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All out of sudden, a military exposition has been organised. Many ESUN bigwigs were invited to come, and this applies to Unity Group members as well. On location, the guests may feel safe thanks to heavy security - provided by some kind of armored soldiers. In addition to acting as guards, they are the ones showing off at the exposition. Be it on foot drills or fake combat in mobile suits (modified, heavily armored genoaces), the squads perform their tasks with excellent speed and precision.
[1]
"What's the secret behind Project Khnum's success? We have cloning to thank for that!" The guests are entertained by a way too enthusiastic presenter with a fake smile. He is all too eager to explain the goings on of the exposition.
"Now, this is not the first such attempt, I'm sure everyone heard of the MJP Project. But that has its shortcomings - it creates cloned people, but people still, and the project's graduates grow just too slowly! The Earth Sphere is besieged by enemies from all sides, we need a large elite army to protect us and we need it now. Project Khnum is the solution."
"Its creations may be biological, but they're more robots than people. They are created from a template only vaguely similar to human DNA. No real sentience, no free will, only directives downloaded into their brains by our well-developed and tested training procedures. These procedures is what gives the Project Khnum clones their excellent abilities and teamwork, while ensuring they will never, ever harm a human being. Safety is always our foremost concern, a priority!"
"With Project Khnum dawning on the Earth Sphere, the face of warfare changes. No longer will our brave sons and daughters have to risk their lives in battle. No longer will nations have to spend huge sums on years' worth of training. With the project, a soldier of the new area, capable, skilled and loyal, is ready from nothing in mere months!"
Many of the guests are sceptical and some even look visibly disgusted. But just as many seem enthusiastic about this idea, as clapping fills the air as soon as the speech is over. One older gentleman seems especially content.
"Today this becomes reality. My dream... no - my final chance at redemption."
Edward Mcdowell looks like he aged 10 years since the last time you saw him, forced to stand with the help of a cane. But he is beaming with pride. Pride at the project that - as any information leaflet reveals, is his own doing.
[2]
And the DNA template mentioned during the presentation? It too is present on site.
"This is the right thing to do, isn't it? This is a good thing... right?"
Chou avoids the crowds and leans against the window in a secluded area. The Kin looks torn apart by internal struggles and exhaustion. But they're here not as a prisoner, but the project's co-creator. One whose genetic pattern served as base for the clone soldiers.
"What'd you do in my place, Ren?"
[3]
"..."
The cloned soldiers themselves aren't separated from the guests. You can talk to them, or try your luck against them in a fake fight (using 100% safe weapons). They even answer questions. But unless someone has business with them, they just stand still, like statues of futuristic warriors. So unlike the Kin whose DNA they share.
[1]
"What's the secret behind Project Khnum's success? We have cloning to thank for that!" The guests are entertained by a way too enthusiastic presenter with a fake smile. He is all too eager to explain the goings on of the exposition.
"Now, this is not the first such attempt, I'm sure everyone heard of the MJP Project. But that has its shortcomings - it creates cloned people, but people still, and the project's graduates grow just too slowly! The Earth Sphere is besieged by enemies from all sides, we need a large elite army to protect us and we need it now. Project Khnum is the solution."
"Its creations may be biological, but they're more robots than people. They are created from a template only vaguely similar to human DNA. No real sentience, no free will, only directives downloaded into their brains by our well-developed and tested training procedures. These procedures is what gives the Project Khnum clones their excellent abilities and teamwork, while ensuring they will never, ever harm a human being. Safety is always our foremost concern, a priority!"
"With Project Khnum dawning on the Earth Sphere, the face of warfare changes. No longer will our brave sons and daughters have to risk their lives in battle. No longer will nations have to spend huge sums on years' worth of training. With the project, a soldier of the new area, capable, skilled and loyal, is ready from nothing in mere months!"
Many of the guests are sceptical and some even look visibly disgusted. But just as many seem enthusiastic about this idea, as clapping fills the air as soon as the speech is over. One older gentleman seems especially content.
"Today this becomes reality. My dream... no - my final chance at redemption."
Edward Mcdowell looks like he aged 10 years since the last time you saw him, forced to stand with the help of a cane. But he is beaming with pride. Pride at the project that - as any information leaflet reveals, is his own doing.
[2]
And the DNA template mentioned during the presentation? It too is present on site.
"This is the right thing to do, isn't it? This is a good thing... right?"
Chou avoids the crowds and leans against the window in a secluded area. The Kin looks torn apart by internal struggles and exhaustion. But they're here not as a prisoner, but the project's co-creator. One whose genetic pattern served as base for the clone soldiers.
"What'd you do in my place, Ren?"
[3]
"..."
The cloned soldiers themselves aren't separated from the guests. You can talk to them, or try your luck against them in a fake fight (using 100% safe weapons). They even answer questions. But unless someone has business with them, they just stand still, like statues of futuristic warriors. So unlike the Kin whose DNA they share.
Tags:
From:
1 - open to interruption
[It's been a while. But Eva and her estranged creator are face to face, again.]
This is your doing, isn't it.
From:
no subject
"Now no one will have to become a soldier to suffer for the sake of the rest of the world. Not you. Not anyone."
From:
Let's just pretend there's an eva yelling icon
[Her shouting is loud enough to disturb other attendees-and give her an audience as she goes on.]
When I turned you down, it wasn't because I didn't want my children used for this-it's because nobody deserves to be used as raw material for some-some toy army!
From:
no subject
The guests turn towards the ruckus with surprised expressions, but Mcdowell remains calm.
"These aren't people, Eva. Didn't you hear the presenter? They never were people. Nobody is being used."
From:
no subject
[She steps closer, staring him down.]
Can they suffer? Can they dream? You did your best to train that out of us, but me-and the others-we still have the scars of what you did.
We weren't "people" to you then either, were we.
From:
no subject
"That's different. What we're using here is neither human nor people. Would you take offense that someone uses a machine with directives uploaded into it?"
"Project Khnum operates on the same principle. The clones are biological, but they're not sapient, they never were. Their brains are like computers, able to process only what we put into them."
The whole description sounds just a little bit familiar. Someone else, a non-human, described themselves in a similar way, a long time ago.
From:
1/2
Ren's people...The kin. You based them on the Kin, didn't you.
From:
2/2
You god-damn madman. Those people tore apart their bodies and the fabric of time itself to get back at their creators-and you used them as the basis for your slave army?! Did you learn nothing from what happened to Pedantic Blue?!
From:
no subject
"They only acted that way because their facility put that into their heads. They were told to hate humanity! We're not doing that here, the project doesn't even have access to the Kin facility."
Two guards quickly move through a shocked crowd. They grab at Eva from the sides - gently but also firmly.
"Listen, Eva... you know well how bad the situation is. The Balmarians are on the way, we need any advantage we can get! This is tactically AND morally sound, why are you acting like this? Have you lost your mind?!"
From:
no subject
[Eva lets him go-But she pulls against the guards enough to throw a few more lines at him, even as they drag her to the exit.]
Have you?! You're just letting history repeat itself-Have you ever thought about how they feel?! About how we felt?!
From:
no subject
Mcdowell's parting words are interrupted by an intense cough and hacking noises.