Empathic Resonance Arrays

*Back to **Hroa**.*

The Empathic Resonance Arrays are ancient pre-tech devices which predate all modern record keeping. These powerful devices stood in Hroan cities undisturbed and enigmatic for nearly a century, as local cults linked their existence to one of several doomsday prophecies.

When Serpens Takumi first studied these devices they were assumed to be some sort of psi-tech tomb, as each contained at minimum four mummified human bodies with various personal effects hooked into the internal workings of the devices. It was only when a joint research venture was launched with Psitech experts from house Triangulum was it discovered that the devices true nature was discovered.

Each Empathic Resonance Array, when manned by a team of psychics with at least one telepath, is able to suppress portions of the human emotional spectrum across several kilometers. After extensive discussion and debate, it was decided to activate these ancient machines. As it was part of the duty of house Serpens to care for their peasantry, therefore, it was decided to tune the devices to suppress depressive emotional states, and violent thought.

The initial study of the deployment period lasted twenty years, beginning with the secret relocation of four ERAs within major serf transit hubs. After a year of deployment, surveys reported nearly 60% reduction in suicide rates, and a 82% drop in violent crime in communities that used these transit hubs. With such successful results it was decided to quietly deploy the ERAs across several major peasant population centers across Hroa.

Since their wide scale deployment, the ERAs have also been used to promote positive thought and suppress feelings of pain, loss, and sadness during the synth crisis, as well as a wide spread riot suppressant tool through the total suppression of cognitive thought.

Agents of the house have recorded several side effects of prolonged exposure to ERAs within the non-psychic population. These include the loss of the ability to feel sadness during appropriate times of grieving, and a general feeling of emptiness, both of which are commonly treated with over the counter pharmaceuticals which allow the user to feel sadness or frustration in appropriate levels and situations.

Additionally, after one of only three deployments of the riot suppression mode lasting three hours, agents have discovered that there is a high chance of  rioters will suffer permanent brain damage from the overwhelming force exerted on the brain by the ERAs, with a 60% chance among non psychics and an alarming 28% chance among psychics. This unique form of trauma burns away several portions of the brain in a manner similar to a psychic pushing their powers beyond their prescribed limits.

These side effects have caused some debate among the house on the continued active deployment of ERAs, however, in light of the aftermath of the War Against Synthetics, it has been decided that the ERAs remain active until a point political and economic stability can be established as not to allow the common folk to suffer undue anxiety and panic.

*“Yes, these things are pretty fucked up if you think about it. No, operating one will not turn you into a dessicated corpse. Look, I didn’t like the idea of climbing into one of these things either, but they keep crime down, and they keep people from killing themselves. If you all need a reason to stick with this posting, here’s all I got.*

*These things have to be responsible for more of our common folk going to seek necessary mental help than any program we could possibly provide under normal circumstances. Yeah they block depression and thats what Im getting at, because when you feel like you should feel horrible, sad, or homicidally angry, but all you feel is this, dense sandbag, baje, meh, nothing, then you really know something is wrong with you, and I guarantee that you’ll seek professional help.*

*Don’t believe me? Well then tell that to your psych evaluator at the end of every week and you’ll be powering one of these bad boys the rest of your career.”*

-High Fang Serpens Mordax, Summer Empathic Resonance Array operator orientation, 3154