aladv

[aladv]

Is this blog still active?

(Would like to come back to it. Life’s too busy atm)

[aladv]

Actions speak louder than words, Tenno, and I think I’ve heard your message quite clearly by now. You don’t miss me one bit. 

And I don’t miss you, either. Truly. It’s not like I am fond of our little chats or anything, no.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Ohh, Tenno, Tenno. Must you always think in such- hhh, simplistic terms? Connect point A to point B, add one and one to get two, yes, yes! Very clever! Perhaps someday you will learn to, heh, not take these things at- ghh. Face value. Because you have asked, I will try to make this easy for you to understand.

You see, after your little... display of savagery, I had to move quickly to take my other precious assets out of low Jupiter orbit to continue my research. Frohd Bek, the loathsome megalomaniac he is, made sure to see to it that we- I- would not be able to continue my various programs under conventional means. The months ahead would see my mobile labs converted to better suit the demands of biotic, rather than robotic, manipulation.

There were many, many subjects before I would find myself ready to put all my hard-earned research to the test, yes... this one represented the final barrier.  Among so many other promising subjects, this “Mesa” was my- ngh, prized pupil.

Now, listen closely Tenno, because this is where your- hghh, your theorizing has led you astray. 

I succeeded in mutating a strain of the infestation to suit Tenno biology. I succeeded in creating a... hive link, a merging of consciousness, between this Tenno within its warframe and... us. We did not perish when you cut down the shell and reassembled its metal skin. 

That is to say, heh, you did

exactly 

what was expected of you.

In... “freeing” what was left of this creature, you have facilitated the spread of this... gift. Soon, you will- nrrgh, understand. Yes.

-Us Alad V

[aladv]

Is there... “a”...? Oh, no, no no. I don’t think you understand, anonymous. The pursuit of science, the quest for knowledge, yes, is without end, and that is the, heh, exhilarating thing about it.

As for the Tenno, If I could have it my way, I’d find ways to improve upon every Warframe’s design. To say the least, they are... antiquated. The Tenno, locked within their metallic shells have evaded their original warranties through induced slumber. They contain centuries of lost scientific advancement, and are functional data banks of knowledge. Each one represents one chapter to the larger narrative, pieces kept locked under the tides of time at great cost. Of course, after they fulfilled their reason for existence, after what... happened, hmm, they should have been lost. But I don’t like to think of these things in such a dark light, no... We know they have survived, contained within their glassy cocoons. Do we not owe it to our past, our present, our future, to read the words written in this book? Within them exist so many components and systems to explore, so much untapped... potential. My exploration so far reveals only the visible wavelengths part of the spectrum, as they say: only the fundamental pieces and combinations thereof. 

It is... inspiring to imagine dozens, heh, even hundreds of them lining my labs, filling my tables. Oh, the progress we’d make, together! With such a vast sample size, so many new and exciting possibilities begin to unravel themselves... a boundless array of augmentations, amplifications and enhancements, tissues and structures to splice, to weave together, to grow and combine... The cutting edge of science. And of course, where there is success, Profit is sure to follow.

Sometimes, we must examine the past to move into the future, anonymous. I hope I have answered your question.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Mocking comments like these seem to hearken to a certain... insecurity, yes, in your own physical traits. If I had to guess, your lack of eyes and, allegedly, lack of mirror, has probably lead you to believe certain things about the world around you that are patently false (either that, or you have poor self-esteem).

For example: My own smooth, soft skin is the result of centuries of labored care. I apply an extensive array of moisturizers and creams to keep its consistency supple and youthful. While my skin does retain an ageless, tender appearance, I can assure you: my lifespan far exceeds the “baby” age limit. Heh, if you don’t believe me, I do have a verified identification card to prove it to you. I usually keep it on my person, as I am asked for it often at... tasteful late night establishments. Yes.

Having had so little contact with the offspring of human-derived organic beings, one can hardly blame you for getting a little... disoriented. I know that to you, all flesh begins to resemble all other flesh: the result of a bottomless appetite for cutting it down, blowing it up, lacerating it with shrapnel, microwaving it, freezing it solid, cooking it to a blackened mess, electrifying it, bludgeoning it with heavy objects, dissolving it in vile acids and poisons, and any other form of savagery you find yourself in the mood for. To that end, all flesh behaves the same way, and consists of the same ingredients (though the infestation contains some additional fascinating biological structures).

-Alad V

[aladv]

Dear anonymous, I am pleased to read that someone out there, somewhere in the vast confusion and, ahem, sheer ignorance of this star system, shares an appreciation for the high cost of progress, innovation... research. 

To some, such advances seem to happen in a void. Well, as you and I know, some of them do happen to take place in the Void, but, the bulk of our research takes place in our more familiar, more stable dimensional plane. Not only that, but the rising prices of plasma fuel makes it quite difficult to keep out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum. Ohh, I do hate taking credits out of my pockets.

In any case, as you say, there can be no profit without sacrifice, and appropriate, calculated risk, yes. The higher the promise of, heh, profit, and of progress, the higher the threshold of acceptable sacrifice becomes. It is an investment, you see... would I pay five credits to receive 20 in return? Of course I would. A broken mechanical fragment of Orokin origin for the latest piece of my enemy’s weaponry? Absolutely. Several hundred artificially animated Grineer hearts and organs in various states of... well, never mind that. 

My most valuable ventures require quite a large stock of... investment material, you see. Risk and reward move in a dangerous, intimate dance with one another. Even the most detailed calculations could result in agonizing failure at any time. In such cases, sacrifices tend to, heh, pile up exponentially. However, with careful planning, one is able to minimize losses and revel in the end product: Profit, the driving force of the universe. After all, there is nothing more rewarding than the satisfaction of winning.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Aaah, yes, the Jackal. This was a joint effort, from some time ago, pre-dating the current... situation with the Tenno. 

The Corpus and the Grineer have been at odds with each other for a very long time, you see. While we have always been on the absolute cutting edge of technology and pursuit of knowledge, heh, the Grineer have consistently shown barbaric supremacy in their command of heavy-hitting, bulky, simplistic machines of war. Their... devotion to their carnal needs and seemingly endless, expendable numbers of clones eventually called for us to innovate. While our previous efforts were far from futile, it was apparent that we needed to fight fire with fire, and convened on a joint venture to create a heavy, ballistic-throwing warbeast of our own.

Our initial engagements with the prototypes were largely successful, as the Dogs were not prepared to face an enemy that used many of their own tactics against them. Following this early success, my partners and I received clearance for mass production of the Jackal quadrupeds. We saw high profit margins for quite some time.

The units also proved to be quite a match against the newly awakened Tenno, credit which was due, in part, to their hard-wired seeking algorithms which were able to pick out a real Tenno from a clever decoy. 

However, as the market changed and new technologies arose, the Jackal line of robotics has fallen behind the critical edge, and far more agile, more sophisticated robotics have surfaced. Though the Grineer desperately scramble to understand the sophisticated workings of our outdated technology, their largest strides will always be several crucial steps behind the Corpus robotics market.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Mm, yes... Valkyr. A fascinating specimen, this Warframe proved to be more... resilient than others in my, heh, collection. It was perhaps during the middle of our testing for the earlier Zanuka prototypes, we observed a much denser pseudo-cellular structure woven into the armor fibers and were compelled to investigate. We were able to subdue its aggressive natural rejection tendencies by forcing restraining rods through is limbs, allowing us to attach additional components to various energy nodes, which granted us access to...

Oh, I suppose I am rambling. You see, heh, studying such functionally complex creatures has quite an... effect on me. It's a pity our Valkyr subject had to be... let go, yes, so prematurely. There was yet so much more to be discovered inside that synthetic skin. Things that may have been proven quite useful to you, Tenno.

Before our investigative studies...? You know as well as I do the effects of Cryogenic-induced suspended animation. There was no "before", not as far as the subject is concerned. We took it from its gilded cocoon and restored its consciousness artificially over a period of time within a controlled environment, to better understand the effects of each test with the benefit of being able to rule out additional sensory- or neural process-based variables.

Once fully conscious, the Warframe became exceptionally volatile. If it had only been able to understand us, and the importance of this research, the unnecessary violence that followed could have been avoided. I would recommend you heed some advice, Tenno: Do not place your trust in a creature so easily prone to vicious acts and complete disregard for logic and civility.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Why would I fall asleep at my keyboard...? No, I have never done this. I get adequate sleep every second solar cycle... or was it every third?

No, no, I work for three and sleep for one. Or was it four?

In any case, my latest shipment of Tohil Mons tea has not yet arrived. I would hate to learn that they've had an... accident, considering how foul the alternative is, yes. I'd loathe to have to settle for coffee, and am quite happy to leave such a blue collar substitute to the crewmen. They seem to need it more than I do anyway.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Tenno... I bet you don't even know what "ironic" is.

[aladv]

Ignoring the, ahem, obvious attempt at mockery, yet again, I will provide to you some insight into the functions of this collar.

My visor and headpiece work in tandem with the collar to communicate and process information sent and received from my, heh, vast assortment of robotics. Neural sensors located in the visor communicate directly with implants in my frontal lobe. Now, I know you creatures are not familiar with the organic tissues of the brain, and no, observing it as you send it splattering across the floor and walls of our ships does not qualify as "study". In any case, my frontal lobe is located in the anterior portion of my skull. Communication directly with the motor and reasoning center of my brain means that not only can I see through the optic sensors of my Zanuka from my visor, I can process and send commands almost immediately through pure thought. Truly, a marvel of engineering. 

The tall piece behind my head acts as sending and receiving device, and the collar acts as a high powered amplifier. It also houses many of my control algorithms used on my more... advanced robotics, and can connect to the visor directly. Most of them do not require this additional measure to keep them in line, but I believe in redundant safety systems, and in backup considerations. 

I keep these devices on my person whenever possible, as it grants me access to an entire station's worth of sensory information as well as all of my robotic equipment. Wouldn't you? Mmm.

A flotation device...? Pfeh. You Tenno really have no appreciation for this sophisticated instrument...

-Alad V

[aladv]

[aladv]

Test subjects have yielded... mixed results, at best, when fitted with our MOA control system. We have found that, although outwardly primitive, the Tenno mind is deceivingly complex. Machine-based personality algorithms alone are just not strong enough to overcome a pre-existing "natural" free will. While it is, indeed, possible to... train, break-in, domesticate such a creature using more, heh, conventional methods, the time and resources required deems this process quite an expensive one. 

However, I am pleased to report that my recent research into biotics, and more specifically, the infestation, is proving... promising. In particular: When attacking a non-living host, cells will experience an invasive, highly energized growth stage in which they will expend stored energy in the consumption of surrounding organic and non-organic materials. They automatically seek out the control center of the organism/object. Curiously, they have a somewhat innate sense of what they are... consuming, and are able to adapt to suit its function. The fascinating part of all this is that the infestation attaches a pseudo... "consciousness" to its final mutation, overriding that of its host. I have only had the means to test on non-living subjects and observe in the field so far, but I am convinced, yes, that I will be able to capitalize on this behavior in living subjects in the future. 

As for Project Zanuka... a clever animal will always obey. A clever animal need not concern itself with... performance-inhibiting issues like morality, sin, or empathy; a clever animal will always see its goal clearly and reach it without hesitation. It is an efficient tool, and an extension of your own hand. Though I can understand the merits of your position, anonymous, I would ask you to consider your personal requirements for this companion. You may find that your Zanuka is exactly what you need. Use it wisely.

-Alad V

[aladv]

YES.

[aladv]

Aah, yes, just as in our... previous dealings, you will find your due earnings ready and waiting for you when you arrive with your final, heh, delivery of goods for this quarter. I have been quite satisfied with your... services thus far and see no reason to deny you of any, mm, payment. I do hope you feel the same. Rewarding partnerships like ours are in short supply these days, Tenno, and I would loathe to be forced to take action to protect my... investments.

I look forward to our continued business together.

-Alad V

[aladv]

Strange, it was my understanding that your Lotus had been preening you as, heh, "guardians of balance" in the system. Surely, protecting an entire planet's worth of families from a fate worse than death should have influenced your decision in some way...? Or are you really nothing more than greedy, mindless mercenaries, slaves to your killer instinct, only addressing moral values when convenient?

You really do fit right in with those flea-ridden dogs, Tenno. I'm not surprised that you chose to side with them, considering your... lack of foresight, among other things. In fact, I'm shocked they haven't made you all high ranking officers, or given you a cape and a crown! Did they do anything for you besides offering you a crude, re-purposed brush-clearing instrument and an ugly orange pistol, in the end? You must at least be allies now, if not best friends. No...?

Have you told your new Tenno friends about how you sacrificed thousands of innocent lives just to save their blissfully unaware, comatose bodies? Ooh, that's right. You slaughter at least that many every day. Your Lotus must be proud.

As for that lumbering cyclops, let him revel in his short victory. I have... other ways, yes, of obtaining the resources I require to continue with my ventures.

-Alad V

[aladv]

You know, Tenno, you aren't nearly as... omnipotent, yes, as you believe yourselves to be. All the while that you were... distracted by your emotional outbursts over the "lives" of a handful of comatose Tenno you can't even remember having any connection to, the Grineer brutes were left free to run rampant throughout the non-military colonies scattered about the surface of Mars. Might I remind you, these were civilian settlements, busying themselves with their ordinary lives on Mars, not given the choice you had been given before being violently torn from their homes and families and forced into slave labor camps. It's so easy to overlook thousands upon thousands of lives, isn't it? After all, with your self-appointed title of Space Police, this hasn't been the first time your sense of morality has proven... wanting, and it will certainly not be the last. So very fickle are your loyalties, so very hollow are your values.

It does not surprise me that you would choose to focus on a single instance of, hmm, scientific research, taken out of context, to pin all your hatred onto me with. Again, a very short-sighted judgement. You see, research is of paramount value to ensuring the... safety and effectiveness of future ventures. How can you fix something if you don't know how it works? How can you replicate something before you've taken it apart? How can you enhance and replace something without... removing things first?

I assure you, our procedures are approached in an entirely ethical manner, given their vital and delicate nature. It is... mm, unfortunate that the subject was exposed to any amount of pain or distress, as we do our best to shield the subjects from such... unpleasantness. The largely intact Warframe was... allowed, yes, to leave the facility immediately following the failure of these safeguards. I hope you can appreciate this decision on our part, as there were... other options available to us.  

Tenno, we have our differences, and our... regrettable histories. Believe me, I know all about the shadows of the past. I urge you to follow my example, and let go of time that's already spent. Focus on what is ahead, and try to recognize the good in these gentle hands. I do not deserve your scorn.

-Alad V