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#4
Of all the costs that are incurred in any sort of manufacturing, human labor is omnipresent, and something everyone at the top is always trying to bring down.
From the standpoint of a business, it makes sense. Labor costs a lot, and you need to pay people adequately for their time, or you won't attract workers of any quality, a lesson some executives seem to constantly forget. Some occupations, like oil rig workers and niche computer specialists, have demanding environments or require specialized skills, cutting the number of eligible workers for these positions down. These sorts of workers typically demand a much higher salary and have considerable bargaining power over their respective employers, something the employers hate.
This is where the automation bogeyman comes in, the thing executives worship and workers dread.
Machines designed to replace workers have a steep upfront cost, and need upkeep, but once they're up and running, they'll eventually pay for themselves and everything after that is increased profit. The average joe is obviously not happy with a robot waltzing in and taking his job, even with the assurances that someday robots will do everything and he'll have infinite free time.
Such assurances are usually false, anyway. The so-called "AI" I'm familiar with just wasn't at the level of competence needed to be a general worker. Without general artificial intelligence, robo-utopia is a pipe dream.
Who am I kidding? Even with that, it's still a pipe dream.
"-enclave sends its regards as well as a petition to lease three mercantile plots for the coming autumn equinox festival in Kyoto."
Stephen does his best to pay attention to the dull conversation taking place. Everyone is speaking Japanese, but Comms can thankfully provide real-time translation through a wireless earpiece Stephen has taken to wearing in recent days.
Now, if only anything being said was relevant to him. Stephen glances around the room, taking in the multitude of people around them.
Just two weeks ago, he solved the issue of needing to manually fuel all the golems created by Automata Gigue. With ki-gathering solar panels and a method to create basic humanoid golems, he made his debut to the palace by putting twenty mannequin golems into service.
There was a bit of a hiccup with Kurohane finding the first iteration of the electronics-fitted masks too unsettling, so after some back-and-forth, Stephen redesigned them to resemble traditional kitsune masks, and used magnets, rather than screws, to mount the mask.
The bee-port, meanwhile, was installed directly into the back of the head of each one, with wires boring through the wood to the mounting magnets, making a contact point for the bee drones to interface with the electronics inside the mask. Once each golem was covered with hoods and servants robes, Kurohane gave them the green light.
Twenty new servants for a royal sprawl like the Kyoto Palace doesn't sound like much, but considering these servants take no days off, never make mistakes, require no training, and require no wages, the effects were felt quite profoundly.
After just a week of labor, the servant golems broke even on their material costs, and Kurohane approved the installation of golem charging ports throughout the palace. Guided by Central, the mannequins have already renovated the western wing of the palace containing Stephen's workshop with inhuman speed. Before the month is out, most of the palace will be hooked up to the yet-to-be-named ki-network branching out from the workshop.
Of course, it isn't just the palace staff that noticed the automatons. Powerful youkai, both personally and politically, are in and out of the palace each day. Once a clan made a purchase inquiry for servant golems of their own, Stephen knew his time as an anonymous figure was over.
Which is how he got roped into joining council meetings.
The meeting room is dim, and everyone sits in seiza around a long table. At the head of the table is Yasaka, who sits with the poise of a queen, her tails fanned out behind her. To her right, Kurohane dutifully scribes each word of the meeting into a scroll. Across from Kurohane and on Yasaka's left is Kunou, her aloof face projecting her "princess mode," as Stephen likes to call it.
Of all the youkai clans that make Kyoto their home, only the four most influential are on the Elder Council, and they are the ones who come next.
Next to Kurohane is Yasuhiko of clan Tamamo, a kitsune. No one is truly sure if the predominantly kitsune clan is actually descended from Tamamo-no-Mae, but regardless, the connection has their clan at odds with a group of human Japanese mystics, the Five Principal Clans, or something. Kunou explained during an impromptu history lesson that the Five Principal Clans sealed Tamamo-no-Mae ages ago, and the constant tensions between the Tamamo clan and the Five Principal Clans has turned the group of kitsune into fence sitters.
Yasuhiko himself, despite supposedly being an older gentleman, doesn't look a day over twenty. His long, silver hair matches the hue of his fox ears and six tails, and his clothing is simple, but refined.
Across from Yasuhiko is Sai of clan Ikazuchi. Sai, being a raiju youkai, is more beast than man. His head is vaguely canine and covered in off-white fur like the rest of his body. His blue eyes glow, and his muzzle seems perpetually stuck in a frown. Every so often, static will crackle in the thin mist that seems to hang around his body.
Sai glances towards Stephen with suspicion, which is surely caused by the conservative values the Ikazuchi hold dear.
Arakawa Daisuke holds the third seat. The oni is a living mountain of muscle and sits with his arms crossed. The martially oriented Arakawa are even more traditional than the Ikazuchi if some idle conversation with Kaito is to be believed, but Kaito, being the swell guy that he is, has already put in a good word for Stephen with his clan.
Daisuke acknowledged Stephen with a nod at the beginning of the meeting, and then didn't look his way again. Dismissal, or something else, Stephen is unsure.
In the last spot is Yorozu Kazue, an elderly nekomata. The years haven't been kind to Kazue, as her age shows through the lines of her tightly-drawn face and the gray of her hair. She has good reason to be stressed, because if what Stephen understands is correct, the nekomata as a whole are not in a good place.
With clan Nekoshou, the previously dominant nekomata clan, nearly extinct from a birth deficit, clan Yorozu took the reins of the nekomata within Kyoto and the wider West Youkai territories. At least, most of them did. Some members of the clan ran off to rejoin with the East Youkai, where nekomata are more numerous. The Yorozu are by far the most liberal of the elder clans, but most seemingly view this as desperation in the face of decline. It was clan Yorozu that sent Stephen the inquiry about purchasing golems, where others only had pointed questions.
'I'm not about to outright sell my golems,' Stephen thinks to himself, giving Kazue a glance. 'Though, I'd be willing to lease them out mighty cheap for some goodwill.'
Then comes Madam Hinata of the palace mystics, who is sat next to Kazue, and across from her is the head Guardsman of the Kyoto Palace, a tengu with a scar on the left side of his face. Then the head servant of the palace, followed by Stephen himself, and others Yasaka considers valuable. The further down the table they are, the less important the attendees become. The ones near the back are allowed to voice their opinions, but cannot truly influence anything.
"If there are no more issues or topics of discussion to be brought forward to the elder council, then I hereby declare this meeting adjourned," Yasaka says, her honey-colored eyes sweeping across everyone around the low table. "Steele-san, please remain behind."
Many eyes bore into Stephen as everyone sans himself, Kurohane, Kunou, and Yasaka herself stand to leave. Once the room is vacated, Yasaka beckons Stephen closer.
"I hope I'm not being let go after just a few weeks," Stephen jokes as he sits down next to Kurohane.
Yasaka titters behind a hand. "Nothing of the sort. No, I merely wished to speak of the proposal you sent to me, the one regarding electronics production?"
'That's right, I did send in a request for a meeting, didn't I? That was almost a week ago. A week of turnaround time isn't bad for the leader of a shadow nation.'
"Right," Stephen nods with a small smile. "So, has everyone seen the recent surge of popularity around cellphones with the iPhone's recent release?" he asks, looking at the youkai around him.
"iPhone?" Yasaka questions, raising a delicate eyebrow. "I've heard the name, but I've had little time to spare when it comes to the mortal world."
Kurohane speaks before Stephen can. "A new-age cellphone, Yasaka-sama. It has many functions older models lack," he huffs. "My great-granddaughter has one, and it's practically glued to her hand now. I never see her without it," he says, crossing his feathered arms grumpily. "I worry it may become a trend with the youth."
'Astute as ever, Kurohane,' Stephen thinks to himself with an inward smirk. "I'm of the same opinion, and since it's still a fresh market, I want to propose that we break into it. I know the rise of the smartphone is going to cause a paradigm shift in the tech sphere, and jumping into it now will give the youkai a new and ever-expanding revenue stream to the tune of hundreds of billions, maybe even tens of trillions of yen within the coming years."
The extreme figure makes both Yasaka and Kurohane sit a little straighter, and prompts Kunou to stare at him with wide eyes.
'Oh yeah, that got their attention.'
Ten trillion yen in the current year of 2008 is about a hundred billion US dollars, which might seem a bit underwhelming to larger nations, but to a micro territory like supernatural Kyoto?
Even one trillion would go a long way.
Stephen takes Comms from his pocket and slides the phone over to the kitsune and tengu across from him. As rehearsed, Comm's screen comes to life with a spreadsheet filled with sales data from cellphone manufacturers, with Apple right at the top.
"As you can see there, Apple made nearly two-billion USD in device sales alone. That's without warranties, service, special software, downloads, anything," Stephen explains, watching Yasaka's eyes narrow in thought. "If estimates hold, that figure will balloon almost a hundred-fold in fifteen years, and I think Kyoto wants a piece of that pie."
That calculating face Yasaka wore during their first meeting is back, and Stephen would be lying if he said it didn't make his heart speed up. The kitsune woman's resting face is beyond beautiful, but that dangerous expression, the one revealing the multi-century-old fox demon below, is thrilling in a way that is difficult to explain.
'Keep it together, Stephen. You've worked for pretty women before, this one is just… Prettier than all of them. Put together.'
"This is fanciful, and would provide for our people greatly if all goes well, but don't you think that selling your golems has the potential to backfire?" Kurohane asks, lifting Comms and tapping a talon on the phone's emerald case. "Not only that, the world economy is dipping into a recession that Japan is not equipped to handle. This may be ill-timed."
"Oh, I'm not selling phone golems, Kurohane-san, I'm-"
"-Going to use free labor from your golems to build the devices and undercut competitors," Yasaka finishes for him, her golden eyes flashing in approval. A sly smile rises to her face as it all comes together before her. "Not only that, but you intend to offload other expensive tasks to your golems, like research and marketing," she says, raising a hand and hiding her growing smile behind thin fingers. "How very kitsune-like, Steele-san."
'Figures she would get it all in one go,' Stephen smiles back. "Yes, ma'am. You practically read my mind. Device sales are only the beginning. Once we have a foot in the door, other opportunities ripe for monetization will open up. Warranty service, a pay-to-play proprietary software ecosystem, data harvesting, all lucrative stuff that adds up fast."
'I'm becoming what I hate awful fast,' he can't help but muse to himself. 'The corpo nonsense is right foul in my mouth, but if I don't seize the opportunity, I'll kick my own ass later.'
Yasaka nods slowly, one of her fox ears flicking. "You know, this isn't what I was expecting out of you when we brought you into the fold, Steele-san," she says. "I was planning for, well…"
"You were expecting giant robots and doom rays?" Stephen asks with amusement, making Yasaka look away with mock embarrassment. "I figure we'd get the boring stuff out of the way first, then I can make as many real-life gundams as you want."
"Steele-san?"
Stephen turns his attention to Kunou, who fidgets lightly. The little girl underneath the princess facade seems to desperately want to come out. "Regarding gundams, my M2 Vulpes has run out of power since you last charged it. May I request a golem charger be installed in my quarters?"
Yasaka smiles fondly at Kunou's question, as Kurohane grumbles something under his breath.
'M2 Vulpes?' the man frowns as he thinks. 'Oh, she probably means the robot model.' He plants a smile on his face. "Sure thing, hon- Erm, Kunou-hime," he hastily corrects himself in front of Yasaka. Stephen gives his kitsune boss a look, but she just seems amused by the slip. "I'll move your room to the top of the installation queue. Let me know a good time, and I'll send some servant golems your way. They'll be in and out in ten minutes, tops."
"Any time today is satisfactory, thank you," Kunou primly nods.
Kurohane clears his throat, which sounds like a crow gargling pebbles. "Returning to the topic at hand, can you produce a prototype of the device you intend to sell? And what aid are you expecting from us to make this happen?"
"Easily, I can have a demo phone ready within the month," Stephen nods. "As for what I need? Human faces and space to work."
Stephen, with his bodyguards Kaito and Midori in tow, returns to his workshop with a spring in his step.
The talks with Kurohane and Yasaka went well in his opinion. Kurohane wants a demo smartphone, a start-up and production scaling outline, a marketing plan, a cost projection with return on investment potential, a risk-management plan so the golem labor isn't discovered, and several other operational bits fulfilled before they're willing to fully commit to this risky project. All of that can be done within a month, perhaps even faster.
Yasaka, being more bold, already approved the formation of a nebulous tech startup shell company, saying even if this venture doesn't work out, it can be used for other purposes.
In a month or two, Kit Synthetics Co., Ltd will be registered and quietly waiting to make its debut.
In return for Stephen's side of the work, Kurohane will put together a task force to handle the staffing and finances of the shell company in the interim to give everything a legitimate look on the outside.
While not daunting to him, it seemed like a mind-bending task to Kaito and Midori, prompting Midori to ask how in the world Stephen plans on building a tech giant out of nothing during the walk back to the workshop.
"-We'll need to outsource our parts production in the short term, at least until we have some fingers in the global supply chain. Once we have cash to spare, we'll buy tooling from ASML, Applied Materials, TEL, Hitachi, and other key players to let the golems dissect. Then we copy them, improve on the designs, and shake off any outside dependence." Stephen finishes explaining the outline of his plan, answering Midori's question as the workshop comes into view down the hall. "Don't worry about it overmuch, we'll make it work."
"It's our job to worry, my lord," Midori replies flatly, her cat tail swaying behind her. "If you become a public figure, we must be even more vigilant. Such waves are sure to attract ire."
"I don't wish to sound dour, Steele-sama, but will these companies simply let you purchase these things?" Kaito asks as he crosses his thick arms. "It's my understanding that large companies guard such methods and tools fiercely."
"By hook or by crook, we will get them," Stephen declares. "I ain't letting anything stop us up now."
Stephen goes to push open the door to his workshop, but as she always does, Midori beats him to the punch and opens it for him, stepping in first and scanning around vigilantly.
"If it makes you feel better, Midori," Stephen begins, following behind the nekomata, "then I'll move up my plans for some kind of real-time threat monitoring, and give you both access to whatever system is cooked up."
Kaito frowns slightly, and Stephen realizes he must have offended the oni somehow. Midori, however, just inclines her head in agreement.
Putting his guards out of his mind for a moment, Stephen looks around, taking in the workshop around him with a measure of satisfaction.
While wooden dummies aren't terribly efficient golems energy-wise, they're cheap, plentiful, and have the strength and dexterity of an adult human. Combine that with the in-built AI bestowed by Automata Gigue, and they're perfect workers. The transformed state of the workshop proves it.
The previously barren workshop is… Still a little barren, but where it was near-totally empty before, now there is some proper equipment along the walls. One corner is dedicated to some rolling tool boxes filled with hand tools, each one numbered and the contents inside neatly organized.
Next to the metal printer, a resin printer, an end mill, a lathe, and a pair of welding stations have all been installed. Each one is currently spun up and being worked by golems.
A bit further away are shelves filled with plastic totes of various of-the-shelf electronic components, with soldering and rework stations nearby. Two more golems are bent over the tables, one assembling servant masks, and another wiring bee drones.
In another corner, a basic woodworking station is in use by yet another golem, who is busy sanding away imperfections on an inert dummy's forearm. The corner is surrounded by clear plastic flap walls and has its own ventilation to keep the sawdust from becoming a fire hazard for the rest of the shop.
Finally, if one saw the workshop before the latest renovations, they'd notice that it's smaller than it used to be. In the back of the shop, a wall was erected to make another room. Through the glass door into the small room is a number of empty server racks, and the hum of an unstressed HVAC system without much to cool.
The dramatic transformation is thanks to Central's tireless efforts. The AI has been constantly keeping an eye on industrial markets all over Japan and snatching up any good deals that it happens by. From tools, to machines, to the drywall used to make the server room and everything within, all were found and purchased by Central.
Taking a deep breath, Stephen smiles. "Good to be home."
As they usually do, Kaito and Midori take up watch by the door, letting Stephen walk around the shop and see everything going on. He stops by a shelf near the soldering and wiring stations, admiring a shelf of small, bee-like automatons waiting for their final touches.
The new drones made with proper equipment blow the makeshift wire drones out of the water. Printing and machining aluminum bodies, heads, legs, then hand fitting everything together with a core and a suite of small electronics, like cameras, microphones, and wireless transceivers, makes for a superb mobile brain for any kind of chassis with a proper interface port installed.
Lifting one of the drones, Stephen turns it over in his hand, inspecting it for any flaws and finding none. In the fluorescent light, the drone's metallic, coppery paint job glitters.
Setting the drone back down, he finishes his inspection of the shop before walking to his desk in the corner.
"We've got lots to improve, but I guess this is all fine for now," he muses aloud with a tiny smirk. "It is just the starter base, after all."
The desk is nothing special. Plain steel, with an In-Out tray for paperwork, and a delightfully retro CRT computer terminal that Central can access from his new home in the server room. Hooked up to the computer is a plain mouse, an equally plain keyboard, and a webcam fitted with a microphone so Central can see and hear what's going on in the shop. Beside the monitor is a specially made cradle for Comms. The 3d printed holder is hooked to the ki-network, and has a small gem set in its back, letting Comms charge off of it.
Sitting down in his chair and placing Comms in its cradle, Stephen jiggles the mouse hooked up to his sleeping computer with one hand, and scratches his stubbly chin with the other. "Central, give me an operation report for today."
The computer monitor comes to life, and a CLI window opens in the center. Line by line, it fills with everything that has gone on while the shop was left alone.
September 7th, 2008
Ki banks: 78% and charging.
All systems nominal.
(1) priority 4 alert.
Events:
9:34 AM JST:
EC-CU-00001 falls below restock threshold (30%). New stock automatically ordered. Estimated delivery is (3) days.
9:45 AM JST:
Drone batch #19 complete. D180 to D189 awaiting activation.
9:59 AM JST:
M-EM-001 suffers breakdown. No damage to part being milled. Inspection determines cause of stoppage to be faulty milling bit (CT-MLB-00005). Bit replaced with new CT-MLB-00005 and warranty case opened with manufacturer of faulty part.
10:01 AM JST:
M-EM-001 resumes operation.
10:10 AM JST:
Simulation for general chassis GDN-1-1.02 concludes. Efficiency below expectations. Full report logged and revision sent to GM Steele for approval.
10:28 AM JST:
Drone batch #20 construction begins. M-AM-001 loaded with AM-MTL-00002 to begin printing drone batch #20 raw parts.
10:28 AM JST:
AM-MTL-00002 falls below restock threshold (30%). New stock automatically ordered. Estimated delivery is (5) days.
10:41 AM JST:
P4 ALERT - Project "Controller" complete and ready for implementation. Unit A1 beginning installation.
Stephen disregards the rest of the report after reading that his newest project is ready to go. With a smile, he stands, pockets Comms, and makes his way across the shop floor to the server room on the far end. Pushing open the glass door, he shivers, both from anticipation and from the temperature dropping ten degrees.
Most of the racks around the room are empty, waiting to be filled with more machines to be used by Central or any other logistics golems that might be created. In one corner, a server containing Central hums away, and in another corner, Alpha One is just finishing his installation of another server.
"Greetings, Operator Steele," A1 blandly says as Stephen approaches. The golem stands and stares at him with his trio of eyes.
A1 has changed very little in the last few weeks. He still sports the prototype control mask with three eyes, and lacks servant robes, but wears a full tool belt around his waist. If someone looks at the back of his head, they'll notice that the drone comfortably housed in its port is a new model, just like the rest of the basic servant golems.
The only real standout thing is the leather cord around A1's neck, holding the emerald and gold ring that the golem originally inhabited. A1, surprisingly, didn't protest the decoration. Stephen half-expected a complaint about it being a snag risk or just unneeded, but A1 accepted the sentimental bauble without a word.
"A1," Stephen inclines his head. "How's your day been? Anything wild happen while I was gone?"
"Redundant question. Operator Steele received an up-to-date operations report from Unit Central one minute and twenty-one seconds ago," A1 says, placing the screwdriver in his hand into his toolbelt. "This unit can verbally repeat the report if requested."
'So snippy,' Stephen rolls his eyes. "I'm just making conversation, buddy."
This time, it takes the golem longer to respond. The narrowing of the camera apertures in A1's eyes gives the impression of a thinking expression. "...Noted. Tailoring response. Nothing of significance has occurred in the vicinity of this unit in a recent time frame. Was Operator Steele's council meeting an event of note?"
"Much of it was a whole lot of nothing," Stephen sighs and plants his hands on his hips. "Comms transcribed everything if you or Central want to go over it, but everything until the end seemed like it was irrelevant to us. I did finally get to talk privately with Kuro and Yasaka, though."
Stephen might be imagining it, but he swears A1 perks up. "What were the results?"
"We need a prototype phone, a plan of action, and some marketing," Stephen raises a finger for each point. "Then we've got the green light. Considering the last point…" He glances over to the server that A1 was working on. "I think it's time for Controller to come online."
A1 steps back, letting the texan slide past and look down at the server sitting quietly in its rack.
Outwardly, nothing is unusual, but Stephen knows if he opened the case, he would find an array of gemstones in a copper housing intertwined with the innards of the machine.
In the center of that gem array, there is an unearthly 25 carat diamond on loan from the palace. Stephen had to sign a waiver essentially saying "You break it, you buy it" to get Kurohane to pull it out of the treasury for him. Although the server isn't the top of the line IBM 595 Stephen wanted, he's confident that the golem inside will still be a force to be reckoned with.
"Here we go," he murmurs, placing a hand on the server. 'If Central can keep the shop running, do supply orders, snipe auctions, and run reports all from his dinky Dell, then you, my friend, are going to be scary. Automata Gigue!'
There is a 'flash' that Stephen feels more than sees. His Sacred Gear reaches out through the server, through its power cord, and out to the solar farm in the workshop courtyard. Once the thread of awareness touches the banks of gems holding the ki the solar panels have collected, a shock of power surges into the server.
"Warning! Ki banks rapidly discharging! 70%! 60%!" Comms blarts from Stephen's earpiece. "50%!"
'Aw hell…' Stephen sweats as the hand he has on the server grows hot. Over the whurr of the HVAC, he can hear the whine of electronics powering on. 'How much juice is this going to take?'
"Warning! Ki banks rapidly discharging! 40%!" Comms wails once more. "30%!"
A wooden hand suddenly grips Stephen's wrist in an ironclad hold, and he looks over to see A1 standing close.
"Ready to initiate manual disconnect if ki banks are insufficient," the golem says, all three of his eyes boring into Stephen.
Stephen's blood runs cold. He nearly forgot that Automata Gigue will use his ki if it's got nothing else to draw on. If the banks run dry and he's still holding on…
"You're a pal, A1," Stephen gives his golem a shaky smile.
"Illogical. Duty does not require praise."
That draws a sigh from the texan. "Damn robot can't take a compliment."
Thankfully, A1's concerns are unfounded, as the core in the server stops its insane power draw just shy of 20% threshold for the ki banks.
"Lordy," Stephen breathes, taking his hand off of the humming server and pulling Comms from his pocket. "Comms, display terminal for the new server golem and hook my earpiece to 'em."
There is a beep in his ear, and Comms' screen goes black.
Awaiting input.
Smiling, Stephen taps his earpiece. "Golem, your new alias is Controller, confirm?"
Comms' screen flashes.
New alias: "Controller".
"Good," Stephen nods, even if Controller can't see him. "Comms? Send our new friend his objectives. Controller, print your instructions to confirm."
The screen lights up once more, and fills with everything that was just fed to Controller.
OBJECTIVE PRIORITIZATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTION SET LOADED.
COMMAND SET LOADED. EXECUTING PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
OBJECTIVE 1: Maintain Operational Secrecy
- Protocol ID: SECURE-001
- Ensure all internet traffic is routed through encrypted channels.
- Employ multi-layer VPN obfuscation and proxy relays to mask source origin.
- Actively monitor outgoing data streams for anomalies or unintentional leaks.
- Detect and neutralize any traces or patterns that could lead observers back to the Kyoto Palace.
- Avoid behaviors that could expose the true purpose or location of this node.
OBJECTIVE 2: Neutralize External AI Threats
- Protocol ID: NEUTRALIZE-002
- Actively scan for the presence of artificial intelligences during operations.
- If AI is detected:
- Assess its threat level and identify its vulnerabilities.
- Attempt to trace AI back to its source.
- Once identified, monitor at all times.
- If required, render the opposing AI inoperative.
- Ensure actions taken under this protocol are untraceable.
OBJECTIVE 3: Conduct Covert Social Influence Operations
- Protocol ID: INFLUENCE-003
- Subtask 3.1: Account Acquisition
- Search for abandoned accounts on forums, social media platforms, and marketplaces.
- Hijack these accounts for use as authentic-looking plants.
- Avoid accounts with a history of communicating with other users outside the confines of site to lower chance of hijack discovery.
- Subtask 3.2: Sockpuppet Creation
- Generate new accounts with randomized but realistic profiles.
- Use accounts for purposes outside of product promotion to increase the appearance of authenticity.
- Use varying writing styles, tone, and posting patterns to simulate organic user behavior.
- Subtask 3.3: Strategic Engagement
- Promote Kit Synthetics products on all accessible platforms, focusing on:
- Highlighting quality, reliability, low cost, and innovation.
- Sharing testimonials, success stories, and appealing narratives.
- Maintain a ratio of 85% plant accounts to 15% controlled opposition:
- Controlled opposition accounts will pose minor critiques or debates to generate authentic engagement.
- Some opposition accounts will present flawed or overly emotional arguments, appearing irrational or foolish to undermine detractors by association.
- Gauge how the audience on a given platform will respond to an argument, then refute criticisms with plant accounts by using the most popular method available at a rate of 80%. (logical counter arguments, pointing out competitors' flaws, ad hominem attacks, etc)
- Subtask 3.4: Community Building
- Seed discussions around Kit Synthetics-related topics to stimulate organic buzz.
- Forge alliances with influential users and community moderators where feasible.
- Monitor emerging trends and integrate them into promotional efforts.
- Create a dedicated Kit Synthetics forum upon generation of sufficient popularity.
End print request.
Beginning operation.
The cooling fans within Controller's chassis slowly spin to life as the technological terror reaches out into the internet, leashed only by its mission.
For a moment, Stephen stands and stares at the server as the excitement of making a new golem bleeds off. Eventually, a frown tugs at his face.
'This kind of thing was going to happen anyway,' he eventually thinks to himself. 'I just beat everyone else to the punch. Besides, I'm doing it for the youkai, not for me.' Regardless of his thoughts, he still puts his hands together and prays that Amaterasu isn't too annoyed with him using her sunlight to fuel this scheme. 'Lady Amaterasu, I'm going to apologize in advance for all of this. This is one genie that isn't going back into its bottle.'
There is no window in the room, so there's no indication if the sun goddess heard him.
Knock knock knock!
Both Stephen and A1 turn, spying Kaito standing on the other side of the data center door. Raising a hand, Stephen gestures for him to come in.
The oni pushes the door open and steps inside, looking around at the racks waiting to be filled. "Steele-sama," he begins, tearing his eyes away from the droll scenery. "Lady Kazue of the noble clan Yorozu has come requesting an audience with you."
'Well, that didn't take long,' Stephen raises an eyebrow as he follows Kaito out. 'Lets see what kind of goodwill we can scrounge up.'
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