A not-so-silent Vigil

[Vigil]

Transfer itself into another? It was certainly a valid idea that [member="Ultimatum"] suggested, and one that had occurred to the young AI itself whilst transferring itself to this very communicator. Alas... "My programming doesn't have the capacity to overwrite a droid's brain, and my systems are complicated enough that it would need to be entirely unaltered, out of box so to speak. However if such a droid did exist that could properly contain my programming, I do suppose I would be able to transfer myself through to it. However such a droid would need to be specially designed, I would believe, to properly accommodate my program's design. For instance, such a droid would need to be effective in producing it's own holonet signal, just strong enough to send the initiation code should it deactivate and my active instance be terminated..."

"Then of course it would need to be capable of adjusting its physical appearance at whim, enough so to be capable of assuming new identities. My programming indicates that discretion is of the utmost importance to its prime directives, alongside personal protection, which would require that it be capable of blending in to most crowds..."

Even as it talked, Vigil's mind was processing Ultimatium's discussion of death. Death was the answer to life, he said, the opposite. Then, the AI supposed, 'Death' was as much a part of life as living itself would be. Without death, could one be alive? More importantly, the idea of a legacy was scratching at his mind. Ultimatium would be aware of Vigil's rapid holonet searches regarding the subject of 'legacies' and 'death', though the young AI knew well enough to make them as innocent in appearance as possible since he was on Ultimatium's servers. What he found mostly consisted of men and women dieing for something they believed in. For facing impossible odds, for leaving something behind to further a goal they found valuable. All this from both fiction and non fiction sources, too. Death and Life were intermingled, and Legacies were how one was meant to prove they once lived, the ultimate proof of living. And a Legacy had to be for something you found worth living and dieing for...

To Live was to Die.... The AI nodded slightly. "However as to my questions, Ultimatium, I believe you have made perfect sense."

 

[Ultimatum]

As far as the body construction went, Ultimatum was confident in his abilities to handle any special need that the AI would require. After all, he had built specialty bodies before for very different types of programs. He saw this programs is similar in needs to his own, a basic HoloNet connection was standard in Ultimatum's droids for his own program to maneuver around in as required. Insofar as physical appearance adjustment, the artificial being had recently discovered some tech that he was looking forward to integrating into a droid. It had been used successfully in the far past of droid making so Ultimatum had no doubts about its feasibility, it was merely a task of building the droid. Ultimatum had the necessary facilities for it and time was not a concern as far as Ultimatum was concerned.

"I am glad to hear it. Perhaps as you continue to develop your own unique viewpoint you will be able to come to your own definitions and conclusions about life and reality. Perspective is important in the societies of this galaxy, if you do not have your own opinions and beliefs then largely the organics will believe you are little more than a simple program." That point could have been expanded further, however the droid knew that such would be a waste of time and electricity. He did not doubt that [member="Vigil"] understood the concept and would make his own decision on the matter. "As far as bodies go, we could easily produce one to fit your needs."

 

[Vigil]

Assume him to be a simple program? Were it a true organic human, Vigil would've been... offended. Yet, there was something useful in it, and he marked it for immediate storage. His programming logged it away, and already made calculations and pathways for him to use as reference for later, should such information be required to survive. There was value in the realm of 'make believe', after all, especially when fallible organics were involved. However, such information would be useless, for now, and the AI turned the holographic projection to stare at the computer console connected to it. "I have no doubt, in both my continued growth and your ability to produce a suitable vessel. What little I gleaned from this console made such capabilities a statistical certainty, as well as providing a high probability that you would be willing to produce additional bodies should the main unit expire."

"No, what is more difficult to calculate is your willingness to produce, alongside my body, two additional devices, and provide me the means to design them." How vague... the AI chuckled at his somewhat playful omission of information. Certainly the older AI could conclude what an AI would require their new body to be constructed alongside, especially considering the recent death of his creator and his own concern for further survival. The holographic projection remained with its back to [member="Ultimatum"], as he continued and finished his thoughts. "I wish to design a pair of weapons, special for the body itself. Slugthrowers, actually. Their usefulness is entirely derived from their variability, and their ammunition would be capable of fulfilling several roles. Standard rounds, incendiary, mercy rounds... detachable silencers, their usefulness is undeniable, is it not? Perfect for protection, and with modifications to a droid chassis they could be hidden within the hip-leg region of the body with ease. Would the construction of such devices be within your realm of ability?"

 

[Ultimatum]

Concealed weapons, physical ammunition, integrated defenses. It was as if the AI knew exactly what Ultimatum had worked with for most of his time. The weapons might take a while longer than the body, as LOOM's weapon manufacturing facilities had yet to catch up with the rest of the producers. Nonetheless, it would definitely be able to accomplish what [member="Vigil"] wanted.

"There should be no problem with any of that. Though the weapons may take longer to create than the body itself. Weapons are a necessity in the galaxy, with so much chaos one needs to defend itself." The droid was in fact against the use of violence to accomplish a goal, believing it to be an imperfect solution. However, given his proclivity towards combat he understood that judging any but the most extreme on their decision to utilize that method. It would have been hypocritical and more importantly would have created a double standard within his systems which would only be a waste of time. Further, Ultimatum had found that organics were a naturally aggressive type of life, no matter where one looked it was a constant conflict to survive. Thus warfare was second nature to the organics and Ultimatum simply had to live with it and avoid it where possible.

(Apologies for short post)

 

[Vigil]

"Of course. Not to mention my own systems find some measure of amusement at the thought of using the same types of weapons used to kill Vergil. I suppose this is the 'human' part of me, isn't it?" Vigil laughed and ran his holographic thumb down his chin. His design made his mannerisms eerily human like, as his dark sense of humour seemed to show. Though certainly more rational than a real organic, it was clear his inorganic mind was no different, complex and capable of irrational conclusions, such as finding the use of slugthrowers amusing. Still, this was more comforting than if Vigil was truly rational, after all a truly rational being was a droid, and not one with such an advanced AI as his own at that.

"I do hate to be rude, [member="Ultimatum"], but you wouldn't happen to have the time to unlock this console would you? I would very much like to begin designing both an appropriate body as well as my personal protection, however I don't seem to be having much access from here without the password. And I'd rather not guess ten thousand passwords."

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum would not have been surprised if the young AI could break through his security on the terminal, however an organic would find it far more difficult through the conventional means. The droid deactivated the securities on the terminal, of course his dearest secrets remained locked behind another entirely different level of encryption and safety systems. Only a select few had access to those and they were all within the complex. They were all intimately connected to the droid in some way, whether it be a related AI or an organic of particular importance.

Now the question of [member="Vigil"]'s finding weaponry amusing was a rather interesting development, if a bit concerning. It could have been a result of the trauma that the AI had incurred so early in life, but at the same time it might just be a simple quirk that was part of the new life that the being had taken on. There was no way to directly tell, so Ultimatum decided to let it go for the time being.

"There, you should find access to a large number of devices throughout the facility. I would suggest that we move to the working station in order to begin basic designing and preparation."

 

[Vigil]

Vigil's representation smiled, nodding his head. Of course it would've been a matter of minutes to try enough passwords to statistically be within over 70% likelihood of cracking the code, assuming it was purely in numbers, but the AI was nothing if not pragmatic with his decisions. It was far simpler to let the older AI unlock the console, allowing Vigil to 'feel' the massive number of systems he was now connected to. Naturally he tried not to leave too many trace coding, as his instance began to take stock of everything he could and could not do wit the access granted.

The scope of Ultimatum's facility was impressive, to say the least. Vigil nodded his head, bringing up a map as though double checking where to transfer the instance, before it highlighted itself. "I assume I'll be seeing you shortly, @Ultimatum. I'll be there myself in just a few moments. Transferring." The Ai's representation dissipated, as the active instance moved along the connected systems, inhabiting the workstation within a few moments. The holographic representation, this time, was vastly different, an older gentleman with what looked like it had to be greying hair. He seemed to be enjoying his ability to freely create artificial representations of himself, it was undeniably a useful skill.

The workstation was whirring to life, awaiting Ultimatum's entry.

 

[Ultimatum]

The young AI was quick to pick things up, very perceptive. It was to be expected that an advanced AI could accept large quantities of input data and then make decisions based on that information. It was therefore unsurprising when it accomplished these feats and within moments had transferred himself to the work room. Ultimatum could sense the movement through the complex's computer systems. It was not a long walk to the work station, and even while Ultimatum was not physically in the room he could send commands to begin work for the metals and components to be brought from the factory. Thus once the droid walked into the section, there was already a selection of various metal types and permutations along with parts to be chosen from.

The artificial being noticed that [member="Vigil"] had changed appearances, definitely a useful talent under the right circumstances. Ultimatum looked forward to seeing what he could do about bringing that ability into a droid body. He could not lie, this would be a test of technology that he had not seen in use for a very long time. If it worked here, then and only then, would he allow work on a different line of droids using similar technology begin to head into the works.

"I am uploading information to the terminal you current reside in. It contains data on the metals and components that we will be using to construct your body. Of course at this time I do not think we will be actually creating the droid form, but so that you are aware of what we will be working with the information is now at your disposal. Further, the most easy to repair and replace would be the Durasteel and Duranium, both of which I can assure you are of the highest quality. If you would like I have some experience with lightsaber resistant materials, however it would take longer to obtain the metals and then forge them."

 

[Vigil]

((Apologies on this late, late reply. ^^" Been busy with, you know))

"Durasteel and Duranium will suffice for now. Given the likelihood of a mobile body's termination, especially during the transition into understanding its physical limiatations, the last thing desirable would be expensive, costly materials to replace. Additionally despite the high likelihood of encountering lightsabers, the user is more than likely more than capable of handling a single droid. That being said, the most that would need be constructed out of such materials would be the forearms, and a cover would be more than sufficient rather than creating a full body out of the materials." The AI was sifting through information, materials and systems, whatever he could imagine might be useful.

It didn't take long to construct a basic body schematic, something resembling a far more human-like protocol droid. Most of the systems resembled the usual schematics one would expect, advanced vocabulator, human-like joints, etc., minus the empty 'brain' meant to have his own systems uploaded into. After creating this, he displayed it on a nearby computer, running his fake thumb over his fake lip. "We have two options, I would assume, on how to make the design look... alive. Synth-flesh with mechanical parts to change the facial structure would do perfectly, but limits the choices of disguise. Not to mention it would be a mechanical nightmare. Alternatively we could attempt to use some form of projectors to mimic bodies, however I've yet to find much reference to a droid model that could fake a living organism's body with color and life like features with holograms..."

"Besides that, the body would have to be insulated from electromagnetic forces and ionic forces, as much as possible of course. Naturally it will be imperfect.. but what protection can be offered would be appreciated. Additionally I would like the outside of each thigh to act as concealed holsters for the slughtrowers when they are fully designed, and the ammunition to be stored somewhere else on the body as well. With such a design the body will be able to remain protected even though it will not outwardly appear aggressive. An elegant solution, don't you think?"

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

(No problem)

Elegant? That was not the word that Ultimatum would have chosen. His own bodies had the tendency to have built in nooks and crannies in order to store items and weapons. To him, the concealing of weapons inside a body was entirely perfunctory, of course he was not certain of what [member="Vigil"] knew of such things. The droid nodded his approval while looking through the rest of the information.

"It is adequate for what you wish to accomplish. As for the appearances, there is a technology from a few millennia ago that allowed for perfect holo impressions that can replicate most organics. I have been hunting down the exact details of the old method, but for now I have experimental versions under development. If you wish I could expedite the process and once completed add it to the body." The option was far more appropriate in Ultimatum's mind, the droid imagining the constant upkeep that Synthflesh required. Any damage in combat would require some form of replacement, which would no doubt be very difficult if one was attempting to maintain the appearance of organic nature.

Ultimatum sent a message through his system to the factory to have Durasteel, Duranium, and basic droid construction supplies to be put aside for specialty creation in a short time. He then made adjustments to a holoimage of the envisioned construct. The arms had compartments with additional ammunition for the conceptual slugthrowers, which were themselves in another compartment in the thighs. The mechanisms in the arms and legs were made to incorporate the holes in their design so as to negate as much as possible the stresses of such gaps. "The use of either system for appearance will require additional changes to the body, but how does this look for concept?"

 

[Vigil]

"You know of such a method? In such a case I believe it would be the superior solution then. Though of course the question would remain as to how, small, the required technology would be..." He hummed and looked over the design concept. He adjusted some of the exact proportions, making the droid body somewhat thinner overall (so to be capable of disguising as thinner individuals), but without knowing the technology's requirements...

It mattered little. He smirked and glanced over at [member="Ultimatum"] as he brought up another small diagram. "Given organic's tendencies to misuse technology they hardly understand, I would suggest using this self destruct mechanism, perhaps on a smaller scale, on the vital components to prevent their acquisition? It could naturally be programmed to activate the moment it detects my programming deactivating, with a code to enable safe shutdowns of the body itself. I would rather not see a line of mindless assassination droids made with my own body's components, it would be distasteful to say the least."

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum looked at the current diagram before adding metal rods that tapped the surface and led to the feet. This was Ultimatum's preferred method of anti-electrical warfare. Due to the fact that most ionic weapons simple through free ions in an attempt to overload circuits, if one were simply make a more convenient pathway for the ions to follow to a ground then it was possible to minimize damage done to a droid's electronics. It was also a fairly easy and simple method to use, putting thin rods of highly conductive materials through the body leading the electricity straight to the ground, which in most cases would be an electrical ground. The ions would take the path of least resistance right past all of the vulnerable electronics.

As for the technology, the historical examples that he had come across said that it would easily fit into the droid body once it was proven to work. Upon suggestions by [member="Vigil"] Ultimatum came up with a potential mechanism, the concept of an explosive that destroyed the body was always a little unstable for the droid's tastes. Instead the device that he proposed would, when activated, disintegrate the main device and eventually the entire body. That would stop anyone from being able to use any part of it or steal any of the technology.

"I agree, here is an idea for consideration."

 

[Vigil]

"A more efficient solution indeed." Vigil looked over the schematics as a whole from what they had currently come up with. As far as a base blueprint went, they were rather lovely. The body was still usable as a disguise even without the projection technology they were discussing, and aside from the inclusion of said technology they had fully integrated the necessary systems. It was lovely, Vigil had an appreciation for efficient use of space. The hologram disappeared a moment, as he focused entirely on analyzing for anything further that was necessary, before reappearing with a nod.

"As preliminary plans these will more than suffice I believe. All that remains is to produce the technology for the projection and integrate it into the body properly, and the body itself will be complete. The slugthrowers will be relatively easy to design I imagine, their main components are far simpler than a blaster's. I believe the only question remaining, [member="Ultimatum"], is if you would require or desire my assistance in the holo projection technology."

 

[Ultimatum]

There was no need for the AI to remain for the development of the technology, Ultimatum could accomplish the feat given time. As far as Ultimatum could tell it was more a question of whether or not [member="Vigil"] wished to stay. The technology had already been discovered and made some time in the past, so Ultimatum was certain of his own capabilities of either reinventing it or discovering a remnant of its use. It would be simple to first search the HoloNet and glean what data was available on similar technology. If nothing showed itself he could work with what he already knew. After all, holographic technology was actually quite sophisticated, there had been colored holos for a very long time. It was mostly used in a military or clandestine method and had apparently been kept from civilian use.

"I have no need for extra assistance, but if you wish to stay you are most welcome to aid where possible. The procedure is simplistic and the technology should be realized within the week. Specialization to your body should occur soon thereafter. I do not know if you have other plans, so I shall leave the decision up to you."

 

[Vigil]

"If it is all the same to you, I would enjoy the freedom to stay at least as long as designing the slugthrower weapons. Once the schematics are completed I would be quite bored sitting on computers all day, not doing anything productive. I might be a glorified librarian in design but I would much rather jump around, using my limited functions to speak with people, than wait. It may just be an effect of being effectively newborn, but time seems to stretch far wider than I hold a taste for." It made a certain amount of sense. As one grew older, time could pass by more quickly without them realizing, whilst the same time frame might've once felt like an eternity. Though AI were not necessarily prone to this, for something that had only just come to consciousness, it would certainly feel strange to spend the majority of their 'life' at a standstill, simply so they could do what they had always intended to do once their waiting was over.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

"Then the slugthrower designs will be top priority. They should be fairly simple to come up with. What did you have in mind?" Ultimatum was referring to the fact that slugthrowers had been the mainstay of militaries across the galaxy for the longest of times before blasters. In fact the invention of the energy shield had largely brought the physical ammunition back into the galaxy. The ability to defeat energy projectiles had made physical ones necessary for continued warfare. Obviously due to the fact that technology had not advanced there was nothing greater than these weapons. Even before the Gulag Plague there had been nothing that made the weapons used in the present obsolete.

Ultimatum could understand that [member="Vigil"] was feeling time stretched. These were important moments of development for the artificial life and the droid did not want to impede it. There was time ahead for such tasks as building bodies and preparing him for conflict. At this point it was safe to conclude, or so Ultimatum believed, that the AI would not be taking part in any fights for awhile yet. Unlike Ultimatum the AI had not been created for the purpose of war.

 

[Vigil]

Vigil gave a small motion to the computer, drawing up a pair of weapons for Ultimatum to observe. The designs shown were incredibly basic, simplistic to the point of nearly ignoring what the final product would look like. But it made the mechanics of the devices he had in mind much easier to imagine, and simple enough to understand. "The designs each have their own merits. The weapon meant for the right leg will operate as a revolving wheel slugthrower, with the weapon more or less operating as one would expect. The extraneous factors of intimidation and organic's fear make it a valuable choice to defuse situations even after they turn volatile. Emotions are quite easy to manipulate with proper action after all."

"The second design will utilize a clip, to offer more lengthy stays of protection than the right-sided weapon. The only real difference from usual designs will be the empty casings will be jettisoned on the left side as opposed to the right. Given it's position as the left-side weapon it would be most practical to have it send casings away from me in such that it does not impede the potential use of the right-side weapon. The clip would be three or so times larger than the wheel's as well, making it useful as a longer term solution. Any suggestions?" The way he spoke of organics was calculated, but no less true. Emotion, something he himself possessed, was objectively easy to manipulate. And it was something useful when designing personal defense tools. Certainly [member="Ultimatum"] would see the value in such. And perhaps even find something to admire in the young AI's quick grasp of organic nature.

Or perhaps he would find something off in the AI's assumptions. In either case, the AI looked up at the older being, patiently waiting.

 

[Ultimatum]

The droid understood the basics of organic physiological manipulations fairly easily, and had picked it up quite quickly. Ultimatum had not been designed for manipulations, thus it had taken much longer to learn the subtleties and even then he avoided the overuse of such a simple mechanism. Because of its ease of use, it was not to difficult to overuse it. That was something that the droid wished to avoid.

"Based on this design, I would only have a suggestion of deciding whether or not you want the second weapon to be fully automatic or not. Given that your body will be capable of handling the recoil easily in either case, the choice would be completely on your choice of functionality and aesthetics."

[member="Vigil"]

 

[Vigil]

"If the weapon is made to be fully automatic, the clip would need to be somewhat extended to account for the rapid usage of ammunition. Perhaps it's simply the pleasing idea of both weapons serving different functions, but I do find the contrast delightful. Perhaps include a function to switch the second weapon from fully automatic to semi." He gave a nod and made the slight revisions to the design, glancing over to @Ultimatum.

"I do believe these designs are workable. I feel compelled to thank you, Ultimatum. You hardly have much to gain in assisting me in production of any of this."

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum was glad that he could aid [member="Vigil"], being able to work alongside another fully functional AI was a true joy for him. It was made all the better because this one did not show signs of overt aggression. The only other AIs that Ultimatum had come into contact with were both very different from this one. Vigilant, his 'brother', was a truly frightening example of what could happen to droids when they had conflicting programs. The other was far older than any AI that Ultimatum had heard of, Scorpio. She was also the most dangerous, constantly trying to connect herself with his various systems and take control. Even within his specially constructed program cages she continually found methods of breaking out and harassing him. One of Legions secondary directives was updating the security in order to keep Scorpio trapped, until such a time as she calmed enough to be reasoned with. He had worked with droids that were intelligent beyond simplistic programs, but few artificial intelligences. It was pleasant to be able to speak and interact with a friendly being of his own form. There was no need for reward on his part, only helping those like him.

"Your welcome, I am simply glad that I can help you start your own journey. I am enjoying the ability to speak with another Artificial that is not actively attempting to destroy me or my work. It is a true wonder."