Colossus By Design: Season 2 - Log 92

[April 22, 2166]
[Executive Laboratory - Sub-Level 9]
["The Ocean Crawler" - STRQ Industries Mobile Oceanic Rig]
[Pacific Ocean]

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In the northernmost area of the Pacific Ocean, where it meets the Arctic just beyond it, STRQ Industries' Ocean Crawler rests. Despite the cool early spring air, what truly stands out are the happenings deep within the seafaring vessel.

The personal laboratory room of Jacob Hargrove is holding a procession for several notable individuals within various scientific fields, in particular biometaphysics. All have gathered for a special conference called by the former company president, the first in over a decade since the man disappeared from the public eye. Everyone is quite excited as they wait around in the middle of the large room, although two scientists in particular, Dr. Anna Maximoff and Dr. Wei Ho, look rather nervous.


(Wei Ho): *whispering* Anna, are you SURE they followed your instructions exactly?

(Anna Maximoff): *whispering* I triple checked myself. It should work out, but..... well, either way, I lose.

(Wei Ho): *whispering* Why's that?

(Anna Maximoff): *whispering* You know me and his dream. If this is successful, my fears are realized. If not, I'm gonna look foolish to Hargrove and the biometaphysical community.

(Wei Ho): *whispering* Well, let's just wait and see how things go.


The last of the guests file into the executive laboratory; the custom-armoured security guards close the doors, and the room goes dark briefly. However, the lights of the tanks, as well as the main screen itself, illuminate the darkened space. The near-perfect computer-generated avatar of Jacob Hargrove comes online; he adjusts himself in his Renaissance-era chair, as much as a virtual representation can do.


(Jacob Hargrove): Friends, rivals, fellow entrepreneurs...... Welcome. I'm sure you're aware who I am, although some of you are not quite acquainted with my current form. Yes, I am being kept in cryogenic stasis save for my consciousness. Now that you're all up to speed, let's move on, shall we?


The rest of the lights come on in the room. As they do, doors on the bottom of the storage tank floors open up, allowing deactivated, decommissioned, and freshly manufactured Synthetics to rise from the opening.


(Jacob Hargrove): As many of you know, I've had benefactors in my company begin pushing the idea of "Androids", so to speak, onto the market. This has been a dream of mine for a long time, bridging the gap between man and machine once and for all. Of course.....


Two spotlight drones fly over the crowd and shine their lights on Dr. Wei Ho and Dr. Anna Maximoff. As is common of anyone put on the spot, the two scientists are visibly quite nervous, awkwardly shuffling about as they're singled out by the former STRQ Industries president.


(Jacob Hargrove): I couldn't have done it without my good friends Dr. Wei Ho and Dr. Anna Maximoff. Without further ado, I present...... my Androids!


After making his big announcement, all audience members turn their attention to the storage tanks holding the Synthetics; from the same opening they came out of, large chunks of organic matter akin to Human flesh float upwards, engulfing the mechanical humanoids. For the first few minutes, all that can be made out are twitching and contorting masses of lumpy flesh. However, a change soon makes itself known; the formerly indistinguishable lumps condense into humanoid shapes, struggling at first to maintain those forms.

Finally, the masses of flesh condense further and further, taking on textures and tones not unlike liquid metal. The once formless matter has absorbed and changed the Synthetics, resulting in beings that possess the exact same anatomical build as human Olympic athletes, albeit they stand at nearly 7 feet tall with a shiny metallic colouring of the entire body and what looks to be bolts and flexible metal plates forming the skin.

The newly formed Androids awaken, causing quite a stir in the crowd; the fluid in the storage tanks drains out, and the tank walls lift up, allowing the artificial humans to step out. At first, the audience is a little unnerved at the sight of walking artificial beings who look almost exactly like Humans. However, they all bow before the crowd, prompting everyone to applaud loudly.


(Jacob Hargrove): As you can see, my Androids are near perfect recreations of Humanity. However, they possess none of the weaknesses of the frail Human body, possessing equal capabilities to a normal Human or Synthetic garbed in BE-CPR-S armor. A demonstration is in order.


One of the Androids and a military guest dressed in a BE-CPR-S armored suit walk towards the front of the room by Jacob Hargrove's monitor. A platform rises behind the two, carrying two sets of 1000 lb barbell sets. Both participants get into position and begin to lift up the barbell sets. Astonishingly, the Android and the soldier both hold up the weight-lifting equipment equally well.

The guests cheer loudly at this display; they fall silent as the cryogenic pod beneath the main display monitor hisses as it opens up. A humanoid figure steps out of the pod, still obscured by the cryogenic vapours. Once it clears up, the crowd simultaneously gasps at what they see.

From out of the stasis pod, where it was expected that Jacob Hargrove had stored his body, an Android that looks nearly identical to the elderly virtual avatar of the former STRQ Industries president, save for a more youthful and metallic appearance, steps out, dressed in the same formal attire as his avatar once did. The being walks with an air of total cool, calmly strolling into the middle of the audience as spotlights are shined on it by drones.


(Jacob Hargrove): I always said Androids were my dream, and now here I stand before you, proof of that dream come true! I have transcended my mortal body, escaping my formerly inevitable demise and transforming myself into a being of both physical and intellectual perfection.


The audience applauds loudly; Jacob Hargrove soaks in the praise like a true showman.

However, whilst even Dr. Wei Ho is clapping in excitement, Dr. Anna Maximoff isn't quite so pleased. Indeed, she has an expression that paints worry as the biggest understatement of the century.