I can assure you, this is a more ethical solution.
GRANT REQUEST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTABLE TYPE BLUE CONTAINMENT UNIT BASED ON SUBMERGING IN SUSPENDED RAT BRAINS
PROBLEM
Type blue thaumaturges have historically been a tough group to imprison effectively. From the classic methods of highly warded cells[1] to the more modern SHUTDOWN1 apparatuses used in Paramax or the arc discharge leyloop generators that are preferred by the UNGOC, there is a wide variety of options. The biggest issue with these methods is that they are immovable.
Thaumic warding is highly dependent on the local environment and can spontaneously fail due to a local thaumic shift or leyquake. SHUTDOWN apparatuses modify the local thaumic environment to prohibit casting, which will not work on the move. Arc discharge leyloop generators have enormous power demands which also make them functionally immovable on anything smaller than a destroyer. Scrantonite injections are possible but are far too expensive. Transport under anesthesia is currently the preferred option but is highly fraught with the potential of serious consequences for the health of the individual. Medical comas have a high likelihood of brain damage or death.
SOLUTION
Thus, it behooves us to construct a mobile version of the SHUTDOWN apparatus's environment. The SHUTDOWN apparatus works by locally and rapidly crystalizing the local mill field in the relevant area[2]. This rapid crystallization creates millions of tiny fault lines in the fabric of reality; light, and matter are unaffected by these fault lines, however as EVE crosses these faults it is refracted and scrambled far more than the refraction (AKA backlash) generated by local thermal micro faults of the amorphous mill field.[3] This is a volume that looks normal to light and touch (with the exception of a mild discomfort), but will stop any form of spellcasting.
Now, while it is known how to generate such a polycrystalline mill field, there is currently no known way to move such a field, as they are usually anchored to local leylines, or in the case of Paramax cover an entire pocket universe.
The "soul" of a biological organism does act as such a polycrystalline mill field, where the electrical activity of the nervous system acts to favor the local mill field to crystalize. The interactions of this polycrystalline mill field have been linked to the origin of type blue humanoids, with the specifics of the spontaneous crystallization linking to their innate abilities.[4] The connection of this thaumic phenomenon to any form of theological soul is currently unknown.
As the soul is a polycrystalline mill field, it does have the EVE diffraction properties that SHUTDOWN apparatuses have, which is the origin of the Taking the Bullet effect.2 [5]
Surrounding the type blue in such a soul is nontrivial, though it is not without precedent.[6] As such we propose a novel containment method: a vat filled with rat brains. By fully encasing the subject in a living rat brain, all thaumic properties will be suppressed. As long as the brains are kept alive they will form a gestalt soul, which will act to rapidly diffuse any magic cast by the subject.
These units are easy to transport, as they only require minimal life support systems. We estimate that 10 units can be packed into an ISO standard 20ft container for road, rail, or sea transport.
Rat brains were selected as they are easy to grow, maintain, and produce an effective soul field. Vat-grown human brains were considered; however, the soul does not develop in humans until the age of three. Lizard and insect brains were also considered, the problem is cold-blooded organisms do not tend to form a soul like mammals and birds do.
The rat brains will be kept alive via a synthetic network of blood vessels, connected to a central pump for nutrients and oxygen. The subject will be held in place with the use of straps and other nonanomalous methods of confinement. A breathing mask will be needed to ensure the subject has access to oxygen.
BUSINESS CASE
These units, which are tentatively being dubbed Polycrystalline Mill Containment Units (PoM-CU), have a clear market segment for any normalcy preservation organization interested in transporting type blues, including the UNGOC, the SCP Foundation, and all national normalcy preservation organizations. Of special note is the UIU, who have significant difficulty moving type blues to Paramax over the vast region that is the United States.
USE OF FUNDING
Firstly we are requesting $100,000 for the construction of a proof of concept, where we take a sperm whale and attempt to cast spells inside of the brain while it is alive. This experiment should give enough pilot data to see if the larger system will work.
After successful tests of the prototype, we will need to construct a life support framework for the rat brain gestalt. We estimate a cost of $2 million to develop a life support platform that can host the organism.
In addition, the gestalt brain will need to be grown as opposed to simply constructed from rat brains. Based on historical expectations for near-total organism reconstruction, we estimate a cost of $5 million in genetic engineering and flesh crafting costs.
After development, we expect a cost of $1 million for testing. How effective this is at standing up to a determined and creative type blue is up in the air and will require extensive testing with a variety of different traditions.
KNOWN ISSUES
There is the potential for microbacklash, produced while diffusing large amounts of EVE, which could lead to radioactive buildup as thaumic catalyzed fusion produces neutron flux and irradiates the subject.
The gap between the subject's mouth and the breathing mask might provide enough distance for the formation of thaumic potential. We are investigating replacing the breathing mask with highly oxygenated perfluorocarbons, allowing for the subject to breathe the liquid medium and ensuring direct contact between the rat brains and all parts of the subject.
The loading mechanism is currently a sticking point, as the subject will need to be inserted into the unit without damaging the brains.
There is the potential for the gestalt soul to develop sapience and type blue abilities due to slow quantum annealing of the local mill field, though the method of action here is completely unknown.
As an extension of the previous issue, given the lack of input sensory data, the gestalt rat brain will have near zero psionic resistance as it has not developed a personality or sense of self. There is a high probability of the subject's emotional state being psionically imprinted into the gestalt mind. Since most subjects will be in distress while being transported, there is the possibility of the mind reflecting that emotion to any future subjects and anyone nearby. If this becomes an issue, a thin layer of telekill surrounding the unit should ensure that no bystanders are affected by this negativity.