FEATHER Operating System
The Frequency Enhancement And Tactical Hostile Engagement Recognition system (or FEATHER system) is the Bio-Interface System of a Feather Frame. Though older than the First Solar War, the FEATHER system is substantially more advanced than nearly all modern Battle Suit interfaces. Due to the complexity of the technology, only thirty were produced, one for each Featherman.
Interface Scores
There are five scores, or "stages," which a pilot can enter when operating a Feather Frame. These stages are sequential and cannot be skipped without extreme risk to the user.- Stage 1: A "superficial" integration of the pilot and Feather Frame. Similar to other high performance Battle Suits, Feathermen operating at this stage experience exceptional situational awareness and reaction speed. Dissimilarly, portions of combat data are fed directly into the brain which decreases the amount of visual "noise" on the viewscreen. This results in faster decision making and far less confusion in the thick of battle. This is the default score and the lowest setting a Feather Frame can operate in.
- Stage 2: When a Featherman is in dire straits, they may push themselves into a deeper connection with the computer and enter Stage 2 which deactivates some safety limiters. Not only does this improve the already superior cognitive abilities and situational awareness of the pilot, but equipment performance is also increased. However, this stage heavily strains the neural connection with the rapid influx of raw data and can lead to deleterious consequences after extended use.
- Stage 3: The neural load of Stage 3 is so great, unaugmented individuals will fry their neural pathways if they attempt to enter it. In order to enter this stage, Feathermen must undergo an illegal, invasive augmentation surgery that drastically modifies the brain's structure with the express purpose of improving the neural connection to a Battle Suit. As a result, Stage 3 completely eliminates the lag time between communication of the computer and pilot's brain. In essence, the two merge into a single procesing unit where the pilot cannot distinguish between their own flesh and the Nanoweave of the Battle Suit. Additionally, non-humanoid equipment can be controlled such as additional appendages or external weapon platforms.
- Stage 4: All safety limiters are disengaged, pushing the equipment and systems to their theoretical maximum. This includes the Type A1 Laniakea Reactor and manifests in distinct pink flames that pour out of the thruster ports like billowing flames. Of the active Feathermen, only Captain Akari has been able to acheive this with Crimson Hawk.
- Stage 5: Stage 5 is the theoretical limit the FEATHER Operating System can support. There is no evidence of a Featherman entering this stage in combat or during testing. However, a popular myth that permeates the Corps is of Captain Keller entering Stage 5 with Cobalt Eagle in his final battle that marked the conclusion of the First Solar War. All data of this engagement was lost, bolstering the plausibility of this myth amongst the enlisted and officers of the Corps alike.
Social Impact
While bioethical criticisms have been levied against Bio-Interface Systems in general, it is especially focused on the subject of the FEATHER Operating System for its acute deteriorative effects on veteran Feathermen. Prolonged and repeated use of the Stage 2 interface score can result in partial paralysis, psychosis, dementia, and even death. Preventative protocol has been implemented over the years which include limited tenure and regular medical examinations following use of an elevated interface score.
Although augmentation surgery can reduce and even prevent these symptoms from manifesting, the procedure introduces a plethora of other chronic illnesses. Mood swings, depression, schizophrenia, and dissociative identities are a few mental conditions that have been reported shortly after a "successful" operation. It should be noted that these conditions can be observed in some Battle Suit pilots after a minimum of thirty years of service. For an augmented pilot, these symptoms can crop up within a single month.
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