Gelert & Amethyst
General Arms Systems -- Underground STARS assembly plant
stavaros_the_arcane wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:33 pm"
Honestly hearing that is one less worry for me. Temporary weapon is more difficult to abuse. I mean you can understand how the idea of a weapon designed to permanently cripple someone might have bad optics. It would be like designing a weapon that gave people Cerebral Palsy."
Richards snorts. "Mr. Gelert, I know what you're implying. And I'm sure that in a few decades, the courts will take your side and update the Geneva Accords to reflect that it is against the laws of war to permanently de-power a superhuman. Until such a time, our battle is one with more gravitas than the one being waged in the court of public opinion. See, the nature of technology is that if we don't produce such weapons first, someone else will. And China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are not going to be as humane as us in their deployment. I remind you that 98% of China's metahuman population was massacred during the pogroms in the late 50's, with the covert aid of Soviet super-soldiers. Imagine what they would do with today's technology."
"If it is at all possible to produce these weapons, then for our security and the world's, America must have them first -- and have more and better ones than anyone else." He smiles his smug, self-satisfied smile, and makes a scissors-like gesture with two fingers. "If it helps, think of it as chemical castration for the super-powered and dangerous."
"Also I imagine such a weapon has limitations beyond effect duration. It would probably be less reliable against non-humans with abilities naturally beyond the average human range, or individuals with technology based enhancements.
"Oh, but that's the beauty of this technology," Richards says with a broad grin. "It doesn't."
"We've tested it on aliens, mutants, super-science devices, the works. Any abnormal crap that gets in the way of the average, honest American citizen gets shut down --" he snaps his fingers -- "just like that."
Ms Grace adjusts her glasses. "The technology works against subjects resistant or immune to AEGIS power-nullifier restraints, which are based off nerve impulse disruption and are far more limited in application. As far as anyone can tell, it has no blind spots."
"That said, I'm sure there's some potential draw-backs to the minimized AI set-up... like how specific or literal an order has to be for the AI to follow them as intended. What's the saying 'a computer will do exactly what you tell it to do, not always what you want it to do' or something? I'm sure your software ad programing people have already looked into that sort of thing."
Regina's voice is as cold as liquid nitrogen. Actually, she sounds like she's talking through gritted teeth. "Naturally," she hisses. "We have."
"Have you given up trying to decode and use the black box AI technology you got from my old company when you bought it?" Amethyst looks as smug as a million bucks.
"We're moving on to something better," Richards cuts in before Ms. Grace can say anything. "Technology that's proven, reliable, scaleable, and not based on some wildcard genius's whims." He pauses and seems to remember who he's talking to. "Of course, if you want to come and work under my wing and build something more, ahh, suitable for commercialization..."
"You know what they say about the definition of insanity, Rex."
"If you don't mind, I'm just going to take a closer look at something real quick. Won't take long." Gelert says before he zips over to inspect the S.T.A.R.S unit he saw looking at him.
The STARS drone in question stands approximately 7.5 feet tall and is covered in angular grey metal armor. There is a prominent chest projector and wrist-mounted emitter for the nullifier beams. The other hand is equipped with a laser blaster, and the shoulders carry missile pods. The "face" sports a V-shaped sensor array, within which you can see the optical sensor nestle, like a cyclopean eye. It is connected to a supporting harness by cables and restraining arms. Computer monitors on the harness display all manner of readouts and statistical data. However, the unit does not show any further movement of its own.
You hear Richards' voice from behind you. "Hey. Hey!"
He hurries up to you with Regina in tow. "What, exactly, are you doing?" he demands.
OOC
You don't have the Technology skill. Instead, you can make a DC 25 Persuasion check to ask Rex to instruct his engineers to examine the STARS unit in question for anything untoward, or to allow Amethyst to do so. If you inform Rex that the unit looked at you, the DC decreases by 2, to DC 23.
You can poke and prod the unit physically (no check required) to try and get a response.
Alternately, you can decide not to pursue the issue further and continue with the tour, where you will be shown the fabricator unit.
You can also do anything else you consider reasonable.