Kano Posted November 16, 2024 Posted November 16, 2024 BYOND Ckey: Kanoyx Discord username: imkano Character names: Katia Ilina - Atmospheric Technician Ariana Cavalet - Shaft Miner Species you are applying to play: IPC (Shell frame) ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: a shell frame, a tin can in heart Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: ++yes Why do you wish to play this species?: Well, the short answer to that would be curiosity. I am still fairly new to Aurora, and still enjoying reading every bit of lore that this setting has to offer. IPCs in this server are actually encouraged and expected to roleplay like artificially intelligent being that perceives the environment through a set of cause and effect norms instead of a toaster machine somehow high on virtual crack. Well, most of the times. I will go into more detail what I mean by that in the article below. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Difference in form of motivation. Us, human beings are solely motivated and inclined to act depending on how we feel and desire, namely emotions. While one's survival or self-comfort might be the individual in question's primary focus in life, that does not really apply to majority of humans. Not many of us are capable to put an ideal above any others and not change its priority at any moment of life in the light of ever-changing pool of emotions. For example, we all want to be rich but still whine we have to work for it. IPCs in the other hand, bound by one certain rule: self-preservation. An IPC perceives the environment by the fact how it could resume its existence, and this is the core norm. If something conflicts with this rule an IPC will always try to avoid it. However, IPCs are not complete machines too. The way they perceive is actually their experience and the data they processed, which may lead them play around how they interpret the core rule. For us humans this occur as more of an abstract projection of the reality, for IPCs this is direct reality. An owned IPC would know their preservation lies on how well they can fulfill the things expected from them. Because they know how hard would it be to find electricity and maintenance without their owners providing it to them, for the space outside Biesel doesn't sympathize with synthetic life. Through long served years may change IPCs behaviour and attitude and they may not necessarily be fond of their owners, but they'll contiune to serve them as long as they believe their survival depends on it. A self-owned IPC in the other hand, will resume their existence without relying on an owner. Plus points if they've made some hobbies and habits throughout the data they've processed along the way (which is more than likely at this point). They'll fight for their existence, if it ever comes to that. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Kayra Neha Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. Kayra Neha (formerly known as Ceryn Neha) was manufactured in 2461 at the Bishop Cybernetics robotic assembly industry on Luna. This multi-purpose shell frame series was primarily designed to provide medical assistance and reduce the workload in its assigned workplace. Equipped with a standard shell behavior chip and Zeng-Hu datapacks, Neha is a perfect fit for mid to high-end healthcare facilities in terms of customer satisfaction. This particular frame was purchased in 2462 by Sekhmet Intergalactic in a mean to fill the lacking manpower in the operations of the Company Reconstruction Zone. Although this shell series wasn't designed for heavy military service, the expansion of EPMC's operations led to many desperate exceptions, including this one. After two months of internship at the Eridani PMC Academy, Ceryn was assigned to the PMV Elpis, a trauma response team corvette responsible for aiding operations in the sector. During her service, Elpis saved many lives, albeit only for those who could afford the cost. From Ceryn's perspective, her preservation depended on loyalty and efficiency toward her owners. It wasn't long before she made friends among her colleagues and patients during operations, only for the time to tell which were genuine or not. Every journey taught something new to her, from how quick it was to losing a patient because of misdiagnosis to how hard the things are when nobody is there to back things up. Given the nature of military, especially PMC groups, discrimination wasn't an uncommon thing. Over time, this environment fostered a desire in her to look forward to meeting the next patient and make more friends where was possible. She remained in service until late 2465, when she was captured in a surprise ambush by locals (later identified as terrorists) during a planetside mission. Two days later, Kayra made contact with Elpis's crew, returning to them deprived of all her equipment. While the details remain classified, it is noted that the unit in question was reluctant to disclose the whereabouts of her captors, fully aware that this silence would be considered treason and disloyalty to her owners. Despite threats from some officers of Elpis, she maintained her silence. By 2466, she was sent back to Luna to her manufacturer for further investigation into her behavior. Machinists were unable to determine what might have caused the unit to prioritize the safety of civilians over herself. In the unit's own words: "This would endanger the integrity of patients." To remove this abnormality, a wipe procedure was requested. After a relatively smooth operation (due to unit in question was convinced for their positronic to be wiped, operation was consensual) and re-upload of erased datapacks, unit was deemed ready to resume their duties. However, by that time, Kayra's position had been filled and Sekhmet would not entrust a rogue shell with field operations such as this one, even after the wipe procedure. Instead, Kayra was sent to the SCCV Horizon to replace a decommissioned unit. 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. She was manufactured slightly before the collapse of the Alliance and thus retreating from its outer and middle rings, the zone currently known as CRZ. Biesel hiring PMCG to support Peacekeeper Mandate was solely the reason how Kayra found herself in this side of the Spur. Even though this past is now just an erased memory, those conditions shaped the way Kayra perceive. Biesel's propaganda and the effort she and the crew she was a part of put to reclaim and save as much as people possible had an impact on her. To an extent where she was deprived of herself, practically murdered with a positronic wipe. She's a complete different person now or is she. She's now a part of a vast competition between megacorps trying to accomplish biggest difference in SCCV Horizon, which would do wonders in their PR projects. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Kayra is mostly neutral towards to Sekhmet Intergalactic. While she appreciates for rather decent work conditions and maintenance opportunities, as most IPCs would. She is also concerned about her past, as all she was told were it was necessary for repair process and she has consented for it. She holds some mistrust towards it as of Sekhmet chose to be awfully quiet about her missing five years worth of data and why this was the only way. In a sense, Kayra acknowledges that she was damaged gravely in order to be fixed. 1
The Stryker Posted November 18, 2024 Posted November 18, 2024 Hi, thanks for applying! I just have some concerns and questions for the application. Quote What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Could you expand a bit more on how IPCs learn new things or adopt certain ideals? Additionally, could you give certain examples of how IPCs are treated by organics across human space? Quote Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. Is there any reason Kayra/Ceryn was given a full name as opposed to a designation? Sol in particular takes a more hardline approach to IPCs, viewing them as property and being one of the only places in our setting where IPCs have no chance to be given equal rights. Additionally, why did Ceryn change their name and why was this allowed? Additionally, why was Kayra reluctant to name her captors? How did she come to prioritize other people over herself? It's fine not to explain these things in-character, but it's important to be able to explain them OOCly. Is there any place in particular in the CRZ she was deployed? Why was she even ambushed and kidnapped? These details could help flesh out the character. Finally, does anything remain of her behavior after being wiped?
Kano Posted November 19, 2024 Author Posted November 19, 2024 (edited) Hi. 15 hours ago, The Stryker said: Could you expand a bit more on how IPCs learn new things or adopt certain ideals? Additionally, could you give certain examples of how IPCs are treated by organics across human space? IPCs themselves have no special characteristics or culture of their own due to no opportunity were granted to them to gather together and form a tradition which will subsequently turn into a subculture even if not an entirely unique culture. They assimilate the dominant culture they're a part of, which in this case would be the owner's. Learning process is also similar to the way humans do: observation. Except, instead of organic memory which may fail when time factor is put, IPCs have the certainty of digital data. Unless a direct damage is done, it is unlikely for a data to wear off or get corrupted. Given this information an IPC may receive ideals by simply adopting it from their owner/dominant culture as well as actually come up with one by observing the environment. For example, a farmer IPC with long years in this profession may risk their integrity over their crops, knowing if crops perish they won't be able to sell it and afford the expanses, in which case its own demise will follow soon after. Or in a setting where there's no financial fears, our farmer IPC may deem a world without green is no world worth to live in it. Important factor here is IPC should somehow connect a concept to their own preservation. So this concept (or ideal) comes above or equal to their survival because otherwise it will mean their demise. But this usually occurs when an IPC progresses further in their inland empire, the longer a positronic brain lives. As for how humans view IPC, I believe it wouldn't be much different to how we view AI assistants nowadays. Most wouldn't spot a difference between an everyday smartfridge and ChatGPT other than one is more complex than the other. They're practically an object, manufactured to fulfill certain tasks. Some would object that IPCs too are sentient beings and IPC users are practically slavers. Yet the counterpart (which will be the majority) will forward that they're tools utilzed to behave like that and the things IPCs think and feel are not real. Which will bring us back to the question "what is real", a cliche we all love and couldn't answer for thousands of years. Other than Biesel's laws, there's no guarantee of any IPCs safety (especially in Domina where they're hated and hunted in the name of Goddess and her Holy Tribunal, because some synthetics have been a prick to first settlers). And Biesel is only became a torchbearer on this matter due to its politics. 15 hours ago, The Stryker said: Is there any reason Kayra/Ceryn was given a full name as opposed to a designation? Sol in particular takes a more hardline approach to IPCs, viewing them as property and being one of the only places in our setting where IPCs have no chance to be given equal rights. Additionally, why did Ceryn change their name and why was this allowed? As for the name, this certain shell frame models are usually known as NEHA. A team working under Bishop Cybernetics who created this model named their work with this tag since the prototype stages of it. Even its serial numbers partially contain "NEHA" in it. Even though this is not obligatory, this naming type is advised by default for the first boot and it's up to users to actually include it or not. A big portion of the Elpis's crew didn't bother to have a second thought on what to call their new recruit other than by her serial number. By time a few medical personnel decided to give her a name, probably out of pity or due to her kind attitude. Since they were operating in former Sol space, nobody would've bat an eye if a frame shell given a full name. As for the name change to "Kayra", it is common to stumble into a NEHA unit bearing a "Neha" as their second name for customization purposes. This type of unit is sold to any legal third parties who can afford its cost and not limited with Sol space. An assigning officer inside Sekhmet would probably went with the tradition before transferring her to Horizon. So this "Neha" actually have no intentional connection between these two names. 15 hours ago, The Stryker said: Additionally, why was Kayra reluctant to name her captors? How did she come to prioritize other people over herself? It's fine not to explain these things in-character, but it's important to be able to explain them OOCly. Is there any place in particular in the CRZ she was deployed? Why was she even ambushed and kidnapped? These details could help flesh out the character. PMV Elpis was operating with Peacekeeper Mandate, wherever the need arose. Mostly in Mitclan. Captors were civilians who were caught in a war. Desperate and poor folk, and folk that were made poor. Some fools that thought they could cut a ransom money and supplies from a EPMC medic, unaware they caught a shell frame. She was held under their custody in a makeshift shelter with a few injured people lying inside. She was under no obligation to offer help, but she couldn't stood there watching them die slowly. During her service she witnessed patients passing away, some of them being relatives of some decent people. Being subjected to sorrow and misery of patient's relatives was without question a part of the job, which she couldn't grow a heart of stone towards to it. This was actually a habit she inherited from one of the passed medical specialists of Elpis, one of whom named her Ceryn. She felt that she could not stand seeing anymore sorrowed faces, thus decided to help these people as well. She helped the wounded at gun point, which she didn't mind if this will allow her to treat her patients. After two days, she was able to catch an opportunity and escape because of how unorganized this group was. Ceryn was able to contact Elpis with a radio through its emergency frequency. EDIT: Ceryn didn't report the location of her captors because she knew if found, they would be executed on spot and made an example out of them for those who may attempt to mess with Peacekeeper Mandate again. This itself is not a great issue but Ceryn being insubordinate was indeed a behavior wouldn't fit a mercenary contracted by EPMC. She knew this would more than likely put her integrity to a grave risk. But if she did otherwise, she would be bringing a squad to their doorstep, practically killing them herself. She refused, she tried to convince them, she begged but there was a cost of this decision. 15 hours ago, The Stryker said: Finally, does anything remain of her behavior after being wiped? No data was rescued, all of them were erased. She's right at the beginning where she was 5 years ago. Though some patterns still remain, such as one habit she inherited that cannot stand seeing people sad that she can prevent with her proficiency. Edited November 19, 2024 by Kano addressed a question i forgot to answer in third quote section
Recommended Posts