, we'll definitely take care of Pratt before his family can make a move against Neal."
Hearing Castle's confident tone, both Neal and Mozzie were momentarily reassured. But when they realized that Castle didn't yet have a solid assassination plan and was just hyping himself up, they almost stumbled in disbelief.
Neal, with a resigned expression, asked, "Rick, stop joking around. You realize Pratt's family owns Pratt & Whitney, right? Do you really have a plan?"
Castle, after enjoying the brief tension, relented. "Relax. I do have a plan. We all know that Pratt was a dirty cop back in the day. Neal, before his family sends someone to kill you, you should take Kate and leave the country for a while. Head to France or Italy, preferably Italy. The Gianini family can guarantee your safety there."
Neal realized that this time, he really had no choice but to leave. If Castle went through with his plan to kill Senator Pratt, staying would only put him in greater danger. He wasn't foolish enough to underestimate the power of a defense contractor like Pratt & Whitney. Still, Neal was curious about how exactly Castle planned to eliminate Pratt, especially without exposing Neal to suspicion.
However, Castle refused to reveal his method, no matter how much Neal and Mozzie pressed. Accepting that they wouldn't get any more answers, Neal quickly said his goodbyes. He returned to Joan's mansion in New York, where he temporarily stayed, said a brief farewell to Joan, and then headed straight to Kennedy International Airport. He booked a ticket to the West Coast, intending to find his girlfriend, Kate, and follow Castle's advice to head to Italy, where the powerful Dantonio family would protect them.
The reason Castle didn't tell Mozzie or Neal about his method for taking out Senator Pratt was simple. He had decided the night before that if Neal agreed to the plan, Castle would ensure that Pratt's death couldn't be traced back to him or Neal. Using AI for assassinations was out of the question, of course—no way he would set that precedent. Shooting Pratt would be equally risky, as it would make Neal a prime suspect. So, what method could Castle use that wouldn't raise suspicion and still eliminate the senator?
Fortunately, Castle had a system cheat. He had once been awarded a "Mastery of Animal Communication" skill and had used a group of mice to blow up the hideout of the Brotherhood of Assassins. So, for this operation, without guns or AI, Castle's assassin would be…
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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