by <unknown>
"Relay my message to all our comrades in our organization. There aren't many enemies, we can overcome and defeat them!"
The middle-aged man roared ferociously as he headed outside.
However, the outlook on the battlefield was far worse than he had ever expected.
It was largely due to it being an unexpected ambush. The majority of the soldiers barely had time to react before they had murderous robot spiders coming right at them.
These robot spiders could even scale the walls on their own!
Facing such frontal assault, although there were no more than fifty of these spiders, they still caused a severe amount of casualties in the military base.
However, just as the middle-aged man was about to take command over the battlefield, the ground quaked violently again!
This time, the sound of objects crashing against the ground was more volatile!
"Watch out! General!"
One of the general's guards caught the glimpse of something in his peripheral which caused his pupil to shrink into a ball. He immediately leaped forward and pushed the middle-aged man to the ground some distance away. The other guards were not as lucky. They had reacted just a split instant slower and ended up obliterated by a metallic object crashing on them from above!
A baffling amount of blood and guts poured out and splattered all over the general. However, the general was hardly disturbed by this. He immediately calmly helped his nearby guards to his feet and made them retreat with him.
At this moment, all the guards formed a half-circle with the metal block that just fell from above at the center of the circle.
The general inspected the sky above intently but could not identify anything notable.
After that, he proceeded to direct his attention to the metal block.
This metal block was several times larger than the robot spiders that they had seen so far. Within moments, several beams of light started to flicker along its surface. It appeared as if it was going to activate any second!
"Fire!"
As the general barked an order, his subordinates immediately unleashed havoc on the iron block. In an instant, deafening gunshots and the strong scent of gunpowder filled the space around them. The gunpowder brought up a cloud of smoke that surrounded the iron block!
After expanding the first round of ammo, the well-trained and disciplined guards began swapping out their magazines. The general man chewed his cigar and stared intently at the object hidden underneath the cloud of smoke.
Before the smoke could fully disperse, a beam of red light suddenly shot through the cloud of ashes. It flickered endlessly and turned green abruptly with a swift click, immediately followed by the distinctive sneeze of hydraulic gas pumping out!
Everyone gazed at the metal block as it slowly assembled itself into a figure that looked like a regular human. First, it was a metallic head that popped out of its top and emerged through the smoke, its eyes flashing red. After that, its limbs emerged, then it constructed its torso…
"What in the hell is this supposed to be…"
The general bit down hard on his cigar as he beheld the indestructible monster. Within a second, with an instantaneous "bang", the general's body became contorted into a cylindrical shape before he exploded and splattered his blood, guts, and other remains in a ring around him! There was hardly any time for him to react!
Everyone watched in horror as the general was shredded into pieces by an immutable force!
At last, the robot skeleton emerged from the cloud of smoke, carrying a mighty weapon. It fired its first shot that signaled the start of another round of massacre…
"Thump thump thump!"
There was the dull thump of bullets punching into human flesh. There was hardly any window for these guards to try to escape their fated deaths. Before they could react, specially crafted shuttle-shaped hollow bullets punched through their bodies. The bullets twisted the moment they entered the human body, which created a whirlpool-like effect that spun their flesh in a ring!
Horrific screams emerged from the crowd. The ones who were hit first did not even have time to utter so much as a whimper before their flesh was blended into pieces. It only took one swift round before the guards all lay dead on the ground, covered in puddles of blood…
The arrival of the humanoid robots made the robot spiders seem like the warm-up round. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. The military base that was supposed to be well equipped for resistance was immediately decommissioned…
"Target: Any humanoid subjects carrying weapons. Total identifiable targets: Less than 300. Threat assessment: Low…"
A sequence of data appeared on the top left corner of the robot's vision field. The camera zoomed outward to reveal several men dressed in military uniforms seated around a roundtable in a conference room. The lowest rank among them was at least a Colonel, they focused their attention on the giant display in front of them.
"This is the footage of the suppression of armed forces in the Azawag River Valley of Niger on 20 February that was commissioned by the local authorities."
Chapter 451: One of Its Kind |
"The agile model of this robot doesn't exceed 20 kilograms in weight. It's this ultra-lightness that allows them to move quickly and even climb walls for a short time. If armor is installed on these robots, then they may be bulletproof, but the additional weight would nullify its function as an agile robot."
The youth spread his hands and responded.
Everyone nodded with understanding. Indeed, this kind of robot seemed like a mere nuisance at first glance and it did not even have a gun. It might be of little use in regular combat encounters, but when used for tactical applications such as counter-terrorism and surprise attacks, it could perform miraculously.
"In addition to this model, XTN-004 has several other models that can adapt to more complex situations. If you're interested, you can learn more about it, but our meeting time is limited, so I won't list them here."
The youth pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and then dragged the video progress bar to freeze the frame on a robot that had first come out. "XTN-002 — this one may be more to General Lawrence's taste."
As he said, he looked at the soldier who had just asked about bullet-proofing. "This is a heavy-duty robot. It has an animalistic design. It's 231cm tall, 421cm long, weighs 420 kg, and has a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour. It's not very heavy, but only because we're aware of the issue of mobility. To allow the drone to carry as much weight as possible, we have reduced a lot of unnecessary weight.
"For example, its shell is made of special carbon-fiber ceramic composite. Light weapons such as ordinary rifles and submachine guns cannot cause any damage to them. Only anti-materiel sniper rifles are able to damage them, but unless they hit the smart processor in the body, it'd be difficult to paralyze the XTN-002 with a single shot.
"At the same time, XTN-002's important internal components have a 'metal jacket' to create a Faraday cage, which can effectively isolate electromagnetic pulse interference and prevent strikes from electromagnetic bombs.
"And its vision system consists of both infrared vision and traditional electronic vision. The two visions complement each other and can find any hidden target.
"As for the firepower system, XTN-002 uses the airborne M61Al 'Vulcan' 6-barrel rapid-fire cannon by default. The caliber of this series ranges from 5.56mm to 25mm. With this firepower attack, any targets without heavy armor within 100 meters wouldn't survive. Of course, you can also choose to carry other types of weapons such as bazookas and other heavy weapons. The replacement is very simple and you can even handle it yourself."
In accordance with the words of the youth, a scaled-down holographic image of XTN-002 appeared out of thin air on the conference table in front of everyone, along with a human body for size comparison.
With that, the youth concluded. "In short, XTN-002 is a simple, efficient, and durable tactical weapon. It's like a tank packed i
n a drone. It may not have the ability to dominate flat ground like a tank, but it's able to adapt to complex and unpredictable environments such as street combat, swamps, and jungles. Tanks can't compare to its mobility and agility at all."
Everyone listened in deep fascination. Indeed, XTN-002 was like an enlarged version of an elephant, except that there were two Vulcan cannons for firepower. This robot could completely replace tanks in more complex street combat. Of course, this was assuming that its AI was that smart.
"Still, ultimately, XTN-002 hasn't experienced actual combat."
Another general who looked like a brown bear suddenly spoke.
"I'm sorry, that's because we've only developed it recently and there has been no suitable actual combat record."
The young man said helplessly, "We have gone through tens of thousands of tests. Here, you may refer to these test data sets at any time. In terms of actual combat, there's only the rebel extermination operation in Niger. You can also see that we only used the XTN-002 to prevent this group of people from escaping. Before it was put into action, the entire base of more than 300 rebels had surrendered fully.
"But you don't have to be disappointed because we'll continue to accept commissions from various countries in the African Continent to use these robots for establishing public order and destroying rebels. If you plan to buy, you can wait and see first. We're not in a hurry."
Everyone nodded matter-of-factly.
"Next, we have this humanoid robot."
The youth continued to drag the progress bar to show on the screen the humanoid robot that killed the rebel general. "This is the most conventional model of XTN-003.
"XTN-003 inherits the design of Project Xingtian. As you can see, this type of drone isn't as good as XTN-002 in terms of armor thickness and tonnage. In terms of agility, it's not as good as XTN-004. As befitting its model, it's just a conventional combat robot."
The youth spoke frankly. The 3D image of XTN-002 was quickly moved aside and the center of the conference table displayed an XTN-003 of the same size.
"XTN-003, 190cm tall and weighs 134 kg, is a humanoid combat robot. It has the same vision system as other robots and can withstand light weapons. The armor thickness is half that of XTN-002.
"Its moving speed is slightly higher than that of humans, reaching 45 kilometers per hour, and it also has the ability to block electromagnetic pulse interference. At the same time, it can perform all human actions. Whether it's close combat or long-range shooting, it excels at everything."
"So, what are the advantages of this robot?"
Someone asked suddenly.
"The advantage of XTN-003 is that it's a jack of all trades. No matter the occasion, it can exert its full power without any special restrictions, just like us humans."
The youth immediately replied, "XTN-003 can use any weapon and can conduct high-intensity combat, whether it's manipulating artillery or driving a car, whether it's used in street fights or ambushes. Even when its weapon has run out of ammunition, it can grab the enemy's weapon to fight. It's like a special soldier who is impenetrable and indefatigable, and is also the trump card in special forces!"
"What!"
After hearing these words, everyone could not sit still. The brown-bear-like soldier among them stared with widened eyes, just like a child. "It's so smart that it can drive a car?"
At this, the young man could not help but laugh. "Driving a car isn't that unusual. What if I say that it only needs additional data input to be able to drive tanks and airplanes as well?"
Everyone was even more startled. "Impossible. It's enough of a miracle that your robot AI can walk on two legs and maintain the same agility as ordinary people. If it can still drive airplanes and tanks, wouldn't it be able to completely replace human soldiers? "
"I understand what you're thinking. It's normal to have doubts about the intelligence of this kind of AI."
The young man pressed his hands and let everyone settle back down first before he said genially, "But if you don't believe it, after our first meeting, you can come and watch us operate the XTN-003 robot at the experimental site. At the same time, once we receive commissions from countries in the African Continent, we'll try our best to send XTN-003 for actual combat demonstrations. You can even join our commanders to observe the actual combat from a distance."
"We're also looking forward to this opportunity."
These high-ranking officials and generals all looked at each other, nodded, and managed to suppress the booming uncertainty in their hearts.
"As for what you said about how XTN-003 can replace human soldiers — isn't this the dream of human progress?"
The youth continued to speak, "In Blacklight Biotechnology's imagination, with the progress of human civilization, the frequency of future wars will inevitably decrease and the scale of conventional garrisons will also become smaller and smaller. These remnants will be positions filled up by robots and drones.
"It's even possible that there will be zero casualties in future wars and victory or defeat will be up to the robots…"
Hearing that the youth was looking toward the future, everyone wore a thoughtful look. Indeed, XTN-003 seemed to be too intelligent to be realistic, but was this not in line with the situation of future wars?
"Moreover, in our vision, these robots can be used for more than just military purposes."
The young man continued. "As long as you reduce the thickness of the armor and reduce the firepower level, it will be a perfect police robot. I believe you all know what this signifies."
He said urgently, "Even if military robots were to be upgraded in the future, rest assured that these discarded robots won't become a pile of scrap metal. Whether it's for police use or even for the most difficult labor required on construction sites and farms, it would be a walk in the park for these robots…"
Upon hearing this, everyone raised their heads abruptly and finally looked surprised. One of the military personnel whispered, "It's true… If the AI program of this kind of robot can even adapt to war, then using it as a police robot or even an industrial robot would already be overkill."
The young man took a sip of water from the glass in front of him and then continued. "In addition, there are various kinds of drones that you have seen, such as the Mark-1 model —"
With that, the holographic projection of XTN-003 automatically moved to one side and a flying-saucer-shaped drone appeared in the center of the conference table.
"The Mark-001 drone has a diameter of 75 cm and a height of 20 cm. It's equipped with an ion pulse vector propulsion unit, has a maximum cruise speed of 120 kilometers per hour and a flying noise of 20 decibels, which is equivalent to the rustle you hear when the wind blows through the leaves. It's also equipped with a face-scanning system, coupled with a 12K high-definition zoom camera, so it's able to confirm the identity of a person up to 100 meters away, with an accuracy rate of 99%. Even at night, it converts to its night vision mode and there's no difference from daytime.
"And its shell utilizes a smart protective color system, which can change to several camouflage colors including sky blue, black, brown camouflage, and green camouflage. This is enough to accomplish invisible surveillance activities in most environments."
The youth continued to explain, "As for the weapon system, there's a weapon base in the bottom hold of the drone, which can carry several light weapons such as stun guns, flare guns, and light pistols.
"Of course, it can also carry nothing. If it's not equipped, it will be a pure spy drone. If it's equipped, it can be used for patrol and search missions. The actual combat video you've just seen is all footage taken by the Mark-1.
"The Mark-001 is only the most common model. Just like the XTN robot, the Mark drone is divided into dozens of models, with sizes ranging from micro-drones of a few centimeters to heavy-duty drones that can carry an XTN-002. The latter comprises multiple practical combat capabilities such as spy monitoring, tactical operations, and vehic
le loading.
"Then, there's the Mark-002 model…"
Following that, the youth vividly explained the specifications of more than a dozen drones to the people in the conference room. As of now, the procurement team of the North Sea Continent finally got a preliminary understanding of the weapons being produced by Blacklight Biotechnology.
Of course, the order contract would not be signed so soon. After all, this round was only a preliminary examination. After this group of people left, they would send a second and third batch of inspection teams to investigate. No political institution would treat lightly a purchase order that involved tens of billions of dollars as well as national security.
Blacklight Biotechnology was not just receiving representatives from the North Sea Continent. They were just the fastest group. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, although the North Sea Continent had taken in the dividends left by the Soviet Union many years ago, now it had reached the end of its line, and most of its weapons were on the verge of obsolescence.
Now, there had appeared an arms dealer who would not even glance at the Northern American Continent. The North Sea Continent immediately became restless. They dispatched a number of high-ranking military officials to form an inspection group to come here to obtain a preliminary understanding.
When the meeting was about to end, an old man with a gray beard among the officers finally could not hold back anymore. He frowned and said, "I have to say that the weapons of Blacklight Biotechnology are indeed amazing, but before we have witnessed their performance with our own eyes, all this still has to remain a question mark. Shouldn't it be time to talk about some of the highlights? For example, your 'sky sweeper'?"
"Ah, so General Carl, you have your eye on our individual air defense system?"
The young man suddenly laughed. He took off his glasses, revealing a handsome Chinese face. This young man was transferred here from the headquarters and was an intelligent talent who was well appreciated and entrusted with important duties by Qian Wenhuan.
