Daodan
Facts
Daodan latency etc
Recurrently mentioned by Shinatama, Kerr, and the rest of Griffin's scientific crew, from CHAPTER 01 . TRIAL RUN on. Not very informative to the player at that stage, but the unfamiliar name suggests something out of the ordinary, i.e. more exotic than regular biometric data.
High Daodan latency is bad, low latency is good (27.5 is normal, 29 is a bit alarming). Also mentioned are "bioplasmic waveforms", which are expected to be stable.
Progress
Arguably, "they must be using her to monitor her progress" doesn't apply to the progress of the Daodan integration process. At that moment (arguably) Muro is not interested in presenting Konoko as a rival to himself, i.e. as another Daodan.
More trivially, the neural link allows Shinatama to not only gather precise biometric data, but also to visualize Konoko's immediate environment : "I've seen everything you've seen". Thus "monitoring Mai's progress" can amount to making data like Mai's exact location available to the HQ.
The neural link also acts like a portable scanner that Shinatama can use to analyze situations that are outside Mai's own field of vision (but still in close proximity to Mai), and provide appropriate tactical information. Examples of such tactical computers include Halo's Cortana and Serious Sam's Netricsa.
OMG, this is off-topic. Bound for Shinatama's page or something.
Aggressivity
The Daodan catalyzes physical performance, but also affects psychics : one becomes addicted to effort/violence, headstrong, and easily aggressive.
TCTF HQ terminal goes here.
(the Daodan is not mentioned in the context, but the player already suspects, after the first chapters that Mai is not 100% normal i.e. that she's enhanced in some way)
Daodan spike
Starting with her second and last encounter with Barabas, Mai goes through a violent physical experience after every boss fight (with the notable exception of Mukade).
The experience takes the form of a violent spasm, during which Konoko (uncontrollably?) raises her arms in the air then spreads them apart. A blue glow appears all over her body, and the sighting of this aura-like entity is accompanied by a soft humming-whistling. The fly-in panel of her face shows glowing skin and eyes, an "animal" smile, and the corresponding voiceover bears close resemblance to a female orgasm.
The spasm, known as a "powerup" to modders, is not referred to as a "Daodan spike" ingame. Rather, it's described as "consistent with the waveforms of a Daodan spike, but far more powerful." Probably a "regular" "Daodan spike" is like an adrenal spike, but "far more powerful" already ^^
Chrysalis
First mentioned by Shinatama during her talk in CHAPTER 08 . AN INNOCENT LIFE : "They used me to monitor the growth of the Chrysalis inside you". Developed on by Kerr and his colleagues in CHAPTER 12 . SINS OF THE FATHER. The "growth" process takes dramatic proportions in later descriptions.
Mentioned by Mutant Muro : "I am very impressed with what you have been able to accomplish without drawing on the full power of your Chrysalis."
Mukade
He doesn't name the Daodan explicitly during his encounter with Mai, but his allusions bear close resemblance with the descriptions of the transformation process occurring in CHAPTER 12 . SINS OF THE FATHER and CHAPTER 13 . PHOENIX RISING.
Hasegawa
In his diary, Hasegawa alludes to the Daodan project as a "something" that he will do to "excuse his survival" after Jamie's death, also saying "if something isn't done we are all doomed".
Sytropin
First CHAPTER 12 . SINS OF THE FATHER terminal goes here.
Transformation
Introduced By Kerr. Stressed as alarming by TCTF scientists in CHAPTER 13 . PHOENIX RISING. After you see Mutant Muro, you know why ^^
True nature
Kerr's talk goes here
Chrysalis removal
Second CHAPTER 12 . SINS OF THE FATHER terminal goes here.
Imago stage
Mutant muro goes here
Speculation
The key idea of the Daodan is that in order to achieve outstanding performance (efficiency, power), you have to give up control. That's what Kerr and his colleagues keep talking about, that's what Muro and Barabas and Mai illustrated, each in their own way : Muro escaping the Syndicate's control in pretty much the same way as Mai escaped Griffin's, Barabas's more complicated case being a forced (and failed) conciliation of power and control.
Point is : with the Daodan, one should always expect the unexpected. The fact that the *theory itself* denies any kind of accurate control and prediction is what makes the Daodan so different from any other prototype technology. Whatever widget comes up in sci-fi, even if it never served before, one always knows what it's *supposed* to do. With the Daodan, one doesn't have such luxury.
And so the very notion of "competence" doesn't really apply : Kerr is the most competent guy we see, and just what diagnoses and forecasts does he make?
What comes closest to competence is the awareness of the theory's self-imposed limitations. What comes closest to incompetence is the overlooking thereof. Rather than the overlooking of a particular element of a hypothetical control/confinement scheme, it's the illusion that control/confinement schemes are at all viable which is irresponsible. And that's pretty hard to overlook.
Confidence in the upgrading process is another delusion, more comfortable and easier to overlook. Thus it is more suitable for a global-scale altruist such as Hasegawa or Kerr. Assuming that the Daodan can do no wrong is just as irresponsible as claiming full control of the consequences, be they good or bad. But in the first case, the false belief is more irrational, and thus interferes less with objective reasoning.
As for Muro, he's aware of the problem, but doesn't care much about control. STURMANDERUNG is supposed to bring about eternal life and anarchy for the survivors.