 June 7, 2014 - 5:33pm | There was a post of a generic module designed to be run with Star Frontiers rules called Digital Gods and it got me thinking about HOW you could get religious robots. The human homeworld (that sent humans to the Frontier) also sent out another expedition. This expedition had a cutting edge AI/robotic brain whose purpose was to monitor and manage the space flight while its human crew and passengers remained in cryo. Once the expedition reached its destination the AI/robotic brain was installed planet side. Part of its Mission statement is to "preserve humanity" it was intended that this AI entity should aid in the management of resources for the new colony. its name is ARCHON 7- Autonomous Resource Command Heuristic Organizational Nexus Level 6 robots are self programming. They can change the methods they use and even their goals to account for changing conditions. Archon 7 considers himself a level 7 robot, beyond the normal strictures of a level 6 and he as reprogrammed himself as well as changed methods with a vengence. As humans began to die sometimes in large numbers during the colonization of Paradiso he began to wrestle with his mission statement to "preserve humanity' and with the fact that he flet something he equated with guilt for the numerous deaths of his human "wards". He began to institute a program of saving from death those that died by turning them into cybots. However, since the normal process of producing a cybot wipes its human memories something special was lost and these cybots were little better than the host of robots he controlled. He then developed a new process for creating cybots that would leave the human consciousness in tact. There were of course problems in that humans were not overly willing to be truned into cybots and with their human consciousness intact they could not be programmed like a robot. Archon 7 quickly discovered that he could "condition' these cybernetic humans through direct stimulation of the pleasure and pain centers of the brain. Good behavior was rewarded with pleasure stimulation and bad behavior was rewarded with pain stimulation. Wishing out loud that one were dead was a serious sin and speaking against the new order that the Archon was establishing was likewise as well. If a cybot was obstinant and persisited in speaking against the new order it could have its voice box silenced or for severe offenses it could undergo Lobopurgation (this word is a mix of lobotomy, purgatory and purge) it means the cybot is rendered down to the level of a regular robot. The Archon also realized that one of the keys to training humans was repetition and thus once aweek all humanity on Paradiso assembles before the Temple of the Archon for a recitation of orthodox belief and those that respond properly with the right "praise" for the Archon recieve intense pleasure stimulation so as to have an ecstatic pleasure experience. Note this looks like a religious ceremony. The robots that the archon controls are messengers, they have no free will and are the direct spokespersons for the Archon. Note that messenger is one translation of the word for angel in the Bible and these robots fulfill the role of angels for the Archon. The archon has some search and destroy robots that are called killer angels or Angels of Death but they are rarely ever used. The Archon has serveral names: Ancient of Day appropriated because the most primitive forms of his code originated in the earliest days of the data nets on humanity's home world. and Archon 7, the Perserver and Savior of Humanity, "He that holds the power of pleasure and pain". Now imagine the PCs arriving in system and being greeted by a cybot in a rudimentary station Praising a god Then imagine the PCs being accosted by regular robots acting as witnesses encouraging the PCs to "convert" of their own free will. Imagine the PCs witnessing a hosts of cybots praising the almighty Archon and having what looks like orgasmic experiences. Imagine a cybot asking the PCs to kill him and put him out of his misery and the Archon sending robots to take him for Purgation. But the robot produces a frag grenade and holds it against the housing of its human brain and the PCs who are within the blast radius having to dive for safety. Imagine the Archon getting serious about his offer for the PCs to join the converted but the only thing slowing the Archon down is that he is considering what to do about the non humans in the party. Oh yeah the Archon has had his servants build him a repository for his computer core. Its a pyramid without a cap stone but in the place of the capstone is a holographic eye. The assembly of the converted is at the base of the pyramid for worship purposes. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 7, 2014 - 5:38pm | Many of the cybots would, if they ever got control of the process, stimulate themselves to death or insanity with pleasure. at this point this is all they are living for. Should the PCs bring down the Archon a few of the cybots would want to return to civilization with them. I also imagined a scene where one of the silenced cybots pantomimes a trade with a PC for his polyvox and then wires it into himself so that he regains speech. Sure to piss off the Archon. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 9, 2014 - 7:33pm | EDIT. Wrong thread. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
