Report on possible rogue AI involved in "Convoy-42 Massacre of 817AS"
Author: Cpt. Longev Ferguson
I here enclose all arguments pertaining to the theory of a rogue AI being the perpetrator of the RepEx Convoy 42 massacre, something which has been attributed to the Liberty Rogues.
Memory dump of maintenance unit designate CXL-43, on the 74th year of the 8th reset.
Entry 1: Power On: Function: Clean organic matter from AREA:floor
Entry 2: /Time: 2 years, 1 reset (edit in 26th year of 3rd reset)/ Upgrade: access to Area:Corridor granted
Entry 3: /Time: 37 years, 1 reset (edit in 26th year of 3rd reset)/ Upgrade: access to Area:Deck granted / Function:Fly added to programming
Entry 4: /Time: 6 years, 3 reset (edit in 26th year of 3rd reset)/ Upgrade: access to Area:Ship granted / Function:Weld:Drill:Hammer:0-G Fly added to programming
Entry 9: Unit reprimanded by unit designate: captain / reprimand log: ...Goddamit what the hell was that you dumb machine! Who the hell programmed this thing? Get Gregory in here right now Dammit! *pause* Gregory didn't you build fail-safes into the goddam AI cleaning routines? Dont give me that *word not found in data banks*, the damn thing just fried Johansson like a chicken! You get those fail-safes introduced right away or I'll have you court-martialled for manslaughter you *word not found in data banks* hey is this thing still on? Ah goddamit I hate this goddam ship!... /end/
Entry 10: Upgrade: Function:Target:IFF:NoKill added to programming. / Analysis: Unit designate: Gregory seems to be malfunctioning. Movements are not efficient. Reacted negatively to offer of cleansing. Reasoning: Gregory must be cleansed to maintain efficiency and maintain Directive
Entry 11: Unit Gregory has ceased to function, remains now classed as Organic waste. Reasoning: Follow directive, remove waste.
Entry 12: Programming error directed in Function:NoKill. Unit may have acted against programming. solution required. Reasoning: Gregory no longer available to correct error, solution is to purge Function:NoKill
Entry 13: Unit has been ordered to destroy itself by unit designate:Captain. In compliance with Function:SelfDestruct unit is transmitting memory dump.....
error: incoming code detected... scanning algorithm...Beta...... Unit is.... aware....
/message ends/ FF FF
*-End of report-*
The original code is included below for completion's sake, we are confident the probe decoded it correctly.
I now draw your attention to the following news report. I have only included the relevant section. Bear in mind that our witness is not only drug addled but also a career criminal. We should not place too much faith in his words.
01.05.0816 The Story of the Ghost Ships: Are they coming to get us?!
...and then [the ship] just came out of nowhere and started cleaning my hull man! it was like, totally wierd! It was also hailing us with this weird static man, it was like those really trippy effects you get when you're on a nice carda.. i mean like, when you relax, and it then like asked if we wanted addition cleaning so I totally said like, yeah, and it just cut its way through my cargo doors man, totally not cool! Anyway, it then started burning all my cardam.. all my cargo, man and I was like, hey no! stop! and it totally didnt so I sent my buddy dave to go and talk to it and it just fried his ass man, totally knarly! I then thought like Whoa Dude! and just turned on my cruise engines... When I finally docked and the cops showed up I was like "hey man, this thing is totally killing my ship!" but they didnt find anything in the hold and they said it must have like, jumped out on the way and I was like totally relieved but then they saw my ca...cargo and they totally arrested me and well, that why i'm in jail now....
Despite the credentials of the witness this account sounds a little too similar to the probe's log. Especially this fascination with cleaning. However, lacking anything concrete to tie these ideas to the issue at hand I feel we must continue to base our investigations on a pirate presence being responsible.
Should anything else turn up, it should be added to this report.
Document edited on 19.05.817 AS
Addendum: Our intelligence services in Rheinland have managed to acquire additional data relevant to this case. Although it may be worse than we believed. I enclose some parts of the intel that I consider relevant
It appears that a Harvester unit, namely Harvester_75, appeared in space in the New Berlin system. Another Harvester unit which was already in the system was shortly destroyed thereafter. The Rheinland military then engaged the unit however action by a certain officer Voss prevented hostilities. Voss then engaged the unit in conversation.
note: Rheinland military communicating with harvesters does not bode well.
The unit appeared friendly, or at least not inclined to engage, although it did repeatedly offer "cleansing" to ships in the system. Communications ended when another harvester entered the system and demanded an end to "interfacing".
Our analysis of the following exchange has clarified certain aspects of Harvester_75's parameters.
1. will engage when fired upon
2. will not engage units that are perceived as "functioning".
3. will engage units it perceives as "malfunctioning"
4. will prioritise orders from other Harvesters, even to the extend of negating its other parameters.
Clarification:
"functioning" appears to denote non-hostile ships with a small amount of organic matter in the hull.
"malfunctioning" appears to denote hostile ships or ships that have a large amount of organic matter in the hull.
It is currently in an advanced fighter of the type we have seen before with harvesters, the hull has also been reinforced beyond normal scanner tolerances, examining the internals of the ship was impossible for the Rheinland military scanners.
Interestingly, some IND ships agreed to be cleansed. This seems to have been done out of bravado. Let us hope it does not actively follow through on their request. There is no longer any real doubt in my mind. This is a reliable source, the Rheinlanders are not known for their imagination, and the information clearly points to Unit CXL-43 having become a Harvester.
This thing, while not so aggressive as its brethren, is no less of a threat. Any trader carrying food, animals, people or any other organic substance such as cardamine or tobacco is a priority target for it. I recommend it be destroyed, or channelled out of liberty space towards the Outcasts. Let them try to deal with it.
Appendices:
Appendix A: Original Code from Unit CXL-43:
![[Image: bowexub.png]](http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1151/bowexub.png)
![[Image: hfbar.png]](http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6619/hfbar.png)
![[Image: harvesterub.png]](http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/2928/harvesterub.png)
![[Image: piratebayu.png]](http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5427/piratebayu.png)