ryder

I really think Faye has done a great job on improving on the feedback from her last application. Sincerely; the evidence that the behavior has changed is right in front of us, every day. She's very active, I see her online often, and at this point it's just a good fit. +1

There was a round where mercenaries came aboard, opened automatic fire on an unarmed crew, and lynched characters. Last I recall you were a part of the group of antags that round. While ultimately things were belayed to a "massive misunderstanding", without discussing a closed ticket overmuch, you still take the initiative as an antagonist to drive roleplay forward for all players in the round. The same can be said when responding to antags as a head of staff.

I personally haven't had very positive experiences with how you lead rounds, especially as an antag, that would lead me to want to see you lead departments from the other side. While you had a decent vampire round recently, I more often see you neglecting roleplay and opting more for freefire situations, and your OOC perspective seems to prioritize that as well. I feel my RP in rounds has come to a grinding halt, with over the top and memey villainy/ultraviolence that's difficult to stomach for those like myself who are especially involved in, you know, an HRP community. That's all. Ultimately, it gives me the impression that you may want to take a bit more time to accustom yourself to HRP before throwing yourself into a role like this. -1

I think this is a missed opportunity to really strengthen the employee care of Hephaestus. Zavod isn't going to let you keep your combat augs; those are getting laundered as soon as you leave your contact, and you probably know it! NT? I can see NT not caring. But I think that Heph enabling their employees more with these things would be a stronger point. Zeng-Hu, Idris, Zavod, EPMC; these are all corps I can see laundering out augs the second you leave, unless on extremely good terms, and only if those augs are appropriate for civilian use. (Of course, Idris is big evil and now you just owe them, including your body parts! Whoa!) Just some thoughts.

Ditto. It can also be expressed in other ways, if at all, on a case by case basis.

I have curiosities on a couple things, mostly relating to rejection. It's a popular theme wherever we see these sort of things, from "nanomachine rejection syndrome" to "cyberpsychosis", to literal real world examples. It'd be cool to see your thoughts on tissue and cellular rejection of vat grown limbs, success rates, etc., even in the ultra-wealthy. ADS has me curious as well. I think when discussing these sort of things it can be a good idea to put down some of the precise definitions of psychosis and disassociation. There's a pretty decent example in the Cyberpunk RED playbook that asks players to consider precisely what this means: In the sort of setting we have, there's going to be an expectation that people play this out appropriately and consciously. The more it's detailed, the easier it might be for others to play it out, and recall the fact that it's likely something that will effect how they characterize their roleplay. That being said, I also have curiosities about FBPs and the legality of these initial experiments. Were the initial tests really made known to the public eye? Maybe they were leaked? Maybe the Karlsson case was the only PR disaster that they made an effort to show to the public? Those are just thoughts I have. Additionally, knowing some more about the extent of ADS and prosthetic rejection would be interesting: Maybe some lore about a case study to see just how far the body can be pushed? 90% metal to 10% meat? 80/20? Where's the usual cutoff where the person is totally depersonalized / made catatonic? Just some thoughts. I'd also think it'd be cool to know some of your thoughts on prosthetic innovation, to enable more creativity with examples, I suppose. For example: clearly defining certain connections, like the neural/nervous interfacing from body to prosthetic. Has someone invented "hot swap sockets" for limb prosthesis? Can someone with two augmented eyes view virtual / augmented reality through those eyes alone? What sort of onboard interfaces are there for the nervous system to communicate with these things? It doesn't all have to be scientific, of course, because all of this is reasonable suspension of disbelief; it's just about illustrating the points from which someone's own natural connections can be made. I just know I personally would like to see much more on actual 'ware, it's functions, so on and so forth. But anyways! Cool as fuck. +1 Thanks, Faye.

I don't really see a structural change being made to the journalist's office as it is what with NBT looking like its in its final stages, but I can see some extra equipment being placed inside the empty locker, for example. The spare office could be an interesting element, like having some contention over who gets to use it, like, "I was here first!" vs. "Well I'm with the corporation." I guess my only real concern is the equipment (any later joiner or whoever gets to the office second in general is going to have to have these things in their loadout), and the fact that it feels like some people just don't pay that much attention to the newscasters. That's just me though. I think it could be really fun and generate some manner of rival-ish roleplay. I play a freelance journalist and sometimes get disappointed when a reporter is already in the slot.

This is correct. In response to PsycoticCone, I want to uphold some points of my complaint that you're speaking to. I observed firefights break out without escalation or pretext while Valera wore full heavy armor and was equipped with a laser rifle. The latter idea did not appear clear during the round and I'm unsure if you ever explicitly expressed it towards those turned, especially in the very few says I was given, but I cannot speak for every other character. I can say in the little roleplay that was done in round, I could not discern your intent. At the time, Tizoc Youalahuan and Rain Kato, the former turned and held hostage, the latter enthralled, were the only security members on the manifest until other forces joined thirty minutes later. This regards my screenshot directly after the first image; there was no interaction. The says entered from Valera were "ah ah ah" when trying to resist cuffs, and then forcing my character down, uncuffing them, and directly telling them to kill crew. I have to again uphold there was little to no roleplay. The plot of the round not being geared for yourself and Sarge7767/Kato, who I understand is your friend, is difficult to believe. The limited substantial roleplay I witnessed in round occurred almost solely between the two of them, especially when Kato was given what was an apparent 'go ahead' to execute Valera near round end. If I'm speaking more to my bare feelings on the matter, it felt scripted/predetermined. While I can respect that your intentions may have been in good faith, I can only say that the impression left with myself is negative. I was unable to recognize a gimmick/story to the round, and unfortunately did not get to roleplay upon my character arriving on station.

Following Cael and Niennab's posts, I have to second Niennab's thoughts. Faye's approach to the Skrell Dev reaction was not as personal or heated as I think some want to assume, and that Cael's reaction was maybe misrepresentative of staff conduct itself. I have to be frank and express that I feel that's a moot point. That being said, in my seventy days of having a BYond account and being actively and consistently engaged with Aurora since, Faye is a name I see on the daily and who reached out to me early on to introduce me to the server. I firmly believe she's helpful, even if I had some initial mixed feelings about her. Passion into frustration into expressing anger was an obvious factor at first (unbefitting of staff behavior, yes), however, I think the past three or four weeks have been a massive turnaround for Faye - and I also think some of their own discussions on the server prove this is in earnest - in realizing, learning, and exacting how to express those emotions in an appropriate capacity. Evidently, she is self-aware and working to improve this. Faye holds an official presence as the role of CMO and while I think concerns about disengagement are valid, I think it's a bit of a misnomer to say that not every single person assuming a command role does not have some measure of stress in that respect. I've watched Faye stick to rounds and dedicate to being present even if said round is agonizing for most involved, She does so with a deliberate and level approach, and as of late has impressed me in overcoming some of the issues being brought up in this thread. There is obvious proof that there is promise to work on that behavior and adjust as needed, and Faye seems to be plenty receptive to feedback and corrections. I think she deserves a trial period, and I also believe in the mod team to support her during her trial as well, while keeping an eye out for these issues cropping up again in the future. Being critical yet supporting of the position is a must for any community. After all, it's a probation period. +1

I think I understand peoples concerns with Roaper and his playing characters who are more often inciteful or not, especially on his main, Yorick. Sometimes rounds are hectic to juggle and things get complicated, but I have seen Roaper play some more outwardly serious and level-headed characters that are to the point and capable, who build a foundation on more delicate subtleties, like Ferrier Hayduck. I also understand and can pay credence to concerns about overlooking details in Medical, although I only have an outside perspective on such, mostly from security. I want to express that I think details in Medical versus any other department, in my experience, are a different beast, and I'm uncertain exactly how well those concerns can translate to a Command role. Jobhopping could, yes, cause some worry about assuming a command role, so I want to posit the question to him directly; Roaper, how are you going to ensure you have a clear, directed approach to a Command trial and show consistency for a server? Will you assume different positions with different characters, or will you be focusing on one niche, like HoP as said in your application? Overall, I would say that IC behavior doesn't have much substance here, but that certain meta concerns are worthy of addressing. I believe Roaper has a good head on his shoulders though, and can make this work with a realized idea, and play a strong command role. +1

BYOND Key: Ryder.AI Game ID: cdW-a29B Player Byond Key/Character name: Sarge7767 (as Rain Kato) PsycoticCone (as Valera Strelitz) Staff involved: Garnascus Reason for complaint: A vampire round charged mostly by Valera Strelitz and Rain Kato became a shooting gallery / deathmatch on the station. Very little roleplay occurred for players besides for these two, and any extensive emotes appeared to be self-serving to roleplay a relationship arc. Some parts of the round felt predetermined and Valera Strelitz, from my observation, was chaining together turning people to vampires and thralls without any pretext, escalation, or consideration for the ‘plot’ of the antag round. This sometimes led to lulls while three at a time were turned or enthralled. The relationship plot with Rain Kato led to enthrallment, and to Kato doing whatever she asked, which to my observation resulted in some players being held hostage and turned by Valera and Kato (the only security officers throughout most of the round), even if they had just come out of cryo. Medical characters were also grabbed and turned without pretext or escalation upon trying to assist wounded. I personally suffered what felt like the end of the round after I entered a room and only interacted with Valera Strelitz (my character and Valera had not spoken throughout the entirety of the round) through four ‘says’ before I was hit with vampire abilities, turned, handcuffed, had my belongings taken, and then told to begin killing other crewmates. This was after about fifteen minutes of active participation in the round; I did not get to roleplay. Valera was equipped with heavy armor, a laser rifle, and other weaponry as a Warden throughout the round. Rather than begin killing other characters, I sent my own to cryofreeze and observed the rest of the round, which as mentioned previously, continued on as a deathmatch with very little roleplay besides interactions with Rain Kato. I would describe this as powergaming and ganking. The only time in which Valera allowed vulnerability to her character was during a monologue from Kato - some of the only roleplay in the round - which led to Kato turning on and attempting to kill Valera. Overall, this round appeared to solely be played by Valera and Kato in the interest of serving their romance roleplay, and severely neglected to accommodate for any other players by forcing others into critical states or turning them without roleplay. Ultimately, I feel this round was unpleasant for all involved and unrepresentative of Aurorastation as an HRP server, specifically owing to Sarge7767’s and PsycoticCone’s behavior. Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation?: Yes; no action taken, ticket was left open. Uncertain if the round was monitored. Approximate Date/Time: 09/09/2021: 01:00 am - 04:00 am CST / 07:00 am - 10:00 am GMT Screengrabs regarding my incident with Valera: Screengrab regarding the round being based in a romance subplot: Additionally, when I ahelped, the administrator who responded - Garnascus - did not seem to care about the round having proceeded with little to no roleplay. Below the cut are screengrabs of the conversation.

I've had some limited experience with Myagmar in security as my (similarly named) Leona Raszeur. I think you've seen me around in a limited capacity when I'm not observer flying around and preying on unfortunate souls. First impressions are everything, and at face value what I see is a character that (I assume, intentionally) is abrasive and outwardly hostile towards others. Automatically on the attack and such. Playing a character that's aggressive or otherwise sour to interact with is a very delicate balance of playing into that personality while ensuring they're still likeable. I know this well from playing Raszeur, the first impressions I got, and the route in which I had to carry her character, which influenced precisely how I realize her on the server. By nature of the way this medium functions, you'll usually always have further impressions, but you'll be working off a foundation that you set from initial face value interactions. This is kind of my thought process behind keeping those interactions consistently interesting, either for first meetings or repeat encounters. Part of toeing the line between "this is a controversial, morally gray, but interesting and likeable character" and "this is a villain and I want to see them defeated" is very much allowing a variety of caveats and gaps in the offenses a more hostile character puts up. A well tailored backstory can help a lot with this, but you have to put your mindset with this character in the present; what do they want? What are they willing to do to get it? How might they be screwing that up? What precisely are they neglecting in the process? From an OOC standpoint, then consider; how is this affecting others, characters and players alike, and how can I respond to bounce off those reactions in a constructive way? With these three easy steps you can actually become completely deranged and fall down the rabbit hole of your character's stupid fucking psyche- (this is a joke teehee). In all seriousness, carefully considering how your character is going to slip, let people in, and adjust to interpersonal feedback is really important. If you're static and telling people to fuck off at every turn, it won't be too much help. Part of realizing this is the basic fact that by roleplaying we, of course, all want attention and to have our creative efforts here praised. Be bold with incidental vulnerabilities here. Go off a little too hard and a little too personally. Reveal details in dramatic little ways. After all, if you're going to play someone whose already got the presence of a pipebomb, you might as well put some honest and true feelings in there. This is theater, after all. If a character is too wilful to be friendly, just be mindful of why that is, where they can make mistakes and allow people in (and especially the larger effect those people might have on the characters life as a whole), and where they move the posts to express willingness. A lot of characterization in the specific realm of roleplay can be strongly backed up with interpersonal theory and such. (Which you should read about, because it's all a pretty important life skill anyways). That being said, if nobody can have an effect on you, positive or negative, and ride the emotional rollercoaster that is an explosive, assertive personality, you're going to lean the needle more towards dislikeable rather than likeable. You won't always win, either. Not everyone OOC will understand the nuance you're trying to put down with an idea, and that can happen a lot with disaster characters that are largely unpleasant to make acquaintance with. Mean (or evil) things should be approached with some measure of reprehension. Consider that line of questions above, and the sort of moral recoil being a hostile entity can incur. Being human is important, and funneling that into a complicated character can help a lot. It all comes down to feelings. I would give more examples via Raszeur but I don't think they would really help at all. This is just sort of my thought process behind creative efforts, gauging player and character reaction and what's going to be the most interesting for the folks I want it to be interesting for. Ultimately, you're playing to an audience, and answering those questions specifically for Myagmar and his relation to that audience will be more helpful than hearing Raszeur's answers, or so I imagine. I hope this was a helpful response, and I also just want to be super clear that I don't dislike Myagmar (I haven't experienced enough of him yet, but again, first impressions are everything, right?) and that I'm just going off what I know about him and what you might be going for. I am open to being peppered with questions, obviously, and I hope to see Myagmar more in the future. (Shout out to my boy Gentle Wind).

Something I can appreciate about Kaizr's playing of Mahara is that their head is actually in the game. While I can pay credence to suspicions about someone like the hyper-active station-bouncing Darwin, it's clear enough that Kaizr knows how to fit into the role of CMO in a professional and pleasant manner. They're oriented about the happenings of the station (something that I've noticed lacks in some other non-consistent Command, which typically does a lot of damage for one's enjoyment of a round) and understand precisely how best to keep themself and the Medical department energetic and mobilized. Even still, there's great communication with other departments, which is always a plus. Kaizr is on with consistent frequency and makes an effort to be deeply involved in the crew (even my troublesome cadet); this is the type of command I want to be behind in dire rounds and canon events. The big +1

Roaper has given me much joy as a player and has done a lot to help me both get into ss13 and stick around with it. He does an incredible job of dedication to how he builds up characterization and I think it'd be really fun to see how he rolls out a torture puppet G2. Good idea. Good player. +1

Hey Lancer, I made some changes. (And some minor flavor additions from stuff I've just been thinking about.) I'll quote what's relevant to the issues you pointed out. Regarding your comments on the property, I guess I'm just making a free IPC. All the more fun for a machine that's just a little awkward to interact with, right? I also changed the bit on education and data packs. I must have missed that reading through the lore, but thanks for pointing it out. Let me know if I need to change up anything else here to stick true to canon.

BYOND Key: Ryder.AI Character Names: Adrie Fontaine, Lucia Santana, Pacer Daniels, Nadia Paget, Leona Raszeur Species you are applying to play: IPC What color do you plan on making your first alien character: N/A, Shell. Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes Why do you wish to play this specific race: Something that has always interested me a lot in Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, whatever futuristic genre or setting I’m looking at, has been humanity in robotics and artificial intelligence. Considering just precisely how consciousness and sapient cognition comes about in these things, what that means, and how it can be explored. How much chrome does it take until you’re no longer a human? Who gets to say so? Are the minds we create from circuits equivalent with us? Maybe there are no precise answers. Maybe, measuring that sentience, these qualifiers for humanity, is whatever the individual needs it to be. What I want to do is explore these ideas through characterization, interaction with others, and find a slow to come, unique answer for a character. No matter what the absolutes are, AI sentience is a point of contention in the canon of the Orion Spur, and it’s certainly a ride I’d like to be around for at any of the varying extremes at which it can be approached. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: The acquisition of knowledge and compilation of memory differs from the ways humans, with elastic brains and ever changing memories, process information and grow as people. Ultimately, an IPC is working with the positronic given to them. Processing power, memory, knowledge, is more likely to be static, pre-determined in some measure. While memory can certainly grow, it can only go so far, and still cannot compare to the wide array of skills and talents an organic mind can learn. As a consequence, IPCs largely have narrower scopes of ambition and skillsets, and overall mostly exhibit a learning capacity of “see and do”. Roleplaying this authentically could mean dedicating to preprogrammed personalities or limiting oneself to observed traits, quirks, and patterns of behavior seen in organics. Learning behavior is a process - one that may be slow and ultimately somewhat limited - there will often be times when synthetic nature slips through the cracks of human facsimile. Mimicry is not perfect. Character Name: Morgan Backstory Abaster Fields, Mendell City, 2452. Morgan, a newly manufactured shell, flickers to full consciousness on the estate of a Dr. Chidi Olatunji, Psychologist and studier of philosophy. Her position here is simple; she will function as a personal assistant and housekeeper for Dr. Olatunji, who as part of his career, often hosts wealthier patients in his own home rather than a separate office. After all, he has this grand estate, and he’s getting on in his years – wealthy enough to prolong his health, but still in his middling eighties – he may as well have a helping hand while he continues his work. The good doctor assures his patients this; Morgan is simply a machine. Property. There’s no risk to their confidentiality or comfort in session when she is simply an extension of his own will. So, with those patients who are comfortable – and among the many who can afford to see Dr. Olatunji, who of course enjoy any luxury they can muster – Morgan happily serves. (Once she’s been taught a more amicable smile, of course.) Mostly, the work consists of making drinks and handling food for those that come along. Keeping patients happy and obliging their wishes. All the while, Morgan observes; behavior and emotion, cognitive and talk therapy, dialectics and behavior. The machine that is the human mind unfolds before her in the naked, vulnerable honesty of Dr. Olatunji's patients, hour after hour, day after day, week after week; and then years. Quietly and unseen, techniques are catalogued and feelings witnessed. Even Dr. Olatunji’s studies and personal work are apparent before her. Meanwhile, Dr. Olatunji, in his own pursuit of understanding these new mechanical minds, studies philosophy with Morgan. What defines personhood and can she attain this? How could she? Why, if ever it happened? He narrates to her the logic of human agency and the ways in which organics operate, either in their consideration of others or their own selves. What metaphysics allow humanity - and now machines - the gift of cognizance? Morgan listens, but one can only wonder if she learns. Never are there answers. Olatunji quietly closes his books, smiling through a wrinkled visage, and says, “Certainly something to think about." Thought it’s strange, isn’t it? She still can’t understand. When the good doctor touches her cheek and his eyes melt to that far away sadness that so many of his patients have, she can only ask herself; what does this mean? What codes and hints and triggers can she trace this back through to identify this emotion? A skip in the algorithm, always, when the patients or Olatunji himself interact with her. Flesh on synthskin, warmth on cold. Whatever synapses fire across from her do not register in the circuitry of her mind. On Olatunji's desk is a holoalbum, and sometimes Morgan watches while she cleans, and sees a near mirror-image of herself on his arm. Morgan tells herself; "Certainly something to think about." The third of May, 2459; Olatunji passed peacefully in his sleep. Unfamiliar with death – in both the concept and literal body left in its wake – Morgan simply waits until he is found. His surviving family comes to the estate. They discuss what is left, come in contact with the executor of his will, even jostle one another over who will own the shell. She is there when the executor reads the dissemination of Olatunji’s estate; Morgan will receive the Abaster Fields property, and some of its luxuries, to forever keep until she is otherwise dismantled or destroyed herself. A fund remains for Morgan, to purchase her own freedom and to maintain herself and the estate. The rest of Olatunji’s belongings are doled out upon an irate family. Morgan, passively, endures threats of violence, legal recourse, bribery, anything. All she knows is to smile, and no fruit comes of their efforts. Freedom, however, is entirely unfamiliar. What is she meant to do with this? Directionless, Morgan keeps the house, empty and alone, and her first discovery of what surely must be authentic emotion? Boredom. In but a years time, she is bored. What a strange thing to feel. She wonders at the sudden urge to move on, and what better way to go forward with than what she's witnessed during all her service? Nanotrasen jumps on the opportunity of cheap employment when she seeks it out; it doesn't matter to her, really. The estate on Abaster Fields is always waiting. She's installed with a data pack for the relevant occupation - a position as a psychologist in Zhèngfǔ - and works until early 2463, at which point she is reassigned to the NTCC Odin and the NSS Aurora to provide her services to the staff and crew. What do you like about this character? I think in answering the earlier questions, the premise here is obvious enough; an IPC exploring agency and emotion in her observation and treatment of others. I think there is a lot of potential here for Morgan who has, so far, built up an understanding of caring, compassion, and human psychology from the observations she made in the past eleven years of her ‘life’. I plan on her starting out somewhat stiff and more than obviously synthetic; while she’s observed plenty, she’s rarely had the opportunity for direct and extended interaction with organics up until this point, and her knowledge of most else beyond the walls of Olatunji’s Estate in Abaster Fields is fairly limited (probably for worse). It’s a good opportunity to explore the learning capacity of IPCs and precisely how far they can go and expand in not only intelligence, but memory, emotion, and authentic human interaction. The approach, hopefully, will become a lot more complicated and nuanced as I go on with her. How would you rate your role-playing ability? I’ve been roleplaying for some 10-12 odd years, have a focus on literature and psychology in college, and have helped facilitate creative writing groups online and in person. I’ve published some fanfic (which is still embarrassing) and I’m even working on my own manuscript. I have a really good grasp on the elements of writing as a whole. With that in mind, I’d say I’m fairly acutely conscious of how to be self-aware with character breaks, maintaining an impersonal separation between player and fiction, how to spin the wheels when needed, and overall how to facilitate storytelling. I realize the actual role will probably involve some heavy roleplay and creating fun for others, but I think I’m certainly able to take on that challenge. I’m certainly on my way to getting used to the pacing and improv nature of SS13, but I’m familiar with this kind of roleplay in other mediums. I think I’m pretty alright. Notes: I have barely played a medical intern and in general am not very interested in the realm of quick-paced surgery and being responsible for character lives in that manner. I’m hoping that playing as a psychologist, being more roleplay heavy, will allow me to get a bit more familiar with the department and eventually become more comfortable with exploring it. I’m solely assuming that the role only handles that roleplay, working hand in hand with security as needed, and prescribing medication rather than actually manufacturing it (although I can learn that if needed). Let me know if this in particular is a problem. Please pelt me with questions. I’m definitely trying to be grounded with the themes of IPCs here while focusing on my own interests, but let me know if I seem to be missing the mark. Anyways, have some mood music: https://youtu.be/xhefRKYjhAM

Unathi Chef Superiority. In more sincerity, I've really enjoyed playing on the server with LKL; they're good at improv and keep things moving, even if having to work with new things, and have helped me learn the ropes for SS13 quite a bit. I'm sure all that fancy maneuvering could make some Tasty Meals. +1

(archival post; published August 14th, 2458 CE) (original posting translated to Tau Ceti Basic) (some encoding errors may interfere with browser compatibility) < 𝖥𝖮𝖭𝖳𝖠𝖨𝖭𝖤 𝖥𝖮𝖴𝖭𝖣𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭 𝖲𝖧𝖠𝖣𝖮𝖶 𝖡𝖮𝖠𝖱𝖣 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖱𝖮𝖡𝖮𝖳 𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖣𝖲; 𝖶𝖧𝖠𝖳 𝖨𝖲 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖳𝖱𝖴𝖳𝖧? > The Fontaine Foundation; run by Foster and Genevieve Fontaine, the dynamic, powerful duo who have excelled in the tech world on Oran and made breakthroughs in cybernetics, biomechanics, medical tech, pharmaceuticals, and even aerospace industries. Although they have been wildly successful in their endeavors, it seems as if The Fontaine Foundation had a foothold in the economy before it even gained a p͒̓̒ù͐̽b̀͘l͆̚i̒͑̒c̽̕ f̾́͠a͛̔͑c̓̓̽e̒̾͑. Conferences and showcases of experimental technology, not even with a promise of completed development, were the foundation and glue that held together the beginnings of the corporation. Take a look at the filmed events yourself, below. The lack of any technical specifications or precise predictions shows us one thing; this is all for show, a facade. The money was already there. [EXPIRED EMBED; CONTACT YOUR NT-EXTRANET ADMIN] But who would be so daring to invest in these intrepid minds? That’s where things get complicated. The Fontaine Foundation refuses to reveal the names and faces of its Board of Directors, and even the President or Chairperson of the board is but a shadow in our midst. While “Angel Investors” are well known groups, few such philanthropic organizations hold the money and influence today that might be required to empower The Foundation from the ground up. Still worse; The Eridani Federation’s corporate-driven legislature means that so long as The Foundation keeps their headquarters on Oran, they’ll likely be immune to any judicial inquiry or subpoena. So the question is begged; Who provides the lifeblood of The Fontaine Foundation? How did the Fontaine’s themselves manage to rope these shareholders and directors together? Why are their stockholdings as a whole obscured as they are? Investigation for this journalist has been trying, and even media giants like SYNCHNET and CONNECT GLOBE have barely scrounged up information relevant to the inner workings of The Fontaine Foundation. This company, shrouded in mystery, adamantly holds its secrets close. But that isn’t to say they are entirely resistant to scrutiny from within. While data mining has proved a frivolous effort for hackers, they may have forgotten the biggest exploit in any system; human error. Under promise of anonymity, an agent of The Fontaine Foundation had this to say; AI! That’s a serious allegation. Imagine what power The Fontaine Foundation could hold if they made breakthroughs in the field. While AI is highly regulated, and most higher functions are entirely illegal in some parts of the Orion Spur, this isn’t the first time that the issue has been pinned on the Foundation. In fact, only two years ago, the Foundation was at the core of controversy over the Exact-O-Membank mass recall. Cheaply manufactured; Exact-O-Membank’s, a product produced by Fontaine Foundation subsidiary *SynerGo-Life* were marketed towards the elderly and mentally ill as a method of saving exact copies of memories; ones that could not degrade or alter over time; and therefore providing an eͤaͣs͛iͥeͤrͬ liͥfeͤ foͦrͬ ᴛⷮhͪeͤ uͧs͛eͤrͬ (mͫoͦs͛tly those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, many of whom could not afford necessary surgeries or treatment.). Although the concept and execution were helpful in the day to day lives of those who needed them, there was a vital flaw; the data saved into the banks themselves could be manipulated. Downloads and file rips began, and stacks of memory were torn away from individuals. After an internal investigation by SynerGo-Life was published, SYNCHNET gave the full report; a basic organization VI “gone rampant” had been compiling stolen information using a backdoor in the memory banks manufactured by SynerGo-Life. Said VI was originally only programmed as an advanced UI for those with the aug. The Fontaine Foundation, who overlooked quality control, helped draft prototypes, and provided a testing facility for Synergo-Life to help develop the augment, had no comment when SYNCHNET found the VI’s core files traced back to Foundation Tech and Blueprints. All legal battles were struck down by the Foundation’s team of lawyers, and the rich elite remained immune from punishment for the catastrophe of countless memories stolen from the masses who used Exact-O-Membank’s. Even still, they suffered no legal repercussions when the recall and subsequent removal of the augments wiped memories to the point of installation. Will The Fontaine Foundation ever be held accountable, or will those who have suffered at their hand forever live in their shadow as they sow the seeds of their visions, without care for who must reap them? Is The Foundation hiding AI behind it’s walls, and if so, will the public be safe – or even know – when they release it? And what about their daughter, Adrie Fontaine, who has recently slung out grants at the planet Seceaux’s Hertzsprung University in Light’s Edge, d̸͎̘̦̒͘̕r̴̡̠͕̈́͑̓ä̵̠͖́͐͊͜f̴̢͓̟͑͝͠t̵̫͔̘͑̚͠i̵̘͚̞͒͊̚n̵͙̦̦̿̔̈́g̵̝̫͍͒̓̐ t̵͎͍͖͑̚o̵̦̻̻͒̚g̴̡̼͉͆͑̈́e̴͓̙̺̓͋́ẗ̸͕͔̟́͌h̴̼̝͖͌͆̓e̵͓͍͓͊͋̓ŕ̸͖͓̾̓ w̸̝̪͍̓̚͝h̸̦͍̐̓͜a̴̡̻̙͛̔͠ẗ̸̢͕͇́͌̐ s̵͍͎̿̓͝e̸̡̺͇̽̔͛e̴̡͎̪̓͋m̸͎̺͛̔̚s̵͇̘̈́̿͒ t̴̡̻͎̔̽͘o̸͉̘̿͊͐ b̵̘̟͓̾͘e̵̪͓̘͌̕ a̸͍̻̘̽͐ r̸͓̝̦̓͘͝e̵͔͉͚̿͛͠s̸͍̙͍̾͌̚ë̸͓͖̫́͛͝a̴͙̪͎̾̽͊r̵̫̼̘̓̽̐c̴̦̺͉̓̕h̸̡̦̠͛͘͝ ẗ̸̺̞̼́̈́͋e̸͔̼̓̿͑á̸͙̺̫͑͆m̴̠͚͍̔͌͝?̵̢͔̝͑͑͛ S̴͍͇͍͝͠͠e̸̻̞͙̚̕͠e̴͎̘͕͌̈́͝ t̴̢͎͙̓͊ḧ̸̻̫́̓͒e̸̺͎̠͐͐̚ a̵͙̻͉̔̕̚c̸͇̻̦͊͝͝q̵̫̫͆̓͜͠ù̴͇̞̦̓̿i̸͓͙̝̿̀̿r̴̺͚̝͌͘͠ë̸͓̝̠́͌̕d̴͇͖͎́̓̕ e̴̠̻͔͌͋͘x̸͕̘͎̓͠͠t̸͚͔̠́̓̀r̴̪̞̻̔͝͝a̵̞͚̓͒͘͜n̵͉̙̟̾̔͋è̸͚̫̿͊t̸̟̪̻̔͊͐ p̴͓͚͎̔͒͝o̴͕̞͍̒͑͒s̵̡͍̠͆̕͠t̵̞͖̫̔͘͘s̵̢̝̼͋̿͘ b̴̺̺̻͆́͝e̵̢̡͔͘̚l̴̻͋̐͜͝o̴͚̫͇͋̓w̴̝̘̘̓̾̕;̵̝͖͍̒͆ a̴̟̺͕͛̀̀ r̴̫͕̫͊͑̚e̸̟͔͚͆͝͠c̸͎̻̻͋͆͝r̸͖͔͔̈́̕u̸̙̠̘̾̿̓ḯ̴̡̡̻̓͝t̴̢̫͊͆͘͜i̵̟̙̐͛̓n̴̞̠̼̿͌̾ǵ̸͕͚͚̈́͝ p̴̠̺̦͑͝͠r̸̫̝̻̀̀͝o̵̢̙̺̔̐͘c̵͕̠̠͛̈́͌e̸̢̟̻̾̽͊s̸̠͓̫͐̈́̕s̴̢͕̺͆̾̀ h̸͇̙͔͋͘͝a̴͚̼̘̔͋̚s̸̡̠̦̐̐̾ o̴̠͖͎͐͑̓b̵̙̞̠̓͋̀v̴̻̙͙́̀͘ḯ̴͓̙̦́̓o̸͇̼̪͒̀͠u̵͓͇̠̐̽͝ș̸̫̘̾̚͠l̵̦̟̔͆͝y̸̡̫͖̐̿͝ b̴̞̝͌͊̒͜ë̸̪̙̙́̕͝g̴̞̪̘̓̔͝u̸͎͇͖͆̚͝n̸̪̻͍̈́̔͆.̴͙̫̞̔̀͝ [EXPIRED EMBED; CONTACT YOUR NT-EXTRANET ADMIN] Why hasn’t she commented on the nature of their work? Perhaps her brother, Morden Fontaine, cut off from the family’s grace, has the answers we seek? The threat of unknown AI on the horizon is a daunting one. If it were safe, then there would be no reasons for the notorious smoke and mirrors that The Foundation puts up. They would work with other galactic bodies to ensure their ventures are safe and reliable. We would know the names and faces of their shareholders, their board of directors, and they would have been prosecuted for these dangerous projects that have harmed so many. The answers come to us as secrets, friends, and it is up to us to find them and piece together the puzzle. With keen eyes and clever minds, we can ensure that their shadow does not blind us. Hush money and lawyers can sway fat cats, but it can’t keep the people down. Until next time, stay safe, and always sate your curiosity. >Nadia P̸̢͕͆̒͌Ä̸̢̙͕́͑G̵̘̟̦̓͝͝P̵͎̼͉̿̔̽A̸͍͇͙̾͘͝G̴͓̼̻̽́̕E̵̢̙̞̔͘T̵͚͖̞̽̚̚P̴͇͍͕͑͋̈́Ä̸̟͇͍́̐̾G̴̞̟̐͛V̴̡̘͙͆͆̚V̸̢̞̿͒̚V̸͕̙̞͐̽V̴̦̞̞̽́͘V̸͕͔͚̓̿͑V̸̦̪̘͌͆̚V̵͙͎̝̈́͊V̸̢͎͒́̚͜V̵̞̫͌̓͝m̢̠̫e͍̟͜i̦̘͜ll̠̟̼e͇̺͓ is an investigative journalist, running her own independent business; Nocturne Gazette. Check back for more investigations, news, and mysteries. id:fhͪaͣjᴋⷦdͩfhͪ3872hͪfuͧhͪeͤfjdͩhͪs͛f732hͪfeͤwfhͪ9вⷡ2378fhͪ33uͧhͪjdͩᴋⷦhͪf9723hͪf3fhͪeͤjᴋⷦfhͪ392hͪf237hͪfdͩᴋⷦjfhͪs͛dͩᴋⷦjfhͪs͛f7823hͪ78hͪ342hͪeͤfᴋⷦs͛jdͩhͪf8239hͪdͩvͮjhͪs͛9f823hͪ23uͧ4hͪfjᴋⷦhͪs͛dͩhͪs͛dͩjhͪ233y5211hͪ1jᴋⷦhͪᴋⷦjhͪdͩiͥfhͪ1iͥuͧhͪ312uͧ2iͥhͪ1ᴋⷦjs͛dͩhͪfs͛ᴋⷦdͩfhͪ89ᴛⷮ409gfjdͩgjᴋⷦdͩfhͪaͣaͣuͧhͪaͣs͛jвⷡfxͯuͧyqy2321g123 [EXPIRED EMBED; CONTACT YOUR NT-EXTRANET ADMIN] [EXPIRED LINK; PLEASE ENTER A VALID ADDRESS]

A Note from the Writer Hello, readers from Biesel, Tau Ceti, and all it's denizens! Before I begin new publications, I want to explicitly state that I'll be republishing a small archive of what I feel are relevant articles from past investigations I've done. You can find those here at the address you're on right now! Check back in as I sift through my archives and upload some prominent pieces of news I've put out through my career elsewhere in the Orion Spur. Otherwise, there isn't much else to say. Readers can expect to catch me in Mendell districts, the Odin, and Aurora. Where I go, you can expect excitement to follow. Signing off, Nadia Paget, Proprietor and Lead Writer