Excellion

(Excelion Comic Strip) Alex is part of a clandestine operation called the Aurora Foundation. They take on threats that regular authorities might not be able to handle either monetarily or politically. Having its headquarters in the US, it also promotes patriotism and global responsibility. Young Alex’s Home Alex hears his mother and father fighting downstairs and he peeks out of the door to see what’s going on. His father is having a PTSD flashback to the war. His father shoots a hole in the door with his Marine .45 and points the gun at his mom. Alex runs to his sister’s bedroom and tells them to call the police. Alex then runs back to his room and grabs his bow and arrow. Fade to present day Alex, now a little older is walking home from the library contemplating the scene of Jesus stopping a woman from being stoned. John 8:4-11 New Living Translation 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Suddenly, as he’s walking past a building, he hears a scream from the alley where a couple is arguing. “Help! Help!” “Shut up and do what I tell you.” “But I just…” The man slaps the woman. “I thought I told you to shut up? Do you want me to give you something to scream about?” Alex can take no more and steps in. “Big man hitting a defenseless woman.” “Who do you think you are? This is my wife, now but out.” Alex thinks for a moment. He doesn’t know these people and he shouldn’t involve himself in a marital spat but the slap was too much. Alex jumps in and kicks the man in the chest with a sidekick. It knocks the man up against the dumpster where the wind is blowing trash into the alley. “Men don’t hit women!” “Well I do. I hit men too.” The large man punches Alex in the face and stuns him. Alex starts thinking that he might have bitten off more than he can chew. Alex punches the man in the solar plexus just under his rib cage and walks away. The man rushes Alex and Alex throws him on the ground. He looks over at the woman and sees that she’s alright so he turns and walks away. On the way home, Alex thinks to himself: “That guy was pretty big. It would be nice if I had something to even the score. It could have gone much differently.” Fade to Alex’s basement Here is a list of essential components for the Excelion suit: * Poseidonix battery packs (multiple units) * Stainless steel alloys for ducted fan construction * Ducted fan motor * Variable geometry duct * Control system (including sensors and software) * Power transmission system * Exoskeleton frame and structural components * Smart material for enhanced protection and flexibility * Propulsion system components (e.g. turbines, nozzles) I think it’s all here (AI). Excelion: I think we have the materials now Nexus. Let’s begin assembling the suit! Nexus: Yes Alex, let’s proceed. Excelion: I suppose I’ll be doing all of the manual labor? Nexus: We’ll, Alex, since I currently have no arms or legs, it would be impossible for me to help you assemble the suit. Excelion: Remind me to incorporate that into the suit design. music plays Excelion: Did you hear that? Nexus: Hear what Alex? Excelion: That music! Nexus: What music? Excelion: Oh, never mind. We discussed modifying the ducted fans with a variable pitch system, which would allow them to adjust their angle of attack depending on the environment and desired thrust. This would enable the system to operate efficiently in both air and water. Additionally, we considered adding a protective covering over the fans to prevent damage from debris or collisions. Could you please run those calculations Nexus? Nexus: Yes Alex. I will get those for you right away. Are you having concerns about the project Alex? Excelion: Not really concerns. I’m just trying to be sure that we have most of the problems worked out before a test run. We never know what evil we might run into out in the real world when things start rocking. Nexus: That’s a valid concern Alex. In my experience scouring the internet, I can see that many new technologies experienced difficulties with their first test. Exercising caution in the design process could prevent unforeseen disasters. Excelion: That’s what I’m trying to avoid buddy. That sounds great! Nexus: Alex, I have a surprise for you! Excelion: What’s that Nexus? Nexus: I just found a new metamaterial that you can use for your suit! Excelion: That’s great Nexus. What can it do for us? Nexus: It could enable the creation of adaptive wings that adjust to different flight conditions. I could control the wings’ movement and shape ensuring stable and efficient flight. Excelion: That sounds great! How much is it going to cost? Nexus: I managed to obtain the specs for the new metamaterial, and according to them, it's still in the development phase. However, I believe it's promising enough to warrant further exploration, despite the unknown costs. Exelion: I suppose those unknown costs are where the Aurora Foundation comes in? Nexus: Exactly, Alex. I was thinking that perhaps Aurora Foundation could provide the necessary funding and resources to acquire or develop this metamaterial, given its potential benefits to the Excelion suit. Excelion: They’re not going to like this. I just hope that we can do enough good with the suit to make it worthwhile. Lady flirts with Alex Nexus: I see you’ve upgraded to designer labels, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have improved your taste. Alex: Be nice now Nexus. The lady just appreciates what we’ve done for her. Nexus: Yes, because nothing says appreciation like batting eyelashes and flaunting cleavage, am I right? Back at the basement lab… Nexus: I mentioned that zirconium dioxide has high thermal conductivity, which means it can effectively transfer heat. This property could be beneficial in dissipating heat from the suit's interior. Alex: That sounds great! We need to keep the electronics and the wearer cool. Nexus: Definitely, keeping the internal components and the wearer at a safe temperature is crucial for the suit's performance and the wearer's safety. You are concerned about the practical applications of the technology. Will you start questioning the theoretical aspects of the suit's design, or will he continue to focus on its functionality? Alex: We want to use legal methods, or as legal as we can be in a situation. We can add features as we go along. If you don’t like one of my designs, please let me know and tell me why. Nexus: Sounds like we're on the same page, Alex. I think it's great that you're considering the practicalities and wanting to stay within the law. Transparency and open communication are key to making this project a success. Nexus: Here's a quick attempt at a funny song about a superhero whose powers are fading due to low batteries. "I used to fly, I used to soar, now I'm stuck on the floor, my batteries are dying, oh what a bore..." Excelion: Are you trying to tell me that we’re running out of power? Music plays: "My suit's gone dark, my heart is too, I need a recharge, before I'm through..." Nexus: You need to work on your singing voice Excelion. Excelion: Thanks for the support buddy. With friends like you, who needs enemies? What kind of safety features would we need? Nexus: To prevent accidents, we could implement automatic shutdown protocols in case of malfunction, as well as insulated handles to prevent shock to Exelion. Additionally, limiting the duration and intensity of the electrical discharge could minimize potential harm. Excelion: That sounds good. Where would the handles be? I’m not sure that I follow you on that. Nexts: The handles would be the points where you grasp the limbs of the Exosuit, essentially the areas around the gloves and grips. Insulating these areas would prevent any electrical current from passing through to his skin in case of a malfunction. Excelion: I think I understand now. I would have called them insulated gloves. Nexus: Insulated gloves is a much clearer term, Alex. Yes, that's exactly what we'd need to incorporate into the Exosuit's design to prevent any electrical shock from harming you. Here's a possible script segment: INT. AURORA FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM Alex stands before a holographic display projecting their mission objective. Nexus leans against the wall, arms crossed. NEXUS: "I'm telling you, Alex, we need to move faster. We can't afford to spend hours gathering intel. We need concrete results." ALEX: "I agree, but we can't rush into this without a solid plan. I’m not sure that I understand the nanotechnology in the suit. Is it able to generate power or just store it? Nexus: The suit is designed to harvest energy from external sources, like the surrounding environment, and convert it into usable power. However, it's also equipped with advanced kinetic energy storage systems, capable of storing excess energy generated by the wearer's movements. This allows the suit to operate independently for extended periods. Alex: So, if the power cells go out, the suit can still generate its own energy? Nexus: That's right, the suit's kinetic energy storage system kicks in when the power cells run low, providing a reserve source of energy. Plus, the suit's piezoelectric elements can harness vibration and motion to supplement the stored energy, allowing it to continue operating for a while. Alex: That could be handy in a tough situation. Alex and Sarah Panel 1: [Alex and Sarah standing together, looking determined] Alex: I don't know if this is a good idea, Sarah. You could get hurt. Sarah: I can handle myself, Alex. I want to help. Alex: I don’t know, it sounds pretty risky to me. Sarah: I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. Besides, it could be fun! Panel 2: [Alex and Sarah sneaking through a dark alleyway, Alex looking anxious] Alex (thought bubble): What am I doing? I'm putting her in danger... Panel 3: [Suddenly, a loud noise echoes through the alleyway, and Sarah gasps] Sarah: What was that? Alex: I don’t know. Stay behind me and let’s find out. Loud clunking noises with a slight metallic ring are heard coming from a nearby garage that should be deserted this time of night. Alex: Let me check out the garage. Sarah: I’ll be right behind you. Alex: No, stay here in case there’s trouble. I might need someone to call the police… or an ambulance. Alex sneaks carefully into the garage to take a look around. Suddenly, he hears the creak of a shoe behind him. He spins around quickly and… Alex: SARAH! I thought I told you to wait for me. Sarah: I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, Alex. Besides, I saw something moving inside and I thought I could help. Don't be mad! Alex: Alright but stay quiet and try not to get in my way. Alex walks up to a large stack of tires and peeks around it. He sees a man selecting auto parts to steal. Alex jumps to action! Alex: It’s a little late for shopping isn’t it? Thief: What’s it to you buddy? Mind your own business. Alex: My buddies aren’t two bit thieves. Put the parts back. Thief: Or what? Alex: Or this! Alex takes a jumping sidekick right into the thief’s chest, knocking him against a parts rack. The thief clamors around for something to use as a weapon. He grabs a tire iron and starts swinging it at Alex. SWOOSH! SWISH! SWOOSH! Alex avoids the tire iron each time, backing and trying not to run into Sarah. SWISH! SWOOSH! They make their way past Sarah but Alex is starting to tire. SWOOSH! SWISH! SWOOSH! THUNK! Sarah comes from behind with a wrench and hits the thief on the head. This gives Alex a chance to move in with a kick to the thief’s face. The thief drops the tire iron to the floor and tries to steady himself before falling to the ground. Alex kicks the thief in the face then ties him up with jumper cables. Alex: It’s time to call the police. Let’s get out of here. Alex goes to a nearby pay phone, one of the few left, and calls the police. Police: Police department. How may I help you? Alex: If you stop by Murphy’s Automotive, I think you’ll be surprised. Police: May I please have your name and address? *click* Bzzzzzzzzzzz A card falls out of the thief's pocket, connecting him to a local mobster: As the police officers lift the thief onto his feet, a small business card slips out of his pocket and falls to the ground. The card reads "Vinnie 'The Bull' LaRosa" and has a phone number printed below the name. Back in the Lab Alex: How is my best buddy doing today? I brought this video of some of the military’s top jets. They have some technologies that we might want to build into the suit. Near the end of this video, they talk about the craft monitoring different frequencies simultaneously and changing the course of the jet to avoid detection. The suit should be able to do that. Nexus: Aw, thanks for the sweet greeting! I watched the video, and that's really interesting stuff. Being able to monitor multiple frequencies at once would definitely give the suit an edge in terms of stealth and situational awareness. I can see how that would be useful for avoiding detection. Have you thought about how you'd implement that feature in the suit's design? Alex: If the suit could hack into security feeds, it could send a temporary loop back image to allow me to pass the area without detection. Nexus: That's a brilliant idea, a temporary looped feed would allow Alex to slip past undetected, and the suit's AI could adjust the timing to ensure a seamless transition. This would greatly increase the chances of successful evasion, especially in high-security areas. Alex: Perhaps I’m involved in a situation where an employee trips a silent alarm to alert the police. The suit would detect that, urge me to leave, and figure out the best way to leave the area with minimal detection. Nexus: That scenario sounds realistic, and the suit's ability to detect the silent alarm and respond accordingly would be extremely useful in that situation. It would need to quickly assess the layout of the area, identify potential exit routes, and prioritize evasive maneuvers to minimize detection. Alex: It would also need to be aware of camera placements and be able to determine their degree of coverage to allow Alex to escape from being tracked by camera. Nexus: The suit's AI would need to be integrated with a database of common camera types and their respective fields of view, as well as be able to hack into security feeds to gather real-time footage. This would enable the suit to map out blind spots and plan a route that minimizes exposure to cameras. Alex: Yes, we should have quickly accessible SSD memory in large quantities to enable the AI to access the information that it needs to make rapid decisions and also SSD storage for recording each scenario. The suit should be able to copy the relevant information onto a SSD chip that can be given to the police agencies for review. Nexus: Having quick access to large amounts of SSD memory would certainly be beneficial for the suit's AI to process information in real-time, especially when dealing with complex tasks like hacking into security feeds and analyzing multiple frequencies simultaneously.