You Always Did Say You Liked a Product Tested

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I feel they are... quick to react to situations... and with little regard to consequences that might ensue," Taeli responded. "Recent rumors about their actions against the other Mandalorian clans sit... uneasily with me. Whether or not cooler heads prevail and this new Mandalorian Empire thrives and becomes an important part of the galactic economy... I couldn't say as of yet. I don't really know any of the leadership on a one-on-one level yet. I'm treating expansion into their territory cautiously, but they are sight better than the Primeval for controlling that region of space. Mirial is still recovering from that lunatic Hutt."

Outside, a woman with dark hair and a matching dress to what Taeli was currently wearing was striding towards the ATC office, a smile on her face. She was getting live feedback about the meeting, and was enjoying how Danger didn't have a clue yet. The real Taeli just couldn't wipe that smirk off her face as she entered the building, and the receptionist looked at her curiously. Hadn't she just...

"Taeli Raaf, here to see Miss Arceneau," she said, grinning. "I think she might be in a meeting right now... with myself actually. If you wouldn't mind paging her about it?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

Danger of course, had no clue what was going on. She was no Forcer, nor the type to have a keen eye on distinct differences to give an indication that the woman sitting in front of her was none other than Taeli Raaf herself. Granted, Danger also had an HRD. SIX was a curious model, but one that had done Danger some good in regards to dealing business when Danger herself could not.

A hand went to take a small vaporizor from her desk; Alric had been rather busybody about her health now that they were older, and in that meant that there were less cigarillos in her life than in prevous years. Didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy the fix.

“Certainly will be interestin’ to see what comes --”

A small beep from the secretary came in then, interrupting Danger. The Queen of Trade gave a small blink, then a faint smile at Taeli. “Pardon me for a moment.” she depressed the small button to relay the message through.

“Yes?”

“Mrs. Arceneau… “ the voice on the other line was slightly shaky. “ … We… Ah, Taeli Raaf is here to see you.” Little did the real Raaf know that in this instance, with everything going on, security would be called.

Danger at that moment, gave a slow blink.

“I beg your pardon?”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

While the giant armored Herglics began to move, Taeli had anticipated security might not like the idea of there being two of her in one place... awkward situations usually arose from that scenario, she remained smiling and brought her comlink up to her lips.

"CeeX Oh One, kindly reveal your true form and purpose of being here to Miss Arceneau," Taeli said. In Danger's office, the Taeli sitting there nodded and immediately morphed into its primary shape, the comlink it had been holding clattering to the desk. In front of Danger now would be a humanoid shaped droid made of liquid metal, even the dress it had been wearing was part of its disguise. From the 'head,' a distinctly gender neutral voice issued from the ripples of the metal moving.

"Mistress Raaf would like to apologize to Miss Arceneau for the deception," CX-01 said. "She distinctly remembered that you prefer to have a project tested in the field before you show more interest in it, and she decided this would be the best way to test... my design. I am CX-01, a newly designed Masqurade Infiltration Droid. Mistress Raaf would like to come to your office to explain my model and the demonstration in more detail. If you would be so kind?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

While Danger certainly enjoyed having new technology demonstrated in front of her, she wasn't keened on being tricked. Oh to be fair, it was a rather striking presentation; seeing the woman in front of her whom she'd believed to be Taeli Raaf shift like molten mercury into a droid displayed that.

However, seeing it done so in this state struck a particular cord within the Queen of Trade. Her expression would remain neutral, but there was a slight hardening of her eyes that could easily be missed. How had a droid gotten passed the security screenings?

"Is that so?" she began, her drawl floating across the din. A blink then a decision made. A finger would press the comm.

"Let her through." Danger would order.

Ms Raaf had much to explain after all.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Even from where she was standing in the lobby, she could feel the simmering through the Force coming from the Herglics as she was allowed through. They wanted to eliminate this person who had done something to their employer, but they had to listen to that drawl. Taeli gave a small smile, a polite half bow, and then made her way to the turbolift. The ride up was quiet, Taeli humming a slight tune to herself, before reaching the third floor. The doors opened to reveal more Herglic security guards from Darkwater, glares meeting her pleasant expression.

Walking through the guards on either side of her, she made sure to arrange her features to show she wasn't enjoying this too much. Danger would probably be... understandably irritated that her security had been fooled and she had been tricked. Best not to show an amused smile or grin. Opening the door, she approached the redheaded Queen of Trade and the humanoid shape of liquid metal standing in front of Danger's desk.

"I truly am sorry for the deception," Taeli began, taking the seat CX-01 had recently abandoned. "But it was the only way I could think of that would truly demonstrate just how effective our newest droid model is at what it does."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

"So I see, Ms. Raaf." Danger replied, leaning back against her chair once she sat down. If Taeli Raaf of Aurora Industries wanted to give a show, Danger would let her. This had to be something that would knock her socks off in order to explain the situation.

"So is that what it is?" she began, reaching for her vaporiser. It set between her pointer and middle finger as she brought it to her lips. Cheeks sunk in as she took a deep drag, the spicy scented narcotic filling her lungs with that familiar rush.

"A droid?" an auburn eyebrow gave an arch. An indication for the woman to continue. It certainly wasn't like any droid she'd seen before. Similar to an Human Replica droid, but not.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Yes," Taeli said, leaning back in her seat. "I was recently lucky enough to draw in an Anomid and his fellows to my droid division and I set them a challenge; to develop a brand new infiltration droid. Doctor Zotoc took the challenge to heart, and thus the Masquerade Infiltration droid was developed." This was going to be a bit of a long winded explanation, she knew that, but she would give out facts and let Danger ask her questions as they went.

"The Masquerade utilizes a proprietary allow of denantium, gallium, and indium as its body. These metals were chosen as they can be shaped into different forms based on electrical currents passing through the metal. Added into the mix are artificially created keratin fibers so the droid can mimic the look and feel of skin, although it is only the outer and inner epidermis layer thick. To make all of this possible, a droid brain the size of a cred coin is inserted into the liquid metal alloy made of electrum. We ended up pushing some of the boundaries of micro-electronics to make this droid brain powerful enough to fulfill all the functions we envisioned for it."

Taeli took the tea CX-01 had ordered and took a sip of it, enjoying the warm blend of flavors that only Bastion Black could provide.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

All very pertinent information. Very nice. Cheeks sunk in as she took another deep drag of her vaporisor. The narcotic filled her lungs, steeling her nerves and giving her a measure of calm. She might have her feathers ruffled, but business was business. Right now, that business was figuring out how they managed to get past her security scans for droids.

"So still a droid." she said simply, smoke blowing out of her mouth. A tap of her forefinger would cut the silence as she studied the creation. A cant of her head to the right then she asked, "So how did it manage to get past my droid security scans?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"What do droid scanners usually look for?" Taeli asked, knowing it was rhetorical since she was about to answer her own question. "Circuits, other components, wireless systems, power core oscillations. The Masquerade doesn't have those components. The droid brain is powered by the kinetic motion of it moving around in the liquid alloy or when the droid is walking. To move the liquid metal mass, it releases a constant current that is on par with one volt of electricity and is passed through the whole body, not unlike how a human nervous system works. Traditional droid scanners are essentially useless against the Masquerade model because it doesn't have the parts that set it off."

It was one feature Taeli had also been adamant about that they needed to defeat, and Doctor Votoc had delivered. Danger might not like it because it created a hole in her security, but she would probably respect it at the same time. A sip of her tea later, she lowered the cup again.

"And unlike a HRD, it isn't constrained to just one shape," Taeli added, almost like an afterthought when it was really a conversational hook.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

And unlike a HRD, it isn't constrained to just one shape.

Now that caught her attention. A single dark brow rose in piqued interest. The cant of her head went to the left and her chin rose. Blowing smoke from her lips, Danger would skim her attention from the real Taeli over to the droid.

"What do you mean it ain't constrained to just one shape?'" she inquired, indicating she wanted the CEO of Aurora Industries to elaborate on that. Did it come programmed? How easily did it shift to different shapes? What were its capabilities? Its limitations?

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"The Masquerade Droid can copy the shape of any humanoid it comes in contact with," Taeli answered. Her response was both simple and quite... intriguing she knew. She gestured with her hand, and CX-01 morphed its shape to appear as an exact replica of Danger's Devaronian secretary and then it cycled through to appear like the Trade Queen herself. "If it shakes your hand, or touches your shoulder, or any physical contact... it stores that look away in its memory banks. None of its disguises come pre-loaded as we felt each customer would want different patterns stored. Thus the droid can then, given the situation and task, shift its shape to any humanoid pattern it has stored. It can't mimic anything that isn't a humanoid shape though, and complex things such as a rebreather or other mechanical parts can't be replicated."

CX-01 then shifted back to its standard liquid metal shaped humanoid form as Taeli gestured again.

"As you can see, clothing can also be copied by the Masquerade adapting the keratin fibers it has," she continued explaining. "It will always feel cool to the touch though, mimicking body heat is a bit beyond its capabilities. Extreme temperatures will also mess with its disguise matrix."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

Intriguing.

"Now here is the more important question, Ms. Raaf." she continued, tapping her finger against the wooden grain of her desk.

"With all the doodads and the new fluidity of your product..." oh she had certainly sparked her curiosity, but she was also a prudent woman.

"Just how is one supposed to ensure that one of your models ain't gonna come into my office and kill me dead by pretending to be someone else?"

How would one defend or protect themselves from it?

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"CX-01, please inform Miss Arecneau about the flaws in your model," Taeli ordered kindly, smiling at Danger.

"Certainly, Mistress Raaf," the droid replied, the liquid head nodding before seeming to turn to face Danger. It was kinda hard to tell since there was no visible way for the droid to see, but it clearly could. "This model's weaknesses revolve around magnetic fields. If this model encounters a sufficiently powerful magnetic field, the model will become destabilized and be reduced to just a 200kg liquid metal mass on the floor until the magnetic field is either disabled or destroyed. Corrosive agents, such as acids, will also completely destroy this model. Molten material will also permanently destroy this unit, along with sufficiently hot temperatures that would cause this model to hit evaporation point."

Taeli smiled as she was sure Danger would note that, for once, ion and EMP weaponry was not included in the droid's weaknesses. Liquid metal was not all that great at conducting electricity, and if the droid sensed such energy hitting it, it could channel the energy away from the droid brain if need be by shifting its internal mass.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

"So in order to protect my office." Danger began, bringing the vaporizer back to her crimson lips. "I'd have to set up some sort of magnetic field to ensure anyone pretendin' to be someone else gets revealed to one and all?"

Something she'd have to consider. Not to mention any side effects. Would there be a way to bypass that? Truth be told she was interested in the product, but there was also the whole, needing to ensure her longevity.

"No EMP will stop it?" now that was something. Hmm. "What sort of life cycle are we talking about." how long would it last.

"And what about someone gettin' into its programin'" would it be able to be sliced?

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Or just use a elemental scanner," Taeli replied, an easy and pleasant smile forming on her lips. "Tune it to pick up gallium or indium or denantium, and you'll have no problem picking out who is real and who is one of our Masquerades. The disguise can only go so far and they aren't exactly common metals that one would find on someone. Plus, I won't be selling these to just anyone. Just very select and trusted clients."

Taeli pondered how best to answer Danger's further questions, taking a sip of her tea.

"Longevity wise, as long as the liquid mass is moving, it will never run out of energy," Taeli began. "The only time it could possibly be re-programmed is when the droid brain is removed from the alloy, either for a quick memory cleanse or such. There isn't a way to wirelessly hack into the droid brain, you would literally need to pluck it out of the body. In theory, the Masquerade droid could quite comfortably outlive a normal human. Not exactly something I can be entirely sure about until the model has been around longer."

Time would indeed reveal exactly how long one of these could last, but until such a time as they could get clear data on that, it was only just theory.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

A chemical scanner? Would certainly be easier.

"The question would be how broad of a range this chemical scanner would reach." Danger crossed left leg over right, setting down the vaporizor. Spicy white smoke billowed from her lips, streaming up to the ceiling to float away in a small cloud.

"Will you be selling these chemical scanners or will I have to procure my own?" she asked. It was another way for Aurora to certainly make money -- for those clients that she was willing to reveal the scanners and the droids to begin with.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I'm sure my technicians would be happy to send you one of whatever specifications you might want or require to assuage your sense of security," Taeli said, still smiling. It was an intriguing idea, one she hadn't considered until then. Control both sides of the market... not a bad idea at all. They would need to keep the actual chemical make-up of the droid's alloy secret though to make sure others didn't immediately figure out what it was. A close eye would need to be kept... just in case.

"So, now that you have seen this new project of ours firsthand, what are your thoughts Miss Arceneau?" Taeli asked, finishing her tea and setting the empty cup down lightly. CX-01 stirred slightly, but remained in the same standing position it had been, the liquid mass constantly shifting and swirling but remaining humanoid shape.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

"Well, you certainly know how to make a statement Miz Raaf." Danger told Taeli with no uncertain terms. She was still a bit miffed about the trick, but it had proved its point. Danger was interested.

"How long does it take to produce one?" she inquired, leaning a bit forward. Her green eyes swept from the woman who owned and oversaw Aurora Industries to the droid prototype. This was an interesting addition to what Six did for her. Along with the discretion of the model, made things.. interesting.

"And the cost?" not that it really mattered, but Danger liked to keep tabs on such things.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"To create one, it only takes as long as the mold we use to give the base humanoid shape to fill and then insert the droid brain," Taeli responded. "A few minutes at most really. One of the facilities we have on Saleucami is being retrofitted for their production and creation of the liquid metal allow. The one part of this droid that is the most costly, since the elements used are readily available in many places, is the electrum droid brain itself. Electrum, as you know, is rather expensive so until we can find a better supply chain for it or a better and cheaper element for the droid brain... or other developments happen, the production of the droids will be limited."

She wasn't going to exactly mention what those other developments might be, not yet anyway. Doctor Votoc had proposed a mad idea, and she had given him the go ahead to quietly pursue it with his research team in their off hours.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

Danger gave a nod. Another thought occurred to her then.

“Would it not read as a non organic in organic scanners or life scanners?” that was an interesting thought. Would that not be another way to tell? Traditional HRD’s still would register in medical scanners. To what extent would Aurora’s Industries pass such methods of scanning?

Fingers went curling around her glass, and she brought up to take a drink.

“With advancing technology, that could serve a problem.”