Frankly I didn't expect this many scientists with questionable work ethics. So I'll limit it to eight, that many I can still probably handle when it comes to final testing. And while The Company is rich and capable, eight expensive scientists will be testing its limit to provide rapidly materials, test subjects and other arcane stuff.
So our scientists will be
- Demonic Spoon
- Harry Baldman
- HugeNerdAndProudOfIt
- NAV
- NRDL
- Ozarck
- penguinofhonor
- Sean Mirrsen
There's no telling what happens within next one and half month. People might...
disappear, accidents might happen. In case of such unxpected events other geniuses may want to stay in contact with The Company.
I know I said we'll be on softer side of scifi hardness, but most likely we end up swinging between medium and hard, depending on various things. I also believe that hiding rolls is better for games. And for GM. That means I don't have to explain anything.
SECRET TECHNOLOGIES spoilers list your current and lined up research as well as discovered/perfected TECHNOLOGIES. + sign indicates what you are currently doing, and * indicates what is planned or thought up in order of priority. I probably change those around, but for now that's how they are marked. I always assume you want to pour all your focus on single research, but if you want to distribute accross multiple projects, please say so. It slows down individual processes but has small change to make things go faster in overall.
Day 1Scientist Meshanblov reporting for duty
Begin creating advanced cybernetics that replace entire parts of the subjects body
Advanced cybernetics, huh? Fullbody prosthesis sounds like something fun. Certainly something withing your capacity. Basic layout what is needed for such thing is easily broken down into few basic categories:
First, support structure including joints. There's a plenty of research done on that field. Material studies provide wide array of possible materials for that purpose. Super soldier needs strong bones, so instead of using endoskeleton you may want to focus solely on exoskeleton. Insects for example have made science on the matter for last few millions years, so there's many things you can get inspiration for. It also solves major problem of protection on the same time. Joints are still problematic, but some ballistic materials is probably needed. Or a flexible scale based design? Hmm. This shouldn't take too long. Two or three days perhaps. Self repair systems need to be considered.
Second issue is mobility. Organic muscles are too weak, at least human muscles are. Some apes as you recall, have more dense muscles, but even those will probably be too weak for final product. Hydraulic systems are one option, capable of great strength. Problems with those are leaking and fluid refills. Of course, with basic systems it won't be a problem at all if you do it right. Alternatively pneumatic systems won't have problem with refills, air is readily available basically anywhere on the planet. All it needs is perfected filtering systems and way to make it silent. Fourth path you can take is entirely artificial muscles, simulating their organic counterparts. There's a reason why basically all bigger creatures have muscle based mobility. All you need to do is to take nature's work and make it better. Perfect it. Oh possibilities! So many of them. Anyway, you feel inspiration here. A great idea is waiting to be discovered.
Third is powering it all. A lot depends on what path you take, but electricity is pretty much required. Battery or generator? Or both? Both sounds good. Rely primarily on generator, draw power from batteries when great deal of power is required, and reload batteries during less stressed times. Yes, that sounds good. Power generation is great interest of lesser scientists, so you presume you can quickly study their papers and improve upon their discoveries.
Fourth is life support. Only really important part of volunteering soldier is their brain. It needs oxygen sypply, carbon dioxide and other waste must be filtered, nutrients feed, stable temperature, trauma protection, hormone balance must be carefully monitored and manipulated, perhaps even willingly manipulated by the brain. Control of cybernetic bodyparts must be slaved to the brain, so you also need to interface all systems to the brain, which requires mapping nerve connections. Luckily you have test subjects. Many will expire on this study. This may be the hardest part, you think.
That's it, you think. With basic path lit you can start... Oh but what about modularity?! Swapping parts on fly? That would make your design superiour because it could be easily customized for wide range of purposes and enviroments. With properly sealed connection ports you can produce the All Terrain Super Soldier! Perfect adaptibility! Simply switch best parts for enviroment and your creation will trump all enviroments with ease!
Well,
now that you have categorisedy our ideas you start working on armored exoskeleton. You push rest of your ideas in backburner until you know what direction to take with them. Work with exoskeleton start slowly. You read up all work with those done with so far. Not very helpful, because they take a bit different approach than your goal is here. Many blueprints are drawn and archived in the process.
Research in progress:
+ Armored exoskeleton structure
* Mobility
* Power, battery/generator system
* Brain in a jar
* Modular design
Research technology: induced friendship (in pill form, probably - something like biological imprinting)!
Also, place test subjects in a dojo, have them train together in a variety of streamlined martial arts to prepare them for Phase 2.
Hmm. Induced friendship... Easiest way to go would be simply make them friendly to everyone which is easily archieved by proper hormone cocktail. But isn't that a bot too easy? Directed friendship would be better, but harder to archieve. Perhaps isolate subject from others than the intented friendliness target? No, it simply puts subject under stress and even when properly cheated into position they may already suspect something which will scew results. Hmm, this is a complex matter...
No, you need to study what friendship is, how brain works when it detects someone it considers a friend. Then carefully replicate the reaction to anything you desire and figure out how to make it work on very specific targets. Studying actual imprinting known from animals is a bit problematic, mating season has passed long time ago and youngs are already reaching adulthood. Besides humans are always better to study. Oh well...
Your current stock of test subjects do not have any friends among them, it turns out. And asking The Company to provide their personal information results that they do not have any, but they will provide it as soon as they get it. It already feels like you will end up twirling your thumbs for rest of the day, which simply will not do. Boredom is death of progress! So you decide study how fear works, specific fears in fact. It is much easier to do and you don't need to wait anything. And who knows, it might provide insights on how brain works. After all fear is not too different from friendly feelings!
Now, you get some test subjects, figure out their fears, obtain matching photos and augmented reality props, cut their skull open, jam sensors in and start working. It is quite fantastic to watch what fear does to their brains, you know. Few subjects expire mental trauma too strong and expire in the process. You don't even regret it, their sacrifice is well worth of it. This data is simply fantastic!
As for martial arts training, you realize you are overestimating their ability to learn. While you certainly can learn everything martial arts can teach within two days (even though your body cannot keep up with it), these lesser humans may be able to learn perhaps three moves per day if they spend entire day training. Well, perhaps something good might come out of it. Who knows. Anyway, The Company starts finding trustworthy martial artist to teach your subjects. Kidnapping one will certainly gather attention, so proper employment contract may be better. More of this tomorrow.
When days work is done and you are about to go sleep, you finally receive data about test subjects The Company representative promised. Maybe you work on it tomorrow. Or maybe after you have figured better ways to do brain analysis.
Research in progress:
* Forced friendship
+ Brain analysis
10 test subjects
Martial arts training
40 test subjects - 0 days
Test subjects expired: 5
Dr. Strauss reporting for duty.
research intelligence increasing treatments
You can already tell this will be a challenge. What
is intelligence in the first place? Well, you can tell answer for that by yourself. Ability to connect points of data rapidly, creativity, logic and fast learning. And how to increase those? A difficult task. And frankly, your test subjects aren't probably the smartest bunch around here. Your lab hands are most likely smarter than them (by small measurable margin), but The Company kinda asked to not make them expire. And using yourself as a test subject is not a good idea, the world might lose something great if you screw up.
Well, non-invasive brain study is probably required for starters and for that you can use all your human resources, including yourself. Bigger batch is better so basically everyone participates. A very simple test methology is created so even those stupid lesser humans can provide something. Everyone is planted on a brain scanner, and you plant yourself into one while devising and solving theoretical problems.
By end of the day you haven't made much of progress. You blame it on your test subjects, because they are so stupid. They can't even begin to compare your massively superious intellect. A massive dissappointment. Maybe you have better ideas tomorrow.
Research in progress:
+ Intelligence increasing treatments
50 test subjects + 15 + 1
Sciencetist
Research a chip in brain that makes reflexes better.
Faster reflexes are indeed lifeline of soldier. Ability to think react quickly and properly to threat and sensory information is important factor. And to improve that via a chip? Well, starting with study of reaction times and then taking apart brains to see differences is pretty much required. You need to figure out what parts of brain participate on reaction speed. Next part is to figure out how to make a chip to integrate with brain and take of that process and perform the job faster than brain can. You question yourself whether a chip can really do it, but that's something you need to solve first.
Simple reaction speed measuring system is set up, test subjects wided up while you watch points of data being generated. It's boring work, but it needs to be done. Long brain melting day later you have your points of data, and it seems reaction times have grown better over long hours. Tomorrow you will pick their brains apart and see what's hidden in there.
Research in progress:
+ Reaction time study
40 test subjects
* Brain integrated chips
Science Dude In!
((not entirely sure how our actions should be formatted but here goes))
Start experimenting with polymer plastics that are pliable enough to be shaped and moved, and yet resistant to kinetic damage both concentrated and spread out.
Don't worry, we'll figure out best format over time.
Armor worthy plastics? When two armor with equal kinetic protection is lined up, the lighter one will be always chosen. Well, almost always. So there's certainly valuable research to be done. To be able to test wide range of plastics for study you need to produce said plastics in first place. A device that can quickly produce desired polymers is required. Then, you think, a round of raw testing with randomized plastics, followed by analysis of results which will lead to basic understanding of best forms, and work up from there. It might be much of random shooting until pattern starts to emerge. Can't help it, sometimes science is about shooting into the dark and hoping bullet will hit something good.
So, starting with the machine. You spend the day drawing multiple plans for electronics, mechanisms, feeding systems and programs, twenty alternatives of each and finally pick one before settling down for night. Satisfying work, really. Planning is nice. You assume that if everything goes perfectly it will be fully assembled tomorrow. Usually nothing goes perfectly so two days is most reasonable prediction. In worst case three. Either way, its time to rest your brain and gather your strength for next day.
Research in progress:
+ Modular polymer plastics machine
* Strong polymer plastics
Reporting In. I begin my research on total neural interface systems. That is, systems that can connect to and be controlled by the entire neural net of a living being. The intention is primarily on direct interface, without all that nasty meat around the neurons, but an indirect interface would be fine as an intermediate / secondary goal.
Am I doing it right?
Right enough for me.
So a brain in a jar system. Classic. There's nothing wrong with classics, and you make sure your helpers know it. They should listen Bach sometimes. That man was a genius, even if sadly limited to music only. You can of course do better, and in every possible field. First step is to map all nerves in spinal column, separate sensory nerves from control ones, identify individual differences and unify the system. Next developing mechanic and electronic components to connect nerves directly hijacking signals completely, and lastly sustaining the neural system long enough to make if participate a war. Preferrably longer. Simple stuff.
So, first task is mapping nerves. Test subject after another is tied on operation table, stripped, their spinal column carefully exposed, nerves measured and monitored. They complain very loudly about your work ethics, lack of anesthetics, and make false claims about your mother. They are so loud that you need double ear protection with noise cancelling headphones. This of course slows process down considerably, cooperation is important when doing science after all, and their lack of cooperation requires you to rely on secondary observation methods. You manage to figure out lower body for most part, although good number of subjects expire on the operation table. Perhaps using anesthetics should be considered tomorrow, even if it interferes with mapping out sensory nerves. Another day like this and you will most likely fall behind of your competitors.
Research in progress:
+ Brain in a jar
30 test subjects
Test subjects expired: 15
Dr. Ivana Rosecrans reporting in.
I begin researching limb modification, specifically getting people to grow more arms. More legs are tolerable, though.
That's an ambitious project to say. Humans are hardwired for four limbs, and growing extra means major modifications on skeletal, nervous and muscular system. Not to mention humans are notoriously slow to grow. Even if you had right now perfect method for growing new limbs, no one will have anything by time you need to be ready. One and half months is a bitch of limit for slow process of growing biological structures. Therefore you need to
massively accelerate growth process. After that is solved you need to figure out means of so called "inline" genetic modification to alter natural default state of human being, then forcible activate your special genes to start limb growth with their associated muscles, nerves, bones and veins. Frankly, you suspect it's better if you harvest limbs from other sources and mechanically implant them on your subjects. Even in that case new nerves and structural changes must be made, but those are surgigal operations and not a much of problem. Bigger problem is to ensure the body adapts to its new state. Rapid healing appears to be prerequisite in any case, so you start with that while pondering if you'll go the hard way or the easy way.
Fastest growing cells in human body are cancer cells so those are good place to start. One of your test subjects happens to have benign cancer by some miracle, so you harvest him for your study. His cancer variant is almost useless for you. It's slow to grow, slow to spread. You get some work done, but so much is still left undone. Like pushing growth rate to unseen heights, have it directed, limited, triggered, and killed on your whim. The Company promises you subjects with very aggressive cancers by tomorrow. You can only hope it helps your work.
Research in progress:
+ Rapid bio growth / healing
* Inline DNA manipulation
* Forced growth activation
Test subjects expired: 1
I guess I'm going to try and do my own weird thing then. In as... well, myself, I suppose.
Start research on myomers, that is synthetic fibers of great tensile strength that contract significantly under applied electric current.
((As a bit of forewarning on what I'm trying to do, if it even matters, I'm going to try and recreate an Artee (either in
this or
this form). I'll adjust some things here and there as needed to better fit a "super"-soldier concept, but that's basically what I'm shooting for.))
Quite straightforward goal. You don't only need large tensile tolerances, but also preferrably low voltage and current requirements so you won't have problems with shielding and not worry about being detected by an opponent hundred miles away. Nothing less than perfect is enough! This work is largely trial and error based, but it doesn't mean your mighty brain cannot make it easier. It will take a week in worst case, you presume. Hopefully not.
First day doesn't produce anything you desire. At best you can safely outrule certain materials and forms.
Not a problem. I wish you would have made those in ER, but alas it was not to be.
Research in progress:
+ Myomers
Voluntere as supersoldier seeing as I do not beleive there are any more spots for scientists, and besides what better way to come up with ways to improve a design then testing them in the field
Welcome, soldier! We greatly value your sacrifice for the greater good! You are assigned to scientist Meshanblov, who goes by code name Demonic Spoon.
Huh, that took longer than I predicted. Eight players is certainly the maximum I can handle in terms of time it takes.
Author
Topic: Roll to create a supersoldier! Bloody air resistance (Read 131688 times)