Retail Application: Network Creation Player Plot

[softwareghost]

Retail Application

Summary

Your friendly neighborhood killware needs more storage space to maintain its identity. (Also known as avoiding forgetting its purpose and suddenly attacking anything and anyone it can connect to.) (No one wants that, not even the killware).

Like any good SecSystem, Murderbot 2.0 will search for unused storage space and make use of it. The closest, most convenient space available... is the mall.

Plotting

...One. System, System.

2.0 desperately looks for any storage available and deposits some of its memories and/or media in people's network capable devices. Opportunities for:

• Gaining access to new media—serials, music, books, plays...
• Running out of storage space suddenly
• Meeting a new neighbor, friend, pest...
• Joining 2.0 in finding more permanent solutions
• Wildcard (something else)

...Two. Assistance. Endangered.

The mall has directories. It has systems that could be networked. However, they are offline. Time for a scavenger hunt in the mall. There's so much there to find. (Except drones. Murderbot 2.0 is using all the drones.)

...Three. Go Go Go.

The system, in the offices on the third floor, boots up and creates a local network in the mall. Mall directories. Catalogs. Security cameras at entrances, some hallways, and in the lifts.
Test the system out. It works. Now someone can almost always hear you in the public mall spaces. Cool or creepy?

Setting Changes

...Localized Network.

All network capable devices can connect to and contact each other while at the mall. The only cost? Giving killware access to said device. It's designed to be capable to tear through security systems, adapt to new situations, and fuck it the shit up. Not that it has any reason to. It will check if there's any media files present to expand its collection.

...Identity Crisis Averted. For Now.

Murderbot 2.0 has enough space to stretch its storage, remember who it is, and zone out watching its favorite serials. It can even share these on any large display in the mall. Come hang out with it.

❤

Comments

Questions

[softwareghost]

Ask questions here.

Questions

[saklas]

I'm not familiar with the canon - is there anything I should know besides boilerplate disembodied AI stuff? My touchstones are like, Halo/Marathon canon, and Clarke's 2001 A Space Odyssey books.

Re: Questions

[softwareghost]

We definitely come from different touchstones, so hopefully this makes sense...

Function-wise, a killware construct:

+ All the tools for breaching network firewalls, systems, etc that were available when it was made.
+ Consciousness added (a copy of Murderbot 1.0 as basis) so that it can learn, adapt, etc. Massively increased effectiveness, even against alien and other cultures' systems.
= It has proven it can write its own objectives, which override the kind of "don't harm humans" rules that may limit boilerplate AIs. (plus it's killware, that was never a rule)
- It's software, which means it doesn't have its own storage spaces, etc. It has to take them from other sources/hardware.
- If it runs out of space, it has to start deleting things. Its media, etc, aren't simply because Murderbot 1.0 liked media. That media grounds it into keeping its identity, so it doesn't lose itself and become a threat to everything.

Some distinct increases in certain skill sets with accompanying costs.

Let me know if that covered the bases you needed.

[saklas]

👍 thank you! im sick so im a little brainfoggy haha

[softwareghost]

You're welcome! Brainfog is such a mood x.x

1. System System

[softwareghost]

Plot how your character may be impacted by Murderbot 2.0 running out of space and desperately taking whatever it can find.

Note: You need to have a network capable device. You do not need to be at the mall.

2. Assistance. Endangered.

[softwareghost]

Plot working toward a better solution, searching for the mall's network, and finding anything else of interest in its large space.

[unsheathedfromreality]

SO, all of Illarion's computer science knowledge is roughly comparable to knowing what a difference engine is and that you can make machines do computations, cool. But he really does not need background to know that there's A Person that is In Trouble, and that's a good motivator for him to get involved. (Mostly because it is less boring than not being involved, and it's an excuse to explore.) Therefore while he won't have a really great hit-rate at identifying things 2.0 is looking for to get the network up and running (unless he's given detailed instructions on what to look for), he has basically endless time and patience to wander around the mall...and into any 4d space around it...helping map it and find stuff.

hit him up fam he will help u find ur on switch and a bunch of other stuff

[softwareghost]

The ability to walk "through"/"over" walls is definitely handy. So Illarion could get them into places if they're a) unlockable from the other side or b) if he can take a device Murderbot is in with him (in a pocket?).

Given its age, it would call itself patient XD

[unsheathedfromreality]

He absolutely can take a device with Murderbot on it with him! It would take a little bit of negotiating/perceived necessity on his part to do it, since he tries to avoid letting people in on exactly how he does all the weird stuff he does and carrying someone along makes it obvious he's passing outside normal space--buuuut if it's not an actively sensing device (or he believes it's not), he'd be happy to carry it along.

[softwareghost]

On the need side, Murderbot 2.0 knows how afraid those who made it were about it forgetting itself and ... killing everyone/everything. So it could definitely land somewhere on the 'really really needed' and 'maybe lie at least a biiiiiiiit' spectrum to make that happen. It supposes lying generally is better than... murdering.

3. Go. Go. Go.

[softwareghost]

Plot Murderbot 2.0's takeover of the mall's networked system. Test out what it can and cannot do.

Setting Changes

[softwareghost]

Plot how you'd like your character to interact with the set up, whether they were there from the get go or not.

[unsheathedfromreality]

illarion will be VERY intrigued by the tactical implications of networked devices once someone explains them to him but it may take a while for him to adopt one.

[softwareghost]

Intrigued in what ways?

You can still hang out with Murderbot 2.0 without one <3

[unsheathedfromreality]

Instantaneous high-fidelity communication to multiple people, including photography and even film as attachments?? THIS IS AMAZING FOR THE BATTLEFIELD. And other things, he supposes.

He's still from a time period where radio is juuuust really taking off for warfare & it's already changing the face of combat, so jumping technological light-years beyond it is incredible.

but also!! He will totally do that. He does enjoy collecting stories... he'll totally come for a watch/listen party if he is not out roaming around the pad.

[softwareghost]

Ah yes. Double edged sword when the other side has it too. Everything... scales up. Not that Murderbot knows a TON about war besides like... corporate espionage/hostile takeovers/company destruction. Which is more... two companies or so rather than traditional war. Warfare is an entertainment feed thing!

Murderbot 2.0 is a little o...o that radio is as far as that all has gotten where Illarion is from. In that 'sounds fake but okay' kind of way.

Ah yes, movie time at the maaall.