13 days until deadline.My brain farted halfway through this. Excuse any weirdness.
Brain 1:
* Quantum Brain Mass-Production
* Compact built-in systems
Brain 2:
* Build another Meshanblov Brain
* Modular autonomous drones
* Modular design
There's tree of you fuckers running around now. Each has joy of building the next one. It's like a family heirloom going down in the line. I'm pretty sure you want Meshanblov the Third build his own remote body, so assume that happened and took rest of his day. Assistants are getting tired for helping you three all around the clock.
Meshanblov Senior:
Quantum Brain mass production is slowly starting to take shape. Far from done, but precise automatic assembly is becoming better and better. And those compact systems you finish as an after thought.
Meshanblov Junior:
Buddy build, situation explained, yadda yadda. Tactical quantum computer is taking most of your time today, but is mostly finished. The strategic QC, while more complex, shouldn't take much longer as you are getting hang on the planning. You have to use elbow grease to get parts for QC's as your senior is messing with QB mass production.
Modular combat body design pretty much requires that the connection point is not the joint, but rather stable and immobile part. This makes it much easier to connect data, power, cooling and other systems. Joints can then be right next to the connecting section, which makes all cable management simpler.
Research in progress:
1 Quantum brain mass production
2 Modular autonomous drones
2 Modular design
To be researched:
1 Mind Editing
2 Supermaterial Armouring
Heat application
Nuclear II
Fast body
Advanced Sensors/Senses
Particle Beam II
ECM/ECCM
Stealth Systems
Forcefields
Research done:
Armored exoskeleton structure
Artificial muscles (electricity driven cells)
Digital brain copy
Particle beam
Miniature fission reactor
High density capacitors
Remote controlled body
Quantum brain II
EMP hardening
Remote sciencing body
Compact built-in systems
Stolen garbage:
Meshanite
Meshanite production line
Myomers
High capacity fuel cell
Test subjects expired: 24
Active Meshanblov's in existance: 3
Test if the process is reversible; if someone using the brainboosting system can be removed later. If so, Put my soldier in the prototype we have now, give him a gun, and tell him to go capture me some PhDs.
Meanwhile, adapt the braincase design to be able to block the microwaves that the Terrorizer uses, put a subject in it, and give them a dose of Eldritch Ocean to see if it works. Experiment controled remotely from a few miles away, naturally.
Start design for the final exosuit. Include some simple, pre existing armor, two of my weapon hardpoints on the left and right shoulders; one assault rifle and one grenade launcher. On the back six braincases to boost the mind, hardwired to a port on the helmet, no wireless that could be disrupted. Along the spine runs the terrorizer as it is now; no need to aim it, it can act as an area weapon.
Yesterday:
For master brain it should be reversable, mostly because it has that computer interface in between. Just flip a channel. Let's see. Hmm, doesn't seem to kill the subject receiving extra brain power. He does seem disoriented, however. Maybe mentally crippled? It appears to be temporary effect as he gets better over course of half hour.
Err, so you want your soldier be prepared to use slave brains? Okay, consider him loaded and on the hunt.
The Terrorizer doesn't use microwaves, but magnetic fields oscillating roughly on 48kHz. Shielding something against magnetic fields requires materials with specific properties. Permalloy and Mumetal are common commercial options, but you are not convinced they are protective enough, especially on such close ranges as Terrorizer will be. Considering they didn't really prevent fields leaking on the first attempt either. You... twiddle your thumbs. It's midly annoying when your mind draws blanks.
Whole day twiddling thumbs. Infuriating! Someone stole your inspiration!
star2wars3: Doctor Ocean drags you on operating table once again and gives you a minor surgery. Apparently changing your MMI implants for updated version. Then he shoves heavy backpack for you and flips a hidden switch on it. It's hard to describe how it makes you feel, but the MMI implant... extends you. It's like you understand some things much better. For example that plasma TV there, as you look at it you suddenly have pretty good idea how it is built, how electronics in different parts work. Or actually any electronic device you lay your eyes on, you can pretty much figure out how it is made. While recovering from the surgery you take apart of some surplus radio, stare their circuit boards and go "ah, so that's how it works". It's like you have training of Electronics Technician. And it's not only that. When thinking about some problems you'll soon have multiple solutions, some wrong, some right, some different from how you think would have solved it.
Well, tomorrow you gotta go kidnapping professors. Today you recover from surgery. Better make use of Company resources here.
Today:
Today you take back the time you wasted twiddling your thumbs. You have potential lead for an alloy providing considerably better magnetic shielding and work hard to prove it.
The exoskeleton makes good process too. Regarding the braincase holder, do you want them to be unprotected or do you rather have them armored too? In latter case the Terrorizer is better be kept outside.
star2wars3: Company workers do miracles and find you four candidates matching the rather loose conditions set by Dr. Ocean. Two in this country, two in another. All apparently on vacation or traveling. You keep your brain backpack close and prepare for hunt. It has been a while since you were last time on field operations. Kidnapping operations in particular have been few and far between, but your support team is experienced, though they admit their experience is more about kidnapping low profile targets. Any particular special equipment you want to grab besides rather good gear Company goons provide you?
Research in progress:
Terrorizer shielding
Exoskeleton
To be researched:
Mind to machine interface - canine adaptation
Mind merging
Artificial muscles
Advanced medical procedures
Optical camouflage
Overclocked biology
Research done:
Stable weapon attachment point and remote aiming designator
Mind to machine interface
Dreamstream
MMI - Data Diver
Braincase
Slave brain array
Simple brain-enhancing system
Test subjects expired: 62 (100)
Other victims: 35
Send a bunch of porn to Doc George to use as inspiration. Continue multitasking everything; add security monitoring to my tasks, and if I catch anyone trying to steal our stuff, perform a murder of them.
Doc doesn't even thank you for the gift. And it was good porn too!
Ten monitors displaying security feeds, two first person shooters (one eye for each), mouse on each hand, toes on keyboard(s) and consencutive winning streaks. On the evening you have very hard time keeping your eyes in one target; one eye on your junk to keep aim right and another observes wall writings of the mens restroom. It really shows dudes here are eggheads: ASCII art for boobs instead of drawing them right. (.)(.)
OPERATION: HOMEGROWN concluded, entering testing phase. Result: test beds with rapid neuron growth, manipulable according to testing needs.
OPERATION: WE HAVE WAYS
Step Two: continue work on WHW-R. I'd comment more, but wouldn't want to spoil the extranature involved, would I?
Step Three: once WHW-R is complete, finish the design of WHW-T to render it entirely compatible. Combine the two to form WHW-X, and test it with the ape test beds, using precise stimulation to teleport small amounts of matter.
OPERATION: ALL-SEEING EYE
Step Six, clarification should still apply: don't install the module yet. Make sure it has the capability of having a sensory buffer: to avoid overwhelming the mastermind with feelings such as pain, death, agony, that sort of thing, incoming sensory data may be given lower priority at the mastermind's discretion so that it's not an unfiltered feed of data at all times. Unproductive and uninteresting (mostly unpleasant) inputs can be pruned entirely, or examined in a more academic sense. New codename: the Executive module.
Step Ten: once module has been designed, put monkboy to use and promote him to Executive Producer (he gets a trailer and $70k a year, plus a kickass chair), complete with the Executive module. Task him with maximizing his underlings' (these would be the LEPAs, now redubbed EPAs once more) quality of life within the confines of the experiment - think of it like a game of the Sims, except without the "sim" part. So a game of For Reals. He is not to let any of them leave the project nor expire, and is informed that their paycheck (which is an actual paycheck, mind you) is contingent on them spending a certain amount of days training. A special bonus: he can have them cook meals for himself as well, and the EPAs can actually leave their captivity for a short while to deliver them, even.
Step Eleven: if I have the time, begin deciphering the functions of TG-B. How does it work? And how can I use it to improve my hivemind modules with hitherto unseen, presumably quite unbreakable telepathic security?
OPERATION: HOMEGROWNAutomated testing, backed by assistants, proves lack of complications in the protein. At least not today. Good enough!
OPERATION: WE HAVE WAYSToday it is WHW-R that fights against your mighty mind. The progress is abysmally small, absolutely substardard. And the fact that your soldier sends you porn to watch doesn't help. Not your fetish, but whatever floats in his boat.
Research in progress:
Codename: WHW-R
Executive module
To be researched:
Teleporter module
Hivemind testing
Research done:
Improved coordination
Improved cooperative bonding
Improved learning ability
Improved reaction times II
Terrible Glory + Analysis
Hive mind
Brain killswitch
Incentive module
Hivemind master module
Extra fast neuron growth
Major Technologies:
NERVOUS SYSTEM DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING
Test subjects expired: 35
Other victims: 8
Volunteers killed: 1
High power laser should be childs play since you already have sufficient powersource to play with. That has always been most challenging part of directed energy weapons. And thermal blooming. That shitty quirk of physics where energy from the laser is absorbed by atmosphere (and any particles in) and then causes the laser to defocus. Which means pulse laser is probably the best way if you want to cut through steel like a butter.
The laser gun itself is finished within a day, tested and discovered that it overheats like a bitch. That was yesterday. Today you resolve the heating issue by leaking pressurised liquid nitrogen at key points. Because liquid nitrogen is already damn cold and pressure equalization too has cooling effect. Just make sure you don't break the gun.
Research in progress:
To be researched:
Reverse chemical formulation
Improved training speeds
Intelligence increasing treatments
Research done:
Layered lighweight armor
Matter annihilation power plant
Dead man's switch
Rail-guns
Exoskeleton
Military armor grade shape-memory alloy
Advanced flamethrower
Insulation suit
High power laser
Test subjects expired: 6
Automatic research
Those pesky ball joints surrender in front of your mighty brain and have frozen in fear! That's right, you are the boss here! You even show that brain how to do its job better! Yeah, eye better watch that hand! Yes! You are on the roll, man! Nothing stands in your way except time.
And that coil gun. It's too in your way. Too big. Must be smaller. Shorter. Lighter. Means it won't accelerate bullets so ridicuously lethal speeds as its big brother does. Is that pillow? Oh, hello there, do you mind if I zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Research in progress:
Built-in coilgun
To be researched:
Extended brain - Enhanced multitasking
Stealthsuit non-visual camo
Extended brain - Enhanced visual cortex
Lightweight armor
Full enviromental protection
Self-sealing body
Redundant organs
Extended brain - Control equipment with thought
Extended brain - External knowledge
Extended brain - Physical and mental pain filtering/hardening
Stealthsuit body integration
Suggestible pheromones
Stealth holodrones
Researched done:
Reaction time study
Optical camouflage
Mobile holoprojector
High density battery
Dazzleball
Extended camouflage
Coilgun
Shock absorbent lining
True cyber limbs
Leg enhancements
Brain integrated chips - Improved reaction speed
Improved internal organs
Hyper eyes
Locable joints
Extended brain - Enhanced coordination
Major Technologies:
True fusion of biological and mechanical technology
Test subjects expired: 37
Obviously. But why would they give you any money when they can take it all and skip you entirely? That's the big question. It's a trade, they give you something you want and you give them something they want but can't get normally without a great effort. So what do you have to give them?
Processing power and a safe network to bounce through. Both are extremely valuable since it speeds up the hacking programs and prevents my co-conspirator from being busted quite so easily. This means they will be able to hit more targets with less risk involved.
Dunno if you really have either of those, but let's see if they buy it. Well, yeah, they do. You claim to provide access as soon as money starts flowing. Your argument is very convincing because they cannot trace your IP. It seems The Company takes security seriously.
Step one done. For step two, you have to bug your Doc directly.
Let's design our swarmbots and hunter drones. Essentially, these are semiautonomous sysetems directed by the robosoldier. Swarmbots should be designed with speed in mind, and can carry explosive payloads, or poisons, or destructor nanobots or even constructor nanobots.
hunter/killers should have better targetting software and should act like either self guided missiles, or semi independant gunplatforms.
for bothy, if I need to research aerial propulsion systems, We should do that first.
Hmm, let's see. Looks like we could tinker with brains some more. How about improving reaction time? let's see if we can get our supersoldier to operate in bullet time.
So both bot types are basically aerial units? That description of swarm bots indicates they are small, fast, disposable and can carry small weapons, primarily intented for harassing the enemy and hoping to do some damage in progress? And hunter drones are larger and self destructible? I think I need a bit more description here. What's the size range? 10 cm? 1 meter?
So starting with aerial propulsion systems. First thing that comes into mind is variant pulse detonation engines. The system itself is very fuel efficient and should be able to reach very high thrust, larger problem comes from shrinking it into size required for your practical applications.
Improving reaction time is also a job for nanites, obviously. Those things are miracle workers. It's fairly straightforward work; locate areas in brain responsible for reactions, compare differences between people with slow and fast reactions, postulate more effective form, and set nanites on work. That's six subjects dead from poking their brains.
Research in progress:
Aerial propulsion systems
Improved reaction time
To be researched:
Swarm bots
Hunter drones
Psionic powers
Kinetic shielding
Camouflage
Railguns
Lasers
Nanobot production: Extended raw materials
Armor
Distributed neural networks
Large scale modularity
Research done:
Nerve interface
Brain in a jar
Meshanite
Myomers
Highly volatile fuel
Robotic body
Multibrain control systems
Corrosion resistance
CF launcher
Improved spatial recognition
Major Technologies:
Nanomachines
Self construction
Self destruction
Electric manipulation
Kinetic shielding
Structural support
Gray Goo Limited EditionTM
Corrosion resistance
Confundium Harmonizer
Test subjects expired: 30
Keep working on that whole bladder control and walking thing. In the meantime though, have them beef up security. Automated turrets, with control from a central isolated room, biometric access, randomized security codes, that type of stuff.
Suddenly everyone is concerned about security. I wonder why.
You gain control of your bladder but lose control of your swear word inhibition, which isn't appropriate for a guy with only one lung.
I tell my agent that I'd like to be able to fill the room with flames as a last ditch security measure. That's probably the only notable system I'd need.
I remove Chimera from the nutrient slurry and transfer a human test subject's brain to it, then apply the post-implantation adaption virus and assign a non-squeamish assistant to help it and monitor its progress. As the smallest combat body, it probably won't be a breakout risk at least until it's more coordinated (shouldn't be much stronger than a pony or something), so it can go in a regular room for now.
Next I get to work on extra senses, this time focusing on IR detection. It might have more use in battle than magnetoreception.
If I complete that, it's back to neurotoxin. I've been thinking and it's probably best to develop this as a wielded weapon instead of a biological ability. That way I can have trusted assistants testing it, and I can ramp up the deadliness to skin contact levels without as much worry. And I can probably get a much longer range on a weapon. I start devising a neurotoxin weapon and a virus that grants resistance to it. I still want my soldier and any testers to be immune. Also probably myself. But I'm not injecting myself with anything until I know the virus works as intended. I've seen what these things can do when something goes wrong.
Flamers it will be. Construction crew arrives today. They almost see Chimera being carted away. Almost. You spot an interesting small logo in their work suits:
MGfAfter avoiding that potential incident and bringing the body to operation room you consult your plans for an hour to recall where exactly is the brain cavity in this model and how to ge there without making a mess. Right in middle of digestive organs, under spine and attached to more solid ribs. Naturally. Gotta get creative, especially with its healing factor and belly full of nutrients. Brain transplant takes about three hours and after gluing it up you brief assistants about proper behaviour around it.
Working with infrared detection takes rest of your working day. Simple IR detection as is seen in vipers is not enough. You take it, expand it, enhance effiency, add alterable neutral temperature so end user can adjust to larger range of "neutral temperature". It doesn't compare resolution of human eye, but it should be enough to improve detection of hidden foes. It's not rocket science after all. Of course brain have to be adapted to use data stream from these organs, but you got system for that already.
Research in progress:
Weaponized neurotoxin
To be researched:
Research done:
Targeted hyper cancer
Inline DNA manipulation
Artificial Siamese Twins
Monster maker
Rapid healing
Extra bodypart attachments
Panacea - Immune system replacer
New nerve pathways
DNA: Codename Tarantula
DNA: Codename Brutus
DNA: Codename Chimera
Nutrient slurry generator
Magnetoreception
Post-implantation adaptation
IR detection
Major Technologies:
CELL MANIPULATION AND LARGE SYSTEMS DESIGN
Test subjects expired: 41
I can't think of a witty thing to say here.
Has my volunteer been equipped with the MMI yet? I recall requesting that Captain Malpractice inflict the procedure on him back when I took the plunge into having a cyber-baby.In retrospect it would have made the proceedings a lot less weird if the volunteer were female, but I guess I did not look quite that far ahead when I was taking him in.
Also, does this mean I'm more or less free to continue the manual research? I mean, assuming I don't leave the chamber I'm plugged into the supercluster in.-----------------------
The slow formation of synth-brain structure would not normally be a problem. Feeding from the same databank, the brains could be grown tens, if not hundreds at a time. Right now though, it might be worth it to explore options.
Every process has its catalysts. For self-arranging metal crystalline lattices, it's reasonable to expect that either high temperature (greater amount of molecular movement), low temperature (easier crystalline bond formation), or particular frequencies of sound/vibration (potentially improving the odds of specific molecular patterns forming), will act as a catalyst in some form. Perhaps a combination of factors. Additives are possible, but considering how complex a construct a "sentience" is, causing impurities in the brain is probably a bad idea - yet in principle, worth considering.
Explore these possibilities.
If I have time/energy or the brain research is following a bad track, design the body's synth-skin. It should be a somewhat straightforward combination of the already-created myomer fibers interweaved with the sandwich composite used to store the corrosive fuel mix. Consider the concept of making actual "dragonscale" by rooting small flat segments of superalloy plate in the myomer weave.
If the setup in the chamber allows it,
check on the status of molecular sim and the build teams. And get that volunteer MMI'd and onto the premises if he isn't already.---------------------------
Semi-in-character list of "things to be done before the project has to go into testing":
Mandatory:
- Brain. To brain things. Consciousness included.
- Synth-skin, outer layer of "natural" protection. "Dragonskin"?
- Sensor suite: Optics, sound, contact/tremor, IR/UV, ultrasound, passive radar, active radar - in order of decreasing importance.
Optional, in order of decreasing importance:
- Training with body, and any optional equipment.
- Armaments, ranged: Heavy autocannon, small arms.
- External armoring: superalloy half-plate barding?
- Armaments, melee: Sword? (Hyperalloy preferred)
- Apparel: Military combat gear redesigned for different body.
I think I'll be lucky to get through the mandatory half.
You don't have to.
Father of your brain child (technically you are the mother) arrives back to home today and is finally in good enough shape to walk on his new prosthetic legs (best things money can buy). Good thing too, because Cap fucks up the surgery yet again. Perhaps the stress is getting on him? Thankfully he doesn't cause any damage because this time he understood to pull out in time. You swear you can do better job with your left hand alone.
Yeah, you can. Actually if you build up secure (in sense of non-existant latencya and high speed) wireless network over the building you don't have to be plugged in. Which I assumed you did. Because why you wouldn't? Experience feeds it after all. Live experience is even better than old memories.
Regardless what way you go, there's no way to construct a synthetic brain small enough any faster. These complex things take time. But yes, accelerating growth is of vital importance. Catalyst plays hard to get game, but you figure out ways that do not cause it happen. There aren't that many possible ways left, so it is feasible to assume you'll figure it tomorrow. Or you don't figure and it turns out there's none.
Simulator hasn't produced any results yet. Build team one has finished the main gun just today, but team two responsible of side arms still stumbles with easiest parts. You feel like natural selection is about to take place here.
Research in progress:
! Synthetic Intelligence training
Bionic Brain Matter
Outsourced work:
Sidearms - assistants
Hyperalloy - simulation
Research to do:
Synth-skin
Sensor suite
Wetware AI
Superalloy weakness
Research completed:
Structural skeleton
Myomers
Muscle layout
Cooling
Molecular simulation
High capacity fuel cell
Wear protection
Knowledge Database
Man Machine Interface
Non-Newtonian Kinetic Protection
MMI-computer control
Customized Personal Supercomputer
Consciousness Simulation Engine
Main gun - assistants
Other victims: 1