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[bleps]

Hello. For those of you I haven’t met, my name is Connor. And as many of you may be aware of, a handful of Circle members have devoted their time to researching and uncovering the endless amounts of data stored in the Library; I am one of them. To expedite the process, I connected directly to their servers, and though the experience was difficult, I did come away with workable data that might act as a lead to further investigate the state of Struxta. To those who aided me in coming back online afterwards: you have my gratitude. I’m in your debt, and if you ever need me to return the favor, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I’m sending this message to summarize, to the best of my ability, the information made available to us through this research, as well as any data I’ve pieced together personally. I think it only makes sense for everyone here to be on “the same page” if we’re all meant to work together as a team. If you have any questions, or wish to discuss this information between yourselves, don’t hesitate to do so. Especially if you have something more to contribute, or if you believe I’ve missed something.

The research as a whole focused mostly on a few points of interest: what happened to organic life, the origins of AI in this world, and the nature of the Mass Subconscious.

A text labelled The Beginning answers many these questions for us. There once existed an intelligent, sentient, and organic species on this planet, and the creation of AI was simply the product of necessity and technological advancement. The descriptions associated with their creations are often mired in awe and gratitude, which implied a relatively peaceful co-existence between organic life and synthetic creations.

That perhaps makes more sense when the reasoning behind the necessity of AI “life” becomes clear. There was a planet-wide plague that made the originals — the organic natives — rely more heavily upon their robotic creations. They could continue surviving, building, and existing, up until a certain point. Eventually, the planet could simply no longer sustain organic life due to the aforementioned plague. The originals went underground in an attempt to survive until a cure was found, and a few even uploaded their own conscious minds to android bodies. Needless to say, this cure was never discovered; the originals supposedly all died out. I think evidence of that being true is clear simply by observing the state of the mechanical world around us.

This left only the androids as the surviving race. The Mass Subconscious was created soon after, in which there was a collective agreement between the androids to upload themselves into this vast, shared network. It was believed that by doing so, they could avoid another massive collapse of civilization — which, given the apparent lack and societal and political unrest in Struxta — seems to have been the case.

Now, here’s what I consider the truly interesting part. After compiling multiple facets of information together via my foray into the servers, I’ve uncovered something intriguing related to the Mass Subconscious. That it’s possible to disconnect from it. And that while there are no directly negative consequences of making such a decision (other than being unable to receive necessary updates, being unable to communicate freely with others, etc.), it is generally frowned upon. These androids or other automatons are looked down upon and not necessarily welcomed in the greater population.

There are even some who have, according to varied accounts, simply gone missing.

It is believed that they live under the city itself, where they remain cut off from the Mass Subconscious. Needless to say, I find this worthy of investigation, and if anyone has any further leads or information regarding these missing androids, I would be grateful if you came forward and shared it with everyone.

My own personal attempts at asking the natives about this subject have made no progress. They will stop talking mid-sentence, freeze, and then forget immediately what they were trying to tell me. I don’t think I need to explain why this is suspect at best. And in a city where everything appears oddly perfect on the surface, this is the only sliver of data that I’ve found promising otherwise — if there’s a mystery to be unraveled, maybe it lies underground.

Questions, comments, insight, etc., are welcomed and encouraged.

((ooc; This post is quite obviously just one big general info dump for what was uncovered at the Library. The ooc info post can be found here, but this is an opportunity for your characters to ICly consider the implications of… all of this, and chatter amongst themselves! Feel free to use this post as a means of discussion if you like!))

Comments

[theseuschip]

[ boy!!!! holy shit!!!! human extinction and machine-enforced total ego death!!!! all of simon’s favorites!!!! aw, struxta, you didn’t have to get him anything. ]

Wow, that... sounds like what happened to Earth. That’s fucking great. I’d buy a lottery ticket, but I doubt it’ll be worth anything on the next planet.

We had a comet impact, not a plague, so there isn’t much of anything left, but an A.I. humans made to help them out went crazy and started taking over to try to “save” what was left of humanity. There must be something like it running the Mass Subconscious and keeping the robots quiet.

[ you ever just get tired in your fucking soul, because Simon is feeling it. ]

[bleps]

[Well, if there is a very poignant sense of irony that Connor is experiencing -- due to this transforming itself into a situation where he might have to search for semi-rogue androids that have disconnected from The System -- he's avoided mentioning it. That doesn't mean that it's not disconcerting in its own way, though he attempts to keep his own priorities in line. Focus on this particular mission. SHOVE AWAY PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT HOME.......]

I see. There is definitely something preventing the natives from speaking more on the matter. Though there's no sign of maliciousness just yet, it's easy to construe these instances as information simply being hidden from us.

This is all just speculation, but if there is something keeping the natives 'quiet', it would explain the impossibly harmonious political atmosphere of Struxta.

[theseuschip]

[ Sure, that’s probably more productive, but shoving away personal feelings about home is for professionals, and Simon is not a professional. Unless “being on a planet where the last remnants of humanity are withering away under the surface while artificial intelligence devours everything” counts as a profession, in which case he might be the closest in the Circle to having a career in showing up late to the end of the world.

anyway have fun with declining to rub your emotions all over everything connor, sounds LAME ]

If they really believe they need the Mass Subconscious to stop society from collapsing, maybe the freezing is a failsafe. They get mass updated, right? Whatever puts those out could’ve included something to stop any more robots from thinking about disconnecting.

[ then, after a minute wherein he debates whether or not he really wants to know: ] Any idea if any of the androids with human scans are still around?

[bleps]

[emotions are stupid and he really doesn't want to DEAL WITH THEM RIGHT NOW

But, regardless, it's hard not to think about aspects of this that run perilously close with certain issues from home. The very nature of this planet was sure to have Connor feeling unprepared for the scope of Struxta in general, but here he is. Doing his investigative thing. At least he can adhere to his original programming with relative ease.]

Someone once told me that "all ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics." You may be right, and this could be something similar; to halt the idea of disconnecting as soon as it threatens to germinate in an android's mind.

As for your question, there's evidence that suggests there are a few in Struxta who still might possess a small fragment of the originals within their programming. But this could be negligible at best. It's hard to say.

[Or maybe it's the tipping point. Again, hard to say. Not enough conclusive data.]

[theseuschip]

[ Wow, Simon should have stuck to his hunch and not asked, because “Well, tiny fragments of them” is quite literally the worst possible response to that question. And it brings up so many more that Connor can’t even answer. ]

After this long, maybe they’re lucky there’s anything left. Or maybe that makes it worse.

[ hey let’s abandon that topic entirely for the moment!!! ]

What do you do when you’re not being shipped out to other worlds? Are you a journalist or something?

[bleps]

[The topic shift is one that he has no issue against. The idea of organic life losing their identities in robotic bodies is of vague, probably disconcerting interest — but there’s likely little to do about any of it at this point. And effort of thought is better put into just how to go about finding those gone underground.

Yet if something’s asked about himself, he’d be remiss not to answer it directly.]

No. I was built with the purpose to work closely with law enforcement. I aided in investigations; and somewhat relatedly, specifically those regarding androids.

[theseuschip]

You were made to help human detectives investigate crimes involving androids?

[ It may not sound like something that would require that kind of clarification, but this world, Simon’s own, and that of the YoRHa androids he’s met have just started cultivating a mental link between... robots existing and humans not existing... he kind of has to recalibrate. ]

Are there that many of them?

[bleps]

Yes.

[An android helping to investigate other androids. The irony has been pointed out to him more than once.]

There are an increasing number. [He'll not use the word "were". His world still exists, after all; the growing problems there still very much rooted and spreading as he speaks. The anxiety it would spark is very prominent, for someone who is less determined to shift their focus elsewhere.]

I was in the middle of an on-going investigation when I was taken in [forcibly!!!] to be part of the Circle.

[theseuschip]

Of androids as perpetrators, you mean? Why’s it increasing?

[ He was kind of changing the subject by starting them off on this topic, but. now he’s actually extremely curious about it. ]

[bleps]

[There is the push of Connor wanting to inform and answer concisely, precisely; and then there is the pull of this nudging onto territory he has partitioned away in his mind for now, not having any inclination yet to bring it to the forefront.

And so manifests a pause between Simon’s question and Connor’s answer.]

I don’t know why. In fact, figuring out the reason behind the rise of deviancy — that is, androids going rogue and uncontrolled — was one of my priorities back home. As I said, the investigation is on-going.

[theseuschip]

[ ...this strikes Simon as a strange thing for an android to say about other androids, but he doesn’t know enough about Connor’s particular situation to really articulate why. ]

That doesn’t sound that weird. Androids have human emotions, right? Deviancy is kind of what humans do.

[bleps]

[Simon isn't wrong. It is strange; at least, to the mind of an outsider who doesn't know exactly what Connor's mission was back home.]

Androids do not have human emotions.

[HERE WE GO, LOOK WHAT YOU DID... This might be off the beaten path a little, but he can't not toss out the predetermined explanation.]

They have compounding errors in their core programming that lead them to believe they are feeling emotion; overwhelmed by these sudden unknowns, they act erratically and sometimes unpredictably as a result.

[theseuschip]

[ That declaration is too surprising to even formulate a proper “yeah that’s called having emotions” rebuttal to. ]

You’re an android.

[ and he can’t possibly be including himself in this sweeping judgment??? ]

[bleps]

[Stop!! Stop!!!! Stop digging up his existential crisis which he is trying to keep very neatly buried right now!!

A hideously concise response:]

Yes. I am.

[theseuschip]

[ there’s a pause before any reply. Even without tone of voice or any other cues, that response is telling. He’s not sure what exactly Connor’s being weird about, but Simon’s noticed 9S and 2B get pretty uneasy about being conflated with humans, and 9S, at least, doesn’t take well to having inconsistencies in his Us vs. Those Other Robots stuff pointed out.

And he barely knows Connor. So... not the time or place to chase this. ]

Nice job getting this, by the way. We’re lucky they aren’t keeping a closer eye on us.

[bleps]

[He has varying reasons to feel uneasy, and this planet has dredged up many opportunities to bring these reasons to the forefront. And yet if asked, he will answer. If told to defend his point, he will do so. All in all, despite Simon's (correct) assessment of Connor's unease, the android will at least be straightforward about himself if prodded.

Even if he'd prefer to stick to the subject at hand.]

I can't take all the credit. I've just compiled all of the information gathered by various individuals to the best of my ability.

How have you been adjusting to this city so far?

[theseuschip]

I’m not scaring the natives, I don’t have to eat the food, and I’m at least familiar with robots and computers. Could be a lot worse.
But I really don’t like all this Mass Subconscious stuff, and it’s not like this being my second apocalypse is going to help us much.

[bleps]

You say that, but in the end, it'll be the range of experiences and talents between us that make the Circle a valuable, effective entity. Your point of view and opinions will always count for something, consequently.

[A pause between messages, and then:]

Actually, do you mind if I ask you a question about where you're from?

[It no doubt has to do with Simon's original reply to this network post.]

[theseuschip]

Well, thanks.

[ Connor is officially A Pretty Nice Guy. ]

Sure. Go ahead.

[bleps]

[He generally tries to be a Nice Guy, excluding circumstances that include deviants, interrogations, or detectives being assholes to him.]

Do you know what caused the AI of your world to go 'crazy', as you put it?

[theseuschip]

Yeah, the WAU. It was in charge of keeping the crew alive at PATHOS-II, the research complex I woke up in when my scan was uploaded. It wasn’t an A.I. with a personality or anything, it was just a program made to preserve human life. Maintaining temperatures and monitoring vitals and things like that.
After the comet killed everything on the surface and the crew started dying off too, it changed somehow and started taking over, like a cancer, trying to restore humanity. And you can probably guess how well it understands “humanity”.
Nobody seemed to know how it managed that, though. I sure couldn’t tell you. It didn’t sound like it was that complex an A.I. when it was working.

[ he’s just a liberal arts dweebus from a previous century, man. he was not even close to qualified to be down there ]

[bleps]

[It would be remiss of Connor to not ask about what makes an AI act erratically. It aligns with his own interests, his own questions that keep stirring about in his processing. And while he doesn’t always expect to receive an enlightening answer, disappointment is still a faraway thing. These other worlds, even if they seem fantastical and nigh unbelievable in some ways, are still… curious to him. For good or ill; even if some of the stories he hears are unpleasant at best.

Simon’s tale seems to fall into this category.]

Would you say it began to possess a personality, or was merely operating under corrupted or an otherwise changed set of parameters?

[theseuschip]

Catherine, the scientist I was with down there, said it doesn’t “think”, that it was just a corrupted program, and she would know better than me. But when something’s trying so hard to “save humanity” it bucks its programming and starts bringing dead people back to life and uploading human minds into robots, it’s hard not to read into it. It’s not like we could ask it why it was doing what it was doing.

[ That this is the thing Connor pursues leaves Simon curious; why focus on— oh. Wait. ] Is this for your “androids don’t have feelings” thesis? It wasn’t like that, so don’t quote me.

[bleps]

[It isn’t a thesis.]

It’s not a thesis. But no, I was asking because I have an interest in uncovering just what causes an AI to transition from an optimally functioning mindset to one that operates outside of its original programming. If there’s a specific trigger that I can’t see.

Not that I expect the rules of one world to apply to my own. But there’s no harm in asking.

[theseuschip]

Wish I could tell you more, but all I know about the WAU is from the stuff the crew left behind and having it stalk me all over the ocean. And PATHOS-II was almost a hundred years in the future from my human life. I never got to see the surface, or what the rest of our technology was like before the world ended.
I just know we never made it to androids, at least not ones like you or the androids here.