aaldana 001.

[adrii]

This has already been approved by Verin and leadership. This is not a debate on if we should. It is a debate on how.

We will be going forward with additional experimentation to further stabilise the Neuroclast. To do this, we will be taking volunteers among those who have had an implant that is not TIF. The process will include baseline and progressive scans, temporary monitored linking to the Veil and exponentially increasing exposure to experimental Neuroclast packets while simultaneously stimulating the dorsolateral and ventrolateral PAG when disconnecting from it. The goal is to get below a 4% risk of side effects when disrupting or destroying a node.

This procedure is not without risk, and the risks include: chronic pain (headaches/migraines, shooting or radiating pain stemming from the neck down), paralysis/spastic limbs, death.

Volunteers would need to understand and accept the risks as well as undergo a thorough psychological examination. We would need 3-5 volunteers, and where to source those volunteers is the current issue at hand. My personal preference would be to take volunteers from onboard Mnemosyne. Others have suggested we take volunteers from the unVeiled cities. There is also an option for a mixture from both.

Neither sourcing is without risk. We already operate at a resource deficit, and taking agents further increases that deficit. If that volunteer is in a leadership role, we risk years of knowledge and experience. If we take from the cities, it's a security risk to bring them onboard. Propaganda will spread further of us being like the Architects in that we are choosing not to experiment from within.

We're leaving it up you all to decide how we source volunteers. Again, this will be happening, so spare me the ethics debate of experimenting on humans. If there was another way, chances are we've already tried it.

NIKO.

What's going on with you and Domingo? The flirting is obnoxious. Just fuck already.

Comments

[chemveil]

Are you fucking ser We have literally no say? Do you realize how stupid and fucked up people are on t Linking back to the Veil is

[.........]

I'd just like to make my objection to this public.

[adrii]

It's noted.

maryle.

[humanityresource]

Leadership is extremely aware of any objections. The project will be going forward regardless. Unfortunately.

Senior Dislinked.

[oneirophrenic]

Someone with a lighter touch should've brought this up.

Senior Dislinked.

[adrii]

I thought this was measured and informative.

Niko.

[philiip]

I think I’m going to lose it.

[rjacobson]

Are you--
'Understand the risks'
Death??
You absolute fucking

'A thorough psychological examination'?

[adrii]

Whatever Novak deems thorough.

[foundlostfound]

If it works. We wouldn’t be connected to the Veil anymore? Couldn’t be, in the future?

[adrii]

Correct. The implant would be fully incapacitated, mirroring TIF without the cognitive shifts.

[oneirophrenic]

To reiterate what I've already said elsewhere: if this is going to happen regardless, then we should be drawing volunteers from the unVeiled cities.

Those aboard the Mnemosyne have already been thoroughly vetted and trained. More importantly, they are not expendable. No human being is, of course. But given the depth of their specialization and the roles they fill, exposing them to this level of risk would be both unethical and operationally inefficient. Think of how much time has been invested in their selection and training.

Expanding recruitment to unVeiled citizens does introduce a security risk. That is understood. But Recruitment and Dreamscape were built to assess precisely these risks — to identify potential double agents and moles before they become true liabilities. We are not infallible, but this is our work. I would ask that you trust us to do it.

[adrii]

So it comes down to usefulness.

[reidings]

I understand experimentation is necessary but I don’t agree that the test subjects should be from within our ranks. We’ve been trained and we work well together, I think it would be a mistake to disrupt that. And I think asking anyone from aboard the ship or in an unVeiled city to risk death is […] a tough pill to swallow.

[adrii]

I would point out we've asked everyone here already to risk death by virtue of what we do.

[clandestinity]

[...] i will do it.

[adrii]

Your willingness is noted

[jinking]

Is there some other way TIFs can be useful?

[adrii]

At present, no. Current research into why certain implants experience TIF is still inconclusive, therefore we can't use it as a control point.

[agueyegrey]

If we volunteer, would we still be allowed to carry on our regular duties?

[oneirophrenic]

[loculus]

If anyone would like to discuss how long-lasting side effects of experimental neural implant procedures may impact, say, your position in the field and the organization at large, my services as a cautionary tale are available.

[chemveil]

[jaxsons]

[....] What was the decision regarding allowing Leadership to volunteer?

[rjacobson]

Okay, first things first, give me back my cat.

[archiees]

Those are some serious risks my man.

[adrii]

Same risks as any mission.

[cjacobs]

Progress rarely comes without risk.

[adrii]

I agree.

[adequacies]

[…] This can’t happen on board, right? Remotely connecting, I mean.

Aldanas
No one else wanted to put this to everyone?

[adrii]

No. Our location is outside of node influence and the storm interferes with any attempt, even if it was known where we are.

ALDANAS.
I saw no point in it. The questions would have been directed to me regardless.

[witlessbay]

sounds fun

[adrii]

The most fun you can have in a tin can floating in an electrical storm.

[jetting]

Appreciate the no-bullshitting approach.

[adrii]

At least someone does.

[agyieus]

i'll do it.

[adrii]

Your willingness is noted.

[orlaith]

i say take volunteers from both

[adrii]

It would be a good compromise.

[humanityresource]

I made my opinions known to the other heads, so I may as well say so to the rest of you. I will not be recommending anyone in Recruitment volunteer for this unsafe procedure, but I won't stop them if they are determined.

Jackish

[jaxsons]

Speaking of Recruitment — not for this — I wanted to speak to you about Dom and the steps required to clear him for a ground mission.

[technosignatures]

sending good vibes

[adrii]

Thank you.

24 Hours Later

[dislinked]

Bishop, Doss, and I have read all of your opinions, suggestions, and [...] tactful disagreements. We share many of the same ones, and this is not a decision that is being taken lightly. This proposal has been in various stages for the past two years, with every other option that I, Lyra, Bishop, Ashwin, the implant team, Aldana, and his team can think of.

If we want to perfect the Neuroclast, we have no other option.

As Aldana boarishly stated, this project will be happening. To address the main concerns that we have seen, I want to assure everyone that the outlined procedures are as safe as they can be. No procedure is fully safe, but the risks under the project are less than the risks when we upload the Neuroclast and take out a node.

Re: value. All life has value, but we have to agree to that the lives of leadership and our active agents have a unique value that makes the potential risks unacceptable. Add in that there is no way to obtain unbiased psychological examinations that will satisfy all sides, we will be barring active agents on Mnemosyne from volunteering.

We will be asking for volunteers from all three unVeiled cities under our protection, and opening it up to grounded Dislinked agents who are in reduced roles. Bishop and Ashwin have been hearing rumbles from the other unVeiled cities as well as several Outlander settlements that make it imperative that we do not present an option that we fully exclude ourselves from.

If you have any questions, please ask them here. We truly appreciate all you do, and I, for one, had hoped to find an option that didn't include this, but if we are serious about expanding our operations, to targeting larger Pres cities, we owe it to the people we are unVeiling to do everything in our power to not take them from one Hell into another.

[jaxsons]

Understood, ma'am. Thank you.