Burke Kale
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Burke Kale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Affiliation | Federated Suns |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Scientist |
Contents
History[edit]
Burke Kale was a genius; as a child prodigy, he was given special education at a very early age. He received several degrees and had begun teaching to support himself by his mid-teens, and at the age of sixteen he received a full scholarship to the NAIS and graduated with honors. Once he graduated, thanks to several government grants he completed a series of experiments that established his reputation as an authority on neurology, and this resulted in his appointment to the faculty of the NAIS.[1] His groundbreaking research into an advanced neurohelmet earned him a post as Senior Project Developer for the NAIS[2] and a place in history.[1]
In 3043, he proposed a revolutionary interface system that would do away with neurohelmets completely by providing a direct neural link between a MechWarrior and their BattleMech, making piloting it as easy as moving their own body as well as greatly improving the speed and accuracy of the myomer's neuromuscular response. The NAIS analyzed the proposal of the DNI and concluded that it had several issues, among them insufficient and dangerous testing which required human subjects along each step of the process. Though that was enough to deny the request for funding, Professor Kale continued his DNI research for two more years using private funding, but made little progress. Eventually, he arranged to be posted to the Dark Mirage facility; his position there allowed him to control all the aspects of day to day business of the facility, from staff to budget.[2]
In 3047, he proposed to the NAIS that advanced neurohelmets and interface systems would allow a pilot to control almost all BattleMech functions directly through the neurohelmet, bypassing the manual controls present in 'Mechs. The system was dubbed the Virtual Reality Piloting Pod (VRPP), and allowed for a reduction in the size of the cockpit which would allow it to move from the head to the center torso (proposed as the best alternate cockpit location). The NAIS reviewed the new proposal and found fewer risks and more benefits when compared to the DNI system, finally granting Kale the budget for additional testing. With this funding, a new prototype was to be created and equipped with the new VRPP control system.[2]
He picked NAIS graduates from the class of 3048 for his VRPP project, choosing his team carefully. He also started to divert facilities, materials and funding to support his DNI research, working after hours and behind closed doors while using breakthroughs made in the VRPP project to further his pet project.[2]
During the Clan Invasion, he was given access to information about the Clan's Enhanced Imaging systems by Marshal Daniel Darwith, Tharkad 's head of the Department of Military Intelligence.[3] This led to another breakthrough in the VRPP, allowing Kale to develop a neural network that would allow him to go to prototype with his covert DNI project at the same time the VRPP system would be ready for testing.[2]
At this stage, he started recruiting team members for his DNI project, promising them fame and fortune while swearing them to secrecy. He divided the project into small tasks, assigning each task to a different team member so they would have no idea of the full scope of the DNI project.[2]
When a complete control system was finally viable, Burke was able to "appropriate" another Dark Mirage project, the Prometheus 'Mech, into which the DNI- and VRPP-compatible pod was installed.[2]
Kale had the DNI-link surgically implanted into his own brain, making himself a guinea pig in his deadly experiment and immediately tested the Prometheus. The experiment turned out to be his undoing, taxing his body and mind to the limit and causing him to suffer serious neurological damage, making him addicted to the feelings of power he experienced while controlling a BattleMech with nothing more than his mind.[2]
At that time, he disbanded the team and continued working alone, lying to his secret team by telling them that the DNI experiment had failed and told them to leave the Dark Mirage facility (knowing the team would not expose him due to the fear of what would happen to them if the NAIS discovered the secret project). At the same time, Kale told the NAIS that the VRPP was an abject failure and shut down the Dark Mirage facility; knowing this might arouse suspicion towards him, he took the Prometheus and his research and left for Solaris VII, knowing that strange 'Mechs would not draw undue attention there.[2]
He initially tried to secure a government contract that would support his DNI research, but unfortunately for him each connection to his 'Mech only increased his delusions of power, until finally he lived only for the thrill of combat.[2] Though barely experienced as a 'Mech pilot, the enhanced control afforded to Kale by the DNI system saw him quickly advance to the Class Five ranks, becoming 14th place in a short period of time as well as a fan favorite.[4] Though many people found his sudden meteoric rise quite strange, almost everyone assumed his edge came from the use of Clan tech in the arena, which was almost unheard of at that time.[5]
Eventually, the side effects of the DNI system drove Kale completely mad, causing him to believe he had become Death incarnate and compelled him to take his recently completed Epimetheus 'Mech on a brutal rampage. In his madness, he destroyed part of the Black Hills district, only being stopped by the efforts of the NAISCIT sent to investigate the strange occurrences at the Dark Mirage facility. Ultimately, he was found on the ground outside his cockpit, weeping in the fetal position;[6] soon after that, he sunk into a coma.[7]
Personality[edit]
Kale was possessed of a singular drive to further his research at any cost, and due to his obsession with the DNI experiment and disregard for the dangers involved in testing it on himself, he eventually came to believe he was one with his 'Mech. At one point, he started to refer his 'Mech as his "body" and his techs as his "doctors", and the more he interfaced with it the more he believed himself to be an unstoppable god of destruction. While outside the 'Mech, he claimed to feel constantly exposed to danger and showed signs of acute paranoia. Barely able to communicate with anyone except his partner, Winston Davis, he preferred to be left alone, working in his lab. He was an unbalanced madman, made all the more dangerous by his brilliance and drive.[1]
Physical Description[edit]
In 3053 his body is withered by neglect born of obsession, being a pitiful shell of the man he once was. He looks gaunt and pale, prematurely old.[1]
Projects[edit]
He and his team where involved in several groundbreaking projects while working on the Dark Mirage facility:
- Direct Neural Interface[8]
- Virtual Reality Piloting Pod (VRPP)[9]
- Torso Cockpit[10]
- P1-WF Wildfire[11]
- Enhancements on the Prometheus project[12]
- Epimetheus by himself[13]
Gallery[edit]
Burke Kale
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Unbound, p. 56: "Burke Kale"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Unboundp5-6, pp. 5–6: "The Story so far"
- ↑ 1st Somerset Strikers, p. 30: "Intelligence Secretariat Internal Memo N0. 7335 - D"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 36, "Prometheus Unchained"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 45: "Professor Burke Kale"
- ↑ Unbound, pp. 38–39: "Rampage"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 43: "Kale on the loose"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 66: "Direct Neural Interface (DNI)"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 67: "Virtual Reality Piloting Pod"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 64: "Control Systems"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 73: "P1-WF Wildfire"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 74: "Prometheus"
- ↑ Unbound, p. 75: "Epimetheus"