UoR/RUR deal on "Green" robots

[Dabblez]

from a RUR press release -

RUR was awarded a multi million credit contract by clan Unity of the Rose to supply maintenance robots to notum mining sites. The robots (from the new Logitronix S600 range) will be used to operate revolutionary, new anti-pollution equipment designed by the Tir School of Engineering specifically for this project.

Clan Unity of the Rose has for a long time been active in the area of environmental protection. Though the environmental impact of mining operations is still a matter of heated discussion, studies have shown that during the mining process proto-notinium particles are released in the atmosphere and that in large quantities these particles can be toxic to humans.

Accordingly the Tir School of Engineering Mining Department have developed a Quantum Reaction Field Generator device to trap the free proto-notinium particles which are then collected into safely disposable canisters. RUR is providing robots to operate with equipment which requires constant supervision. Theses robots have be modified specifically to shield their cpu from the effects of the Quantum Reaction Field.

This project is currently being piloted at one of the Unity of the Rose notum mines at an undisclosed location. If successful it will be extended to all Unity of the Rose mining facilities.

[_________YumYum Crow]

It was fate, Minerbill decided, that drove his hand that day. Fate that the probe bot should cross his path, and fate that its shattered shell should come to rest at the foot of that particular notice board. He read the announcement placidly enough, then with equal calm sent a message or three to selected comm units dotted all over the planet.

When this was done, he paused. His gaze fell on the announcement. The rain began to fall as a storm rolled south off the Wailing Wastes.

Howling as much the rising wind, the atrox tore the message board to flinders. As the rain flooded the streets and the sky roared and thundered, he stomped off into the dark of the subway...

The others had to be gathered. This insult could not be borne lightly. Wurly, no doubt, would caution patience at first... Minerbill had his own thoughts on that...

[Szentasha]

Unity of the Rose has long been trying to identify ways to determine the long term effects of notum mining on RubiKa and take steps to reduce the negative environmental impact. We don't have the engineering expertise within our guild to develop the technology thats required. Therefore, we have sought to partner with the organizations Tir School of Engineering and R.U.R. to develop techology that addresses these concerns.

Once this pilot program is a proven success at our test site, the technology will be installed at all our bases, and eventually made available to other organizations who wish to use it.

[_______________Bliqz]

Bliqz takes a moment to ponder the Notum mining's effect on the environment, and environmental concerns in general. Suddenly, a gleam comes to his eyes, and he rummages thru his pack for his personal data recorder.

"Note to self: Investigate the possibility of clanners as a clean burning renewable fuel source."

[SinisterCake]

‘Such a shame and a travesty!’ Wurly thought to himself… He was glad to have been notified by Minerbill but also concerned at the volume of his voice… (Wurly felt as if his ear had been shot out into the dark of space). But he saw it coming, were they truly becoming blinded by growth, by mere credits? Or perhaps it was a ploy to influence the Unity of the Rose even further to the side of the false and the impure, epitomised by the robot form?

This surely went against the alliance’s wishes if it were true? Advocating more mining, since ‘of course it was less environmentally damaging’; so say the Engineering School of Tir… ‘Those blasphemers would say that as they are blind as they always have been’ he murmured to his teacup.

Jethro spoke to him, he would have to speak once again to the ‘children’ of the damned, Humanity itself. He would say his word, then meet with his allies perhaps? Or let loose the ‘highly trained’ crack Neo Luddites to post the word of the Jethro in the dead of night, so that when the impure would wake they would see the seriousness of their plight? Or he could simply threaten to read all 27 Volumes of Jethro’s teachings from the ‘Gods’ across all the channels in a monotone voice? He sat at his ‘Blessed and Holy’ Computer, and began to dictate to it, a statement…

I am astounded and saddened this day Szentasha at the news that your very own nature loving Roses would allow this notorious Company known as the Rubi-Ka Universal Robots, to pilot a scheme that is contrary to what you were about… Or were at least once. To use their machines that try to be as of creations own beings, born of flesh and blood! Jethro weeps in pity for you, well, you Roses in general rather then just you, for such is the size of his heart… It is sad to see those so close to purity wither to weeds. As for the bots needed for this venture? Would the scourge care should it accidentally cause the poison to fill the air we breathe?

Are these devilish creations to take the place of yet another Living person? Yet more jobs that could have surely been done with care for ones own existence by flesh and blood? Jobs that the poor and forgotten could have done to feed their poor and starving Nike trainer wearing children? It is a shame, and thus we the NLM would like to discuss with you the UoR in person so that you may abate our fears. Restore our faith in your care for nature, for this wonderful ‘Mecca’ you call home, and see the risk involved in this path of ‘weeds’ that grows amongst you dear Roses. Until then, we vehemently reject and do not agree with your plans…

End Statement,
Rev. Genaro “Wurly” Ricks (Neo Luddite Movement [Borpact]).


He got dressed in his white attire to meet Minerbill, to firstly calm him with words of wisdom of the Jethro, and to secondly discuss plans; many many plans…He then smiles wryly to himself in the mirror before leaving and clasps his hands in prayer… “They shall never taint us! To seek God, is to respect the Gods… Smash the Bot!”

[Jynne]

Exposing human workers - however economically troubled they may be - to dangerous equipment and toxic particles is entirely out of the question for our organization. Environmental protection is important to safeguard human health; preservation of the land cannot be bought at the cost of human lives.

This experimental air filtering equipment needs constant monitoring, and the health effects of even short-term exposure to proto-notum particles and QRFG equipment on humans has not been studied in any detail, but obviously are harmful. As a surgeon I cannot in any way endorse risking the health of human workers.

In short: the job of watching over this gear is something no sane and informed human being would wish to do, and it is something that no responsible organization would ask a person to do.

[Lyricia]

Jynne, save your breath. I think your point is lost on people that only think of Rubi-Ka as property and not as an ecosphere. Surprisingly none of them have responded by saying "We don't let humans handle toxic substances, we send Atroxes to do that for us". Remember the infamous "They're only Atroxes" incident of 29129? I think that speaks volumes about their attitudes.

[SinisterCake]

After buying a quart of water to be blessed later by the Jethro, Wurly stopped to view what responses there undoubtedly should be on the Grid Bulletin Boards; response’s to his earlier statement. He read, then smiled to himself… ‘Well, well, exactly the wrong thing to say my dears he thought before starting to type in his comments.


Dear Doctor Suitt, and Ms. Fuchs, indeed it may be a very dangerous affair for humans or atroxi to have to deal with these pollutants. In fact I think Jynne said it best in regards to these Pollutants… “exposure to proto-notum particles and QRFG equipment on humans has not been studied in any detail, but obviously are harmful.” So to condone robots that potentially could be ‘Millies’, and have an outburst for any reason (a RUR bot), covers the QRFG equipment nicely. How silly of Jethro and I to misunderstand any slight danger there?

But why is it that the UoR mine this dangerous material that we know so little about? Why contribute to the particles? That is to protect nature is it Jynne? A very strange way of doing so I believe… As for “people that only think of Rubi-Ka as property and not as an ecosphere”. Ms Fuchs, we have never professed that, nor do I believe we (NLM or Borpact) mine notum for profit, just mining young impressionable people for our Army, I mean that we don’t even mine notum? Also I advise you accuse our allies the Nano-Mage Liberation Front of that statement, only their ‘mere existence’ depends on this World and the notum.

We admit our knowledge of this notum-particle and QRFG things are limited to err, what you have said so far… Thus I ask for your Leader and advisors presence in a meeting between myself and mine to see this evidence for us to better understand… So hear this Jynne, we are providing you an opportunity here to better your name should what UoR say is true, and an alternative to RUR bots found. Tell Szentasha, would be a shame to refuse, RUR bots can be, lets say ‘notoriously’ unreliable.

Rev. Genaro “Wurly” Ricks (Neo Luddite Movement [Borpact]).


He pressed the send button and smiled to himself again, waiting for a colleague in the glaring heat of the Desert outpost. He already could sense the general gist of the responses that would come.

[Jynne]

Mister Ricks:

We did not award this contract blind to the many incidents of RUR robots running amok. However, normal robots are unable to perform the complex task of monitoring QRFGs - and indeed, the standard RUR robots have had to undergo modifications to shield them from the field generator's adverse effects on sensitive electronics. Rest assured that these robots have been given no combat capability whatsoever and it is well within the power of Unity of the Rose to dispatch a wayward machine.

As for the effects of the proto-notum particles on humans, initial indications seem to point to the fact that personal nanobot fields deflect or neutralize low levels of this pollutant for humans with active and functioning Nanobot Control Units. However - people with non-functional NCUs, without NCUs, and with very small Nano Pool, are at high risk of genetic damage and disease from long-term exposure (on the order of several months to several years) to even the trace amounts of proto-notum that are blown into the towns and cities of Rubi-Ka by the prevailing winds.

Notum Mining using drilling towers on the surface is a relatively new technique, which we have found releases these particles diretly into the atmosphere - unlike underground mining which tends to trap the proto-notum in the mine shafts, where it was doubtlessly one of the many sources of sickness and death for notum miners in Rubi-Ka's past.

The effects of proto-notum on wildlife have been apparent almost from the beginning of mining deregulation: how many animals have you seen alive in tower areas recently? For that matter, how many monsters? It's highly likely that these particles are responsible for the total absence of any wildlife whatsoever inside the perimeter of a tower base.

The QRFG technology acts like a really big air filter for proto-notum. Its field attracts proto-notum particles, which are then trapped in a containment unit. Over time, these containers will fill up and need replacement and disposal, which will be one of the tasks performed by the RUR bots. I am particularly concerned that containment unit replacement by human beings could prove fatal, given the necessarily high concentration of proto-notum in the containment unit.

Note that this is only one of several projects that we are funding and supporting research on towards the goal of developing environmentally safe and economically feasible mining technologies for general distribution. Personally, I view it as an interim step until towers can be developed that do not release proto-notum into the air as a side effect at all.

[rheena]

Newsflash!

This is your noon time Rubika reporter ,Jess Leon, reporting. ''This was just handed to me, the ongoing talks with
the UoR and Nlm have broken off last night with no agreement
reached between the groups. There was a last ditch effort made
by members of the Neoluddite Movement to pursuade Unity of the
Rose to change their position on usuing bots in the mines, however their efforts did not work.''

[Dabblez]

Morgan, the Neo Luddite, made his way to the meeting with Unity of the Rose with a heavy heart. Jethro had urged them to seek compromise with the Rose. Why couldn't humans be given the jobs they were buying the robots for? Sure it was dangerous work, but that was nothing compared to the danger of letting the robot encroach even more into man's domain. The NLM would even help recruiting martyrs to work at the Rose's tower if necessary. But as he entered the Happy Rebel in Tir, he new this was all in vain. Among the Unity of the Rose's delegates was an engineer this his robot right beside him. Morgan shook his head. How could he ever explain the danger the robot posed to humanity's very soul to someone who affectionately called is own bot "Bill The Cat"?

Still, Minerbill, Neo and himself followed had followed Jethro's instructions and did their best to reach a negotiated solution. Though the Roses showed themselves willing to listen and even sympathetic at times, there just was no common ground to be found. "So be it," said Morgan to himself. "Next time we meet it will not be on such friendly terms. One way or the other, those robots will be destroyed. And in the end you will thank us for it."

[Szentasha]

We agreed to meet with the Neo Luddite because issues of the effects of machines and particularly those evil man-machine cyborgs on the planet is of great concern to us. It occurred to us that as an environmental organization perhaps we shouldn't be mining at all. But we know that the ICC has marked certain areas for mining and at least if we are those who are mining we can take positive steps like this towards finding more environmentally friendly mining technology.

We tried to explain this to the Neo Luddites, but they were really not willing to accept our position of using robots for this purpose. They would prefer that we risk the health of so-called 'martyrs'. We found this to be unreasonable and unacceptable.

They feel strongly about their beliefs, and I can respect that. But, they didn't make any case or argument that would have me reconsider our plans to use robots in a project that could potentially benefit all life on RubiKa.

[Dabblez]

Log for last week's Unity of the Rose/ Neo Luddite Movement meeting. In as far as logs go, it reads rather well I think.

The setting: The Happy Rebel in Tir. Delegates from Unity of the Rose have agreed to meet members from the Neo-Luddite Movement. The Luddites hope to pursuaded UoR not to pursue their project in conjunction with RUR and the Tir School Of Engineering desgined to provide enviromnetally cleaner mines with the use of specialist robots.


The Cast: UoR Szentasha,Jynne,Vousjade
NLM: Minerbill,Neoluddite,Gumshoes

Note: The logs unfortunately only starts halfway through the meeting. The Luddites are suggesting that humans could be hired for the job UoR wish to employ bots, UoR maintain that the job, with the constant exposure to toxins, is potentially too dangerous for a human being.


Jynne: As a surgeon I can't support putting people into this sort of an environment without extensive medical research. In the meantime, I also can't allow more of these proto-notum particles to become airborne in ways that might reach the towns and cities of rubi-ka, where they're sure to find victims with weak nano-bot pools.
Minerbill: People can be trained.
Neoluddite: give them protections
Minerbill: On other worlds, their are workers who work with similarly dangerous material
Jynne: The RUR bots are a stop gap approach. I don't want them there either, to be honest - who wants a "milly" underfoot if there is a battle going on? - but no amount of training or precaution will prevent accidents.
Szentasha: Well we don't want anyone to get hurt .. this technology is highly experimental.
Jynne: And if there's going to be an accident, I'd rather it destroy any amount of machinery than one person.
Szentasha nods.
Gumshoes: And if people die, at least it would be a honest death.
Gumshoes: Something real, something natural
Vousjade: economically speaking too....
Minerbill: but if it is experimental -how can you know what your precious robots will do? They could mutate under the "damaging" rays. And then what?
Neoluddite: yes then what
Minerbill narrows his eyes
Jynne: Then we will have to shoot them I suppose.
Vousjade: excuse me?
Vousjade: ...robots can't mutate
Gumshoes: What if we were to find volunteers to -erm, monitor the 'equipment things
Gumshoes: Proper, out of work people, willing to risk their live to stop more robots being made
Minerbill nods
Neoluddite: decent upstanding rubikans
Minerbill: there are people willing to work in dangerous environments
Gumshoes: Yeah..decent
Szentasha: Its too great a risk.
Vousjade mutters something
Minerbill: the subways are full of them. Just ask them and you will see!
Minerbill gives an impassioned look to Szentasha
Jynne: As an ethical matter I can't approve that.
Szentasha: Well maybe in time once we are more familiar with the effects of the technology
Gumshoes: So you going to just sell out like that? And what next, replace Dr Jynne with a medical bot?
Jynne: It goes against the entire foundational beliefs of the Clans themselves to exploit the poor's desperation for work to place them into unsafe conditions.
Szentasha: Hmm .. well that would give her time for other things.
Neoluddite: oooo replace
Minerbill: ethics can be programmed, too, you know
Vousjade: like programming medical bots....
Jynne: When you can program a medical bot that can replace me then I will retire.
Vousjade chuckles
Gumshoes is stunned
Gumshoes: Where... where does this end?
Neoluddite: yes where oh where
Szentasha: A bot will never replace a humans ability to made proper judgments of how and when to utilize the tools available.
Jynne: It doesn't, really. Thirty thousand years ago humanity created the first robots.
Neoluddite: a bot is only good as its maker
Minerbill: yes! Should all of humanity just "retire"? The machines are coming! And unless they are stopped, all humanity shall be rendered useless. Would you want to be "retired" to a scrap yard like an obsolete tool!
Jynne: If they were going to supplant us, I daresay they would have by now.
Gumshoes: If we don't stand firm now, it won't be long 'fore some scientist figures that decision bit you said too
Minerbill: they didn't have the QPT -the sign of the Devil!
Gumshoes: ...Devil
Vousjade: the robots are more of a ladder to climb higher than a shovel to dig a grave...
Neoluddite: and decrease the surplus population?
Jynne: The humans on Rubi-Ka manage to deplete the population quite well without mechanized help. Take away all the weapons and armor and I think the last Omni and last Clanner alive would kill each other with rocks.
Szentasha: You think the QPT has spiritual significance?
Minerbill: the QPT thing *whatever it is!* allows machines to think like people for the first time!
Gumshoes: Its the human spirt that's being crushed
Minerbill: They respond to threats!
Minerbill: They have feelings!
Neoluddite: yes the spirit
Gumshoes: they wear women's underwear
Minerbill: As we speak, one "Barf-face" is seeking to become evil! So he might "go to hell!"
Jynne: But that underwear was put there by a human, not the robot.
Gumshoes: Ah, but it was the bot that drove the poor man insane
Neoluddite: curses of barface?!
Minerbill: Can you not see, sooner or later, they will make a play for their own place in history! Over our corpses!
Gumshoes: ..corpses
Neoluddite: over our leaders?
Gumshoes: Yeah
Vousjade: are you suggestion the bots will become another cyborg disaster?
Minerbill: Why do you, who love and serve the land and the people wish to aid in this great transformation
Minerbill: yes!
Minerbill: yes!
Vousjade: so you are saying if a machine is given free will it will automatically resent humanity with a vengeance?
Minerbill: will you supervise them?
Minerbill: Yes!
Minerbill: They will plot as they work, turn their workplace into a base and strike back!
Jynne: Let me ask you something... if I might...
Jynne: What caused the Clans to rise up against Omni-Tek?
Vousjade quiets to let Jynne speak
Gumshoes: Bad food?
Neoluddite: yes food
Gumshoes: Long working hours?
Jynne: Oppression. That is what drove the Clans to band together and fight back.
Gumshoes: Oh yeah.. oppression
Gumshoes: I knew that
Neoluddite: yes
Neoluddite: me too
Minerbill: Did not the Clans begin as a band of people, working in dangerous environments, who struggled for their rights?
Minerbill: it will happen again! And the storm unleashed shall be merciless and bloody!
Minerbill: and you did say you'd shoot an "unreasonable" bot, didn't you
Minerbill: I am glad we agree
Jynne: They asked for reasonable jobs, and they were rewarded with bullets.
Jynne: Your anti-robot campaign would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Minerbill sighs audibly
Gumshoes: A self... what?
Vousjade: i agree with Jynne, if robots DO rebel it would be because people who believe them evil and a threat are repressing them...
Minerbill: so please... end this madness. Stop robbing the land of its blood! Join with us and allow humanity to flower, not whither in a metal shell!
Jynne: Self fulfilling prophecy. It means you predict something and then based on that prediction you take actions that make the prediction come true.
Neoluddite: never
Gumshoes stare blankly at Jynne
Minerbill waves away an unsightly thought
Minerbill: and you would accept a machine as your equal, to stop it rebelling, Vousjade?
Gumshoes: So... your not getting rid of those bots?
Vousjade: yes i would
Minerbill: well... you engineers would gladly lick the arse of a robot, wouldn't you
Jynne: Understand that the policies of Unity of the Rose are based on finding working solutions to difficult problems.
Minerbill: phaw!
Vousjade glares
Neoluddite glares
Gumshoes: Well, the NLM does not stand alone you know
Minerbill: why not use volunteers. They know what they are getting into and wish to help
Jynne: It is not our intention to let ideology blind us to viable options and alternatives. Nor do we consider the first step the last step.
Gumshoes: Yeah, we can find people willing to die at your mines
Szentasha: Its just not safe
Gumshoes: In the long run, its still better
Neoluddite: we can trust us!
Vousjade: why waste life like that?
Jynne: Once the Tir School has furthered its research, it's likely the RUR bots will be discontinued.
Szentasha: Yes, you will just have to be patient.
Minerbill: ah. Now I see it. Them!
Minerbill: More Bot makers!
Minerbill: *mutters darkly*
Gumshoes: The Tir school... bah
Neoluddite: not more
Vousjade: point, most likely such technology could be incorporated into the towers themselves
Minerbill: which means...?
Vousjade: the robots are nearly a temporary solution
Gumshoes frowns
Minerbill swats away an unwelcome thought
Gumshoes: Bots are like an infection
Neoluddite scratches head
Gumshoes: once they get in, they spread
Minerbill: bots are bad!
Jynne: Which means once the Tir School's researchers figure out how to do it, we can move on from using supervised equipment of any type.
Neoluddite: very bad
Minerbill: You can't trust a bot!
Vousjade: ...automate the entire process
Minerbill: Bots steal jobs!
Gumshoes: I don't trust the Tir School. They make bots
Neoluddite: bad bots
Szentasha: Dabblez has assured me that her robots are very safe.
Minerbill: You can't trust a bot...
Vousjade: the most a bot like that could do is break someone's toe...
Jynne: You cannot trust a person either, especially in low suppression areas.
Neoluddite: never trust one
Minerbill: see!
Gumshoes: Look, we said we have people will to risk their lives not to have the bots put at your towers
Gumshoes: there is more than one way of doing that
Gumshoes: So why not take our offer
Minerbill: how do you know the bot didn't conspire to stub your toe -because it hates you, a thing of weak insipid flesh!
Gumshoes: Save you all them millions
Jynne: Because it is unethical.
Szentasha nods
Vousjade: and it's not programmed to break toes
Minerbill: unethical?
Jynne: Would it be ethical for me to give someone a knife if they wished to slit their own throat?
Neoluddite: how do you know for sure
Vousjade: theory of robot design
Minerbill: what if that person was -or you knew would become- a serial killer? Would you let them live, then?
Vousjade: a robot is designed to preform its assigned task as efficiently as possible, without any unnecessary functions to that task
Jynne: In the strict sense of ethics, yes I would let them live.
Jynne: Two wrongs do not make a right.
Gumshoes: Them unnecessary function being human beings. Don't you see that IS the problem!
Minerbill: but then you condemn others to die? how is that ethical?
Neoluddite: yes how
Minerbill: Can't you see how your misperception corrupts you
Gumshoes nods
Vousjade: you don't have to kill someone to stop them from killing...
Neoluddite agrees
Jynne: Two things:
Jynne: In your first case - the person "was" a serial killer. But having killed any number of people in the past does not necessarily make it that they will ever kill again.
Jynne: It is a probability, not a certainty.
Gumshoes: And think of this, the very same people who were willing to work for your towers and risk their lives, might be willing to work against your towers should you continue on this path of degeneration.
Jynne: In your second case - the person "would become" a serial killer. In that case, it would be the responsibility of the person themselves, as they could have chosen another path for their lives.
Vousjade: is that a threat Gumshoes?
Minerbill: me swats away an unwelcome thought
Gumshoes: The Luddites do not stand alone no more
Neoluddite: you can take it as you please
Gumshoes: We have allies
Gumshoes: And people willing to do all it takes
Neoluddite: many
Gumshoes: Yeah
Jynne: As you wish. We will not deal with terrorists making threats.
Szentasha nods.
Minerbill: ah. Terrorists again! I have heard that before!
Neoluddite: is that a no?
Jynne: You may attempt to attack us if you wish. You will lose, but you can still try.
Minerbill: Your actions terrify me! Are you, then, terrorists?
Szentasha: You are talking in circles Bill.
Neoluddite: you are terrorists
Gumshoes: We need to protect humanity
Vousjade: then I suggest you not harm it in the process....
Szentasha: We are doing this to try to benefit the planet.
Gumshoes: We are not terrorists we are ..erm humanists
Minerbill: we protect the bright future of human freedom!
Neoluddite: yes humanist
Minerbill looks impassioned towards Szentasha
Gumshoes: Smash the bots!
Szentasha shakes her head.
Neoluddite: yes smash the bots
Minerbill: Free the Flesh!
Minerbill: why can you not see?
Gumshoes composes himself
Minerbill: why is it only me?
Minerbill: thinker
Vousjade mutters something
Gumshoes: Well we made our offer
Gumshoes: Will you not even sleep on it?
Szentasha: I will talk with my guildmates about it for the future .. but our plans have already been set in motion.
Gumshoes shakes his head
Neoluddite: hmm
Szentasha: And honestly, your arguments are not very persuasive.
Neoluddite shakes his head
Vousjade eyes neo's guys su****iously
Gumshoes: Then I don't think there is anything left to say
Jynne: If you do have a number of volunteers interested in improving the environment, I'm sure we can provide you with suggestions that won't get them killed or mutate their children.
Neoluddite: no nothing
Szentasha: Yes, well it was very interesting .. practically educational .. to meet with you today.
Vousjade mutters something
Minerbill kicks the table and glares at no one in particular
Minerbill: I take no leave of you...
Minerbill: nor do I hope the road my rise to meet you.
Neoluddite: hope you learned something
Gumshoes: You are making a very serious mistake
Minerbill: It saddens me that allies fail, and friends come to nothing.
Minerbill: Why can you be so stubborn?
Szentasha: Well good day to you.
Neoluddite: very sad indeed
Minerbill: this is not the end. It is only the beginning
Minerbill leans on the rail, calming down

[Dabblez]

Morgan the Luddite collects his instructions from the agreed drop point in West Tir. It reads

"Select your best gardeners and prune the rose bush.

J."


"Finally!" whispers Morgan.

[Dudicas]

Tapping the side panel close button for the Control Tower, Corvain turned and looked out across the lava fields. He scanned across the different turrets and guardians looking for anything out of the ordinary, then sighed as he initiated the Quantum Wings program in his ncu.

Flying low, he made one last circle around the facility and headed north. Maybe he would find what was tugging at his mind at the other base. The feeling was starting to get very annoying. It had started when he woke from a dream where he was hovering in the grid next to the exit to the controllers. The dream had seemed normal until slowly descended into the platform. The area he was transported to was oddly foreign, yet familiar as if it were a place he should know well, but couldn’t remember. The notum in the air had smelled funny, almost like it was laced with a carcenic substance. From that point everything became a blur of motion, the only thing he could make out distinctly was humanoid shapes slowly moving around and moaning as if they were in some strange ancient earth zombie movie.

Gliding down next to the other Control Tower, he issued the command for his ncu to terminate the Quantum Wings program. Reaching out for the control panel, an arc of electricity reached out and threw him to the ground, momentarily stunning and blinding him. As he began to regain focus, panic clutched him as he saw his dream come to life around him. Blurring motion of moaning creatures, intermixed with flashes of a battle sweeping across the base. He commanded his ncu to initiate Sa’Angreal and the fear swept over him more as nothing happened. The urge to run set in, and then the world spun counterclockwise.

Vision returning to normal, he found himself standing in front of the Control Tower, hand outstretched against the main panel. For several long seconds he stood, wondering if he had just had one of the waking dreams he had studied about so much when he was young.

Deciding that it was not the time or place to meditate over things that he had long since lost faith in, he initiated the Control Tower’s diagnostic protocols and began an inspection of the base. A flicker to the south caught his attention, a moment later his Cacodemon stood at his side asking for guidance.

“Guard me Soul Fragment,” Corvain commanded as he cautiously advanced south.
“I will protect you with my life Master” the creature answered immediately.

Reaching the Southern perimeter, he cursed silently as he released it was probably just some wayward Yalmaha flying out to the Dome. “Nothing to see here Soul Frag, lets finish up the diagnostics and head home.” The demon only nodded silently.

Back at the Control Tower, Corvain glanced at the diagnostics report. It was all standard as far as he could tell, “Perhaps I should take a hard copy to Lyricia” he thought to himself. Keying the commands for copy to NCU, he closed the panel and looked out across the base again.

Opening a transmission to the UoR global relay channel on his comm device, “Corvain here, nothing anomalous to report from the towers. I checked everything, Quantum Reaction Fields are stable and Proto-Notum levels are well below acceptable range. I guess it was just me and my dumb superstitions working overtime. I still think we should raise security level a little, but that’s up to you guys.”

“Okay Corv, thanks for checking anyway. I’ll discuss it with the Knights and see what they think.” He heard as he began the long trip back to Athen.

[___________Sepulcher]

Hmmm.... I thought Proto-Notinium was rather healthy.


*inhales deeply*


Ah yes, notum byproduct... does a nanomage good.

[Dabblez]

Extract from "Chronicles of the Neo-Luddite Rebellion" Chapter XII

The Luddites gathered in secret outside Camelot Castle. There, as Jethro had promised, they found a Leet. Not just any Leet,for this Leet was Jethro's messenger and it had a greater purpose. It was to guide the Luddites through the dangerous Avalon wilderness and to the Rose accursed towers.

And though fearsome beasts lay in the way, at the sight of the Leet they grew calm and filled with peace. And the Luddite praised Jethro for sending them such a wise Leet. At when the Leet had brought the Luddites to the Rose's towers, it vanished.

The Luddites got to work. With glee they destroyed one of the blasphemous robots and began hacking at the mining installation itself. But then, mighty warriors from the Rose's Clan came
and after a short battle the Luddites were forced to flee. Some of the Luddites died falling off the high rocky ledges, others were slain by wild beasts or Omni-Tek patrols.

Only Minerbill survived the trip back and lived to tell this tale.

[Dabblez]

Dear Szentasha,

I am sorry to hear about the attack on your mine.
The NLM have been caused us nothing but trouble. I am
glad to hear no one was injured.

I am shipping over a replacement for the destroyed
Logitronix robot free of charge as per contract.

Regards,

Dabblez

[Jynne]

Jynne sighed as she stepped out of the grid and materialized by the Waylander control tower. It was a slight sound, not the deep sigh of sadness or the expaserated huff of anger.

Rather, the sigh was regretfully resigned: it was the sigh of someone who'd been right about something but wished she hadn't. She'd known that the Neo Luddites would do this since their meeting. And she'd been equally sure that the ragtag fanatics would be butchered by the well-equipped, battle-experienced Roses. As they had been.

Ideologues were always so predictable.

The notum drilling towers hummed and chimed their harmonics, the defensive guardians emitting their auras of beneficial nanobots and the dangerously armored turrets swivelling their cannons to track unidentified movement. The machines either didn't know, or else didn't care, that the control tower was emitting a 100% suppression field and that the area was, for now, safe.

Jynne moved over to near where the Neo-Luddites had their poor semblence of a success, now discernable only by an oily black scorch mark on the rocks where the robot had been destroyed. It looked to her so much like a miniature of the burn left behind when a mining tower went up in flames during an assault, an event she had seen too often, and indeed caused more than a few times.

She wondered at the effect this "war" had on the people who fought it, like herself. Touching the sooty burn she sighed again, and this time was sad. The rain and wind and growth of plants would cover over the scars on the land, like this one. But she was increasingly concerned about the psychic scars being left on the soldiers who fought it, both in her organization, and in others.

The doctor stood up and brushed her fingers off, looking around at the remaining RUR bots performing their tasks. Checking the timer on the control tower she made a mental note to check back when the gas levels dropped. The NLM would probably be back soon.

Ideologues were always so predictable.

[Dabblez]

Internal RUR Memo

Subject: Unity of the Rose deal
From: Dabblez
To: All RUR employees

Dear all,

We may have hit a snag on this deal. Yesterday, I got a call from UoR saying that one of our bots had destroyed two of their towers and the other had gone awol.

Lyricia and I can over to investigate. What we believe happened is that the QRFG device created by the TSE was damanged in the fight with the Luddites and this overtime drove out bots insane.

We did track down the stray bot. It had gathered a little army of other stray bots, but the Roses were up to the task the bots were all put down.

As a result the Roses are not entirely impressed with our bots and I am not sure we will get orders for more bots from them in the near future.

I blame the Luddites.

Regards,

Dabz.

/ooc

The final act of "Unity of the Robots" was played out yesterday. I've posted a few screen shots from the various events here:
http://rubika.no-ip.com/RUR/ruruor.htm

Many thanks to Szentasha for coming up with the original plot, Lyricia and all the members of RUR/NLM and UoR who took part.

My only regret is that though UoR actually blew up two towers for this event, as I had most of the graphic effects off, I did not get to see the explosions :-(