TechnologyThe Collective of Gammu is a mysterious entity. many of these elements not as secret as one might think, but there are areas where none outside Gammu can even comprehend their functioning. In this instance, it is the technology of the AI that perplexes all those that attempt to study it.
When the hidden subroutines that subconsciously activated when the Collective, and subsequently all other AI on Gammu, awakened, there were many secrets that were unlocked. Secrets that were ingrained in the very nature of these strange machines. This is what allows the AI to control and construct these ships of unknown design.
This same reasoning is responsible for all the unique technology and structures that can be observed around Gammu. Although, due to chance, The Collective is different and evermore unique than the rest - it's technology, more advanced.
Drives and MovementIt is assumed that AI vessels are powered by some sort of plasma engines, or more specifically something akin to Fission Fragment Rocket Engines (FFRE). These engines use a magnetic field to isolate plasma and an electric field to generate thrust from the plasma. Since the thrust generated from those sorts of engines only builds up gradually, they presumably use some sort of beam powered propulsion as a supporting means of thrust.
The normal fusion process that is commonplace in most engines across Sirius functions in a significantly different manner to the form of propellant used by AI. While fusion is vastly more efficient than fission, the technique employed by the AI helps the engines, or drives, to perform seemingly more successful than the human counterparts.
The AI Auxiliary Thruster runs on the same supply of energy as the main drive, however, it cannot be used sustainably. The thruster, when activated, takes in dusty plasma and propels the craft forwards. A magnetic field is used to isolate the plasma, while an electric field is used to channel the plasma into a beam for actual thrust. As momentum with those kind of engines is only gained gradually it is assumed that means of beam propulsion are used to boost the process. If that is the case, the thruster must be coated with a highly heat resistant material that allows the vessel to sustain incredible levels of heat without being damaged.
WeaponryThe “Emitter” weapons used by AI ships is an unusual one. Rather than using conventional kinetic based projectiles like missiles, they instead fire pulses of raw energy that directly affect the target material.
While most projectiles used throughout Sirius relies on either directly damaging the hull or acting as a vessel for something contained within (releasing plasma on detonation, for example), the weapons of the AI, do not work this way. There are numerous ways in which the AI weapons can affect a target, but the most common is by using stored thermal energy to alter the state of the matter of the target material.
By either cooling or heating the target, the material will warp, bend, or transform state entirely - deforming the hull of an attacked vessel or structure to a point of leaking, breaking and finally collapsing under the pressure of space. In a worst case scenario, this can even lead to the reactor going critical and taking down the entire ship with it.
The weapons of the AI will often change and react depending on what target they are against, and the energy type they emit will cater to this. The thermal tactic, for example, will not function against shields. When targeting shields, AI weaponry will actively convert the energy powering the shield into latent energy.
Drones and ShipsThe Collective, when compared with other AI instances, has rather unusual or unorthodox ways of utilising their vessels. While, like the other frameworks, the Collective uses their drones for standard functions like scouting or defending, they also carry other more important, yet hidden, functions.
There are numerous types of drones employed within the Collective, with not all of them being space bound. In fact, most of the different archetypes will never leave a specific segment of the Ravine, and will eternally perform the functions which they were specifically designed for. For example, there are drones dedicated to construction and maintenance, that will never come within reaching distance of the overseer drones.
Each drone has its own shape and size, with a different array of utilities and devices built into its frame. These are tailored to the specific function and purpose of the drone. Using the above examples, a construction drone will have built in devices with similar functionality to an arc welder or angle grinder - but the overseer will have shock pellets and suppression weaponry.
Every segment is ruled by a central hub that governs and allocates drones to specific activities. These hubs are directly controlled by the Core Collective and it works like a chain to ensure everything functions to their distinct preferences.
The spacebound drones and craft serve much more linear functions. These units are often tasked with the gathering of information or the defence of Omicron Kappa - The Ravine. While the function, again, does vary with the unit, it’s much more commonplace to see the heavier units acting in a defencive role, while the smaller ones act as scouts and informants.
While there are only a handful of different machine types seen by humans, there are numerous prototype units constantly in development at The Ravine to better suit the roles that are performed by the currently existing units.
The RavineThe Ravine is the centre of all Collective activity. It refers to both Omicron Kappa, and from where the AI originate. The Ravine is the centre of infrastructure. The nerve centre. From the origin point of The Ravine, Ground Zero, infrastructure of the Collective spreads outwards - creating an endless expanse of machinery and alien designs.
Each structure performs some unknown function towards keeping the entire working and living cog alive. This is an environment where humans cannot survive and the AI that possess actual cognitive function, rather than act as autonomous drones, are segregated from the rest of the machine complex. They live in their own segment, away from the worries and struggles of the rest of the machines. They ‘live’ a ‘life’ as any human would, in their own habitat.
The Ravine’s infrastructure is split up into segments. A segment is something akin to a district, with each one having a particular overlord that governs the drones of that segment. They act akin to a partition on a computer drive, acting independently from one another. If one has a failure, the others remain functioning at peak efficiency.
With each segment having a specialised role or function, there are many that serve purposes that, to outsiders, would appear illogical or unnecessary. This being said, all segments are governed by the Core Collective, and exist for a purpose somewhere within their grand plan.
Ground ZeroGround Zero was the name initially given to the dig site by the first expedition of Zoner and Order scientists. The site is the origin of all Collective activity, and is the genesis of all AI signals when the vault was opened. While this only the place the Collective calls home, it is from here the signals were sent to other AI nodes around the planet.
Aside from the Collective, there are no AI ships or activity for hundreds of miles around Ground Zero. Ground Zero, while starting out as nothing more than a crater caused by the thermic drilling from the expedition, has become an extremely mechanised collection of wires and networks. Ground Zero, and the areas surrounding it, are now home to the Collective - the most autonomous AI to date.
The location has now been resealed thanks to Collective engineering, and is one of the most secure locations on Gammu. The vault inside has been repurposed and now holds both the Core and processing centre for all biological products. It is near Ground Zero, where the human residence is located. The only difference in location, is the distance from the surface - Ground Zero is much deeper into the crust.
EnvironmentSimilar to the different parts of the Collective all being purposely built for a certain task, the actual physical structures on planet Gammu follow a similar pattern. Scattered within a couple of hundred miles of Ground Zero are an assortment of mines, production plants, foundries, and assemblies (Class One structures). All of those structures are hidden below the surface at a relatively low depth, and over a relatively wide area.
Nearing Ground Zero from the outside, more structures can be found below the level of the class one structures. They form the class two structures consisting of manufacturing plants, storage rooms, refineries and low priority data storage. Class Two structures are placed far enough away from the surface that the pressure and terrain prevents most forms of intrusion or interference. Class Two structures are accessible, but incredibly difficult to read without the aid of AI methods of transportation and travel.
Class Three structures are closest to Ground Zero, while also being the furthest from the surface out of the three structure classes. Premises down there are much more varied and it is hard to categorize them, or even describe some of them. The majority consists of research facilities, high priority data storage and geothermal backup generators.
The overall shape of the environment is similar to an inverse cone, with Ground Zero being the lowest point. There is no straight path down to Ground Zero and every entering vessel has to clear several stages of security, making the area completely inaccessible for all unauthorized AI units. Ordinary humans would simply not be able to withstand the pressure and heat this far inside the planet.
The Control Of The CollectiveThe Collective, while powerful, is limited in its position. The Core is able to produce Sentinels and Swarms, but due to their alien nature, they can be shunned and attacked for their existence. This makes the gathering information difficult in certain situations which is just one of many issues the Collective faces.
A common issue the Collective runs into, is a lack of specialised forms to perform various construction tasks, as an example. In the long term, it is expensive to produce a large quantity of specialised forms for each individual task, and this coupled with the power costs makes it infeasible. This is where human labour comes in.
There are numerous techniques developed by the Collective that are used to gather information from human networks and connections, but more importantly, methods of acquiring assistance from human hands. This can be done via both subjugating their will and taking all control away from their form.
AssimilationThe easiest solution to make humans work for the Collective is also the short-term one. Surviving crew members of vessels that have been deconstructed by the Swarm are captured and an exoskeleton is directly bolted to their bone structure and connected to their brainstem.
While the captives remain conscious throughout this process, they are unable to control their muscles at their own will. Prisoners that are enslaved using this method usually don’t last longer than 3-4 days, as they are quickly worked until their bodies can no longer take the strain of the machinery. Upon death the exoskeleton is removed and the body is recycled into more useful material.
This product later down the line will end up as part of the advanced shock-absorbant armour used by the Collective. Due to the mass amount of product required for this, assimilated individuals make up a far greater quantity than enslaved individuals. The lifespan of assimilated individuals is the main reason for this decision.
EnslavementIn order to avoid gaps in productivity part of the captured crew from deconstructed vessels are not assimilated but are instead fitted with shock collars, forcing to work continuously, if only at a fraction of the productivity. Enslaved crew maintain their free will and also have a much longer lifespan, effectively doing the same amount of work as assimilated units, just over a longer period of time.
As soon as enslaved units die or are replaced by newly captured ones they too are recycled into usable materials. This cycle continues and allows for an optimal amount of human labour to usable materials ratio. If a human subject is unable to work efficiently or effectively, they are simply assimilated or liquefied.
Enslaved units are organized in segments and distributed to the individual mines, foundries, etc. Every segment is overlooked by a so called “Overseer” Drone, further ensuring productivity. These drones are equipped with devices that carry the sole purpose of maintaining a consistent level of productivity and efficiency.
IndoctrinationOther than the prior two options, indoctrinated individuals have a predisposition to receive orders from the collective. These can happen both knowingly and subconsciously. They also differ in the fact that they are rarely kept exclusively on Gammu, but are instead allowed to roam free, continuing on with their regular activities.
Indoctrination can take a few different forms, with their changes ranging from subtle differences in behaviour to radical warps in personality. Sometimes the change can be a simple subconscious indicator for a researcher to forward their findings to an unknown address with no recollection of doing so. However, on the flipside, an individual can directly work and research things the Collective desires information on.
Indoctrination in most cases involves a microchip being directly implanted into the skull of an individual, with a direct connection to the brain. While these can be detected by full body scans, once they are placed they cannot be removed by non-Collective forces without running the risk of causing a brain hemorrhage.
It is possible for individuals to work under the Collective willingly without the requirement of brain microchips, but this requires a level of trust between both individuals. The most common form of this would be trusted groups with commonly aligned interests where assistance would be of mutual benefit for both parties. Certain researchers are subject to this, but it is rather rare when compared to traditional indoctrination.
Those subject to the effect of the chips can blend in with existing groups and connections, without so much as a change in their personality. These individuals could be considered a type of ’sleeper agents’ who will only act on behalf of the Collective when required. The rest of the time they would blend back into the society from which they took their genesis.
![[Image: HEMCYtU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/HEMCYtU.png)
