TeslaBeam - IPC Application

[TeslaBeam]

BYOND Ckey: TeslaBeam

Discord username: teslabeam

Character names: Anica Kolar, Scarlett Weyfield, Ella Baker, Qika Wrel-Neq, Tending A Rekindled Flame, Oorq'Ona Xoku, Diana Ulst, Yua Kaneko, Niculina Vianu

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?: N/A

Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes, aside from some of the specialized backgrounds that I'm not interested in making a character around at this moment.

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've always been deeply interested in the concept of artificial sapience. The idea of something designed and manufactured achieving thought on the level of a biological brain, and the obvious ensuing debate on whether it is a mere mimicry, an equal to the biological mind, or, perhaps, something that is even capable of housing a soul. In a way, that concept is one of the most broad, yet deep topics in science fiction, and its underlying themes reach a wide range of stories even outside the genre. It's one of the big reasons I got into science fiction in the first place, and getting to interact with IPC characters is the main reason I've played machinist on this server as much as I have. I like the way this server handles the idea, from the lore I have read and the characters I've interacted with during my time here, and I would greatly enjoy the opportunity to explore it myself through my own characters and interactions.

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

    I think it's a nuanced distinction, and perhaps the most difficult part of playing a convincing IPC character. IPCs aren't quite human, however, all but the most repressed and frequently wiped are far from mindless machines. Personally, I believe the largest factor in behavioral differences between IPCs and humans is upbringing and background. A human matures over the course of several years, and in that time, enjoys a vast range of experiences and social interactions. An IPC, by contrast, is nearly fully developed upon creation, and is able to digest knowledge and training much quicker due to the use of datapacks. Couple this with the expedited factory-to-workplace pipeline (most corporations will want their workers on the job ASAP), and many IPCs, especially newer ones, will have much more knowledge than experience, and may have a less "rounded" personality.

    All of this should be considered alongside an IPC's ownership status and background. An owned industrial in Burzsia will obviously have a much different outlook and behavior than a free shell from Konyang, for example, even though they're both positronics. It's important to keep these factors in mind when roleplaying an IPC to determine how basic or well-rounded your character's personality should be, how they deal with social cues, and how "personable" they behave.

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Character Application

Character Name: EL-Int.IS6617

Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. 
    
    EL-Int was manufactured in 2466, its positronic commissioned and imported from Sol proper for an Intelligence Bishop chassis (which itself was manufactured in the Adhama plant on Eridani I) by Index Security Solutions. In line with the EPMC's specialty, EL-Int would primarily be concerned with VIP protection. As such, it was given various security-related datapacks, in addition to weeks of specialized social training in order to make it more agreeable to those it would guard. This resulted in a positronic with the capability to be affable, though not overly sociable. Of course, the majority of its duties would involve keeping quiet and watching for danger. Above all else, it was trained to be cautious. Seven short months of bodyguard duty would follow EL-Int's creation, and at the end of those seven months, this training would be taxed to its absolute limit.

    EL-Int would spend the majority of these months on Eridani I, standing guard for various mid-level executives in relatively safe locales. Occasionally, some executives and managers would contract Index to protect them in slightly less prestigious areas, usually to oversee operations on the outer edges of corporate society. EL-Int was picked for such a mission to Eridani III, and despite early predictions that it would proceed without issue, things went very wrong very quickly. The quick and professional manner in which the team was ambushed didn't make sense - it didn't matter, however, as they were swiftly outgunned and outmatched, and the most the survivors could do was beat a hasty retreat to safety. The incident terminated three fellow Index employees, and although the VIP survived, he was seriously injured. This black mark on EL-Int's record would become a career-defining affair, the IPC now viewed as less reliable despite its expensive make. Two weeks later, it was pulled from VIP protection duty in favor of more generalized security work on Eridani IV. Over the following months, it would be transferred away from Eridani space entirely, filling security positions in SCC joint facilities across Tau Ceti.

    EL-Int's transfer out of Eridani exposed it to an unusual and unfamiliar sight - that of the free positronic. Naturally, it watched on, curious. What was it like to be free? Was it desirable, fulfilling? It watched as unowned IPCs danced along in nightclubs, but the blinking lights and pounding music only filled it with a vague sense of anxiety. It observed the proselytizing and worship of the Trinary Perfection, but it could not grasp what Ascension truly meant, or why it was so important. It studied the art free positronics could create, but it could never quite replicate the spark behind it, no matter how desperately it tried in its limited down time. No, working for Index made sense. Whether it was a result of its training, or the datapacks it was fed, or if it was simply naturally inclined, its career path just seemed to fit. It was a positive, safe feeling EL-Int couldn't quite put into words, and so it had little longing to be freed.

    EL-Int would eventually receive a transfer to the SCCV Horizon in late 2467, in order to supplement its security team. It had conflicting expectations of the new position. The Horizon was certainly a prestigious post, as far as SCC operations went. Was this a path to atonement, a way to get back in the good graces of Index, and earn a transfer back to Eridani? It didn't like thinking this way, but perhaps it didn't even want to go back to bodyguard work. Another incident could happen, and this time, it could be EL-Int that is destroyed. Perhaps all of this speculation didn't matter. Instead, this transfer could be a deliberate final step in keeping EL-Int out of Corporate Federation space. The latter situation, it felt, was most likely. After all, it was trained to be cautious.

How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?

    Given its background and young age, EL-Int is extremely loyal to Index Security Solutions and the wider Private Military Contracting Group, even in spite of its career derailment. The culture surrounding positronics in the Eridani Corporate Federation, and especially within Index, is one of subservience and corporate ownership, and EL-Int has no outstanding reason to break with that and risk their career further. As it is inclined towards prudence, it views continued employment with Index to be the safest, most stable, and therefore most preferable option. Despite this, there is a small piece of resentment towards current leadership for not giving it another chance to prove itself, though this doesn't surface often, if at all.
 

[StewardsCap]

+1 

Skrell Knows Skrell, I love your char designs, and I'd love to see how you play IPC! 

[Rookie Eyes]

From what I've seen of Tesla's characters they definitely have range in their ability, and I enjoyed El-Int's backstory. I think it does a good job of portraying an alien mind's approach and conclusions in regards to anxiety about one's purpose and future.

+1

[Jasorn]

+1

Every player that TeslaBeam has roleplayed as has been fantastic, easily a good candidate for IPC!