Piggot gritted her teeth as she read through the results of the new Tinker's Power Testing. The creation of sentient robots reminded her too much of Eagleton… of Ellisburg. The very presence of this Tinker and her creations had her emotionally compromised to a degree, she was very aware of this, but she still had a job to do. If only to ensure the safety of this city.
"And we are sure that this girl's creations can't self-propagate?" Piggot asked. A mercy thankfully, if true.
Armsmaster nodded. "Other people and machines can aid and create physical bodies, but she specifically has to be the one to create the code to give them consciousness."
"How can she have other people help create her robots if she's a Tinker?"
"I believe she's part Tinker and Thinker," Armsmaster replied.
Piggot pondered briefly in contemplation before gesturing to Armsmaster. "Explain."
"I can replicate the physical machinery needed to build the bodies for her Constructs. In fact I imagine any person can do that with sufficient knowledge in machinery and engineering." Armsmaster tapped on his arm and brought up a 3d holographic display so that Piggot could see. "The only thing that can be confirmed as Tinkertech is the code used to give her constructs orders and possibly sentience. I believe she's Coding Tinker with a secondary Thinker ability that allows her to build robots without prior education or training."
"Have the staff confirm it, but it's a good enough assumption to work off of for now," Piggot replied.
It was difficult to build a complete psychological profile in just a few days, but what they did discern seemed to suggest that the girl was currently more focused on improving surrogate Father than creating an army. Any machines that she built were for the task of assisting her with developing weapons and tools for Father.
Father was an imposing figure. But it was also a singular threat that they could prepare for.
"And you're certain this girl isn't a threat?" Piggot asked.
Armsmaster nodded again. "Clara is a girl that is pleasant enough to work with and agreeable to some of our demands. So long as the PRT doesn't interfere with father she will allow to supervise and monitor any current and future creations she might have."
"She built another robot in a day. What's to stop her from building more without our knowledge or installing something worse in that Father of hers?"
"Perkins is simple. Ill-suited for combat. Simply there for companionship or basic tasks. A proper robot with good combative programming would likely take significantly more time and resources for her to create. Especially on her own. Father is impressive but he is a creation that we provided resources, time, and space for her to use."
Piggot raised an eye. "He?"
"Dragon requested that I use the correct pronoun for him. She also assures me that he has little to no ill will for the PRT. He's programmed to protect his daughter above all else, anything else is left up to his discretion."
Unfortunately, Armsmaster seemed enamored with the young Tinker and her creations. It meant that she would receive less support than she'd like from him when it came to controlling the girl. If anything he seemed willing to indulge the girl's whims, if only because she was a fellow Tinker that he could take advantage of.
Piggot was not ignorant to how self-serving the man could be. It usually wasn't an issue with how committed he usually was to his role as the Protectorate Leader, but that didn't stop him from having his judgment clouded. Like any Cape someone needed to be there to keep an eye on him and his worse impulses. It was why the PRT was created in the first place.
"Dragon's testimony from a brief meeting is not enough," Piggot replied. "The girl and her creations need PRT oversight, yet she has yet to sign a Wards contract."
"As I already stated. If we concede to her demands regarding Father then she will happily sign the contract. In fact, he has already started encouraging it for her safety."
And there was the issue. Piggot herself would've been personally fine with conceding to the girl's demands, if only to get her willingly under their supervision, but her fellow Directors had differing opinions.
Chief Director Costa-Brown was being frustratingly neutral about the Tinker's demands and left it to the other Directors to hash it out while she deliberated. It was infuriating to say the least. So far Piggot had had barely enough support to allow for concessions. However her detractors, with Tagg being the most vocal, were stonewalling her efforts and slowing things down considerably.
"There are discussions currently taking place. The revised Wards Contract will go through so long as the girl doesn't cause an incident," Piggot replied. Her request would get through eventually, but that meant more time that a fresh Triggered Tinker was allowed to run around unsupervised. It also gave the Gangs more time to try something with a child who was technically still an Independent.
Armsmaster was visibly displeased by that. "Then we'll need to increase security on Clara. It's likely the Gangs will have noticed her presence."
"She's already in this building. Make sure that she doesn't leave it for her safety."
"That's it? The Wards won't be enough to stop a dedicated attack and there's only so many people in this building with how spread out the PRT is."
"I'm aware," Piggot replied. "Which is why I expect you to make use of your spare lab in this building."
There were only so many resources the PRT could spare for the protection of an Independent, even a child. Anything they did provide simply didn't compare to the protection and deterrence of a Wards contract. The inevitable retribution that reinforcements from outside the ENE would bring.
The Empire might be willing to take the risk just to get a potentially dangerous Tinker off the board. And Clara looked Asian enough for Lung, who barely followed the propriety of the Unwritten Rules.
The best they could do now was keep the girl in the RIG and hope that was deterrent enough. If it wasn't then not only would they lose a Tinker but also likely alienate the girl's friend.
Missy Biron. A developing Trump already being compared to Dauntless in terms of potential. A young girl and Independent that had miraculously continued to be an Independent more than a half a year after her Trigger. There was no denying she was capable, for a child, but that just made her that much more dangerous. Right now she was willing to cooperate with New Wave and the PRT, but that could easily change.
Piggot could empathize in a way. Squealer and countless other Villains would've never been allowed to run free if the ENE had been given any additional resources to work with. It was frustrating, but she had to work with what she had. Unfortunately, this wasn't something that could be explained or understood by an eleven-year-old child. All she would see was their failure and she was already vocally disgruntled about their recent failures.
It was bad when even Armsmaster could understand this and bring it up as an issue.
"That might not be enough," Armsmaster commented.
Piggot simply grunted. "It will have to be."