Terminal

[AdriaanBlackwind]

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CXJ^2 BUREAUCRAT WORK SYSTEM.
Model Chozo-1064

Copyright © 29458, 29464, 29470, 29478, 29483-29488
CXJ^2 Corporation
All rights reserved

Real memory = 8192 TB
Available memory = 32768 TB

Primary Cache : 512GB
Primary Installed Cache : 768GB
Secondary Cache : 32768GB

Login: C.X.J.^2
Code: ******

>Unit -dvl -a

Read… “C. X. J.”
Read… “C. S. V.”
Read… “WARNING”
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CHOZO
SPECIFICATION:
“Head” IS EQUIPPED WITH:
Broad-range Eye Camera
Ultra-sensitive Voice Recognition System
Voice Generation System made by Rubi-Ka Universal Robots

“Chest” IS EQUIPPED WITH:
Accumulative Energy Generator
Micro-fusion Fuel Tank
Central Joint-controlling System

“Arms” ARE EQUIPPED WITH:
Energy Amplifier
Variable Weapon System

“Legs” ARE EQUIPPED WITH:
Gyroscopic Stabilization System
Emergency Acceleration System
Emergency Flight System (Optional)

INTERIOR SKELETON:
Reactive armor skeleton which reduces damage by 93 percent.

BODY SKIN:
Lightweight “Titanniular” alloy.
Composites:
“Titanium-X”
“Perennium 220”
“Kevlar 2303”
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Christopher slowly pulled a hand down his face and groaned quietly. He had been at the console for 216 hours, and hadn’t gotten far in terms of progress. However, finally, at least he had gotten the new bios to accept his login and read his files, but, now there was this warning.
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WARNING:

“C.S.V.” is the first of a new generation of robots which contain an innovative new feature - The ability to think, feel and make their own decisions. It also appears to be spawning its own Artificial Intelligences, who are very near “real” intelligence. This ability could be very dangerous. If “C.S.V.” were to break the first rule of robotics, “A robot must never harm a human being”, the results would be disastrous and we fear that no force on Rubi-Ka could stop it.

So far, we have registered the activity of three (3) intelligences within its systems, thanks to our outer liaison.

The intelligences are categorized as follows:

• Chozo (Chõjin-zoku)
  Rank: Unknown
• Sigma (Sigmatism/Shiguma)
  Rank: Comm. Class
• Vile (VAVA)
  Rank: S-A 17 Class

Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm its reliability. We need to seal it in a capsule, which will test its internal systems until its reliability has been confirmed. We highly recommend that the capsule is not disturbed until that time. “C.S.V.” possesses great risks as well as great possibilities. We can only hope for the best.

Unfortunately, we do not have it in our possession. Therefore we recommend a public search for it, and his creator. His creator, known as Christopher Junior, is a former Omni-Tek employee and we have detailed reports about his past in our records.

October 29th, 29488
T.Bright
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Christopher reclined back in his chair and stared at the terminal. “They knew in October..?” He rested his head into a hand and glanced sideways towards the android shell hooked up to the wall and its idling eye. “They know this much…” He frowned and leaned towards his console.
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Search: T.Bright

Searching…
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The “Searching…” text blinked slowly on the screen. The entity calling itself “Vile” had only made itself known a few weeks ago. It didn’t seem to be as hostile as Sigma, and yet not as friendly as Chozo. It claimed to be the strongest of the three, keeping the other two intelligences from having control of the android shell. It had yet to show any physical strength.
“Physical strength…” Christopher muttered and eyed the shell again. A machine was only as strong as its components, and he had made a strong machine. Chozo was using it at ninety-percent capacity, up to ninety-five if he really had to. Sigma on the other hand, was using the body above its potential, which should have been physically impossible. A hundred-and-thirty-seven percent. The body would start to show strain after a prolonged demonstration of this, of course, but still; how did the artificial intelligence push the gears, wires and circuits to such a powerful degree? These were the questions and thought process of Christopher when the terminal stopped its search.
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Search: T.Bright

Searching…
Search results: 03 Matches...

• Thomas L. Bright
  Solitus, 51 years old, male. Missing.
• Theodore C. Bright
  Solitus, 14 years old, male. Student.
• Matia Bright
  Solitus, 23 years old, female. Café employee.

Command: Open;Thomas L. Bright

Opening file: Thomas L. Bright…
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Lastname: Bright
Firstname: Thomas L.
Race: Solitus
Age: 51
Gender: Male
Status: Missing
Employment: Robot Institute of Technology at Solaria; Solaria III
Background:

• Graduated Omni-Tek Private High School:
  Years: 1: M.C.L.
• Graduated ICC Robotics University:
  Years: 3: Ph.D.
• Graduated Andromeda Robotics & Tech University:
  Years: 3: Ph.D.
• Lead Researcher at Tau Ceti; Aurora
  Years: 14
• Lead Programmer at Tau Ceti; Aurora
  Years: 16

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Christopher stood up while he read the terminal over and over again. This was certainly a person who knew his robotics. He looked over to the android shell again, curious as to how and why this information had gathered within. Was Chozo investigating something? Or any of the other two. Who was Thomas L. Bright, and who was this “outer liaison”?
Christopher tapped the terminal, put on his coat and left his workshop, taking just his briefcase with him.

[AdriaanBlackwind]

The ICC Shuttleport was crowded as usual. All kinds of people coming and going. No nanomages, at least not in the interplanetary section of the shuttleport, which was where Christopher stood, waiting.
One ticket for Solaria III, one way. He didn’t know when he’d have to come back, so this was the best way. His investigation could take weeks, months, and he didn’t want to feel time constrained due to the return ticket.
His comlink was as quiet as ever. Only the comlinks of some organizational bots were active, including Sembly. He stared at her name, could leave a message with her. She was trustworthy, right? Tapping her name, he heard her voice immediately. “Good morning, Chris. How can I help you.” Christopher parted his lips to speak, but closed the connection and started to walk casually from his spot.
A crew of Omni-Pol personnel were walking around, looking people over, armed with rifles and pistols. They were looking for someone, or looking for trouble. Christopher hid next to a fairly large atrox, only sticking his head out a bit so he could pay attention to them.
Neither of them were in the tell-tell recruit-issue uniform. These were all elites. Omni-Pol meant business. They were pulling aside middle-aged men, in suits, with briefcases, and long hair. Christopher stood up straight again, frowning. They were looking for him? How did they know he was there? Did they know that he had found the messages embedded in Chozo? How did they even know about that? They were getting closer.
“Make way. Step aside. You there, turn around. Identification. Clear, carry on. Move.” Closer and closer. The officer in charge was a tall male, rifle at the ready. Would they shoot first if they found him? Or whoever they were looking for?
Ding. “Now boarding.” The automated system chimed. The atrox moved forward, with Christopher nearly hand in hand. The atrox looked down at Christopher and grunted as they bumped. Christopher adjusted his glasses. “Excuse me, so sorry.” The atrox just grunted. Swiping their hands over the authenticator, and would now be safe, for the moment. Christopher sighed quietly in relief as he looked over his shoulder.

“They looking for you?” The atrox muttered and frowned. Christopher looked up at the tall one, then over his shoulder, and any possible nearby exits. He must have looked nervous, as the atrox spoke again. “Don’t worry, Sir, I’m not gonna give you to them.” The atrox chuckled deeply. “Look, they’ll probably halt the upcoming flights if they know you’re here.” Christopher looked up at the atrox again, straightening his tie. “All commercial flights anyway…”
“Yes, that’s likely…” Christopher said quietly and started to think of other options. This was all probably a very bad idea.
The atrox put a mighty hand on Christopher’s shoulder, who didn’t budge, but stopped, nearly clicking the handles of his briefcase, to pull out his hidden pistols, but the atrox leaned in and spoke quietly.
“I’m a pilot, I own a ship. I can fly you out, for a fee.” He held out his wristpad, showing his credentials. Clansman, atrox, private pilot for nine years. “Just tell me the destination, and I’ll get you there.” The atrox grinned.
“Get us in orbit, and I’ll tell you the destination.” Christopher countered and held up a second small pad, showing an old set of credentials, not connecting him to Assembly at all.
“Works for me, Sir. Follow me.” The atrox straightened up again and headed for one of the private gateways. Christopher glanced over his shoulder again, the Omni-Pol officers had found their way on to the other side of the authentication area, and were now searching more desperately.

[AdriaanBlackwind]

The good, old Iridescent Bee. Made back when ships weren’t just a bunch of large letters followed by a production number and the ships’ size designation. The Iridescent Bee was a fat, black beast of a personal shuttle. Looking at it would make any firm believer of the natural laws of gravity and aerodynamics write angry reports and petition for a re-evaluation of science in general. The bulk of the ship was where the ‘Bee’ part of the name came from. The Iridescent came from the material the wings were made of. When light struck the surface, the material would seem to change color. Did it have a purpose? Well, the designers believed that it would make the ship difficult to follow, making whatever pursuer question what angles the ship was really at, and reports showed that sixty-seven percent of the time, people would lose track of the ship.
This was perfect. Christopher grinned as he saw the ship, having always wanted one, or at least try one. Now they were leaving the atmosphere of Rubi-Ka, angling themselves for a high orbit position. There had been no indications of them being followed, which was also great.

“So, where to boss?” The piloting atrox said as their flight was quieting down. They hadn’t spoken on the way up, the noise and comfort of the ride up had been, for the lack of a better word, upsetting.
“Set your heading for Tau Ceti, I’ll give you something more specific once we’re further out.” Christopher replied and unbuckled himself from the co-pilot’s seat. “Mind if I take a look around the ship? The I.B. is a ship I’ve always been curious about.” He stood up and picked up his briefcase, not wanting to part with it.
“It’s great, isn’t it? I inherited it from a friend, who got it from his father.” The atrox said while plotting their course, and the ship shifted slightly and shot back up to speed, burning in prograde to increase their orbit at the apoapsis, in order to leave Rubi-Ka’s gravitational pull. Rubi-Ka would still be on their starboard side for a few hours, but would slowly become smaller and smaller as they went along their burn. The atrox unbuckled himself, and started to tap on a dark screen. “Nothing following us. Most flights from ICC has been set to delayed as well… Seems they really wanted you.” The atrox turned his head slightly to glance at Christopher, who was looking at some of the screens behind them, showing velocity, a nearby starmap, fuel gauges, and other useful things.
“So it would seem. Could we perhaps avoid questions, if the pay was doubled?” He said diplomatically and turned his head to take in the pilot’s reaction, who chuckled and laughed the way only atroxes could.
“Hey, I won’t say no to that, Sir. As long as me and Bee get home safely, which is, yes, entirely up to me.” He grinned and waved a dismissive hand as he inspected some more screens. “Go ahead, look around, I got no secrets.”

Christopher nodded and slowly made his way to the back of the ship, which had a small lounge, dividing up into various crew bunks and a small kitchen. He sat down and opened his briefcase, taking out a small pad and tapped on it. Still nobody awake, just his own extra com-link glowing an online signal. He’d left one behind in order to communicate with Chozo, as he had unplugged him from the grid. “All well, Chozo?”
“Incorrect identification. Current intelligence in control is designated as Vile. All is well.”
Christopher sat completely still for a moment, didn’t even breathe. Vile was a new entity within his bureaucratic assistant’s body, who was still very unfamiliar to Christopher, Chozo, and Assembly. Nobody knew his intentions, programming, or parameters.
“Bring Chozo back in control, Vile.”
“Negative. Operator identified as Sigma is desiring control.”
“Deny him, but bring Chozo back in.”
“Negative. Chozo’s programming is too weak to keep the identity known as Sigma in check.”
As Christopher said “...Alright, well… Let me know if anything changes.”, the connection closed a moment later. He frowned and looked at the indicator for his com-link, which was now offline. “This was a bad, bad idea…”