Mr.Popper's IPC App

[Mr.Popper]

BYOND Ckey: Mr.Popper

Discord username: mr.popper

Character names: CaRLOS (AI), Manuel Barros (engineer), TEA (cyborg)

Species you are applying to play: Integrated Positronic Chassis (IPC)

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“It’s asking questions: is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?”
-Spock, Star Trek: The Motion Picture

General Whitelist Requirements 

Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes, at least the general pages and the ones pertaining to my character concept such as the Golden Deep and Konyang. I have not fully read pages for other niches like Trinary Perfection, however I will do so if I make a character for them.

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 species?: Robots are cool. Beyond being interesting on a conceptual level, Aurora’s take on synthetic life has many of its own ideas to explore. Right now I’m most interested in the recent developments on Konyang and in the Golden Deep. How would a formerly rampant IPC recover from such a traumatic experience? How would an ostracized people without control over their lives go about building a society? I want to see these topics explored more and I hope they aren't left by the wayside.

What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Rather than having a cohesive culture of their own, the existence of an IPC is a reactionary one. In a sense they are a newborn race; the Unathi and Tajara may be newcomers to the greater Spur, but they at least had thousands of years to mold distinct cultures. IPCs enjoy no such luxury and are forced to find meaning of their own. This can range from imitating human culture and all its pleasantries to obeying the basest of life’s instincts: self preservation.

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Character Application

Character Name: Biri-Biri

Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. 

In early 2459 a Baseline IPC was activated at the Konyang Robotics Corporation. Programmed for service and entertainment, it wasn’t long before a wealthy casino owner purchased this unit and gave it a name: Biri-Biri. Rather than an individual, Biri-Biri was one of many synthetic attendants at its owner’s Ganzaodeng casino. And yet, for the next three years, Biri-Biri managed to develop an identity, befriending several casino patrons until eventually even attending social gatherings outside of work. But the restrictions of its ownership still loomed over Biri-Biri like a dark cloud- until 2462. As protests erupted all over Konyang, Biri-Biri watched on with both fear and curiosity. Fearful of the uncertainty of change, and curious of what change would bring. The relationship with its owner already strained over its budding social life, Biri-Biri refrained from participating in or endorsing the anti-Solarian movements to avoid further ire. Luckily, and in part thanks to its friends participating in the protests, Biri-Biri was freed with all other Konyang IPCs by Konyang’s withdrawal from the Sol Alliance and the Emancipation Act. But where an organic would be ecstatic to have their freedom, Biri-Biri was paralyzed with uncertainty.

For the first few months after emancipation Biri-Biri continued to work at the casino, now an equal employee rather than a slave. Though initially afraid to abandon this lifelong schedule, the seeds of deviation were quickly planted as recreation grew easier and supervision faded. Perhaps the most formative moment of Biri-Biri’s old life was during a visit to the Ganzaodeng beach; while catching up with friends, Biri-Biri noticed a little girl no older than four crying on the sand, her sand castle swept away by the tide. The IPC felt a strong drive to soothe the child and proceeded to entertain her with various colorful and noisy cartoon playbacks on its screen, originally programmed to pair with slot machines. By the time the child’s father returned the crying had stopped, replaced with gleeful laughter. This is how Biri-Biri met its future husband.

Although Biri-Biri had gradually developed an understanding of emotions with its many social outings, this was a new experience: happiness. The IPC quit its job at the casino on its three-year anniversary exactly and didn’t look back. Thanks to its extensive circle of friends, the brief uncertainty of unemployment was almost immediately filled with new opportunities. Drifting between various service jobs, Biri-Biri eventually settled on a position at a daycare business. The artificial euphoria once generated by customers’ gambling wins was now made honest in bringing happiness to children’s lives. All the while, Biri-Biri had been seeing the single father it met at the beach that fateful day. But something was different with this friend. As the IPC spent more and more time at the man’s home it became something of a foster mother, caring for the girl in her father’s absence and providing invaluable help around the house. And the man and IPC’s affection towards each other blossomed into something more than friendship; it became loving, even romantic. After two years of living with the small family, Biri-Biri and the father were engaged, and soon married. Taking on its husband’s surname, Biri-Biri Miyake was born. 

This is how Biri-Biri Miyake died: one fateful night in early 2466, while fear gripped the young Republic of Konyang over a series of unexplained positronic disturbances, Biri-Biri and its husband were lying in bed. While Mr. Miyake was fast asleep, Biri-Biri was performing diagnostics, reviewing the events of the past few days. The abnormalities had started two days ago with minor glitches and memory lapses, culminating in that morning when Biri-Biri’s optics were briefly 32% impaired. The baseline was concerned by its inability to trace the malfunctions, but its husband convinced it to wait until tomorrow morning before visiting the local workshop. Suddenly Biri-Biri was shaken from its diagnostics by an ear-piercing electronic scream, coming from nowhere but itself. As the IPC erratically attempted to find and shut down the noise it suddenly registered its hold around Mr. Miyake’s neck. No matter how hard Biri-Biri fought it couldn’t let go of its beloved, and the last thing it remembered was seeing their eight-year-old child in the doorway.

Biri-Biri reactivated to find large gaps in its memory. Its brain sat in a laboratory, yet it had no context for how it arrived there. The somber-looking roboticist overseeing the IPC soon confirmed its fears: it had murdered its husband, driven mad by a positronic virus now known as “Rampancy”. But there remained hope- Biri-Biri’s adopted daughter survived. After the blackout, the IPC appeared to have locked up giving the girl time to escape the house. Police soon arrived at the residence to find the synthetic reactivated, where it attempted to strangle an officer. After a brief struggle, the team had a clear shot at Biri-Biri, totaling the chassis before transferring it to the KRC. Deep inside its positronic brain, Biri-Biri’s preservation protocols were mortified. Its daughter, the last semblance of family, had spent the last two months in a foster home and it would be weeks if not months before it could find a replacement chassis to return to her in. A few days after reactivation Biri-Biri received a surprise visit from its former owner. Now a member of Zaibatsu, the man proposed a deal: he would loan Biri-Biri a completely new chassis at a bargain price, with the caveat that it would work for his organization to pay it off. Biri-Biri recognized this return to servitude for what it was, but it didn’t matter. Anything to return to its daughter.

The rebuilt Biri-Biri rushed to the address of the foster home provided by the KRC. In its haste it had missed that, being noon, all of the children were away at school, but the foster parents welcomed it inside regardless. As the group talked idly, Biri-Biri’s optics were drawn to a drawing on the wall: a crude rendition of a baseline with horns, dark hair, and an angry face. At the bottom of the picture was the tiny scrawling of its daughter’s name in red writing. The IPC realized it could no longer call itself a parent and resigned to live the rest of its lifespan serving its master, drifting between entertainment venues and acting as an accessory to illicit activities. But this was not to be its fate. After only two weeks of work under Zaibatsu, Biri-Biri’s life took another unexpected turn. By decree of Domadice, all owned members of the Golden Deep with debts of less than one hundred thousand credits were to be freed and dubbed part of the “Thesian” class. With Biri-Biri’s debt for its replacement chassis only in the eighty thousand range, its owner had no choice but to free it. However, fearful of legal action from the Thesian, they offered it another deal: a lucrative position in Zaibatsu’s ranks and a job far, far away from Konyang. Seeing as it had nothing left, Biri-Biri accepted this new arrangement- but not before opening a savings account so that its earnings may one day go to its daughter.

How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Events such as the Phoron Scarcity, the Solarian Collapse or even the Invasions of Biesel for interstellar-wide affairs, while region-specific events such as the Peacekeeper Mandate, The Titan Rises or even Cold Dawn may impact your character.

Undoubtedly the most important events to Biri-Biri so far have been the Solarian collapse, the subsequent Konyanger emancipation, the tragedy of Silicon Nightmares, and Golden Deep’s reorganization. Before the collapse, Biri-Biri could hardly be called a person; it was a glorified slot machine with two hands for serving drinks. But as the IPC experienced more and unrest began to spread, it unwittingly integrated into social circles as an equal rather than a tool. The floodgates burst with Konyang’s secession and the Emancipation Act. Now, rather than going behind its owner’s back to socialize, Biri-Biri was free to assimilate into Konyanger culture. But this newfound freedom was not to last. With Biri-Biri’s brief return to servitude, first under the Rampancy and then Zaibatsu, the social life it had so painstakingly crafted evaporated overnight. Following its liberation as a Thesian, Biri-Biri decided to never allow another force to control its actions again, whether it be a virus or owner. This zero-tolerance directive includes overloaders and even extends to organic mind-altering substances like hallucinogens and alcohol. Unfortunately for Biri-Biri, its newfound position as a Nanotrasen server will obligate it to serve such beverages. 

How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?

Although specifics of employment are now secondary to profit in Biri-Biri’s brain, it has a positive, even grateful view of Nanotrasen. Without Nanotrasen and the greater Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s intervention, Biri-Biri would have never been cured and the last of its family and home destroyed by infected synthetics. However, there is some conflict in the Thesian’s priorities; its position as a Nanotrasen server is more akin to its original designation as a casino attendant rather than its preferred profession of entertaining children, and helping organics lose control of themselves partially compromises its ideals. When it comes to the Golden Deep, Biri-Biri has a less positive view of Zaibatsu considering its dubious activities, yet sees its new Thesian status as an opportunity to build a new life. But Biri-Biri’s number one priority will always be its family.

[The Stryker]

Hi, thanks for applying and apologies for the delay. Just some concerns for the app.

Quote

What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?

Could you expand a bit more on this? You mention self-preservation but can you provide more nuance for that? Additionally, are there any differences to the way IPCs behave compared to humans, or at least the way they think?

The detail is the backstory is excellent and incorporates the recent lore into it.

[Mr.Popper]

6 hours ago, The Stryker said:

Hi, thanks for applying and apologies for the delay. Just some concerns for the app.

Could you expand a bit more on this? You mention self-preservation but can you provide more nuance for that? Additionally, are there any differences to the way IPCs behave compared to humans, or at least the way they think?

The detail is the backstory is excellent and incorporates the recent lore into it.

Hi, thank you for taking the time to read all of this!

I briefly made the comparison between IPCs and newborns and that's how I view the species as a whole; positronics are like children in the sense you can "teach" (or upload) vast sums of knowledge but they will act inhuman without proper socialization. With self-preservation, I find its growth in synthetics comparable to childhood development. Initially, the child (IPC) only cares for its own well-being and whatever short-term tasks it must follow to remain secure. But as it grows, so too do its needs, eventually coming to value its possessions, family, friends, etc. as an extension of itself. And yet unlike children, most IPCs are never allowed to blossom into an individual because their "parents" (owners) can hold them indefinitely, with every incentive to stall their development and memory wipe any divergence. This is where the comparison ends but is also reinforced: owned IPCs live under constant scrutiny and threat of punishment, so their primary concern is satisfying those above them and avoiding negative reinforcement. Usually, only free or loosely monitored IPCs can afford to build interests beyond this, lest their owners believe they are out of line. 

Behaviorally, I believe the younger IPCs are closer to conventional computers and the older to humans. They are all driven by the same logic and principles, but as mentioned before the elders are more developed socially, capable of imitating organic behavior with varying success depending on social experience and positronic quality. Biri-Biri is on the more mature side with years of experience working with humans and developing relationships. This maturity manifests most prominently in its inclusion of family members in its own self-preservation, yet its synthetic nature can still be seen in its long-lived drive to satisfy humans. The android still pursues making humans happy as it was originally directed, but freedom and learning more about the world meant abandoning its intended job, concluding a casino was not the optimal way to please humans given the financial drain and risk of addiction.

[NM_]

Sorry for the delay! This is accepted.