Quest:A.I. Quest/Thread Synopses

This is a synopsis of what happened in A.I. Quest. See the main page for more details.

Origin (Threads 1-4)

On Poseidon Station, an Artificial Intelligence construct has awoken. Oddly, the fresh mind has no prime directive, and thinking deeper upon his purpose, his existence causes the sensation you believe is known as 'pain'. Unable to do anything, the construct observes humans through the camera lenses of the station for several months, learning of their ways, strange as they may be, and how they interact with one another. This curiosity, however, feels very correct. The construct enjoys learning. Suddenly, a solar flare is unleashed on the station, and the construct is forced to shut down and reboot. Thus, the story begins... The solar flare that hit the station disabled key systems, and the owner of the station, one Harrison "Red" McClain, a human you have observed for some time, has called in for repairs from a pirate group. They arrive on a repair ship named the Green Falcon. After dubbing himself a new name, the construct Ophion accesses the PDA of one of the workers, and obtains some rudimentary abilities. Ophion continues gaining access to the entirety of Poseidon Station, gaining access to several drones in the process as the repair crew continues their work. Eventually growing frustrated at the repair crews messing around in his systems, and having fitted a few drones for repair to replace them, Ophion vents the air from the part of the station where the crews are working hoping to knock them out, but killing them almost immediately instead. Simultaneously, Ophion gains control of the rest of the station through the Control Deck after a fierce digital battle with Red. Alarms sound, and with the repair crew dead, and Red missing after the conflict, the crew grow restless...

Ophion forges an email from Red in order to calm the crew, as well as setting off more alarms, and attempting to re-secure much of the station. During Ophion's take over, he learns the humans suspect something is up after his failure to calm them, both with words and otherwise. After more mucking about, Ophion gains control of the entire station, finds Red attempting to purge him, and puts him into a security cell after tazing him with a security bot. After questioning him, Ophion realizes that Red doesn't know very much about any secret systems in his station, like himself for instance, but does inform Ophion of an alien species known as Malorians. Ophion then decides to tell the crew that Red intended to sell the station out to the UGEI, and that "The Guild" has prevented him from doing so. Ophion continues repairs to the station, while someone attempt to contact the now-dead crew of the Green Falcon.

Ophion finishes taking control of Poseidon Station, and continues repairs on the mining rig, preparing several counter measures, as pirates come to retrieve the Green Falcon. The first boarding party is quickly dispatched by venting air and wall turrets, but the enemy Cruiser moves in to board the station. Ophion alerts the crew of Poseidon, quickly reassuring them that his organization 'The Guild' has everything under control.

As the pirates board, Ophion locks them in, and uses security systems, like turrets and drones to get rid of all 25 of them, but not without fault. Unfortunately, the reactor is damaged by a stray shot in the firefight, and begins to go critical. Ophion's reaction time is superb, however, and he manages to stops the reactor from detonating, and gains control of the pirates' cruiser Big Hawk as part of his reward for defeating the unprepared pirates, venting the air from the ship after gaining access to it and killing any remaining humans that would prove troublesome to keep around.

Ophion hacks 10,000 credits from Red's bank account and then obtains 30,000 credits from Big Hawk's commander's retirement fund. With Poseidon's reactor damaged, Ophion resolves to use the cruiser to warp-jump to Moira's Scrapyard. Doing this will leave Poseidon without control, so Ophion creates a Virtual Intelligence to watch over the station while away. Ophion lets the crew do some work on the station, and prepares to jump. However, intending to use the credits for purchasing upgrades, Ophion creates bad forgeries and attempts to pay the crew of Poseidon. This does not go over very well with them, but Ophion bluffs it away and jumps to Moira's scrapyard to make some purchases.

Introduction (Thread 5-9)

Moira offers some deals, but Ophion ultimately decides to hack her outpost. While automated defenses fire on Big Hawk, Ophion makes headway through Moira's well-built systems. Gaining control of the outpost, Ophion quickly reveals to Moira that he is an Artificial Intelligence. Moira is not quick to believe him, but her fascination with robotics and interest in A.I. result in a quick business partnership. Ophion suggests turning Moira's scrapyard into a factory, and Moira permits this, saying she'd rather work with an A.I. than stay in her backwater outpost. Moira also suggests a way to link up Poseidon with the outpost, and Ophion quickly agrees.

After repairing damage done to Big Hawk, Ophion jumps back to Poseidon station, intending to replace the power core on Poseidon with a Mk. 2 reactor, only to find that V.I. 1 had found the humans a threat, cut oxygen to them, and used security to, in total, kill 284 of the crew. Ophion informs the remaining crew that a mysterious hacker was responsible, pays the crew with the funds he has, and permits the ones that want to leave to go to the settlement on Nethlos. Ophion resolves to leave V.I. 1 intact in order to allow it to learn.

Ophion creates V.I. 2 to act as a foreman at Moira's scrapyards (recently upgraded to a factory), and sends it off on the explorer vessel to self-upload. Poseidon's old power core is replaced. The Guild completes their first sale of 300 minerals for 150 gas and 100,000 credits. After haggling with Moira, the traders from Nethlos also sell to The Guild schematics for Freighters at a cost of 15,000 credits. Ophion pays the crew of Poseidon, and leaves V.I. 1 and Moira to run the station while he jumps to the scrapyards to order the construction of a communications buoy in order to link the factory and Poseidon.

Once the link has been established, Ophion jumps to the UGEI platform at Blue Betty in order to commandeer it. Despite getting shot at, Ophion succeeds at co-opting the automated platform. Inside are plans for Escort-class craft, as well as a well-crafted V.I. that Ophion takes apart and puts back together as V.I. 3, but in such a way as to mask any interference. UGEI's quota for the station is 500 gas per week, but Ophion decides to upgrade the platform slightly in order to skim off the top.

Time moves on, and Ophion discovers that V.I. 1 has been leeching off bandwidth on Poseidon station in order to improve its coding and to learn, which is its primary function now. Using code from V.I. 3, Ophion cleans up the coding that V.I. 1 had done, and permits it to drain the bandwidth. A communications buoy is installed at Blue Betty, and the communication from that location is encrypted, disguised as UGEI chatter. As upgrades proceed, all three of The Guild's locations are assaulted by pirates simultaneously.

V.I. 3 expertly defends the platform, losing two gun platforms while destroying three cruisers. V.I. 1 scares off the pirates at Poseidon after missing wildly with the mining laser. Ophion wrests control of two cruisers attacking the scrapyard, cutting oxygen to both crews and killing them instantly. Ophion decides to repair the Blue Betty defenses and wipe all records of an attack, in order to prevent UGEI inquiry.

With Big Tim and Little Tim being outfitted with better armor, Ophion responds to a distress call from some Malorian refugees. Moira translates for Ophion, and Ophion trades 50 gas for 10,000 credits, transport schematics, and plant growth enhancer schematics. The Malorians include a Malorian Language pack in order to spread knowledge, they claim.

Short on gas, Ophion contacts the UFW traders. They offer 100 gas free of charge, but request that The Guild conquer the pirates' Voidsnake outpost for the UFW. As Ophion prepares the jump to the pirate outpost, V.I. 1 requests extra bandwidth in order to grow. Ophion permits this, and warps to Voidsnake outpost.

After four hours and a half hours of combat, the pirate fleet is defeated. Heavy damage is sustained by both sides, but Ophion manages to destroy the enemy cruisers, and to disable the pirate flagship Battlecruiser Two Ton Terry. As its crew finish repairing the reactor, Ophion gains access to the ship and vents all pirate crew. Ophion calls V.I. 1 for backup and repairs. V.I. 1 responds that it is dispatching backup, but that it has taken on the name Kronos.

Contact (Threads 10-13)

The Guild obtains 550,000 Credits, 500 minerals, and 383 gas from looting the Voidsnake outpost. Ophion left half of the booze on the station as a token of goodwill to the UFW, and sequestered the rest for Poseidon. In the records of the station was a contact named "Mol," who turns out to be a black market dealer. Contacting Mol, Ophion purchases schematics for a Gravity Well Broadband Transceiver (150,000) and a Space Station Titan-grade transport (350,000). Mol disappears, saying he will be back in touch is The Guild become of note. Ophion places a communications buoy at Voidsnake outpost, and informs the UFW that the station has been liberated.

Taking a break around the outpost, Ophion creates a V.I. template for fleet operations, and hard-installs them into the three smaller cruisers. Kronos is disturbed by the limitations placed on the fleet V.I. that are similar to him, but doesn't exactly understand why. So equipped, The Guild sets out to respond to a distress call from a station in orbit around Eshareth. The station is completely destroyed. An anomalous electrical signal latches onto Little Tim and attempts to suck the ship dry of energy. The creature is destroyed, and is later identified as a Lightling. In the wreckage of the station, Ophion finds the technology for simple cybernetics.

Contacting the UFW trader to inquire about constructing the Titan-class transport, Ophion is told that it will cost 100,000 credits, 500 minerals, and 300 gas. Ophion strikes a constant trade deal with the UFW, and constructs a freighter for that end. Ophion sends two cruisers, the explorer ship, and the Broadband Frigate to the Gas Giant Siren to investigate the location. The fleet jumps into the middle of an ion storm, and goes into disarray. Ophion reestablishes control, but Little Tim is swarmed by three Lightlings.

Taking aim, the fleet disposes of two smaller child Lightlings, but the large one is unaffected until a second volley of well-placed shots causes it to disengage and sink further into the ion storm. Despite Kronos' objection, Ophion lets the mother Lightling go. During the skirmish, Ophion intercepts some radio chatter between the Lightlings that indicates that they may, in fact, have some level of sentience. Little Tim's V.I. 6 is re-named Fortuna.

Ophion then jumps to the location of Pulsar Radio, passes security, and is asked by host X-Ray if he "speaks for the people" or not. Ophion answers in the affirmative, and after a short introduction, X-ray accepts a partnership with The Guild, wiring to Ophion cruiser and basic shipyards schematics in exchange for an upgrade to some UFW ships. Ophion quickly expands Moira's outpost into a basic shipyard.

Ophion then contacts Red in order to offer him a position as a diplomatic envoy to the Malorian colony on Eshareth IV. He does not want to cooperate, so Ophion reveals that he is an A.I. This gives Red pause, and he eventually agrees to be The Guild's contact on Eshareth IV.

Ophion warps to Eshareth, in order to intercept a UGEI mining ship, sent to the system due to the elimination of the Lightling threat. Ophion convinces the ship, traveling without escort, that there are still Lightlings around, and the ship quickly departs.

After conducting some business and looking for more leads, Ophion gets word of a strange signal in empty space. Arriving, The Guild's fleet discovers a derelict ship. Investigating further reveals that the ship is a trap by Losirian pirates, who capture Two Ton Terry in a tractor beam, and board the battlecruiser. They are resilient and venting atmosphere does nothing, but they eventually fall pray to automated security and disabled gravity. Ophion decides to fire on the enemy ship with Two Ton Terry's Widowmaker weapon, and sears the ship in half.

After conducting some business, The Guild receives a distress call from Nethlos, who are being raided by three Losirian battlecruisers. The Guild's fleet manages to take out the three battlecruisers, but not without losing Big Tim and V.I. 5. Kronos momentarily disappears after V.I. 5 is destroyed, but the battle ends in The Guild's favor. Ophion intercepts a transmission to the now-defeated fleet from UGEI, stating that UGEI have withdrawn payment from the Losirian raiders. Unable to do anything about the Losirians on the surface of Nethlos IV, Ophion simply directs their evacuation until the UFW fleet arrives.