Chapter 198: The Loyal Machine Spirit Will Continue the Fight
Battlefield data, like a surging tide, flowed continuously through Militech's logistical maintenance interfaces and the concealed data collection subroutines on the Barghest and Lazarus mercenary power armors, converging into the main control server of Joric's manufactorum.
Explosion shockwave spectrums, energy weapon dissipation curves, kinetic ammo penetration efficiency, real-time stress feedback from power armor joints and transmission systems, and even the fluctuations of pilots' physiological indicators under extreme conditions...
All this massive amount of information was meticulously recorded, categorized, compressed, and finally transformed into a binary torrent, stored in specific sectors of the core database.
Joric's massive dark red body stood quietly before the main control console, his crimson optical lenses steadily scanning the waterfall-like data streams cascading down the screen.
The deafening explosions and intense gunfire from the outside were reduced to a blurred, distant background noise by thick composite soundproofing materials and active sonic cancellation fields, unable to interfere with the high-speed parallel computing of his logic core, which surpassed mortal understanding.
"Old friend, the data sample collection is about done. Preliminary modeling is complete." Joric's synthesized voice sounded in the workshop, carrying a steady tone of having completed a phase of work, as if sharing a discovery with an old friend.
He pulled up the key datasets, which had been cleansed by algorithms and visualized, displaying them on the main screen.
"Look at these battlefield exchange ratio curves and subsystem damage reports. The power armor technology route of this world is indeed... unique."
The Servo-skull hovering beside him emitted a slight hum of understanding, the stable blue light in its eye sockets flickering in rhythm with the scrolling data, like an attentive assistant.
"Their technological core relies heavily on high-bandwidth neural direct interfaces." Joric's metal fingers tapped lightly on the console, bringing up several slowed-down and annotated close-quarters combat clips between "Onimusha" and "Commando-VII" units. In the footage, every micro-operation of the power armor corresponded perfectly with the peaks of the pilot's neural signal map.
"Attempting to seamlessly bridge the pilot's biological reaction speed with the machine's limit output... theoretically, it can indeed approach the operational ceiling of 'man-machine unity,' especially in environments requiring instantaneous judgment and complex tactical maneuvers."
He paused slightly, the focal length of his optical lenses adjusting a fraction, as if scrutinizing the deeper issues behind the data.
"But the cost? Old friend." His voice took on a more distinct analytical color. "Setting aside the dual burden this connection places on the pilot's mind and body, the cost, maintenance complexity, and baseline requirements for the pilot regarding the advanced neural implants and sensory synchronization systems needed to support this operation mode are high enough to constitute a formidable threshold."
"More importantly..." Joric's synthesized voice lowered by a decibel, as if emphasizing the key point to follow. "This technological path, which is highly dependent on individual elite pilots, has long training cycles, and demands exacting logistical support, is too luxurious for the Imperium, which needs to arm billions of stars and cope with endless wars of attrition, old friend.
"It resembles a precision instrument custom-made for a few strong individuals, rather than a anvil of war capable of arming legions and being hammered repeatedly in mud and blood."
The Servo-skull emitted a rapid series of binary confirmation tones, seeming to fully understand the critical difference.
"Think about it carefully and you'll understand, old friend." Joric turned slightly toward the hovering Servo-skull, the light of his optical lenses focusing steadily on its sensor array. "True, Space Marine power armor relies on neural connections, but they possess the 'Black Carapace'—the final crystallization of nineteen implantation surgeries, a non-trivial grace bestowed by the Emperor.
"We of the Mechanicus certainly have the capability to replicate or even simplify this interface technology, but the key lies in cost."
Countless complex resource evaluation formulas and production line simulation data flowed instantly through his logic core.
"The reality we must face is that the Imperial Guard needs to arm hundreds of millions of ordinary soldiers scattered across every corner of the galaxy.
"Even if we equip only a small fraction, say one percent, with gear that requires deep physical modification to pilot, the resources, time, and logistical support consumed would be an astronomical figure sufficient to bankrupt the budgets of several sectors."
"Therefore, the guiding principle must be clear." Joric's synthesized voice carried an unquestionable pragmatism. "For weaponry and equipment, the priority is reliability and ease of maintenance, followed by performance and advancement.
"The Imperium never lacks cutting-edge technological creations, but what the grassroots troops truly need are 'tools' that can be mass-produced, rapidly deployed, and can withstand attrition on the harshest battlefields."
He concluded finally, his tone like stating a physical law: "The core purpose of this power armor we are designing is to solve the actual equipment needs of the Imperial Guard, to fill the battle lines, not to serve as a technical exhibit in some laboratory."
Based on this core idea, Joric began to construct the design plan.
First, the neural direct link operation mode was vetoed.
He pursued structural simplicity, but operation also needed to be simple; he couldn't ask pilots to memorize operation manuals as thick as bricks.
"So, the solution is clear, old friend." A sense of enlightenment permeated Joric's synthesized voice. "The key lies in the auxiliary system. Or rather, adopting a form that fits the 'context' of the Warhammer world better—the 'Machine Spirit'."
The ghostly blue light in the Servo-skull's eye sockets flickered noticeably, seemingly responding to this potential-filled idea.
"The power armors of the Cyberpunk world are already equipped with low-level artificial intelligence to assist control. This is a ready-made foundation." While retrieving relevant technical files and code libraries, Joric explained to his silent partner, "We don't need to start from scratch. We only need to collect combat data from enough excellent pilots, integrate, optimize, and deep-learn from it, to train a general-purpose operation data model highly adaptive to battlefield environments.
"The real challenge lies in how to implement it safely and 'compliantly' in the Warhammer world..."
His crimson optical lenses flickered slightly, revealing a conspiratorial air.
"This is the clever part. Archmagos Vokes has already approved the production of those 'Ancient Logic Cores' on Nechsalm, hasn't he? We will load the trained data model into them, letting this 'core' coordinate and drive the entire frame of the power armor.
"As for potential doubts regarding the nature of its intelligence..."
Joric's synthesized voice took on a rhythm bordering on teasing, as if stating an open secret. "Old friend, how can the mysteries of the Machine Spirit be presumptuously defined by the mundane concept of 'Artificial Intelligence'?
"The pilot only needs to focus on the target and give their all. The rest can be fully entrusted to the Loyal Machine Spirit!
"Even if the pilot unfortunately falls in battle, the Machine Spirit, imbued with will, shall continue to carry the unfinished mission until the enemies of Mankind are thoroughly purged!"
(End of Chapter)