Directorate Officer
Image Source: N/A
Intent: To provide the Directorate and its allies with a shipboard slicing AI
Development Thread: Wading through the Currents of Lethe
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: Atropos-series Artificial Intelligence
Affiliation: Directorate, select Player Characters
Modularity: None
Production: Semi-unique (12)
Material: Software
Strengths:
Adaptable: The Atropos uses adaptive programming and fuzzy logic along with organic neural pathway mapping structure, making its slicing routines adaptable to face a variety of threats and targets. In practical terms, this makes the Atropos comparable to many organic slicers in terms of performance.
Weaknesses:
Power Draw: The Atropos's host needs a high amount of processing power to operate, meaning that it requires an especially high powered supercomputer or a wide series of computer which it can distribute itself through to support its tasks. In practical terms, this means that the host ship most be over 1000 meters or the ship must be designed or modified to hold a large computer that is capable of supporting Atropos.
Inquisitive: Atropos's curiosity frequently enables behaviors that can be deemed as risky. Some examples include Atropos lingering longer than necessary in enemy systems, letting enemy slicers continue their work unopposed because the intelligence wishes to learn the enemy slicer's techniques, or slicing into neutral third parties which may cause diplomatic incidents.
Description: The Atropos Artificial Intelligence is Lucerne Lab's 2nd generation artificial intelligence designed specifically to support military operations by defensively reacting to enemy slicing attempts and offensively slicing into other platforms to data-mine for intelligence gathering. Atropos builds off of Lethe's mimicry of the bothan brainstem to the complete mimicry of the entire bothan brain. This basis was then refined by cutting out unnecessary pathways related to the intelligence's slicing focus while adding redundant pathways for its slicing heuristics. The resultant AI combines adaptative programming, fuzzy logic, and redundant programming to make it an exceptionally skilled artificial intelligence capable of keeping up with many organic slicers.
Atropos is housed within the computer banks of large vessels or within dedicated, massive supercomputers. Herein lies its greatest strengths and weakness. The amount of processing power from these platforms is considerable, and oftentimes allows flaws within the Atropos's slicing attempts to compensated by sheer volume of the efforts it conjure up through its redundant pathways. However, this operating system requirement combined with its extremely high cost has regulated the Atropos to be being presented to only a handful of beings across the galaxy, who generally have both an understanding of not only computing, but also of starship operations. Like other computer programs, being housed in space-going computer banks presents a problem of access. While the Atropos easily has internal access to its host ship and those vessels networked to it, it does not by default have access to external targets. This access must be established through HoloNet Transciever, subspace radios, communications satellites, comlinks, and other forms of communications. These avenues almost always must be established by the starship's communication's crew, an infiltration team, or by a slicer. Once the Atropos has access to its battlefield, the AI comes into its own.
Atropos begins its slicing operations by sizing up its opponent slicer or the opposing software. To do this, it first analyzes all known facets, both technological and cultural, of its target before probing the opponent with a couple of general strategies just to see how the opponent reacts to them to better enable its own understanding of the personality that it is facing, which in turn will allow it to build more specialized tactics and strategies aimed particularly at combating that target. Such strategies typically include inserting common and well-known malware into a system, using simple brute force processing power in an attempt to crack through passwords, analyzing communication's traffic, playing routing games, and by sending personal messages to its to try and play mind games with the opponent. The actual success of these endeavors is frequently unimportant to the AI, because while they can yield tactical benefits, Atropos is more concerned on building a detailed understanding of its opponent's psyche in order to craft more advanced hacking techniques designed to specifically exploit its opponent's personality or infrastucture. These advanced techniques vary widely depending not only on the opponent, but also on Atropos's role as a predator or a defender.
Most Atropos units inhabit large starships where they provide cyber security not only to their host ship, but to those of other ships and computers networked to their host ship's computers. As a defender, Atropos tends to layer a system's natural defenses and optimize them particularly to counter base intrusions. For example, if Atropos realizes that it is facing an automated slicing program, such as those used by script kiddies, it will frequently add small patches into the defensive firewalls and other core security elements to deter and block such attacks. Another example might be locating the intrusion point within a network and restarting the affected computer in a “safe mode” that prevents the opposing slicer from activating the advanced functions of that computer or other computers networked to it. In a similar vein, if Atropos realizes that the opposing hacker is entering the network through an external source, such as a subspace transceiver, it will simply deactivate that device, cutting off the opponents access to t he system before it starts a hard reboot of the systems to remove any traces of the opposing hacker's attempts and programs from the host system. But this is not a guaranteed action. Some more devious Atropos may use a discovered link between itself and the host attacker as a portal to hack their opponent. It's not uncommon for such opposing hackers to find that their continued access to the host system is dependent on Atropos's ability to access information on the opposing hacker's systems. In such prolonged settings, Atropos may use that gathered information to harass the opponent emotionally or by sending a volley of viruses specifically configured to overcome known flaws in the opponent's operating system.
As a predator, Atropos tends to be more subtle and paradoxically less damaging than it is as a defender, mostly because it is optimized to gather intelligence rather than cause damage. Atropos are typically used offensively to hack into communication's satellites and other local networks to surreptiously gather intelligence or locate peoples and items. Atropos typically uses its base information gathered from its initial attempts to pry away and extract copies of files through seemingly legitimate requests. For example, Atropos may use the digital signatures gathered in the initial update to appear to be an obscure member of the enemy chain of command being added to the automated alert roster. While this operation would deal no damage to the opponent, it could potentially alert Atropos and its users to situationally useful information that they wouldn't otherwise know, such as a radiation leak. It may insert a piece of spyware into an currently unactivated piece of the opponents system. An example of this might be adding a “Here I am” program to the ship's nav computer through what appears to be a standard BoSS hyperlane update. Almost all of the Atropos's intrusion attempts are designed to be stealthy, however, if Atropos's attempts are detected, the AI often begins to use more aggressive methods, such as utilizing denial of service attacks or releasing tailored viruses or computer spikes.
Atropo units have only been field-tested by Gir Quee on the Ocean Tide so far. His testing has showed that Atropos units tend to show little emotion and individuality at first, but gradually develop to adopt personalities that are similar to those crewmembers who the AI spends time with. However, these budding personalities all exhibit an intense streak of curiosity that appears not only as pure intellectual inquiry, but also as personal nosiness. One observer described this trait as a “lust for information”. It remains to be seen if this trait will demonstrate itself in all units however. Atropos chose their own physical and vocal manifestations. These individual appearances vary widely, though almost all are realistic. Atropos units use these appearances not only when interacting their friendly faces, but with their opponents as well. It is not uncommon for a Atropos to change 'skins' for a particular mission or after an event in an effort to hide their obscure their true nature or identity from their opponents. People who have communicated with them from a distance have often thought they were talking to an eccentric organic rather than realizing that they were an artificial construct. Slightly under half of the units remain in cold storage at the underwater Lucerne Labs facility on Hast. Those units that have appeared in the rest of the galaxy so far have been in the hands of those whose political allegiances are similar to the ideals of Lucerne Labs itself.
Known Atropos Units & their owners:
Aurek – [member="Gir Quee"]
Besh – [member="Gir Quee"]
Cresh – [member="Arisa Yune"]
Dorn – [member="Reshmar"]
Esk – [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
Forn – [member="Taeli Raaf"]
Grek – [member="Vilin"]
Herf – Unassigned (Storage)
Isk – Unassigned (Storage)
Jenth – Unassigned (Storage)
Krill – Unassigned (Storage)
Leth – Unassigned (Storage)
OOC Note: Using an Atropos does not immediately grant an immediate hacking success, especially against active opposition from other writers. It is merely a tool in the same way that a lightsaber or blaster is. As when facing those weapons, it is the opposing player's right to determine how successful the attack is. Additionally, the slicing attempt must be roleplayed in a manner that requires time for the slicing effort to take place. In other words, Atropos cannot retroactively be played to suddenly be in control of a computer system, nor can it make a successful intrusion into a computer system followed by an attack within the same post.
Primary Source: Lethe-class Artificial Intelligence
Intent: To provide the Directorate and its allies with a shipboard slicing AI
Development Thread: Wading through the Currents of Lethe
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: Atropos-series Artificial Intelligence
Affiliation: Directorate, select Player Characters
Modularity: None
Production: Semi-unique (12)
Material: Software
Strengths:
Adaptable: The Atropos uses adaptive programming and fuzzy logic along with organic neural pathway mapping structure, making its slicing routines adaptable to face a variety of threats and targets. In practical terms, this makes the Atropos comparable to many organic slicers in terms of performance.
Weaknesses:
Power Draw: The Atropos's host needs a high amount of processing power to operate, meaning that it requires an especially high powered supercomputer or a wide series of computer which it can distribute itself through to support its tasks. In practical terms, this means that the host ship most be over 1000 meters or the ship must be designed or modified to hold a large computer that is capable of supporting Atropos.
Inquisitive: Atropos's curiosity frequently enables behaviors that can be deemed as risky. Some examples include Atropos lingering longer than necessary in enemy systems, letting enemy slicers continue their work unopposed because the intelligence wishes to learn the enemy slicer's techniques, or slicing into neutral third parties which may cause diplomatic incidents.
Description: The Atropos Artificial Intelligence is Lucerne Lab's 2nd generation artificial intelligence designed specifically to support military operations by defensively reacting to enemy slicing attempts and offensively slicing into other platforms to data-mine for intelligence gathering. Atropos builds off of Lethe's mimicry of the bothan brainstem to the complete mimicry of the entire bothan brain. This basis was then refined by cutting out unnecessary pathways related to the intelligence's slicing focus while adding redundant pathways for its slicing heuristics. The resultant AI combines adaptative programming, fuzzy logic, and redundant programming to make it an exceptionally skilled artificial intelligence capable of keeping up with many organic slicers.
Atropos is housed within the computer banks of large vessels or within dedicated, massive supercomputers. Herein lies its greatest strengths and weakness. The amount of processing power from these platforms is considerable, and oftentimes allows flaws within the Atropos's slicing attempts to compensated by sheer volume of the efforts it conjure up through its redundant pathways. However, this operating system requirement combined with its extremely high cost has regulated the Atropos to be being presented to only a handful of beings across the galaxy, who generally have both an understanding of not only computing, but also of starship operations. Like other computer programs, being housed in space-going computer banks presents a problem of access. While the Atropos easily has internal access to its host ship and those vessels networked to it, it does not by default have access to external targets. This access must be established through HoloNet Transciever, subspace radios, communications satellites, comlinks, and other forms of communications. These avenues almost always must be established by the starship's communication's crew, an infiltration team, or by a slicer. Once the Atropos has access to its battlefield, the AI comes into its own.
Atropos begins its slicing operations by sizing up its opponent slicer or the opposing software. To do this, it first analyzes all known facets, both technological and cultural, of its target before probing the opponent with a couple of general strategies just to see how the opponent reacts to them to better enable its own understanding of the personality that it is facing, which in turn will allow it to build more specialized tactics and strategies aimed particularly at combating that target. Such strategies typically include inserting common and well-known malware into a system, using simple brute force processing power in an attempt to crack through passwords, analyzing communication's traffic, playing routing games, and by sending personal messages to its to try and play mind games with the opponent. The actual success of these endeavors is frequently unimportant to the AI, because while they can yield tactical benefits, Atropos is more concerned on building a detailed understanding of its opponent's psyche in order to craft more advanced hacking techniques designed to specifically exploit its opponent's personality or infrastucture. These advanced techniques vary widely depending not only on the opponent, but also on Atropos's role as a predator or a defender.
Most Atropos units inhabit large starships where they provide cyber security not only to their host ship, but to those of other ships and computers networked to their host ship's computers. As a defender, Atropos tends to layer a system's natural defenses and optimize them particularly to counter base intrusions. For example, if Atropos realizes that it is facing an automated slicing program, such as those used by script kiddies, it will frequently add small patches into the defensive firewalls and other core security elements to deter and block such attacks. Another example might be locating the intrusion point within a network and restarting the affected computer in a “safe mode” that prevents the opposing slicer from activating the advanced functions of that computer or other computers networked to it. In a similar vein, if Atropos realizes that the opposing hacker is entering the network through an external source, such as a subspace transceiver, it will simply deactivate that device, cutting off the opponents access to t he system before it starts a hard reboot of the systems to remove any traces of the opposing hacker's attempts and programs from the host system. But this is not a guaranteed action. Some more devious Atropos may use a discovered link between itself and the host attacker as a portal to hack their opponent. It's not uncommon for such opposing hackers to find that their continued access to the host system is dependent on Atropos's ability to access information on the opposing hacker's systems. In such prolonged settings, Atropos may use that gathered information to harass the opponent emotionally or by sending a volley of viruses specifically configured to overcome known flaws in the opponent's operating system.
As a predator, Atropos tends to be more subtle and paradoxically less damaging than it is as a defender, mostly because it is optimized to gather intelligence rather than cause damage. Atropos are typically used offensively to hack into communication's satellites and other local networks to surreptiously gather intelligence or locate peoples and items. Atropos typically uses its base information gathered from its initial attempts to pry away and extract copies of files through seemingly legitimate requests. For example, Atropos may use the digital signatures gathered in the initial update to appear to be an obscure member of the enemy chain of command being added to the automated alert roster. While this operation would deal no damage to the opponent, it could potentially alert Atropos and its users to situationally useful information that they wouldn't otherwise know, such as a radiation leak. It may insert a piece of spyware into an currently unactivated piece of the opponents system. An example of this might be adding a “Here I am” program to the ship's nav computer through what appears to be a standard BoSS hyperlane update. Almost all of the Atropos's intrusion attempts are designed to be stealthy, however, if Atropos's attempts are detected, the AI often begins to use more aggressive methods, such as utilizing denial of service attacks or releasing tailored viruses or computer spikes.
Atropo units have only been field-tested by Gir Quee on the Ocean Tide so far. His testing has showed that Atropos units tend to show little emotion and individuality at first, but gradually develop to adopt personalities that are similar to those crewmembers who the AI spends time with. However, these budding personalities all exhibit an intense streak of curiosity that appears not only as pure intellectual inquiry, but also as personal nosiness. One observer described this trait as a “lust for information”. It remains to be seen if this trait will demonstrate itself in all units however. Atropos chose their own physical and vocal manifestations. These individual appearances vary widely, though almost all are realistic. Atropos units use these appearances not only when interacting their friendly faces, but with their opponents as well. It is not uncommon for a Atropos to change 'skins' for a particular mission or after an event in an effort to hide their obscure their true nature or identity from their opponents. People who have communicated with them from a distance have often thought they were talking to an eccentric organic rather than realizing that they were an artificial construct. Slightly under half of the units remain in cold storage at the underwater Lucerne Labs facility on Hast. Those units that have appeared in the rest of the galaxy so far have been in the hands of those whose political allegiances are similar to the ideals of Lucerne Labs itself.
Known Atropos Units & their owners:
Aurek – [member="Gir Quee"]
Besh – [member="Gir Quee"]
Cresh – [member="Arisa Yune"]
Dorn – [member="Reshmar"]
Esk – [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
Forn – [member="Taeli Raaf"]
Grek – [member="Vilin"]
Herf – Unassigned (Storage)
Isk – Unassigned (Storage)
Jenth – Unassigned (Storage)
Krill – Unassigned (Storage)
Leth – Unassigned (Storage)
OOC Note: Using an Atropos does not immediately grant an immediate hacking success, especially against active opposition from other writers. It is merely a tool in the same way that a lightsaber or blaster is. As when facing those weapons, it is the opposing player's right to determine how successful the attack is. Additionally, the slicing attempt must be roleplayed in a manner that requires time for the slicing effort to take place. In other words, Atropos cannot retroactively be played to suddenly be in control of a computer system, nor can it make a successful intrusion into a computer system followed by an attack within the same post.
Primary Source: Lethe-class Artificial Intelligence
