I have to state its not completely my fault... I just wanted to write down a few thoughts on this "virtual pilot" thing... and then I wrote two examples for the technology... and then another Fenspace writer suggested to add something.
The Geth might appear later in Candle in the Dark... not sure about it at the moment.
Yes, I admit it became a little bit longer. Have fun reading! Comments as always welcome!
#############
Virtual Pilots
»Yes, thats my new space fighter... no, it doesn't have a cockpit. Why waste space on cockpit and life support?«
- heard on Jenga in 2027
»Its a full emulation of a catgirl body... okay, with a few shortcuts to reduce the stress of the emulation. I am not sure you will even notice the difference.«
- Cortana, before the first mindstate emulation in 2026
Virtual Pilots were first introduced by Catgirl Industries in 2026. While the company relied mostly on drones of all kinds for their security, they could easily see the advantage of having a pilot for a power armor or space fighter. Unwilling to rethink their whole design philosophy or using dedicated AIs for these weapons, they began to apply a new generation of Mindtech systems on in larger numbers.
The system was originally tested in Jengas virtual cyberspace. While the technology to copy a mind had been available since 2015, it took a decade of dedicated research to learn how to interpret the data, compress it down to a manageable size and finally run it in a computer emulation. The emulation gives the catgirl mind the feeling of a full body and allows her to interact with other Fen in cyberspace or through a holographic interface.
The Virtual Pilot system is just the same technology, downsized enough to be mounted in a drone body. Drones with the Virtual Pilot system do not contain a cockpit systems or even life support. Instead of having room for a biological pilot, they have an extended internal computer system with a virtual reality core.
The catgirl pilot lies down in a cryogenic tube outside the drone and use a Mindtech helmet to upload a copy of herself to the computer system of the drone. While she is away with the drone, the biological body is kept frozen. At the end of the mission the mindstate is transferred back to the original body, which also doubles as a backup should the drone be destroyed.
The first two drone system equipped for Virtual Pilots were the Space Exocomps and the Geth series combat bots.
Space Exocomps
»Nina, please come down here... our fine bumblebees have brought something with them again, might be something from the Boskonian war!«
- Jenga 2026
Base Hull: Spherical custom built hull
Length: 1.8 m
Width: 1.2 m
Height: 1.2 m
Mass: 3.5 tons
Drive Type: Mass Effect field engine
Drive Rating: 0.14c sprint speed, 0.10c cruising speed
Registry Number CI-E, followed by a random 8 digit number
Launched: 2021
Purpose: Station defense, resource acquisition
Primary Crew: Groupmind of 6-12 Exocomp AIs
Secondary Crew: up to two Virtual Pilots (since 2026)
The Space Exocomps began as a modified version of the Veritech Companion Drone program Catgirl Industries had done together with the Roughriders in 2016. Drawing on the experience with this modular drone system the catgirls designed two kinds of drones for their Normandy class patrol ship, the Argus class recon drone and the Oculus class combat drone.
Both drones were completely remote controlled by the AI of the ship over a quantum entanglement link, without enough computer power to develop their own mind. While the original plans of the catgirls were only about using the drones combined with the ships, they quickly recognized their value as space superiority fighters and decided to deploy a couple of them on Jenga and the Little Big Bang labs.
Shortly after the Exocomp upgrade in the early 2020s, the little drones decided to do something to help their 'stupid brothers' and began secretly to modify the systems of the drones. They replaced their central components with a huge version of their own universal tool adapter, which was also capable to to be used for reconnaissance and combat. They also increased the computer capabilities of the new drones, allowing them to contain up to a dozen Exocomp intelligences.
Before the catgirls even noticed, the first members of the Hive were born.
The Hive
The Hive became Catgirl Industries name for all the Exocomps living on their stations. While the small Exocomps sometimes sometimes behave like cats, their larger Exocomps displayed a more bee-like behavior.
Most of the 'bees', or 'bumblebees' as the catgirls call them, tend to stay somewhere on or around their station, but some of them sometimes wander off to patrol the space in the neighborhood. Sometimes they even come back with some unusual material they found on their travel.
The Jenga Space Defense Corps
While the Space Exocomps proved to be skilled in deep space navigation and became fierce fighters when the station was under attack, they still lacked a good tactical sense. In 2026 the catgirls proposed an upgrade to support their bumblebees to protect their shared homes.
Since then all Space Exocomps got a Virtual Pilot module that allow them to carry one or two catgirls as tactical advisors for space combat. While control of the drone is still done by the Exocomps, this shared responsibility has proven to raise the combat capabilities of them quite a lot.
Groups of Space Exocomps can network to form 'tactical data networks' to supply the catgirls on board with all kinds of sensor information, even when being away from their home. A few of them have joined Great Justice fleet exercises from time to time.
Quirks
Trivia
Geth series combat bots
»No, stopping the ball with the forcefield is NOT okay!«
- first baseball game catgirls versus Exocomps, Geth style
»I need evac! Yes, I said I killed this thing... I shot its damned HEAD off, get me out of here!«
- unknown Boskonian running for his life
Base Hull: Two legged humanoid robot
Height: 2 m - 3.5 m depending on type
Mass: 250 - 1000 kg depending on type
Drive Type: ‘Myomer muscles'
Dark energy mass effect drive
Drive Rating: up to 80 km/h running
Mach 1 flying in atmosphere, 0.08c in space
Reactor: 3rd generation Micro-Fusor reactor
Armament: none, use external weapons
Manufacturer: Catgirl Industries
Owner: Catgirl Industries
Registry Number: CI-G-001 and higher
Launched: Mid 2026
Primary Crew: 1 or 2 Virtual Pilots inside the VR core
The Geth series combat bots are the successor of the Mini Madcats, upgraded to the technology available in the late 2020s and modelled after the theme of the Mass Effect games. The robots are built around an endoskeleton animated by thick fibers of 'myomer muscle' and are mounting thick waved armor plating on top. In addition to the hull plating, each Geth projects a strong Mass Effect field for protection.
There are three types of Geths. The smallest one are just 2 meters high and are called Geth Troopers, Geth 'Destroyers' are 2.8 meters high and the Geth Prime stand 3.5 meter high.
The center torso of the machines contain a fusor to provide energy and a 4th generation mass effect core. The computer system is distributed redundantly over the whole robot. Unlike the Mini Madcats the Geth robots do not mount weapons directly but have to take a rifle or pistol like weapon system.
All weapon systems are connected to the computer and reactor of the Geth by induction pads in the hands of the robots.
Modes of operation
The Geth can be controlled in two differents modes of operation, Pilot mode and Action mode.
In Pilot mode the catgirl is inhabiting a virtual avatar inside the Geths computer, floating inside a transparent graphics of the robot and its surroundings. The robot itself is controlled by a non-aware virtual intelligence capable of moving the Geth around and doing basic surveillance. The virtual reality core can project navigational consoles and reacts to voice command of the pilot. In this mode the pilot can relax or even sleep, but it is not able to fight.
On demand or when the robot is attacked, the system changes into Action mode. In Action Mode the Geth becomes an extension of the catgirls virtual body, making it easier to fight. While the body proportions of the Geth robots are similar to a catgirl, it takes a certain amount of training to handle a Geth efficiently in combat. Short term overclocking of the internal computer system allow the pilot a superior reaction in tight combat situations.
Geth and Exocomps
Geth don't have an artificial intelligence of their own, which made the Exocomps of Catgirl Industries feel worried about a new generation of machines without 'them'. This changed within the first week when the Exocomps discovered that the central core of a Geth can also contain a group of Exocomp minds.
It takes between six and twelve Exocomps to control a Geth in a meaningful way. From time to time Exocomps tend to hack themselves into an empty Geth to play with it. Popular games are 'capture the catgirl', but a few Exocomps have also started to play baseball, with hilarious results. Luckily for everyone the weapon systems of the Geth cannot be accessed by the Exocomps.
See also Legion.
Quirks
Trivia
Legion
»Shepard Commander?«
- Legions first words after waking up
»Another one. And of course its not your fault, it's never your fault, sure... I need a drink.«
- Andy Kramer after Shepard explained the 'Legion situation'
»They and the cats are what we and our creators should have been.«
- Long explanation of Legion why he likes Exocomps
History
Geths series combat bots do not possess an artificial intelligence of their own, their operation system and hardware designed in a way to prevent them from waking up. But as always Handwavium sometimes has different things in mind.
Geth Trooper 14 began its life as a spare model for testing in the Jenga Robotic Defense Force in 2026. While the Troopers 1 to 12 were extensively tested by a group of catgirl pilots, number 13 and 14 were kept in storage as spares.
The Exocomps on Jenga quickly discovered the 'unused toys' and began to experiment with them, leading to all kinds of new game activities like Tag or Hide and Seek. When Catgirl Industries started producing the next batch of Geth, they decided to gift Trooper 13 and 14 to EDI as heavy support units. They secretly smuggled them to the hangar when the Normandy visited Jenga as a surprise for the AI and her captain.
Unfortunately one of the Exocomps of the Normandy was quite scared when the large robots suddenly appeared when the airlock opened and fired a lighting bolt at Trooper 14, penetrating a defective part of its upper armor and sending the remote controlled robot to the floor.
Trooper 14 was quickly brought to the lab of the Normandy to check the amount of damage the lightning bolt had done. When Commander Shepard visited the lab a few hours later to have a look at the gift, the Geth's eye suddenly lit up and he said: "Shepard Commander? What happened?"
Legion at Space Patrol
The new AI, which called itself Legion, took the explanation about Fenspace and the Mass Effect games very calmly. Instead of heading off to see the rest of Fenspace on his own, Legion asked for joining Shepard's team to fight at his side.
Luckily Shepard could persuade his boss Andy Kramer that Legion could be a valuable asset to his team and that he was the perfect person to keep an eye on him.
Abilities
Quirks
Trivia
####
(edit) fixed an incomplete block of text
The Geth might appear later in Candle in the Dark... not sure about it at the moment.
Yes, I admit it became a little bit longer. Have fun reading! Comments as always welcome!
#############
Virtual Pilots
»Yes, thats my new space fighter... no, it doesn't have a cockpit. Why waste space on cockpit and life support?«
- heard on Jenga in 2027
»Its a full emulation of a catgirl body... okay, with a few shortcuts to reduce the stress of the emulation. I am not sure you will even notice the difference.«
- Cortana, before the first mindstate emulation in 2026
Virtual Pilots were first introduced by Catgirl Industries in 2026. While the company relied mostly on drones of all kinds for their security, they could easily see the advantage of having a pilot for a power armor or space fighter. Unwilling to rethink their whole design philosophy or using dedicated AIs for these weapons, they began to apply a new generation of Mindtech systems on in larger numbers.
The system was originally tested in Jengas virtual cyberspace. While the technology to copy a mind had been available since 2015, it took a decade of dedicated research to learn how to interpret the data, compress it down to a manageable size and finally run it in a computer emulation. The emulation gives the catgirl mind the feeling of a full body and allows her to interact with other Fen in cyberspace or through a holographic interface.
The Virtual Pilot system is just the same technology, downsized enough to be mounted in a drone body. Drones with the Virtual Pilot system do not contain a cockpit systems or even life support. Instead of having room for a biological pilot, they have an extended internal computer system with a virtual reality core.
The catgirl pilot lies down in a cryogenic tube outside the drone and use a Mindtech helmet to upload a copy of herself to the computer system of the drone. While she is away with the drone, the biological body is kept frozen. At the end of the mission the mindstate is transferred back to the original body, which also doubles as a backup should the drone be destroyed.
The first two drone system equipped for Virtual Pilots were the Space Exocomps and the Geth series combat bots.
Space Exocomps
»Nina, please come down here... our fine bumblebees have brought something with them again, might be something from the Boskonian war!«
- Jenga 2026
Base Hull: Spherical custom built hull
Length: 1.8 m
Width: 1.2 m
Height: 1.2 m
Mass: 3.5 tons
Drive Type: Mass Effect field engine
Drive Rating: 0.14c sprint speed, 0.10c cruising speed
Registry Number CI-E, followed by a random 8 digit number
Launched: 2021
Purpose: Station defense, resource acquisition
Primary Crew: Groupmind of 6-12 Exocomp AIs
Secondary Crew: up to two Virtual Pilots (since 2026)
The Space Exocomps began as a modified version of the Veritech Companion Drone program Catgirl Industries had done together with the Roughriders in 2016. Drawing on the experience with this modular drone system the catgirls designed two kinds of drones for their Normandy class patrol ship, the Argus class recon drone and the Oculus class combat drone.
Both drones were completely remote controlled by the AI of the ship over a quantum entanglement link, without enough computer power to develop their own mind. While the original plans of the catgirls were only about using the drones combined with the ships, they quickly recognized their value as space superiority fighters and decided to deploy a couple of them on Jenga and the Little Big Bang labs.
Shortly after the Exocomp upgrade in the early 2020s, the little drones decided to do something to help their 'stupid brothers' and began secretly to modify the systems of the drones. They replaced their central components with a huge version of their own universal tool adapter, which was also capable to to be used for reconnaissance and combat. They also increased the computer capabilities of the new drones, allowing them to contain up to a dozen Exocomp intelligences.
Before the catgirls even noticed, the first members of the Hive were born.
The Hive
The Hive became Catgirl Industries name for all the Exocomps living on their stations. While the small Exocomps sometimes sometimes behave like cats, their larger Exocomps displayed a more bee-like behavior.
Most of the 'bees', or 'bumblebees' as the catgirls call them, tend to stay somewhere on or around their station, but some of them sometimes wander off to patrol the space in the neighborhood. Sometimes they even come back with some unusual material they found on their travel.
The Jenga Space Defense Corps
While the Space Exocomps proved to be skilled in deep space navigation and became fierce fighters when the station was under attack, they still lacked a good tactical sense. In 2026 the catgirls proposed an upgrade to support their bumblebees to protect their shared homes.
Since then all Space Exocomps got a Virtual Pilot module that allow them to carry one or two catgirls as tactical advisors for space combat. While control of the drone is still done by the Exocomps, this shared responsibility has proven to raise the combat capabilities of them quite a lot.
Groups of Space Exocomps can network to form 'tactical data networks' to supply the catgirls on board with all kinds of sensor information, even when being away from their home. A few of them have joined Great Justice fleet exercises from time to time.
Quirks
- Buzzing. All Space Exocomps make a noise like a large bumblebee when moving.
- Honey! When finding something interesting on their journeys, they tend to bring it back home. Sometimes its some rare form of asteroid ore, sometimes parts of a shipwreck.
Trivia
- Catgirl Industries is thinking about upgrading all Space Exocomp to a new Mass Effect engine to increase their sublight speed.
- Traveling Fen near a Catgirl Industries installation often meet a few Space Exocomps. Sometimes they get an 'offer' for a free field repair for their ships, mostly restricted to surface damage.
- As with all Catgirl Industries Exocomps, their registration numbers change from time to time.
- As all Exocomps of 2026, Space Exocomps can reconfigure their Universal Tool Adapter to shoot ball-lightning's.
Geth series combat bots
»No, stopping the ball with the forcefield is NOT okay!«
- first baseball game catgirls versus Exocomps, Geth style
»I need evac! Yes, I said I killed this thing... I shot its damned HEAD off, get me out of here!«
- unknown Boskonian running for his life
Base Hull: Two legged humanoid robot
Height: 2 m - 3.5 m depending on type
Mass: 250 - 1000 kg depending on type
Drive Type: ‘Myomer muscles'
Dark energy mass effect drive
Drive Rating: up to 80 km/h running
Mach 1 flying in atmosphere, 0.08c in space
Reactor: 3rd generation Micro-Fusor reactor
Armament: none, use external weapons
Manufacturer: Catgirl Industries
Owner: Catgirl Industries
Registry Number: CI-G-001 and higher
Launched: Mid 2026
Primary Crew: 1 or 2 Virtual Pilots inside the VR core
The Geth series combat bots are the successor of the Mini Madcats, upgraded to the technology available in the late 2020s and modelled after the theme of the Mass Effect games. The robots are built around an endoskeleton animated by thick fibers of 'myomer muscle' and are mounting thick waved armor plating on top. In addition to the hull plating, each Geth projects a strong Mass Effect field for protection.
There are three types of Geths. The smallest one are just 2 meters high and are called Geth Troopers, Geth 'Destroyers' are 2.8 meters high and the Geth Prime stand 3.5 meter high.
The center torso of the machines contain a fusor to provide energy and a 4th generation mass effect core. The computer system is distributed redundantly over the whole robot. Unlike the Mini Madcats the Geth robots do not mount weapons directly but have to take a rifle or pistol like weapon system.
All weapon systems are connected to the computer and reactor of the Geth by induction pads in the hands of the robots.
Modes of operation
The Geth can be controlled in two differents modes of operation, Pilot mode and Action mode.
In Pilot mode the catgirl is inhabiting a virtual avatar inside the Geths computer, floating inside a transparent graphics of the robot and its surroundings. The robot itself is controlled by a non-aware virtual intelligence capable of moving the Geth around and doing basic surveillance. The virtual reality core can project navigational consoles and reacts to voice command of the pilot. In this mode the pilot can relax or even sleep, but it is not able to fight.
On demand or when the robot is attacked, the system changes into Action mode. In Action Mode the Geth becomes an extension of the catgirls virtual body, making it easier to fight. While the body proportions of the Geth robots are similar to a catgirl, it takes a certain amount of training to handle a Geth efficiently in combat. Short term overclocking of the internal computer system allow the pilot a superior reaction in tight combat situations.
Geth and Exocomps
Geth don't have an artificial intelligence of their own, which made the Exocomps of Catgirl Industries feel worried about a new generation of machines without 'them'. This changed within the first week when the Exocomps discovered that the central core of a Geth can also contain a group of Exocomp minds.
It takes between six and twelve Exocomps to control a Geth in a meaningful way. From time to time Exocomps tend to hack themselves into an empty Geth to play with it. Popular games are 'capture the catgirl', but a few Exocomps have also started to play baseball, with hilarious results. Luckily for everyone the weapon systems of the Geth cannot be accessed by the Exocomps.
See also Legion.
Quirks
- No Touch. Catgirl Industries were unable to give armored body a sense of touch, except for the hands. Catgirls have complained that makes the Geth uncomfortable to inhabit.
- Computer Speech. Voice output sounds always like pre-wave computer creation.
Trivia
- They destroyed the 3rd bridge! While the head contains additional sensors, the headlight and a loudspeaker, its not essential to the Geths combat capabilities.
- ... with the second shot. The head is very well armored.
- Passenger. A Geth can carry the upload of a second catgirl within its virtual reality core, but only one catgirl can access the Action mode at the same time.
- The 4th generation mass effect forcefield is the first of its kind that can also block energy weapons.
Legion
»Shepard Commander?«
- Legions first words after waking up
»Another one. And of course its not your fault, it's never your fault, sure... I need a drink.«
- Andy Kramer after Shepard explained the 'Legion situation'
»They and the cats are what we and our creators should have been.«
- Long explanation of Legion why he likes Exocomps
History
Geths series combat bots do not possess an artificial intelligence of their own, their operation system and hardware designed in a way to prevent them from waking up. But as always Handwavium sometimes has different things in mind.
Geth Trooper 14 began its life as a spare model for testing in the Jenga Robotic Defense Force in 2026. While the Troopers 1 to 12 were extensively tested by a group of catgirl pilots, number 13 and 14 were kept in storage as spares.
The Exocomps on Jenga quickly discovered the 'unused toys' and began to experiment with them, leading to all kinds of new game activities like Tag or Hide and Seek. When Catgirl Industries started producing the next batch of Geth, they decided to gift Trooper 13 and 14 to EDI as heavy support units. They secretly smuggled them to the hangar when the Normandy visited Jenga as a surprise for the AI and her captain.
Unfortunately one of the Exocomps of the Normandy was quite scared when the large robots suddenly appeared when the airlock opened and fired a lighting bolt at Trooper 14, penetrating a defective part of its upper armor and sending the remote controlled robot to the floor.
Trooper 14 was quickly brought to the lab of the Normandy to check the amount of damage the lightning bolt had done. When Commander Shepard visited the lab a few hours later to have a look at the gift, the Geth's eye suddenly lit up and he said: "Shepard Commander? What happened?"
Legion at Space Patrol
The new AI, which called itself Legion, took the explanation about Fenspace and the Mass Effect games very calmly. Instead of heading off to see the rest of Fenspace on his own, Legion asked for joining Shepard's team to fight at his side.
Luckily Shepard could persuade his boss Andy Kramer that Legion could be a valuable asset to his team and that he was the perfect person to keep an eye on him.
Abilities
- AI Robot. Doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, doesn't age, potentially immortal.
- Sharpshooter. Unsurprisingly to everyone Legion has proven to be an excellent sniper.
Quirks
- Fictional Person. Based closely on a fictional character, which allows strangers to predict his reactions with some accuracy if they've found and reviewed the source material.
- Quiet. Legion doesn't like talk much, at least via voice.
Trivia
- That hole! Legion argues that the hole in his armor is not important enough to fix.
- What hole? EDI and Shepard persuaded him later to get a replacement armor patch with a specially waved transparent alloy over the hole.
- My little friends! When visiting Jenga, Legions enjoys sitting on the ground with a horde of playful Exocomps around him.
####
(edit) fixed an incomplete block of text
