[Business Planning]
From: Vela Adelheid Russell
To: Jonathan Irons
Subject: "Flesh is Weak, Machine is Strong"
—The future of humanity depends on the machines of today.
Content: On the necessity of establishing two new manufacturing divisions: the [Humanoid Robotics Division] and the [Service Robotics Division].
...
If one had to point out the imbalance and critical weaknesses in Atlas Corporation's current "tech tree," Vela's answer would be—smart control systems.
Not absent, but not good enough.
Perhaps compared to its contemporaries in Call of Duty, Atlas' technology was still far ahead. But in Vela's eyes, it was crippled.
EXO mechanical exoskeletons, AST combat mechs, T-540 self-propelled tanks, T-740 hover tanks…
Atlas products all carried low-level AI plug-ins. For instance, the EXO exoskeleton came with an encrypted program that bound the user's biochemistry, which only the wearer, medics, or maintenance personnel could remove.
But the applications were crude, the encryption insufficient, the IFF systems sluggish, and the management sloppy—lacking unified vertical programming.
Specific examples included:
Atlas AST combat mechs—when a pilot was killed, hostile forces could easily breach the cockpit and seize control.
There was no pilot-recognition program, no firewall-decryption step—an enemy could simply reboot the AST, and the mech would still remain linked to Atlas' internal combat intranet.
The intranet's control over company property—exoskeletons, drones, prosthetics—and the enforcement of real-time executive orders was weak.
The database's handling of employee identity and status—active, terminated, or retired—was slow in adjusting and implementing changes.
...
It fell naturally on Vela to address these flaws.
As an Atlas shareholder, R&D Director, and Chief Engineer overseeing weapons development, her main focus now was to plug the gaps.
Since her official appointment as Director of R&D in mid-2058, such slackness had to be eradicated completely.
Before, her rank wasn't high enough, or her jurisdiction too far removed from these fields. She could influence indirectly, but had no grounds to intervene directly.
Now, she sat on the Atlas board.
And Irons had already delegated authority.
The time to act boldly had come.
She would bring Arasaka's "advanced" management experience to Atlas.
Well—part of it.
"Above is just my humble vision for the company's manufacturing future. Though their market launch will inevitably draw attacks from unions and other such groups, Mr. Irons," Vela concluded.
Clapping her hands lightly, she glanced at the PDA screen, at that stern, commanding face etched with deep forehead and nasolabial lines.
"This is hardly a 'humble vision,' Vela."
Irons' deep voice rumbled from the speakers.
"Humanoid Robotics Division…"
He muttered the name of one of the two proposed divisions.
"Military robots—replacing flesh and blood with machine intelligence. It is indeed an effective way to reduce human casualties. If the Korean War of '54 had been fought with robots, Will might not have… No. The White House, the Pentagon—they will never see it. They only push larger wars in the name of selling their 'democracy.' To make fathers bury sons—this grotesque violation of nature, repeating endlessly!"
His voice suddenly surged with emotion.
"Haa…"
A long exhale.
After a moment's pause, Irons' voice returned to calm.
"Apologies, Vela. Forgive my outburst. Go ahead—do it. I trust you. Only through innovation can we secure humanity's survival and prosperity. Only by making Atlas stronger can we change more lives…"
"As for criticism from outside?"
Irons' voice carried a hint of laughter.
"Do you remember the Atlas creed?"
Tilting her head, Vela paused, then smiled as she answered: "We are pioneers who forge ahead."
Pioneers—those who achieve extraordinary feats must themselves be extraordinary. To act ahead of the times means setbacks, and it means being misunderstood.
"Good. The Humanoid Robotics Division and the Service Robotics Division—I hereby approve them unilaterally. For now, they'll be placed under your R&D Department. I look forward to your results… Hm?"
On the screen, an assistant seemed to approach and whisper to him. Irons nodded, then looked back into the camera.
"I'll review your proposal thoroughly tonight. But the most important matter right now is still the design of Atlas' New Baghdad headquarters."
He pointed at her, emphasizing his priorities, before smiling and ending the call.
Beep beep.
Setting down the PDA, Vela's faint smile quickly faded.
"New Baghdad."
That the headquarters took precedence did not surprise her…
It was inevitable that Irons placed greater importance on New Baghdad.
Strategically, once Atlas completed New Baghdad, exerting control over the Middle East—extending influence across the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Suez Canal—would be no problem. It showed that Irons favored breakthroughs on the world island, while he had little faith in securing dominance directly in North America.
But the future was unpredictable. Who could say? Who knew when Irons, once betrayed again by a confidant, might lose control entirely?
In the silence of her thoughts, Vela turned her gaze to the holographic monitor on the console.
On the shooting range, Mitchell was test-firing the [Projectile Launch System], while Gideon and Joker chatted animatedly.
Ilona stood off to the side, leaning against a wall, occasionally chiming in.
Vela's eyes lingered on Mitchell.
Ripples of light shimmered across her retinas…
Taking form was a silhouette—her own—marked by a silver clover brooch at the collar, staring back at her.
In terms of smart-control technology and EMP resistance, compared to Call of Duty, the "breeding ground" of electronic warfare units in Cyberpunk—their firewalls, corporate intranet construction, and defensive strength were indisputable.
"A pure network world, untouched by rogue AIs or Rache Bartmoss' rampages… truly the perfect testing ground for AI-driven robotics."
Vela turned her gaze away from the monitor.
Her mind was already far from San Bernardino.
Picking up her private PDA again, she opened the encrypted archive. After biometric verification, she scrolled to the lowest tier:
—[Supreme Control Protocol]—
Beep.
With a glint in her eyes, she turned the screen off and slipped the PDA into her coat lining.
It was time to return to New Baghdad.
Mitchell and Gideon were manageable distractions. The true main stage—the urgent mission—was elsewhere.
Before leaving the examination room, she retrieved a silver-white suitcase from the storage locker.
Clack—the gate opened.
"If this is meant to protect me, S+ won't be enough."
Handing the case to a waiting MP, she murmured inwardly.
...
[Tokyo Ghoul]
Tokyo Haneda International Airport.
A Special Class Investigator, newly reassigned from North America's CCG back to Tokyo CCG, descended the boarding ramp slowly.
"Don't worry. This time, we've prepared SS+."