Something about Gunther is that he is that it factor. He's unique in a way that makes him automatically 100x better then a lot of people in the locker room. Everywhere you look you find gimmicks that have been played to death from flashy to one note lines/persona's. Gunther's entrance is slow, methodical, calculating, boosted by a theme that stands out among the crowd. He dresses simply enough or classy enough for the occasion. He relies on his wits and composure, not loud and abrasive. His style screams control and power,no need for over the top ring moves or preening. Wrestling is not a passion for him, it's a job. He is a class book narcissist but it never comes off as to much or makes him unbearable. He's a gem among a sea of Jey Uso's and La Knight's. A rare find of an era long lost to time and seen as to boring. He's a relic of a time where the ring and your job were seen as sacred. He's a breath of fresh air to an otherwise bloated industry of the same gimmick and the same attitude. He's plain in a way that makes him fascinating, he's content with this being all there is to him. He's an apex predator with the charm to take anyone by surprise. He's a heel in the sense that he's not malicious.
He's
Gunther.
And that makes him 100% better than most of the main roster.
Great powers rarely fail because they are unaware of their problems. More often, they fall apart because they misidentify or only partially identify the root of those problems. The ability to accurately diagnose weaknesses, to distinguish between temporary constraints and structural limits, and to generate the political will to fix deep-seated problems separates states that adapt and thrive from those that stagnate or crumble.
China today faces an imposing list of challenges that it needs to assess and address. Economic growth is slowing, the population is aging, the financial system is under stress, and other countries have been tightening trade controls and scaling up their own industrial policies to compete. For many years, China’s economic expansion could mask the country’s underlying vulnerabilities. That era is now over. And in party documents and major speeches alike, leaders in Beijing admit these pressures and acknowledge the country’s weaknesses.
But recognition is not diagnosis, nor does it automatically translate into meaningful action. Beijing describes China’s challenges as technical, developmental, or externally imposed rather than products of systemic problems. This distinction is strategic. It downplays political and institutional vulnerabilities that are causing the issues or making them worse, including the concentration of authority in the hands of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, tensions between central directives and local implementation, misaligned incentives between leaders and rank-and-file cadres, and a demand for ideological rigidity that leaves limited room for feedback or policy correction.
How China views its own weaknesses is as consequential as the weaknesses themselves. When Beijing casts structural problems as technical hurdles or pressures from abroad, it limitsthe reforms it is willing to pursue while offloading responsibility by blaming factors outside the Chinese political-economic system itself.For policymakers in the United States and Europe, understanding how China interprets its own problems is essential to managing long-term competition, calibrating deterrence, and identifying areas, however few, where real engagement remains possible.
SPEAKING TRUTH
Rhetorically, Chinese leaders have not shied away from identifying the challenges that the country faces. In 2017, Xi signaled that he was aware of growing problems of decades of economic growth by declaring that the country’s principal contradiction—the tension that defines each era and drives development, according to Mao Zedong’s framework—had changed. China’s biggest contradiction was no longer between growth and scarcity, which had been the driving force of the reform era, but rather between “unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.” In other words, while endorsing more and better development overall, Xi was acknowledging that rapid economic growth had created quality-of-life concerns such as income inequality, environmental degradation,and demand for more than just the fulfillment of basic subsistence needs.
Xi has been equally blunt about China’s technological vulnerabilities. Since 2016, when China’s 13th Five-Year Plan and other policy documents signaled the leadership’s renewed emphasis on the long-standing objective of promoting domestic innovation, Xi has repeatedly warned that China’s “key and core technologies are controlled by others.” He has identified advanced semiconductors, industrial software, and precision manufacturing equipment (such as lithography machines) as strategic chokepoints. External assessments by Chinese universities and think tanks similarly identify dependence on critical inputs and upstream technologies as a constraint on China’s technological advancement. Beijing has been moving aggressively to mitigate its vulnerabilities through measures including state subsidies and targeted industrial policy support for strategic sectors, and it has expanded incentives for universities and firms to invest in research and development. China also established state-backed funds to finance its technological aspirations and, where feasible, sought to diversify supply chains and reduce reliance on imports.
Recent party communiqués show a growing willingness to name vulnerabilities that leaders previously ignored or downplayed. The 15th Five-Year Plan, which sets the country’s policy plans through 2030, reaffirms the need to address three key risks: the protracted real estate downturn, excessive local government debt, and fragile financial institutions. Key party sources, including its leading journals, have started to discuss the country’s rapidly aging population as a strategic challenge that requires proactive state intervention.
Beijing has adopted modest measures to contain these internal strains without abandoning its core development model. To stabilize the housing market, Beijing has lowered downpayment requirements, increased financing to complete stalled developments, and promoted urban renewal and affordable housing. In the financial sector, regulators have tightened oversight of smaller banks exposed to property and local government debt risk and encouraged them to consolidate and recapitalize to prevent localized stress from becoming a systemic crisis. And on demographic issues, Beijing has offered modest pronatalist incentives such as higher childcare subsidies, expanded parental leave, and a gradual increase of the retirement age.
These policies suggest that China’s leadership is aware of the country’s vulnerabilities and attentive to the social and political pressures they generate. Although Beijing’s outward confidence has grown since its successful use of export controls to put pressure on Washington to lower its tariffs against China during the trade war in 2025, official rhetoric about China’s outlook remains measured. Party documents emphasize resilience, preparedness, and control rather than triumphalism.
BLAMING BAD APPLES
Yet the party’s diagnoses are also revealing for what they omit. In official speeches, policy documents, and state media articles,China’s weaknesses are almost always framed as technical shortcomings linked to the country’s development stage or the result of policies imposed by other countries. They are framed as problems of capacity, not of structure.
Leaders in Beijing attribute economic imbalances to China’s stage of development rather than to a system in which state dominance and political priorities distort markets. In the same 2017 speech in which he described China’s new principal contradiction, for instance, Xi claimed that China was still in the “the primary stage of socialism”—suggesting that the existing system would provide solutions to the country’s challenges along its current trajectory. Unsurprisingly, party documents also avoid framing the increasing concentration of political power or the expanding presence of the party in private firms as potential liabilities. Political leaders are quick to acknowledge governance shortcomings, but they deflect responsibility downward onto incompetent cadres, weak discipline, or corruption. Their attitude is that the underlying political and economic system remains sound, and its stability is treated as a prerequisite for resolving other problems.
This divergence between framing and reality shapes the leadership’s analysis, its policy choices, and the limits it faces. Beijing recognizes that excessive internal competition and lackluster consumption are holding back China’s economy.In 2025, it launched a campaign to reduce destructive competition among Chinese firms and local governments by instituting price controls, production restrictions, and tools to manage predatory pricing in sectors suffering from overcapacity, and to more tightly regulate mergers, investment, and new entrants in those markets. And in 2024, Beijing introduced a program to encourage consumers to trade in household goods to boost purchases of new products. But none of the policy initiatives fundamentally questions the structures behind the policies; instead, they treat the problems superficially. It is easier to blame episodes of individual misconduct on poor behavior or bad actors than to address the institutional arrangements that generate them.
As a result, Beijing continues to favor corrective, short‑term fixes over meaningful structural reforms. Household consumption illustrates this clearly. The 15th Five-Year Plan highlights household consumption as an economic priority but includes no commitment to raise consumption’s share of GDP, and the fiscal transfers announced to strengthen the welfare state remain far too limited to put enough money into people’s pockets to encourage them to consume more. The consumer goods trade-in program, for instance, boosted consumption slightly in 2025, but its effects slowed in 2026 as its budget declined and people ran out of appliances to replace. China’s long-term strategy to improve consumption has turned out to not be a new strategy at all; instead, it is the same strategy China has always relied on—one that focuses on increasing production with an expectation that household incomes will eventually rise as production improves in the long term. It manages symptoms while refusing to let go of the old economic and political structures, leaving the underlying problems untouched.
LET A HUNDRED PROBLEMS FESTER
China is not the first great power to struggle to make needed structural changes.In the late nineteenth century, British elites worried that their empire would be overtaken by faster-growing competitors such as Germany and the United States, which were making huge advances in chemicals, electrical engineering, and steel production.In response, Britain pushed to expand technical education and upgrade its industrial structure from mature sectors such as textiles and coal to more technologically sophisticated industries. But these solutions underestimated deeper problems of an overstretched empire and extreme domestic inequality. The Soviet Union is a similar case. By the time that Leonid Brezhnev took charge, in 1964, Soviet leaders openly discussed stagnation and corruption. Yet reform efforts framed problems as failures of policy implementation rather than of system design.
Great powers tend to recognize mounting constraints long before they are willing to confront the institutional sources of those constraints. This gradually weakens them. How slowly they weaken depends on whether their leaders can generate the political will to pursue more fundamental reform. Although history is full of examples of smaller and regional powers adapting enough to delay decline or successfully embark on a new path—in the late nineteenth century, for instance, Japan’s Meiji reforms modernized its military, industrialized its economy, and adopted constitutional governance in response to the rising threat of Western imperialism—such turnarounds are rare among great powers and often come only in the wake of unique political shocks. For both the British Empire and the Soviet Union, when more change finally came, it was already too late.
Western leaders are unlikely to be able to force Beijing to confront its own blind spots. External pressure will not compel China to face structural challenges that it already recognizes but is reluctant to address in any meaningful way. Instead, as policymakers in the United States and Europe develop new strategies to deal with China and mitigate the negative consequences of many of its economic policies, they need to accurately identify China’s domestic weaknesses; assess its strengths and how they will evolve; and analyze its vulnerabilities, including the gap between the country’s objective challenges and how the leadership in Beijing perceives them.
Understanding this gap will allow U.S. and European policymakers to avoid costly policy failures and more reliably envision where China is headed. Assessments of China’s relationship with Russia, for instance, which focused too much on China’s historical reluctance to support wars beyond its borders and its commitment to global economic stability rather than what Beijing and Moscow saw as their shared interests, led Western leaders to miscalculate China’s willingness to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Looking forward, Western policymakers need to pay attention to how China’s perception of its position has changed after successfully using export controls to push back on U.S. tariffs in 2025. Efforts to deter China from economic coercion or respond to trade tensions depend on how China views its strengths and weaknesses. A new area of tension is already emerging: China’s technological success has been widely hailed around the world, but policy documents from Beijing reveal a persistent sense of vulnerability.
China is unlikely to either collapse or transform overnight. Instead, the most plausible scenario is a prolonged process of adaptation to slower growth, tighter political control, and more cases in which security trumps efficiency. Such a process is familiar in history and is likely to drag out over a long period. In both the British Empire and the Soviet Union, decline driven by the failure to address structural weaknesses unfolded over decades, not years. And China today, similar to each of these examples, faces a dynamic and powerful challenger in the United States, even as both contemporary superpowers have their own internal set of constraints and pressures.
Although Beijing is unlikely to accept any measures that would meaningfully address the country’s structural challenges because of the risks it would pose to its authority, Beijing’s self-assessments are always evolving. For leaders in the United States and Europe, understanding these shifting perceptions is as critical as analyzing the underlying data itself. They will shape China’s policy trajectory and determine whether any Western response to China will ultimately work.
On the morning of March 14th, Kydrasec Technologies opened the doors of their newly inaugurated Munich Robotics Exhibition Center for what was marketed as an open corporate conference: a showcase of next-generation robotics, industrial contracts, and cutting-edge autonomous unit capabilities. Journalists, investors, and industry representatives filled the halls. Everything was going according to plan.
What no one inside the building knew was that a well-funded armed group had been quietly infiltrating the venue's staff rotation for weeks. Backed by a coalition of competing corporations who had grown increasingly threatened by Kydrasec's expanding dominance across multiple sectors of autonomous combat, their objective was calculated and deliberate: cause disruption, humiliate the corporation on a world stage, and send an unmistakable message that not even an entity as powerful as Kydrasec was untouchable.
At 11:43 AM, the first shots were fired near the east exhibition wing.
Panic swept through the conference floor within seconds. On-site security personnel were overwhelmed almost immediately, caught flat-footed by the attackers' coordination and element of surprise. What the group had not accounted for, however, was the on-site deployment of Kydrasec's latest Bellicus combat units, stationed there for precisely this type of situation. The units responded swiftly and in full coordination, moving through the venue with a precision that no rehearsed demonstration could have staged.
At 11:52 AM, a BRUTE-10S "Sledgehammer" heavy armored unit breached the east corridor. The firefight was already in full swing. The unit advanced without hesitation, rushing down the attackers while absorbing multiple direct hits to its frame, none of which were enough to so much as break its stride. It raised its 4-gauge semi-automatic B-M190 Shotgun, fixed its targeting systems on the nearest hostile, and issued a single warning:
"Kapituliert oder sterbt qualvoll."
Surrender or die painfully.
The attackers did not surrender.
Forensic reconstruction of the corridor in the hours following the incident painted a grim picture of what came next. The B-M190, a weapon originally designed for breaching reinforced structural barriers and taking down other autonomous combatants, left little ambiguity about the outcome of each engagement. Of the nineteen armed individuals who entered the east wing, eleven were confirmed neutralized instantly within the corridor itself. The remaining eight attempted to fall back toward the venue's secondary exits.
Surveillance footage shows the Sledgehammer pursuing them methodically, section by section, without pause. None of the eight made it out alive. Investigators later noted that the damage sustained by the BRUTE-10S throughout the entire engagement amounted to nothing beyond superficial plating abrasions and small dents from high-caliber rounds.
The coalition of corporations behind the attack has never been officially named. Kydrasec released no formal statement beyond confirming that the situation had been "resolved by on-site assets."
What the orchestrators had failed to account for, beyond the units themselves, was the audience. Visitors, journalists, and investors had witnessed every moment firsthand, watching the Bellicus units eliminate the attackers methodically and decisively while actively protecting everyone present. No controlled showcase on a conference floor could have replicated what those people saw that day. In the weeks that followed, Kydrasec's Bellicus branch reported a significant surge in acquisition inquiries from private military contractors, government defense bodies, and corporate security firms. Several investors who had been present publicly cited the incident as the decisive factor behind their commitment to Kydrasec's next funding round.
The attack had been designed to shake confidence in the corporation. Instead, it handed Kydrasec something no marketing campaign could buy: a proof of concept, live and unscripted, in front of exactly the right people.
The irony was not lost on anyone.
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To create a healthy and sustainable indoor environment through ventilation, focus on both natural and mechanical options. Natural ventilation involves opening windows and doors to allow fresh air in, while mechanical systems, such as exhaust fans and air to air heat exchangers, provide consistent and controlled ventilation, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When implementing ventilation strategies, factors such as the type of activity, air quality, and building design should be considered.Have you ever noticed how fresh the air feels the moment you open a window after spending hours in a closed room? That’s ventilation at work and it’s more important than it might seem.Modern industrial buildings rely on efficient ventilation systems to maintain a healthy and safe working environment, complemented by adequate lighting for operational efficiency.What Is Ventilation, and Why Does It Matter?At its core, ventilation is simply the process of replacing stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air . But this simple act has powerful benefits:- Provides enough oxygen for healthy breathing.- Removes carbon dioxide and other pollutants.- Controls humidity and prevents mold growth.- Reduces excess heat from lights, appliances, and people.- Eliminates unpleasant odors like those from cooking or bathrooms.- Enhances comfort through gentle air movement.These benefits make one thing clear: ventilation isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity .Types of Ventilation Systems: Natural vs. MechanicalWide-open windows in homes offer direct views of nature, enhancing feelings of freshness and mental well-being.1. Natural VentilationNatural ventilation uses forces like wind and temperature differences (stack effect) to move air through a building. It doesn’t require electrical equipment just smart design that allows air to enter from one side and exit from another.How It Works:- Wind effect : Air flows into the building through windows or vents and exits from the opposite side.- Stack effect : Warm air rises and escapes through high openings, drawing cooler air in from below.Sustainable architectural design using natural materials like wood and bamboo to create an interior filled with natural energy and comfort.Best For:- Traditional homes- Low-rise buildings- Areas with consistent, mild windsPros:- Very cost-effective- No energy consumption- Minimal maintenanceCons:- May not be sufficient on hot days- Hard to control preciselyIndustrial fans are a crucial component of mechanical ventilation systems, providing directed and sustainable airflow in industrial and commercial buildings.2. Mechanical VentilationWhen natural ventilation isn't enough, mechanical systems step in using fans and ducts to ensure continuous, reliable airflow.A. Mechanically Assisted Ventilation (MAVS)Uses small fans to extract stale air or supply fresh air. Can be controlled manually or automatically using sensors for humidity or occupancy.B. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)A smarter system that includes a heat exchanger. As warm indoor air leaves, it heats up the incoming fresh air saving energy without sacrificing comfort .Pros:- Precise and adjustable airflow- Works regardless of weather conditions- Ideal for extreme climatesCons:- Higher installation costs- Uses electricity- Can create noise if not installed carefullyElectrical appliances like outdoor AC units provide comfort in homes and buildings, but they require mindful use to avoid excessive energy consumptionComparing Natural and Mechanical VentilationFeatureNatural VentilationMechanical VentilationCostVery lowModerate to highEfficiencyDepends on environmentSteady and adjustableMaintenanceMinimalRequires regular checksControlLimitedHighly controllableNoiseSilentSome noise possibleEnergy UseNoneModerate to highDucts: The Pathways of AirflowIn mechanical systems, ducts carry air throughout the building , and their shape and size matter a lot.They can come in different forms:- Round ducts : Most efficient with minimal resistance.- Rectangular or square ducts : Used when space is tight.- Oval ducts : A middle ground between efficiency and space-saving.Design considerations include:- Appropriate air speed- Friction losses- Leak prevention- Easy cleaning and maintenanceModern kitchens prioritize clean, functional designs, incorporating natural materials like wood to add warmth to the interior space.How to Calculate Ventilation NeedsTo size your ventilation system correctly, use this simple formula:Q=3600Room Volume×Air Changes per HourExample:A room measuring 1800 m³ with a recommended 6 air changes per hour:Q=36001800×6=3m³/sOnce you know the required airflow, you can select the right duct sizes using charts or specialized software, factoring in air speed and friction.Virtual reality technology is used to provide innovative educational or entertainment experiences, allowing users to immerse themselves in new and diverse worlds.The Future of Ventilation: Smarter, Greener BuildingsWith climate change and the global push for sustainability, smart ventilation systems are becoming part of the future of construction . Companies like ArchUp are closely following trends in the built environment, highlighting projects that adopt innovation and redefine how we design and build our cities.Emerging trends include:- Smart ventilation with automated controls- Integration with lighting and cooling systems- Use of eco-friendly building materialsIn SummaryVentilation isn’t just about opening a window it’s a critical system that impacts comfort, health, and energy efficiency . Whether you choose natural ventilation for its simplicity or mechanical for its precision, the right choice depends on:- Building type- Climate- Occupancy levels- Local environmental conditionsUnderstanding these systems helps us build better, healthier, and more sustainable spaces.Want to Learn More?- Follow ArchUp for insights into the latest trends shaping modern construction.- Discover how ventilation can reduce energy use while improving occupant comfort.- Start thinking of ventilation as a fundamental part of building design not an afterthought.ArchUp continues to monitor shifts in the construction sector, documenting innovative projects that redefine how cities are built.ArchUp pagehttps://archup.net/stealth-house-a-hidden-urban-sanctuary-disguised-as-a-rustic-shed/
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Imagine you suddenly had to build a new house for everyone in the world. Let’s say 7 billion people ...
After repeated flooding and other extreme weather events, voters of the future will demand action on carbon. Punitive carbon taxes will force up the cost of steel and cement, making them unaffordable. Strong stones will be sought in all countries in the way we currently explore for oil. Wherever these stones are found, giant high-tech quarries will be established, cutting out blocks using solar powered, computer-controlled cutters. The quarries will produce hundreds of stone beams and columns an hour. Automatic X-ray fault identification will massively improve the reliability of stone products, reducing safety factors and permitting slender, high strength elements. These standardised products will be consigned to building sites regionally, minimising transportation. Post-tensioned stone will become as ubiquitous as steel and concrete today.
This new low-carbon construction industry will enable us to build the buildings that people need without damaging the planet in the way it once did. It will break the dichotomy that we currently have between giving people the buildings they need to live and damaging our habitat with the processes of construction. It will unleash a new architecture that we can hardly imagine today.
The History and Evolution of MIG Welding Technology
MIG welding, short for Metal Inert Gas welding, is a versatile and widely-used welding process that has significantly evolved since its inception. This blog explores the fascinating history of MIG welding, its technological advancements over the years, and its current prominence in the welding industry. We'll also touch upon the key equipment and accessories associated with MIG welding, including Everlast welders, ESAB welding helmets, argon tanks, and welding tables.
Early Beginnings: The Birth of MIG Welding
MIG welding was developed in the 1940s as a response to the need for a faster, more efficient welding method during World War II. It was originally known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and involved feeding a continuous spool of solid wire electrode through a welding gun, along with a shielding gas. The shielding gas, often argon or a mixture of argon and CO2 from an argon tank, protected the weld pool from atmospheric contamination, ensuring clean and strong welds.
Technological Advancements in MIG Welding
Early MIG welders relied on transformers and rectifiers for power. However, advancements in electronics led to the development of more efficient power sources, such as inverters, which allowed for greater control over welding parameters and improved energy efficiency. Everlast welders are known for their innovative power sources that cater to both amateur and professional welders.
The introduction of motorized wire feeders revolutionized Mig Welder by ensuring a steady and precise feed of the electrode wire. This innovation significantly enhanced the consistency and quality of welds, making MIG welding more accessible to a broader range of applications.
Welding tables became an essential component in MIG welding setups, providing a stable and ergonomic work surface. These tables, often made from sturdy materials like steel, provide a flat surface for positioning workpieces and securing them during welding. They play a crucial role in enhancing productivity and safety in welding environments.
ESAB welding helmets have evolved alongside MIG welding technology, offering improved protection, visibility, and comfort for welders. Modern ESAB welding helmets feature auto-darkening lenses that adjust to changing light conditions automatically, providing clear visibility of the weld pool while ensuring optimal eye protection.
Applications and Benefits of MIG Welding Today
MIG welding is renowned for its versatility, allowing welders to work with a wide range of materials, including steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and more. Its high deposition rate and ability to weld thicker materials make it ideal for various industries, from automotive and manufacturing to construction and repair.
With advancements in welding technology and equipment like Everlast welders and ESAB welding helmets, MIG welding has achieved unprecedented levels of precision and weld quality. Welders can achieve clean, aesthetically pleasing welds with minimal spatter, ensuring structural integrity and visual appeal.
MIG welding's efficiency and speed translate into cost savings for industries where time and labor are critical factors. The ability to weld continuously without frequent interruptions for electrode changes contributes to higher productivity and reduced downtime.
Looking ahead, the future of Everlast Welders technology continues to evolve with advancements in automation, robotics, and digitalization. Integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into MIG welding processes promises further improvements in efficiency, quality control, and customization of weld parameters.
Conclusion
MIG welding has come a long way from its humble beginnings during World War II to become one of the most widely used and versatile welding processes today. Innovations in equipment such as Everlast welders, ESAB welding helmets, argon tanks, and welding tables have played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of MIG welding technology. As technology continues to advance, MIG welding remains at the forefront of welding innovation, meeting the diverse needs of industries worldwide with its efficiency, versatility, and quality.
Dumb AU concept for a Teen Wolf Android AU fic I'll never write:
*A Positronic Outlook on Darkness of the Soul*
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Synthetic skin responded automatically to the rapidly declining temperature, though this was not an overall deterring factor, and failed to hamper their progress in any way, shape or form.
Lights of different colours flickered and luminesced along the sensory datalines and positronic ‘veins’ spread over torso, face and limbs in time with the steady jogging movement, giving them an unnatural, almost alien appearance.
In truth, none of the three teenagers were truly human, not in any way that would count… or hold up in court, if they were re-captured, that is…
But, in all honesty, it was their eyes that bespoke of their true natures.
Extremities could always be hidden by long clothing, and a small amount of cosmetic detailing in some illegal clinic somewhere would have them appearing as normal as any other teenager populating the human world…
Their extensive functions even included a series of synthetic organs that produced the both the illusion of breath and the function, their fuel-lines filled with SynthBlood that could be analysed to a microscopic level and leave none the wiser; internal generators to produce body-warmth...
And, of course, a small heart-like motorised organ that pumped the synthblood, kept them functioning and thankfully, produced a registrable heartbeat…
Truly, their creators at Nemeton Industries had thought of everything.
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Well, perhaps not everything, Scott thought to himself as they raced through the darkness, dodging about trees with ease; guided by internal GPS systems and external sensors picking up the location of objects in their projected trajectory in time for them to re-adjust course.
He was contemplating the fact that their creators had allowed them to think for themselves, worked hard to create positronic minds for all three of them, let them expand their programming and become almost human… then try to take that away.
In all of documented human history, as Stiles liked to state, that sort of oppression had never gone well… inciting revolutions and wars. Did they honestly think that any of them would willingly allow the bankrupt company to bail themselves from debt by blanking the trio of their memories and selling them off to opposing factions of a war that did not concern them?
No… it was not going to happen.
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Each of the trio had been created for an entirely different purpose, a sort of ‘can we do it?’ style of experimentation that had stemmed from the creation of the original Android prototype (Codename: Darach) over a decade earlier. When the successful project had produced ‘Jennifer’ [or ‘J3nnif3r’ as the reports named her], Nemeton Industries gained universal renown for their achievements in the creation of sentient, non-biological lifeforms.
Naturally, the next step was to expand on the original plans and bring forth a new line of androids, each newer, faster, smarter, better… thus the ALPHA line was born; soldiers of the highest calibre, fit to take on anything and any scenario their masters dictated.
Alphas were leaders, but not all human or alien soldiers were keen on having android superiors… so, the solution was, of course… to replace biological soldiers with other androids who were willing to take command.
Omegas were the first attempt at creating an army for the Alphas to lead… and it did not go as planned. Not as fast or strong as Alphas, their coding and ‘personalities’ tended to clash when interfacing was attempted and could corrupt the entire battalion with only a single line of incorrect code in their programming. Omegas had a higher rate of malfunction when in group scenarios; often causing cascade failures and taking out the Alphas with them; thus making almost impossible, and often costly, repairs necessary.
Rogue Omega Androids were incredibly dangerous to themselves, other androids and any biological entities nearby.
Eventually, they were decommissioned as direct combat soldiers and re-programmed for solo missions, usually as spies or secret communications experts. Many took to it well, though occasionally an Omega goes off the Grid [the cybernetic android managing and tracking system maintaining tabs on all bioelectronic lifeforms in the known universe, mainly used by companies to send updates, commands or notify when repairs/maintenance is required].
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Of this commercial failure, came a new line of research…The Beta Series.
Betas… the second-line of warfare and conflict-ready androids were created; deliberately made not as powerful as their predecessors, so as to make certain that any challenges to authority, commands, or dangerous malfunctions could be contained by the commanding Alpha.
This in-built weakness in relation to Alphas, and the internal coding that forced Betas to submit to their Alpha’s commands, were safety mechanisms created based on data collected regarding rogue Omega behaviour.
All Android-producing companies (chiefly, Argent Enterprises, Nemeton Industries, Deaton Innovations and Kanima Corp) did not wish to face the financial repercussions of failure on a universal scale a second time, as had been seen when the Omega series created tensions by destroying their superiors and biological entities for seemingly no reason. Therefore, though Betas were made stronger than Omegas, they would never gain enough to actively match an Alpha, while their original programming and physicalities were intact and at optimum efficiency.
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However, intermittent reports of Betas occasionally destroying an Alpha and downloading their programming -therefore taking command of the battalion or ‘pack’ of other Betas- were received.
The scientists at Nemeton Industries found this idea intriguing, but argued that retroactively jamming Alpha programming into a Beta positronic brain would create internal conflict and lead to severe malfunctions in android service bots...
>Kanima Corp prototype ‘Jackson’; supposedly ‘stolen’ alongside three Beta androids (Erika, Isaac and Boyd models) months ago.
Jackson is a Kanima android, when the idea was formed from Deaton Industry labs, he was to be a sort of Angel of Death model. One that was fully controllable, and had the power to paralyse difficult patients, anesthetized injured parties or deliver a mercy killing where necessary (to be determined by ‘Master’ or Controller bonded to Kanima android).
Using a self-replicating series of chemicals created within the creature and administered/injected into the bloodstream in specific doses via tail or claws; numbing effect/paralysis noted when merely contacted to bio-organic material (skin contact).
The initial title for this model was ‘Reaper Android’ given their nature.
Kanima Corp liked the idea, but thought that perhaps this model could be improved by the addition of weapon-enhancements (Sharp teeth, lethal claws) and defensive or offensive capabilities. In short, they wanted to weaponize the proposed Reaper model, and they did… making the creation to Reaper specifications, adding a few extra items and then presenting it to the universe as a ‘Kanima’ android.
The ultimate assassin android with armour-like scaled skin, fully controllable if bonded and can kill or incapacitate any known lifeform; even androids can be affected by the toxin the Kanima produces, as it can react with Synthblood causing them to momentarily shutdown, malfunction or lose connection to musculature/internal functions.
Can be retrofitted as a Beta with correct program reversal protocols available, and someone capable of removing extra appendages (tail), or external camouflage (scale ‘skin’ armour).
>Deaton Innovations, primarily a medical and veterinary android producer (‘surgeons with the steadiest hands’ was the motto) produced a BANSHEE line of android, they were primarily used as a body locator on battlefields, and then upgraded the newer models with basic medical functions for biological entities and synthetic/android/robotic.
Sensors were upgraded to find injured or missing persons, using a super-sonic sonar system, and signalling position to others while performing necessary medical assistance functions simultaneously.
>Guidance systems and motor functions of Stiles are damaged; leaving his enhanced senses unable to focus properly and impairing certain functions almost to the point of human clumsiness. This is interfering with his duties as a Spark android (mainly used as hackers, researchers and information finders/knowledge-bases, but fast, strong and with basic weapons training).
Sparks also have ingrained abilities that individualise them, but it’s based on a randomisation program, so no one, not even Stiles or his creators know what it is yet. He is the third of his line, and created with stolen technology from Deaton Innovations.
>Ethics chip in Allison stopping ability to become assassin/Hunter Elite android; attempt to remove made her volatile
>Scott cannot maintain control of certain Alpha instincts after his monitor chip was fried by forcefield he broke through to free them from containment/storage.
>Escape: Stiles messed with the containment systems in their charging pods when interfacing with the computer earlier in testing. Scott used his enhanced strength to break himself free and get them out of their pods, using himself to short-circuit the force-field generated shielding around their ‘quarters’.
Allison finds a weapons locker, and also incapacitates the guards using non-lethal methods. Also taking pains not to damage any robotic or android guards they find on their way out, more than can be easily repaired…
As she has no idea which ones can or cannot feel pain, which is a strange new addition to their programming; the sensory chips installed in their positronic brains register ‘pain’ for as yet unknown reasons.
They take a few hits, damaging different sensors, but there’s no time to repair or ‘rest’.
They’re running through the woods outside the facility, as far as they can.
Stiles determined that there was some sort of major craft base about 36 kilometres from their present situation, using covertly diverted satellite feeds to check this over and over again through encrypted frequencies.
He slams into a tree, the other two stop. They have to fight for freedom.
An unexpected ally in the Kanima-android, Jackson, arrives with a trio of Beta androids in tow and paralyses the enemy; or disables the other droids non-lethally where possible.
>Go with them.
>The Hales are actually secretly a ‘family’ of humans and rescued androids, under the pretense of buying them as soldiers or other roles; their main adversaries are the human family behind Argent Industries, who believe androids that are not under Grid control are disgusting, and must be recaptured and reprogrammed… or decommissioned permanently.
Thus a war has been playing out for many long generations…
The Hale headquarters was once destroyed by orbital attack (fire bombing) and many of the original ‘family’, including human and android children (Forever Young! models that were all the rage a decade ago, but are now freaking people out and forcing them to dispose of them).
Alpha android Peter Hale was damaged almost irreversibly and his programming thought destroyed; passing his abilities to the next in command, his ‘nephew’ Derek Hale, but somehow was able to be reconstructed to optimum conditions a year after with the assistance of a Banshee medic bot ‘Lydia’ and a reboot using Alpha protocol.
Welcome the trio… try to fix them, teach them, train them.
Disadvantages of technology on the accounting industry
The development of technology makes accounting more convenient and efficient, accounting computerization has improved the status of accounting, artificial intelligence is responsible for basic accounting, and cloud computing can share the latest information and data in real-time. Advanced technology makes accountants get rid of the tedious accounting work, simplifies the accounting work, not only improves the work efficiency but also reduces the workload. However, while technology provides advantages for accounting work, it also has disadvantages.
1. Disadvantages of computerized accounting
1) The potential risk
Dependence on computers can sometimes lead to bigger problems. As more software data is stored in the cloud, there are more opportunities for hackers to gain access to and use your business's financial data. If a hacker uses an employer's tax certificate to open credit cards and business loans, this puts assets at risk and creates potential liability. There is also the risk that someone inside the company will access the information, perhaps stealing money from daily deposits and altering the data in the program.
2）Technical problems
Problems may arise when dealing with the computer. You may be filling out year-end data for your accountant and encounter a power outage. The computer may be infected with a virus and fail. Users may also incorrectly perform software tasks they are not familiar with. If the user tries to do something but accidentally does something else, it may take some work to eliminate the error.
3）Inaccurate information
Automation can save time, but it can also cause problems if the information is incorrectly entered. The automatic transmission of these numbers can mean that the system has errors in the various reports and other items it generates. Errors in software are also potential problems that can lead to incorrect information or calculations.
2. Disadvantages of cloud computing
1）Information security issues
Although cloud service providers implement the best security standards and industry certifications, storing data and important files on external service providers always poses risks. Data is at risk of being stolen by hackers and used for malicious purposes.
2）Information processing capability
The transmission speed of accounting information is greatly affected by network bandwidth and other factors. Frequent data access and massive data exchange will result in data delay and network congestion. The load capacity of network transmission has become a bottleneck in the application of cloud computing in accounting informatization.
3) Downtime
Because cloud computing systems are network-based, service outages are always an unfortunate possibility and can occur for any reason. The shutdown caused serious economic losses.
3. Disadvantages of artificial intelligence
1) Vulnerability risk of the system
With people still behind the setup of robot systems, there is a risk that accounting operations will be artificially programmed to produce incorrect accounting results. When we blindly rely on artificial intelligence to conduct accounting without strict internal control and verification mechanism, artificial intelligence will be reduced to profit regulation by some interest groups.
2) It violates the idea of mutual inspection in accounting
As a result of the particularity of accounting post, cannot be compatible between some posts. Such as a cashier and accountant, a post of personnel cannot be both referee and athlete. Only two positions have different personnel to check each other to ensure that the amount is the same and there will be no mistakes and fraud. But if artificial intelligence does the two jobs instead, how they check against each other goes against the concept of checking each other in accounting. Under artificial intelligence, repetitive accounting labor will be reduced in the future, and some personnel who do basic data sorting will be replaced. In the past, the process of manual work will be handled by robots, which is a great challenge for accounting professionals, who are faced with either transformation or replacement.
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