As X, Octavia, Zero, and Alia returned from their beach vacation, Alia went immediately back to her post at comms in HQ. "Anything new while I was away?" she asked as Zero leaned against a nearby wall. X huddled in a corner, shivering slightly, much to Octavia's amusement. She wondered how things at the beach would have gone different if those girls had known it was actually X there, and not the pseudonyms they'd used for an attempt at anonymity.
CiCi called up the report to answer Alia's question. "Maverick activity is at an all time low," she explained. "Apparently, this new Reploid scientist, Dr. Doppler, has built a Neural Computer that can suppress Maverick impulses in Reploids."
"Really?" Alia asked in shock, looking over the details. "That's impressive."
"And not morally questionable or familiar in the slightest," Octavia added with a roll of her eyes and a theatrical sigh.
"Eh?" Zero asked, confused.
"And you wonder why Dad doesn't let you tutor me, Uncle," Octavia replied teasingly. Turning back to Alia, she continued. "Think about it. What makes Reploids distinct from robots? It's the absence of the three laws being hardcoded in their minds, meaning they have true free will. They can choose what actions they take. They aren't slaves to their human makers as robots were programmed to be. So...what does it say if the solution to them going rogue is to send out a signal that alters their positronic brains to make those rogue impulses impossible?"
X blinked. "Okay, I see what you're saying, Octavia," he replied, standing up. "And I have to admit, I agree with you as far as using it as a preventative measure. But if a Reploid has already engaged in Maverick behavior, surely this is a better corrective measure than locking them up or destroying them?"
Octavia coughed loudly, the cough managing to sound remarkably like 'Clockwork Orange'. Zero, who had found the cache of pre-End media and shared it with everyone, burst into laughter. Once his laughter died down, Octavia continued. "But that's not the real issue, Dad," she explained. "Even if it weren't morally questionable to mess with a Reploid's mind to make them behave, this Doppler created the Neural Computer, and is in charge of it. That means one person is deciding what constitutes Maverick impulses as far as being suppressed. Can you think of anyone you'd trust with that kind of power over every living Reploid in...however great a radius that thing works on?"
"You," X replied easily. "You do it already just by pouting."
Every Reploid in range to hear burst into laughter as Octavia blushed and pawed at the air with her front hooves, plainly flustered. X and Zero even exchanged a high five.
"That's beside the point!" Octavia finally managed to shout out. "What do we know about this Doppler? How do we know he can be trusted with a machine that can rewrite positronic brains remotely? How do we know it stops at suppression? And besides that, what if someone nefarious gets a hold of it and changes its purpose?"
The laughter quickly subsided as all gathered began to think about this. Alia quickly glanced through the report. "Well, according to reports of our agents who've actually examined the Neural Computer's functions-"
"While in range of its influence," Zero countered, frowning deeply.
Silence reigned. Octavia climbed up onto the console. "And then there's my point about it being familiar," she added.
"Familiar?" X asked in confusion. "When have we heard about anything that could remotely...influence..." His eyes widened.
"Sigma!" X and Zero shouted together.
"Precisely," Octavia agreed. "His original design included hardware that could remotely influence other Reploids. The discontinued Leader model tech? It sounds like this Neural Computer works on the same functions."
X scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I think Zero and I should take a little trip down to Doppler Town," he said finally. "Give this Neural Computer a once over ourselves."
"Are you crazy?" Alia demanded. "You two are our best Hunters! Nobody here could possibly beat you if you went rogue, and you want to put yourselves in range of a device that could possibly twist your brains around and turn you into living weapons?"
"You forget something, Alia," Zero indicated with a grin. "X and I aren't Reploids. We're robots. Our brains aren't positronic. The signal from the Neural Computer won't affect us anymore than Sigma's tech did."
"And what if you're wrong?" Alia pointed out. "What if it's not limited to the positronic brains of Reploids? What if it can affect you two?"
Zero's enthusiasm started to dwindle as he gave that serious thought.
"Send me," Octavia suggested. "My brain's organic. Varia's brain doesn't even use circuitry. The two of us can't be effected by a signal like that. Even if it can affect Dad or Uncle, it's a physical impossibility for it to affect us."
"No!" X, Zero, and Alia all shouted at once.
"If we're right, what happens if you get captured?" X demanded.
"Or outnumbered and hurt?" Zero added.
"Or...worse..." Alia gasped quietly.
Octavia shrugged. "Send CiCi then," she allowed. "Her etheric systems render her positronic brain hardcoded. It can't be remotely altered. And she's a Navigator. No one will even question her showing up to 'take a survey' for Maverick Hunter HQ."
All eyes turned to CiCi, who shrugged. "I don't see why not," she allowed. "I've already collected a sample of the Neural Computer's signal via satellite and tested it against my own systems. It has no effect on me."
"Alright," X agreed, seeing he was still acting Commander of the Hunters. "Be careful in there, CiCi."
"Of course," she replied with a mocking bow before slithering to the teleporters.
Alia went over the report some more. "I hope we're wrong," she murmured. "Several very powerful Reploids have already flocked to Doppler's banner, helping him to build Doppler Town, a city free of Mavericks. A great number of Reploids have moved there to live peacefully."
"How many powerful Reploids?" Zero asked.
Alia made a quick count through the report. "Of those with combat abilities rated above Class 4...eight."
X sighed. "Everybody get ready for combat," he muttered. "Push up the training regimen for the new recruits, and issue the siege armor."
Octavia smiled, glad to see she wasn't the only one who saw the pattern there as the Hunters prepared for what was sure to be yet another war. She couldn't help but giggle at what X said as he went to his own training.
"Can't the world stay saved? Even for like...ten minutes?"