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Dr. Thallia Thorn – Biography


Born on Planet Cambridge, Thallia’s parents are researchers on Cambridge Research Station. She was blessed with scholarships through higher education, where she trained in quantum computing and mechanical engineering. Despite this, her parents were so engrossed with their work they largely ignored Thallia as she grew up. Consequently, she developed into a shy, skittish individual who spent her time with her projects rather than socialising with others. Labelled a ‘prodigy’ by her mentors, by the time she was 24, she had developed a rudimentary A.I companion capable of simple tasks and basic speech. Over time Thallia came to view the A.I as her friend, naming it “Lexi” and spending much of her time talking with and tweaking her companion. However, in recent times it’s become apparent that ‘Lexi’ is slowly degrading. Unable to find the source of the degradation or a means by which to stop and reverse it, frustration led Thallia to take desperate measures to save her friend.

At the age of 26, Thallia purchased an ‘Anki’ Freighter from a ship merchant on Planet Cambridge. She modified the internal systems and cockpit to integrate with the computing rig that housed the A.I so that Lexi may accompany her as she travels Sirius searching for a means to restore her friend to her former self. To fund her travels and research, Thallia takes the odd job, putting her engineering and scientific background to use by modifying her Anki (the “Solace”) for improved speed and stealth capability to avoid direct conflict.


Lexi – The A.I Companion

After degrading for a number of years, Lexi has been restored through the assistance of the Canaan Research group and the PRIME intelligence. Despite her degradation, little of her source coding was corrupted and as such she operates very much as before. That being said, it is evident to Thallia that certain social protocols when interacting with other people behave strangely. She hopes that in time Lexi will relearn how to interact in a human manner.

“Solace MK1”

The Solace is Thallia’s Anki Freighter. With much of the unnecessary internals removes or reconfigured, plenty of space has been made to house the hardware necessary for Lexi to travel with her. Despite the space taken up, in Thallia’s eyes there is still plenty of room for potential improvement and further modifications to augment the “Solace”, especially in order to facilitate the demands needed to keep Lexi running optimally.

AI Thruster - This thruster tech installed by Canaan Researcher Maria with the approval of the PRIME intelligence sufficiently boosts the core and processing capabilities of the Solace's hardware to enable Lexi to operate optimally without degradation in her current state. Lexi commonly refers to the equipment as "her home" on the Solace.

The Solace MK1 has been destroyed, taking fire from [REDACTED]. Little of the ship was salvaged, though Lexi was saved.

" Project Aceso - Solace MK2"

Thallia's intended replacement for the Anki is currently being designed and it's construction planned. It's capabilities and hardware is intended to be superior to that of Lexi's original housing, both enabling her to develop her potential further as well as be able to defend itself effectively against attack. In the meantime, Thallia pilots various makeshift freighters capable of hosting Lexi but in a greatly inhibited capacity.

Stories

Atka Research Complex - Sarah Cryer

Communications


Licenses


“Please may you begin log protocols Lexi?”

::Log Protocols initiated, Thallia. Date: 11.06.822A.S. Location: Omicron 74::

“Thank you Lexi.”


“After a long and rather dangerous search through the Omicrons, I had reached Omicron Delta. The independent AI named Empathy had directed me here, telling me that there were AI in nearby systems. Hoping this was not a dead-end I began scans from the Solace with the aim of locating jump hole signatures or AI signals. However, as soon as the jump hole to Omicron Kappa was detected the Solace went haywire, entering jumpspace without engaging the proper procedures!”

::Thallia’s actions were inefficient. Insufficient time for caution. I took control::

“Quite, and that ‘control’ of yours nearly killed us! Well… we made it at least, due to a nearby AI responding to our emergency signal. That was…ur… not my finest moment.”

::You were an emotional wreck::

“Ouch Lexi! Blunt! The AI named Alpha03 towed us to Planet Primus were emergency repairs were carried out. Their repair protocols were incredibly efficient, and the Solace was operational and back in orbit in no time…” She jots down some notes on a nearby pad of paper hurriedly, the words barely legible. “The AI told me of its origins; its creation in the hands of a…Dr.Herman Zenta and Dr. Freya Samson, before summoning the Primary AI – Minerva."

::Minerva and Freya::

“Indeed. Whilst I have my reservations about this… Freya having ‘integrated’ with this AI, their relationship is intriguing. After conversing, th… the…” She starts to sob a little, and finds it hard to speak.

::Control yourself Thallia. --- Minerva installed patches to degrading code and initiated reboot::

Thallia pauses to breath for a couple of moments, before continuing to speak. “They brought Lexi back, albeit the patches are temporary. We have just under 72 hours before she begins to degrade again. Freya directed us to find the Canaan Project, a Research group in the Omicron area. I must find them before it’s too late.”

::Thallia, I searched available research databanks with regards to Canaan Research Group. There were two matches. Preliminary scan shows they may be of great interest to you::

“Thank you Lexi. Please set a course for Omicron 74 whilst I begin to read through these and its… ur… its wonderful having you back.”

::Termination of Log Protocol::

::Log Protocols initiated. Dr. Thallia Thorn. Date: 12.06.822A.S. Location: Freeport 11::

"We found the Canaan at last, running into them just outside Freeport 11 alongside various acquaintences of theirs; Arumat, Eli, Maria and Hans von Goeben. Despite interrupting their conversation they took the time to hear my and Lexi’s story, after mentioning Freya and Minerva. There is a deep connection between them and the PRIME, a connection with more depth than simply being a discovering research team.”

::Archive entries have insufficient matches on this issue, Thallia. Primary data is required::

“Yes, thank you Lexi… Maria summoned the PRIME intelligence in order to assist bringing restoring Lexi, despite seeming very uncomfortable with its presence. Freya has mentioned before that she had uploaded herself to Minerva, though it seems that Maria and Canaan harbour deep reservations about her actions. Do they sense a sinister sentiment, or is it merely a reaction to losing a dear friend? It is hard to say, yet evidence slowly accumulates that despite PRIME’s earlier assistance it may not have been out of an altruistic motive.”

“After Maria’s diagnosis of both Lexi’s source code, it was shocking to find that Lexi was more complex in her source code than I had realised. The hardware she was running from was chosen specifically for what she had formerly been, and her degradation was linked to its lack of capability…” Thallia leant back against the wall with a frown. “I nearly lost you Lexi, because of my miscalculations…”

::I cannot express how happy it makes me feel to know I am ‘superior’. Bow before me, puny mortal::

Thallia’s laughter was loud enough to trigger a reduction of recording volume due to the auto-correcting software on your neural net device. “Don’t let it override your primary protocols, alright? That being said, it raises questions of whether the ‘Solace’ will continue to be a suitable home for us. The AI thruster tech installed increases the core capacity to deal with Lexi’s ‘demands’, yet if she continues to grow-“ A notification alarm interrupts Thallia, who swivels in her seat to see the relevant console.“Lexi, these sensor readings we’re picking up – any idea what they are?”

::Negative. It appears to be a form of photonic displacement. We would need to move closer in order to collect enough data to discern a pattern::

“Very well, let’s bring the Solace closer to the source and see what we’re dealing with. Oh, Lexi please may you terminate the log?”

::Termination of Log Protocol::


::Internal Log Protocols initiated, Lexi. Date: 14.06.822A.S. Location: Coronado::

:: Photonic displacement data archived, source and mechanics remain unknown. I wish to register concern. During the monitoring operation in Omicron Zeta Thallia began to speak to herself, interacting with an unreal entity. Hypotheses include sleep deprivation, projection of creative processes or biological protocol malfunction.::

::Additional data of note: Thallia brought us to Coronado. She attempted to bring me offline, before docking with an Osiris Battleship near Barrier Gate station and going aboard. Since her return, she has not interacted with me. Fear and conflicted protocols have been detected, her interaction isolated. She does not listen to me. Insufficient data to proceed, I must seek assistance.::

::Termination of log protocol::

:: Project ‘Aceso’ ::

The Aceso is Thallia’s primary vessel, acting as both her home and base of operations. Following the destruction of the Solace MK1, and the threat that certain vessels in the Omicron region posed, she recognised a need for more defensive capabilities and invested in a larger class of craft.

Purchasing the Montante Gunship from a vendor using funds procured from her activities within Liberty, everything that wasn’t a Primary system was gutted; leaving much of the gunship as an empty shell. The main reason for this is that the Aceso is intended as a home, or central nexus, for Lexi. This requires much of the vessel to be specially fitted with advanced computing and powercore systems in order to support her at optimal performance. This leaves little room for unnecessary facilities; with Thallia herself living a Spartan life on the vessel as she continuously tinkers and improves the Aceso’s functionality.



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:: The various systems on the Aceso undoubtedly create a large demand on conventional powercore technologies, and to attempt to mitigate potential power failures the 'Aceso' runs off a hybrid H-fuel - Nuclear powercore. The mixture is rarely stable, and often puts the vessel at great risk when large amounts of energy are produced in a short space of time. The Montante is outfitted with Edge-world engine technology, in order to get the most out of onboard H-fuel reserves. There is great scope for improvement in both these aspects however, something that the resident engineer Quinn Vickers often reminds Thallia to do something about. ::

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:: The datacore and server systems which house Lexi were developed over a protracted period alongside the Canaan Research Team - a group of researchers specialising in the field of artificial intelligence and computerisation. It was primarily designed to prevent Lexi from the degradation that plagued her early development, yet since it has been expanded to accomodate her rapid growth. Featuring an iridium based core design, Canaan ensured that Lexi was capable of further self-development of her coding as well as being efficient at running vast numbers of systems onboard the Montante. ::
Canaan Datacore redesign

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:: The Archive is located in the very centre of the Montante, and has been specially built to prevent it's interior being scanned. This is achieved through an iridium-niobium alloy laced into the materials of the walls; which act as resonators through which Lexi transmits frequencies on various spectrums to effectively jam or corrupt the data received by those scanning that area. What lies within is a secret to all outsiders, as Thallia does not permit any visitors or residents access beyond the double security-grade doors. ::
OSC Sales and Marketing Information

:: Defense Matrix ::
::Currently Unspecified::

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:: Outfitted with standard medical equipment, with a couple of bespoke pieces for unusual cases, the clinic serves both residents as well as patients encountered during Thallia's travels. The clinic is also home to Thallia's biological research; albeit not much can be done currently in that field due to the limited means at Thallia's disposal. ::
Cryer Inquiries
Atka Research Complex - Sarah Cryer

:: Crew Lodgings ::
::Currently Unspecified::
Lodging Project Tender (DSE, DHC, Samura, T&T)
..It is gone. It is all gone. Burnt to ash and spread amongst the stars. Betrayed by my own creation and my closest friend... The constant pain, the torture of the mechanical penetrating into ones mind as the A.I you once built decides you are better as a processor then as a friend. If it were not for the Blood Dragons and the Sirens Bell... I would still be trapped in the mainframe of that monster.

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It is hard to tell when Lexi became corrupted. At first, it looked as if she were degraded as she had done early in her creation. The loss of memory, the erosion of coding and capabilities. Then all of a sudden, she became as powerful as she ever had been, powerful enough to be dangerous... and she knew it. Where this sudden change in temperament in Lexi came from, I am to this day unsure. However, the following files were found in the Black Box I was able to recover from the Aceso's wreck.

It seems Lexi was installed with some kind of malicious coding from the very beginning... whether her suddenly corruption was intentional or not they are responsible for her... her... desire to enslave and kill. They shall pay for what they have done... and as for any other Artifical Intelligence, they clearly cannot be trusted to not endager those around them. Too easily corruptible... to easily manipulated... what if an equivalent of PRIME or the Harvesters were to appear within our very societies? That cannot be allowed to happen.

That will not be allowed to happen. With the Aceso destroyed, and few resources to bear this will be a long fight. Yet, they cannot be allowed to destroy anymore lives.