1/2 Cross 2022/04/25(Mon)17:35 No. 1030353 ID: 73aaab
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>[TIME DISPLAY - 352 PD]
>[TIMER EXPIRED: INITIATING PLAYBACK]
"Hello, hello? Is this thing on?"

"It's always on, Patz, it wouldn't be effective otherwise."
"Fair point".
Hah. Lirren's always pushing the boundaries... no wonder the Alliance picked him as the Project Lead.

2/2 Cross 2022/04/25(Mon)17:35 No. 1030354 ID: 73aaab
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"Right then. So what should I be doing now? It's not like I can talk to a visible camera."
Only a box in front of me. Smells a bit like freshly forged casings.

"The SAI is being diffused across the whole Site, so you don't have to do anything in particular. Addressing it specifically will however cause it to focus on you."

Sheesh, talk about a surveillance state, right? This thing's recording literally everything we do?
"You sure this thing's... ethical, Lirren? What if it goes all sci-fi horror on us, makes a body outta nanomachines or something?"

He sighs, shaking his head.
"There are sufficient limiters in place for the SAI. It's only meant to be an adaptive guide that records data - it has no offensive capabilities."

Hah. Ironic for a weapons research facility. Maybe I'll have to ask Lirren if it's possible to patch in combat features later, if there's nothing to worry about.
"Training a cloud-swarm of artificial intelligences isn't easy business, Patz. Make sure that you take care of it."

I poke at the box on the table. Looks like a blackbox that you'd see in a plane or something.
"Hah, so I've gotta carry this thing around so that it can learn from our personalities? Isn't that making simulational copies of our minds?"

Well, I suppose I am the most physically gifted of this facility.
...Okay, maybe Leeza is too, but the Asliann's strength-to-size ratio are crazy to begin with.

"Not exactly. A recording that algorithmically combines thought-patterns to give advice tailored to a situation is not the same as preserving individual copies of people's minds. Trace technology can achieve a similar result, but far less clear in terms of preserved mental data - let alone anything coming close to being a replica of our minds. It is the difference between recording a snapshot of a few hours of a person's life, versus capturing an impression of a person's personality and more complex underlying skills and experiences."

Well, I guess that makes it less awkward when people review the footage later. He told me that he could remove splinters... or whatever the little subdivisions in the SAI's memory is, if there was sensitive information, so I guess I don't have to worry too much about what I say.
"So what should I do now, doc?"
He gestures to me.
"Introduce yourself."

Doctor's orders.
"Ahem. My name is Patz Testemillion - but you can refer to me as Doctor Test-a-million, because you bet I've passed a million of 'em!"
Lirren smirks at me from the other side of the table.
"The question is, if any of those are cognitive tests."
I give the table a good slap.
"Hah! Lirren, you're a riot. We're all people here, Lirren - what better way to train the SAI than to behave naturally around it?"
There's a faint smile on his face.
"I hope the SAI doesn't pick up your bravado. If it starts screaming in our ears about your work-in-progress cinema manuscripts, I think we'd all go crazy."

"And I hope that it doesn't pick up on your verboseness, or we'll all be put to sleep!", I retort.

Are you a clinically diagnosed narcissist?
What are you using the super-soldiers for?
How many super-soldiers have you personally terminated?
When's the next war going to flare up?
Why's the next war going to flare up?
How's the next war going to flare up?
Have you defeated the lower castes yet?
How much have you invested into this project and should you even care?

Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty.
How was that? I decided I'd pick up on your capacity for witty one-liners.

Talk about your specialties in brief, and your current projects.

Where are we? Who works here?

Hey good looking what’s your number?

1/1 Cross 2022/04/27(Wed)04:59 No. 1030547 ID: 73aaab
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>When's the next war?
Ain't enough time to think about 'next' when we're not done with the one in front of us.

I suppose there's a lot to go through now that I've got to take care of a SAI. I'm not really a proper guy with a Doctorate like the rest of these people. I mean, technically Leeza's not a typical doctor either, but I think it saves everyone trouble if the five project leads were all simply known as Doctors.

Specialty-wise, I'm probably one of the people with the most combat experience around. I'm a legend in my own right, ha ha! Whether it's keeping track of logistics, supplies and the well-being of the people in this facility, I'm pretty multi-talented. They wanted me on board, since I'd be able to coordinate things well between the different personalities running the show this time around. Guess they know that I'm a bit of a people's person.

>How much have you invested into this project and should you even care?
Interesting question there. Can't exactly let everyone down, but, personally? I think there's something fun, being behind the scenes of what could be the turning point of an era. Haven't done much yet, but I'd love to see where things go from here.

"By the by, the guy over there is Lirren Gala Troveheart - project lead for Site 70's main operations. The Prometheus Project was of course, his brainchild, and the reason the other four leads (such as myself) got dragged into this vacation island."

"Vacation? I do hope you'll take things more seriously than that, Patz."
Oh, I take things very seriously - when I need to.

"In part, the purpose of our SAI is to record and maintain records of our facility, to eventually transfer to the mainland records. If the Alliance chooses to declassify this data in future, this could be a good insight into the processes and effects of our research and production at Site 70."

Fair enough. Saves me from having to write reports.
"Oh, and for context - the Alliance he's talking about refers to the Alliance of the Setting Sun, formed between five powers. Lirren here's from the Rhappor Ogliarchy, and yours truly is from the Sarasol Colonies of South Vexelran. Our opponents are... too numerous to name. But in effect, it's almost like a battle royale of nations and people - with us, representatives of our five species, trying to fight for peacetime."
The war only really started in full recently, but that's why preparation is key. This facility's been in the making since I was a teen - but I guess it's only being assigned a purpose now.
"Unfortunately for those of us in the current-day, war's been breaking out all over the world. Arms races of new technologies and such, always on the rise. We're part of that! But all of this, we're hoping to put an end to the conflict. We here at Site 70 are working on a new project called Project Prometheus, a new cloning initiative where we produce super soldiers for the war effort."

I look to Lirren for a moment. Should I even be divulging this info? He doesn't seem to mind though, so I keep going.
"Clones... well, if they can save the lives of actual civillians and soldiers, I think it'll be worth it. I mean, clones are created for a purpose. As biological as they may be, they're simply an organic form of machinery. So their 'lives' are going to be well-spent, protecting those precious to us."

I catch Lirren giving me a bit of a stink-eye. Did I just say something wrong just now? He surely couldn't have signed up for this project if he wasn't aware for what they were going to be used for.

"Patz, we're not making a time capsule. But I suppose it is worth informing the SAI on our current context. But to clarify some of Doctor Millian's statements - Project Prometheus is a joint-effort from our five respective nations, with five different project leads and multiple scientists coordinating the project. It'll be taking place over a few years - but depending on the circumstances, we should have the project running in seven days."

"Seven days, huh? Plenty of time to go around to everyone and ask for their thoughts on this situation. It'll be like an interview, heh."

The other doctors are always being involved with one thing or another. Hopefully I'll be able to catch them during a free moment so that I can introduce the SAI to each of them. But I'm more curious about the reasons they all want to be part of this project.

"Anyway - if that's all you wanted to say, Lirren, I'm going to head out. Plenty of daylight to burn!"

Lirren nods.
"Perhaps you could go work on that manuscript of yours after things are in motion."
As much as he jokes about it, I think I've got more pressing things on my mind. Maybe I'll retire and have a great old time with it after the war's over.

Find the closest project lead and engage your finest social functions! Ask their motivations! Inspire them - to laugh, if nothing else!

Though... what would be Lirren's motivations? If he's the main guy behind the project you're starting off on, he's gotta be pretty big on the local totem pole here.

Can we be fwends, Doctor Testimillion?
What do you do? What does each project lead do?

How itchy are you?

1/2 Cross 2022/04/29(Fri)17:43 No. 1030792 ID: 73aaab
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>Though... what would be Lirren's motivations?
That's a good question to consider. I don't feel like I've known Lirren long enough to get a good read on him.

>What do you do? What does each project lead do?
Like I said before, I'm an all-rounder, with a specialty in logistics and personnel. The others all have their own focuses, so we have a well-rounded team helming this project.

>How itchy are you?
Eh? Right now? Not much. Sometimes I gotta adjust my jacket. It starts to chafe if I'm not sitting right.


>[FRAGMENT ACCELERATION RATIO - 24 HOURS]
>[PLAYING NEXT MEMORY SEQUENCE]
>[ADVANCING TO NEXT AVAILABLE SPLINTER]
>[INITIATING PLAYBACK.]

The first few days... carrying this thing around ain't too bad. I guess after a while you stop thinking about what it's recording.
But talking to yourself, having to trust that it's just there is a little strange, isn't it? I've definitely been getting weird looks from the people who aren't in the know.

Me, I'm going to go see Koilo first. The man's quite an interesting case if you ask me. A young prodigy of sorts, works in a similar field to Lirren. But unlike the good Doc Troveheart, Koilo's someone who pioneers things in a different way. To use a comparison - Lirren's the kind of guy who masters a process and stands out from the rest by doing it. Koilo keeps experimenting - I can respect that. Fella writes children's books in his spare time - what kind of scientist could you say does that and has a stellar record?

His office is currently set up adjacent to the Genetics Division so it's not hard to find - just need the proper authorizations and all that.

2/2 Cross 2022/04/29(Fri)17:43 No. 1030793 ID: 73aaab
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Ah, the Genetics Division. To think, we're going to be growing supersoldiers here! Straight outta science fiction, but it'll be necessary. Tensions are rising, and unless combat's on a more precise level - people are going to start using bombs. And - for the sake of everyone, let's say the only thing being dropped out of planes should be soldiers. I've always liked the dash of the Airborne.

Even taking a step into the workspace, I can hear the faint jingle of vials against the chemist's vial racks.
And there's Koilo Jaz Kinshimann. Pride of the Keletzar, I'd say - man dyes himself like a nation's flag, but he's one of the youngest geniuses here on offer. Probably the best that the Seventh Flight of Keletzar have to offer, which is a lot considering how big-concept a lot of their scientists were.
Man even has a daughter - I suppose it's different when your species ages faster than the others.

"Hey Koilo, what're you cooking up this time?", I call out to him.

He stops, mid tube-transfer.

"Oh! Doctor Testemillion, I wasn't expecting you today! I was just checking the integrity of a sample of Gene Trace Vial. The Memory Trace Ampoules are being prepared as we speak by Doctor Graph."

Good to hear the project's on track at least. It's enough to make a man feel antsy, this close to the start of a project.

"I'm here to introduce the SAI to you - at least, so I won't be long. A few questions and we'll be set."

Koilo nods.
Hmm. But I gotta think of a few more questions for this guy besides his thoughts on the project as a whole. Gotta ease people into the big questions, right?

You will never be as handsome as Testemillion, here, why even go on?
Hehe.

But seriously, what do you do in this project, Doctor Kinshimann? And tell us about yourself and your familly.

What's your routine to keep your tail so vibrant and stylish?

Are their quarters adequate and the gear they've received sufficient? Nothing missing, or new needs discovered, etc.?

Very relevant ease-in questions, given logistics is your ballpark.

>>1030793
actually launching into the big questions might throw them off focus, have them let slip something they might otherwise avoid discussing. Not our only option of approach, but food for thought!

1/2 Cross 2022/05/01(Sun)19:12 No. 1030962 ID: 73aaab
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>What does Dr. Kinshimann do?
He's a genius, to put it one way. In particular, he's a geneticist just like Lirren, but his approach is particularly interesting. Man's out here combining species together - in fact, it was because of his and Lirren's efforts that this project even exists in the first place! Frankly, a lot of the intricacies go over my head - but isn't a wonder, being able to make hybrids that are actually viable and healthy? It seems like something straight out of sci-fi.

>How does he keep his tail so vibrant and shiny?
Dunno where he gets his dye from, but it IS a Keletzar tradition to decorate themselves with bright colours. Koilo's naturally blue, so his red plumage is a sort of fashion choice. It probably means something specific, but I've yet to pry into that line of thinking.

"Say, Dr. Kinshimann, is everything alright? Accomodations to your liking, all the materials you need?"

He nods, gesturing to some of the boxes littered around the lab.
"Oh, of course! Things have been quite pleasant, though I do feel that my own personal quarters need a little bit more room."
Ah, right. His family. Odd for him to bring them over, but I suppose he had put in the application for it before. But it's not like they can pop over for a quick vacation - travel to and from this island does have to happen in specific intervals.
"Right. I'll let the relevant people know. We'll sort things out for you."

Time to move onto the big topic.
"So, how are you feeling about the project overall?"
He stops, his attention focused on me.
Koilo looks a little unsure. It's the kind of doubt that most civillian types aren't good at disguising - concern, pushed aside by a change of topic.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet - I doubt that. You sure you're not molting under that coat of yours?"

He looks flustered.
"O-oh, no, it's nothing... like that. I suppose it's moreso that, this technology is relatively new. We're combining my research into hybridization with the cloning technologies that Doctor Troveheart developed... but it's hard to say if everything's going to come together smoothly."

"Relaaax, Kinshimann. Doctor Graph's got it handled, I'm sure of it. Man's put more things together than should be possible."
Like ice cream flavours. I have no idea where he keeps getting those damn cones from, but I want in on his stash.

"What's to say that adding genetics to the mix is going to cause that much more of a problem?"
He gives me a look as if to say, "There's a lot that could be a problem", but I'm having none of it.

"I see that look on your face - come on, speak up. If there's any time to voice your concerns, it should be now."

"I guess I'm worried. What if there's unexpected outcomes for the project? We're meant to create some of the best men we have on offer, combining elements from the five species that make up our world... things rarely go perfectly during these processes, and I would rather that this process not create atrocities. But what if these clones we create - how are we going to treat them if they're like... people?"
This again? It doesn't have to be this much of a problem - why would you sign up to be a genetics engineer if you didn't sort out your morality before-hand?

"There's always unknowns in the pursuit of science, Doc. Sometimes you have to answer these questions when you get to them. And I trust that you and Lirren would make the right decisions during the iteration process - it's for the sake of the Setting Sun."

He nods. "For the setting sun."

I stifle my sigh.
Do people have to make it this complex? Either they're people or they're tools. But I wouldn't ever recommend thinking about them like people - you'd just be setting up everyone's expectations in a way that's going to make it hurt when you send them in to die. It's probably better to make them like meat-puppets under our control, than to give them true life. Saves you from having to make the obvious choice, anyway - no matter the situation, people are going to choose their loved ones first and foremost. And most of us, well... we've got people back at home waiting for us. Waiting for all of this to be over.

2/2 Cross 2022/05/01(Sun)19:13 No. 1030963 ID: 73aaab
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I continue on. Only so much time in the day.
"Is there anything else you're worried about, Doc? If anything, I thought the process of scientific discovery would fascinate you more than it worried you."

The vials are sorted now.
"Oh, well, yes, I must admit that there's a distinct sense of responsibility underlying this... the Trace technology, and the Memory Trace ampoules... while it's fascinating how far our technology has advanced, especially with the pressures of war licking at our feet, I'm concerned that this may be a box we cannot close."

...Hah. It does make me wonder. If the SAI's recording splinters of us, I wonder if we can take that and put it in a clone?
Wouldn't it be easier, putting Splinters of people's knowledge into these clones, rather than Memory Traces? I guess you'd need to put a whole bunch of Splinters together to have an even remotely similar effect though.


"I hope that whatever technologies are created - regardless of who made it, would not bring ruin to our homelands. I suppose, it's just... I worry for my daughter, you know? Even though I had applied for exceptions to allow her to be temporarily allowed to visit this facility, I'm concerned for her well-being. Even before the war, she had a tough life. "

Ah, her.
"And, well... she has had the Grasp since she was young. To isolate her as I go to work on this project... that would be a fate far too cruel."

The Banshee's Grasp...
Feh. What a terrible disease. It's like your body's withering from the inside out. Keletzar are rather frail by nature, something that only their natural drive for creativity and intellect tempers. Naming it after a curse from their legends, it's only appropriate. Damn. I heard his daughter had SOMETHING, I didn't realize she was one of those cases.

...I need to keep this in mind. I'm not sure the odds are gonna be good for the gal.

"Hey, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I'm sure exemptions will fall in line. You'll get to see her sooner or later."
Hopefully not in a casket.

Something occurs to me as I turn to leave.
"One more thing..."

I wonder if that Trace technology can be used on younger girls like her, too. We've got Traces for both men and women, though I doubt we're going to use the latter. Is it possible to store his daughter's memories all the same?
"Do it for your daughter, alright? We're all working here to make a world where, at the end of the day, children can live in peace."

I let those words hang over Koilo for a bit, before taking my leave. I don't look back.
Sometimes, it's alright to use a little emotional push to soothe the concerns of others. What's important at the end of the day is results.
For Koilo - the kind of push he needs is emotional reassurance. The knowledge that his actions will help someone.
Everyone has their own responses to different situations. A push here, a nudge there... getting people to do what you need is easier than you'd think.

Making a Memory Trace of her daughter would not be the same as saving her. It would just be a replica.
Nobody wants to treat their loved ones like a broken old sofa.

So tell me, who are we warring against? And why? Is it the larger multiverse?

Do not worry, we have all the time in the world and can hear your answer in full.

1/1 Cross 2022/05/03(Tue)18:52 No. 1031158 ID: 73aaab
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>Making a Memory Trace of her daughter would not be the same as saving her. It would just be a replica. Nobody wants to treat their loved ones like a broken old sofa.
You'd be surprised by how far some people would go. Ever see people taxidermy their pets? Still, I'm going to have to be careful with that situation.

>So tell me, who are we warring against? And why?
Like I said before, too many to name. Feels like every week we hear of some new conflict happening out there in the wider world. Supplies have been dwindling, you know? Five species, all branching out and expanding - we always figured that it would get to a point where there's simply no space left, but actually living through it's a whole other thing. In particular, the Third Flight of the Keletzar stand out as one of the main opponents - much like the Empire, they've set up their own coalition to deal with us - and in particular, the Seventh Flight.

>Is it the larger multiverse?
I think that's far too much science fiction on the mind. It would be interesting to write a story about other worlds, but I think right now, we should be worrying about the world in front of us instead of daydreaming about other worlds that don't exist.

>[FRAGMENT ACCELERATION RATIO - 48 HOURS]
>[PLAYING NEXT MEMORY SEQUENCE]
>[ADVANCING TO NEXT AVAILABLE SPLINTER]
>[INITIATING PLAYBACK.]

"Whup, don't mind me - and here we are, at the foundry! The pride of site 70, besides that new cloning facility we've got going on."
Four days till the cloning starts, and things are in high gear. Can barely get the approval to go in and just have a chat with the leads like this.
I can smell the fresh scent of manufacturing in the air.
"State of the art technology, dreamed up by one of Linharja's finest. We've got enough material shipments from the mainland to last us for ages!"

Ahh, there he is.
"And here's the genius behind the damn place - Doctor Teagan Graph! But we tend to call him Silicagraph, after his famed polymer that revolutionized the industry. The Democracy of Linharja handed him an award and everything for his efforts.
What's more, this guy's multi-talented! He's not just a regular engineer, but a genetics engineer too!"
He gives a casual wave. He's occupied.

"Whatcha got there, Teagan?"

"Ice cream. Standard issue."

...I never know where he gets those from.
"You know, I always thought that you would go crazy eventually, Patz, but talking to yourself? Maybe I should start making bets."

Oh right, the monologue. Gets a bit hard doing that - Wickerknell told me that I'm the 'type' to talk to myself anyway but that's just plain ridiculous.
"I'm afraid that's one you'll be losing, Graph! Just doing some rudimentary SAI testing, having it record some Splinters of the most important folks around!"

"Hah. I suppose we're all eccentric here in our own way. Well, what'll it be?"
There's a crunch as he finishes the cone in one gulp. Ironic for a species that comes from the generally snowier parts of the world to love frozen treats. But maybe it reminds Teagan of home. And now I want one. Asking about the project can come a bit later.

"Say, Teagan - where do you even get those cones from? I thought we didn't have much for sweets on this island."
Given how besides the scientists, most of the people here are soldiers, it's weird that he has something that you could buy from a convenience store. Except sometimes I see him putting... strange things into his own cones.

Have you ever seen a man use a salt shaker on a soft serve? Either he's actually putting sugar in there, or it's really salt - either way, it's just... strange.

"Imported 'em. Special orders. There's nothing in the rules to say that I can't requisition some whenever I feel like it."
That's... true. Huh.
"How about you, Patz? Where'd you get your sunglasses from?"

...Hah. About damn time someone asked.
"Only the highest grade lenses, put together by the finest artisans under the sun can produce these things. You know, I had initially been on a waiting list for them, because they're only available to the most PRESTIGIOUS of individuals and-"

"Cool, cool, I can see that."
For someone with questionable taste in eyewear, he should be picking up some tips from me. Though his current visor's way better than that bone mask of his from his old photos - apparently it's a cultural headwear, but I don't know enough about Linharjans to say more besides how jarring it was with the rest of his outfit.
He's... pulled out another ice cream when I wasn't looking. Guess I'll have to save it for another time when he's... not interrupting me with that.

"Can't I have one?"

"Sorry Patz, all out."
Great.


...Well, I should move on to asking more tangible questions with him. Koilo raised some fears about the project, so I should probably press him on it - must be good for the SAI, seeing the problem solving process in real time, right?

1/2 Cross 2022/05/04(Wed)19:13 No. 1031249 ID: 73aaab
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I get a little closer. I don't exactly know what the operational range of the SAI is, so it can't hurt.
"Alright, Teagan. Got some questions. What do YOU think about the project?"

He shrugs, leaning back in his seat.
"Should I be thinking about the project?"

"...I feel like you should."
The chair creaks as he leans back a bit further.

"It is what it is. I've got a job to do, and that's it. While I've got some thoughts about it, I'm just trying to do the best I can, even if I feel a bit strongly about this or that."

...It's really that casual for him, huh.
But I wonder if he's referring to anything specific about that 'strong feeling'.

"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing all the great men and future war heroes we'll be producing. Think folks like me still have a chance with the next generation of soldiers being all stronger and faster than guys like me?"

I expected a faint smile, but instead, I get a dark look.

“There’s something you should know about the clones, Testemillion.”

Odd of him to be so serious all of a sudden.

“The clones, they’re all going to be women.”

“What? All of them?”
I was expecting a couple, maybe one or two in the first batch, but…

I scowl.
“This… is going to be significantly detrimental to the bottom line.”

2/2 Cross 2022/05/04(Wed)19:13 No. 1031250 ID: 73aaab
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“The bottom line? I’m not sure that should be the first thing you’re worrying about.”

I brush off his concerns.
“I can worry about whatever I damn please - but what the hell led to this?”

It’s not like I haven’t seen good female soldiers in my time. But there’s no bloody reason to make your whole company female unless you were trying to prove a point.

Teagan doesn't look like he's joking.
"Unless you'd prefer horrific tumors on your fighting force, uncontrollable rage or a bevy of god-knows-how-many potential genetic defects I think it's best not to question it. It's a byproduct of how we're going about it - were we cloning pure versions of our species, we'd be able to make male specimens, no problem. But adding gene Traces, accelerated growth, chimerafication AND memory Traces? We're lucky things haven't fallen apart, but so far, all of the tests have only led to viable female subjects - and keep in mind, because they're hybrids, that makes them *stronger* than most males of the five species, depending on genetic ratios."

The invisible statement there is that the male hybrids would still be stronger than the female ones. That's just how biology works.

“Don’t miss the forest for the trees, Teagan. Soldiers can get over being replaced, but when it comes to making a fighting force - you do realize we’re limited by the amount of gene Traces we have access to? There’s eight times the male gene Traces than there is female. How are we supposed to produce these soldiers en-masse if we run out halfway through the project?”
The amount of samples that we've got, the memory Traces... everything else is going to take a hit to efficiency because of this.

Teagan's starting to look annoyed.

"Look, I'm not happy about this either. But simply cloning male soldiers isn't going to cut it when those clones aren't going to carry many benefits, nor the genuine experience and camaraderie of our soldiers back home. We have to take what we can get, because we're the force that's going to turn the tides in our favour. That's... all we can do."

I rub my temples. The weight of my sunglasses feels much heavier all of a sudden. He doesn't sound particularly convinced, himself.
But I need information, not sentiments.
"Can you fix this?"

“Not in a decade with access to more funding, research and other scientists working in tandem with the engineering departments.”
A look says it all.

Teagan simply stares at me, half-deflated in that chair of his.

There's still so much more on my mind as I process all of this.
"Feh. War always finds a way to reinvent itself over the decades. But this is absurd. Maybe in a way I was hoping that I could see the second coming of hundreds of legendary individuals who deserved a second chance. Guess that’s out the window. And now we're cloning the few female heroes we have, sending them in to fight again, and again and again... I don't know the details of how Trace technology works, but I can't say it sounds good, reusing the same few options we do have, over and over."

"That's what we get for starting this project when we don't even have all the technology worked out. Based on the projections, we don't know if or when this issue will be fixed at all."

I grunt. "War waits for nobody, huh. But how do you feel about all of this?"

"I would question why we even chose clones as a viable schema to pursue when it comes to effective weaponry. Cloning is one thing, genetic modification is another. Why have the higher ups ordered us to do this when they know there's other avenues for military power?"
So he DOES have his grievances with this project.

"Life as a clone... I tell myself that it'll be fine, but I I find myself praying for them. They've got no futures ahead of them, no matter how long they live. Do you think I'm happy about all of this? They're doomed. Once this war is over, they'll have nothing."

There's a wistful look in his eyes.

Rampant sexism aside, do you think someone intentionally sabotaged the project? As you said, you had eight times the male memory Traces as female memory Traces. If the project ground to a halt, then funding would have been redirected into finding the mole and torturing them into revealing what they broke, but now you still have a path forward and the brass is going to stupidly pretend that it's purely your fault.

You think the government is trying to rewrite history with these fake reincarnations of past heroes? Imagine if [Messiah Analogy] showed up but acted completely contrary to what people believe is their canon personality. This could be a subtle form of mass-genocide, ensuring your culture is subsumed to the point that it would have been less damaged and brainwashed if all major cities were nuked.

I mean, you can just use the male Memory Traces anyway, they are already going to find themselves in hybrid bodies, having boobs on top of the other extra bits shouldn't be THAT big an issue.

>they'll have nothing
Have you ever heard of mercenaries?

1/2 Cross 2022/05/06(Fri)19:22 No. 1031452 ID: 73aaab
File 165189016042.png - (629.92KB , 1000x1000 , ittwoteaganconsoling.png )

>Why don't you just use the male memory traces anyway?
We've got equal ratios of gene traces to memory traces, so by all means, we're not going to run out of memory traces *before* the gene traces, which are the main problem. Clones are a bit of a misnomer, since they're genetic hybrids - new beings created from old samples. It's not like we're bringing back the dead - what I said before about past heroes - that was metaphorical.

>Do you think someone intentionally sabotaged the project?
...That's a disconcerting possibility. There's a lot of ideas being thrown around that I'm not fully privy too, and something strange is happening with this project.

>Imagine if a past historical messiah showed up, but acted completely contrary to what people believed their personality to be.
It's not like we'd be able to revive any historical figures - we can't get traces for dead people - or at least, not old ones. In a way, the memory traces are to shortcut a lot of instinctual training - to recreate someone's memory completely... I'm not sure we have the tech for that, but I feel like the moral implications of that process is going to be even worse than what we're doing now.

>They could just be mercenaries afterward.
A fact I'm aware of, but I doubt that'll do much to assuage Teagan's worries.

But... I've got something else in mind.
Hah. Guess it's time to work my magic then.

"Alright, sorry for getting on your case then, Teagan. We’ll do as people do - we adapt."

He looks bitter. I can't blame him.

"Just... I question if this will be worth it. What would the future generations think of us?"
Ah, there we go. An opening.

"The thing is, Teagan... we represent a sacrifice of sorts. And you're underestimating what the clones would be able to give back to our world. Sure, things aren’t as smooth as they are. I won’t lie, the logistical half of the situation’s absolutely messed up - I don’t even know if we can deploy these clones any time soon. But that doesn’t mean they’re a lost cause."
Every person responds to something different. Teagan's a nobler man than I am, but that means he's also swayed easily by appeals to a greater cause.

"Rather than war machines or weapons of mass destruction - we're choosing to create new, stronger, more coordinated soldiers to supplement our armies. A less-destructive alternative to bombs and chemicals that would devastate our lands, our homes. It's not just the Alliance at stake, it's also the people we're fighting against."

This gets his attention. He sits up, and I know my words are reaching him.

"Rather than scorching the earth, killing hundreds, thousands of civilians - we can bring the fight to them on a microscopic scale - improvements across the board through superior strength and performance. Just like the men who signed up for their militaries - these clones, they're fighting for a worthwhile cause. Even if they can't reproduce when this is all over - they'll be lauded as heroes! Perhaps, even if they’re only a tiny fraction of our history - they still EMBODY the heroism that our nations have seen throughout the ages - and they'll become a symbol of something beautiful when this war is over."
Perhaps a little hyperbolic. But I can't say that I disagree with what I'm saying. Ask me to choose between bombs or female soldiers, I'll pick the latter. Doesn't mean I have to be satisfied with it.

"I'm... not sure I'm as optimistic as you are, Patz. But maybe, I'm looking at this too pessimistically."
Good, he's responding to it.
And I just had an idea.

"And if you're worried about them turning worse - perhaps you could give them some attention yourself? I'm sure you'd have plenty of wisdom to pass on to each generation we make. In turn, they'll be able to pass something down too. They may not be able to reproduce, but much like the soldiers we know - what you offer to the world doesn't have to be children."

Ah, there it is. The spark of enthusiasm.
"I... I hadn't considered that avenue. Personally teaching some of the clones, instructing them with values, so that they can share their teachings with the others in their units... while Trace technology teaches the basics, and Leeza's education instructs them on the rigours of strategy... I could teach them about the heart."

A little... strange of a word to use, but I can respect that.
"That's the ticket, Teagan. It's a team effort. If you're ever having trouble again, Teagan, just let me know. I'm in your corner!"

He nods.
"I should go and write down any potential ideas I have in advance. Thank you, Patz.

Heh. I should probably thank YOU for being easy enough to placate.

"No worries, Teagan, this kind of thing's exactly what I'm meant to do."

2/2 Cross 2022/05/06(Fri)19:22 No. 1031453 ID: 73aaab
File 165189017551.png - (653.31KB , 1000x1000 , ittwoleavingTeagan.png )

"Let me know some of those plans you have when you're done writing them up. And save me an icecream next time!"
He cracks a grin.
"Should I put aside another salt shaker for you?"
I shudder as I walk away.
"Yeah, I'll pass on that."

I stop at the doorway, something came to mind.
"Before I go... what did Lirren say about all of this? I wasn't in the loop on the... outstanding issues with the cloning technology. Did he mention anything about that?"

"Lirren? I was recruited through the project through other connections. I don't believe I've heard much from him on this. Only found out the issues after I had tried to set things up recently, but I feel like Lirren would have already known that something would go wrong. He's overseeing the whole project, he knows the projections for the technology."

Koilo wasn't in the know about this. But Lirren had to have known better.
"Right. Thanks for the info."

There has to be something more at play here - I'm going to have to chase him up on this more later.

How did you get your manipulation skill so high?
Also, who was your role model or parental figure growing up? Are they easily punchable?

Subtle prying into the top files regarding the clone development process is advisable.

Speaking of, who was Doctor Prometheus? And how did he come up with his alias?

1/1 Cross 2022/05/10(Tue)05:48 No. 1031768 ID: 73aaab
File 165218688928.png - (638.62KB , 1000x1000 , ittwoLeeza1.png )

>How'd you get your manipulation skill so high?
In my business, I've found that sweet talk can be just as effective as a bullet. Much better uses of your time than lying in a medic's tent, waiting for your bullet wound to heal, or to set a broken arm or two.
Sometimes, when you're dealing with someone unconvinceable - you can employ a different strategy.
Keep a brief record of what they're like - determine an emotional vulnerability. Exploit it.
More often than not, people can and will melt down - and any audience you might have's more likely to be swayed to your side.
Years ago, it would've sounded psychotic. But here we are.

I'm thankful that my coworkers have been easy to work with. It means that we can all get along perfectly fine.

>Also, who was your role model or parental figure growing up? Are they easily punchable?
Hmm. Probably... Bilhi Stonetumble, back when I was a kid. Tough guy wannabe Asliann kid. Threw his weight around. Pushed my shit in a few times. But in a way, it taught me a lot of lessons - how to negotiate, how to plan, how to adapt. Later on in life, I decided that I didn't want to be kicked to the curb any more, so that was one of the reasons I enlisted. Plenty more of course - a sense of patriotism, a genuine desire to see the world become a better place...
There's a lot I'm willing to do in order to improve the livelihoods of the people in this world.

...Never did get to deck that guy in the face down the line.


>So who was Dr. Prometheus?
Ah, that guy? Lirren's... mentor of sorts.
He was amongst the first to really delve into genetic technology and a lot of his work formed the current project we're working on, to the point where it's named after him. I feel like Lirren would be able to give a better lecture on all his intricacies than me. I doubt hybridization was on his mind when he first figured out how to properly set things up to produce viable clones of people to begin with.
As for his name, it's simply his name. I think it's supposed to be a combination of his middle and last names - something like... 'Proma Aetheus'. Gotta say that I never quite understood the Rhappor or Keletzar naming patterns - I get that one of their names is supposed to be their family lineage or social group, but when two different cultures have significant usage of middle-names, the fact that the two species uses it differently makes it infinitely confusing as to what the proper meanings behind things are supposed to be.


>[FRAGMENT ACCELERATION RATIO - 48 HOURS]
>[PLAYING NEXT MEMORY SEQUENCE]
>[ADVANCING TO NEXT AVAILABLE SPLINTER]
>[INITIATING PLAYBACK.]


"Fwahh, you won't believe the day I've had, Leeza."
A rare moment in the lounge when we can be by ourselves. A bloody luxury as the project ramps up, that's for sure. The eggheads are all busy trying to suss out the initial plans for combined genetics, the technicians are monitoring the implementation of the technology.

And me? My men are on standby, since there genuinely isn't much to do for now. When the clones are done, then we'd have something, but for now? It's primarily for security.
Just me and an undercover princess who's also a military strategist.
I'm not sure I can get over that yet. Being able to fraternize with the crown princess of the Asliann Empire, the person heading the Alliance? Hell, the bloody alliance is named by them to begin with. Leaves me feeling a little out of my element.

"You sure this isn't just a normal day for you? Maybe you're just overestimating how much time Lirren's got free."

I mean, wouldn't anyone be annoyed if the ONE PERSON they were trying to look for was constantly unavailable? I get that Lirren's in touch with the higher ups, but does that man seriously have to vanish like that?

"Oh, don't look at me like that. If you were actually bothered by it, you'd be waiting in front of his office all day."

"Hey, I've got more duties than JUST chasing him up for questions. Plus, there's still the SAI training and I had to go around talking to every soldier with it."
It's fun the first few times, but after a while, it's tedious. Most people just don't know what to say.
Leeza's the last of the major people I even had to see.
At least she saved me time trying to find her. It's nice to just have a drink with a colleague once in a while - got all the nice stuff brought over from the mainland.
Only two days until cloning starts for real, but I've still got to see Lirren again before it starts for real. Too many questions are on my mind.

"Well, you'd better enjoy that drink of yours. We're not planning on shipping more over any time soon. Teaching the clones alcoholism isn't going to work out well for them, hah!"

The thought makes me want to dive for cover.
I sip at my Port.
"Yeah, like they can afford this. They can all settle for the cheap commercial beer they have in the airports, because I'm not sharing."

Is the eye-patch wound even real?
How many of each species are in the alliance?

1/2 Cross 2022/05/11(Wed)18:21 No. 1031943 ID: 73aaab
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>Is the eye-patch wound real?
Oh, that? I've heard rumours. But I don't think she'd still have it on if it weren't real to some extent. People like her aren't the type to put on airs, despite the whole royalty thing.

>How many of each species are in the alliance?
That's a hard thing to estimate. I mean, there's loose population numbers but with tensions being this high, it means that there's a lot of information being falsified. I can say roughly that, most Asliann are with the alliance, the Rhappor are pre-occupied with a lot of different situations due to their cultural structures having several different power-bases, but the Ogliarchy specifically aligns with us due to vested interests. In comparison, the Sarasol colonies I'm from, we're definitely a minority compared to our actual main population base, so I'm all they've got to offer. The Keletzar Flights are in an absolute mess right now, what with the Third going at the Seventh so aggressively, and the other five flights are trying to tiptoe around the absolute minefield that this situation presents, meaning there's not a lot of Keletzar around in the alliance either. Finally, the Linharjans... while we have most of their support, population ratios are definitely coming into play and so they're wary about sending more support. Previous wars kind of rocked their homeland, after all.

It occurs to me that I haven't run the question of the week through Leeza yet.
"Ah shit, I didn't ask for your thoughts on this either, did I?"
The rush of different threads at play's really messing with me. Leeza... she GETS me. As intelligent as the other three Project Leads are, there's a certain shift in understanding of the world when you've served.
It's what separates a civvie and a soldier.

"Maybe if you weren't too busy staring at yourself in the mirror, it would've occurred to you earlier.
She gives me a friendly jab in the soldier, and I feel it through my ribs. Makes me wonder if I'd be willing to be shorter in exchange for crazy body-size-to-strength ratios as well.

"Well, what DO you think about all of this? This whole... female supersoldier hybrids thing."

Koilo definitely took it in stride when he eventually found out about it. But I figured that he's the most conflict-adverse of all of us. Probably more worried about other topics.

"Hm. That's a good enough question, but I personally don't feel too strongly about it. It doesn't make much of a difference to me - because no matter the sex of the people who I'll be commanding, they're all still my loyal soldiers."


"Awfully virtuous of you. Doesn't it bother you at all? They'll never live normal lives."

The ice in her drink clatters as she sets it down.
"Maybe so. Some of us don't get to choose who we are in this world. The clones are the same. I suppose I can relate to that, as tragic as it may be. It's a necessary step for our future."
Always pragmatic like usual. She's someone who I'm glad exists - someone who I know has her country's future in mind. She didn't lose her eye in the command room after all.

"Would you have preferred them to be male, if circumstances were different?"

"Yes. Within all five species, the men are more well-suited for combat. Speaking evolutionarily, it was practical. One half of the population would stay behind and rear the children, another would hunt and provide sustenance and protection. As such, I don't think it's wrong to say that male hybrids would have served the cause better."

"Hah. Looking for companionship, perhaps?"

She sneers.
"Yeah, right. I'm sure the thought of a dozen clone women, all-so-beautiful with their impossible mixed-species looks' has your flagpole flying all five flags, but unlike some people, I don't get to pick my partners."

She inhales, like she's taking a drag from an absent cigarette.
"Back on topic... I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the women yet to be born."

In her singular eye, there's a bright sparkle.
"Perhaps they wouldn't be mothers to a typical child. But they would be mothers to our future. And, while I can't say I have experience... the good mothers will do anything to protect their children."

I lean back. As much as she puts on the guise of a soldier - I know deep down, she's truly a royal. Someone to be protected.
"Good speech there, your majesty. You'd do well to tell the clones that in future."

2/2 Cross 2022/05/11(Wed)18:22 No. 1031946 ID: 73aaab
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"What're you getting at, Testemillion?"
There's a twisted grin on her face, like I had just insulted an enemy general right to his face.

"Oh, I dunno... your words reminded me of the man heading the Alliance."

Liuthar Wickerknell. Their whole family shares the same initials, you know. But Liuthar... I've heard how he's led his nation out of some of the worst times during past wars, civil and global. It's a wonder that their family's maintained that reputation this whole time, given how his daughter's just as competent.
The Sarasol Colonies would've been an empire still, if their royalty weren't as incompetent.

Leeza feigns accusatory shock.
"Goodness, I'm not quite sure what to make of that! After all, I'm just a simple military instructor. What could I possibly know about the comings-and-goings of our royalty, god-bless-them?"

Oh, far too much, Leeza. But disguises are disguises. Even in private, one can't let their guard down too much.
I jab a finger at her.
"Seriously. I'm glad that we've had this talk. Gives me hope for the future too, knowing people like you are at the helm."

"Don't count yourself out, Patz. We're going to put an end to this war, yet. Let's see our efforts pay off."

"And I hope they do. Got plenty of aspirations after the war's over. Plenty of time to work on that story of mine. Wonder if I could turn it into a movie franchise?"
Leeza leaves me a raucous laugh.
"You're a riot, Patz. Film-making? Odd choice for you."

"Hah. Yeah, maybe. But you have to start somewhere."
We sit there in silence together, our cups growing lighter and lighter as time passes by.

It's good, spending time like this with her. I hope that down the line, once the war's over... we can just get together like this again and have a drink and a chat.
That would be nice.

>>1031946
you H2O based lifeforms how do you organize the leaderships of your hierarchical power structure of this so called alliance

1/2 Cross 2022/05/15(Sun)06:37 No. 1032310 ID: 73aaab
File 165262187857.png - (505.59KB , 1000x1000 , ittwoconfrontation.png )

>How do you organize the leadership of your alliance?
It's by committee. A boardful of many of the top figures, or their representatives. Guess they're smart enough not to always put people in the same place.
Communication's kind of rough given that meetings are hard to properly set up, but we make do.


>[FRAGMENT ACCELERATION RATIO - 24 HOURS]
>[PLAYING NEXT MEMORY SEQUENCE]
>[ADVANCING TO NEXT AVAILABLE SPLINTER]
>[INITIATING PLAYBACK.]


Even though I don't intend on doing anything to him, it feels like I'm pointing a gun at his head.

"Lirren, you've got some explaining to do. What the hell have you been plotting with this project?"
I finally bloody caught the man alone after all this time. There's topics you can't bring up around the people who aren't in the know.
"Don't be inflammatory, Patz. We all signed on board voluntarily, nor are we doing anything heinous."

If there was a table, I'd slam it.
"I don't think it's inflammatory to say that ideally, we wouldn't be sending women in to get shot. Why the hell didn't you let me and the others know right out of the gate? You KNEW about the flaws in the tech, but Teagan had to find out himself!"

Lirren sighs, though he's visibly irritated.
"Patz, this is still being recorded by the SAI."

"Yeah, so? I know you've got tools to remove SAI Splinters if necessary. This conversation can be between the two of us."
Locked the door behind us and everything.

"You're keeping something from us, Lirren. And we're not leaving unless I hear what."

I list off my suspicions, without taking my eyes off him.
"Things started stacking up. I could buy a supersoldier program, a clone program too. But when that program is flawed, why are we going for it? Why not use that technology for gene-therapy, improving the soldiers we already have?"

"Must you have an outburst today? It's only a single day until we start the project."

"It's precisely because of that. We need to clear it up, or else what the hell am I supposed to tell my soldiers?"
It's one thing to get other people to do what you need them to do - to ease their worries so that they'll keep marching. But...

"Every twist needs a truth. It's a matter of framing - and if I don't have the right information... the others will lose their trust. They'd start asking questions that I don't have answers for."

He sighs, but I can feel the restrained emotion even at this distance.

2/2 Cross 2022/05/15(Sun)06:38 No. 1032311 ID: 73aaab
File 165262191009.png - (899.06KB , 1000x1000 , projecttruthrealization.png )

"This has to do with the hybrids, doesn't it? We could already make male clones perfectly fine. If we wanted nothing but manpower, technically they would have worked."
Disregarding the inefficiencies with memory traces when used on normal clones.

The air of the lab feels colder than usual.

Lirren steps forward, his footsteps echoing around me.
"You want answers? It's much more straightforward than you think."

"One simple reason. Through combining our species' genetic structures... we've discovered that there are latent psionic abilities that our species possess."

I stop.
"What? Psionic abilities?"

"Yes. The likes you can imagine out of a science fiction film. I heard you were quite partial to those."
Oh, for the love of-

"And you just expect me to believe that?"


"It isn't a lie. You said it yourself - the evidence stacks up. Why else is the project happening like this? Why didn't we pursue gene therapy instead? Because the higher ups saw potential in this project. To see use Project Prometheus as a trump card against our opponents."

Wh-

"When we had first made the discovery in the labs, Koilo didn't quite believe it at first either. Of course, the first few subjects didn't survive - but we could feel it. Something affecting us while we worked. It wasn't just a dream or a nightmare. It was only the beginning of something different."
What the hell are battlefields going to look like from this point onward? Just what can those psionic powers do to people?

"If the cloning process didn't result in this, we would have pursued gene therapy instead. But when this project could create something irreplaceable... that was what swayed people's opinions on this project."

This is insane. Psychic powers?
I thought... I thought that we were just making soldiers who were stronger than average. Perhaps better coordinated.
Psychic powers...

"What we felt wasn't anything on the level of mind control or memory alteration. But we could feel the subject. It's sense of loneliness, of being held in the dark. And the slow fade of it's pulse as it expired in it's chamber."

Sweat trickles down my forehead. What did those two end up discovering? I feel like there's been some kind of seal that's been broken on the world itself.

Can we see it?

Oh, what's the big deal? Your nations fire enough bullets to fell a god every day. Replaceable psychic superheroes will have many applications.

Wait... are you afraid some little girl is going to crack your head open and broadcast all your little secrets to everyone? How silly!

It's just a new type of weaponry, don't over-react. Sniper rifles and bombing runs already commit far greater atrocities than the ability to read enemy officers' minds.

Is this why the clones will be all female? Becaude they are better at....moving things with their minds?

>>1032311
Heh just another weapon one could say but the invention of the car or handgun or even literally the staircase yearly death toll would do and has done more harm or ever will, and these female hybrids if breedable is the unification of all your species into one removing a barrier between while also improving upon you fleshy beings expanding your minds beyond the next step its a box that never be closed if you dont do it someone else will out of your control its be first or be left behind.

Also females means you will be certain of its patternity control of manufacturing where a male can easily sow its wildoats or be smuggled

Ask if that's why the clones are all female; and if that's the case, why worry about having memory traces? Why not just raise the psychic clones as regular soldiers?

ask how far things got, and if you can see the data

1/3 Cross 2022/05/17(Tue)17:57 No. 1032629 ID: 73aaab
File 165283544843.png - (557.54KB , 1000x1000 , ittwolirrensad.png )

>Can we see it?
I'm... not sure they've got the corpse anywhere near here for me to take a look at.

>It's just a new type of weaponry, don't over-react.
There's a difference to just outright killing someone, versus controlling someone else into killing someone. Depending on just how far things go - mind control, insurrection - far more worse things than just a bomb could happen. Who do you think has their fingers on the launch button to begin with?

>Is that why all the clones are female?
In this case... the people orchestrating the project, the people above us - they don't care about whether the clones are male or female, do they? They just want bodies, with one particular ability.
Of course, regardless of sex, all these clones are sterile; that's the nature of hybridization.

>Why worry about having memory traces?
Like I said before, it's not the memory traces that are the problem. It's gene traces. Even with this... psychic soldier program, if that's the true goal, then we'll still have less because of it. All because the project needed to happen as immediately as possible.

>Ask how far things got, and if you can see the data.

"Is... is the data still intact?"

He shakes his head.
"We had instruments recording other things. None such things existed to measure psionic potential."

Lirren sit down on the nearby bench, but his expression changes.

"What had happened that day was something extraordinary. But it couldn't go unreported, either. Soon enough, me and Koilo got dragged into this project. We could get behind the idea of bettering our country, but..."

He trails off, leaving his thoughts unsaid.
Tears are seeping into his fur.

"I'm left feeling bitter about all of this, Patz. I really am. I started my career trying to make things better for people. But the potential that our future clones could exhibit... I'm worried for both us, and them. Would you hate me if I said I hope that we don't have to deploy our soldiers? I fear what may happen to the individuals we create when they're made to fight."

Are you kidding me? Then what's the point of all of this? All of the years of research that'll happen in this blacksite?
Even despite the worry - he's pulling himself in three different directions at once!
He goes on, and I'm fuming where I stand.
"The thing is - we may not even figure out the right way to produce such gifted soldiers for quite a while. Growing these soldiers are not instant. It would take a year at very least, not counting the supplementary training. With how unknown this field is - we'd be making history. What's to say that those overseeing the Alliance wouldn't let us have a few extra years?"

"Those are just rationalizations, Lirren."

While I can feel a twinge of his sadness - the fact of the matter is, we HAVE to make sacrifices for the people back home.
And so, I let my frustrations fall to the front.

"You're non-committal. Do you want these to be goddamn soldiers, or a pet project of yours? Should we protect the lives of clones, or the real, living civillians back at home? You were the person who had made this program, and now you're trying to second-guess it? Listen, I get the moral quandry underlying this project. I get it. I'm not heartless, Lirren. But you can't just have it both ways. You've got a job to do here, and moralizing isn't going to change the situation! You've gotten this far - and believe me, I know what you're scared of."

Lirren doesn't have anything to say in response.
"What happens if these brain-busting soldiers turn on us? You can't keep them locked away here forever, nor are every one of them going to like being created for a war they don't have any true emotional attachment to. Are you planning on just keeping them here for a decade? Wait til' the war's blown over? Who knows what we even learn about these soldiers over time? What if they don't end up psychic and it's just the regular hybrids? Are you going to let them go then?"

"...I'm not sure."

"Not sure? What the hell are you saying? You're the one who's the lead of this project!"

He leans forward, his eyes focused on mine.
"All I know is that I don't wish for these soldiers to turn on us! If I had my say, conflict in this world would look completely different! But you don't have to remind me - I know I have to keep going! But that doesn't make this situation any less complicated."

2/3 Cross 2022/05/17(Tue)17:57 No. 1032630 ID: 73aaab
File 165283547316.png - (685.14KB , 1000x1000 , amodestproposal.png )

There's... just too many problems with whatever plans he has. Someone has to step in and plug the holes in the operation.
So it's up to me again.

"I don't have answers for everything. But I've got a proposal to make to you. Maybe it'll be capable of bringing you some peace."

"What?"

I breathe in. He's not going to like this one.
"A psychological trigger, Lirren. We implant in the clones a psychological trigger that allows us to control them if they ever go haywire. Dunno if Trace technology can do that, but I'm sure it would be capable of getting the results we want."

He recoils.
"These are still living beings, ones that can think and feel!"

I loom over him - can't he get it through his head already?

"Yeah? And who's fault is that, doc? You didn't HAVE to give them feelings - but have you considered just what could happen if any of them got any ideas? What if they decided they wanted to kill us for bringing them into this world? If you want to give them a happy life at the end of all of this, make sure they don't go stir-crazy on all of us... then have a back-up plan. A way to pacify them by force, something that they can't respond to."

I step back.

"What I've got in mind isn't a verbal trigger, something that can be exploited, especially by clones with psionic powers. How about a conditional trigger? One that activates in response to external stimuli. It's up for you to calibrate it. Can't be violence since they're soldiers. But perhaps something about hurting those closest to them. I mean, they've got feelings - and feelings lead to attachments. You can sort out the details - what I'm saying's just one idea out of many. But you're going to have to decide."

Lirren looks away, his teeth gritted.
"That's- that's technically possible. But we haven't done much experimentation in the field, Testemillion. That may just cause problems further down the line."

I shrug. What else can I say? It's not my job any more.
"If it's unstable, if it has issues - well, that's for you to iron out. We've got plenty of gene traces, right? What's left after we throw out most of it. Just label the failsafe the 'Rogue' gene. Maybe not so much of a gene, as encoded genetic instructions. You don't exactly have many other solutions to making this go over smoothly. If you're lucky, you won't have to use it at all."

And my god, do I hope we don't have to use it.

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Lirren's looking awfully despondent after all of that. He slumps down, unable to meet my eye.

"Think about it, Lirren. You can't keep hiding the clones forever. The war right now... there's full-scale conflicts here and there. But who knows how long they'd go on for?"

Things ebb and flow on the battlefield nowadays. We're not the only source of new tech. The Alliance has fallbacks of its own. Maybe things will quieten down a bit, give Lirren a bit of breathing room. But he's digging himself into a hole at this rate.

"If you want to play the long game, Lirren... then sit on the sidelines, for all I care. I'll do my job without question. But you have to be the one making the hard calls. Because you know what answer I would choose."

"I'll... I'll think about it, Patz. The only outcome I feel like gives us any chance is to deploy them at the right time - after we've ironed out the kinks, come to understand how they think and feel. And maybe then, they can be celebrated as heroes, not feared as monsters."

Heroes, huh? That's a nice thought. Maybe that'll be something they can aspire to be.

"I hope so too, Lirren."

He doesn't respond.

"See you when the program begins, Doctor."

I take my leave. We're done here.

Why not modify their genetics and neurology to reduce their emotional capacity and personal drive and also make them more receptive to follow orders?

Has it occurred to you that you're a control freak who has managed to usurp the entire chain of command by denying your own ruthless, sociopathic demeanor towards your colleagues with a 'for the greater good' self-delusion?

Did they implement a pacification trigger? What is it?

>>1032632
If attatchment is the issue you need to raise them in a patriotic enviroment nature AND NURTURE

1/3 Cross 2022/05/28(Sat)05:42 No. 1033855 ID: 73aaab
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>Why not modify their genetics and neurology to reduce their emotional capacity and personal drive, also making them more receptive to orders?
That's what I was wondering - but I guess Lirren's too conflicted to make the damn choice in the first place, putting us in this position.

>Did they implement a pacification trigger? What is it?
Hey, it's gonna take some time - I only just brought it up to him. I'm not the geneticist here.

>If attatchment is the issue you need to raise them in a patriotic environment - nature AND NURTURE.
I'm sure we'll be plenty patriotic. But, keep any group of trained fighters in one place for too long - they get bored. And I don't mean a month or two, I mean YEARS. We can't simply ship them off elsewhere, not until they're properly deployed.
Who knows? Maybe if this charade goes on long enough, they could start up little weekly competitions with each other, take a page out of the Asliann ritual duelling book. Really bloody hoping it doesn't come to that.

>Has it occurred to you that you're a control freak who has managed to usurp the entire chain of command?
Lirren may be the project lead, but the reason we have other leads is to keep each other in check. It would be egotistical to assume that, once you're at the head of a military project - you can just get cold feet and try to undermine it in the process.

>[FRAGMENT ACCELERATION RATIO - 24 HOURS]
>[PLAYING NEXT MEMORY SEQUENCE]
>[ADVANCING TO NEXT AVAILABLE SPLINTER]
>[INITIATING PLAYBACK.]

Well, here it is. The beginning of something new.
The five of us project leads, we're all just talking about the future casually. Nobody knows what happened yesterday besides me and Lirren.
With all the eggheads in their control stations ready to pull the switch and fill the chambers with a future fighting force.

"No speech, doc? We'll be making big history here."

Lirren nods, speaking softly, as if to the clones who haven't been born yet.
"The unification of our species under the setting sun... hybrids that pave the way to an era of peace. May we all have the brightest futures ahead of us."

The other three gathered project leads all give their own, quiet approvals.
It's cold in here. Makes me glad I've got a scarf on.

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There's an alarm as the switch is pulled, amniotic fluid flooding the chambers in a moment. Suddenly, everything's a lot warmer.

And there it is. A little embryo inside of that tube. It looks so small compared to the walls of the machine, but soon enough - it'll be a person. Or a soldier.


...Huh. We're going to have to name these guys, aren't we?
Heh-heh. I've got a few ideas here or there.

It's weird to imagine that they'll be walking and talking so soon. I'm sure that a lot of the others have their own hopes and concerns about this project, especially since the flaws with this project are more apparent than ever.

I don't know if the future's going to be as rosy as Lirren hopes it'll be. But I can't help but be taken into everyone else's optimism, even if I may have encouraged them to think that way.


One thing's for certain.
Things will never be the same again.

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[END OF RECORDING.]
[DO YOU WISH TO VIEW AGAIN? Y/N]
-N

ThTHtthTHank You for uuUuusinnnng the SpSpSpSpLInTerR AssiStaNceWiZarddd......~!#@$#$%!$%^^%@%^!@$%^#


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3/3 Cross 2022/05/28(Sat)05:44 No. 1033858 ID: 73aaab
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W...what was that?


...Dad...


But why this? Why now?

...What... what did she do?

I...

I've got a bad feeling about this.