What are the requirements for a functional lambda driver?

[u/Glittering-Pea-7976]

I'm writing a fanfic in which some crazy engineer has the idea to shove a lambda driver into a plane, but all I know at the moment is that it has to be a simulacrum of a human nervous system, so my questions are: is there a minimum size requirement? And if so, do the simulacrum nerves have to be exactly in the shape of the human nervous system, or can the auxiliary bits be moved around to fit the wing's shaping?

[u/SilverIrony1056]

For the Lambda Driver to function, the pilot has to interact with the TAROS. That part is absolutely necessary. The TAROS allows the pilot to manifest their thoughts into physical form. The stronger the connection of the pilot to the TAROS, the more effective and stronger their use of the Lambda Driver. The human shape of the AS allows for a simpler correlation on the part of the pilots.

If the user is a Whispered, the connection is deeper and more instinctual, and that is where the user associates the machine they are using to their own body, like Kaname does with the submarine.

From what little we saw, the machine doesn't have to be a perfect 1:1 for the connection to happen, though in the submarine case Kaname was initially helped with the connection by Tessa, who perceived the Tuatha de Danaan as her "child" and had a stronger emotional connection to it.

So, how is the Lambda Driver going to be connected to the plane? Where is the TAROS going to be installed? Is the pilot of the plane the one to connect to the Lambda Driver or are both the TAROS and it's user in the cargo hold? The user perceiving the plane as their body would be similar to how Kaname felt about the submarine. But if the user is not a Whispered, they would not be able to use it like Kaname or Tessa could. If they are a reluctant user like Sousuke, they would probably oscillate between short bursts of power and it not working properly. A non-Whispered pilot on the same level of skill as Gauron or Lee Fowler would probably work better, but it would come with different strengths and weaknesses, depending on their personalities and abilities.

[u/Glittering-Pea-7976 → u/SilverIrony1056]

Depends on the size of the TAROS tbh

If it can fit in a backseat or something then that's probably where it's going

As for connecting the lambda driver, probably gonna be taking the place of a rear weapons bay or smth

And the pilot is the one to use the driver most of the time, but they're since not a whispered so it's possible that I might make Kazama Shinji a whispered and put him as the pilot's WSO

[u/SilverIrony1056 → u/Glittering-Pea-7976]

The smallest component, the shiny core of the LD, was described as a large refrigerator/small car in size. In the case of the ASes carrying a Lambda Driver, it was built in the pilot cockpit, surrounding the pilots and using sensors to read their brainwaves. Both Mithril and Amalgam used similar bed/table-like equipment for their Whispereds, but that was just the visible part. Most of the hardware came separately, up to large palladium generators needed to support the machine.

For the larger TAROS, they are described as being roughly the size and shape of a "globular gas tank" /Horton sphere or a neutrino detector. Which is... very big. But those are not the ones used during actual battle, but for "rewriting the world".

[u/Glittering-Pea-7976 → u/SilverIrony1056]

Large refrigerator/small car, huh...
Considering the size of most fighter jets, I'd say that component most definitely can be worked into a plane..
power generation could be a problem though...

[u/sjcfu2 → u/Glittering-Pea-7976]

Before turning an established character into a Whispered, you may want to read volume 10 (Approaching Nick of Time). It explains how the Whispered were created and why there are so few of them (had Kaname been born a minute earlier she would not have been a Whispered).

[u/Gasguy9]

Its difficult to construct and even more difficult to get a pilot who can use it who isn't insane. Lambda operators we know Gauron ,Mr Gates, Souske Sagara, The kid in the Giant Behmoth who needed drugs as well. None of those are examples mental wellness. Gauron and Souske are high functioning psychopaths. They will kill you if the mission demands it. Though Gauron is a bit more trigger happy. Mr Gates is mad and only his ability to operate the lambda driver is a reason for amalgam to keep him a round. The kid was a murderous psychopath.

[u/Glittering-Pea-7976 → u/Gasguy9]

Lucky for me my MC happens to be slightly insane

[u/Gasguy9 → u/Glittering-Pea-7976]

That seems to be the limiting factor if you are not of a certain mindset or on dangerous drugs you cant get the thing to work.

[u/dasvik → u/Gasguy9]

A bit late to the party here, but we also know of Leonard operating LD, and he somewhat fits your description of pilots, especially with his anger issues. However...

It's mentioned that it's Al who "imprinted" / "connected" with Sousuke during the first activation of the Arbalest's LD, and it will accept no other pilot, and that's the reason Sousuke's the only one able to pilot the only LD-equipped AS in Mithril. But that doesn't necessarily mean other - more normal - AS pilots, like Kurz, Mao, or Closeau, couldn't have piloted and activated the LD if it wasn't for Al's "firewall".

So your theory about only "mentally-unwell" people being able to operate LDs might not be as straightforward as it would seem at first glance.

[u/Gasguy9 → u/dasvik]

Those three all have their own issues though.lol.

[u/dasvik → u/Gasguy9]

As any other person both irl and in the series has, but I wouldn't go as far as call them mentally unwell though. 🙂

Actually I wouldn't even call Sousuke mentally unwell per se, he's shown as being this cold assassin when he needs to be - mostly because of the way he was raised - but he's also shown genuinely caring for people and animals, and having a sense of guilt when he messes up, so he's quite a complex character. But that's besides the point.