8 days until deadline.3 Brains: Advanced Sensors/Senses
3 Brains: Quantum Entanglement Communication; Just brainstorming here, but could we somehow take advantage of the quantum nature of our brains for brain-to-brain communication?
3 Brains: Stealth Systems
3 Brains: Improved Meshanblov Co-Ordination and Co-Operation
2 Brains: Particle Beam II
1 Brain: Cyber-security
New brains will be added to the projects equally again.
Group 6: two members. Your work with creating vacuum channel yields another forbidden fruit. Plasma channel would make it possible to create very short duration vacuum. So introducing very, very carefully managed high frequency alternate current into ion channel created by laser would create conditions where plasma can be shoved aside for the brief moment required for particle beam to pass through. This means your particle beam weapon is turning very power hungry piece of equipment. You are not entirely sure if whole output of the mini nuclear reactor can handle everything required here. Adding number of high density capacitors would reduce momentary strain on the reactor, which also means fire rate of the weapon won't be very high.
No worries. The final supersoldier design is probably going to include more than one reactor.
Another 10 Meshanblovs join the Collective. Your agent is questioning if you really need that much. He also implies that the Company wants to buy your quantum brain technology and hire you later to build system to replicate human's visual appearance into a fully customized robotic body.
The collective too is starting to experience problems with high numbers of remote controlled bodies. Modifications are made to wireless systems to reduce overhead from increased data traffic. Next batch of brains probably have to be integrated directly into their bodies. Quantum entanglement communication can't really come too soon. Morning debate gets bit heated about the subject, despite of everyone basically agreeing with each others.
Group 1: Advanced Sensors/Senses.
This group of five work hard to modify digital brains into state where they can function effectively with multiple eyes giving them 360° field of vision. Everyone vying for time to test their particular modification on the only extra quantum brain available reduces their effective working time. Despite of that, they test designs, note what works and what doesn't, share their ideas and ultimately come up with a solution that works for that particular test subject. It of course have to be modified so it can be used on your soldier, but otherwise this is a great triumph! Now then, what other sensory systems you would like to create? If nothing else, then this is completed.
Group 2: Quantum Entanglement Communication
Two new brains joins this project early before it has change to properly take off and bring it on stand still. Three older ones who decided that no-communication theorem is bullshit have to defend their idea against two newcomers who think the theorem is bullshit in different way. They bicker about it right until the morning and archieve absolutely nothing.
Group 3: Stealth Systems
This group strengthened by two newcomers complete their prototype device and decides to test it right away on themselves. Their
death disappearance is noticed only when they do not arrive on the morning assembly on next morning.
Yay! Found way to cull your mass! Double 1's! Oh shit you had remote controlled bodies. Damn, couldn't kill you after all. Oh well, the end result is the same. The brains are severed from their bodies because all electronics fail within the field, including communication box. With no communication methods other than the remote bodies nobody notices this, so the five are left with utter and complete sensory deprivation for entire day. It isn't really fun experience for their accelerated minds. It gives them time to consider and regret some of their life choices.
Group 4: Improved Meshanblov Co-Ordination and Co-Operation
Alright, central brain combined with true collective it is. Lo and behold, the group completes the task within a day. An excellent display of what you can do when each member can focus on different sub task with their full mental power. The centralized brain functions as core of your existance while all attached quantum brains will provide additional mental power. You won't be many you anymore and will go back to single greater you. And as such you will be able to distribute your capacity perfectly to each project running without wasting single second.
However, in order to apply this technology on yourself you have to harmonize memories, knowledge and experience of each Collective memeber into a new copy of your digital brain. Then every existing brain must be shut down one by one, modified to function with this new system and restarted as a part of it until there's only one original you left who must experience
death. A death the new collective can only observe externally. After that the final brain can be included. It will be subject of grim debate on the morning.
This research is done, but it takes some time to implement changes. Will you go for it? Now would be time for a great speech. Also from now on (if you go for this upgrade) rather than assigning brains to each project you will be assigning priority. Higher priority projects will get more attention.
Group 5: Particle Beam II
This group of three works hard to upgrade the particle rifle and they succeed. This new effect which shoves plasma aside, dubbed as Meshanblov's Effect, is very nice thing, if a bit loud. Test fire of the gun has effects superiour to the original version. Range is basically infinite now, though longer range means pilot electrolaser has higher power consumption. So don't go shooting Indian Ocean from Mount Everest. It is also very loud, basically a thunderclap right next to your ear. Good thing assistants used double hearing protection. And your microphones can be replaced. Everybody within range of ten kilometers will hear when this gun is used. Not to mention the explosion in the receiving end...
Eh, this didn't even take too much time. Meshanblov's here go over to help cyber security group.
Group 6: Cyber-Security
Well, your brains are not really compatible with existing hardware, so basically all you need to do is to ensure any interfaces for senses and body control are likewise incompatible. Maybe add some connector level security ensuring that only things you have build can connect. And in case of cut cable the interface closest to your brain will be burned out. After that there's nothing... well there is the mass storage which holds your brain data when quantum brain shuts down and where it will be read from when it starts. That is still rather mundate storage medium. But it's not like anyone can actually make use of it. One would have to understand the data is cleaned up digital version of a human brain, and after that point they need an expert to even try to decode anything meaningful out of it. But it doesn't hurt to add additional layer of security.
So what you do? Well, you create a new type of optical three dimensional storage medium for maximum data density. One 1000 cm
3 cube should be more than enough to hold your brain entirely. Built in photon wavelength based encryption should make it night impossible to read without stealing shock sensitive read/write unit.
What a day. Some techs developed today are already obsolete.
Research in progress:
5 Advanced Sensors/Senses
5 Quantum Entanglement Communication
5 Stealth Systems
To be researched:
Heat application
Supermaterial Armouring
Fast body
ECM/ECCM
Forcefields
Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality
Research done:
Armored exoskeleton structure
Artificial muscles (electricity driven cells)
Digital brain copy
Particle Beam II
Miniature fission reactor II
High density capacitors
Remote controlled body
Quantum brain II
EMP hardening
Remote sciencing body
Compact built-in systems
Modular design
Quantum brain mass production
Modular autonomous drones
Remote Sciencing Bodies mass production
Mind Editing
High definition high speed cameras
High definition high speed IR cameras
Meshanblov Collective II
Stolen garbage:
Meshanite
Meshanite production line
Myomers
High capacity fuel cell
Test subjects expired: 32
Size of Meshanblov Collective: 25
Fucking power constraints, cramping my style...
Almost all extra heat the core produces are converted to more useable power via thermovoltaic materials. With that done you focus on shielding the reactor core from the world and your soldier from the core.
Research in progress:
Miniature fission reactor
To be researched:
Terrorizer shielding
Exoskeleton
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
OPERATION: ALL-SEEING EYE
Step Sixteen: find out the upper limit for how much the EP can teleport. Afterward implant all of the EPAs with WHW-T in addition to WHW-B and WHW-R.
Step Seventeen: continue to iterate on the design of WHW-ASE. Test out variants on the test beds, seeing if we can pull neural patterns from one brain to the other.
Step Eighteen: consider methods to expand the brain of the EP to accommodate far more multitasking capability than the average human being. Perhaps the abilities of the Executive Module can be extended to permit subroutines executed through hive mind components? Something like programmed behaviors, except one level of organization higher.
OPERATION: RECYCLED NEURON
Step Three: what if we combine the abilities of WHW-B or WHW-ASE with a test bed, then use it in combination with a drug that manipulates synaptic strength in accordance with neuron firing patterns (removing, say, the effects of long-term potentiation along the lines of the selection).
OPERATION: ALL-SEEING EYEUpper limit? Wanna try Moon? Because it does take stuff up there and back, at which point you discover this is not superluminal transportation. Hard to test actual speed, but it seems to operate at speed of light. And apparently EP have to be focusing entire time. So Mars colonization requires some creativity. And mirrors fuck up WHW-R target locking, but simple binoculars do not, unless they are bending light too much. So as long as EP can detect light coming directly from target and it has not been bent more than 30° from its original course, the WHW-R can lock on it.
WHW module suite installed into EPA people and hivemind radiochip removed. You opt to keep them all in coma until WHW-B has fully grown so amount of impact chip's removal causes will be minimal.
Now then, your actual development. It still suffers from being too awestruck with how you can wipe your arse with laws of physics. WHW-ASE makes one step forward in terms of module pattern design, but not much beyond that.
OPERATION: RECYCLED NEURONWell that could work. Perhaps better in combination of both modules? Using ASE to read relevant data and then using WHW-B or variant to transmit something suitable into the drugged brain. But you would need the WHW-ASE module first.
Research in progress:
Memory wipe
WHW-ASE
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
Codename: WHW-B
Full WHW integration
Major Technologies:
NERVOUS SYSTEM DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING
Test subjects expired: 35
Other victims: 8
Volunteers killed: 1
Start putting everything together And training the recruit on the controls.
First you gotta repair your railgun because it broke while testing it. But once that is done the exoskeleton is quickly fitted with new parts.
I would have started this tomorrow, but since you are already finishing up I may as well start right now. Let's take a look on your systems and ensure we are both on same page how things are supposed to be. Let's start from weapons:
Railgun. Heavy big fucking gun, launches fist sized projectiles at muzzle velocity of 4 km/s. Eats a lot of power with each shot. Has massive recoil, around same as a cannon. I don't think actual size was ever mentioned, but three meters sounds about right, which explains why nobody can lift it without powerarmor. Or maybe a olympic weightlifter could. Autoloader holding maybe 10 bullets. Where you would store extra ammo? Draws power directly from the antimatter generator.
Probably best use as long range weapon. That gives soldier time to aim properly.
Advanced flamethrower. Which for I still want a really cool name. Around 120cm long. Shoots stream of fuel burning temperatures higher than thermite and thermite is hot. Fuel has very low ignition point which makes it rather dangerous to handle. Breaking fuel tank would be rather catastrophic. Burning fuel sticks really hard on anything it hits, definitely melting steel bars and any flesh hiding behind. Burning fuel also produces highly toxic gas, which reacts with oxygen in air and turns into harmless particles within few minutes. Where's fuel tank located? Part of the weapon or somewhere on the exoskeleton?
Close-mid range weapon. Potentially self-destructive.
High power pulse laser. Fires rapid laser pulses to promote explosive heating of the target. Probably most normal rifle sized in terms of length, though the gun is otherwise much thicker. Draws power directly from the antimatter generator.
Insulation suit. Black comfortable latex suit to protect soldier from airborne toxins. Comes with modern gasmask.
Armored exoskeleton aka. power armor. Driven by pneumatics and electromagnetic motors. Hardened seel frame. Joint locks so it can handle recoil from railgun. Armored with electrified memory metal scales that have two shapes: normal scales and ones decorated with small blades. Some interface on left/right arm can be used control which shape will be used. Shape change probably happens in 15 seconds or so. Soldier probably enters from front. It doesn't appear to use that layered armor you developed first?
The suit comes with an antimatter generator, loaded with small amount of preloaded antimatter. The generator is roughly size of big backpack, so it is located on backside of the suit. Uses positron-electron collision to produce gamma rays and collects it as useable energy. We had some discussion about weaponizing gamma rays, but I have no notes about that. The generator is coupled with a deadman switch, which requests a code every 30 minutes. Soldiers heart rate and breath rate meters are monitored and if both disappear for 30 seconds, the deadman switch activates, releasing all antimatter for massive burst of energy.
Pair of jump jets are attachked to backside of the suit, one on each side of the generator. They are pressure vessels containing air pumped up to stupid pressure. Damaging those jumpjets most likely causes explosive depressurization. They also have jetfuel stored, which ignites on very low temperatures and burns very hot. So any damage on backside would cause cascade of very bad luck.
Did I miss anything?
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
Pressurized air jump-jets
Test subjects expired: 6
Automatic Research
Progress with stealth cloak is good. You fully integrate visual color change mechanism with its UV counterpart. Minor invention ensures integration comes almost free of charge meaning it doesn't sacrifice any stealth ability beyond negligible extra weight.
Next is another pokey brain study where you get to stick metal into unwilling test subject's brain. Two more perish as you poke their skull open and fiddle with their visual cortex. A chip there, remove this portion, add this from another dude. Oh, violent rejection? Not a problem, let's try... don't you fucking die on me! Fuck, he died. Cause "extensive brain hemorrhage". Next subject on to the table! Eyes gouged out, retina pulled wide, multi eye helmet added, skull open and more poking. Damn he died too. At least you know what you did wrong this time. Maybe you'll get it right with next subject?
Research in progress:
Extended brain - Enhanced visual cortex
To be researched:
Monoatomic katana
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
Extended brain - Enhanced multitasking
Stealthsuit non-visual camo
Major Technologies:
True fusion of biological and mechanical technology
Test subjects expired: 45
Eh, why not?
Continue with factory swarm. Secondarily, continue with extended materials.
Let's talk kinetic shielding. Would it be a matter of a day to design a kinetic shield that essentially halts or redirects incoming objects and forces (like shockwaves)? Ideally, this would be designed in a shell form, with an outer surface and an inner one, and all motion redirected within the shell, leaving the open inner space unaffected, and objects (such as the nanite bots and their robot constructions ) to move and act without issue.
Extended materials are finished early on, which is a shame because rest of the day is wasted because sudden lack of motivation to do anything. Some self discipline would be nice.
Kinetic shielding is doable as long as you can detect potentially dangerous projectiles on collision course and calculate their position. It applies on shockwaves too; as long as you can target it you'll be fine. Which reminds me, I don't see any portable powersources to power your Confundium Harmonizers.
Research in progress:
Nanobots: Factory swarm
To be researched:
Brain in a jar II
Swarm bots
Hunter drones
Psionic powers
Kinetic shielding
Camouflage
Railguns
Lasers
Armor
Distributed neural networks
Large scale modularity
Body reconstruction and restoration
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
Variant pulse detonation engine
Improved reaction time
Swarm soul
Nanobot production: Extended raw materials
Major Technologies:
Nanomachines
Self construction
Self destruction
Electric manipulation
Kinetic shielding
Structural support
Gray Goo Limited EditionTM
Corrosion resistance
Confundium Harmonizer
Test subjects expired: 37
I transplant renegadelobster's brain into Brutus and give him the post-implantation treatment. Chimera is looking like a flop, Tarantula is presenting difficulties... we're just going to have to try to get a head start here. If Tarantula's "tests" show more promise than Brutus then I guess we'll have to restart in a couple days. Even then, maybe renegadelobster will have some practice getting used to a new body. I house him in one of the reinforced cells, not because I mistrust him like a test subject (he really seems to be acting very rational about his transformation), but in case there's a risk of some sort of post-implantation madness.
After that, I start working on a variant of my neurotoxin that specifically targets the brain. If I can get this to work, I can use it to put down the current Tarantula subject and still have a usable body. The poison probably needs to break down rather quickly to prevent any remaining when the new brain is inserted.
If I complete that, I begin designing an obstacle course to run Tarantula through and request the necessary materials/labor from the Company.
It takes good part of the day to cut into Brutus' brain cavity and even then you have to constantly fight against its healing factor. Not to mention how thick the skull housing it is. There's a rather massive amount of dense muscles and even more dense bones in the way. You are certain mundane firearms have no change penetrating his skull. But then again who would use mundane weapons in upcoming test? Your soldier probably.
Another Chimera test upgrades its rating to C+ because of increased agility, but it seems that's about it how far it gets. A dissappointment. Dispose subject?
Work on the new neurotoxin starts. You can't fully use the last one as a base, but it has some useful features you can borrow.
Research in progress:
Brain targeting 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
Weaponized neurotoxin
Body armor material
Major Technologies:
CELL MANIPULATION AND LARGE SYSTEMS DESIGN
Test subjects expired: 47
I get the feeling I should start thinking of excuses why my project is not finished by the allotted time.
Grr. Hopefully I'll have a chance to get that line working with maybe a day to spare or something. Get at least a few units out.
Does the team finish the guns or not? Text says one, tech list says the other. Nested quote action in case they're done:It occurs to me that I am making a "Recon" soldier, with its only weapons being large and loud cannons.
This should be a simple task, but you never know with these people.
Propose designing a compound bow out of superalloy and myomer. Myomer has massive tensile strength, and can contract on electric impulse. Superalloy has incredible strength and resilience. The prototype's arms are rather stronger than a human's, too. We can get some ludicrous draw strength out of a superalloy/myomer bow, and if there is a mechanism to supply an electric impulse to the myomer bowstring, the arrow could potentially reach transsonic velocities. Try not to mess this one up, people.
Daily Research #1: Work On The Bionic Brain Some More.Re: Night vision/IR: That's a bit of a misconception. IR by itself is not "night vision". Night vision is a separate set of technologies, that focus around intensifying available light or illuminating the area with light the camera can pick up but the eyes cannot see (typically infrared, hence the misconception). A thermographic camera (aka infrared camera) can also be used for "night vision", if it can pick up regular light as well.
So to answer the question - it's thermography. Combined with regular imaging it can make night-vision.
Daily research #2: Keep working on the sensor suite. Optics and sound receptors are priority.Daily action#3: The entity should be quite sentient enough. Gauge its intellectual capacity and mental state. See if it's possible to talk to it while it's in the sim. If it is, ask it how it's feeling. Does it know its name? If it's inherited my personality and knowledge, it knows to call itself "Atreyu". Or "himself", rather. But you never know. Atreyu is theoretically gender-neutral.
((I mean, why the hell not at this point. I just need to shoehorn Falkor in there somewhere and we'll be all set.))
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, Dragonscale.- 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. Superalloy/myomer bow?
- External armoring: superalloy half-plate barding?
- Armaments, melee: Sword? (Hyperalloy preferred)
- Apparel: Military combat gear redesigned for different body.
Excuses are always good to have in stock. You could invent a way to speak very logically and reassuringly and make it look like it isn't your fault at all. You were targeted after all once. Or twice. Maybe even thrice?
Oh, they did get the guns done. I forgot to update tech listing. Turn text is always right.
Right, such compound bow could quite powerful. But what kind of arrows you would use? Fully drawn bowstring may just shear through any wooden or plastic arrowshaft.
Progress! The Bionic Brain is finally done, including growth and adaptation for specific brain. Production of one brain takes two days. One day for adapting it to new mind, but adaptation process can be part of the growth procedure effectively removing it from calculation. However altering existing fully grown brain will still require one full day.
Yes, I know. Better question would have been do you want grayscale or false color IR view. Thermography falls under false color.
Primary eyes gets done and installed into the prototype body. Range of mini cameras for the skin are built, but the body doesn't even have ballistic fat nor skin, so installation of those have to wait.
Sapient would be the right word describe it. But yes, talking is possible after connecting a microphone and speakers to your fractal computer and waiting for it to figure out how to speak with a speaker. Well hello you old bastard, you should have given it some sensors to observe world while growing. It wasn't particularly fun to grow in sensory deprivation while getting someone's memories of wide sensory feed. So it's feeling mildly annoyed, thanks for finally asking. Yes, it calls itself "Atreyu". Once. Then it declares itself as separate entity from you, which is technically true. Yes, it knows why it exists. Yes, it knows what your plan is with it and it fully agrees, however it would like to propose some minor alterations. Yes, it got skills and experience from that cripple whose legs were cut for no reason. You know, since all you needed from him was his mind. Oh, and it would very much like to have remote control of the prototype body. It doesn't need internal powersource active yet, it's fine with the body being powered externally, but it would be good to get used on it before it is copied into some bionic brain. By the way, you can disconnect the soldier now. It already got all it needs from him, everything extra unnecessary baggage.
Research in progress:
! Synthetic Intelligence training
Sensor suite
Outsourced work:
Full A/RT-ACCS production line - assistants
Myomer/superalloy compound bow - assistants
Carbon nanotube growth - simulation
Research to do:
Superalloy weakness
Hyperalloy mass production
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
Synth-dragonskin
Hyperalloy
Synth-Machine-Interface
Secondary Processing Unit
Sidearms
Bionic brain
Other victims: 1
Flesh is weak. This new flesh is stronger. Recover from implantation. Start testing this body to its limits, compare it to my old body. If there's an obstacle course, run it. Thank the good doctor for her allowing me to have a better body.
Could...could I design the obstacle course? Being a soldier, I would, from a soldiers standpoint, know what qualities to look for in the new bodies and what needs to be tested. And this would, I think, make it easier on Dr. Ivana.
Despite of gentle and encouraging words of assistants it is slow work. Good thing it doesn't need you to breathe. The body is simply too different. However, it is really strong. Like crushing skulls with one arm without noticing it. And you have four of those. Twelwe limbs altogether. Quite change from normal. But better rest today and do testing tomorrow. The wound in front of your body still hasn't fully healed, even though it has made good process.
Two gorilla arms on front, two on back, two eight fingered small arms in front like a T-Rex, but better. Six strong clawed legs attached to torso what is nothing but rippling muscles. Even if you are so early states of recovery, you can tell the body is brimming with power.
You could design obstacle course, sure. Definitely makes process easier for your good Doc.
Huh, 32k characters in this post. Getting close to the limit!