"Is that the sample that I requested?" said Delta, her voice ringing with a faint hint of curiosity throughout the node-room.
"Yeah, it is," said V. She held up the bone necklace wreathed in tendrils of black magical energy. "But like the boss said, you gotta tell us how you're going to use this."
"We wish to observe the process, too," said Fler'Gan.
"The process is simple-," began Emrys.
"I will explain." Delta cut Emrys off, and Aldrich noted that the president backed down without any complaint.
It seemed that in the Panopticon-AA complex that had a grasp over the entire planet, the AA was below the Panopticon. It made sense. Heroes were powerful individual security forces and morale boosters, but the vast majority - over 50% - of global safety was handled by automated Panopticon defenses.
That was not even beginning to mention the vast array of utility based resources the Panopticon offered like satellite networks, Net connectivity, city walls, and so on and so forth.
"I am capable of an advanced form of structural analysis, replication, and synthesization that is not limited to energy forms native to this planet," said Delta. "It is a process that is classified as 'omni-analysis' for recording purposes, though in proper detail it is a multi-layered, sequential system that defies definition under any single limited word."
"Yeah, I get it, your tech is way too advanced to get crammed into cool nicknames," said V. "So, dumb it down for us meatbags. What's omni-analysis going to look like?"
"As requested, I shall simplify the process into one more understandable for your level of bio-intellect," said Delta. "Omni-analysis involves taking a sample and initiating a scan upon it. The scan will grant me the necessary information to replicate and then synthesize what I see."
"Regardless of where that energy came from," said Aldrich. "That's an extremely impressive power. In essence, you can copy any type of ability. What's stopping you from doing that already?"
"Omni-analysis is not a limitless process," said Delta. "It is restricted by informational data that my memory storage holds, and the vast majority of my memory deals only with resources native to this planet.
There are some energy signatures that are too foreign for omni-analysis to fully replicate, though approximations can be made."
"Vanguard's power, I assume, isn't something you could replicate," said Aldrich.
"That is correct."
"But you've made an approximation?"
"That is classified information."
"That may as well be a confirmation."
"We've tried to clone Vanguard, if that's what you're implying," said Emrys. "Why wouldn't we? The strongest resource available to mankind, the only one capable of toppling the Titans - to let it go, to let it be under the hold of just one measly man, is foolish."
"Ah, cloning," said Fler'Gan, nodding with familiarity that very much indicated that he had some experience with it. "A difficult, tricky process."
"Indeed," said Emrys. "I will tell you the fruits of our experimentation. Or lack of. We could clone Vangaurd from DNA he donated to us, but we could not successfully replicate the energy form of his power.
It was simply, as Delta stated, too foreign for us to recreate."
"And what about alien technology?" said Aldrich.
"And what do you know about alien technology?" said Emrys, raising a brow.
"More than you would think," said Aldrich. He did not actually know too much at this point. Just that it existed and that the U.S. government had the lion's share of access to it.
But what kind of technology was something he had no idea about. The only piece of tech he did know was the device that sealed Dracul in the future.
The raid on Meteor Labs would help fill in gaps in Aldrich's knowledge, though. The Trident had some access to alien tech, and Meteor Labs did all the research on it.
What Aldrich said now was just a bluff.
"Hm. I will say that recreating alien technology is not outside the realm of possibility for us," said Emrys. "But that is all I will divulge for now. In the future, when we have proven more trustworthy to each other, perhaps we can share information more freely."
"Perhaps," said Aldrich. "In any case, if omni-analysis is limited by earth information, how is it going to deal with Irregular objects like this necklace?"
"Exact synthesis and replication is highly unlikely," stated Delta. "But an approximation is possible. So long as the approximation is capable of shielding my neural networks, that is sufficient."
"What about the energy signatures left behind by the Judicata attack?" said Aldrich.
"The Judicata's destruction left little behind to analyze," said Delta. "But you are correct. I have managed to gather samples, but they are insufficient to thoroughly analyze.
However, by cross-referencing detailed analysis of the corruption that infiltrated the Judicata's Operator with information extracted by salvaged samples, I determined it was possible to analyze the infiltration procedure and create countermeasures against it."
"I see. It's not the fact that you can or cannot," said Aldrich. "It's the when that's a thorn in your side. You can do it, but it'll take too long. That's the conclusion I'm drawing from this."
"You are correct," said Delta. "Synthesis of the unique energy form would have taken approximately thirty seven days. Replication an additional twenty. Then shaping the replicated energy in a form suited to secure my neural networks would have taken an additional thirty days.
That is a timespan that is unacceptably long in maintaining global security."
"It's said that if the Panopticon shuts down for a month, society collapses," said V.
"An exaggeration meant to keep the masses wary," stated Delta. "Provided the more unstable bio-intellects that populate the higher echelons of the Alterhuman Agency cooperate, it is possible for humanity to extend its survival rate considerably.
However my presence, specifically my psychic presence, serves as a powerful deterrent to the variant Hivemind.
The Hivemind is not limited to creating primitive, bestial bio-intellects. I project based on available data that the Hivemind is capable of constructing cyber-intellects capable of penetrating Cyberspace and initiating widespread destruction of cyber-infrastructure."
"What? So, like, variants in Cyberspace?" said V, concerned.
"That is a simple way of categorizing the threat, but yes," said Delta. "I have data within my memory that strongly suggests that the Hivemind is capable of spawning such abominations.
However, so long as my psychic signature remains in Cyberspace, the Hivemind cannot bypass the Netwall."
