soulping | TAKSHAKA

TAKSHAKA

You are on a spaceship.

Most of your time will be spent on the bridge, which is exactly as fancy as you’d expect it to be — it looks a little like this. (The chairs are super comfortable!) Your brand new artificial intelligence — which, if you investigate, you’ll find is housed in a small computer chip — has been implanted into the computer terminal on the back wall. The diagnostics readout displayed along the bottom of the screen tells you that the AI has only been outfitted with the most basic of Stability Cores, and is currently Critically Unstable.

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It is the year 5256, and humanity has spread across two galaxies. Technological leaps have been massive — super powerful, prohibitively expensive AI have recently been developed, with the capacity for beyond human-like growth, development, and learning. It’s said that a single AI could be capable of managing a fully outfitted fleet of galactic class star ships. Trials are looking positive.

A small number of ships — yours included — have been selected to take part in a competitive military research project. You lucky devils! The government has given you a brand new AI of your very own, complete with a basic Stability Core and a generous grant of 1000 credits. The only downside is that … well, one SC of that calibre might not be enough to sustain the AI for long.

CREDITS
Starting bank: 1000 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

[He sure has no idea what all this is about or how he's suddenly in space or how to money good, bUT. He has to try and win the game, right. What is a winning thing to do here. Hmmm...]

- Buy High Quality Core from the government (600)
- Buy a newspaper (10)

Hello! Goodness, this is all very odd-looking. Did you understand any of that?

[Oh you're here too.]

Daisy. I understand enough to participate. [Probably.]

I decided to buy a High Quality Core from the government. I also bought a newspaper. Perhaps we can learn more about the situation from that.

That's good thinking right there, it is. Oh, can we buy a cat? I bet a nice cat would liven this place up a bit.

A cat...?

[To... liven up the place? Is that important?]

Perhaps in the next round. Unless you would like to change one of our actions? We can only perform up to two actions per round.

[IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT, CHASE]

Next round's alright. A better... what's it called... core? Should make this place more stable.

[she's going to look out the front window]

Are we truly up in the stars? Past the moon and the sun? It's all so vast...

[He nods, then stands a ways behind her as she looks out, arms crossed]

I can't say for certain. It may only be an illusion.

You're probably right. But it looks awfully real, doesn't it? I've always wondered what's up in the stars, besides clouds and birds and dragons.

Dragons...?

[I mean, it's not like he remembers anything, but. are dragons normal??]

I haven't seen any here, but back home they're terribly common, especially the further you go up the mountain. Well, the little ones are. But if the little ones are about, it won't be long before the mother shows up, and perhaps the grandmother, and perhaps the great-grandmother, and they just keep getting bigger and bigger the older they get. One good fireball will wipe out an entire camp, so the Dalish are always on the lookout for dragon sites.

[Goes into outer space, learns about dragons. Which are apparently pretty dangerous.]

Dalish?

My people. I'm from a clan of Dalish elves... though, I left them to live among humans.

[sounds a little melancholy]

[...]

[...??]

You are... not human?

[taps her ears, and then taps the tattoos on her face]

Do you know many humans who look like me?

[Well, no, but she's still human...shaped?? Ish???]

[He glances down, frowning. Is that important? Why is it important.]

I... see.

It's alright. You don't remember anything at all right now, but if we play well today, we might get a shard for you.

[He lifts his head and nods lightly, recovering from whatever that was quickly enough.]

...You said you left to live among humans. Why?

[takes a breath and lets it out]

I... had some disagreements with my clan's Keeper. I had a project I was working on, that she... disapproved of, and tried to discourage me from doing it. I felt I was better off working on it away from the clan. There would be better opportunities for me outside it. I'm not certain if the project ever got to working, but I think it was the right choice. I hope it was.

You purchase a high quality core from the government! It is successfully integrated into the computer system and turns your AI from critically unstable to plain old unstable

You also buy a newspaper. The following news story is listed on the front page:

"CREDITS TAKEN WHERE NO CREDIT IS DUE. In a continuation of the colony's crime problem, bank robbers robbed the Niedhukx Bank on Sunday. Approximately 1000000 credits were stolen. The manager of the bank refused to speak with journalists about the heist. Perhaps rumors that it was an inside job are true?"

[Observing her as she speaks.]

I don't understand. If this project was that important to you, why do you seem... unhappy?

CREDITS
Bank: 390 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

[smiles, a bit sadly]

Because my clan... my people... mean everything to me. I began this project in order to bring them glory, and honor, and respect. Keeper couldn't understand that. But I did it all for them. I've lived most of my life among the Dalish, among my own people, and leaving them was... the scariest thing I've ever done. And I miss them terribly, even now. But I couldn't go back, not until I'd done what I set out to do. They'd have to understand, then.

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TAKSHAKA

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TAKSHAKA

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