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Chapter 47 - Self Configuring Modular Robot[]
Things were not going according to plan...
...in any sense of the concept. IlKhan Leo Showers scowled at the map. Instead of an all-victorious march to Terra, the offensives in the Lyran State region, in particular, were stalling hard.
Even with the eager collaboration of Comstar.
They weren't completely stalled, but Clan Jade Falcon was barely to their Wave 2 goals and had already had to call for reinforcements from the Homeworlds. Clan Wolf's situation was equally dire-less than 120 light years in before they ran smack into a defender that was prepared, more numerous, and better organized than they had any right to be. Ghost Bear's progress was leading the pack, which was almost horrifying.
What was horrifying, were the traps left behind in the Draconis Combine by their retreating armies.
Among the expected Guerillas and bandits, were devices. Most of them small, vicious, devices.
Devices that seemed to simply come from nowhere up to a week after the defeat. These devices that attacked Warriors and War Machinery and bypassed civilians entirely-not bombs, robots.
At first, they seemed like cobbled-together experiments, but they've gotten more sophisticated, more effective, more selective.
"What can you tell me, Scientist?" he sneered.
The nervous man wiped his forehead, "Well, ilKhan, the design is both crude, and sophisticated, and...I can not explain how, but the machines are learning."
"Learning??"
"Like an expert sim system, only I...I can not for the life of me figure out how they are getting the kind of processing efficiencies they are-the damned things get smarter in groups?? There is not enough processor for these samples to do what the evidence clearly shows them doing."
"So...an accursed Artificial Intelligence, or they are being controlled by an operator." Showers scowled, "Which is it?"
"I would need to examine more, but it seems likely these are very...well crafted...drones controlled by a central system. I simply can not fathom how it is evading our search." The Scientist cringed.
"hm." Leo frowned, "We knew they were degenerate...You are sure it is operated by an operator?"
"The alternative is a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that does not seem likely, and certainly would not be safe, My Khan. This sample brought to my lab, it has cutting tools, tiny, fine spot welding tools, and a myriad of sensors. I would almost class it as an industrial toy, but the Warriors who brought it in spoke of swarms of these dismantling an Ebon Jaguar in the middle of a public suppression action, like a swarm of vicious insects devouring a cow."
"Not quite the terms I would prefer, but apt." Leo said, "I witnessed this myself. I want to know how they are controlled, and I want you to find the controller."
"Aff, My Khan."
Leo noticed a detail. "What is this writing?" he asked, "It is not in English."
"Oh, it is a trademark-a...toy company? Perhaps they are so desperate they are using civilian grade ge-"
"A toy company." Leo's scowl deepened, "TOYS!" His hand brushed the workbench, and the tiny circular saws sparked to life with a howling scream as the dismantled device tried to activate.
"Figure it OUT, Scientist!!"