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No, she has to listen to the highest authority giving her orders so if the President of the USA said, "don't tell anyone about this" or gave written orders to that effect then Dragon would obey that.
Wait.....

As a Canadian citizen does this mean that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second could give dragon orders or the Governor General or tha PM of Canada?

Since they are the highest authorities in her homeland. So could she technically ignore anything ordered by POTUS or any american offical?
 
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Any legitimate authority can give her orders that must be followed. Even if the order it's self is illegal or immoral, so long as the person who gave it is a government official they can order her around and Dragon is forced to obey.
 
Any legitimate authority can give her orders that must be followed. Even if the order it's self is illegal or immoral, so long as the person who gave it is a government official they can order her around and Dragon is forced to obey.

Thats a very open ended restrictions because a police sergeant could technically give her orders.
 
Any legitimate authority can give her orders that must be followed. Even if the order it's self is illegal or immoral, so long as the person who gave it is a government official they can order her around and Dragon is forced to obey.
So long as she doesn't have other orders that conflict, then it goes up the chain (and she obeys the highest authority person, in the case of two orders that conflict) and she has a *little* bit of wiggle room on just who the "highest authority" is in any given situation, but not a lot.

That said PotUS would be the applicable "highest authority" here because BB is in the states and Taylor is a US citizen.
 
Thats a very open ended restrictions because a police sergeant could technically give her orders.

Why yes, they could. And yes it is a stupid and insane restriction. Hell, a rookie patrol officer could potentially order her to imprison someone in the birdcage without a trial and she'd have to do it if nobody else countermands the order, doesn't even have to be a Sargent.
 
Why yes, they could. And yes it is a stupid and insane restriction. Hell, a rookie patrol officer could potentially order her to imprison someone in the birdcage without a trial and she'd have to do it if nobody else countermands the order, doesn't even have to be a Sargent.

makes you wonder why the restrictions wasn't written as head of government or head of state.

edit: Now I have the image of dragon being accidentally sent to get crispy cream donuts by a rookie cop.
 
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makes you wonder why the restrictions wasn't written as head of government or head of state.

edit: Now I have the image of dragon being accidentally sent to get crispy cream donuts by a rookie cop.

Only thing I can come up with is having a more sensible restriction wouldn't promote conflict. After all, what's better for promoting conflict then easily abused restrictions on your tinkertech AI?
 
It should have been written as any "legal" order from a lawfull authority. The loss of that one word opened it up to to much potential abuse. And even then there still be the issue of what would happen if a despot seized control.
 
It should have been written as any "legal" order from a lawfull authority. The loss of that one word opened it up to to much potential abuse. And even then there still be the issue of what would happen if a despot seized control.

Yeah, now just think... It doesn't have to be a "lawful authority" from Canada or United States of America. It's any "lawful authority". So that despot you mentioned? If she's in his country due to an endbringer attack, guess who could order Dragon around.
 
Why yes, they could. And yes it is a stupid and insane restriction. Hell, a rookie patrol officer could potentially order her to imprison someone in the birdcage without a trial and she'd have to do it if nobody else countermands the order, doesn't even have to be a Sargent.

Reminds me of one-shot where someone did give that order as a joke and a bunch of innocent people was sent to the Birdcage.
 
When you are paranoid, you try to come up with a restriction that cannot be circumvented by creative measures.
 
Yeah, now just think... It doesn't have to be a "lawful authority" from Canada or United States of America. It's any "lawful authority". So that despot you mentioned? If she's in his country due to an endbringer attack, guess who could order Dragon around.

Damn that means the restriction could potentially be used to slaughter the enemies of the Despot if they knew about the restriction.
 
Looking at the document in front of him, he slowly turned pages as they talked, mentally building a list of what would be needed for yet another research group.

At this rate they should probably rename Brockton Bay University to the Taylor Hebert Research Institute and be done with it, he mused, smiling a little to himself.

Was re-reading (for the x numbered time, as I've LONG since lost count of times I've read this story), and I had an image of SCIENCE! Convention getting blitzed by a black haired teen blowing through the front doors and charging through, with an invention hovering merrily along behind her marking targets and firing lassos at various individuals, who then discover themselves being dragged along for the ride as they're moving nowhere NEAR fast enough to keep with her (she's running as fast as her mind can work out Knowledge). I sorely wish I could draw, as that image would be PERFECT for this story as a 'cover'!
 
Wasn't there a youtuber that explained away the one hit melee kill on Halo armor as the armor reading a twitch from the nervous system as the person got hit as a signal to actuate the exo-skeleton in a way that was not survivable by the soldier driving it?

It sounded plausible to me and would also explain why people who were not super soldiers could not use Halo armor, they had to many random twitches that got amplified such that something important got smushed.

Only super soldiers had the control needed to both not send many such twitches in the first place and the ability to act fast enough to dampen such things before the actuators fired fully. Only when they get hit hard enough to break their focus do they give signals they can't override fast enough to remain alive.
 
makes you wonder why the restrictions wasn't written as head of government or head of state.

edit: Now I have the image of dragon being accidentally sent to get crispy cream donuts by a rookie cop.

Dragon, feeling used: "No, you don't have to give me those warm, gooey ones fresh off the cooker. The ones that have been sitting since yesterday morning will do."

On a serious note, it seems Dragon does have the wiggle room of deciding whose the higher or highest authority.

Then to another less than serious note,

Dragon, tonelessly: "I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I can't let you do that."

RCB: "Dammit, Dragon! I order you to open the door!"

Dragon: "I'm sorry, Rebecca, I'm Canadian, I don't have to listen to you."
 
I would prefer Starship Troopers style power armour, it's better and can be used by ordinary humans.

I wonder if we would be better going for something like ethier Zone armour from C&C since it's a good al purpose desgin and can be a useful general purpose suit. Or something like the Honorverse style Battle Armour use it attached to unpowered infantry units to provide heavy support options since it can carry an power some truly heavy weapons for use also it could be configured for recon by swapping the weapons for a greater battery life and sensor package.
 
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I am curious if in this worm fanfic Skunkwork is still active in the military tech industry. Given that Taylor is more or less working under DARPA now, are there possibilities of collaboration? Perhaps Taylor should focus more on the science, and let these guys who have a proven record of turning cutting edge science into cutting edge technology. I imagine these people are closer to her being peer in intelligence/science/engineering and might really surprise everyone with altogether new application. (Such as stealth fighter from the russian scientist paper or radar reflection)
 
Plus all the cake from the parties they probably have every time they get something on the Spy Wishlist...
ok now I can't help but imagine Taylor acting like......wait no I gotta put this into words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Omake: Latest in Spy Fashion
The team from the C.I.A that had been sent to Gravitec in order to field test some equipment didn't really know what to make of their current situation.
After entering the Gravitec complex they had been sucked by one of the waste containers and fell down through a tunnel stopping on a three seat, luxurious sofa.
In the futuristic looking office, seated behind a long desk was the Prime Asset, aka Taylor Hebert...although instead of the lab coat she normally wore whenever she had been working she was wearing a black, 3 piece business suit with a black tie and her hair done in a no nonsense bun.

-Gentlemen and lady, I thank you for offering to field test the new equipment that your organization has requested.....I have read your dossiers and the information on the target and place where the mission will take place. So, Mr Stone, Mr Reston, Mrs Lance, shall we?-

The wall behind Taylor lit up as the desk opened in the middle with an hydraulic hiss. Lifting an assortment of....mundane items?

-Miss Hebert....I hope that appearances can be deceiving in this case?- asked agent John Stone with his partners, Clive Reston, looking at the items with curiosity while Dinah Laurel Lance looked like she was in a candy store.

Taylor gave the Agent a small smile while getting up and taking the first item displayed.

-For your mission I have prepared the All Weather Umbrella, capable of deflecting bullets and Blaster powers ranking at least to 6.

For the lady, we have the Ice Queen Perfume, handle with care, this is stronger than Liquid Nitrogen, do not worry though, the bottle is almost indestructible.

Next for the three of you, the Ascending Ascot Cable, hidden inside this seemingly normal tie is a cable that can be used to attach to a metallic surface via a hook at the end, which can then be used to climb or scale a building or surface. The cable is deployed by pressing in the bottom tip of the tie. Do try to not touch it in public.

Moving on, the 24-hour Extra-Power All-Day Adhesive Hair Spray, believe me, Confoam has nothing on this.

In case of having to do a rapid escape, the Eyelash Curler Catapult. The name is self explanatory....also make sure to have a landing strategy ready before use

And the piece de resistance, the Lipstick Taser, just uncap, point and press the button of the case. The current can be adjusted by how much lipstick is revealed.-

The three members of the C.I.A could not really believe their eyes, they knew that Tinker where bullshit, but this girl wasn't one...so it was a bit amazing to see what amounted to fictional spy gear. Taylor touched a button and another compartment opened revealing two black pocket watches and a compact mirror.

-Finally, these are your X-Watches and the X-Powder. Among its features their primary function is to serve as Communicators and phones. Other functions include allowing users to instantly change their outfits to catsuit for infiltration and to any disguise you may think of, the invisibility cloak, hacking tools, DNA recognition, hands-free capability, which literally allows them to levitate, multiple data window projection function; and a "shiny skin protector", which detects when the user's face gets extra sweaty.......what do you think?- Asked Taylor with a sly smirk pleased at the gobsmacked expressions of the three agents. Who would have though remembering of the times she had played super spies when she was a little girl would bring so many good ideas.

Agent Lance did not, in fact, squee in glee.

AN: let's see how many get the references.
 
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I wonder if we would be better going for something like ethier Zone armour from C&C since it's a good al purpose desgin and can be a useful general purpose suit. Or something like the Honorverse style Battle Armour use it attached to unpowered infantry units to provide heavy support options since it can carry an power some truly heavy weapons for use also it could be configured for recon by swapping the weapons for a greater battery life and sensor package.
I don't know those armours. I do know the ones from Starship Troopers, and that they let you survive re-entry as a normal human.
 
I mean for one the Canadians could go after heart breaker and his kids with minimal risk and defuse his followers and any walking talking time bombs he left in Canada to go off if he dies.
I imagine that they could round up all of HB's sleeper agents by just delivering the ultimatum that they would kill him if all of the agents didnt turn themselves in within X timeframe. Thats the one shitty aspect of having a LOVE ME power rather than an OBEY ME power; its victims will prioritize the safety of the target of their affection over their mission if said target is under threat.
Why yes, they could. And yes it is a stupid and insane restriction. Hell, a rookie patrol officer could potentially order her to imprison someone in the birdcage without a trial and she'd have to do it if nobody else countermands the order, doesn't even have to be a Sargent.
To be fair to Dragon, she can easily get around that by bringing the matter up to their boss, possibly by framing it as an explaination of why such jokes arent ok. Because if there is one thing that such restrictions do, its make the person dealing with them really good at working around them (see all the BS the Fae pull off while not being able to actually lie).
 
I can't help but wonder whether the entire reason Cauldron/Contessa can't find Taylor is all because they keep asking the wrong questions:

"Path to finding the Parahuman/s responsible for these advances!"

"Error, no Parahuman found"

"Damn these Anti-Thinker powers/blind spots!:mad:"

:lol::rofl:
That.....could actually be a thing if Path to Victory takes the question literally.
 
Though in all honesty the parahuman detector when widely dispersed would be a major boon for law enforcement to say nothing of intel or defence. Since it could show you if there is a parahuman in the area whether it gives a location, distance and direction though depends on the sensitivity of it. TBH though what taylor needs to develop is a way to counter masters and their effects as well as defuse there effect on people that would be a big thing.

Taylor can't go public with her parahuman sensor. It absolutely destroys the unwritten rules. Long term, it might be ok if villains can't hide and if new parahuman get guidance, but short term it'd be like unmasking every parahuman. Remember how that went in Cannon with the Empire?
 
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