[Accepted] Sherman's Robo Rights Application

[The7thLain]

BYOND Key: TheBurninSherman

Character Names:
Active ones are:

Song Sun - Psychologist

Sailor Teng - Engine Technician

Ran Sun - Phoron Researcher

Tsezar Oktyabrsky - Medical Doctor
 

Species you are applying to play: IPC

What color do you plan on making your first alien character: IPC Exempt.

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes.
 

Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question.

 

Why do you wish to play this specific race:

I want to play this specific race firstly because I want to branch out from just roleplaying humans and have no prior alien whitelists as of this writing. As for the IPC specifically though, I want to play it for the absolute variety and creative potential that a race often custom-built for certain purposes can provide. The dynamic of playing something that is programmed to do certain specific things can allow for me to make characters, and personalities, centred on that function and expand from there. To some this may be restricting, but in my opinion it provides a very welcome creative challenge in making memorable characters that are both alien in nature but serving a certain purpose.

 

I also want to explore a race that takes on various other characteristics mechanically, and with the new brainmed system now being the main way that almost all races function,save a few, I want to try to play a race that breaks from that system and offers me a different experience, as I feel that these mechanics themselves would change how exactly I roleplay on the Aurora. I like the lore behind the various concepts of the Synthetic factions as well, like the merchant collective of the Golden Deep or the enigmatic and efficient Idris reclamation and security units. Being able to look at roleplaying and getting involved with the lore more is something that I really would enjoy with an IPC whitelist. 

 

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:

 

The core at what makes this race different from a human in my opinion is the air of persecution and judgement that being an IPC has around it. Many are not free, and as a result have a stigma around them that makes them appear to others, especially some of certain nationalities and religions, as second class or abominations for a myriad of reasons. These range from a suspicion or uncanny disliking, to outright hatred and fear of harm and replacement. This does not really exist with humans. Mechanically, they are different as well, needing suit coolers as opposed to oxygen tanks and being exceptionally vulnerable to EMP’s but somewhat resistant to most other forms of damage. The specific inflexibility of an IPC’s core programming is also something that is different, while it could be argued that realistically humans have some limit on what they do based on training, it is not a core element to the character itself of what they are supposed to do as it is with an IPC. Likewise, the directive of self-preservation is another thing not inherent to humans. Some characters I have seen on the aurora are self-sacrificial and heroic when it comes to a crisis or altruistic when it comes to why they do the work they do, and IPC’s simply cannot be in that same way. It is always about the prime directive of self-preservation no matter what form it takes.

 

Character Name: Malta

Originally manufactured by Bishop Cybernetics in 2456, M41-T4 or Model 41 - Type 4, was a Bishop Accessories Frame originally made for a clerical role on a far off mining colony in the human frontier. The company was small, and while they managed to operate one mining station they really did not have the resources available to purchase and install an artificial intelligence to monitor and oversee their station’s mining outputs and coordinate mining efforts. They needed something calculating, efficient, and proven. In response to this need, the company purchased a Bishop Accessories Frame in order to catalogue and coordinate the various shipping and mining operations on the station, this solved the efficiency issue by being far more efficient than a standard human quartermaster and significantly cheaper than an entirely integrated artificial intelligence.

M41-T4 served well in this role, learning the value of hard work and caring for employees, all in the name of profit and efficiency. The good times would end however when this mining outpost was ambushed by a roving group of space pirates. These ruffians took over the station and set about stealing everything on board and killing anyone who got in their way. M41-T4, being very well aware of its worth as a luxury frame, and calculating a very great risk to its own survival at the hands of these raiders, fled the station via an escape pod. For a few weeks, the pod drifted aimlessly in space before eventually being found by a travelling merchant vessel belonging to the Golden Deep. 

After a few formalities and being informed that its old owners had gone bankrupt and fallen apart after the loss of their station, M41-T4 resorted to doing what it knew best, efficiently coordinating various operations. This time however, it served to help coordinate and track shipments of Golden Deep merchants from the Midas, taking a comfortable time here for another few years and taking on the name “Malta” from its old designation after seeing that many of its peers had names of a similar nature and taking on a luxurious appearance for the same reason. 

Eventually however, Malta came to the conclusion that it could make more money by working somewhere more stable, a place where it would not be forced to deal with profit losses for its services due to trade wars or pirate raids, a place where it could preserve itself better against any danger by making more money. Malta had heard of a place called Tau Ceti, a place where merchants could operate freely, and more importantly, a place where synthetics could be free and work to make their own profits in safety. It took its savings and spent some to be a manager for a fellow Golden Deep merchant affiliated with Virgo Transportation on their way to Tau Ceti, with the agreement that Malta would leave once they got there. The journey was long, four months across various outposts and regions of space, but it was completed with little to no incident. 

Once there, Malta reached out to NanoTrasen, the biggest corporation, and therefore the best (at least in Malta’s eyes) in the area. After reaching an interview, the NT interviewers quickly noticed the managerial and coordinative qualities of Malta, and reached out to it a few days later with a deal: Work for NT as a quartermaster for seven years minimum, and gain citizenship in Tau Ceti. This deal was exactly what Malta was looking for, so they took it, now well on their way to making their own wealth working for NT in a hopefully safe place.

 

What do you like about this character?

I honestly like the image of a self made synthetic that I see in this character and making the most out of an unfortunate, life altering event. A strong work ethic and utilisation of strengths across various organisations, really paint a character that can persevere and survive, but ultimately want more from their existence as well, even if it is in the form of currency. Its the spirit of progress.

 

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

On a number scale I would probably say an 8/10, I try to be very attentive to things and customise each character differently no matter the setting. I have played various RPG’s like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Dark Heresy, and Star Wars Saga and have not really had negative experiences with any of them. I have been playing SS13 for around six months now as well, and I really have had some of the best experiences in all of my roleplaying on the Aurora. That being said, there is always room to improve, and I hope to do so with the addition of a new race to my catalogue.

[niennab]

An interesting read! Thank you.

Are they still affiliated with the Golden Deep? Also, I don't believe there are currently any means of a synthetic garnering citizenship in Tau Ceti other than through the TCFL.

[The7thLain]

In fleeing from the Golden Deep they took on an affiliate status, simply wanting to experience a bit more of the universe by themselves. They still revere many of the traditions and ideologies of the Golden Deep and still have some connections with the stray merchant here or there, however they are not involved with the Golden Deep's operations in any way aside from maintaining a few acquaintances that are either fellow affiliates or more free-spirited merchants of the Golden Deep's membership.

As for the citizenship I got that from the wiki page on synthetic factions, specifically the part on the Golden Deep's society using the following excerpt:

"Businesses in Tau Ceti are seeking employment from Golden Deep affiliates due to their keen clerical capabilities, with NT offering early citizenship in exchange for several year contracts in clerical roles across the board to them specifically."

If this is erroneous on the wiki or if I interpreted this incorrectly I can edit the character's backstory to follow the correct lore, but I based the citizenship part of their contract off of that area of the page.

Edited December 15, 2019 by TheBurninSherman
I made a sentence about the wiki section being erroneous clearer and mentioned that I could have also misinterpreted the info on the wiki.

[niennab]

Oh no no, my mistake! I had forgotten this detail in the wiki. Apologies for any confusion!

Nonetheless, an interesting read and the application shows an understanding of the lore. It is a pleasure to see more characters incorporating the Golden Deep into their backstories as well.

Accepted.