opnet [OpNet] Technical Assistance Requested...

[Fortune's Son]

Jordan Rossi runs Solar Solutions, Endeavor plays with cyberware the way most teens girls play with the affections of boys, Prodigy has developed more tech than any ten ViaSoft corporations, TeknoKat develops some really cutting edge stuff and Doutor Reducao specializes in microminaturization bordering on the magical.

Seeing as how we've got a grunch of novas here with technical backgrounds I'd like to shamelessly use your expertise.

First off I gotta tell you that I don't need whatever gee-wiz, untested wonder tech you have sitting around on the shelf. What I do need are systems or units that can meet the specifications of functionality, durability and repairability. I don't care how bleeding edge it is but I need a design that can be put together by Joe Baseline without making a trip to Plutonium-R-Us.

You folks interested?

The first piece involves communications. It needs to be unobtrusive/unencumbering and able to function in a completely airless environment wihtout being adversely affected by temperature extremes or toxic conditions. In my mind, being an Elite, that means sealed unit but you guys are the experts not me.

Typical radio won't cut it because the environment is going to be airless, meaning no verbal speech.

Anybody got a truly innovative approach?

[Vixen]

If it's an airless environment, perhaps you should contact the Daedalus people?

[Fortune's Son]

Actually, I'm talking with a lot of different people about a lot of different concerns.

Strangely enough Deadalus isn't the subject matter experts for most of the tech concerns. When Deadalus novas head out there, they cut deals with organizations like Utopia or NASA and get tech in exchange for the limited benefits of sponsorship. Or they depend strictly on quantum abilities to survive, navigate and finally make their way back.

In any case they can't provide what I need for designs.

[Vixen]

Regardless: since they do go out there and use various bits of equipment for their experditions, they might be able to point you towards a pre-existing setup that they use. They might not be the solution, but they probably are a step towards it.

[Fortune's Son]

Vixen, it's good advice but I've already been there and if they had something reqady for use I wouldn't be bothering the local brain trust for assistance.

Really.

Deadalus uses a combination of hi and low freq radio gear requiring verbal speech to initiate. Except for a specialized rig for Lumen that converts the light pulses to a synthetic acoustic signal passed by radio carrier. All of it's either too optimized for mass manufacture, therefore no durability, or it's triple redundancy military grade hardware and which comes only from specialized outlets that ask too many questions like NASA.

I need a system that will allow two seperated units to pass information in an environment of vacuum with negligable time lag. Ideally, it should be able to handle a variety of environmental conditions. It needs to be field repairable and flexibility is a must.

[Hugin]

I have something that might be for you. I worked with a young Terat who had lost the ability to speak. I created this for his use with his companion. It only works when used in pairs. Use by more than two people would be problematic.

The first portion is a neural contact net that can be worn in a tight cap, head cloth or something else that will keep it in contact with the head. It taps into the language centers in the brain and transmits that data to a contact lense sensitive to a very specific frequency. The contact lense then creates a written script of the 'projected' thoughts of whomever is wearing the transmit web. Two people can wear the gear, anymore than that and overlapping signals can become irritating.

Of course, there are some limitations. A fleshy cornea is required. If the nova in question posseses ocular features made up of energy, multi-faceted, or other types then the contact lenses would not be usefull. And again, the brain structure must still be recognizably organic. Someone who transformed into molten lava would not gain any benefit, even if they were able to attune the device to their quantum signature.

Oh, and since you are the one who mentioned 'baseline', none of my designs are compatible with baselines. They do require the presence of an active quantum signature to be useful.

If this is acceptable, let me know. We can work something out. I believe I owe you a favor.

[Fortune's Son]

Presence of quantum is okay but I wanted to avoid some of the weirdly designed stuff that is so far beyond science that it's describable as magic. The equipment needs to be field repairable and quantum based sorcery usually doesn't meet that criteria.

I'd love to check this out. Will it handle the environmental conditions?

[Hugin]

Toxic conditions and the airless environment wouldn't pose any difficulty. If you could be a tad more exact about the temperature conditions involved I could give you a more accurate answer.

As for the level of technology, I wouldn't describe it as magic, but then, I designed it. Whether or not you could repair it is a little iffy. Considering the location of the gear, if something were to occure to damage it severly, the person wearing it would also likely be damaged to the point of not being concerned about communication.

Also, an important note. This device is dependent on the language of the wearer. It transmits the language thought in. It is not designed to act as a translator.

[Fortune's Son]

Quote:

Considering the location of the gear,

Point taken.

Temperature variance will be from -250 degrees faranheit at the low end up to 3000 at the high. Ambient radiation will be a concern but not terribly so, by which I mean it would be nice if solar activity didn't fry the widget but I can understand performance would be degraded until the activity passed.

Are you willing to part with the design specifications with the stipulation that it will be not be commercially reproduced?

[Centipede]

Not being an inventor myself, I cannot contribute to the Jack's needs except perhaps as a critic.

Have I understood Mr Meehan correctly if I say that the device requires eye contact? Also how are the thoughts sent between the two devices? Is it as I think by electromagnetic waves, and if so what are the risks of communications being jammed by the sun? (I have deducted items are to be used in space, if I'm wrong perhaps something else can distort communications, like fog or clouds).

Also, it seems to me that many novas could survive a direct hit to the head by for instance a handgun, but that the device would not?

[Sandy Davis]

((Um Sandy wouldn't know of this but .There is away to get a groop of atoms and split them up to makes a faster than light commicactoins. It is something to with lining them up a way,then when ever one moves, the other moves.So, if one of these atoms moved,the other will move in the same way. They ingore everything in the middle of them.

This holds up to modern physics,and is being done today.Now this will not really mater to the avrage preson for at least a few decades..But seeingas you have novas with really big brains I would hope that one of you may have at least heard of it..by the way this idea was "proven" about 3-4 years ago.))

[Jager]

Something to be considered in all of this is;

A) Attunement. Jack, can you attune various gear to your individual q-signature?

Can you simulate adaptive responses when dealing with hostile environments?

C) Do you use eufiber?

If it is yes to both A, B, and C, then see if anyone can seed your eufiber with micro-crystal relays, link them with a liquid metal network with a memory component (it feels funky, initially, but it is real handy). Either use a mastoid implant for the Send/Recieve or use an ear implant for reception and an internal throat mike for communication. You will have to retrain parts of your speech patterns, but that shouldn't take you more than a few hours to a day.

It only breaks down if you don't have air in your lungs, but that initiates its own problems. I keep an arm based mini-keyboard for such emergancies.

The micro-crystals tranform body heat into enough electricity to keep the network operating in stand-by mode. Most common batteries can keep they system broadcasting for several days to a week.

Range is only a few kilometers, but once you have generated a signal, creating another device to boost it shouldn't be too difficult.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but at the end of the day, I am just another tool user, not an artificer. Hopefully my experience can help the rest of you explore useful avenues.

[Hugin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack Chance:
Are you willing to part with the design specifications with the stipulation that it will be not be commercially reproduced?

Yes.

The low end temperature range wouldn't pose a problem. The high end, well, that depends. If it was used by a Nova who possessed one of the more commonly held quantum expressions of enviromental adaptation and that Nova had the capability to attune the device to themself, the temperature extreme on the high end would not be a problem.

However, if the said temperature extreme comes from a condition of non-enviromental change, such as being on the receiving end of a focused thermal charge from another Nova, and there is no ability on the part of the wearer to adapt to the circumstances, then yes, the device would suffer considerable damage.

Electromagnetic interference should also not be a particular problem. The transmission frequency has been specifically modulated to cut through such interference. However, stand on the doorstep of a solar flare and I can make no guarantees.

As for physical resistence, the web is particularly fine, occupying very little real space. The likelihood of it being struck is fairly minor, though a backup plan is never a bad idea.

Jager-No, eye contact is not necessary. Though the device does not have a particularly long range, it is effective slightly beyond 10,000 meters.

[Fortune's Son]

Centipede

Meehan will have to answer up on the gear itself but your example of the handgun goes back to the one truism of novas; everybody does it differently. What I do would protect the device provided I remember to seed it's q-sig with my own. Another nova might not be able to pull that off.

Everybody's got their own super secret nonja tricks but they're not all equal in all circumstances.

Jager

That is the funkiest idea I've heard of in a long time! I couldn't figure out what you were getting at, at first anyway, then the penny dropped. The problem I'm going to have is that air will be short supply for the duration of the mission. As you know that means no speech, no subvocalization; nothing that depends on air to create a vibration.

Still...

Taking into account eufiber's ability to assume the physical properties of any matter form the wearer can conceptualize, a trained user should be able to create the crystaline implant in the eufiber itself rather than seeding. The number of people I know even in my line of work that can manipulate eufiber with enough skill to simulate circuitry can be counted on one hand so you'd still need external eguipment for the mastoid mike and ear implant. As far as durability and flexibility this is still the most novas approach.

Hmm...

James Meehan

What do you think - would your wave device be adaptable to this approach? And would it be a better design overall?

It provides an antennea system incorporated directly into the eufiber, which would share the protective benefits of the eufiber plus that intrinsic to the novas themselves. It becomes more difficult for the nova to initiate the system but once up and running it becomes much more durable plus there's a level of felxibilty built into at least the transmit and receive sides.

Would this strengthen the field specifications of the design or are there weaknesses to the approach that I'm not seeing? Would your design be improved by this or are you already meeting this level of specification?

[Fortune's Son]

Line of sight isn't a problem, at least initially, where we're going. I anticipate a fairly clear field for... Well, quite a distance.

[Sakurako Hino]

Forgive if I start to ramble. I'm on some hard core medication at the moment.

I have recently seen your thread question, and I have a simple solution for airless communication. By using some sort of LOS laser system, you can have secure point to point communication with whatever and whoever you need to communicate to.

Second I've discovered that when all else fails, a tight-beam radio transmitter can do the trick.

But it sounds like your major problem is speech. Since in an airless environment, that is purely impossible. But, there's two solutions. 1: Wear a space suit with a radio built in, or 2: If you're one of those novas gifted with the ability to be in an airless vacuum, use some sort of mind impulse reader?

Why didn't I think of that... Hmm. Something to work on. After I can regain some semblance of health. I can't type at the moment, so I'm using my voice transcriber again. I should be better by wednesday. I'll have some better ideas then.

[Teknokat]

I've been out of contact as well, forgive me, but I had a quick think, I think I may have something useful. I do need to ask a few question though.

Firstly, how Baseline is the skull that will be using this? Number two, you said Radio is out, are EM-Waves acceptable for transmission, or was that just due to the fact that sound was going to be a problem in a vacuum? Number three, are worried about tech being kept in your mouth?

If the answers are Close Enough, Yes and No, I can whip something up fairly quickly. I don't even need to invent it. Someone in the late 90s did. Ever heard of Sound Pops? They were this marvellous electronic toy. Effectively, they had a lollipop that was attached to the electronics, and by touching the lollipop to your teeth, it would transduce the sound through the skull to the inner ear. Quite fun, I have the blueprints, and the only problem is making it durable enough to avoid your teeth destroying it (which is easy).

That's the receiver done. In fact, if you guys know morse code, then I can make a second and third tooth cap that acts like a morse key, and you're got your transmission done. I assume noone going on this expedition will begin unexpectedly chattering their teeth...

This has the benefit of being usable by literally anyone (even a trained animal can use the setup (with modifications)), and it's effectively soundless (The Sound-Pop solution is only audible by someone with the Tooth Cap on). It's two-piece, uses no new technology (so no unexpected bugs) and I can manufacture as many as you want in about a day or two.

The only problem, really, is that if your skull is seriously out compared to a Baselines, I'll need to adjust the programming to allow for it, but that's almost no problem. Also, If the EM-Radiation transmission is a problem, I'll need to redesign the transmitter/receiver inside the caps. Again, no problem, I have other solutions.

As for field repairability... Well, not likely. Fortunately, the whole system's small enough that you could probably take a couple of replacements with you, and forget the tools. It's easy to have every tooth cap attuned to the same frequency, so if one does get damaged (how I have no idea, the whole thing is in your mouth, and as such nicely protected from just about everything...) you can just take out the damaged one and pop in a new one.

Contact me if this works for you. Thinking about this, I may have a product for my Autumn product release...

[Fortune's Son]

Endeavor

Get better soon.

The laze systems are too complex for the situation and too prone to obstruction or diffusion inside a dust coma. Suits are out for a couple of different reasons as well.

T-Kat

It's not radio itself that's out rather the acoustic/radio tranceiver set ups common to stardard units because sound is out.

The sound pop is a great idea but there are draw backs. Coding a message into morse and deciphering is going to cost seconds and make coordination difficult. Maybe only nano-seconds but that's enough in an enviroment actively trying to kill you. Being non-field repairable or alterable is the final nail in the coffin.

Thanks for your time ladies and I hope to hear more form you but these items won't quite fit the requirements.

[Teknokat]

Well...

There is an experimental idea that I have been thinking of trying.

Still uses the Tooth-cap idea. But, contains a tiny, wide-view camera. that gives a view of the entire mouth. Uses linguistic theory to allow you to mouth the words you're speaking, sends them over to the receiver tooth-cap, which then decodes it into a synthesized voice.

All in about the same time it'd take for a voice to get from one side to another. Give or take a nanosecond or two.

If you need it right now, it's not gonna happen, mainly because I just thought of it and I'd need to actually take a read through some linguistics manuals and program the damn thing. If it's not urgent, I could get it done in about a month, give or take a week. And, unfortunately, it would probably take a small amount of time to "train" it for optimum communication.

The big problem though, with any solution here, is that repairability when seconds are on the line is always going to be iffy. Easy replaceability might be slightly better in a way. Repairing a high-tech device, like any that have been put on display here, not only requires that you bring replacement parts, but that you also bring the tools to field repair it. And there's always the problem that you the part that needs replacing may be the one that breaks down. In my experience, disposable systems, which are compact enough to take duplicates of, are far more efficient in case of failure. Even better, you reduce the amount of equipment you need to bring, because taking a functional replacement instead of components and tools takes up less space.

Either that or self-repair systems, but they're iffy at best. My solution gives you a quick way to replace things (you can even keep several in your mouth at any given time, giving you instant backup).

In the field, you only want to repair something as a last resort. As you said, seconds count.

[Fortune's Son]

You're right about repairability taking time, which is inherently a drawback of any system, but by the same token I'd rather have options when the unexpected happens. A system that takes me 30 minutes to meaningfully cannabalize for parts or jury rig isn't ideal but it beats having something that is just dead when the odds suddenly shift against you. For instance Prodidy's proposal combined with Jager's leaves me with a power source and usable antennea even after unexpectedly high solar wind makes the cpu go *pfft*.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of the ideas that you have come up with but keep in mind you aren't going to be around to debug on the fly. And remember that what you're getting are the first of the tough questions. If something is available off the shelf I've already looked it over and bought a dozen for field testing.

On the mastoid camera idea itself... Okay, it strikes me as a little complex but I have faith in your abilities and your intern prototype testing program. Have you considered spit, foreign matter (coma dust), variable lighting conditions and inadvertently biting down too hard?

If it helps; remember what happened to Endeavor on her field trip? It's a funny story but it also could have ended a lot worse that it did if she'd stepped off the cliff or plunged into the subarctic oceans. That's what I'm trying to avoid here.

PS Addendum;

I understand what you're saying about multiple back ups but I have to also consider that any of the known conditions that could take out one will take out all of them. I can't plan for the unknown but that's why I need flexibility and accessibility in the field.

[Teknokat]

There's a point on multiple accounts.

If I were going to design this, I'd want to design this properly. My likely approach wouldn't be a photographic camera, more one that detects vibrations and basic movements only. Spit and Dust can be avoided fairly easily, Biting down is a non-problem (Something like this, I'd specifically design with that little problem in mind. It's too likely a possibility to avoid).

Variable lighting conditions, you're really assuming that your mouth is open all the time, letting in light. I'd design the camera to work irrespective of light reaching it. This is an obvious problem, so it's the first thing I thought of. It's why a visible-light camera is a bad idea.

Actually, thinking this further, a mastoid system is probably better as a full mouth suite, with sensors at several points in the mouth, with a central transceiver. This would be fine when your life isn't constantly on the line, but with such a system, a single sensor shutting down would lead to a broken system, and it'd have the added problem of being hell to troubleshoot. I mean, I can design a sensor to survive practically everything short of Divis Mal's Wrath, but I can't guarantee 100% run-time, especially since anything I'd give you would likely be a Version 1.1.x.

With those caveats, This is easily designable. Programming it is fairly easy, once I've read up on linguistic theory to see what I'm doing, and the sensors themselves are really just working on fitting specialised sensors to a small enough array. Making it mouth-proof is laughably easy (a thin layer of Vitrium is all you'll need, with the extra bonus of being unchewable, and able to survive a trip down the digestive system...) and making it stay on the parts of the mouth it needs to be on is quite doable (a stronger version of Denture paste will do it quite nicely (don't laugh - Denture paste is one of the most effective temporary "wet" adhesive avaliable)).

I'm not saying it will be immediately comfortable, mind you, but it will work, and quite well, when tested and fitted.

[Sakurako Hino]

Jack: Hey, when some alien critter decides to lay a psychic smackdown on your grey matter, you wouldn't be acting normal. Not that I find my peril a little humorous. I'm always the weirdness magnet in any team.

[Fortune's Son]

I cast no doubts on the catalyst for your experience. Stuck valve, alien critters (why do yours always have tentacles? Is that a school girl sublimination thing?), Manson family psych experiments or ant farm syndrome acting up.

It's still a valid example of someone's butt getting saved despite themselves and a concern for the op.

[Fortune's Son]

T-Kat, thanks for the effort but complex theory is fine provided it comes in a simplistic design package. This isn't a day trip or a trial run. I already know you're a better engineer than I, probably in the top 20 on the planet but...

Think space toilet. There are a billion different ways to handle waste removal but only two of them requires no moving parts and uses the environment to work for you rather than in spite of you.

Would you rather take a shot at the computer system? I like Prodigy's idea best so far on comms though I'm waiting for his answer on integrating it with Jager's idea concerning eufiber. I don't mean to dissuade you from considering the matter further but that system seems to be the measurement to beat at the moment.

[Teknokat]

I understand the concerns, If I was in your position, I'd completely agree. That's why I played my own Devil's Advocate. I try to think of these things before the design, so the customer has a balanced view before commission.

As for a computer system, if you need a standard Laptop system, I still have the designs for Walker's laptop. I've done a bit of extra research on vacuum systems, so I can literally make it better, faster, stronger. I've managed to improve the heat sink systems on the laptop (pressure-evap is still the best system for vacuum environment, but I've improved the mechanism that was in Walker's system). I also had a few advances in Heat-proofing, (I realised I could hook any existing guards back into the heat-sink system to allow it stand quite a great deal more heat).

It's not completely sealed, but it is effectively solid-state, so anything that doesn't split the thing in half won't faze it in the slightest. (although it may reduce the effectiveness of the heat-sink slightly) Unfortunately, external data transfer's still locked at light-speed, but blame Physics for that. I assume that that's a low priority for whatever trip you're planning, however.

You don't mind Opaque Vitrium for the casing and keyboard? Anyone else I'd say it's probably overkill, but in space? I'm assuming the absolute worst. If you do want it Vitrium, I can close-to-seal the whole thing that way, just leave space for Removable media ports and a couple of other standard jacks. It'll be nigh-unbreakable, and with the opaquing agent, I can get it Tempest hardened as well. I doubt it'll survive the corona of a sun and still boot up, but it'll certainly survive solar wind activity. Oh, and standard high-absorbency solar cells'll charge up the battery as long as you're within 2.5AU of the sun, and it'll give you around 100 hours of battery power anyway.

Yeah, I effectively have this on shelf. Walker did all the testing last time, and I know it all works. Any other concerns?

[Hugin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack Chance:
I like Prodigy's idea best so far on comms though I'm waiting for his answer on integrating it with Jager's idea concerning eufiber.

My apologies for the delay in answering. I had not interacted with this development since the first time around and I wanted to verify it's specs before risking my tenuous reputation as toymaker by sending it off to you untested. Testing complete, I am sending you the specs under seperate cover.

Jager's idea is quite nice, and a very natural improvement. Get the exact specs from him and I suspect you will find them to be quite compatible.

[Fortune's Son]

James Meehan

Jager's already said he wasn't a bolt turner but I've got a few contacts in the world of eufiber use and even someone in the CDC that passes info to a friend of a friend when something unusual turns up so I think I can handle the interface concerns. I'll even send you post analysis critique complete with Eufiber specs so you can evaluate. Now I just need four units with component level specifications...

Teknokat

I thought I was going to have to give you bad news but it suddenly hit me that I actually do have a need for your prototypes. Five of them actually but with some modifications.

I do need them optimized for close body rigging which means small and flat but I'll worry about the carry rig. If it will sit flat between the shoulder blades or on the hip we're good to go. Remove the keyboard and display but leave me with the standard sealed optical jacks and installed OS for using them. I'll be using specialize input/output gear but will insure it conforms to industry specs. The vitrium casing will allow me to use standard optics provided its transparent over the jack assemblies but can you put removable opaque vitrium shielding over the transparent ports?

Oh, yeah. I will need stardard chip input but don't worry about a chip housing. Just a port to connect to with an OS optimized for multi chip input. No matter than five chips concurrent inputs riding on a three layer bus.

If you have a decent astonav program laying around or can recommend one I'd be grateful.

[Teknokat]

Those specs shouldn't prove to be a problem. I'll keep it hip-mounted, just because it's easier to reach in an emergency.

As for the Transparent/Opaque shielding, that's no problem, just need to add a hinge assembly to the shields over each port so they won't go flying around. Multi-chip support, again no problem.

For Astronav programs, I can't say I've needed to peruse any, but I do have some non-planetbound "planetarium" programs that I could modify easily enough. Actually, there's one called "Celestia" that has an engine that should do the job nicely...

[Fortune's Son]

Thanks for gear folks. I'll let the respective providers know how it performed in the field.

Originally, it looked like I was going to have much more involved requirements to tease you all with but assistance has come from unexpected quarters and everything is beginning to fall into place.

[Sakurako Hino]

Man... Another space expidition? At least that's what it sounds like. One reccomendation, don't go to Europa!

Send us some postcards!

[Fortune's Son]

Not that much to see where we're going. Not yet anyway.

[Sakurako Hino]

Where, exactly, is it that you're going?

[Fortune's Son]

A misstatement on my part. Not going, been. We're just gearing up for the next phase. I'd tell you but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

It's taken awhile to get to this point.

[Hugin]

Jack, if you are headed 'out there', would you be willing to test something for me? A beta version of my ion drive. I've tweaked the power and the life of the model, I just haven't had a chance to get it sent up. So, I give it to you, with all necessary specs and you let me know what you think?

[Jager]

James, didn't the Alpha test almost kill you?

,,

Yeah, I know it was an "almost", but still? If something happens to you, who is going to feed and water Michael?

[Fortune's Son]

It was dangerous?

Well in that case, hell yes. I'd love to fire it up and see what it'll do. Send along the technical specs and make sure either whole or in pieces it'll fit through a spatial warp and I'll make sure it gets a test.

[Vile Bill]

[OCC; Oops]

[Hugin]

I'm sorry Jager, but are you trying to make me look like and incompetent?

Yes, the alpha test went poorly. Not because of the device itself, it just created a specific vibratory frequency that interacted with a half-remembered chemical experiment. I've fixed that. Please, I have a poor enough reputation as it stands, I don't need you slandering me unnecessarily.

Also, I've asked you before, but I would appreciate it if you didn't speak of Michael in such a tone. He is not some pet and it is not cute when you treat him so. He doesn't like you, you don't like him, how about we simply accept that. You simply cease to poke and he stops trying to come up with ways to kill you.

[Fortune's Son]

Hey, even if it were dangerous I'd still want a shot at running the optest. All I ask is that the specs accompany so we can assess the engine and the dangers accordingly.

Michael seems pretty righteous to me, what's he got against Jager anyway?

[Sakurako Hino]

O_o;

Oh well. I look foreward to hearing of your further exploits.