Editing Burke Kale

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| image               = Burke_Kale_01.JPG
| caption             = Burke Kale
| name                = Burke Kale
| birthdate           =  
| died                = 
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[Federated Suns]]
| rank                = 
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = Scientist
| parents             = 
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}}

==History==
'''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.<ref name="Unboundp56">''Unbound'', p. 56: "Burke Kale"</ref> His groundbreaking research into an advanced [[Neurohelmet|neurohelmet]] earned him a post as Senior Project Developer for the NAIS<ref name="Unboundp5-6">''Unboundp5-6'', pp. 5–6: "The Story so far"</ref> and a place in history.<ref name="Unboundp56"/>

In [[3043]], he proposed a revolutionary interface system that would do away with neurohelmets completely by providing a direct neural link between a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|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|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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

During the [[Clan Invasion]], he was given access to information about the Clan's [[Enhanced Imaging]] systems by [[Marshal (rank)|Marshal]] [[Daniel Darwith]], [[Tharkad]] 's head of the [[Department of Military Intelligence]].<ref name="1STSOMERSETSTRIKERS">''1st Somerset Strikers'', p. 30: "Intelligence Secretariat Internal Memo N0. 7335 - D"</ref> 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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

When a complete control system was finally viable, Burke was able to "appropriate" another Dark Mirage project, the ''[[Prometheus (BattleMech)|Prometheus]]'' 'Mech, into which the DNI- and VRPP-compatible pod was installed.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/>

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.<ref name="Unboundp5-6"/> 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.<ref name="Unboundp36">''Unbound'', p. 36, "Prometheus Unchained"</ref> 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.<ref name="Unboundp45">''Unbound'', p. 45: "Professor Burke Kale"</ref>

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 (BattleMech)|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 [[NAIS#NAIS Crisis Intervention Team (NAISCIT)|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;<ref name="Unboundp38-39">''Unbound'', pp. 38–39: "Rampage"</ref> soon after that, he sunk into a coma.<ref name="Unboundp43">''Unbound'', p. 43: "Kale on the loose"</ref>

==Personality==
Always very work obsessed, as of 3053, and because of repeated exposure to the side effects of the DNI experiment, he now believes to be one with his 'Mech, and thinking him to be indestructible while interfaced with it. He has started to refer his 'Mech as his body and his techs as his doctors.
While outside the 'Mech, he feels exposed and is showing signs of acute paranoia. Barely able to communicate except with [[Winston Davis]], he prefers to be left alone, working in his lab.
He is an unbalanced madman, and a dangerous one because of his brilliance.<ref name="Unboundp56"/>

==Physical Description==
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.<ref name="Unboundp56"/>

==Projects==
He and his team where involved in several groundbreaking projects while working on the [[Dark Mirage]] facility:
* [[Direct Neural Interface]]<ref name="Unboundp66">''Unbound'', p. 66: "Direct Neural Interface (DNI)"</ref>
* [[Virtual Reality Piloting Pod|Virtual Reality Piloting Pod (VRPP)]]<ref name="Unboundp67">''Unbound'', p. 67: "Virtual Reality Piloting Pod"</ref>
* [[Torso Cockpit]]<ref name="Unboundp64">''Unbound'', p. 64: "Control Systems"</ref>
* [[Wildfire|P1-WF ''Wildfire'']]<ref name="Unboundp73">''Unbound'', p. 73: "P1-WF Wildfire"</ref>
* Enhancements on the ''[[Prometheus (BattleMech)|Prometheus]]'' project<ref name="Unboundp74">''Unbound'', p. 74: "Prometheus"</ref>
* ''[[Epimetheus (BattleMech)|Epimetheus]]'' by himself<ref name="Unboundp75">''Unbound'', p. 75: "Epimetheus"</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Burke_Kale_02.JPG|Burke Kale
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)|1st Somerset Strikers]]''
* ''[[Unbound]]''

[[Category:Solaris Games Characters|Kale, Burke]]
[[Category:Federated Suns Characters|Kale, Burke]]