ADVENT Engineering Report 1500

Subject: Psi-tech Proposals

Authors: Lien Mercado, Interdepartmental Liaison; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Chancellor Saudia Vyandar; Feng Mercado, Chief of ADVENT Engineering Development; Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military; Maharishi Rodion Vinokurov, PRIEST Research Division

Introduction: Compared to other Earth governments, ADVENT is in a unique position in that psionics have been a factor since its foundation, allowing us to integrate them more fully, easily, and safely into every aspect of society, military and civilian alike. However, this does not mean there is nothing more to learn, and the ever-expanding field of psionic technology - abbreviated as 'psi-tech' throughout this document for simplicity - is a perfect example of this.

For the sake of this document, psi-tech is first and foremost defined as any technology that harnesses psionics in some fashion (under this definition, Vanguard Gauntlets and Psionic Awakening chambers are psi-tech, while blood and genetic tests to determine psionic sensitivity are not). Most applications in this growing field are military-oriented, but not all are, and so the terminology should be kept general.

The intent of this report is to field several proposals for immediate testing and manufacturing, as well as outline the future of psi-tech. While ADVENT will no doubt find XCOM's existing psi-tech to be useful for our own applications, the scale and scope of ADVENT means that some further applications can be made with this technology, taking advantage of our resources and numbers.

It is worth making note that most of the developments outlined here will likely first be deployed among the PRIEST Military Division and potentially ADVENT Special Forces. This is due to the fact that current generation psi-tech has a steep manufacturing cost, and high maintenance. The next wave will be issued to the PRIEST Division generally. It may eventually be possible to create psi-tech that is cheaply-produced and able to be operated by non-psionic forces, but such a possibility is purely hypothetical at this point.

Psi-Tech Fundamentals: Psi-tech only recently became a field beyond the purely theoretical domain. At the onset of the war, the only known piece of psi-tech was Sectoid computers, and the manner of their operation stumped researchers until psionics themselves were better understood. The next major breakthrough was coupled with the appearance of Sectoid Vanguards.

From their gauntlets, we learned that psi-tech devices operate by channeling psionic energy into a carefully constructed array of what have been dubbed "pins." These pins determine the flow and manifestation of psionic energy that psi-tech emits. The source of psionic energy still comes from the wielder, who acts as the power conduit for the device. By altering the arrangement of pins, the emitted psionic energy can be shaped into the preferred manifestation.

There are a few important factors to note going forward. Firstly, the pin system is very precise, meaning that alteration or damage to the systems is likely to result in highly reduced performance at best, and catastrophic failure at worst. Any forces utilizing the equipment should take great care to ensure it is in prime condition, and all psi-tech should be assembled from resilient materials to prevent damage to the internal workings. Secondly, only psionic manifestations at the discipline level are possible right now. This means that sub-disciplines such as biopathy and nanokinesis are currently unable to be utilized. While there is no doubt that such powers could be used in the future, any projects which are based on these are at the purely theoretical stage until that breakthrough is achieved.

Psionic Power: Zeroeth generation psi-tech (I.E. alien tech) primarily relied on utilizing the wielder's psionic power for its source, meaning that it was keyed to their reserves and power threshold. In order to make psi-tech more viable for longer engagements and consecutive fights, a way of powering it through something other than the user was required. The first idea was the psionic battery.

The principle of the psionic battery operates on the basic design of XCOM's "Thought Bombs" (see psi-grenades for more details). The fundamental element of a psionic battery is known as the "psi-core"; an organic construct made of the neural cells of a psionic species (humans, sectoids, ethereals, etc). This construct produces psionic energy when stimulated, and can be fed into the pin array to produce the same psionic manifestation as a psionic user. This allows the user to use the equipment without fueling it from their own power reserves.

The psi-cores do have drawbacks though. Firstly, the psi-core degenerates over time, and must be kept in extremely cold storage to preserve it until combat. This means that psi-cores will be more useful for fights that the user can either prepare for in advance, or when the user is initiating the strike. Units that are ambushed or otherwise caught unprepared will be unable to rely on psi-batteries, unless they have been pre-loaded in expectation of assault.

Secondly, psi-cores function at a constant level. While this is useful in certain circumstances, this means that they cannot be used to "overload" weapons, or other creative uses of psionic power. Additionally, if a psi-core has been damaged, it is rendered useless, much like the pin array. Comparatively, a psion can power psi-tech even if they are injured.

However, so long as the psi-core is used under appropriate conditions, it should provide about as much energy and power as most PRIEST units would expand to psi-tech tasks (such as using weapons). Ethereal or higher based psi-cores are the exception, providing a much larger amount of power, but the difficulty of manufacturing ensures that even among the already precious psi-tech, Ethereal or above class psi-cores will be limited in deployment.

Psionic Weaponry: XCOM has already begun deploying psi-tech offensively. However, the limited personnel and resources of their organization means that they are limited in what they can effectively utilize and create. ADVENT is not so limited, and can focus on larger scale projects and broader focus projects. This category is largely focused on psi-tech that has a primarily offensive purpose.

Psi-Arms

Psi-arms is the designation given to the psionic analogue to traditional firearms. These weapons are primarily used to allow psions to utilize their powers without using their own energy. The primary designation of a psi-arm is what discipline it mimics the effects of as well as the specific power within that discipline.

Dynamo Psiarms: These psi-arms are used to produce the destructive psionic energy associated with the dynamo discipline. Dynamo psi-arms boast improvements over many traditional weapons, and even many advanced ADVENT designs. Firstly, dynamo energy has few counters. Only aegii shields and the Battlemaster's armour have proven to offer significant resistance to dynamo psionics. Most organic enemies will be killed on impact, with only the most enhanced foes being able to withstand more than a few seconds of sustained fire, and even the most heavily armoured vehicles and mechanical units have their armour rendered useless. Even a glancing shot is capable of removing limbs or exposing weak points.

The most straightforward dynamo psi-arm is patterned after the null lance technique, and fires a beam of dynamo energy from the muzzle of the weapon. This is the simplest version of the weapon. Variants may be created patterned after other weapon designs. For instance, the "sniper" variant would feature a narrower beam designed to focus on targeting a specific point on an enemy, trading broad destructive power in exchange for extreme damage to one point. A dynamo shotgun would focus on creating a highly focused blast of dynamo energy at a short distance from the muzzle, ensuring that the target is subjected to levels of dynamo energy that will evaporate any resistance, and ensure the target is killed in one shot at the price of a shorter effective range.

It is worth noting that among all the psi-arm variants, dynamo psi-arms are the most liable to require maintenance and repair, as the energy they utilize is likely to damage the device itself over long usages, particularly the muzzle. These weapons should be constructed with highly modular parts to allow for quick and easy replacement, and their users should be trained in repair. There should also be clear indications of when the weapon is in dangerous condition to prevent accidental misfirings from damaging or killing the operator, possibly up to and including a functional lock once critical systems sustain a certain threshold of damage or are destroyed.

In parallel to personal arms, construction psionic turrets could drastically increase the strength of ADVENT fortified positions. Having multiple turrets drawing off the same psionic battery array also means that if one turret experiences a malfunction due to the dynamo energy, the rest continue to function regardless, while also allowing multiple turrets to be replenished by replacing the batteries of their array. Care should be taken to train any potential operators to monitor their weapons for wear and tear, and they should only be deployed when engaging the enemy, as targeted shots against the machinery can potentially cause malfunctions. Such turrets can theoretically be scaled up to ground-to-space capabilities if sufficiently constructed and powered.

Telepathic Psi-Arms: These psi-arms project a telepathic command along the length of their "beam." The command is programmed into the loaded psi-core, meaning that the weapon can theoretically be shifted between commands by either having a more complex psi-core, or multiple parallel psi-cores. The most obvious advantage of this weapon is that it nullifies the value of armour on organic enemies. Telepathic psi-arms project their command into the enemy's mind, with the effect growing stronger the longer the beam is focused, functioning similar to a psionic mantra.

The primary form of the psi-arm utilizes the kill command, ordering the target to die. This has an additional benefit in the fact that an enemy that simply expires will have their armour and weapons preserved intact, allowing them to be recovered. The second command is a berserk command, which forces the target to turn on the nearest targets. This sows discord in the enemy lines, and turns the enemy's resources against them. Further iterations of this psi-arm may be able to add friend/foe commands as well, preventing the berserk enemy from posing a threat to ADVENT or allied forces. Other commands may be utilized, but these are the primary two likely to see combat.

As a final note, further iterations of telepathic psi-arms should focus on two areas of development. First is simply the strength of the command, making it operate faster, and harder to resist. The second is the command rate. Human minds are capable of issuing commands at an exceptional rate, but given that the psi-cores are artificial, it may be possible to issue commands at a faster rate, increasing the effectiveness of the mantra.

Telekinetic Psi-arms: Unlike the prior two suggestions, telekinetic psi-arms have the potential for vast utility usage in addition to being weapons. As weapons however, they still have value. The first category are vector psi-arms, which are broader in their manifestation, creating waves or pulses of telekinetic energy. These pulses are capable of doing significant damage to targets, causing bruising, fracturing, and internal bleeding, as well as destroying cover, topping structures, and other forms of destruction. A more rapid fire version could also be used in order to suppress enemy positions, as even if the telekinetic pulses are not enough to damage, they will throw off the enemy's aim.

Volant psi-arms are designed to be more focused on a singular target. They project a beam of telekinetic energy that begins to crush a target on impact. By focusing the shots on weak points such as limbs or necks, some level of armour can be ignored, and the enemy neutralized. Similarly, it can be used to target weak points on mechanized enemies, crushing sensitive or weak points that would resist blunt force. One notable usage is that by reducing the output to the lowest power, the volant psi-arm can also be used to lift and move objects, making it useful for even non-combat purposes. This usage will require some fine tuning and tinkering before it is ready for general and regular usage, especially considering the prohibitive expense of psi-cores.

A scaled up version of this could be useful when it comes to the field of space warfare. Currently, a major problem facing ADVENT is the deployment of Andromedon cleanser ships, which can bombard Earth from a greater range than most of our weapons. However, by deploying a volant beam, the target ships begins to lose altitude, bringing it into range of ground-based weapons, while also reducing its dodging capabilities. If multiple beams lock on, the ship can be ripped apart by the force differential. Finally, if the ship is targeted long enough, it can be brought down to crash, destroying it.

Psi-Explosives: XCOM has already demonstrated the usefulness of items such as the "Thought Bomb", a grenade capable of delivering a psionic kill command to any enemy within detonation range. Alongside telepathic grenades, dynamo and telekinetic grenades have also been proposed.

Dynamo grenades would create a burst of dynamo energy, capable of destroying most enemy positions and units. However, unlike telepathic grenades, the extreme nature of dynamo energy means that the grenade will be unreclaimable, and can't be reloaded. This means each one must be used effectively to validate the high cost.

Telekinetic grenades could be rigged to either "push" or "pull" when they detonate. Push grenades would be useful for throwing enemies out of cover, or even for demolition when placed as a charge. Pull grenades have the advantage of working through cover, albeit with a limited effectiveness based on depth. Units behind cover can be slammed into cover. When deployed into hordes, enemies can be used as weapons against one another, while also pinning them in place. Pull grenades could also be used when paired with another explosive, bunching up targets before the secondary charge detonates.

However, personal explosives are not the limit. Applying such technology to larger scale explosives could yield extremely powerful variants of current generation weapons. Dynamo warheads could be used to destroy enemy positions or ships, as they are able to destroy most known materials. Even resistant targets, such as The Battlemaster, would likely suffer significant damage from being caught in the periphery. The same warning about dynamo grenades applies here as well, meaning that every dynamo warhead represents a significant investment of resources.

Telepathic warheads are slightly more efficient, while also being incredibly deadly. Smaller warheads could be used to target alien spacecraft, killing the crew while preserving the ship in order to be used for materials. A more efficient version has been proposed, colloquially dubbed "the Shrieker." Instead of triggering a singular telepathic pulse, the warhead instead releases a sustained pulse. The missile then is programmed to fly over enemy positions, sweeping over a swath of enemy territory while subjecting them to the telepathic command. This makes each missile more efficient in that a singular missile can affect a much larger area, while still retaining a level of precision.

Psionic Defenses: Currently, psionics form a significant portion of ADVENT's defensive planning, with Aegii in particular being the largest contributors. Aegii shields are resistant to all forms of attack, including dynamo psionics. The ability to utilize such powerful shields in combat, especially on high value psionic units.

Psi-Armour

The first proposal for psionic personal defense is psi-armour. This system can actually be viewed more as an attached subsystem to an existing set of armour, though extant sets will require some modification in order to fit in all the mechanisms. The first generation sets will be modelled off of XCOM's own Aurora armour. This operates by generating a psionic shield in front of the user's torso and head, protecting the most important portions of the body, while also allowing use of limbs. A shield can also be generated behind the user of a larger size in order to protect from attacks from the rear.

Future iterations will increase the resolution of the protection, allowing for segmentation and smooth motion. To illustrate, one of the major issues is defense of the arms of the user. The arm can be divided as follows:

Primary Sections

Upper: Defined as the arm from the shoulder to the elbow.

Lower: Defined as the arm from the elbow to the wrist.

Secondary Sections (All defined from human standing at rest)

Front-facing: Defined as the quarter of the arm one sees from the front of the user.

Rear facing: Defined as the quarter of the arm one sees from the back of the user

Outer Facing: Defined as the quarter of the arm one sees standing to either side of the user. The right and left outer facing sections are reversed from one another, but functionally identical otherwise.

Inner Facing: Defined as the quarter of the arm that faces towards the main body. Once again, right and left are reversed, but functionally identical.

A first iteration psionic barrier would likely be mounted on the upper outer facing section of the arm, and project a barrier of a length comparable to either the upper arm, or the upper and lower arm combined. When at rest, the user's arms are completely covered from the sides, but exposed from all other angles. If the barrier was instead mounted so it was front-facing, it could only extend to upper arm length without affecting lower arm function. If it was rear-mounted, then it can be extended down to lower arm length, but when the lower arm is raised, the excess shield becomes a pointless draw of power, as it no longer covers the lower arm.

If we instead move to a second iteration psionic barrier, we view the covering as made of two panels instead of one. These barriers would be mounted on the upper and lower arms separately, with the corresponding lengths. This allows each set of shields to be to the specifications of that particular section of limb. However, this requires more intensive structures and a little more power. In addition, the projection of flat planes would require two or more planes in order to reasonably cover each limb, whereas a curved plane could reasonably cover the entire exposed portion of limb, minus the inner facing subsections, which are too close to the body.

With each iteration, the complexity increases, but so does the usability, affording the user greater protection under a variety of circumstances, as well as extra mobility. An additional component of consideration is the user's speed. As the user moves, the barriers must be readjusted, thus meaning that a particularly fast motion may cause the barrier to "blink", briefly exposing the user to danger. This is particularly dangerous on arms and legs, which not only move linearly, but along curved paths. Thus, effectiveness of the barriers is increased when the user is either still or moving slowly. Future iterations should seek to increase the "refresh" speed in order to allow for smooth motion with protection.

A final note is that the armour renders the user highly resistant to telepathy, thus protecting some of our most valuable units from being killed from a mere thought without the deployment of high level telepathic forces. It should be noted it does not currently afford protection from biopathy.

Psi-Shields

Psi-shields are a straight upgrade from the Shieldbearer technology. Mounting to a user's lower arm, these devices project a psionic barrier in front of them, blocking incoming damage. This device has several important advantages over traditional shields. Firstly, it is far lighter, as the shield is made of psionic energy, which means the only weight the user bears is the projection device. Secondly, because the shield is not fixed to the user's arm, any impacts to the shield will not affect the user. There will be no need to brace or correct for being thrown off balance. Even shots to the edge of the shield, which would normally twist the user's arm, will instead have the same effect as any other shot. Finally, the semi-physical nature of the shield means that it can be summoned and used anywhere. In a space that would be too constricted or small for standard shield usage, the psionic shield can be deployed, as it will simply fill the available space to its fullest extent. This will be of great benefit in defending PRIESTs in close quarters.

Theoretically, a device similar to that MELD Gauntlet that XCOM uses on their MELD Operators could be integrated in order to grant the device more flexibility. On the most basic level, an indicator of shield strength would give the user the feedback they need in order to know how long they can sustain the shield for. But on a more theoretical level, the shield projector could be modulated in order to allow the shield to take more forms, or be deployed in more tactical ways. Instead of appearing in front of the user's arm, they could project a shield to cover a nearby gap, while still remaining in complete cover themselves.

As a final note, an option to create a dome of protection would be useful for many situations, such as assault from all sides, or against various indirect hazards, like chemical weapons, or nanites.

CAD (City-wide Aegii Defense)

Similar to the scaled up versions of psionic weaponry, it is also possible to scale up psionic defenses. However, in this case, defending a whole city requires a few modifications. From the start, generating the shield as a dome is the most effective method, meaning that the positioning of the shield generator is incredibly important, and future ADVENT strongholds will likely have to have some design changes to reflect this. Secondly, because it is meant to protect a whole city for a sustained amount of time against much heavier fire, the minimum threshold for power of the psionic batteries will be much greater, necessitating a higher cost. However, the affected city will have an incredibly high level of defense, as has been seen with the deployment of the Ethereal Aegis.

It is also possible to deploy smaller forms of this technology that are capable of protecting individual positions or fortifications. In some cases, this may be more effective, but logistically, this means supplying more cores to more locations, and having to keep on top of the demands of every position. Ideally, the next generation of CAD would utilize a beacon system that synchronizes with a main generator in order to allow for a segmented deployment, thus making coverage more efficient by reducing dead space.

Psionic Utility: One of the primary benefits psionics yields in battle is an increased flexibility with tactics and logistics. Outlined below are several potential ideas for utilizing psionics in a more utility oriented fashion.

Psionic Network

Telepaths already provide complex, real time tactical guidance and communication in ADVENT forces, and the expansion of this ability only makes sense. Orders and tactical information could be directly transmitted to officers, allowing them to know the battle plan as precisely as the general who planned it. This does bear a certain measure of caution, however, as hostile telepaths can potentially read the minds of officers in order to obtain this information or even potentially through the telepathic 'transmission'. Even so, it is much harder to block psionic communications compared to electronic signals, which can be scrambled, blocked, or even intercepted. Additionally, telepathic mind-reading almost always leaves the target with a sense of intrusion aside from the most powerful telepaths, meaning that subterfuge will be known.

It is worth noting that, with the recent revelation of Null theory, it is conceivably possible that an exceptionally powerful and skilled telepath could intercept a psionic signal mid-transit. Such a feat would be reserved to specialized ethereals, or beings on their power scale, at minimum. When facing such foes, it is highly likely they will obtain the information regardless through comparatively simpler telepathic measures. It is still a risk to be noted, but the general benefits (such as the ability to penetrate barriers and avoid traditional comms jamming) still outweigh the negatives.

MUTED (Multi Unit Telepathic Envelopment Device)

MUTED is a device capable of being deployed on a battlefield that mimics the telepathic resistance of Psi-Armour on a broader scope. While within the range of a MUTED device, soldiers are resistant to telepathic assaults and attacks. Once again, this does not currently include biopathy, as psi-tech has not breached the sub-discipline level. Compared to psi-armour, this reduces the mobility of the user, but does not rely on all the affected soldiers to be psionic, thus making it one of the few psi-tech developments that can be deployed for standard soldiers.

Psionic Mechanization: Biological units are not the only units that can benefit from advances in psi-tech. MDUs and SHIVs can both benefit from the same techs as above, while also having the advantage of internal integration. While psionic shields must be mounted on a biological soldier's armour, they can instead be built internally with robots, meaning they are much harder to target. Additionally, the calculation times of these machines means that they can use the shields more effectively, triggering them with high precision.

Additionally, the weaponry of these devices can be increased, furthering their value. With internal sensors, they are also capable of monitoring the condition of their weapons much better than biological operators. In order to allow for smooth, continual fire over the course of longer battles, both units should be equipped with internal backup batteries, allowing them to reload with minimal effort.

In particular, machine units will likely be able to use telekinetic weapons more effectively, since they are able to calculate the effects of their usage more precisely. For instance, an MDU could calculate the flight time for a grenade to be over an enemy's position, set the timer on the telekinetic pull grenade to that time, and launch it. At the same time, all nearby MDUs have access to the same information, meaning that they can target the pulled enemies the moment they are lifted into the air. This is a level of coordination and precision only rivalled by professional telepathic squads.

Further Developments: The following items are either still pending testing and modification, or are speculative, and currently constrained by our understanding of psi-tech, but may be possible in the future.

Arsenal Telekinetics

Recent tests into telekinetic psionics have revealed that even the weakest telekines are potentially capable of manipulating multiple objects in unison. Some can even maintain a few discrete tasks, albeit with small amounts of repetition. From this fact, the idea of using a single telekine as a weapons platform arose. An arsenal telekine would be a telekine who has consistently scored well at manipulating multiple objects in concert. Notably, this does not require an exceptionally high Trask level, as concert motion seems to be mostly independent of strength. This telekine would then be issued several weapons to their person which are intended to be wielded simultaneously.

This presents a few issues for the user. Firstly, traditional weaponry is ill suited to being fired by telekinetic grips, relying on the pull of a finger or similar trigger. Finding a suitable analogue for psionics was difficult, but not impossible. There are two possible variants. Firstly, a pressure sensor. In this version, the weapon is modified to have a band of pressure sensors somewhere on the weapon, most likely slightly off the center of mass. When depressed, it causes the weapon to fire. This allows the telekine to lift the weapon by the center of mass, and then slightly increase the scope of their grip in order to fire.

This mentally mimics the idea of squeezing one's hand, which allows for a smoother and easier training time and reflex. The second variant involves a mental trigger. This can either be a psi-tech detection where the unit sends commands to their weapons, or a neural computer picks up on the command and sends the signal to the weapon to fire. The former relies on a telekine's minor telepathy to be strong enough to target their weapons, while the latter is more reliable, but trickier to filter the information. Both are susceptible to hostile interception, as hostile telepaths could "trick" the weapons into firing, while a signal to fire could be blocked or faked.

The other difficulty is in aiming. Arsenal weaponry should primarily be focused on beam weapons, such as lasers, which allow the user to adjust aim mid-fire, while retaining accuracy at high ranges. Another possible solution is to route small cameras on the weaponry to the telekine, but the excess stimuli could be overwhelming. As such, usage of the on-weapon targeting should likely be able to be toggled on or off to allow the telekine to decide which weapons they need to micromanage at a time.

The final consideration is weight. Carrying multiple weapons into combat will weigh a soldier down, and lifting their weapons constantly would inevitably tire out an arsenal telekine. Reducing the weight of the weapons will reduce this effect. While not in use, the weapons should be stowed in some way that they are accessible, but not burdensome.

Currently, this weapon type is highly feasible, but training and adjustment will be needed. There may be issues with operation we have not foreseen, and suitable telekines will need to be found and trained. However, once they are ready, arsenal telekines will be a strong force multiplier, allowing one soldier to carry the fire power of several.

CELATID (Computer Enhanced Logistics Assistant Technical Independent Drone)

Along the same line as psionic MDUs and SHIVs, CELATIDs are an autonomous psi-tech device best classified as a machine. In theory, these drones would be able to fly around a battlefield, using their psionics in order to assist soldiers. Currently, they can only be programmed at the Discipline level, but even those require testing before deployment.

All CELATIDs would be semi-autonomous, as a human operator could not reasonably react fast enough to control them effectively. Instead, the human operator feeds it commands, such as attack, or defend, and the drone follows the command to the best of its abilities. Each drone would likely have subtly different programming in case of uncertain situations, with some favouring offensive action, and others acting defensively. In order to prevent them from being hijacked by hostile AIs, all CELATIDs would contain hard-coded contingencies, ensuring that they will not be able to be turned against us. The exact nature of these may vary between simply shutting down to allow for recovery, or self-destruction to prevent hostile usage.

Aegii CELATIDs would be highly mobile versions of a Shieldbearer, able to fly between positions and create psionic barriers in order to defend positions. Its small frame and high speed mean it's unlikely to need to defend itself much, which allows it to expend more of its energy in defending allies. Its ability to fly means it is also able to ignore difficult or hazardous terrain, as well as move above enemy sightlines in order to avoid detection. Theoretically, they may be able to help assist Celestial forces and the like even in the air. Their small frame also means they can fit into areas that a Shieldbearer may not be able to. Their final advantage is a fast reaction time, which may allow it to activate its shields against attacks a human operator would not be able to respond to.

Dynamo CELATIDs could act as highly agile flankers and snipers, moving to unexpected positions and picking off high-value targets. Their ability to fly means they can find advantageous positions to attack from, as well as the ability to dodge. Their fast reaction time means they can adjust their aim quickly even while performing evasive maneuvers. However, like all dynamo empowered weaponry, they have a limited lifetime, and require higher maintenance.

Once the sub-discipline level is cracked, one of the most useful CELATIDs will be the biopath. A biopathic CELATID is an extremely capable field medic, capable of mending several soldiers at once, even in critical conditions. Even the most expert ADVENT medics would struggle to keep entire squads of wounded ADVENT soldiers tended to, but a CELATID would have the processing power to be able to use its biopathy to meet each soldier's need. Additionally, powerful diagnostic systems means it could rapidly identify issues with the patient, and apply proper procedures. This unit would be highly useful both on and off the battlefield, making it a highly valuable use of psi-cores.

Specialized Secret Clearance Required

Special Advisory: Muginn Class Psi-Tech

Additional Author: Dr. Ari Misfud, Director of Project Ra

Description: During the course of discussion over possible advances in psi-tech, a particularly disturbing line of thought came up. Given the dangerous nature of this particular subject, it was decided that it would be removed from the standard report, and appended as a top secret addendum.

One of the very first new forms of psi-tech was XCOM's Thought Bombs, which utilize telepathy. Notably, some of the suggestions in the previous sections allow purely mechanical devices to utilize psionics through a psi-core. In following this train of thought, we came to the logical, and terrifying, conclusion: a psionic AI.

Dubbed a "Muginn" AI, it consists of an electronic AI system attached to a psi-tech array that allows it to utilize telepathic commands and powers. Unlike a machine intelligence, an AI is more likely going to be capable of fine emotional manipulation, as well as understanding biological thoughts more clearly. As a result, the Muginn AI could be capable of utilizing its powers more effectively and subtly than a machine intelligence.

What truly makes this terrifying is how powerful such an AI could be. Because the AI is mounted to the psi-core, this means that even hostile attacks against it will only fry the psi-core. The AI itself will be untouched and unaffected, requiring only a new core to continue functioning, thus making it highly resistant to counter attack.

Additionally, if loaded with Ethereal or above level psi-cores, it could be resilient to telepathic attacks in the first place. This doesn't account for what the psionic landscape would be like for the invading telepath. It may be that the mindset of the AI makes it further resistant to interference to a level of being near invulnerable.

Such an AI would not have to be deployed solely to battle. It could be stealthily inserted into a city, and perform surveillance on the populace, screening their thoughts for intel. While Manchurian Restraints could prevent this, it would require placing the entire population under them.

At the same time, it could perform subtle nudges to society to cause unrest, subterfuge, and other problems. Increasing aggression and irritation to sleights, real or perceived, could induce public upheaval to outright rioting. Influencing a civilian to kill a high level authority would be the least of its powers. Even if we were to try and detect it, the Muginn could simply put its psi-core on deep freeze, lowering brain activity to near zero to become undetectable.

Given the Collective's fear of AI, it is highly unlikely they have developed, or will develop, this technology. However, given its risk and strength, as well as the escalation from both sides, such a development cannot be ignored. While it should go without saying, it bears printing here: ADVENT should not seek to produce a Muginn AI, and all testing and development should be focused on detection and prevention. Anything less than this risks oblivion.