Moneylania Internal Affairs (MT, IC, Closed)

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM: Thanks

CSM rushes off, heading for the third floor, coffee in hand.

CSM: Director? I need temporary level 4 access I've made a breakthrough but need access to the chemical weapons to prove it.

[Ironcastle]

The Director is sitting in his office, reading something on his computer.

Director: Aircraft Design needing Chemical Weapons access? What sort of breakthrough are you talking about?

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM offers the coffee

CSM: Well you see sir, I came up with a design for an aircraft that uses caffeine against the enemy, it flies by releases caffeine depriving enemies of sleep, allowing for our troops to simply walk through when they are either too occupied with hallucinations, or we stop the caffeine and wait for them to all drop.

[Ironcastle]

Director: That doesn't sound anything like a breakthrough. Sorry, I can't grant access for you.

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM: I think this would really benefit us, is there anyone I can talk to about this to see if they agree?

[Ironcastle]

Director: Forward it to the Chemical Weapons Department. If they agree with you for whatever reason, ask Dr. Duncan for access. You're dismissed.

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM: Thank you for your time sir.

CSM leaves the director and heads for aircraft design, seeking out the head of "his" department

[Ironcastle]

Unlike the other departments, Aircraft Design has some people working in it. Snake Man quickly finds that the head of Aircraft Design is Dr. Catherine Cooper, who is working with several engineers.

Outside

The Carbon Dogs operatives on the roof notice several black vehicles rolling into the facility. Among them are three large trucks and several Hunter MRAPs armed with RCWS heavy machine guns. The guards appear to be dressed all in black, with no insignia. The vehicles drive to the loading dock, out of view of the operatives.

[Carbon Dogs]

Inside

The Carbon Dogs are notified by their comms of the situation outside, they move to try and observe what happens from inside the loading docks.

CSM moves around the aircraft design department, searching for any hints of the bananish drones, or anything that would get him an excuse to see a different department's head

[Ironcastle]

Aircraft Design

There are schematics of advanced Ironian aircraft, such as the Raptor and Lightning displayed on monitors, along with folders marked "Top Secret". Asking around, the heads of Materials Research, Robotics, and Structural Engineering are all at the facility. However, there is no memtion whatsoever of S.O.-82

Outside

As the loading dock is inset into the building, it is difficult to see what is happening below. A few minutes later, four soldiers clad in black arrive on the roof. All but one wield SPAR-16 rifles, and two are carrying Titan missile launchers. The last soldier carries an M107 anti-materiel rifle.

Soldier: We're here to relieve you. You can head back in.

[Carbon Dogs]

Inside

CSM decides to try his luck with the robotic department

Roof

The two Carbon Dogs in helicopter hide away keeping an eye on the four new guards, the other four Carbon Dogs go inside and head for the canteen.

[Ironcastle]

The door to the Robotics Department is accessible by Snake Man. One person is inside, sitting at his desk. Judging by the ID card, he is the department head.

Dr. Scott: May I help you?

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM motions for a seat

CSM: Yes I was wondering if we might discuss some ways to improve aircraft and drone integration, perhaps we could try and design a system to allow for drones to fully take over from humans in cases of missing pilots. I was thinking of something along the lines of those bananish drones. What do you think?

[Ironcastle]

Dr. Scott motions to the seat on the opposite side of his desk.

Dr. Scott: Well the ACE initative would be going better if the military would let us see it again. The problem with integrating an artificial intelligence into an existing combat aircraft is dealing with waste heat. As I'm sure you know, aircraft can get incredibly hot. In addition to this, computers require an inordinate amount of cooling, especially for combat intelligence systems. Don't even get me started on the fact that the expanding airframe can cause significant issues with damaging delicate systems. But this is all a moot point, because the computer systems are far, far too large to fit into the existing avionics module of our current fighter aircraft. So when we created the ACE, we essentially had to redesign-

The Doctor continues speaking like this without giving Snake Man a chance to talk.

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM listens intently and when the doctor is finally done quickly adds to the conversation

CSM: That may all be true about the heat of aircraft and computers being too much to handle a true AI, but the more I see news or video of those Bananish drones the more I wonder how much improvement would be needed to get those things capable of flying any aircraft we have. If only we had one, you and I we could design a wonder specifically for an autonomous drone like that, think of the room in cockpit we could save.

[Ironcastle]

Dr. Scott: Ah, the Federation. They'd love for you to think that their planes are autonomous. In reality, they're no different from our Greyhawks. Remote-controlled. Now they have made significant advances with their Special Operations series drones. I think the Sibarians have something similar. S.R.E. something. The closest we could get to what you're suggesting is if we put an S.O.'s CPU in an aircraft in addition to the avionics. I mean, our aircraft already have extremely rudimentary AI in them, basically just enough to land an undamaged plane.

He pauses for a moment.

Dr. Scott: By jove, I've got it! We've been thinking about this all wrong! We need to look at land-based AI! Adapting existing avionics to fit a new AI is wasteful when we can just fake it with a Stomper!

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM nods in agreement

CSM: Doctor that sounds like a great idea. I'd really like to pursue some research on drones taking over aircraft, any chance you can help me get some out of secure storage? I need to come up with something good you know, I think my jobs at risk right now, I'm not researching enough "mainstream aircraft" but, damn if I can figure this idea out I'll be given free reign to continue it.

[Ironcastle]

Dr. Scott: The code for the drones should be in the internal database. I'm sure you can just 3D print the 'brains', so to speak. Besides, your job isn't at risk if you don't come up with some brand new invention every five minutes. Otherwise the entire Agriculture Department would have been fired a decade ago!

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM: Well that's a relief, thank you for indulging me doctor, would you care for a coffee?

[Ironcastle]

Dr. Scott: Coffee, how dreadful. I've got all the tea I need right here.

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM's face lights up

CSM: AH tea, personally its my favourite, I've just grown accustomed to offer everyone coffee around here, have you tried this blend of tea?

CSM pulls out his own packet of premium loose leaf tea found only in the best of speciality tea shops

CSM: I did a whole sub-major in brewing tea, I can without a doubt make you the best goddamn tea you have ever had, shall I make a pot or a cup?

[Ironcastle]

Dr. Scott: No, sorry. I have my tea in an extremely particular way. Besides, don't you have some work to do?

[Carbon Dogs]

CSM: Thank you again doctor.

CSM gets up leaves for the aircraft design department looking for a 3d printer

[Ironcastle]

There are several 3D printers in the aircraft lab, which are presumably controlled from any computer in the room. Most are turned off, those that are on are in use by scientists.

[Ironcastle]

Ironcastle Nation News - ICS Freedom Launched

Today marks the launching of the latest aircraft carrier in the Ironian Navy - the ICS Freedom. It joins three other ships of its class, the Crusader, the Wyvern and the Infinity in being the largest warships in Moneylania. Later today, we'll have an exclusive interview with the Secretary of Defense, where we will talk about what this ship means for Ironcastle and Moneylania as a whole.