NationStates Jolt Archive

One Month Ago

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

"Jack! JACK!" Professor Webster called out as he walked by a console, glancing at Jack's current set of test runs.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Confirm these readings for me."

Jack moved in front of the console, and glanced down, as Professor Webster moved out of the way. "Sir, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at, but it looks like mind con-"

"Exactly, my dear boy! With the information we have on how our communications implants work, it appears we can generate EM fields that do the same thing remotely."

"That's great Professor, but what do we need mind con-"

"We don't." There was apparently something the Professor did not want the graduate student to say. "But this is exciting research, and when I think of the implications... we'll be famous, Jack."

"We will Professor?"

"Why yes, my dear boy. I'll make sure you get all the credit you deserve for your help on this. I want you to write up a proposal. We'll need more money to properly research this."

"Me, Professor?"

"Yes, you. You're the one who found it. You write up the grant proposal."

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

The first grant had been approved within a week, along with an authorization for volunteer sentient testing.

That, in and of itself, was extremely rare, especially on a first request. On the other hand, it was signed "C-ID," which just happened to be the second highest authorization level in the Federation.

So someone had thought the project important.

Two weeks had been recruitment work, to find volunteers, and accquire more grad students.

It would be required, as the returned form had "Expedite" written across it.

The first report had been submitted yesterday. It had been returned today, with a time and a place written on it.

Professor Webster and Jack the Grad Student were to be there, at that time. Some one wanted an in-person report.

Today

Imperial House, Office of the Imperial President

"Good morning, Professor Webster, Mister Gookin. Please, be seated."

Jack and Webster sat down, facing the President across his desk. "Thank you, Mister President."

D'ron smiled. "Didn't expect to be meeting me, did you?"

"Eh, um, no sir, we didn't. Maybe C-ID, but not you."

"As it turns out, you'll be meeting her as well. Cortana?"

Cortana's holo shimmered into existence. "Good morning, gentlemen."

Jack was nearly silent for a moment, muttering so softly even Cortana and D'ron couldn't pick it up, and then. "CID! Cortana, Intelligence Division?!"

Cortana smiled. "Yes, that is what it stands for."

D'ron cleared his throat. "Anyways, gentlemen, what do you have for me?"

"Well, Mister President," Professor Webster began, "it would appear that we've apparently discovered a scientific basis for telepathy, in some way, shape or form. Other than that, we don't know much, but we're still analyzing the results from our first tests."

"What can you tell us?"

"So far, it appears that this method works best on humans, though we're not entirely sure right now. Other sentient races, we're still looking at the results, though dwarves appear least susceptible."

D'ron nods. "Anything else?"

"Not really at the moment, sir."

"Okay, from now on, your project will be reporting to either me or Cortana, who will brief me. I want weekly progress reports gentlemen, and I want this to go to two places. Firstly, I want a way to block it. And secondly, a way to exploit it over distance, though blocking it should be your first priority. Is this clear?"

"Yes, Mister President."

"This project will remain under Darkened Eagle security clearance, but you may consider it now an official secret of the State. Is this perfectly clear?"

"Of course, Mister President." The two spoke in unison. That meant they would both be dead if this project leaked out before its release date, which would be set by the President himself.

"Very well, gentlemen. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do, and remember, time and money are no longer a factor. Nor are volunteers. So get to it."

The two men stood, and shaking hands with the President, departed.

D'ron sat back down. "So, Cortana, what do you think?"

"This presents some very interesting possibilities, D'ron."

"Good."

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

Jack narrated in the log. "It appears, following our first results, that our suspicions were correct. Elven-kind is unusually susceptible to this influence, and appears to have the latent ability to do so on its own, though it is rarely realized in the elves.

Humans, on the other hand, have little ability to understand or control these types of EM fluxations, and as such, remain severely handicapped in defending themselves or using them.

Dwarves, it seems, have almost susceptibility to these kinds of attacks, but it doesn't look like they can use them either.

Catpeople seem somewhat random, though the general trend is away from control abilities, though they are susceptible to manipulation.

Considerbly more research will be needed, I'm afraid, to even begin making progress on the tasks the President assigned us."

Jack clicked off the recorder and sighed. He was bored. Exciting though the research was, it was kind of dull without results. He had nothing else to do, though. But there was that female grad student in Webster's class.....

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

This time, Webster was narrating the log. "Today we discovered that with proper frequency manipulation, the composite crystaline material known as battlesteel has the ability to block the majority of the frequencies used in the physic manipulation of humans.

As this is part of the task set before us, we feel renewed hope, but there are problems. At the moment, we have been unable to discover a method of manipulating the battlesteel so that is retains its effectiveness at dispersing and deflecting energy, specifically invalidating its traditional use as armor. Also, the new blend appears unable to bond with standard battlesteel, preventing a layering effect. It appears that the metal will bond with titanium, much in the manner of regular battlesteel, though, offering certain possibilities.

Jack, while I have been experimenting with materials, has been experimenting with a way of jamming it, as opposed to blocking, the effect. I must say, it is a good thing that Theoritical Physics has its own reactor, for the current system takes an absurd amount of power, though we will need to do cost analysis studies to figure out whether producing the new battlesteel is cheaper than generating the power needed to block the effect over the long term.

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to bring in at the very least and economist, a materials and structual engineer, and a very good chemist to assist with this project, so I'll need to get lists of those with proper clearance.

Julius Webster, Professor of Physics, Vanderbilt University.
February 3, 2025."

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

<Professor's Research Log>

"Today I was brought in on a most exciting research project, with a super high clearance level. Interestingly enough, I'd just recieved the proper clearance a week ago, so I suspect there was a bit of preparing for this.

In addition to myself, Walter Block, Professor of Chemistry, one of his grad students, Jane Sharp, and Theodore Lemay, Professor of Biology, who's focus is in Neuro-biology and Bio-chemistry.

Reading the previous progress reports by the men working on the project, I must say I am encouraged, as they have made an excellent start on this research.

This could be a very interesting project, and by all reports, it is to be expedited. Unfortunately, I can't use any of my students to help with that, due to the clearance level.

Carl von Knopf, Professor of Structual Materials Engineering, Vanderbilt University.
February 4, 2025."

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

<[Research Log]>

"Well, made an interesting discovery today. It appears that manipulation of the brain with these EM fields, or even with the elven-based telepathy, leaves an indentifable chemical marker in the blood.

We're not sure how long it is going to last, but my guess is not long, as there isn't much of it.

If it lasts more than a month, I'll be very surprised indeed, but I'm leaning more towards a week. There does seem to be some corrolation between the amount and type of manipulation and the quantity of the marker chemical. Also, the chemical seems to make one slightly more susceptible to manipulation.

All this is fairly speculative, though. We've not gotten enough data yet. I'm going to work with Walter tomorrow to see if he can help me analyze the chemical.

Professor Theo Lemay, Biochemistry.
February 18, 2025, Vanderbilt University."

Today

Vanderbilt University, Special Projects, Theoritical Physics, Wing Clearance: DARKENED EAGLE

“We had a major break-through today. Walter and Jack managed to manipulate a new version of battlesteel that retains 97.54% of the armor affect, while blocking the EM waves in the frequencies it appears are most common for manipulation of thought patterns.

Additionally, the Lemay chemical seems to be counterable by both dilution and a special drug that the special forces uses to improve situational awareness, commonly called ‘tick’ due to the user ability to discern each second, or ‘tick’ of the clock. ‘Tick’ has unfortunate side effects, though. We’re going to try and engineer the side effects out, but we may need something completely different in the long run. The marker only seems to last about 12 days, depending on amount and type of manipulation. Emotional manipulation seems to leave the least amount of trace marker, while introduction of new thoughts leaves the greatest amount of Lemay chemical.

Julius Webster, Professor of Physics, Vanderbilt University.
March 12, 2025.”

Webster sat back in his chair with a sigh. It’s going well, and quickly, too. I wonder… I imagine the President if looking for some sort of deployable system. At this rate, there should be one deployable soon, maybe a couple more months.

((Very interesting. Taggishness.))

Report of the Vanderbilt University Special Projects Team EMFNM1-6 on the Use of Electromagnetic Fields for the Focused Manipulation of Emotions of Thoughts and Sentient Beings

Eyes Only: Darkened Eagle Security Clearance

Addressed to: Imperial President D’ron Christopher Smith
Informational Copies to:
Director Cortana, Intelligence Division
Fleet Admiral Anson Farragut, CO-FSPSN
Field Marshal Adrian Tenai, CO-FSPGF
Minister John-117, Military Directorate

Introduction

Following an initial discovery by Jack Gookin and Professor Julius Webster of the Vanderbilt University Physics Department during an experiment involving manipulation of EM fields, Federal funding was allotted on December 20, 2024, for an expansion of the research into comparable effects in sentient beings. Primarily, following the accidental realization of focused, tuned EM fields could affect the behavior of nearby lab mice, a proposal for a Federal research grant to discover if the effect transferred to sentient beings was submitted and approved to the amount of Ғ €4,000,000. In the following weeks, following the completion of the first phase of study, new priorities were assigned to the project.. Firstly, a method of blocking the effect was to be developed, and secondly, a way by which the effect could be exploited over distance was needed if possible. Further researchers were brought onto the project as was needed to pursue these goals. The manner in which these EM fields can manipulate thoughts and emotions is called the Webster-Gookin Effect (WG Effect).

Findings

Natural Exploitation

During initial testing to determine whether or not sentient beings could be affected in the same manner as experimental rodents, certain things were discovered among the volunteers.

Elven-kind appears to have the most ability to naturally exploit this phenomenon, though through historical research it was determined that the occurrences in significant strength are still extremely rare. They have a limited ability to project and read the electromagnetic fields.

Over all, this seems to be a manipulation of the organic sentient’s natural electromagnetic field, presumably through a manipulation of the ‘telepath’s’ own, though this is unclear.

Humans and Neko-humanoids have the ability to exploit this to a small extent ( < .001%) naturally, though in cases where they can, either ‘empathically’ or ‘telepathically,’ they are either extremely limited in their capabilities, or extremely powerful, at least among confirmable documentation.

No other sentient species seems to share even that small occurrence of natural ability, though.

Natural Defenses

As above, the many different types of sentient beings seem to follow the same pattern when it comes to naturally resisting intrusions of EM field manipulation. Elves resist the best, while humans and Neko-humanoids follow closely. Dwarves seem completely closed to the idea of manipulation externally, just as none of them seem to be able to exploit the WG Effect in a manipulative manner.

Also, it appears that minds which are susceptible to external manipulation by this process, whether natural or artificial, can be taught to resist it to varying degrees of success, but most methods of resisting seem to require knowing that there is at least the possibility of the manipulation occurring, otherwise, they rarely seem to succeed.

The Lemay Chemical

Professor Theodore Lemay, of the Vanderbilt University Biology Department, noted, once he began running tests on the subjects, the presence of a previously unknown chemical agent in the neurons of the brain. Now called the Lemay chemical, this organic compound contains high levels of potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur, and is extremely complex.

It seems to be generated by certain frequency changes in the body’s electromagnetic field, and also seems to assist in changing thought and emotion patterns through the manipulation of that electromagnetic field.

It persists for approximately 12 days, depending on the severity of the manipulation of the subject. It is counterable by a diluted form of the drug which the Federation Special Forces use to increase situational awareness, and is also synthetically producible.

Uses of the Webster-Gookin Effect

Empathy and Emotional Manipulation

The least intrusive of the three uses of the WG Effect, Empathic Abilities are also by far the most common naturally occurring ability as well.

Empathy is a passive process, with few, if any, adverse affects to either party. The party whose emotions are being read does not, in this case, and this case only, produce any of the Lemay chemical. Instead, the reader produces the Lemay chemical in their own minds, and allows their own EM field to match up to that of the person being read, allowing them to sense the emotions of that person. The process, in nature, at least, seems to be passive on both parts, though thinking about it can allow the reader to minimize the affects.

Emotional Manipulation is an intrusive process, by which one party’s emotions are forcibly effected by the WG Effect, in that they experience an increase in the Lemay chemical, and their EM field is easily changed through minimal effort, causing a change in their emotional state.

Telepathy and Thought Controls

Telepathy is a fancy word for mind-to-mind communication. Basically, the WG Effect allows for this in much the same manner that our current neural communication implants currently do, by inputting the information directly into the users’ brain. This generates a fairly large amount of the Lemay chemical. Also, in a method similar to empathy, a telepathic reading can be achieved of a targeted personality.

Also, a combination of both projective and receptive telepathies can be used to manipulate thoughts and implant ideas, in addition to limiting thought patterns to specific paths. This generates an even larger amount of the Lemay chemical than just projective telepathy.

Memory Implantation and Modification

Lastly, the WG Effect can be used to implant and/or change a subject’s memories. This generates a very large amount of the Lemay chemical, compared to the other method of use (all methods only generate trace amounts).

Basically, it is a form of thought control to such an extent as to make a memory or change one on the surface permanently. Alternately, it can used to completely remove memories as well, again generating a large amount of Lemay chemical.

Practical Usage

While all of these abilities seem to occur to some extent naturally in many related types of sentient beings, to use the WG Effect artificially to perform any of them requires a huge power requirement, growing exponentially with regard to the complexity of the manipulation attempted and with the distances involved.

As such, any attempt to exploit the WG Effect artificially would require the dedicated output of a fairly large reactor.

Artificial Defenses Against the Webster-Gookin Effect

Block-von Knopf Battlesteel

An altered version of the standard battlesteel crystalline ablative armor, developed by Professors Walter Block and Carl von Knopf of Vanderbilt University, five centimeters of it is able to resist approximately 98% of the EM Frequencies that can be used for the WB Affect. Also, it retains the ability to bond with regular battlesteel, along with titanium and other more common metals.

Also, it seems to retain approximately 90% of the armoring affect of normal battlesteel, allowing it to be useful in combat situations, without requiring a doubling of the volume of battlesteel being used to armor that object which is being armored. This is significant because the Block-von Knopf Battlesteel has a density 20% greater than that of regular battlesteel.

Lemay-Sharp Neural Implants

Designed to counteract the Lemay chemical on site, these implants are connected into the brain in much the same manner as other neural implants, but are designed to monitor two things. Firstly, they monitor concentrations of the Lemay chemical in the brain, and secondly, internal fluxuations in the body’s EM field, both of which would signal an attempt at manipulation.

Then, if the field manipulation or the concentration of the Lemay chemical becomes too high, these implants were alert the user to the presence of something attempting to manipulate them, either natural or artificial (though the implant would have no way of knowing which), and if requested or required to help deal with the manipulation attempt, release a small amount of medical chemicals designed to counter the Lemay chemical.

But the primary defense is the alert that the implants give, which allows the user to fight, which is usually the most important factor in what happens.

Gookin Generator

The last defensive method developed by the team was the designed and built by Jack Gookin, a Physics Graduate Student of Professor Webster. Basically the Gookin Generator functions as a telepathic jammer, using the WG Effect to create interference on the frequencies which can be used to cause a WG Effect manipulation.

Unfortunately, the Gookin Generator, while relatively small, has huge power requirements, as mentioned previously in the section on practical usage of the WG Effect. Artificial generation of the WG Effect, by way of a Gookin Generator, in either an intrusive or defensive manner approaches the power requirements of a Janissary-class Destroyer at full combat load. This is for a general area defense affecting approximately 0.0625 square kilometers (62,500 square meters).

Additionally, a Gookin Generator can be used for intrusive manipulation through exploitation of the WG Effect. Power Requirements remain similar, and extremely high. Given the same input as mentioned above, a Gookin Generator can manage a directional projection of the WG Effect to half a kilometer, and maintain an area of effect equal to its protection area when used defensively.

Also, powerful natural telepaths seem to be able to detect the operation of the Generator both while in the area of effect, and at range while attempting to project into the area of effect. One of the elven testers described trying to project into the field as “A hobbit walking through six feet of snow.”

Recommendations

The recommendation of EMFNM1-6, for the fulfillment of the stated objectives of the research into the Webster-Gookin Effect, is as follows:

That as a primary defense, in those sentient beings that cannot afford to have the WG Effect exploited in them to their disadvantage, the Lemay-Sharp Neural Implants should be made available.

Also, for military operations, installations, and equipment a layer of at least 51 millimeters of Block-von Knopf Battlesteel should be installed internally, protected underneath standard armor layers.
The Gookin Generator should only be used in the defense of small areas with power to spare.
Whenever possible, the three defensive types should be combined for maximum effect.
The Gookin Generator can be used also in interrogations in the intrusive mode, and can be used to decrease resistance to standard interrogation techniques.
Developing the WG Effect to the extent to actively extract thoughts and/or emotions is likely to be cost prohibitive, as it must be developed specifically for each subject.


Signed,

Julius Webster, Professor of Physics (Tri-spectral Forces), Vanderbilt University
Jake Gookin, Physics Graduate Student (Tri-spectral Forces), Vanderbilt University
Theodore Lemay, Professor of Biology (Neuro-biology and Bio-chemistry), Vanderbilt University
Walter Block, Professor of Chemistry (Anti-Dynamic Compounds), Vanderbilt University
Jane Sharp, Chemistry Graduate Student (Anti-Dynamic Compounds), Vanderbilt University
Carl von Knopf, Professor of Engineering (Structural Materials), Vanderbilt Univeristy

Attachments:
Detail on Results of WG Effect Research
Detail on Historical Psychic Research
Detail on Lemay Chemical
Detail on Block-von Knopf Battlesteel
Detail on Lemay-Sharp Neural Implants
Detail on Gookin Generator