Difference between revisions of "Ardacorp"

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[[File:Ardacorp Logo.gif|center]]
 
[[File:Ardacorp Logo.gif|center]]
  
'''''Do you own a business or an institution that you feel needs protection? Are you responsible for the safe keeping of financial assets, government property, or sensitive materials? Then your solution is clear: Ardacorp. Originally a CCTV developer, we have been involved in the business of security since our foundation in 1987, and have progressed to providing additional means of protection; alarm systems, weaponised cameras, infrared laser tripwires, electroplate floor conversion, and optical camouflage sensors are just a few of the services we offer for one-time payments.
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'''''Do you own a business or an institution that needs protection? Are you responsible for the safe keeping of financial assets, government property, or sensitive materials? Then your solution is clear: Ardacorp. Originally a CCTV developer, we have been involved in the business of security since our foundation in 1983. Alarm systems, weaponised cameras, infrared laser tripwires, electroplate floor conversion, and optical camouflage sensors are just a few of the services we offer for one-time payments.
  
'''''If you'd prefer something a little more mobile, or perhaps want to add something alongside your fixed defenses, we also offer self-guiding drones, as well as server installation for monthly fees; but if none of that takes your fancy, we can always throw a well-trained agent your way for varying monthly costs. Seen anything you like yet?
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'''''If you'd prefer something less static, or perhaps want to bolster your existing security solutions, we also offer self-guiding drones and server installation for monthly fees; but if none of that takes your fancy, we can always throw a well-trained agent your way for varying monthly costs. Seen anything you like yet?
  
'''''If the answer is yes, then head over to our website at www.ardacorp.com to browse our product line; alternatively, you may give us a call on 0196919870 and speak to an unautomated advisor (call costs vary with provider).
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'''''If the answer is yes, then head over to our website at www.ardacorp.com to browse our product line. Alternatively, you may give us a call on 0196219830 to speak to a non-automated advisor (call costs vary with provider).
  
 
'''''Do not delay – your security depends on it.
 
'''''Do not delay – your security depends on it.
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Overview</u></div>'''''=
 
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Overview</u></div>'''''=
  
Ardacorp began as an automated security company, producing cameras and alarm systems for commercial, as well as private properties. Its CEO, [[Victor Ardaman]], set up the company in 1987, based in North Carolina; Ardaman's business was pooling in a fair profit, largely because of his own obsession with cost efficiency - and so large amounts of resources and time were spent in the research and development of materials to support this philosophy. The company evolved to producing cameras with built-in weapons systems after several years; these were purchased by other licensed businesses and property owners to protect high-priority buildings.
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[[File:Camera.png|350px|thumb|center|'''A CCTV camera''']]
  
[[image:Screenshot_2014-09-25-16-32-45.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''An Ardacorp Incursion Drone, situated upon the Club Caprice rafters''']]
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Ardacorp was founded in 1983 by [[Victor Ardaman]] as a company manufacturing automated security systems for commercial and private properties.
  
Staying true to its roots, Ardacorp stuck with the development of security cameras, but began moving in the direction of mobile systems: robots. Initially, it began with the company's first automated unit, known as the 'Incursion Drone'; They were small, quadruped mobile robots that housed many sensors within domes found at front of their bodies, in place of where a head would normally be found on a four-legged animal; they were based on the idea of a hive mind, all of the drones linked to one (or several) mainframes that ran specifically to keep them all online and issue necessary commands to the units; the mainframes were also built by Ardacorp, and installed into properties that requested an order (which could even be ONE) of drones. It was then that Ardaman came to a realisation; if he developed machines that could be used in place of human soldiers during times of conflict, he could both save lives and open up a whole new window of opportunity to his company... He now also intended to supply law enforcement and government military with weaponry and mechanical soldiers; Ardaman saw the implications of using people as soldiers -- the cost of supplying each individual with their own personal armament, as well as the cost and time of the training needed to create battle-ready troops.
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True to its roots, Ardacorp continued development of security systems, but steered in the direction of robotic technology. It began with the 'Argus'; small quadruped robots possessing many sensors, making them an effective alternative to stationary cameras. The Argus drones were typically linked to a central mainframe that ran specifically to issue necessary commands to the units, similar to a hive mind concept. It wasn't long after the introduction of these drones that Ardaman came to a realisation: if he developed machines that could sufficiently replace soldiers in armed conflicts, he could both save lives and open up a whole new window of opportunity to his company. Gaining the attention of the military was his next goal.
  
Revealing to the American government the projects that Ardacorp had come to complete, Ardaman soon secured a deal to supply the military with a batch of thirty new "ICD" units...
 
  
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Automated Units</u></div>'''''=
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Technological advancement</u></div>'''''=
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[[File:Argus Mk.6.png|350px|thumb|center|'''The Argus''']]
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-00-58.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The original ICD unit''']]
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The first truly autonomous robotic unit developed by the company, produced as early as 1992, Argus drones are designed as mobile spy platforms; small and highly agile, the unit is able to quickly traverse terrain and climb up sheer surfaces with specialised claws, allowing it to access areas that would otherwise prove difficult for humans to reach. Each Drone possesses an opaque dome at the front housing a sophisticated sensor array for perceiving light, sound, temperature, and even airborne chemicals. If necessary, Argus drones can be converted into mobile bombs by replacing most of their expensive sensor equipment with an explosive charge, and are identified by a coat of vibrant red paint over the frontal dome. Over the years, the design has gone through a number of revisions and still sees active use to this day.
  
Ardacorp's robotic infantry were designed to be cost-effective. They needed to be able to act on their own, as well as use sturdy but fairly inexpensive materials. The result was the "ACRP-ICD-001", Ardacorp's first mechanised infantry unit. The name stood for "Intelligent Combat Droid"; it had a basic AI, controlled by a non-localised central mainframe, which would often be situated safely within a headquarters. The ICD ran with the concept of "quantity over quality", they were reknown for being cheap and easy to produce, but their programming often lead to confusion when in combat.
 
  
Limitations were a hurdle that Ardacorp sought to extinguish. The ICD's programming and processors needed to be upgraded; it took the company over 6 years to produce a new unit that was reliable enough to be used as conventional infantry. The ICD series ended with the Mk.4, which turned out to be too expensive to mass-produce.
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-00-58.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The ICD''']]
  
The new unit that was chosen was the first in the ACRP-OSS series, or "Omega Super Soldier". It was a humanoid infantry unit that used kendrium armour plating with a cheaper titanium inner frame. It was durable, albeit more expensive than the original ICD; however, it proved to be a roaring success in action - able to take down at least four fully-trained men, on average, before their destruction.
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Ardacorp's first automated infantry unit made its debut in 1995, designated the "ACRP-ICD-001", an acronym for "Intelligent Combat Drone"; it had a basic AI, controlled by a non-localised central mainframe. The ICD ran with the concept of "quantity over quality" and were built with fairly inexpensive materials, but their programming often led to confusion in combat. Despite its cost efficiency, the unit did not perform to the high standard required, and replacing trained soldiers with them was a laughable notion. The ICD series ended with the Mk.4, which was too expensive to mass-produce. '''The ICD series was superseded by the Cyclops on the 10th of June, 2002.'''
  
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The ABRAD absorption</u></div>'''''=
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[[File:Cyclops Mk.4.png|350px|thumb|center|'''The Cyclops''']]
  
Shortly after the OSS Mk. 1's introduction, Ardaman had considered an alternative to robotics which could possibly reduce production costs tenfold; they would attempt to create a biological soldier. The aim was to make them non-sentient, lacking any real human emotion aside from anger or, when necessary, fear. Only the most basic primal instincts were to be implemented within these soldiers. They wouldn't require armour, or weaponry; everything would be grown 'naturally', equaling more profit for Victor's company.
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Since the closure of the ICD series, Ardacorp had moved forward in the field of robotics with the introduction of the Cyclops. A roaring success in action, it outclassed the ICD series in combat and proved cheaper to produce than the notoriously expensive ICD Mk.4. In the spirit of cost efficiency and simplicity, the Cyclops was designed without a head, its camera and sensors housed within the torso. A pair of integrated arm weapons were chosen instead of hands, sacrificing loadout flexibility for operational security. The purposefully non-ergonomic weaponry powered by the unit's internal battery makes it virtually impossible for enemy combatants to seize and utilise the armament without significant modification.
  
However, it wasn't Ardacorp that pursued this goal single-handedly; they didn't have the resources, staff, or facilities to even begin work in this field - one they had no previous experience with; which is why Ardaman instead approached a string of stem cell research labs, known collectively as 'ABRAD' (American Biological Research and Development), buying out their sites and scientists in order to fulfill his wishes.
 
  
After 9 years of research and development, Ardacorp managed to create the "Cerberus". This was to be known as the company's first biologically-engineered creature. It was large, standing at around 3 meters tall; it was a ferocious and largely feared unit, but it was too expensive and imperfect to mass-produce. The Cerberus took 2 years to fully mature, and only five were ever grown. The expense was due to the cybernetic implants needed to keep the creature alive; various life-sustaining pieces of equipment were necessary, or it would die. Ardacorp's newly-acquired bio-engineering labs were fairly sophisticated, but the professors and doctors involved in the project were still unable to yield a self-sustaining lifeform due to inexperience with growing man-made organisms.
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Manually Operated Units</u></div>'''''=
  
Around 6 years later, the Crusader was born. This new unit stood as tall as 7ft, a bit bigger than the average man; it adopted a hunched posture, much like the Cerberus, but it was different; the Crusader made use of a biologically-engineered weapon, grown from its right arm. The weapon used a very simple concept: various specially-designed muscles were linked to a gland within the weapon. When fired, the muscles would spasm and force the corrosive biogel substance from the gland, and onto anyone unfortunate enough to be stood in the way. Unlike its predecessor, the Crusader was totally void of cybernetics; it was able to sustain itself without the need of machinery - they could live for a total of 10 years.
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Ardaman's ambition to crack open the military market lured him to the possibility of manufacturing larger and heavier machines, which also required human pilots to supervise and operate their high levels of firepower.
  
It wasn't long before a number of factories were converted into laboratories for the mass-production of the Crusader. They were superior to any soldier because of their short maturation period; it took only 2 weeks from birth for a single Crusader to fully mature, ready for combat.
 
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-17-54-00.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''A Crusader unit''']]
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-17-55.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The original Comet unit, deployed in the Nevada desert''']]
  
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So, in 2006, the company gave birth to the Comet. It was a towering, mechanized powerhouse, featuring a number of inbuilt weapon systems that granted it ridiculous firepower. An armoured hatch on the front of its torso allowed entry to the pilot's seat, and cameras mounted to its head and arms were used instead of a conventional windshield or viewscreen; this gave the driver increased levels of protection, which made the Comet a favourable choice amongst Ardacorp's larger and wealthier clientele. Over three-hundred are estimated to have been built. '''The Comet was replaced by the upgraded Mk.2 on the 3rd of January, 2008'''
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>February 23rd 2015, United States Army audience</u></div>'''''=
 
  
'''''The following text is the written translation of an audio recording with Victor Ardaman, Ardacorp CEO, whilst attending a formal meeting arranged with the US Army:'''''
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-22-35.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''A Comet unit, illegally obtained and modified by armed insurgents''']]
  
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In fact, the Comet was '''so''' popular that older units started to appear on the black market. Company forces were dispatched to Alaska in order to eliminate a modified Comet unit within the hands of armed Russian insurgents reported to the north of Wainwright. Some of the unit's armour had been replaced with custom-built plates, a missile pod was missing, and its left arm had been retrofitted with a reinforced steel blade; it was assumed that if the modified Comet were left unopposed, the insurgents would've completely re-armoured it, and possibly added additional weaponry.
  
<b>Army Representative (AR):</b> “Mister Ardaman, welcome.” AR rises from a chair placed behind a desk, extending their right arm towards Ardaman in offering of a handshake.
 
  
<b>Victor Ardaman (VA):</b> “Hello.” Ardaman takes AR's hand in his own and completes the handshake, before sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of the table to AR, who simultaneously sits in their own.
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-15-21.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The Comet Mk.2''']]
  
<b>AR:</b> “So, I understand that, after your last arrangement with the United States Army, things have changed?” AR leans on the table with both arms, intently awaiting VA's response.
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After two years of service, the Mk.1's successor emerged. Some parts from the original were used on the Mk.2, but its visual design was totally different. It had a lower overall weight, making it more mobile, but it lacked the same firepower as its predecessor. Its right arm mounted a 105mm cannon, along with a coaxial 20mm auto-gun. Its left arm was built for close engagements, boasting Ardacorp's first energy efficient laser blade, which could concentrate enough heat to slice through most conventional armour plating. The Mk.2 discarded one of the original's missile pods in favour of additional communications equipment and spotlight. '''The Comet Mk.2 was superseded by the Amarok on the 11th of July, 2012'''
  
<b>VA:</b> “W-Well; not quite.” VA pauses. “I actually came to ask a question – and discuss it, of course... I've had a...” VA once again pauses. “An idea, really.”.
 
  
<b>AR:</b> “An idea. I see; well, please go ahead.” AR gestures with a hand for VA to continue.
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[[File:Amarok Mk.4.png|350px|thumb|center|'''The Amarok''']]
  
<b>VA:</b> “Putting Ardacorp's mechanised infantry aside... I was thinking; say... Theoretically... What if a soldier – that could outclass a human with regards to combat performance – was able to be grown, from scratch, and required no additional help.” VA pauses. “As in... Equipment. Guns, armour, anything.” VA pauses again, before raising a finger and stating: “Now that IS theoretical, of course...” VA appears to fidget.
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The Amarok is Ardacorp's latest development in bipedal vehicular technology. The machine has gone through many revisions over the years with a myriad of module upgrades and shifts in design philosophy. Originally, the design was conceived as a way of cutting production costs - much like the Cyclops series - but the consideration of immense firepower within a small package also brought its own allure. Of course, the Amarok is far from small, but compared to other competing designs and Ardacorp's own older models its profile could be described as compact and stocky. The standard setup comes installed with a formidable particle cannon mounted to its right arm, whilst its left arm sports a combined system of grenade launcher, flamethrower, and grasping claw.
  
<b>AR:</b> AR observes VA's body language for a moment, faintly raising an eyebrow before responding. “Alright... Well, that concept would be good if said 'soldier' could be grown in a reasonable amount of time.”, VA seems incredibly eager to answer.
 
  
<b>VA:</b> “I knew you'd say that – which is why I was-”, once again, VA pauses. “Nevermind; so... Within a reasonable amount of time. How does, say... Two weeks sound? Theoretically.” VA interlocks the fingers of his hands, leaning on the table with both elbows.
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The ABRAD absorption</u></div>'''''=
  
<b>AR:</b> “Your frequent use of 'theoretically' is a little unnecessary; you've already made it clear that it's a concept – and not a reality. Right?” AR tilts his head a little, with VA cutting in before AR can continue.
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Shortly after the Cyclops first saw service in 2002, Ardaman had considered an alternative to robotics that would almost eliminate material expenditure. Biological soldiers. The aim was to make them non-sentient and driven by instinct, yet subservient and receptive to commands. They wouldn't require training or equipment, as everything would be grown 'naturally', equalling more profit for Victor's company.
  
<b>VA:</b> “Absolutely – it's ludicrous to think of it were a reality.” VA chuckles, then shakes his head. “No, no – it's entirely theoretical.” VA blinks, perhaps realising his citing of 'theoretical'.
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However, it wasn't Ardacorp that pursued this goal single-handedly. The company had no previous experience and didn't have the resources, staff, or facilities to even begin work in this field. Ardaman instead approached a string of stem cell research labs, known collectively as 'ABRAD' (American Biological Research and Development), buying out their sites and scientists to fulfil his wishes.
  
<b>AR:</b> AR pauses for a considerable time, watching VA. “Right... So – you're telling me that you've... 'Considered'...” AR appears to eye VA for a short time. “Growing soldiers for military use? And you're saying that you plan for them to only take two weeks growth time?”
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After five years of intense trial and error of experimental gene templates, Ardacorp finally managed to develop the "Crusader". The creature had a standing height of around 7ft, but adopted a hunched and bestial posture that often deceived viewers of its true size. A remarkable trait of these monstrosities was the inclusion of an arm that functioned as a bio-weapon, which produced a highly corrosive and sticky gel substance that could be squirted at victims via muscle spasms. They took just two months to fully mature, and many were grown. Unfortunately, the first few batches created defective specimens that suffered from strange physical deformities, hindering healthy growth and mental development. Eventually, however, the project was deemed successful and Ardaman pushed for the concept to be discussed with the military.
  
<b>VA:</b> “Yes.
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-17-54-00.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''A Crusader unit''']]
  
<b>AR:</b> “So what will these soldiers be like, then?” AR once again raises an eyebrow, awaiting a response.
 
  
<b>VA:</b> “I should think they're a lot like animals.” VA pauses. “They'd BE a lot like animals, rather. They would have basic instincts – fear included; because it's rather a necessity for survival, is it not?” VA grins rather sheepishly. “But of course, it would take a bit to scare them – say... When a heavy loss is occurring. Anyway... They'd be grown with some sort of weapon already on them – a biological weapon; one that replenishes its own ammunition.”
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>February 23rd 2007, United States Armed Forces audience</u></div>'''''=
  
<b>AR:</b> AR seems amused at the thought, shaking his head. “Mister Ardaman, are you aware of the implications of such an idea?”
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'''''The following text is a transcript of a formal meeting with the US Military attended by Victor Ardaman, Ardacorp CEO:'''''
  
<b>VA:</b> VA pauses for quite a while, an expression of bewilderment overcoming his face. “I...- What 'implications'? You mean-” AR cuts in.
 
  
<b>AR:</b> “I mean the fact that, as you said, they're animals. What if we needed to send them into a conflict where civilians are present? An occurrence like that happens quite a lot in this day and age. They'd be absolutely terrified of these...”, he pauses with a smirk, “Okay – they're practically monsters, from what you're suggesting. They'd be terrified of these monsters around them; and the United States Army does not terrorise civilians.” VA doesn't offer a reply, despite AR's pausing. AR continues: “Human soldiers can think properly, and don't rely solely on instinct to carry out a mission; they can communicate – and that's a very good point, actually; how will these things speak?”
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<b>USAF Representative (Rep):</b> ''“Mister Ardaman, welcome.”'' Rep rises from a chair placed behind a desk, extending their right arm towards Victor in offering of a handshake.
  
<b>VA:</b> “No – you're right. It's a far-fetched idea.” VA shakes his head, with AR crossing their arms. “I'd just considered alternative ways of reducing military costs.
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“Hello, thank you.'' Victor takes Rep's hand and completes the gesture. Rep sits again whilst Victor sits in the chair opposite.
  
<b>AR:</b> “And we'd be happy to accept your alternative ways, if they prove to be efficient.
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“So, after your last arrangement with us, things have changed?'' Rep leans on the table with both arms, intently awaiting Victor's response.
  
<b>VA:</b> VA looks at AR silently for a short while, seemingly deep in thought. VA eventually nods. “Thank you for your time – and I'm sorry if you feel it's been wasted., VA stands up, offering his right hand to AR for a handshake.
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“W-Well... not quite. I actually came to ask a question – and discuss it, of course... I've had a... an idea, really.”''
  
<b>AR:</b> “Not at all., AR stands up and completes the handshake, VA turning to leave shortly after.
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“An idea. I see. Well, please, go ahead.”'' Rep gestures with a hand for Victor to continue.
  
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“Putting Ardacorp's robotic infantry aside, I was thinking, say... theoretically... what if a soldier could be grown without any need for training or equipment? Theoretically, of course."''
  
'''''The sound of a door can be heard closing in the background. AR addresses a colleague through the one-way glass allowing sight into the interview room:'''''
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“Alright... Well, that concept would be good if said 'soldier' could be grown in a reasonable amount of time.”'' Victor seems incredibly eager to answer.
  
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“I knew you'd say that, which is why I was-”'' Victor pauses. ''“Nevermind. so... Within a reasonable amount of time. How does, say... Two months sound? Theoretically.”'' Victor leans on the table with his elbows, interlocking his fingers.
  
<b>AR:</b> AR chuckles, knowing VA isn't in earshot. “Was he being completely serious? Growing monsters to replace soldiers – that's fucking ridiculous.”
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“Your frequent use of 'theoretically' is a little unnecessary. You've already made it clear that it's a concept and not a reality. Right?'' Rep tilts his head a little, with Victor cutting in before he can continue.
  
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“Oh, absolutely! A reality? No. Of course not.”'' Victor chuckles with a shake of his head. ''“No, no – it's entirely theoretical.”'' Victor blinks and visibly freezes, perhaps realising his citing of 'theoretical' once again.
  
'''''The audio recording ends there.'''''
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<b>Rep:</b> pauses for a considerable time, observing Victor. ''“Right... So, you're telling me that you've... 'considered'... growing soldiers for the military. And you say they'd only take two months to mature?”''
  
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“Yes.”''
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey">The mass burning of March 12th</div>===
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“So what will these soldiers be like, then?”'' Rep raises an eyebrow, awaiting a response.
  
After the United States Army audience that Ardaman had arranged to discuss the 'concept' of his Crusader units, he was incredibly displeased with the response they gave. Considering the disapproval of the Army, and the units having no other real use aside from being terror weapons, the CEO ordered a mass burning of the creatures; a cruel, but necessary (he felt) solution to this new 'problem'; and so, on the 12th of March, 2015, Ardacorp staff gathered up the Crusaders into large pens, outside, not far from the company's outpost situated in Denver, torching the masses of monstrous products - much to the beast's dismay, bellowing out agonizing cries and terrifying screeches.
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“I think they're a lot like animals. They'd BE a lot like animals, rather. They would have basic instincts - fear included - because it's rather a necessity for survival, is it not?”'' Victor grins nervously. ''“But of course, it would take quite a lot to scare them, say... When a heavy loss is occurring. Anyway... They'd be grown with their own weapon – a biological one that replenishes its own ammunition.”''
  
Some residents of Denver, present in the city at the time, reported to have smelt a strong barbeque scent.
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<b>Rep:</b> seems amused at the thought, shaking his head. ''“Mister Ardaman, are you aware of the implications?”''
  
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<b>Victor:</b> looks bewildered. ''“What 'implications'? You mean-”'' Rep cuts in.
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The OSS Mk. 2</u></div>'''''=
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“I mean the fact that, as you said, they're animals. What if we needed to send them into a conflict where civilians are present? They'd be absolutely terrified of these...”'' he pauses with a smirk, ''“Okay – they're practically monsters, from what you're suggesting. They'd be terrified of these monsters around them; and the United States Military does not terrorise civilians.'' Victor doesn't offer a reply, despite Rep's pausing. Rep continues: ''“Human soldiers don't rely solely on instinct to carry out a mission. They can reason and communicate – and that's a very good point, actually; how will these things speak?”''
  
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<b>Victor:</b> ''“No – you're right. It's a far-fetched idea.”'' Victor shakes his head. Rep crosses their arms. ''“I'd just considered alternative ways of reducing military costs.”''
  
[[image:Screenshot_2014-09-25-16-29-27.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''OSS Mark 2, standard variant''']]
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“And we'd be happy to accept your alternative ways, if they prove to be viable.”''
  
Since the closure of the ICD series, Ardacorp had moved forward in the field of robotics; introducing the OSS Mk. 2, a more effective but visually identical upgrade to its Mk. 1 predecessor. This unit became the basis of the company's humanoid drone units - the chassis being taken and re-purposed to yield another variant for a different job. This <b>DRASTICALLY</b> reduced production costs, also due to the fact that these new units have all their equipment stored within the torso - which doubles as the head; additional armouring was implemented around the torso area on this design, but the cost of the extra plating is dwarfed by the articulation systems that were present upon the ICD units, for connecting the head to the body. '''The standard OSS Mk. 2 model was replaced with the upgraded Mk. 3 on the 16th of December, 2014.'''
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<b>Victor:</b> looks at Rep silently for a while, seemingly deep in thought, eventually nodding. ''“Thank you for your time. I'm sorry if you feel it's been wasted.”'' Victor stands up, offering his right hand to Rep for a handshake.
  
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<b>Rep:</b> ''“Not at all.”'' Rep stands up and completes the handshake, Victor turning to leave shortly after.
  
[[image:Screenshot_2014-09-25-16-29-53.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''OSS Mark 2, aerial variant''']]
 
  
The aerial variant discarded the Mark 2's twin particle blasters in favor of an arm mounted auto-cannon and a mechanical hand with arm mounted kendrium-questionite close quarters blade. Two large turbine thrusters are present upon its back, allowing it sustained flight for long periods. '''The OSS Mk.2 Aerial was decommissioned and replaced with the 'Aether' unit on the 25th of December, 2014.'''
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'''''The sound of a door closing can be heard in the background. Rep addresses a colleague through the one-way glass allowing sight into the meeting room:'''''
  
  
[[image:Screenshot_2014-09-25-16-30-15.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''OSS Mark 2, titan variant''']]
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<b>Rep:</b> chuckles, knowing Victor isn't in earshot. ''“Was he being completely serious? Growing monsters to replace soldiers. What a joke.”''
  
The Titan takes the standard Mark 2 chassis, bolsters it with additional reflective armour plating for deflecting laser-based attacks, swaps out both particle blasters for a 15mm Gatling gun and questionite shield, and adds on two missile pods onto its back. Surely a force to be reckoned with, the Titan is a walking tank in its own right. '''The OSS Mk. 2 Titan was decommissioned and replaced by the company's new heavy model, the Ulysses, on the 20th of December, 2014.'''
 
  
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'''''The meeting ends there.'''''
  
[[image:Screenshot_2014-09-25-16-30-28.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''OSS Mark 2, Maglev]]
 
  
Easily the comany's most expensive mass-produced unit, the "Maglev" is, as its name would suggest, a drone that utilises magnetic levitation. It resembles the OSS Mark 2 with regards to appearance, but it is in fact much different; because of its complex nature, the Maglev is required to have a more sophisticated AI, which in turn makes it more effective in combat. Because its body parts are separate from each other, it has an amazing ability to avoid enemy fire, tactically relocating its particle blasters to rain down destruction upon targets. '''The Maglev is the only OSS Mk. 2 variant that is still currently in service.'''
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey">The mass burning of March 12th</div>===
  
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Ardaman took the outcome of the USAF meeting poorly. Considering the disapproval of the Army, and the units having no other use aside from being terror weapons, the CEO ordered a mass burning of the creatures, which he felt was a cruel but necessary solution to this new problem. So, on the 12th of March 2008, Ardacorp staff gathered the Crusaders into large containers outside, not far from the company's Denver branch, torching the masses of monstrous products.
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The OSS Mk. 3</u></div>'''''=
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On that day, some residents of Denver claimed to hear horrid shrieking accompanied by a scent of barbeque.
  
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-19-59-47.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The OSS Mk. 3''']]
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Playing God</u></div>'''''=
  
The Mk. 3 OSS unit looks strikingly similar to its predecessor; the main difference can be seen on its torso section -- the body of the Mk. 2 was swapped out for a new design that allowed for more sophisticated optical equipment to be mounted; the chest is also deeper, coming out further than before due to a thick, armoured ring encircling the camera array entirely. Aside from that, upgraded hardware was installed inside the new chassis, including a more economical micro-filament generator - which became a widely used piece of technology within company products.
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By 2008, ABRAD had gained much experience from the Crusader project. However, because of Ardaman's failed pitch, the company had to shift its focus. Instead of creating organisms from scratch, they began to integrate alternative DNA into embryos, attempting to find the perfect recipe. Some of the scientists had already experimented with Qularr subjects in the past - so a small clutch of their frozen eggs, preserved since 1966, were used to create four successful products that incorporated Qularr and Human DNA. Each subject was given a different "meta gene": gyrokinesis, electrokinesis, cryokinesis, and pryokinesis.
  
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The successful experiments were suspended inside tubes filled with nutrients to hasten the process. By year's end they all achieved biological adulthood. Artificial memories were implanted into their brains, allowing the subjects to understand the world around them. Unfortunately, the electrokinetic embryo had developed incorrectly and was missing both of its arms - a problem remedied through cybernetic augmentation.
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Manually Operated Units</u></div>'''''=
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Despite all the work that was put into the creation of these hybrids, a terrible incident involving the Qularr invasion of 2009 led to the escape of the four meta subjects. In a bid to free themselves from the lab, the traumatised creatures used their abilities to wreak havoc within the facility, causing the deaths of several scientists and responding security personnel. This was an incredibly detrimental event for Ardacorp; not only had their facility been heavily damaged and employees killed, but their newest successful subjects, which were intended for transfer into the Monster Squad programme, had also gotten loose.
  
Ardacorp might have began as an automated security firm, but Ardaman isn't one for limitations when it comes to profit; after all, he was already trying to crack open the military market, so manually operated products were surely something that needed to be considered; Sadly, at times, AIs and robots can become faulty -- piloted machines are considered to be safer, by some.
 
  
 +
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The Monster Squad</u></div>'''''=
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-17-55.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''A Mark 1 Comet unit, deployed in the Nevada desert''']]
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The Monster Squad is an elite fighting unit formed upon CEO Victor Ardaman's request after a formal meeting with his team of biologists – ABRAD scientists, formerly devoted to the practice of stem cell research. The Crusader project was a resounding success, despite the military's response, but it wasn't quite the result they needed. Ardacorp required something more intelligent, and The Monster Squad was the answer.
  
So, with heavy firepower seemingly in high demand, the company gave birth to the Comet. It was a towering, mechanized powerhouse, featuring a number of built-in weapons systems that gave it an unprecedented level of offense. The cockpit was found within the torso; an armoured hatch on the front of its body allowed entry to the pilot's seat -- digital displays linked up to the Comet's cyclopean optic, as well as cameras mounted on both arms, would be used instead of a conventional windshield or viewscreen; this gave the driver increased levels of protection, which made the Comet a favorable choice amongst Ardacorp's larger and more wealthy clientele. The Comet was the company's first batch-produced product. Over six-hundred are estimated to have been built.
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The squad was to be composed only of the most successful products – the wheat among the chaff. Many experiments came out as malformed fetuses or, more commonly, lumps of basic living matter with no real use – but those chosen for the Squad were marvels of the (un)natural world, sporting intellect, strength, or agility that far and away surpassed the Crusaders before them. It was no longer about building an army, but about assembling a compact force that could topple one.
  
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-22-35.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''A modified Comet unit, illegally obtained by armed insurgents''']]
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[[File:Subject-N04.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N04 as seen in full armour'''<br>(Character made by @pendulumrhino)]]
  
In fact, the Comet was '''so''' popular, that second-hand units began to appear on the black market. The company's Monster Squad were dispatched to Alaska in order to eliminate a modified Comet unit, within the hands of armed Russian insurgents reported around Wainwright, to the North. Some of the unit's armour had been removed and replaced with white plating, a missile pod was missing, and its left arm was replaced with a reinforced steel blade; it was assumed that if the modified Comet were left unopposed, the insurgents would've completely re-armoured it, and possibly added additional weaponry.
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'''Subject-N04''', codenamed 'Dragonfly' and also known as Xintos, was one of the original four intended for transfer into the Monster Squad programme (See "'''Playing God'''"); after nine years, the company were able to reclaim him, and have now successfully integrated Xintos into the unit. A headstrong personality mixed with the destructive ability of pyrokinesis, along with his superhuman resilience and flesh possessing non-Newtonian properties, makes Xintos a formidable warrior. He is likely the most dangerous squad member, and his potential for mass devastation is unprecedented; the manipulation of thermal energy allows him to incinerate almost anything in his path, and he has devised many creative ways to utilise his powers throughout his many engagements, such as depriving targets of breathable air through the use of convection currents. Xintos' highest recorded temperature is 8,132c, but he is theoretically capable of achieving more than this; unfortunately, because of an exponential increase in his body's metabolic rate due to higher heat output, he must wear an inhibitor at all times to moderate it; with this inhibitor active, Subject-N04's maximum temperature is capped at around 2,000c, in order to avoid burnout and, eventually, death.
  
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-18-20-15-21.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''The Mark 2 Comet''']]
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-17-13-48-18.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N13 as seen in full armour, along with an arm-mounted blade formed by 3GEN nanites'''<br>(Character made by @Absonus-Noctis)]]
  
After two years of the Mark 1 being in service, its successor emerged. Some parts from the original were used on the Mark 2, but its visual design was totally different. It had a lower overall weight, making it more mobile - despite this, its defenses were barely compromised; however, its range of weaponry was more limited, and it had no offensive systems stored inside its paneling; instead, it made use of a one-hundred-and-five millimeter cannon, mounted upon its right arm, along with a twenty-millimeter autogun alongside the 105's short barrel. On its left arm, it mounted Ardacorp#s first energy efficient laser blade, which concentrated enough energy to slice through the majority of armour materials less than two-hundred-millimeters thick with barely any effort. The Mk. 2 discarded one of the original's missile pods in favor of additional sensory and communications equipment, as well as a spotlight.
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'''Subject-N13''' was born as a severely deformed individual. Known by many as 'Titan', he developed without arms and required extensive cybernetic augmentation – including the need for limited life-sustaining enhancements due to malformed lungs; the result was an amalgamation of crimson flesh and metal, a hulking figure of over seven feet tall, Titan is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to brute strength – and he even has an admirable level of intellect to compliment it, avoiding the typical “all brawn and no brains” stereotype. The subject became a test unit for Ardacorp's 3GEN nanites – tiny, bug-like robots with incredibly basic functions; they were programmed to scuttle along Titan's body, repairing any inflicted damage – even being able to recycle material from the armour that the creature wears into a wide range of weaponry, making N13 a very diverse and adaptable fighter.
  
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>A slight problem...</u></div>'''''=
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[[File:Subject-N19.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N18 as seen in full armour'''<br>(Character made by @berfegor)]]
  
Because of the nature of Ardaman's business, his privacy was routinely interrupted by superheroes to check up on the company and which direction it was headed. Needless to say that Ardacorp's biological experiments and genetically-engineered creatures would raise various ethical issues. Not only this, but the company became the target of the infamous supervillain, Warlord. He was interested in Ardacorp's technology, and sought to take it by force; most of the time, succeeding. Ardaman simply couldn't allow this, and the authorities weren't enough; he figured that taking the matter into his own hands was the best course of action.
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'''Subject-N18''' was grown using various feline genes along with human DNA. Codenamed 'Hackman', this sly creature was exemplary because of his affinity for computer systems - an unexpected trait that became apparent after a particular incident; nonetheless, this perk proved valuable in practice. Capable of an astonishingly fast sprint speed, N18 was known for crossing long distances in a short amount of time; this, in combination with his lean and nimble body, made him effective at scouting for enemy positions and keeping the opposition on their toes when infiltration was no longer an option. N18's hacking skills came in handy if a less 'hands-on' approach was necessary, disabling security systems or accessing hidden digital information when the need arose. However, his strange fascination for cats often led to complications during operations, and he was deemed a liability. '''Subject-N18 was disposed of on April 16th, 2013.'''
  
The year 2011 was when Ardacorp changed its ways. Its CEO had deemed the company too vulnerable; so he began sending unmarked, newly-produced and unregistered units to attack numerous superheroes with publicly-known identities. The same was done with supervillains. The attacks seemed indiscriminate; had Ardaman gone mad? It was rather simple... By removing a large number of super-powered individuals, Ardacorp would be able to effectively operate in the open with very little disruption.
 
  
This would likely be Ardaman's biggest mistake.
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[[File:Subject-N24.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N24 as seen in full armour'''<br>(Character made by @the_Gator1404)]]
  
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'''Subject-N24''', or 'Caliber', is a blend of rhinoceros and human DNA, gifted with psionic meta genes during his initial formation process. The result was... initially not as successful as the company had hoped. Due to abnormal growth, N24 came out as just a torso and head, but was spared from genetic repurposing when the company realised how quickly his psionic powers were developing. Despite being capable of everything a human could, due to his extraordinary ability to manipulate the world around him using only the power of his mind, N24 was assigned custom-built cybernetic limbs to act in place of the ones he never had; Ardacorp deemed these prosthetics a necessity to reduce the amount of passive mental strain that came with him having to constantly levitate his own body, and lift objects without hands. The end product was a halfway between biological and mechanical, with the potential to crush whole buildings through telekinesis. N24 primarily acts as long-range support for the squad, putting his specialised marksman training to use as a sniper equipped with a heavy DEW or railgun - a terrifying armament in the hands of a soldier, but even scarier when said soldier can detect his targets through walls via telepathy.
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>An even BIGGER problem...</u></div>'''''=
 
  
[[White-Glint]]... This would be the name that Victor had come to remember; the name that was carved into his mind. This particular superhero was incredibly problematic for Ardacorp; ironically enough, the company had nurtured this individual into adulthood, its forces having located what appeared to be a dinosaur egg; it was later revealed to be an alien organism, which Ardaman immediately retorted to by having teams of biologists study the creature in-depth; however, the company had already taken the now named "White" (because of his natural colour), from his parents - Ardaman recognised this, and so decided to have the organism raised and educated necessarily, providing for it where possible. Having come of age, White was now able to carry out assignments set for him by the company; one of these was to change his destiny...
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[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-17-14-06-45.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N27 as seen in full armour''']]
  
During a testing phase with an advanced exo-armour that Ardacorp had designed,the creature received a heavy blow to the head (due to unknown circumstances), causing the cerebral augmentations to malfunction, activating their fail safe memory wipe procedure... By the time Ardacorp forces reached his last known destination, he had vanished. Several days later, the subject's tracking blip showed up once again; units were sent to investigate. White took down an unmarked OSS unit in self-defense, and later, even more units; Ardaman knew that this was a massive problem that needed to be immediately removed, he hired a mercenary called [[Arili Shen-Jon]], hoping she'd be able to put an end to him. It didn't take long for Ardaman to realise that White was a lot stronger than he'd first thought, his powers of plasma-kinesis now becoming more apparent... Eventually, he tasked Arili with capturing the hero.
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'''Subject-N27''', as far as Monster Squad members go, was easily the strangest. Codenamed 'Reaper', he was 'born' without legs and a right arm; but N27 had a heart and willpower strong enough to compensate for his physical setbacks. Like others before him, Reaper was enhanced with cybernetics, being given a set of expensive reverse-jointed mechanical legs, and a right arm limb replacement – effectively an articulated auto-gun; it served no other purpose besides literally shredding the life out of anyone, or anything, unfortunate enough to be on the company's hit list. N27 did, however, have a fully functioning set of organs within his perfectly-formed torso, and his left arm seemed fine; his face, however... His face was something else. The most prominent feature of the creature's mug was easily the large grin he permanently wore, his teeth shown in their full glory within a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear. But it wasn't a happy one; on the contrary, Reaper was incredibly envious of the more 'perfect' subjects – even Titan, despite his physical abnormalities; Reaper had more, and he hated it. Despite this, he hid his feelings behind a veil of twisted humour, allowing his victims to be the ones to bare his bottled-up emotions – usually resulting in their dismemberment. It was eventually decided that his unpredictable outbursts were too much of an inconvenience. '''Subject-N27 was disposed of on January 9th, 2015.'''
  
The capture was a success, and White-Glint was taken to Ardacorp's Westside outpost in Millennium City. Face-to-face with him, Victor threatened to bomb his Liberavi brethren with a nuclear warhead, who were held up on an island in the Pacific; filled with anger, the hero managed to break free of his bindings, and would've come close to killing Ardaman if it weren't for his Hercules power armour. The avian hero fled the outpost, and made a mission of destroying any Ardacorp units he came across from then on.
 
  
Eventually, Ardacorp managed to capture him again; but this time, he wouldn't be killed - he would be re-purposed. Victor saw it as an excellent opportunity, and attempted to turn White-Glint into a weapon - a weapon that would be considered Ardacorp's most powerful unit. Because of the nature of the hero's powers, he was capable of being immensely destructive when in the right state of mind - this state of mind was the thing that Victor wished to exploit; with the use of heavy cybernetic augmentation and mind alteration, Ardacorp put White into what could be considered permanent anger, following the direct command of Ardaman himself; he was lead to believe that Victor was his father, and that his friends were his sworn enemies.
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[[File:Subject-N36.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N36 as seen in full armour'''<br>(Character made by @Shannarah)]]
  
However, it was down to the valiant efforts of White's allies that he managed to remember the past. By crushing the arm of his girlfriend, [[Slicer]], White was struck with strong feelings of guilt and sorrow; memories of his friends began to surface again - obviously, the alterations weren't enough for his strong willpower.
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'''Subject-N36''', also known as 'Salvo', is a genetic hybrid between a kangaroo and a human. Her powerful legs are capable of jumping over six meters high, and can achieve twice that distance with the assistance of jump jets mounted to her back. A pair of rocket pods built onto her backpack grants Salvo the ability to rain death upon her enemies from her maximum jump height, giving her the potential to wipe out entire squads of infantry, or even a heavily armoured vehicle, within a moment's notice. Shock-absorbing cybernetics were installed in Salvo's legs to soften the landings from her assisted jumps and, like all Squad members, she possesses the expertise to handle a wide range of firearms. N36 can also dispatch threats with practiced fighting techniques, much to the deepest regrets of anyone foolish enough to come close, after they receive a skull-cracking kick to the head.
  
Ardaman became more and more obsessed with getting rid of White-Glint after his most recent escape; he'd hired a large number of mercenaries to help him with this. The obsession still plagues Victor today...
 
  
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[[File:Subject-N52.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N52 as seen in full armour''']]
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey">Let's have a go at building a missile!</div>===
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'''Subject-N52''' claimed the title of 'Hunter', and was grown using an altered genetic template from the older Crusader units, possessing some similar physical features – such as the long, exclusively canine teeth and muscular tail; the main difference is that he looks more... Human. N52 stands at just over seven foot tall, sharing the pinkish complexion of Caucasian skin; but the monstrous head, teeth and tail betray any claim to humanity. Hunter formed perfectly throughout his growth phase, requiring no cybernetic aid to support life; among staff members, it is widely regarded as the perfect soldier, naturally strong and dexterous with sharp senses, and boasting rapid regeneration. Hunter received extensive training for handling various firearms, but primarily makes use of two heavy repeating particle blasters; these experimental energy-based weapons are capable of firing volleys of dangerously hot atoms, with enough force to punch through most lightly armoured vehicles.
  
Said Victor, on a cheery summer's day of 2014. The man refused to admit that White Glint had practically driven him to insanity – and so, when he suddenly announced this at a meeting amongst his most distinguished scientists and engineers, he was largely met with “... I'm sorry, sir?”, or flat-out, disbelieving silence; Some offered nervous laughter. They were all clearly aware of his state of mind by now.
 
  
''''You heard me. Let's build a missile.''''
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[[File:Subject-N61.png|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N61 as seen in full armour'''<br>(Character made by @reeper18)]]
  
He was serious. When he'd threatened to bomb White Glint's island, he wanted to do it the /Ardacorp/ way; which wasn't any way at all – because Ardacorp wasn't a missile firm; but that was about to change! Or was it? Victor may have requested the construction of a missile from his employees, but unfortunately (for him) they had no previous experience, whatsoever, with building such equipment. Nonetheless, that wouldn't stop them! It took a month or so, after acquiring the necessary materials – but the huge, twenty meter shell was ready!
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'''Subject-N61''', or 'Stalker', is a curious mixture of chiropteran, axolotl, and human DNA - by far the most complex Monster Squad member ever grown. Capable of long-distance and near-silent flight with a pair of leathery wings, N61 is considered one of the most mobile squad members; this, coupled with his chameleon-like skin and highly agile form, makes N61 the stealthiest, too. Specialising in infiltration and blitz tactics, Stalker fulfils the role of a vanguard; when necessary, he is able to use his quick reflexes to outpace his opponents in direct combat through the use of firearms and trained CQC techniques. However, he is also able to secrete a potent neurotoxin through sweat glands, and assail his quarry with venomous quills that grow upon his scaly body. To top it all off, his seemingly toothless maw hides away a set of deadly retractable fangs and a disturbingly long tongue, ideal for pulling in and silencing hapless victims.
  
''''HAH! It's almost as big as my--''''
 
  
Yes – really. The CEO made the quip to one of the female staff on-site at the time, looking on at the tall missile whilst stood upon a viewing platform. Ardaman wasn't quite satisfied, however...
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Subsidiaries</u></div>'''''=
  
''''Put a camera on it – right at the tip.''''
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Despite its beginnings as a singular entity, Ardacorp has since grown into a vast international organisation with its own daughter companies that all support it in some way.
  
He wanted to be in the heart of the action, without endangering himself; so, something his company WAS good at, was the building and installation of camera equipment; his request was, of course, fulfilled; and the camera was mounted on the warhead's tip, linking up to the CEO's built-in display monitor within his top-floor office suite, in Millennium City. He even had the button to launch it. Giving the staff at the missile site just minutes to prepare, he began the launch procedure...
 
  
''''YES. Goodbye, birdbrains!''''
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Amarillo Armaments</u></div>===
  
The CEO said with glee, as the missile began to take off! Sadly...
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An arms manufacturing company set up in 1998, based in Texas. Amarillo Armaments owns factories that produce a wide selection of small arms, solid ammunition, and explosive ordnance for military use. The company also has the capability to build military vehicles, although these are typically produced in batches due to a lack of dedicated facilities and overall lower demand.
  
Something tragic happened...
 
  
As the warhead lifted off, it visibly wobbled in mid-air, barely meters off the platform. Staff at the site looked on in horror, uttering cries as the huge explosive eventually faltered, the thruster's power not sufficient enough to grant it any real lift; as previously mentioned – Ardacorp was NOT a missile firm...
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>ABRAD</u></div>===
  
It came crashing back down, the payload it was carrying ERRUPTING in a terrifying display, Victor could do nothing other than simply watch his screen in the office, jaw dropping.
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Formerly a collective of independent stem cell research labs, ABRAD was absorbed by Ardacorp in early 2003 and now functions as its biological technologies developer. On the surface, this company researches new medical treatments and technology, offering compensation to meta-humans for partaking in analysis and sampling of their genes for use in medical science. Under the surface, ABRAD also gives people the opportunity to acquire superpowers through various gene therapy techniques in exchange for money. ABRAD is responsible for unethical human experimentation and the production of the Monster Squad, Ardacorp's wetwork team.
  
''''Well... Shit.''''
 
  
INDEED. He proceeded to cover up this atrocity by citing to his remaining staff, along with the families of those who died, that the facility in which the missile was situated (the actual missile's existence being known only to those who'd worked on it) had been attacked by the supervillain, Warlord.
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Erudite Innovations</u></div>===
  
''''Oh well...''''
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An energy company set up in 2007 that dabbles in experimental technology to harness power more efficiently. Some of its most notable breakthroughs include high-capacity micro-filament batteries and a low-emission chemical generator. The company often attempts to engineer nuclear fusion reactors in order to achieve a cleaner and safer method of producing colossal amounts of energy, but technological limitations have so far prevented any tangible progress. Erudite Innovations frequently collaborates with Amarillo Armaments to create energy weapons.
  
Buying out a small-scale nuclear bomb on the black market would have to do...
 
  
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Independent Assets</u></div>'''''=
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>A new era</u></div>'''''=
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This section is dedicated to other independent companies that Ardacorp considers valuable assets.
  
Despite the obvious problems the company now faced with White-Glint, it was because of him that they'd developed so much in the last few years; they began building units designed specifically to kill this particular hero, incorporating metals such as tungsten into their armour plating to combat White's superpower, plasma-kinesis. Today, Ardacorp's standard armouring consists of kendrium, titanium, and tungsten; this made an incredibly strong alloy that was very resistant to heat, but it came at a high cost. The company needed to expand its customer base, in order to gain the additional profit for the production of these new materials.
 
  
VIPER is just one example of an organisation that Ardacorp supplies to, because of the "White-Glint problem"; but this isn't a bad thing, not for Ardacorp, anyway... It meant that they could pool in even more profit from UNTIL, because of the higher demand for weapons and armaments to combat VIPER. Of course, UNTIL isn't aware that Ardacorp supplies to VIPER, and neither is anyone else; It was agreed upon that VIPER and Ardacorp would keep their relationship a secret.
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Howard & Hicks</u></div>===
  
With all this extra money, the company would be allowed to progress even further with their technology; it gave birth to a large number of one-of-a-kind units:
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An arms manufacturing company founded by Ross Howard and Baxter Hicks in 1952, based in San Diego. Before the foundation of Amarillo Armaments, Ardacorp partnered with Howard & Hicks to create their weaponised cameras and contracted them to supply firearms for the ICD models, since Ardacorp did not possess a license to manufacture weapons at the time.
  
'''Aegis''' - a super-intelligent mobile weapons platform that uses an actual organic brain as its central processor. The machine itself is revolutionary, and entirely sentient. The brain isn't human, however...
 
  
'''[[Baetylus]]''' - a sophisticated artificial intelligence, designed with a multirole concept in mind. The unit is fitted with a number of weapons fit for all ranges. Not only this, but it's also Ardacorp's most advanced AI to date.
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Bornmueller Courier Services Co.</u></div>===
  
'''Strix''' - an artificially-intelligent robot, built with the concept of aerial efficiency in mind. The unit is outfitted with a multi-functional laser cannon, and is able to reach mind-numbing speeds in the air.
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[[Bornmueller Courier Services Co.]] provides secure delivery services with armoured transports and trained personnel. Ardacorp has essentially outsourced all of its delivery jobs to Bornmueller.
  
'''T-22''' - the least sophisticated AI of the unique units, T-22 was designed with the concept of underground locomotion; it uses two sets of large kendrium-questionite alloy claws and advanced actuators to dig through even the toughest of materials. It was also the only unit capable of incapacitating the hero known as [[Slick]], one of White-Glint's friends.
 
  
'''Virtue''' - the largest of Ardacorp's unique mechanical units, Virtue has various chassis that it can switch between. It's an AI that is able to upload itself into other mechanical bodies augmented for the AI specifically; this, coupled with its relocation system, allows it to teleport to its assigned base and swiftly upload itself into the most suitable chassis for the task at hand, then teleport back into action.
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Petite Ingénierie</u></div>===
  
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A French engineering firm based in Lyon that specialises in nanotechnology. Ardacorp collaborated with this company in 2012 to create the 3GEN Nanites used by Subject-N13, and then in 2018 for Project Oneiros.
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Slick</u></div>'''''=
 
  
Another obstacle that the company had stumbled upon would be a hero known as [[Slick]]. It's unknown what he actually is, but he could be described as a mass of black goo that takes a humanoid appearance. Whatever he is, he certainly disrupted Ardacorp's operations, dealing more catastrophic damage than White-Glint; Slick managed to destroy a number of factories, which quickly caught the attention of Ardaman.
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===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>ReadyCheck Security</u></div>===
  
In response to this near-indestructible hero, Ardacorp created "Muck"; it was just like Slick in power and ability, but it used nanobots instead of the organic goo-like substance to make up its mass. To mimic Slick's black gloopy appearance, Muck's nanobots were designed to produce a viscous black substance to conceal themselves - it was also controlled by a basic AI, using various necessary components, such as its processors and targeting systems,  that were also hidden within the mass of nanobots and black gloop. A cyclopean optical camera is used to give Muck visual perception, and a built-in laser projection module to give the unit ranged offense.
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A security assessment company currently based in Millennium City. ReadyCheck specialises in exposing weaknesses within the protection of other establishments and works alongside them to patch up the holes. Ardacorp offers its security solutions to ReadyCheck's clientele as a partnership program.
  
Unfortunately, Muck wasn't the unit responsible for eventually capturing Slick; T-22 was. The clawed rig managed to successfully incapacitate the gloopy hero by utilising its maintenance nanobots to swarm within Slick's body and rapidly break down the black substance from the inside out. However, the hero wouldn't be going down without a fight; he successfully destroyed T-22 before going unconscious. It was only thanks to T-22's independent nanobots that Slick remained in this state; another unit had to respond to T-22's distress message, taking Slick away to be re-purposed, like White before him.
 
  
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='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Staff Roster</u></div>'''''=
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The Monster Squad</u></div>'''''=
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Like all businesses, Ardacorp has many employees that all contribute towards the company in one way or another. This section displays important or notable members of staff.
  
The Monster Squad; an elite fighting unit formed upon CEO Victor Ardaman's request after a formal meeting with his team of biologists – ex-ABRAD scientists, formerly devoted to the practice of stem cell research. The Crusader project flourished, yielded additional rewards (such as the creation of a healing biogel), and provided the company with a formidable soldier; something the Monster Squad would dwarf in strength-to-number ratio.
 
  
This unit would be composed only of the most successful products from previous genetic experiments – the wheat among the chaff. Many were malformed fetuses or, more commonly, lumps of basic living matter with no proper function or use – but those chosen for the Squad were marvels of the (un)natural world, sporting intellect, strength, or agility that far and away surpassed their Crusader brothers. It was no longer about building an army, but about assembling a compact force that could topple an army.
+
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The CEO</u></div>===
  
The first chosen for the unit – a woman known only as '''Sheridan''' – was seemingly just your standard human female. Her outward appearance didn't make her seem all that special; but that was the point... Sheridan was, you see, the perfect infiltration agent – a shape-changer. Born of the same string of experiments that followed the Crusader project, she was the first to steal the spotlight. With the ability to shift individual cells around her body, rapidly grow more, and even change her skin's complexion, she was a creature of no gender – but chose to identify, and adopt the appearance of, a female; typically perceived as the more innocent and harmless gender. Only those within the highest seats of the Ardacorp company know of her true nature – and Ardaman gave her the authority to oversee future genetic research and development, covering up what she really was by introducing her as a new employee and leading geneticist...
+
Victor Ardaman
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-17-13-48-18.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N13 as seen in full armour, along with an arm-mounted blade formed by 3GEN nanites'''<br>(Character made by @Absonus-Noctis)]]
 
  
'''Subject-N13''' was the second chosen, and officially the first successful post-Crusader product to be born of the laboratories, due to Sheridan's cover-up. A severely deformed individual, 'Titan', as he likes to be known, was 'born' without arms, and required extensive cybernetic augmentation – including the need for limited life-sustaining enhancements due to malformed lungs; the result was an amalgamation of crimson flesh and metal, a hulking figure of over seven feet tall, Titan is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to brute strength – and he even has an admirable level of intellect to compliment it, avoiding the typical “all brawn and no brains” stereotype. The subject became a test unit for Ardacorp's '3GEN' nanites – tiny, bug-like robots with incredibly basic functions; they were programmed to scuttle along Titan's body, repairing any inflicted damage – even being able to recycle material from the armour that the creature wears into a wide range of weaponry, making N13 an incredibly diverse and adaptable fighter.
+
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Administrators</u></div>===
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-17-14-12-20.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N52 as seen in full armour''']]
+
Harry Saunders
  
'''Subject-N52''' was the third. Claiming the title of 'Hunter', N52 was intended to be the leading figure and front-line commander for the Crusader legions, adopting some similar physical features – such as the long, exclusively canine teeth and muscular tail; the main difference was that he looked more... Human. He stood at slightly above average height, sharing the pinkish complexion of Caucasian skin, but the monstrous head, teeth and tail betray any claim to humanity. Unlike previous products, Hunter formed perfectly throughout his growth phase, requiring no mechanical aid to support life; it was widely regarded as the perfect life-form, strong and dexterous with keen senses and a, funnily enough, hunter's instinct. To further enhance these qualities, Ardacorp built and issued a powered exo-armour to the creature, covering its muscular body with protective metals and flexible arti-muscle, its physical qualities were made as outstanding as possible. On top of this, the exo-armour incorporates the use of two forearm-mounted chemical jet launchers, loaded with the hazardous 'Andronite' chemical – a creation by one 'Sicilia Andronius', an Italian chemist. With adhesive properties, and the corrosive power to eat through armour plating, these two weapon modules gave the monstrous humanoid a new level of offense. If that wasn't enough, the gauntlets of the exo-armour come equipped with location beacons, allowing two repeating particle blasters to be teleported directly into their palms when the situation demands for a more 'automatic' approach.
 
  
[[image:Screenshot 2015-06-17-14-06-45.jpg|350px|thumb|center|'''Subject-N76 as seen in full armour''']]
+
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Engineers</u></div>===
  
'''Subject-N76''' was the fourth to be chosen. As far as the Monster Squad's members go, N76 – or 'Reaper' – is by far the strangest. Likened to Titan with respect to abnormal growth, Reaper was 'born' without legs and without a right arm – easily the most malformed of any 'successful' product; but Reaper has a heart and willpower strong enough to compensate for his physical setbacks. Like Titan, Reaper was enhanced with cybernetics, being given a set of expensive reverse-jointed mechanical legs, and a right arm limb replacement – effectively an articulated autogun; it served no other purpose besides literally shredding the life out of anyone, or anything, unfortunate enough to be on the company's hit list. N76 did, however, have a fully functioning set of organs within his perfectly-formed torso, and his left arm seemed fine; his face, however... His face was something else. The most prominent feature of the creature's mug was easily the large grin he permanently wore, his teeth shown in their full glory within a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear. But it wasn't a happy one; on the contrary, Reaper was incredibly envious of the more 'perfect' subjects – even Titan, despite his physical abnormalities; Reaper had more, and he hated it. Despite this, he hides his feelings behind a veil of twisted humour, allowing his victims to be the ones to bare his bottled-up emotions – usually resulting in their dismembering, unfortunately. That's usually why N76 isn't called out to capture targets, or go on stealth missions.
+
Alexander Suffolk
  
'''''“Do not be frightened by the things I may say! You can scream, and whimper, and pray all day, but your fate – as it stands – has been foreseen! Embrace the Reaper, for he is here – ready to make just one thing clear: death is inevitable, and you cannot hide; not even the gods will take your side! I shall rip, and shred, and tear, and rend, and you shall never see the end! Your life cut short at the tips of my rounds – your agonising pleas, such beautiful sounds! My claw craves blood, and yours would be great; stop writhing around and accept your fate...”'''''
+
Katie "Crutches" Winters
  
  
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Staff Roster</u></div>'''''=
+
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Scientists</u></div>===
  
Like all businesses, small or large, Ardacorp has many employees that all contribute towards the company in one way or another. This section displays important or notable members of staff.
+
Maria Hewert
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>The CEO</u></div>===
+
Shelly Lawrence
  
'''Victor Ardaman''':
+
Adrian Breets
  
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Administrators and Operators</u></div>===
+
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Security Agents</u></div>===
  
'''Harry Saunders''':
+
Elizabeth "Regina" Hall
  
 +
Katia "Rebel" Winnock
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Engineers and Mechanics</u></div>===
+
Mitchell "Ignition" Cook
  
'''Alexander Suffolk''':
 
  
 +
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Test Pilots</u></div>===
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Scientists</u></div>===
+
James "Goat" Vitson
  
'''Maria "Lucidia" Hewert''':
+
David "Ace" Rickley
  
'''Sicilia Andronius''':
+
Mitchell "Ignition" Cook
  
'''Shelly "Sheridan" Lawrence''':
 
  
 +
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Adversaries</u></div>'''''=
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Researchers</u></div>===
+
Some people become targets of the company because of their efforts to disrupt operations, or because they possess alien biology or advanced technology and cannot be persuaded to allow their study. Then there are those who simply don't like Ardacorp and seek to bring them down. Whatever the case, they are considered Ardacorp's adversaries.
  
'''Adrian Breets''':
 
  
 +
[[File:Zero@KostlivecR.png|350px|thumb|center|'''A computer-rendered image from an Argus Drone of Subject Loki''' (Character made by @KostlivecR)]]
  
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Security Agents</u></div>===
+
An elusive and highly aggressive lifeform designated "Loki" by Ardacorp for its remarkable shapeshifting abilities. Despite multiple attempts to capture the creature, the company knows very little about it, and have seen no success in obtaining a sample of its DNA. Some scientists believe that the strange entity could be of alien origin, but others think that it could be a human creation; an escaped experiment that nobody will admit to. Subject Loki has been encountered in several different forms of varying size and shape, all of which were highly dangerous. It has never been observed actively altering its appearance, suggesting that the creature may be vulnerable whilst doing so. In response to the challenge posed by Loki, Ardacorp funded Project Oneiros, a drone-like nanomachine collective that possesses its own shape-changing qualities. The company has high hopes for Oneiros, but the project is still very much in its infancy and will likely require time to gather valuable data on its target.
  
'''Michael "Iron Sight" Grey:'''
 
 
 
===<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Test Pilots</u></div>===
 
  
'''Randall "Achilles" McMurphey''':
+
='''''<div style="color:black; background-color: grey"><u>Artwork</u></div>'''''=
  
'''James "Goat" Vitson''':
+
[[File:Regina New.jpg|500px|thumb|left|Regina, by @berfegor]]
  
'''David "Ace" Rickley''':
+
<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Revision as of 15:09, 25 April 2024

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Ardacorp Logo.gif

Do you own a business or an institution that needs protection? Are you responsible for the safe keeping of financial assets, government property, or sensitive materials? Then your solution is clear: Ardacorp. Originally a CCTV developer, we have been involved in the business of security since our foundation in 1983. Alarm systems, weaponised cameras, infrared laser tripwires, electroplate floor conversion, and optical camouflage sensors are just a few of the services we offer for one-time payments.

If you'd prefer something less static, or perhaps want to bolster your existing security solutions, we also offer self-guiding drones and server installation for monthly fees; but if none of that takes your fancy, we can always throw a well-trained agent your way for varying monthly costs. Seen anything you like yet?

If the answer is yes, then head over to our website at www.ardacorp.com to browse our product line. Alternatively, you may give us a call on 0196219830 to speak to a non-automated advisor (call costs vary with provider).

Do not delay – your security depends on it.


Overview

A CCTV camera

Ardacorp was founded in 1983 by Victor Ardaman as a company manufacturing automated security systems for commercial and private properties.

True to its roots, Ardacorp continued development of security systems, but steered in the direction of robotic technology. It began with the 'Argus'; small quadruped robots possessing many sensors, making them an effective alternative to stationary cameras. The Argus drones were typically linked to a central mainframe that ran specifically to issue necessary commands to the units, similar to a hive mind concept. It wasn't long after the introduction of these drones that Ardaman came to a realisation: if he developed machines that could sufficiently replace soldiers in armed conflicts, he could both save lives and open up a whole new window of opportunity to his company. Gaining the attention of the military was his next goal.


Automated Units

The Argus

The first truly autonomous robotic unit developed by the company, produced as early as 1992, Argus drones are designed as mobile spy platforms; small and highly agile, the unit is able to quickly traverse terrain and climb up sheer surfaces with specialised claws, allowing it to access areas that would otherwise prove difficult for humans to reach. Each Drone possesses an opaque dome at the front housing a sophisticated sensor array for perceiving light, sound, temperature, and even airborne chemicals. If necessary, Argus drones can be converted into mobile bombs by replacing most of their expensive sensor equipment with an explosive charge, and are identified by a coat of vibrant red paint over the frontal dome. Over the years, the design has gone through a number of revisions and still sees active use to this day.


The ICD

Ardacorp's first automated infantry unit made its debut in 1995, designated the "ACRP-ICD-001", an acronym for "Intelligent Combat Drone"; it had a basic AI, controlled by a non-localised central mainframe. The ICD ran with the concept of "quantity over quality" and were built with fairly inexpensive materials, but their programming often led to confusion in combat. Despite its cost efficiency, the unit did not perform to the high standard required, and replacing trained soldiers with them was a laughable notion. The ICD series ended with the Mk.4, which was too expensive to mass-produce. The ICD series was superseded by the Cyclops on the 10th of June, 2002.


The Cyclops

Since the closure of the ICD series, Ardacorp had moved forward in the field of robotics with the introduction of the Cyclops. A roaring success in action, it outclassed the ICD series in combat and proved cheaper to produce than the notoriously expensive ICD Mk.4. In the spirit of cost efficiency and simplicity, the Cyclops was designed without a head, its camera and sensors housed within the torso. A pair of integrated arm weapons were chosen instead of hands, sacrificing loadout flexibility for operational security. The purposefully non-ergonomic weaponry powered by the unit's internal battery makes it virtually impossible for enemy combatants to seize and utilise the armament without significant modification.


Manually Operated Units

Ardaman's ambition to crack open the military market lured him to the possibility of manufacturing larger and heavier machines, which also required human pilots to supervise and operate their high levels of firepower.


The original Comet unit, deployed in the Nevada desert

So, in 2006, the company gave birth to the Comet. It was a towering, mechanized powerhouse, featuring a number of inbuilt weapon systems that granted it ridiculous firepower. An armoured hatch on the front of its torso allowed entry to the pilot's seat, and cameras mounted to its head and arms were used instead of a conventional windshield or viewscreen; this gave the driver increased levels of protection, which made the Comet a favourable choice amongst Ardacorp's larger and wealthier clientele. Over three-hundred are estimated to have been built. The Comet was replaced by the upgraded Mk.2 on the 3rd of January, 2008


A Comet unit, illegally obtained and modified by armed insurgents

In fact, the Comet was so popular that older units started to appear on the black market. Company forces were dispatched to Alaska in order to eliminate a modified Comet unit within the hands of armed Russian insurgents reported to the north of Wainwright. Some of the unit's armour had been replaced with custom-built plates, a missile pod was missing, and its left arm had been retrofitted with a reinforced steel blade; it was assumed that if the modified Comet were left unopposed, the insurgents would've completely re-armoured it, and possibly added additional weaponry.


The Comet Mk.2

After two years of service, the Mk.1's successor emerged. Some parts from the original were used on the Mk.2, but its visual design was totally different. It had a lower overall weight, making it more mobile, but it lacked the same firepower as its predecessor. Its right arm mounted a 105mm cannon, along with a coaxial 20mm auto-gun. Its left arm was built for close engagements, boasting Ardacorp's first energy efficient laser blade, which could concentrate enough heat to slice through most conventional armour plating. The Mk.2 discarded one of the original's missile pods in favour of additional communications equipment and spotlight. The Comet Mk.2 was superseded by the Amarok on the 11th of July, 2012


The Amarok

The Amarok is Ardacorp's latest development in bipedal vehicular technology. The machine has gone through many revisions over the years with a myriad of module upgrades and shifts in design philosophy. Originally, the design was conceived as a way of cutting production costs - much like the Cyclops series - but the consideration of immense firepower within a small package also brought its own allure. Of course, the Amarok is far from small, but compared to other competing designs and Ardacorp's own older models its profile could be described as compact and stocky. The standard setup comes installed with a formidable particle cannon mounted to its right arm, whilst its left arm sports a combined system of grenade launcher, flamethrower, and grasping claw.


The ABRAD absorption

Shortly after the Cyclops first saw service in 2002, Ardaman had considered an alternative to robotics that would almost eliminate material expenditure. Biological soldiers. The aim was to make them non-sentient and driven by instinct, yet subservient and receptive to commands. They wouldn't require training or equipment, as everything would be grown 'naturally', equalling more profit for Victor's company.

However, it wasn't Ardacorp that pursued this goal single-handedly. The company had no previous experience and didn't have the resources, staff, or facilities to even begin work in this field. Ardaman instead approached a string of stem cell research labs, known collectively as 'ABRAD' (American Biological Research and Development), buying out their sites and scientists to fulfil his wishes.

After five years of intense trial and error of experimental gene templates, Ardacorp finally managed to develop the "Crusader". The creature had a standing height of around 7ft, but adopted a hunched and bestial posture that often deceived viewers of its true size. A remarkable trait of these monstrosities was the inclusion of an arm that functioned as a bio-weapon, which produced a highly corrosive and sticky gel substance that could be squirted at victims via muscle spasms. They took just two months to fully mature, and many were grown. Unfortunately, the first few batches created defective specimens that suffered from strange physical deformities, hindering healthy growth and mental development. Eventually, however, the project was deemed successful and Ardaman pushed for the concept to be discussed with the military.

A Crusader unit


February 23rd 2007, United States Armed Forces audience

The following text is a transcript of a formal meeting with the US Military attended by Victor Ardaman, Ardacorp CEO:


USAF Representative (Rep): “Mister Ardaman, welcome.” Rep rises from a chair placed behind a desk, extending their right arm towards Victor in offering of a handshake.

Victor: “Hello, thank you.” Victor takes Rep's hand and completes the gesture. Rep sits again whilst Victor sits in the chair opposite.

Rep: “So, after your last arrangement with us, things have changed?” Rep leans on the table with both arms, intently awaiting Victor's response.

Victor: “W-Well... not quite. I actually came to ask a question – and discuss it, of course... I've had a... an idea, really.”

Rep: “An idea. I see. Well, please, go ahead.” Rep gestures with a hand for Victor to continue.

Victor: “Putting Ardacorp's robotic infantry aside, I was thinking, say... theoretically... what if a soldier could be grown without any need for training or equipment? Theoretically, of course."

Rep: “Alright... Well, that concept would be good if said 'soldier' could be grown in a reasonable amount of time.” Victor seems incredibly eager to answer.

Victor: “I knew you'd say that, which is why I was-” Victor pauses. “Nevermind. so... Within a reasonable amount of time. How does, say... Two months sound? Theoretically.” Victor leans on the table with his elbows, interlocking his fingers.

Rep: “Your frequent use of 'theoretically' is a little unnecessary. You've already made it clear that it's a concept and not a reality. Right?” Rep tilts his head a little, with Victor cutting in before he can continue.

Victor: “Oh, absolutely! A reality? No. Of course not.” Victor chuckles with a shake of his head. “No, no – it's entirely theoretical.” Victor blinks and visibly freezes, perhaps realising his citing of 'theoretical' once again.

Rep: pauses for a considerable time, observing Victor. “Right... So, you're telling me that you've... 'considered'... growing soldiers for the military. And you say they'd only take two months to mature?”

Victor: “Yes.”

Rep: “So what will these soldiers be like, then?” Rep raises an eyebrow, awaiting a response.

Victor: “I think they're a lot like animals. They'd BE a lot like animals, rather. They would have basic instincts - fear included - because it's rather a necessity for survival, is it not?” Victor grins nervously. “But of course, it would take quite a lot to scare them, say... When a heavy loss is occurring. Anyway... They'd be grown with their own weapon – a biological one that replenishes its own ammunition.”

Rep: seems amused at the thought, shaking his head. “Mister Ardaman, are you aware of the implications?”

Victor: looks bewildered. “What 'implications'? You mean-” Rep cuts in.

Rep: “I mean the fact that, as you said, they're animals. What if we needed to send them into a conflict where civilians are present? They'd be absolutely terrified of these...” he pauses with a smirk, “Okay – they're practically monsters, from what you're suggesting. They'd be terrified of these monsters around them; and the United States Military does not terrorise civilians.” Victor doesn't offer a reply, despite Rep's pausing. Rep continues: “Human soldiers don't rely solely on instinct to carry out a mission. They can reason and communicate – and that's a very good point, actually; how will these things speak?”

Victor: “No – you're right. It's a far-fetched idea.” Victor shakes his head. Rep crosses their arms. “I'd just considered alternative ways of reducing military costs.”

Rep: “And we'd be happy to accept your alternative ways, if they prove to be viable.”

Victor: looks at Rep silently for a while, seemingly deep in thought, eventually nodding. “Thank you for your time. I'm sorry if you feel it's been wasted.” Victor stands up, offering his right hand to Rep for a handshake.

Rep: “Not at all.” Rep stands up and completes the handshake, Victor turning to leave shortly after.


The sound of a door closing can be heard in the background. Rep addresses a colleague through the one-way glass allowing sight into the meeting room:


Rep: chuckles, knowing Victor isn't in earshot. “Was he being completely serious? Growing monsters to replace soldiers. What a joke.”


The meeting ends there.


The mass burning of March 12th

Ardaman took the outcome of the USAF meeting poorly. Considering the disapproval of the Army, and the units having no other use aside from being terror weapons, the CEO ordered a mass burning of the creatures, which he felt was a cruel but necessary solution to this new problem. So, on the 12th of March 2008, Ardacorp staff gathered the Crusaders into large containers outside, not far from the company's Denver branch, torching the masses of monstrous products.

On that day, some residents of Denver claimed to hear horrid shrieking accompanied by a scent of barbeque.


Playing God

By 2008, ABRAD had gained much experience from the Crusader project. However, because of Ardaman's failed pitch, the company had to shift its focus. Instead of creating organisms from scratch, they began to integrate alternative DNA into embryos, attempting to find the perfect recipe. Some of the scientists had already experimented with Qularr subjects in the past - so a small clutch of their frozen eggs, preserved since 1966, were used to create four successful products that incorporated Qularr and Human DNA. Each subject was given a different "meta gene": gyrokinesis, electrokinesis, cryokinesis, and pryokinesis.

The successful experiments were suspended inside tubes filled with nutrients to hasten the process. By year's end they all achieved biological adulthood. Artificial memories were implanted into their brains, allowing the subjects to understand the world around them. Unfortunately, the electrokinetic embryo had developed incorrectly and was missing both of its arms - a problem remedied through cybernetic augmentation.

Despite all the work that was put into the creation of these hybrids, a terrible incident involving the Qularr invasion of 2009 led to the escape of the four meta subjects. In a bid to free themselves from the lab, the traumatised creatures used their abilities to wreak havoc within the facility, causing the deaths of several scientists and responding security personnel. This was an incredibly detrimental event for Ardacorp; not only had their facility been heavily damaged and employees killed, but their newest successful subjects, which were intended for transfer into the Monster Squad programme, had also gotten loose.


The Monster Squad

The Monster Squad is an elite fighting unit formed upon CEO Victor Ardaman's request after a formal meeting with his team of biologists – ABRAD scientists, formerly devoted to the practice of stem cell research. The Crusader project was a resounding success, despite the military's response, but it wasn't quite the result they needed. Ardacorp required something more intelligent, and The Monster Squad was the answer.

The squad was to be composed only of the most successful products – the wheat among the chaff. Many experiments came out as malformed fetuses or, more commonly, lumps of basic living matter with no real use – but those chosen for the Squad were marvels of the (un)natural world, sporting intellect, strength, or agility that far and away surpassed the Crusaders before them. It was no longer about building an army, but about assembling a compact force that could topple one.


Subject-N04 as seen in full armour
(Character made by @pendulumrhino)

Subject-N04, codenamed 'Dragonfly' and also known as Xintos, was one of the original four intended for transfer into the Monster Squad programme (See "Playing God"); after nine years, the company were able to reclaim him, and have now successfully integrated Xintos into the unit. A headstrong personality mixed with the destructive ability of pyrokinesis, along with his superhuman resilience and flesh possessing non-Newtonian properties, makes Xintos a formidable warrior. He is likely the most dangerous squad member, and his potential for mass devastation is unprecedented; the manipulation of thermal energy allows him to incinerate almost anything in his path, and he has devised many creative ways to utilise his powers throughout his many engagements, such as depriving targets of breathable air through the use of convection currents. Xintos' highest recorded temperature is 8,132c, but he is theoretically capable of achieving more than this; unfortunately, because of an exponential increase in his body's metabolic rate due to higher heat output, he must wear an inhibitor at all times to moderate it; with this inhibitor active, Subject-N04's maximum temperature is capped at around 2,000c, in order to avoid burnout and, eventually, death.


Subject-N13 as seen in full armour, along with an arm-mounted blade formed by 3GEN nanites
(Character made by @Absonus-Noctis)

Subject-N13 was born as a severely deformed individual. Known by many as 'Titan', he developed without arms and required extensive cybernetic augmentation – including the need for limited life-sustaining enhancements due to malformed lungs; the result was an amalgamation of crimson flesh and metal, a hulking figure of over seven feet tall, Titan is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to brute strength – and he even has an admirable level of intellect to compliment it, avoiding the typical “all brawn and no brains” stereotype. The subject became a test unit for Ardacorp's 3GEN nanites – tiny, bug-like robots with incredibly basic functions; they were programmed to scuttle along Titan's body, repairing any inflicted damage – even being able to recycle material from the armour that the creature wears into a wide range of weaponry, making N13 a very diverse and adaptable fighter.


Subject-N18 as seen in full armour
(Character made by @berfegor)

Subject-N18 was grown using various feline genes along with human DNA. Codenamed 'Hackman', this sly creature was exemplary because of his affinity for computer systems - an unexpected trait that became apparent after a particular incident; nonetheless, this perk proved valuable in practice. Capable of an astonishingly fast sprint speed, N18 was known for crossing long distances in a short amount of time; this, in combination with his lean and nimble body, made him effective at scouting for enemy positions and keeping the opposition on their toes when infiltration was no longer an option. N18's hacking skills came in handy if a less 'hands-on' approach was necessary, disabling security systems or accessing hidden digital information when the need arose. However, his strange fascination for cats often led to complications during operations, and he was deemed a liability. Subject-N18 was disposed of on April 16th, 2013.


Subject-N24 as seen in full armour
(Character made by @the_Gator1404)

Subject-N24, or 'Caliber', is a blend of rhinoceros and human DNA, gifted with psionic meta genes during his initial formation process. The result was... initially not as successful as the company had hoped. Due to abnormal growth, N24 came out as just a torso and head, but was spared from genetic repurposing when the company realised how quickly his psionic powers were developing. Despite being capable of everything a human could, due to his extraordinary ability to manipulate the world around him using only the power of his mind, N24 was assigned custom-built cybernetic limbs to act in place of the ones he never had; Ardacorp deemed these prosthetics a necessity to reduce the amount of passive mental strain that came with him having to constantly levitate his own body, and lift objects without hands. The end product was a halfway between biological and mechanical, with the potential to crush whole buildings through telekinesis. N24 primarily acts as long-range support for the squad, putting his specialised marksman training to use as a sniper equipped with a heavy DEW or railgun - a terrifying armament in the hands of a soldier, but even scarier when said soldier can detect his targets through walls via telepathy.


Subject-N27 as seen in full armour

Subject-N27, as far as Monster Squad members go, was easily the strangest. Codenamed 'Reaper', he was 'born' without legs and a right arm; but N27 had a heart and willpower strong enough to compensate for his physical setbacks. Like others before him, Reaper was enhanced with cybernetics, being given a set of expensive reverse-jointed mechanical legs, and a right arm limb replacement – effectively an articulated auto-gun; it served no other purpose besides literally shredding the life out of anyone, or anything, unfortunate enough to be on the company's hit list. N27 did, however, have a fully functioning set of organs within his perfectly-formed torso, and his left arm seemed fine; his face, however... His face was something else. The most prominent feature of the creature's mug was easily the large grin he permanently wore, his teeth shown in their full glory within a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear. But it wasn't a happy one; on the contrary, Reaper was incredibly envious of the more 'perfect' subjects – even Titan, despite his physical abnormalities; Reaper had more, and he hated it. Despite this, he hid his feelings behind a veil of twisted humour, allowing his victims to be the ones to bare his bottled-up emotions – usually resulting in their dismemberment. It was eventually decided that his unpredictable outbursts were too much of an inconvenience. Subject-N27 was disposed of on January 9th, 2015.


Subject-N36 as seen in full armour
(Character made by @Shannarah)

Subject-N36, also known as 'Salvo', is a genetic hybrid between a kangaroo and a human. Her powerful legs are capable of jumping over six meters high, and can achieve twice that distance with the assistance of jump jets mounted to her back. A pair of rocket pods built onto her backpack grants Salvo the ability to rain death upon her enemies from her maximum jump height, giving her the potential to wipe out entire squads of infantry, or even a heavily armoured vehicle, within a moment's notice. Shock-absorbing cybernetics were installed in Salvo's legs to soften the landings from her assisted jumps and, like all Squad members, she possesses the expertise to handle a wide range of firearms. N36 can also dispatch threats with practiced fighting techniques, much to the deepest regrets of anyone foolish enough to come close, after they receive a skull-cracking kick to the head.


Subject-N52 as seen in full armour

Subject-N52 claimed the title of 'Hunter', and was grown using an altered genetic template from the older Crusader units, possessing some similar physical features – such as the long, exclusively canine teeth and muscular tail; the main difference is that he looks more... Human. N52 stands at just over seven foot tall, sharing the pinkish complexion of Caucasian skin; but the monstrous head, teeth and tail betray any claim to humanity. Hunter formed perfectly throughout his growth phase, requiring no cybernetic aid to support life; among staff members, it is widely regarded as the perfect soldier, naturally strong and dexterous with sharp senses, and boasting rapid regeneration. Hunter received extensive training for handling various firearms, but primarily makes use of two heavy repeating particle blasters; these experimental energy-based weapons are capable of firing volleys of dangerously hot atoms, with enough force to punch through most lightly armoured vehicles.


Subject-N61 as seen in full armour
(Character made by @reeper18)

Subject-N61, or 'Stalker', is a curious mixture of chiropteran, axolotl, and human DNA - by far the most complex Monster Squad member ever grown. Capable of long-distance and near-silent flight with a pair of leathery wings, N61 is considered one of the most mobile squad members; this, coupled with his chameleon-like skin and highly agile form, makes N61 the stealthiest, too. Specialising in infiltration and blitz tactics, Stalker fulfils the role of a vanguard; when necessary, he is able to use his quick reflexes to outpace his opponents in direct combat through the use of firearms and trained CQC techniques. However, he is also able to secrete a potent neurotoxin through sweat glands, and assail his quarry with venomous quills that grow upon his scaly body. To top it all off, his seemingly toothless maw hides away a set of deadly retractable fangs and a disturbingly long tongue, ideal for pulling in and silencing hapless victims.


Subsidiaries

Despite its beginnings as a singular entity, Ardacorp has since grown into a vast international organisation with its own daughter companies that all support it in some way.


Amarillo Armaments

An arms manufacturing company set up in 1998, based in Texas. Amarillo Armaments owns factories that produce a wide selection of small arms, solid ammunition, and explosive ordnance for military use. The company also has the capability to build military vehicles, although these are typically produced in batches due to a lack of dedicated facilities and overall lower demand.


ABRAD

Formerly a collective of independent stem cell research labs, ABRAD was absorbed by Ardacorp in early 2003 and now functions as its biological technologies developer. On the surface, this company researches new medical treatments and technology, offering compensation to meta-humans for partaking in analysis and sampling of their genes for use in medical science. Under the surface, ABRAD also gives people the opportunity to acquire superpowers through various gene therapy techniques in exchange for money. ABRAD is responsible for unethical human experimentation and the production of the Monster Squad, Ardacorp's wetwork team.


Erudite Innovations

An energy company set up in 2007 that dabbles in experimental technology to harness power more efficiently. Some of its most notable breakthroughs include high-capacity micro-filament batteries and a low-emission chemical generator. The company often attempts to engineer nuclear fusion reactors in order to achieve a cleaner and safer method of producing colossal amounts of energy, but technological limitations have so far prevented any tangible progress. Erudite Innovations frequently collaborates with Amarillo Armaments to create energy weapons.


Independent Assets

This section is dedicated to other independent companies that Ardacorp considers valuable assets.


Howard & Hicks

An arms manufacturing company founded by Ross Howard and Baxter Hicks in 1952, based in San Diego. Before the foundation of Amarillo Armaments, Ardacorp partnered with Howard & Hicks to create their weaponised cameras and contracted them to supply firearms for the ICD models, since Ardacorp did not possess a license to manufacture weapons at the time.


Bornmueller Courier Services Co.

Bornmueller Courier Services Co. provides secure delivery services with armoured transports and trained personnel. Ardacorp has essentially outsourced all of its delivery jobs to Bornmueller.


Petite Ingénierie

A French engineering firm based in Lyon that specialises in nanotechnology. Ardacorp collaborated with this company in 2012 to create the 3GEN Nanites used by Subject-N13, and then in 2018 for Project Oneiros.


ReadyCheck Security

A security assessment company currently based in Millennium City. ReadyCheck specialises in exposing weaknesses within the protection of other establishments and works alongside them to patch up the holes. Ardacorp offers its security solutions to ReadyCheck's clientele as a partnership program.


Staff Roster

Like all businesses, Ardacorp has many employees that all contribute towards the company in one way or another. This section displays important or notable members of staff.


The CEO

Victor Ardaman


Administrators

Harry Saunders


Engineers

Alexander Suffolk

Katie "Crutches" Winters


Scientists

Maria Hewert

Shelly Lawrence

Adrian Breets


Security Agents

Elizabeth "Regina" Hall

Katia "Rebel" Winnock

Mitchell "Ignition" Cook


Test Pilots

James "Goat" Vitson

David "Ace" Rickley

Mitchell "Ignition" Cook


Adversaries

Some people become targets of the company because of their efforts to disrupt operations, or because they possess alien biology or advanced technology and cannot be persuaded to allow their study. Then there are those who simply don't like Ardacorp and seek to bring them down. Whatever the case, they are considered Ardacorp's adversaries.


A computer-rendered image from an Argus Drone of Subject Loki (Character made by @KostlivecR)

An elusive and highly aggressive lifeform designated "Loki" by Ardacorp for its remarkable shapeshifting abilities. Despite multiple attempts to capture the creature, the company knows very little about it, and have seen no success in obtaining a sample of its DNA. Some scientists believe that the strange entity could be of alien origin, but others think that it could be a human creation; an escaped experiment that nobody will admit to. Subject Loki has been encountered in several different forms of varying size and shape, all of which were highly dangerous. It has never been observed actively altering its appearance, suggesting that the creature may be vulnerable whilst doing so. In response to the challenge posed by Loki, Ardacorp funded Project Oneiros, a drone-like nanomachine collective that possesses its own shape-changing qualities. The company has high hopes for Oneiros, but the project is still very much in its infancy and will likely require time to gather valuable data on its target.


Artwork

Regina, by @berfegor