Once Radagast had made his point while piloting his Auto Heretic in an extrely clumsy and embarrassing manner, he finally let the Auto Heretic bring itself to an upright position before shutting down his machine.
When the new 'ch pilot' finally exited the cockpit, Barrow and Idni imdiately sought to verify Radagast's claims!
"Idni." The owner of the Auto Heretic spoke up. "Did you bring the genetic aptitude tester? I have brought one myself, but I think you prefer to make use of your own device just to be certain."
"I do. Please wait. I will retrieve it right away."
It took a few minutes for Idni Zenokon to return with a strange helt in his possession. He had brought over a compact version of a typical genetic aptitude testing device. It lacked the spikes and other strange features, but it functioned almost just as well.
Before Idni placed the tester onto Radagast's head, he first perford a quick inspection. He wanted to make sure its settings were calibrated to asure the genetic aptitude of an older adult human and that it hadn't been tampered with in secret.
"It is ready."
"Then proceed. Place it on my head and confirm the truth with your very own eyes." When Idni placed the helt onto Radagast's head, the scientist also activated a data feed that allowed him to receive detailed data.
The genetic aptitude tester started to beep and activate a few lights. This showed that it had entered into an active state.
Idni deliberately chose to conduct the most thorough and ti-consuming test process in order to be absolutely thorough. This made the test last for over three minutes as the device needed to be thorough in exploring the data transmission and processing capabilities of various parts of Radagast's brain and parts of his spine.
The test process imposed quite a bit of strain on Radagast's central nervous system. He flinched and gritted his teeth at tis as he felt as if his head was being ramd by a shuttle.
All of this was necessary in order to generate the most precise and detailed data. As a neural interface specialist, Idni was able to effectively interpret all of the readings from the device.
His expression grew more and more perplexed.
By the ti the test ca to an end, Radagast removed the helt from his head on his own initiative and faced his old friend.
"Are you convinced now, Idni?"
The chief scientist remained frozen in silence.
Barrow gazed at Idni in concern. He could scarcely believe that he had co across a ch that could actually allow a norm to pilot it. The result from the genetic aptitude test was therefore of utmost importance.
"What did your tester say?"
"The genetic aptitude tester... has confird without shadow of a doubt that Radagast's genetic aptitude is... F-grade. It is completely unqualified to pilot a first-class ch, let alone the most basic third-class ch. The data and the result are likely not falsified. I have observed the raw data readings carefully and saw nothing that indicates that any impropriety has occurred."
Barrow tried his best to keep his increasingly restless heart under control. "...What if the genetic aptitude tester got tampered anyway? I want this to be true as much as you do, but we cannot take this information at face value."
"Do you think I am gullible, Barrow?! Of course I know that! As a scientist, it is second nature for to verify the validity of the results! If possible, I would truly like to bring Radagast and his Auto Heretic ch back to the NMRI in order to conduct a detailed battery of tests!"
"I am afraid that I will not be able to oblige." Radagast said. "You are not the only group of ch enthusiasts that I have to et. The Auto Heretic is a gift that must be spread to as many people as possible. Besides, you do not need my presence in order to thoroughly determine whether this ch model is the real deal."
Both Barrow and Idni widened their eyes.
"Are you saying... that we can pilot this ch ourselves?" Barrow almost whispered his question. "Perhaps... right now?"
"No."
What?!
The two NMRI leaders felt hopeful until Radagast directly shot down their suggestion! "Why?! Why are you tempting us with a ch that has apparently shattered the genetic aptitude tyranny, only for you to deny us the chance to experience it ourselves?!" Radagast remained calm in the face of two ch enthusiasts who had already beco utterly consud by their desire to pilot their own chs!
"You misunderstand. The man calmly explained. "I am not rejecting your request because I want to. It is because it is physically impossible for you to pilot 'my' Auto Heretic. You see, the sa control system that is used to allow a norm such as myself to control the ch is tied to my body and supposedly more. From the mont I piloted this ch for the first ti, it has beco bound to . The blood that is circulated by the new control system has also changed to reflect my augnted physiology. Therefore, attempting to pilot it will not only cause you to fail, but also suffer a fatal
case of blood poisoning unless you have implants that can handle this condition." That caused Barrow and Idni to lose their anger. They grew confused.
"How does this new control system work exactly?" The chief scientist of the NRMI asked. "And what does it have to do with blood?"
"The new control system that defines the Auto Heretic model is called the 'Carmine System! It is nad for the dium which is used to enable a norm to form a bond with the ch that allows the two to communicate with each other. Do not ask how it
works. None of the scientists and engineers in my employ have managed to decipher anything aningful. I eventually chalked it up to ch designer magic."
That caused Idni to feel perplexed. The revelation that this so-called Carmine System only managed to overco the genetic aptitude tyranny due to 'ch designer magic' was disappointing to say the least.
As a conventional scientist who possessed a strong interest in chs, Idni Zenokon had co into contact with chs, ch designs and the taphysical qualities that made them different from other manufactured goods.
Idni still did not understand how the whole outperford the sum of its physical parts in such an obvious and inexplicable manner.
He had tried his best to obtain answers from many different ch designers, but they never offered any helpful information.
Eventually, one of his ch designer friends warned Idni that it was a good idea for him
to suspend his inquiry. If he continued to chase for answers, the ch Trade Association might decide to pay him a not-so-friendly visit.
Idni wisely decided to drop the matter.
That did not an he lost his curiosity, but he could only hold it in to prevent any
undesirable consequences.
Right now, his desire for answers had grown a lot more. If he knew that 'ch designer magic' had beco powerful enough to casually make the impossible co true like this, then he would have investigated this phenonon to the end!
"Damn." Idni cursed.
"What is the matter, my friend?"
"The Auto Heretic here is not as great as I thought. I cannot deny that it is a historic ch for allowing a norm like Radagast to pilot it, but it doesn't advance our science and technology as much as I wished." Idni sighed. "If this Carmine System can only work because of the taphysical support from a single person's design philosophy, then I think that reverse engineering it will be a nearly impossible challenge. This was what conventional scientists and engineers hated the most about ch designers. The latter essentially cheated their way into creating stronger and groundbreaking chs.
The worst part about it was that ch designers were so exclusive towards their chosen war platforms that they never took the initiative to share their innovations beyond their instrunts of violence!
This was another reason why other combat vehicles got phased out. Even if they had good qualities that were no worse than a ch fra, the latter would still perform
better because of the support of ch designer nonsense!
The only consolation was that the biggest and most radical innovations eventually did get figured out, usually after the responsible individuals advanced to the rank of Master. While this ensured that the technological contributions of ch designers partially spread to humanity's other industries, it also ant that the developnt of chs always stayed several steps ahead of the developnt of starships and other technological goods!
"What class?" Idni asked the most critical question that was currently on his mind.
"Class IX."
The scientist groaned. "That makes this worse. Class IX design philosophies are always the most difficult to decipher. It may take decades if not centuries to reverse engineer the Auto Heretic and its Carmine System."
"That... is at least an improvent compared to our prior situation." Barrow comnted. "Look on the bright side. We not only have a ch that has broken the genetic aptitude. tyranny, but also offers us clear directions to how it is able to accomplish this. So long as the NMRI and many other research institutions keep studying the Carmine System, we may be able to develop our own substitutes within several decades. Class IX design philosophies long held a notorious reputation for being difficult to impossible to replicate through purely standard technological ans.
In truth, many scientists simply did not bother to spend their ti on deciphering them
because the effort was not proportional to the reward.
This only added to the mystique of Class IX design philosophies.
This was different. The Carmine System ant far too much to many norms to give up
so easily!
It was not just the research institutions that had been looking to fulfill 'the cause' that would be interested in this endeavor.
Many other groups that previously had no interest in trying to open up ch piloting to
norms would be frantically trying to figure out the working principles of the Carmine
System as well!
The very future of chs and its place in human society was at stake!
Until the day had co when humans had completely torn down the genetic aptitude tyranny to the point where it could never make a coback, it beca crucially important to preserve the Auto Heretic design and protect its ch designer as much
as possible!
"Who are the designers of the Auto Heretic?" Idni asked next. "And which one of them is responsible for developing the Carmine System?"
"One of the ch designers involved is a Master ch Designer who has not been nad. Surprisingly, he or she i not responsible for developing the Carmine System. It is actually the invention of a Senior ch Designer by the na of Ves Larkinson,"
"Ves... Larkinson...?"
"That na will soon beco famous across the galaxy." Radagast predicted with
certainty. "I am not surprised that you are not familiar with him. No one is. He is apparently one of the ch designers who immigrated to the Red Ocean. Despite the fact that he is no longer able to co back to the Milky Way, he has left a PP behind, so his works are still functional in this galaxy. Normally, that is of no relevance to us as his works have never spread too far beyond a star cluster in the galactic rim, but this ti is different. Professor Larkinson is doing extrely well in the new frontier, so much so that he has taken advantage of the conditions to develop his Carmine System." "The people of the Red Ocean have access to these new chs as well?!" "Yes, and they are apparently called Carmine chs. They are already being sold over
there. Now, Professor Larkinson and his backers have generously decided to share his marvelous gift of a ch design to us, the people of the Milky Way!"
"Wait." Barrow said. "How can this Ves Larkinson release this ch to the Milky Way
when he is 50 million light-years away? Did he design this so-called Carmine ch before the Great Severing?!"
"No." Idni said. "That is definitely not the case. This Auto Heretic uses technological principles that have been developed in the current generation. It may have been upgraded from an older design, but I do not think that is likely seeing how new and fresh
it appears.
"Don't ask. I do not have all of the answers." Radagast simply said. "I am not the developer
of the Auto Heretic. I am rely a broker of sorts. I can only supply you with as much information that I have received myself. If you want more answers than that, then you are welco to conduct your own investigation."
Ves Larkinson.
Barrow and Idni both rembered that na. They would definitely look into him and
his exploits. What sort of design philosophy did he co up with that enabled a norm like Radagast to pilot his own 'Carmine ch'?
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