Day 5Meshanblov cackles in glee at his obvious genius while dissecting one of the brains. Soon he would be able to transcend the limits of the flesh. And get loads of money.
For some reason thunder crackles in the background as Meshanblov's assigned super-soldier attempts to do an Igor impression.
Continue Artificial Muscles and Cyberbrain research
Starting with the cell fabricator you spend time writing program for managing cell construction and designing electonic circuits for the device. You are particularly proud about the program. Feels like another of your masterworks. What's left is printing the circuit boards, producing other fine mechanical parts, and putting together 3d cell printer and you can begin printing muscles.
As you go through your notes about mapping brain, you spot some inconsistencies. After careful and long evaluation you come in conclusion that your notes were sabotaged! There's no way you would have made such mistakes, and if you were to go in production with these notes it would have resulted braindead copies. And that's why you don't make much progress today.
Research in progress:
Artificial muscles
Quantum brain
To be researched:
Miniature nuclear reactor
High density capacitors
EMP hardening
Modular design
Research done:
Armored exoskeleton structure
Major Technologies:
Electricity driven cells
Test subjects expired: 4
Free spot? Haha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Doktor OCEAN! is now seeking soldier applications! Looking for medical expertise, a calculating mind, and a love for animals.
Action: for the first five days, compete First and Second phases, detailed below.
Overall plan:
Implant the human brain into a dog's body, keeping the dog's brain as the controller of the body, working alongside the human as a coordinator. The body is then enhanced cybernetically by a powered exoskeleton, and perhaps some optical stealth tech. Overall role is as a scout and assassin.
First Phase:
I nearly forgot; FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO SECURE THE LAB AND MAKE SURE NOBODY CAN ASSASSINATE ME. It won't do to forget how I got here, afterall.
Order from the company some ~100 physically fit, trained hunting dogs.
Run the dogs through some tests to determine strength, agility, hearing, smelling, and cleverness.
Put the dogs that perform best in the above criteria in a smaller group, and allow the prospective soldier to choose one. The rest can be used as test subjects.
After that, they can start doing some trust building exercises and such.
Second Phase:
The first phase above can be mostly handled by assistants. Meanwhile, it's time to look into a few useful technologies. Doing all of these at once for five days, trying to get one or two breakthroughs:
1: The Exoskeleton.
The main unit should simply be a structural metal skeleton and the muscles, armor and other systems can be attached to this. The overall structure will be somewhat permanently attached to the dog's bones.
2: Artificial Muscles.
Electroactive Polymers could work as a fairly straight adaptation of natural muscles, would work on electricity, and would be very powerful. If this doesn't work out for some reason, look into growing organic muscles.
3: Mind-To-Machine Interface and Mind-Merging.
We'll require some way to connect brains to electronic systems and other brains. Create a prototype that can be implanted into a human or dog's skull and connect wirelessly to an external system. Perform experiments connecting human-to-human, dog-to-dog, and human-to-dog, and have them coordinate to perform various tasks.
4: Better Medical Procedures.
The final unit will have many implants, and it would be a shame if it died on the operating table. We need to be able to effectively hook up damaged nerves and blood vessels, as well as avoid infection. This technology could also have strategic or tactical applications. Some mechanisms could be integrated into the exoskeleton, in order to automatically repair damage. Additionally, if the unit could ride onto the battlefield on a small vehicle, perhaps the size of a pickup truck, and bring along it's own miniature field hospital, even serious damage taken could be repaired.
5: Optical Camouflage:
This unit would be at a great advantage if it can remain hidden and strike from ambush. To this end, I'll look into mechanically recreating the changeable color and texture of cuttlefish skin, in such a way as it could be attached to the exterior of hard armor. If it's too difficult to recreate mechanically, look into ways we could either clone a large piece of cuttlefish skin, or possibly get dog skin to have the same properties. It could also be useful to come up with some way of masking the unit's heat signature.
6: Overclocked Biology:
A human brain requires a not inconsiderable amount of life support. The hope is that the dog's metabolism will be able to support both brains in terms of life support, but this requires that we find some way to keep the two species' flesh from rejecting each other, and for us to speed up the dog's metabolism. Higher metabolism means more need for food, but that can be solved by having the unit carry extra nutrients. Higher metabolism could also increase the unit's general fitness, and could help provide life support for any organic components of the exoskeleton.
Third Phase+:
Farther plans depend on how well some of the above technologies go, but I'd like to begin the soldier training mind-to-mind with their dog, and to begin manufacturing the exoskeleton to the chosen dog's measurements.
My soldier brought up the idea of many dog units, commanded remotely by the single soldier. Is this design acceptable to the company?
Dog units could be considered as peripheral devices as long as soldier has reliable command over them and feedback, ie. he knows where they are, what they see and can order them do things.
You need a big dog. Perhaps a robot dog if you want it to carry human brain and its lifesupport and still be mobile enough. Or a bioengineered monster dog. Or exoskeleton to bear extra weight. Right.
First phase you can delegate to your assistants. No need to waste your time with simple animal scoring. You give them a short list of expectations and let them work it out.
Day one is all about securing your lab. You do fairly good job, you think. Daily changing individual passwords on every door, iris scanners and other stuff to identify all visitors. Reinforced doors, doubly so for your own bedroom.
On day two you focus on the exoskeleton for dogs. One that is attached to its bones. Complex design presents some unique challenges, especially if you want to add full coverage protection. Dog skeleton is much more flexible than human one and the exoskeleton must move synchronously with endoskeleton without causing pain or any hindrance. Especially bone attachments are problematic because those are more or less covered by muscles. An annoying problem. Third day is extensively frustating. Trying to tackle bone attachment problem is completely fruitless, along with trying to provide structural integrity for most flexible parts, day is soent almost literally whacking your head onto walls.
On fourth day you think you got the bone problem dealt with, but progress for other parts is slow. And today you unintentionally end up working with something completely different. A proof of concept shoulder cannon. It not really about the weapon rather than the principles of attaching a weapon on motorized gimbal and getting it to aim at thing user is looking at or pointing. The design is astoundingly simple, few cameras, eye trackers, configurable constraints and frankly amazing programming ensures that it can trace any target under most distracting conditions and hit without fail. It can be adapted for any weapon, existing or not.
That was a nice distraction, hopefully this little side inspiration helps you to focus on actual task.
Research in progress:
Exoskeleton
To be researched:
Artificial muscles
Mind to machine interface
Mind merging
Advanced medical procedures
Optical camouflage
Overclocked biology
Research done:
Stable weapon attachment point and remote aiming designator
Engage the martial arts study. Do sparring matches. Observe what two soldiers who are conditioned to be perfectly cooperative do when they spar.
Then engage the groups in technical studies for the second half of the day. Teach them of technology both existent and not, and how to deconstruct and assess weaknesses in either when required. Teach one personally from each cooperative, and let them disseminate knowledge to their peers.
Continue fine-tuning the drugs as well if possible.
Sparring matches, after teaching them basics, are something interesting to watch. They pull their punches to avoid hurting each other, and pace their sparring to not tire themselves out too much. They also experiment, thinking up new techniques and counter measures, effectively slowly inventing new martial arts style.
Teaching technologies goes about as well as one can expect. Their learning ability has not been improved yet, so it is slow progress. And near end of day half of the group reports that other half seems more lethargic than they should. Well, it's a late and labour intensive day so it is not unexpected, but you decide to trust instincts of people who have great loyalty and empathy for each other. You personally cannot tell difference about claimed lethargy levels, but after asking names and consulting records you find out that the lethargic people are the ones who were subjected to improved coordination and reaction time treatments.
Research in progress:
Improved learning ability
10 + 10 subjects
To be researched:
Research done:
Improved coordination
Improved reaction times
Improved cooperative bonding
Martial arts training
10 test subjects - 3 days trained
Major Technologies:
NERVOUS SYSTEM DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING
Test subjects expired: 11
RESEARCH
Inspiration returns today and it brings it friends along. Second layer, you realize, must consist of layers with alternating orientation. One layer absorbs impact and another layer distributes remaining along larger surface area. The molecular pattern is intricate and science regarding it something rather complex. You don't think any other scientist can understand it even after months of study. As for outer layer, the armor grade memory metal, you have pretty good hypothesis. It needs lots of testing and constructing machines for producing materials is not a quick job either.
Research in progress:
Layered lighweight armor
To be researched:
Improved training speeds
Improved exoskeleton
Advanced energy generation
Rail-guns
Intelligence increasing treatments
50 test subjects + 15 + 1
Test subjects expired: 6
RESEARCH
Reaction time study is finished without any major fanfares. You have pinned down where a chip(s) must be installed, what axons you need to break and hijack for your purposes. Next you have to design a computer chip that can do far superiour job than specialized neurons can. Not an easy task. And it especially needs to be self powered. Can't really pull power lines into someone's brain. Actually you can. There's nothing to stop you, really.
After dissecting countless cephalopods you understand mechanisms behind their color change ability and how they come up with good camouflage pattern. Now you have to invent a way to replicate it without living cells.
Research in progress:
Optical camouflage
To be researched:
Brain integrated chips
Killing emotions
Associate obedience with joy
Researched done:
Reaction time study
Test subjects expired: 15
Today's research - electromorphic materials. Material that changes shape due to electrical or chemical stimulus. Basic idea is a muscle type thing. enhanced versions will be able to form hard things like spears or armor plating when activated, and revert to a more flexible state when deactivated. even more advanced will allow for other changes, potentially of the T-1000 type.
Reaching T-1000 level requires some really major breakthrough or intensive and long study. Probably nanomachines of some sort are involved. Which is not a bad idea at all. Who knows. Long projects tend to produce those kind of miracles.
Annnnd you start the project off with exactly that kind of miracle. Your brain jumps off the mental cliff of level headedness and twelve hours later it climbs up with a plan. Production of nanomachines require long construction line of producing tools that can be used to make tools that are used to make tools used to make tools and so on until you finally reach level of mechanical finesse required. It won't be as long project as you feared, but it will still take good number of days.
Research in progress:
Nanomachines
To be researched:
Brain in a jar
40 test subjects
Cryogenic preservation
Multibrain control systems
Interprative total immersion VR
Robotic body
Armor
Research done:
Nerve interface
Test subjects expired: 17
I pore over my notes for the cancer weapon and copy anything that has significant applications elsewhere. Then I sell the rest to the Company. While that was a fine weapon, I'm not sure it's something I'm willing to risk my personal safety to have around.
With the rest of the time I continue my merging research, attempting to allow one or both subjects to control body parts that were not originally attached to them.
Everything has significant applications somewhere. Besides it's not like they can take your memories away. Replicating technologies you have already invented is a nobrainer for you.
Foreign tissue acceptance is finished, and you prove it by attaching a chimpanzee tail on your test subject. As a proof of concept it works fine, but naturally the test subject can't actually use it because she lacks required nerve connections. But the tail won't die or cause any health problems for her. Making one person move limbs of another requires some creative messing with nerve system. Theoretically you could already replace subject's limbs with ones from animals or other people and have them control them like their own, but that needs to be proved with an experiment. Of course you could go with what you already have, but having a proper proof helps confidence.
Research in progress:
Artificial Siamese Twins
To be researched:
Rapid bio growth / healing
Forced growth activation
Research done:
Targeted hyper cancer
Inline DNA manipulation
Major Technologies:
PANACEA
Test subjects expired: 1
Five directions may be... excessive. Focus on the first three - structure, myomers, and wear protection. Ideally that gives us a body to work with, and we can go with other systems from there.
Let the Company handle mass production of the new compound, since they insist they can make this kind of thing work. Something with those qualities should be of at least some use to general industries worldwide, so they can even turn a profit. If they agree to it, just have the basic skeleton made and it's done for now.
Myomers.... they are so close, yet so far. Pool most of the resources into this research, since it's a key component of the whole thing.
If there is time left or my brain (and assistants) needs to rest, get some more of the wear-protection system planned out and prepared.
(Note: the 'lubricant delivery' system, for lack of a better term, would actually be more of a lymphatic system - low-pressure, separate from the main circulatory system which in this case would handle cooling.)
Indeed, three is probably maximum I can recommend.
Reviewing your notes about the yet nameless compound you come in conclusion that it is better to use molds for crafting your basic skeleton parts rather than trying to forge anything. It seems least labour extensive and probably cheapest path to mass production. You hand The Company detailed instructions of the production process.
You carefully design molds for your skeleton and go through the uncomfortably hot process of producing parts. You leave your most useless assistants to file and polish them. Maybe tomorrow you can assemble the skeleton.
After four days of painful experimentation and repeated disappointments you make a small mistake when trying to make even decent myomers to happen. This small mistake ends up somehow producing something that surpasses your wildest dreams. This... myomer, does not only contract by impressive degree when subjected to direct current but it also expands when current is reversed. It can both push and pull with impressive strength. Careful experimentation reveals that its extended form is slightly curved and curvature can be modified by altering ratio of raw materials. Now you need to work out construction machines to avoid tedious manual work of producing more myomers for your robot.
Work on wear protection is minimal. More refined sketches primarily.
Research in progress:
Myomers
Structural skeleton
Wear protection
Research to do:
High capacity fuel cell
Cooling
I volunteer to be a super soldier if there are still spots available. If not, I volunteer to work as a spy for whoever wants one. ((If the GM allows it of course))
Welcome. It appears you have already found your personal crazy person. I think every scientist now have their own soldier to play with.
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Topic: Roll to create a supersoldier! Bloody air resistance (Read 139127 times)