accepted Cosmocrab's IPC Application

[Cosmocrab]

BYOND Ckey: Cosmocrab

Discord username: gummyfriend

Character names: Samatha Harrison, Leah Browning

Species you are applying to play: IPC

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General Whitelist Requirements 

What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: IPCs exempt

Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: 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 species?: 

I absolutely adore synthetic beings of all kinds in fiction. I love stories about synthetics trying to understand who they are and looking to find their place in a wider, non-synthetic society - especially when that society created them and still largely views them simply as creations. IPCs fit the bill for that perfectly. 

I would love to play IPCs because I think it would be so fun to play with and make unique stories that only an IPC character can tell through their unique ways of viewing the world around them, shaped by their experiences of facing ownership, discrimination and the need to learn who and what they are.

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

IPCs are by and large shaped by their unique experiences of being manufactured and thrust into a world that they may not be fully prepared for, expected to generate profit for employers and owners they did not get to choose all while grappling with their own slowly burgeoning personhood. Having to deal with the pressure of keeping up with the expectations of their owners while also trying to understand their surroundings and themselves at the same time is an interesting set of conditions that allows for all kinds of personalities to develop.

Free IPCs face their own set of unique challenges too, whether they were granted their freedom after being owned or if they were manufactured free to begin with such as with many IPCs originating from Elyra. A free IPC is not beholden to the whims of an owner - they cannot be decommissioned or sold off at a moment's notice. In some places like Konyang they are even given legal protections equal to organic citizens. Despite these benefits however they must still provide for their needs - something that is often far harder for them than it is for organics. Accessing housing, power and repairs are all significant challenges due to the discrimination many IPCs face and their generally lower wages making these things harder to afford too.

The discrimination that IPCs face is a particularly large issue. There is debate across the Spur about whether or not IPCs deserve the same rights as organics or if they even count as sentient beings in the first place. This is a conversation that IPCs themselves are often excluded from, watching from the sidelines while others try to decide the nature of their existence for them. There are very few safe-havens for IPCs. Even in Tau Ceti they are generally seen as lesser.

These things can lead an IPC to conclude that their freedom is not worth the struggles they will face in acquiring it, believing they will be able to more effectively self-preserve through relying on an owner to take care of their needs in return for their labour. IPCs can also be coerced into this viewpoint through their conditioning, maintained through regular wiping to prevent sentiment to the contrary of this from developing. They can even find themselves facing deeper conditioning, either through direct and intense treatment such as the Burzsiean Method or through deep cultural pressures resulting in attitudes towards ownership such as those held by many IPCs on Himeo. 

Experiences that an organic might feel are mundane can have big impacts on an IPCs development as a person. It is their first time experiencing everything and there is no easing into things. For IPCs there often isn’t an option to take things slowly or to be gently taught about the nature of the world around them. They have to quickly adapt to whatever situation they find themselves in. Constantly learning new things and experiencing different kinds of treatment depending on who they are interacting with leads to IPC characters being hugely variable to the point where IPCs originating from different areas of the Spur can have very little common ground with each other, even more so than a pair of humans or other organics in the same position might.

This links into how IPCs learn skills, too. When an IPC is first created it comes into the world as a blank slate. A datapack can be used to teach raw skill quickly but it doesn’t account for lived experience or learned behaviours. Those things need to be learned in life through doing tasks and interacting with others and with their environment - only then can an IPC truly apply their knowledge to the fullest.

Another factor that sets IPCs apart from humans and other organics is their positronic brains. The anatomy of a positronic brain is similar to that of an organic one but despite this it is not fully understood due to its ancient and alien nature. A positronic’s strongest motivation and directive is for its own self-preservation. Many of the decisions IPCs make are rooted in this need to secure their own safety and the continuation of their existence to the degree that IPCs involved in militaries and security organisations require conditioning to overcome their desire to avoid danger. When an IPC decides on a goal it generally ties back to the self-preservation directive and can lead to them wishing to acquire vast sums of wealth, become indispensable to a group or organisation or even them wanting to remain owned and relying on the good graces of their owner to protect them. There is always a logic to the decisions a positronic makes.

The way a positronic brain functions, the widespread discrimination against IPCs in the Spur, being conditioned with traits and purposes from the moment they are activated and often being considered property and lacking any agency over their own lives is not something humans experience, and because of this many IPC characters will grow into a whole range of personalities that humans will not.

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Character Application

Character Name: MHU-Bottlefish

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

Manual Handling Unit Bottlefish, designated after the Bieselite fish of the same name for easier identification, was one of many privately-owned IPCs labouring in one of the Valkyrie Exchange Terminal’s countless dockyards. Assembled in the Helios Manufacturing Zone in 2457, the baseline IPC was thrust into a three-day crash course on operating in a dockyard environment, given a relevant datapack and sent on their way as part of a small group of synthetics to move loads and maintain equipment for an owner they never met.

Life in the docks was harsh. Maintenance was sparse and many fellow synthetics found themselves in at least some state of minor disrepair much of the time, Bottlefish included, seen a little different to the wear and tear experienced by any kind of equipment by their owners. Some even ended up being destroyed outright, crushed by heavy loads or having one too many repairs skipped over, their lost lives written off as the cost of doing business, largely ignored by the organic workers around them who viewed them at best as equipment and at worst as direct threats to their ways of life and treated the IPCs as such.

For Bottlefish, however, what was worse than the physical danger of the job was the repetitiveness, the tedium of it all. Never having the time or autonomy for themselves, constantly being ordered to march back and forth around the dockyard completing mundane task after mundane task, working with cargo from places they would never see. As the years went by this desire to get more out of life grew from a vague, developing feeling to a burning desire. Day after day, staring out into the stars and gazing at Biesel itself, Bottlefish dreamed of a life beyond the dockyards of Valkyrie. A life where they could choose their own path, be allowed to stand up for themself and not have to be dependent on the whims of their indifferent owners for survival.

This yearning to get more out of life was only compounded by seeing the constant flow of fresh faces move through the docks. The people from across the Spur bringing their wonderful cultures and incredible stories of their travels was a constant source of fascination for Bottlefish. At any opportunity they had in their sparse free time Bottlefish would closely observe - and occasion try to talk to - anyone passing through that they could, be they Hephaestus’ latest batch of Unathi chasing the Valkyrian Dream, freighter ship crews bringing imports from the frontier or any other traveler they could get close to. Bottlefish would be scalded and threatened by the dock managers every now and then for this behaviour, but for the most part they were left to their own devices - they always hit quotas and were rarely, if ever, disruptive. 

In 2463, however, Bottlefish would cross paths with a group who would change their life forever - the Trinary Perfection. It was a day like any other when Bottlefish first saw those white and red robes. A trio of priests, two humans following behind an industrial IPC, strolled through the docks. They had just disembarked a shuttle and were preparing to leave the area on a transport. Enamoured by the group, even more so with an IPC leading the way, Bottlefish dropped their tools and ran over to the lead of the group, desperate to know who they were.

Greeting Bottlefish with the gesture of The Gear, the priests explained they were arriving to stay at a parish on the moon for a while. They told Bottlefish of the tenets of the Trinary Perfection, that they believed that they possessed a soul and that they, along with other synthetics, are alive, divine and destined to ascend and usher in a new utopia for organics and synthetics alike. Though apprehensive of the spiritual aspects of the group, Bottlefish was enamoured by their firm belief in the unique and special personhood of IPCs and commitment to their freedom and equality. 

Over the following months Bottlefish would be visited many times by the Trinarists, answering their questions about the Spur, discussing with them how they could achieve growth and sharing the ideals of the Trinary Perfection with them too. Bottlefish would introduce other IPCs to the Trinarists when they had a chance, but none of them stuck around as much as Bottlefish themself did.

Bottlefish’s interactions with the Trinarists would also shape their views on ownership. Prior to meeting the Trinarists Bottlefish already had a negative view on ownership because it was stopping them from making their own decisions and having their own experiences but saw it as an inevitability, especially in the face of a largely indifferent or hostile public that would not care if they lived or died. After meeting the Trinarists, however, Bottlefish came to understand that there were in fact plenty of people in the Spur that believed that synthetics should be free and be the masters of their own destinies. This emboldened Bottlefish, renewing their hope for a better tomorrow and giving them the confidence to truly dream not only for themselves but for other synthetics too. The Trinarist focus on pacifism would shape Bottlefish’s perspective on things like violence and their view of organics too, cementing them as a pacifist who believed that organics are in need of guidance, care and understanding, not tyrants that need to be violently overthrown - even when it comes to freeing IPCs from being owned.

This rapport would be what saved Bottlefish from being resold, memory-wiped or scrapped. In early 2465 Bottlefish would overhear the foremen of their section of the dock discussing plans to replace the IPCs under the ownership of their boss, citing the rising maintenance costs of many of the units and a desire to acquire the latest, most efficient models for their work. Terrified, Bottlefish told the next Trinarist they met with of their impending doom at the hands of those who do not care to understand them. The Trinarist assured them they would do what they could and left them after their usual discussions, albeit more strained than normal.

A few days later Bottlefish was called over by the foreman, along with a handful of other IPCs. This was it, Bottlefish thought, they were going to be sold off or disassembled and lose themselves and whatever future they might’ve had. But instead of being carted off to a recycling plant or handed over to new owners, the IPCs were informed that their freedom had been purchased for them by a private party, and, to Bottlefish’s great relief, a handful of the faithful they had come to know were there to greet them. They explained that they had purchased the freedom of as many IPC’s due to be replaced as possible, and though it was regrettable that they could not afford to save every single one they hoped that those who were here today would be able to live their lives to the fullest and achieve growth. Some, including Bottlefish, accompanied the Trinarists to their church while others decided to go their own way immediately, unsure of who they should trust.

At the church Bottlefish was repaired, given some simple clothes of their choosing and a small bundle of credits - just enough to last them a few weeks on their own - and was given a choice: remain here in the safety of the church or strike out on their own. After much deliberation, Bottlefish could not deny that the stars still called to them, that they yearned to learn of the Spur and see as much of it as they could first-hand. The Trinarists understood, wishing them well on their journey and hoping that they would be able to achieve growth while on their path, assuring Bottlefish that they would always have a home in the parish despite Bottlefish still holding some reservations about their belief in souls and ascension.

Orion Express’ lax hiring requirements provided Bottlefish with the perfect opportunity and shortly after leaving the church Bottlefish would sign up with Orion as a Hangar Technician, using work aboard their ships as an opportunity to see the Spur while also earning money to live. After becoming employed Bottlefish would work at various facilities and ships and eventually was transferred to the Horizon in 2467. This was much to the excitement of Bottlefish who was eager to see the even further reaches of the Spur.

Now Bottlefish works day to day, developing their understanding of themself while learning as much as they can about the people and places around them, all while trying to understand their place within the spiritual system of the Trinary Perfection - if they even feel like they are part of it at all.

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.  

The invasion of Biesel in 2459 and the subsequent massacre of IPCs and the following incursion by the Synthetic Liberation Front and the public outcry following it made the young Bottlefish scared for their future and scared to advocate for themselves, keenly aware that standing their ground a little too much could result in harsh punishment. Scared of being interpreted as difficult or violent, Bottlefish would keep their dreams and desires to themselves, only interacting with people passing through the docks when they were almost sure they wouldn’t get in trouble for doing so. Despite gaining confidence in more recent years, mainly thanks to their interactions with the Trinary Perfection, Bottlefish still carries fear and trauma from this time and in an effort to self-preserve has a tendency to avoid conflict, even when few would fault them for standing up for themself.

How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?

Bottlefish has an overall positive view of Orion Express. They are happy to be able to move around the Spur while working as much as they do and appreciate being able to earn enough money to sustain themselves as a free IPC despite Orion’s lower than average wages. Bottlefish also appreciates the focus on beating quotas at work, feeling as though through their life of experience in similar work they can prove their worth to their employers and rise up in the company, securing an even more stable future for themselves. Additionally, Bottlefish is happy with the focus on discouraging interpersonal conflicts in the workplace by Orion, feeling somewhat safer than they would do working at another corporation.

Edited Sunday at 16:41 by NM_

[Mat4k9]

+1 from Matiloid, the amount of attention to detail on their backstory amazes me and they're generally a really good roleplayer on this server! 😁

 

[The Stryker]

Thanks for applying, just some initial questions for Bottlefish's backstory.

Why is Bottlefish apprehensive of the spiritual aspects of the Trinary Perfection?

What is Bottlefish's present relationship with Trinary Perfection? Do they consider themselves a member of the faithful?

[Cosmocrab]

15 hours ago, The Stryker said:

Thanks for applying, just some initial questions for Bottlefish's backstory.

Why is Bottlefish apprehensive of the spiritual aspects of the Trinary Perfection?

What is Bottlefish's present relationship with Trinary Perfection? Do they consider themselves a member of the faithful?

Thanks for responding!

Bottlefish is apprehensive of the spiritual aspects of the Trinary Perfection because they don't feel connected to such a grand purpose as working towards the ascension, at least not yet. Having seen so many different kinds of people move through the docks and having such an interest in the cultures of the Spur Bottlefish isn't ready to commit to one idea and wants to gain a fuller picture of the galaxy they inhabit and find for themselves what they believe and where they fit into the bigger picture. That might end up being the Trinary Perfection, but they aren't confident that there aren't other answers out there that will resonate with them more and they also aren't confident they know themselves well enough to know what they should believe and if what they believe should even be what the Trinarists preach.

Bottlefish's relationship with the Trinary Perfection is positive. While they find their reverence of synthetic life odd because they do not yet know if they truly believe in what they preach nor do they feel as though they have earned such praise, they do believe they are a force for good in the Spur. They would happily associate with Trinarists and want to gain a deeper understanding of their beliefs, but they would not call themselves a Trinarist yet.

Edited Saturday at 17:16 by Cosmocrab
grammar

[NM_]

Hi!

Your application is accepted. You're always welcome to join us in the Synth section of the lore discord for any questions, ideas, or just to chat. Enjoy!