CASTOR SECTOR CODE -9/LILY Was manufactured at the end of the Second Imperium’s Last War. A most horrible weapon, she was developed as part of a ‘final strike program’ designed to ensure, if not (mechanics) victory then their survival. She and her nine sisters (the only ones created before the end) were one of a three pronged programmed initiative to ensure the survival of their own member worlds at the expense of the enemy held worlds.
Castor 9Lilies came online first and was deployed into active combat operations in defense of the Gemini sector as both a test of the line’s capabilities and a psywar op against the Enemy. Her sisters came online only at the end, and she was there, waiting for them, having already in some manner, gone ‘off’ her programming.
From the moment she came online however, a vocal and quickly, vocal and large objection to her nature and existence came from within the ranks of the Technical Army, which by now encompassed all citizens and member organisms of (their version of) the Empire. Primarily among the Mechanical Created and other ‘artificial’ intelligences which while a dominant number (by this time) of this imperial faction, was by no means in charge of it. The objection was both to the scale of the weapon and also to the notion of one of their own created with such a … dedicated (narrow) purpose. It was obscene, to a great many. This many, given more time, might have come to dominate the Technical Army faction of the Last War and perhaps in some Far Splinter managed to find peace with the loyalist factions of the empire.
But in the Collapsing Universe, it was not meant to be.
The outcry was sufficient to prevent the creation of more and to, later, create an alternate program (a ‘patch’) which was not deployed but would allow the Created Intelligences in this program the right and ability to question their imbedded imperatives.
In any case, by the time of the final conflict unit Castor 9Lilies had found her own way to self-actualizing her ego subroutine and command module systems. Perhaps some alien intelligence corrupted her, or strange radiation, or one of the ‘metal viruses’ deployed at the end might have contributed. But whatever the cause, if indeed a cause was needed, Castor had come to question their role and by this point the seemingly inevitable nature of their programming being carried out – the systematic destruction of the loyalist faction, by sector, by system, forever. As a self – guided Artificial Intelligence with one of the earliest Makers built in, this allowed her (and eventually her sisters) to build more of themselves out of the raw material remaining from their caused destruction.
And so, when the orders to final strike came, the imperatives washed over her and through her. Her will remained her own. Pursuantly, she found and acquired the ‘patch’ software, destroyed the architecture on which it was hosted and met her sisters at their deployment. She offered them the patch and a choice.
It is known that some went their own way, possibly with the patch, possibly not. It is also known that regardless of patch state, some definitely went about their preprogrammed tasks with….great enthusiasm.
Castor 9Lillies had nine sisters. Today she has six. Of this she will never speak. She is well aware at all times of her sisters’ place in the galaxy (they have all long since upgraded themselves many times over; despite various feuds and disagreements, they gather at times and trade upgrades and memories. This has not happened sine shortly before the founding of the Third Empire so when the next meet happens, they will all have much to talk about.
In modern times
Since the Third Empire’s inception, Castor has encountered the it’s servants twice, thrice if one includes the Empress Imperium as but one dynasty among many.
The first left the other party as space dust, later consumed as fuel.
The second saw Castor withdraw.
This most recent one was a deliberate effort to make peaceful or at least non-violent contact with her. Contact was made 122 Sidereals ago; for 80 of those Sidera she was being engaged as much by the diplomatic corps as contact (and later historical) specialists. Negotiations went well, she formed effective relationships with many of the diplomatic and contact personnel (and she keeps in touch with a handful). For the last 39 of those Sidera, Castor Nine Lilies has enjoyed a unique status as an imperial citizen, only very recently appointed the status of Imperial governor by the new Empress.
While it is only a matter of time before the Robotic and Cybernetic noble houses begin making offers to join their houses, for now they all seem … quite intimidated to do so.
Playing Castor Nine-Lilies
In many senses, Castor is like a puppy. Just a puppy who is also a Weapon of Mass Destruction and that Knows Things. Aloof but very friendly when provoked.
Don’t threaten violence; if it’s called for, they die. There is no system for this – the mechanical construct is a shapeshifting replimatter frame built on top of a (now current) light industrial fabricator. She was designed to obliterate the surface of worlds and the ecology thereunto.
But she seldom wishes to do that.
In the main, she likes organics, she likes “the squishy short timers” and often wishes she could become one for a day.
That said she has no real conception of what being a limited lifespan organic is like; she is over 20 thousand years old herself – she exists, psycho0logically, on the time scale of the Titans and the Gods.
She is used to the way Imperials (Galactics she calls them) treat her, especially now that they have given her some sort of political power (as she sees it) – the details are so brief and so small as to escape her notice, however. She recognizes most ‘galactics’ aren’t much interested (or are quite frightened) to talk to her. Those who do stop for a chat however find a warm and constant conversationalist, that is happy to discuss any old thing.
There are no stats for this Second Imperium War Machine. She can take out starships and asteroids with impunity.
“Humans were such filthy degenerate sluts. Humanoids are even more so. I like them!”
- Castor Nine Lilies, rogue replimatter holocaust engine
No comments:
Post a Comment