Bay 12 Games Forum

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.
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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.
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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.

Can I do anything? Would it matter if I did? I'll just try to think productive thoughts. Maybe attempt to enhance the consciousness's learning speed, by focusing on important memories.

The training shouldn't matter much. The synthetic body needs no training. Doesn't need to push past pain, doesn't need to discover hidden potential. It just operates within its designed limits, with known safety margins - and nobody knows those limits and margins better than the guy who designed it. The soldier might even end being a liability. Even if he is no worse than myself when it comes to thinking like a human, he would be at a severe disadvantage with knowing what his mind would be inhabiting, and what parts of it do what.

Experience from the soldier will be needed of course, but it can be acquired easily, this same way. And he will still be made into the super-soldier, in a fashion. His memories and experiences will exist in the consciousness. Assuming we make it on time. If he'll be upset that it isn't him actually being made into a super-soldier, just a copy of him, I could offer to kill him after the process, if he prefers. Star Trek transporters cheat like this all the time.

His consciousness copy probably won't mind.

Of course, his consciousness copy would then actually be my consciousness copy with access to his memories, so that's kind of a given. But he won't really know that.

Also this is kind of fascinating. Would this be the way for sentient machines to reproduce? Meld their minds into a simulation where their offspring grows to sentience under their care and with their experiences, then put the resulting mind into a freshly constructed body? If I ever get out of this Company work, I should look into that. Synthetic sentient life. Who needs these super-wars?

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With those thoughts, the scientist continues his work. Hopefully everyone else in the facility keeps working as well.

The molecular sim's been idle since yesterday because the massive burst of mental activity knocked me out and I forgot to give it a new task. Load its old data on superalloy weaknesses back in, and set it to instead find ways to work superalloy. Instead of acid and impact tests, find conditions under which a sheet of superalloy a few micrometers thick can be folded without breaking, and fused with itself. Include magnetic fields of varying strength and vibration at the material's own resonant frequency (or thereabouts) in the tests, alongside the higher range of temperatures since we know low temperatures cause it shatter. If a suitable technique is found, test how it would change if a sheet of intersecting carbon nanotubes was sandwiched inbetween the superalloy foil.
In summation: Find a way to pattern-weld superalloy foil with carbon nanotubes. Project codename: Hyperalloy.

If I have enough assistants that aren't occupied in the build teams, give them the specifications for the supercomputing hardware, and have the Company liaison provide us with the machinery necessary to establish a production line and the requisite power and cooling, which the assistants will then be tasked with assembling and running. If there aren't enough, put the build team projects on pause - so that they'll have their remaining 5 days once the supercomputer is up - and put everyone I have on the task. Have that supercomputer built. Use one of the basement floors to house it, and get the test subject holding cells removed - I'm not using them anyways.

Keep working on the consciousness sim for most of the day. See if I can miniaturize a military optical/thermal sensor to the size of a cellphone's selfie-cam during breaks.