"Is all of this brain stuff safe?" Ves asked. "I mean, I am already aware that implant developers have successfully incorporated hyper materials in their latest generations of cranial implants, but the brains of mech pilots and especially high-ranking ones are different. How much has the tech used in Saint Isobel's cranial implant been tested?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎 This was a sensitive topic, especially during the Age of Dawn where many rules had changed. "Not nearly as much as we would prefer." The hospital director frankly admitted. "The pace of development in the augmentation sector has multiplied by at least an order of magnitude than before. Since the Great Severing, the Evolution Witch has taken over the Transhumanist Faction from the Chosen Human. The new leader has a much more proactive vision of human augmentation. Many laws have been rescinded and almost all of the remaining regulations have been softened to promote faster and more powerful development. That ultimately comes with an enormous reduction in the amount of mandatory testing that is required before releasing any product or service." Ves did not look good after hearing that. "So there is a significant risk that any of the novel augmentations used to reconstruct Saint Isobel's body can glitch out at any time?" "The probability is not high, Professor Larkinson. We have conducted extensive simulations as well as isolated live experiments and we have worked out many potential flaws and vulnerabilities. What we have not been able to do is test the interactions between all of the different implants and cybernetic components working together while being actively under the influence of the patient's willpower. We have tried our best to account for these conditions and implement contingencies, but there is only so much tech we can fit in an artificial body of human proportions." "I see. Does that mean we have to assign dedicated cybernetic experts to her team so that her condition can be monitored on a daily basis?" "Correct. It is best to see her new body as a highly engineered machine that is 90 percent mechanical with a limited number of organic tissue interspersed throughout her body for various reasons. Her new body shares more similarities with a high-end mech than a humanoid organism. Her cybernetic body not only demands regular maintenance, but also updates and bug fixes over the course of its life cycle. The worst part is that it is already out of date." Ves had an inkling of what the director was talking about. "The Cybernetic Empire?" The mention of the elephant in the room caused the director's mood to plunge. "You guessed correctly. Before the return of Bridgehead One, Yernstall was known as the center of human augmentation. Encouraged by the new policies implemented by the Evolution Witch, the Transhumanist Faction and other relevant groups concentrated many of our R&D institutions on Yernstall IV and Yernstall V. Not only have they made many attainments, the cross-pollination that takes place between them has also led to many joint innovations and enhanced knowledge sharing. We have made more advancements in the last 2 years than in three whole mech generations." Ves crossed his arms. "And then the Cybers arrived, each of whom spent 53 years on starting up new lives and conducting a huge amount of research inside their safe and comfy greater spacetime bubble. That is equivalent to two whole mech generations worth technological innovation and refinement." "The gap between us is too big. Even if Bridgehead One is only 1 star system, it is not a normal one. With the Polymath herself leading a star system-wide adoption of cybernetics in lieu of systematic cultivation, she has successfully created a society and culture that has not only embraced augmentation through body replacement, but created an enormous sector that is filled with mature companies and institutions that are all several generations ahead of us. Since her empire bears the word 'cybernetic' in its name, you can easily imagine how much the Cybers take pride in their augmentations. We do not think it is possible for us to catch up to their progress." This was an enormous blow to the Transhumanist Faction as well as many other groups that possessed a strong interest in human augmentation. All of their research and development amounted to nothing more than inferior and outdated results when they compared their works to that of the Cybers. The Cybernetic Empire also protected its advanced technologies tightly, making it so that only a fraction of cybernetic innovations would trickle down to the rest of human-occupied space. This ensured that the Cybers always maintained an absolute leadership position in this market. Ves actually felt regret that he had arranged for Isobel to be treated by the mechers based in Yernstall. If he kept Isobel as a brain in a jar at this time, then he would have the freedom to approach the Cybernetic Empire and arrange a new and hyper-modern cybernetic body for Isobel! Alas, it was too late to change his mind now. The Red Association installed too much of its own exclusive tech inside Isobel's new artificial form. It would be difficult for other organizations to repair, tweak, modify or upgrade its systems for this reason. Ves did not think of turning to the Cybernetic Empire to overhaul Isobel's cybernetic body and upgrade it to their standards. The Cybers would ask a high price for this service, and their augmentations are not without their flaws and shortcomings. One advantage the cybernetics of the Red Association possessed was a much more integral understanding and application of hyper materials. That became clear when the director began to explain the configuration of Isobel's extensive cybernetics suite. "How much have you guys been able to meet the requirements set by our clan?" "As per your specifications, we have tried our best to make her new cybernetic body capable of protecting her against heavy damage. Even if her cockpit is breached by a powerful enemy attack, her body may not necessarily break due to how well it is protected. We have made a special effort to make her artificial physique as fireproof as possible." The director projected a humanoid figure and highlighted the exterior as well as a few internal components. "The patient carries a compact shield generator in her abdomen that can generate a strong transphasic fire hyper energy shield. Since it is not an azure energy shield that is based on the water element, its ability to resist most damage types has decreased, but it has proven to be more effective at withstanding energy and heat damage." That was understandable. "What else?" "Most of the metals used in the structure and exterior plating are made up of transphasic fire hyper alloys. They provide excellent protection against most forms of flames and heat. Their physical damage resistance is also decent, but do not expect miracles on this front." "I noticed that no superdimensional matter is involved." The director stared directly at Ves in the eyes. "That is true. We know too little about whether human beings can safely remain in very close proximity to different quantities of superdimensional matter, whether raw or processed into stabler alloys. We have barely completed such studies related to transphasic materials, and we have identified numerous instances where the health of carriers of transphasic implants are at risk. We prefer to conduct several years of intensive studies to figure out once and for all whether a new and volatile material is safe enough to be used in augmentations. From what I have heard from the relevant research institutions, their scientists have only just begun these studies." That meant that until these biotech experts had completed their studies, there was no immediate option to upgrade this toy machine. However, so long as they completed their research, Isobel and many other people gained the option to replace their existing transphasic cybernetics with superdimensional equivalents. They would probably have to supply their own superdimensional matter in order to complete this upgrade, but that was not a particularly big problem for the Larkinson Clan. Compared to a future superdimensional upgrade, Ves cared much more about another important factor. "Have you been able to build an imitation of human blood vessels that penetrates every part of her new body?" He asked. The director responded with a wry smile. "This unusual request of yours has generated considerable consternation and frustration among the cybernetic experts assigned to this project. They had to make many uncomfortable compromises to the design in order to include false blood vessels that are primarily made out of alloys that include heat-resistant materials as well as fire hyper materials. While they do not reach into every individual component, they still have a strong presence in the entire torso, all four limbs and the neck as well as the lower head. You can channel pure flames through these channels and not inflict any damage to the false veins and the rest of the heat-resistant body." Ves grinned when he heard this. He already had a vague intention of turning the Promethea Mark II into the first proper Bloodfire mech. He could think of no better candidate to choose from than this unique instance. Although the existence of the Dominion of Man already proved the viability of the Bloodfire Pact, the fact that it depended on the circulation of hot and dangerous fire-attributed E energy made it very dangerous for ordinary people to pilot an Fire Carmine mech of this specification. Just as the Terrans assigned to pilot the Woodsap mech needed to undergo body modifications in order to be able to cycle the sap of the Emperor Tree through his veins, the pilots of future Bloodfire mechs needed to withstand the heat brought by fire energy on a repeated basis! As far as test pilots were concerned, Isobel Kotin was not representative of the general population because of her extensive high-quality cybernetics and her unnaturally strong willpower. However, if Ves just wanted to produce a success case with the least amount of risk, Isobel was by far the best candidate due to her insane resistance against flames and heat. He did not have to worry about accidentally cooking Saint Isobel Kotin to death! Once he completed the Promethea Mark II and observed the performance of the Bloodfire System in action, he could easily design a downgraded version that was suitable to be piloted by any individual who was willing to install the augmentations required to safely circulate fire energy through their veins. This was certainly a heavy demand. Ves did not expect massive numbers of people to agree to such an inhumane demand. Yet Ves also expected much from those that did. Fire energy was powerful and potent, and Bloodfire mech could easily unleash enormous amounts of firepower. All of this would have to wait for the future, though. The first step was to make sure that Saint Isobel Kotin recovered from her heavy injuries and regained her will to step back into the cockpit and fight to become stronger. "What about the remaining features of her artificial body?" "We have incorporated an extensive range of weapons, defensive options as well as mobility enhancements." The director said. "At the request of the recovering pilot herself, we have upgraded her arsenal at the cost of other reductions in performance. She currently possesses integrated laser weapons, integrated plasma weapons, a pair of compact flamethrowers, a plasma blade as well as a solid alloy blade." Ves frowned. "That sounds like a bit much. I know those weapon systems take up a lot of capacity in a cybernetic human body." "We know, but this is a personal request from our client. I have already addressed her defensive options, so I will not repeat them. Her mobility options are relatively weak. Aside from an integrated single-use teleporter, she possesses strengthened legs, limited reactionless flight capability and she can anchor her feet onto solid metal surfaces." Those options indeed sounded weak, but it was already the best that Isobel could hope for without sacrificing any of the other features of her artificial form. "What about utility?" "We have upgraded all of her senses to the point where they can serve as substitutes of actual sensors. Aside from that, we have added powerful but compact processors to the lower head and spine that can enable her to perform calculations by herself or coordinate her computing with that of her ace pilot. We have also installed a robust communication system that enables her to overcome lighter forms of jamming and interference in order to transmit encrypted signals. She can even extend an antenna from her upper back that can boost her signal transmission and reception." That would look rather odd, but there were worse cybernetics on the market. Having an antenna stick out from your body was only a minor inconvenience in comparison.