12 days until deadline.more corporate theft, with what ever guns and armor my grubby little hands can get ahold of, for the master!
Except you really can't. Being a digitalized brain remote controlling a prototype combat body with prototype nuclear reactor you are having hard time moving anywhere without being noticed. And being what you are, you can't exactly do it alone. Gonna need help for transporting and getting your brain stick into body to avoid any jamming issues. Storming in and storming out is what you probably have to do. Of course if you are willing to take the risk of angering The Company by involuntary manslaughter of company employees, then feel free to give it a go. It'll be usual four day trip.
Brain 1:
- Quantum brain mass production
- Request more assistants, so they can work in shifts. Also, more funding if I need it. Point out that our sponsors can now be made into immortal machines once their flesh-bodies start getting old. Or earlier if they want.
- Mind Editing
Brain 2:
- Modular autonomous drones
- Modular design
Brain 3:
- Build another Meshanblov Brain, and then have fourth build his own remote body
- Heat Application
- Nuclear II
Queue Research:
Improved Meshanblov Co-Ordination and Co-Operation: Currently the Meshanblov Collective is more or less working in parallel on different projects, with minimal collaboration with other members. If we can work together better we can more fully take advantage of the multiple forks of the Meshanblov collective. As always, communication is key.
Quantum Entanglement Communication: Speaking of communication. The fools believe this impossible. It would give us secure point to point FTL communications that would be unjammable, probably, so figuring this out would work well with the drone army Brain 2 is working on.
Cyber-Security: Getting our brains hacked at this point would be just plain embarrassing
Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality: Providing Hud overlays and false sensory input simulations to a digital brain should be relatively trivial.
Before you go ahead and build fifth member of your collective, I should let you know that every copy of yourself effectively counts as another player. Not a full player because notes are shared between copies, but more like 0.7 players. Don't overload me too much, please.
And just when I'm about to post turn I see you have edited your post after I quoted it. I can't immediately see what's different so I ignore it.
Senior:
Working hard on mass production. It is starting to look like a proper full scale industrial production line. Once you finish last parts it should be able to churn out maybe ten quantum brains per day. Of course assuming building materials are available. They might even be almost affordable for non-billionaires if commercial production starts.
Today's focus on digimind editing is decoding memories. Knowing how to read those is the gateway to writing memories and knowledge, such as languages. Decoding memories from your own brain data is best bet because you know what to expect. First step is to observe activity in your own brain while actively recalling specific important memory, identify areas affected and work from there. Turns out memory is kind of indexed search book. Memory is sequence of lookups to another memories or bits of knowledge. Like memory of that one bastard dismissing your brilliance, it is links to identity, justified anger, reference to language center, point to known location and timestamp. It isn't really that much on first glance, but using those cues mind can fill the blanks and reconstruct the experience vividly. To put it simply, memories are just interconnected mess of links. Looking from that point it shouldn't be hard to construct artificial memories as long as it contains references to valid bits.
Junior:
Strategic QC managing fleet of drones under direction of connected individual is completed quickly enough. Last part is to finish that swappable utility part.
For modular design you already have adaptable construction plans, but now you can actually finish most of the computer interface managing commands to and feedback from connectable part. It should translate any limb movement commands from central brain into something the specific limb variant can use, and likewise translate sensory data from the limb into form the brain can easily understand. Of course the interface have to be configured for each part individually, but that shouldn't take much time. Barely even hour. So the modular framework is done.
The Third:
Yondaime has to play catchup with progress of technology since he last time was awake.
Applications for waste heat unfortunately aren't many. Only war worthy is usage of thermoelectric power generation but with your onboard nuclear reactor any extra won't likely matter enough. It could, however, be used to recharge batteries for those drones Junior is making.
Going for fusion instead of fission would require total and complete reactor redesign. Fission reactor doesn't have anything that fusion generator can realistically use. So first order is to improve effiency, although that means reduced waste heat output which in turns will reduce effiency of any waste heat application you come up with. Now that you are looking the design, you do see few ways to archieve greater effiency.
Research in progress:
1 Quantum brain mass production
1 Mind Editing
2 Modular autonomous drones
3 Heat application
3 Nuclear II
To be researched:
2 Supermaterial Armouring
Fast body
Advanced Sensors/Senses
Particle Beam II
ECM/ECCM
Stealth Systems
Forcefields
Improved Meshanblov Co-Ordination and Co-Operation
Quantum Entanglement Communication
Cyber-Security
Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality
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
Modular design
Stolen garbage:
Meshanite
Meshanite production line
Myomers
High capacity fuel cell
Test subjects expired: 24
Size of Meshanblov Collective: 4
Yup, armor the brains.
Work with the Terrorizer shielding progresses enough that you could reasonably say this is the thing. Not 5 sigma yet, but close enough. Next step is turning theory into physical material and test it.
Layout for exoskeleton motors and support frames is ready so you can start constructing it tomorrow. Maybe some powersource better than diesel generator in backpack would be good idea.
star2wars3: Currently moving to the site for first two targets and setting up plans for the operation "JUST KIDDING, IT'S A PRANK BRO".
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
Seeing as the Doc has given me the Executive module thingy now, add the subjects under my control into my multitasking/security monitoring routine. Do as the Doc recommends and have them train however many days they need to, practicing cooperative fighting, accomplishing mock objectives, firing drills, etc. Make sure their life is good, and use them to further extend my multitasking capabilities and security monitoring.
Another brain poking session later you have something growing inside your skull. Following doc's instructions you take the bunch outside and play drill sergeant like you have always wanted to. Training is great fun for everyone, though it may be better say it's fun for both of you because there's only two individual minds present; you and EPA. On late evening you two (including all EPA's twelve bodies) set up a barbeque night, grilling ribs and popping beers.
That's when the change happens. First you don't pay any attention to the fact that you can see with thirteen pairs of eyes, it feels natural and you have already gotten used watching two different things with your personal eyes. When you notice that discussion dies on spot because there's no one to talk with, only you. You who isn't you anymore. You are... well you are still you, but different you. All your experience and knowledge is shared between all your parts as is theirs, but more limited manner. You can recall their names, their personal histories, preferences, their experience here as test subjects, the short time they spend as collective dreaming about running high class restaurant somewhere. You can differentiate between these and your memories. Theirs is like learned knowledge, yours is actual experience.
And oh hey, this one female part has great eyes. She sees so much more green than anyone else! Millions distinct shades more!
In light of recent events, reprioritize momentarily!
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: 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.
LEPA was more a name for the hivemind, much like Borg was and Meshanblov is for their respective collectives. Though such unique being probably doesn't need any better identification because they are easily identified by description alone.
But today reality bends over to let you finish your work. Or perhaps you simply got over your scientist's block. Regardless, the executive module is finished and installed on the monk. Extra rapid growth applied on the module design guarantees he's having very interesting evening today.
Yet again, HR isn't going to give actual money to kidnapped people subjected to human experimentation against their will, no matter how much you ask. They can provide you counterfeint money, plausible looking data and documentation, but no actual money moves. Whatever physical things you want to give them is filed under project expenses.
Final design for WHW-R module is filed to archives. With that done you can squeeze just enough time to make WHW-T's input compatible with WHW-R's output and file it too as finished work.
Research in progress:
To be researched:
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
Executive module
Codename: WHW-R
Codename: WHW-T
Major Technologies:
NERVOUS SYSTEM DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING
Test subjects expired: 35
Other victims: 8
Volunteers killed: 1
pressurized air jump-jets.
Now those will be challenge to make effective. Considering weight the exoskeleton, armor, weapons, ammo and fuel, reactor and soldier himself, it's going need rather massive amount of pressurized air and extremely effective compressor to ensure jump-jets won't be single use things. And that's going to be loud, unfortunately. Well, you think nothing of it. Challenges like these are worth of taking on.
The project breaks down few primary points. First is pressure vessel to hold all the air. To give any decent thrust rather massive amount of air is required due its pitiful energy density. Second part is to build the thruster part and make it very effective. If you are smart, and you are, you totally should inject some fuel mixture with low flashpoint to multiply the amount of thrust air stream generates. Third part is to ensure the system is discardable because eventually fuel and air will run out and then it's just dead weight. And if the vessel breaks... well, your soldier will be dead meat if he can't make some distance.
Starting from the first problem. The vessel can't be too large. No larger than avarage fire extinguisher seen on office walls. Which means extremely high pressure air. It will probably end up being very hot too, compressed air tends to do that. So, dealing massive pressure and high temperatures. Maybe diamond lining? It should be able to handle both. And to save space thrusters must be part of tank...
Research in progress:
Pressurized air jump-jets
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
No, keep the big artillery sniper coilgun.
The smaller built in one is just for backup and close range.
Always more gun. Never less.
Yes. Large gun. And smaller gun. That's what I said? Gotta shrink large gun to make small gun, yes? Make this part shorter like this. Maybe split it in two? Yes, can still shoot fast. One part on forearm, another on upper arm. Line up, slip connector part in between, aim and boom! Hahaha!
I don't know why, but I wanted to link this video:
https://youtu.be/jHgZh4GV9G0?t=1m10sWell, you are not giving this gun to any of your test subjects. You do, but without bullets. Just to see the mechanism works.
Research in progress:
Extended brain - Enhanced multitasking
To be researched:
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
Built-in coilgun
Major Technologies:
True fusion of biological and mechanical technology
Test subjects expired: 37
I would like to request you give me some of your finished/tested prototype weapons and mods for a bit of covert ops. I also request that you try to create a opening in the guard schedule for me to use to escape confinement. I will be using this to sneak out and do a bit of tech theft again. I've already got the plan set up, but I need to get it rolled out within a week or it won't pay off with anything useful.
Regardless of ozarck's response, proceed to Step 3: Get some fresh military gear ready to go using the siphoned funds.
Step 3 requires finding weapon dealership that is both reliable and not under Company's watch. Dealers matching those requirements are few and well hidden. Too well hidden in fact. You can't find any. If you lower your requirements it might be easier to find some, but that brings all kinds of risks.
The swarmbots should be about the size of a table tennis ball. the hunter killers should be dog sized. There can be two types of hk - flying and grounded (all terrain). The small ones are disposable, yes. they are to act like a bee swarm - if they see the target they attack in unison. there can be different base types of swarm units - some that are little explosives, some that carry poison, and some that bite and tear, doing direct physical damage. Some could carry that highly volatile fuel, and ignite their enemy. the small ones can be stored and controlled from a 'hive' - some kind of box or other container that contains more sophisticated programming and such.
The hunter killers could have a variety of payloads as well - whether an integrated weapon, a payload of a specific kind of nanobots, or something else. The ground units should run on legs - six probably would be best.
I'm not sure what else is needed for description. think a hive of bees or such, and a pack of dogs or flock of vultures for animal analogies. the idea is that these are basic units that could have different types of weapons installed. the soldier would be responsible for deciding which types of weapons to use at a given time.
Let's continue with variant pulse tech, and with our improved reaction times. I suppose we'll do the usual with the deceased, whatever the usual is.
That's a good enough description for now.
Variant pulse detonation engine, VPDE, development encounters a small breakthrough which accelerates miniaturizing process considerably. Great thing about smaller VPDEs is even greater fuel effiency. Naturally making things tennis ball sized doesn't leave much space for fuel after propulsion, computer, and weapons systems. That means you have to decide careful balance for swarm bots, either increased airtime, or bigger guns. Anyway, the work is left in state where it requires only finalizing touches.
Same breakthrough happens when working reaction time improvements. Test version of special nanites causes greatly improved reaction times, but it doesn't play well with higher reasoning. Test subjects lose all control temporarily when their body goes on full fight or flight response mode. After some dissecting you figure out the cause. Correction and furter testing is left for tomorrow.
As usual, we dump their bodies into freezer and sometimes somebody comes with a truck and takes them away.
Research in progress:
Variant pulse detonation engine
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: 34
Automatic research
Tarantula regenerates on its full form today. And you spend too much time gawking its perfectly formed body. Way too proud parent. This means that progress with neurotoxin weapon doesn't make any significant process other than finishing an organ design producing the mentioned toxin.
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
No more half-ass measures. If I lose, I lose anyway. If I win, may as well win well. From now on I'm going full-ass.
"The consciousness, it's a wonderfully complex thing. But because of that, it's also surprisingly fragile. Why is a human mind, human? Not just because it's so large and powerful. Its "self" is defined by its experiences, and is influenced by those experiences constantly. This is why hypnosis can work, why constant exposure to certain frequencies of sound causes subtle changes in people. This is also why long-term sensory deprivation can be likened to torture.
A simple robot cannot be expected to contain a conscious mind. Not for long, at least. With only audiovisual stimulation, cut off from its usual array of senses and feelings and only knowing orders and numbers in its existence, a human mind would soon go insane. This is why what I do is necessary. A synthetic body, as similar to a living one as possible. A synthetic mind, driven and influenced by experiences as close to organic as feasible. It's a long, difficult, largely inefficient process, but it's the only way to have a stable and sane conscious mind inside an artificial body. To achieve that, not only does the body need an array of sensors complex enough to provide the mind with the necessary stimulation, but the mind itself needs to be "primed" with enough actual experiences to give it the required skills, personality, and intelligence, a process for which the Mind-to-Machine interface was conceived..."
Most of the actual explanation flies over the head of the volunteer, no doubt. If he even listens. It doesn't matter.
What matters is that he stay in the OR and allow Captain Malpractice, who is going to officially get that name on his personal badge if he keeps this up, to finish the procedure.And if the GM says I set up a wireless network, then I've set up a wireless network. Who am I to contradict the GM?
When not explicitly mentioned I assume the technologically worse. Must be a habit from playing a Piecewise game for so long. But yes, a wireless network makes sense.
Full-ass measures #1: Have all available assistants (i.e. apart from the remaining build team) begin organizing accumulated production lines into one continuous, modular assembly line, with anything so far done manually also replaced with automatics. Yes, the body is not yet complete, but the earlier stages of construction and assembly can already be automated. We'll add onto the line as more things become available.
Daily research #1: finish exploring synthbrain formation catalysts.Daily research #2: attempt to design "dragonskin". Thin weave of single myomer fibers inside a tough elastic base material, with small segments of superalloy plate rooted in the myomer to resemble dragon-like scales. The intent is to have an external layer that not only protects, but also maintains a particular shape (via myomer muscles) and is easy to repair in segments.
-----------------------------
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.
Full ass? What?
Looks like Captain Malpractice got demotion to Sergeant Sucks-At-His-Job. He didn't fuck it this time. It almost looks like he needs practice run first with each subject before doing what he's supposed to do. Makes you wonder his medical qualifications. After mentioning this to the agent, he mentions that Cap might not return to his home.
Production line: This is job for engineers, and fair number of your assistants are well trained egineers. It doesn't require brains when they have access to blueprints. Of course it is time consuming process, it may even take a whole week to complete it, but that's what they are paid for.
As you predicted, the catalyst makes itself known today. Looking at the growth rate you think you could have full grown synthbrain within two days as long as raw materials are fed at steady rate. You give a cursory thought for how to adapt a full grown brain for specific artificial mind. You think it could receive large speed boost if it were to be modified during growth process. And there's still the whole problem of converting digital data into physical form.
Dragonskin base weave is same as the one used on fuel containers. Flexible, durable and corrosion resistant. You know, to keep highly corrosive liquid inside the body melting myomers and artificial fat instead of letting it bleed out and poison nature. Very commendable green choice. Greenpeace may even give you a badge of honor. Anyway, it has two layers of superalloy plates; to keep plates from touching each other and making a lot of sound, and to provide full coverage. Sample skin patch seems to hold conventional weapon fire well enough. But of course, your enemies may not be using conventional weapons.
After checking state of your child you think it is saturated enough with you. Anything soldier adds shouldn't make significant changes in terms of personality.
Research in progress:
! Synthetic Intelligence training
Bionic Brain Matter
Outsourced work:
Sidearms - assistants
Hyperalloy - simulation
Full A/RT-ACCS production line
Research to do:
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
Synth-dragonskin
Other victims: 1