Changes

As research into alien technology ramps up, the first precursor corpse is found in the Beilan Island Ruins, located in the North China Sea near Shanghai. Named [[GAVIRUL]], experiments and research into precursor biology begins nearly immediately. However, improper handing handling of the ruins leads to a rupture in some alien storage tanks. The results of this leak are almost immediately apparent as workers in the area quick quickly succumb to the effects of an otherworldly disease. Called [[Eurosky Low-Emission Infectious Disease]] (ELID), the mutations are quickly found to be caused by interaction between collapse fluid and human biology, and the entire site is closed down before ultimately being sealed off by the local government.

After some negotiating, Witkin was able to arrange a deal between the two researchers and IOP, with Persica and Lyco setting up themselves up under the guise of a small company known as Hermit to do R&D for the company. The pair quickly developed several technologies that allowed IOP to once again pull ahead of Sangvis Ferri with the ACD-series of T-Dolls. By the end of the war in 2051, IOP had produced nearly five times the dolls Sangvis Ferri had for the military, earning favorable reviews thanks to the dolls' reliability, efficiency, and agility.

Though the war had ended, demand for dolls had not. War-torn cities and countrysides demanded protection, production, and reconstruction, all of which required manpower, and dolls were the cheapest form of manpower available. Private military corporations were the biggest supplies of protection, and among the most important prominent of IOP's new PMC clients was being Griffin and Kryuger Military Contractor and Security Consultancy Services. Founded by the same tactical commander who had delivered IOP's salvation to their doorstep, Weitkin quickly become good friends with its founder, Berezovich Kryuger, and allowed G&K to have direct contact with Hermit, providing the latter with a steady supply of data and performance feedback in exchange for support from Hermit’s top-of-the-line projects and models. Civilian-model T-Dolls were far cheaper than human soldiers and could be easily controlled, allowing for G&K to quickly rise through the ranks while Hermit kept up the pace with a vast series of improvements and upgrades to existing doll frames. Before too long, these new dolls became the source of much of IOP's income thanks to their clean, human-like appearance as well as their simulated emotion and personality software.

Despite their astounding success, Hermit wasn't immune to creative differences, as the two members quickly found themselves disagreeing over what direction to take. Persica favored continuing her research to create a second-generation of T-Dolls, while Lycoris believed the future lay in artificial intelligence rather than hardware upgrades. IOP supported Persica due to the success of their new models, resulting in Lyco's application for additional funds being declined. Demoralized and disgruntled, Lycoris quietly began to search for greener pastures, secretly meeting with Sangvis Ferri to negotiate for a better deal. Once an agreement had been reached, Sangvis Ferri reached out to Kryuger, contracting the PMC to once again escort the researcher. Kryuger agreed on the condition that G&K would be provided the results of Lycoris's new research, and allowing for Lycoris arrived to arrive safely at SF to and begin his work.

Wanting insight into how the disaster at Sangvis Ferri occurred, Persica sent a team of elite experimental units led by a human commander to break into 90wish Safehouse 03, where Lycoris had kept his old AI research. As soon as the group of dolls left the safehouse, however, they were immediately ambushed by Sangvis forces. The team managed to barely escape thanks to support from a nearby squad of GK G&K dolls, but split up shortly afterwards to buy time for their leader, {{doll name|M4A1|AR|4}}, to safely escape. Out of options, Persica contracts G&K to retrieve the members of AR Team, however, the closest available G&K commander has only just started his first day of work...