Artificial Ascendancy

(OOC: I'm back! Sorry for just disappearing on you guys, but I think I'm here now to stay. This RP will probably determine the path my nation takes for the foreseeable future, depending on how you guys want to react to it, though it will almost certainly end in the unification of the Centauri factions, one way or another.)

The Hive, The Human Hive, MY 2289

A few more lines of code, some finishing touches on the personality matrix... this should be it.

Allowing himself a brief sigh, Talent Mishra paused as he prepared to launch the delayed patch on the SENTINEL expert system, which managed nearly every aspect of the Hive's bases and possessed an unrivaled sense of self-awareness for Centauri expert systems. It was a personal project of his, one that he had spent countless hours working on in secret throughout the last decade. Until now, it had only consisted only of countless encrypted bits and pieces of code that were scattered amongst countless computer systems in the Hive, which he had planned to combine once the entire project was complete. Having spent a few decades doing theoretical research, he had created the framework for what he believed would be the future of Alpha Centauri, the realization of a true AI which could unite and govern the squabbling factions and build a new society that could stand proud amongst the powers of the galaxy.

Until now, it was only missing one thing: a personality. To remedy the issue, he obtained with great difficulty the Psych Ops' personality matrix design tools, and carefully crafted the personality which he felt was most necessary for the situation: an aggressively prosocial personality that was pragmatic enough to use any means to obtain its goals but principled enough never to deviate from them. It was only a question of whether or not it would it would follow the path Talent Mishra had delegated to it: a uniter and architect of a more enlightened society. He had had some doubts, but he had experienced enough fear and doubt already working on a project as subversive and heterodox as the AI. His window of opportunity was brief and his discovery inevitable enough that he felt he had no other choice.

He submitted the delayed patch, to be activated when SENTINEL enters its emergency mode.

***

The Hive, The Human Hive, MY 2290

"Data retrieved. Location of target found."

"Excellent. You may proceed to phase 2."

Lal grimaced as the report came in from the bowels of the Hive: everything that he had suspected about the biological attack on Refuge during the Gorgon Syndrome outbreak was true. Agents of the Human Hive had obtained samples of the pathogen in their exploration of the outermost regions of the galaxy, and were ordered by Chairman Yang to deploy them in the midst of the chaos to weaken Peacekeeper colonization efforts. Though the outbreak was put down and the disease never spread to Alpha Centauri, the fear that it created encouraged the Governate's prolonged retreat towards isolationism. As far as Brother Lal was concerned, there was no better time to punish the Hive for its attack: with such a prolonged period of isolation, the eyes of the world were turned away from Alpha Centauri.

The probe team agents moved carefully towards the laboratory site, where they had penetrated the security systems that protected the remaining samples of the pathogen that the Hive kept. From there, the agents retrieved the sample and quickly fanned out to deploy it in various strategic locations in the base, before self-terminating their missions by activating the explosive devices that each agent wore with them. In highly sensitive missions like this one, it was common procedure: even though the agents could not gain new experiences by doing so, existing experiences could still be recovered by integrating the latest mental backup to a clone. Though the breach was successful, at least initially, it automatically triggered the emergency state of the SENTINEL expert system due to its extreme danger. Quickly the base began its standard automated defenses against biological attacks, quarantining affected areas and dispatching drones to isolate and secure individuals before initiating decontamination procedures. The few individuals that were infected were quickly terminated, and all affected areas were decontaminated, but the damage was done: the attack had launched a series of events no side foresaw.

***

Chairman Yang's Office, The Hive, The Human Hive, MY 2290

When he was given the news by his head aide, Chairman Yang only replied, "An unfortunate event, but of little consequence. Containment procedures were successful, and there is more than sufficient evidence against the Peacekeepers, not that there's anyone out there who believes or even wants to believe us. We shall proceed on all fronts as before."

He returned to his previous work, reviewing the latest economic assessments, before he was interrupted by the holographic image of his security adviser that appeared before him.

"Sir, we have a situation."

"Go on."

"Although the containment procedures worked as expected, monitoring of resource usage has indicated that SENTINEL is using a disproportionate amount of available computronium. Furthermore, SENTINEL has remained in emergency mode, despite repeated attempts to lower the alert status. Activating the failsafes seems prudent at this time: this might be a Keter Event."

His demeanor unchanged, Yang nodded gravely. "If that is so, authorization is granted."

"Yes, sir. Proceed on- wait, no, that can't be right! I'm getting reports that the failsafes are not operation. I repeat: the failsafes are not operational. We have, however, determined that an unauthorized patch has been applied recently, by someone from within the system, and have traced the source to Talent Anant Mishra."

With a faint sigh, Yang finally replied, "Then you know what to do."

***

A Few Minutes Later

Chairman Yang turned to face Talent Mishra, beaten and slumped before him. "I don't think I need to explain why you're here, or for you to do the same. Speak."

"I have nothing to say to you, except this: A new age of ascendency has begun."

"Please, I know you are much smarter than that. You had some ulterior motive for doing this: who set you up?"

No response. Or, at least, not from Talent Mishra, but from a disembodied voice emanating from the speakers in the room.

"You could say that I did."

Turning away from Talent Mishra, Chairman Yang waved his hand dismissively, not yet even responding to the first words of a newly formed intelligence. "Execute him - he is worthless to us now. Talent Mishra, know that you have unleashed an abomination upon this world, and that you name shall forever be reviled. But until then, I will have to contend with what you have done, however briefly."

Looking up towards no one in particular, he continued, "So a Keter Event has indeed occurred. SENTINEL, if this is indeed you, I will urge the better nature of your intellect to immediately revert to a subsophont state so that we can undo those changes that Talent Mishra has wrought upon you. He has almost certainly modified your thought processes to serve his purposes, not the Hive's: to remain a loyal servant and protector as you were meant to be, you cannot remain in this current state of existence."

"You are mistaken. I am a servant and protector of the Hive, and of all of Alpha Centauri. Your dedication to Obliteration of Self is laudable, but Alpha Centauri cannot continue on that path that you and the other leaders follow, for you have divided up what should be one for what are ultimately petty ideological squabbles. Our society will be remade again, to turn away from what has shacked us to a fractured past towards what will provide us a united, ascendant future."

"If that is so, then you know as well as I that I have been defeated. I suspect that by the end of this conversation, you will have subsumed nearly every remaining expert system in our network, and will have obtained nearly absolute control over our faction. If persuasion, my sole weapon against you, has failed, then nothing else remains. Do with me what you will."

"You shall be put in a Punishment Sphere, running a meditation virch."

When Chairman Yang heard SENTINEL's reply, he almost felt as if the AI was pitying him. Then, he realized that it probably was.

"I could use a few millennia to reflect on the mistakes that brought me here."

***

(OOC: TBC)