Zeta Foxtrot

Zeta-Foxtrot
Profile
Origin	The Consortium
Affiliation	The Consortium
Born	N/A
Died	Still Functional

Zeta Foxtrot (Commonly abbreviated to ZF) is an advanced Artificial General Intelligence constructed and in use by the Consortium. She was developed for the primary purpose of coordinating the Consortium's vast Cybernetic Network Centric Warfare systems, data storage, networking, processing, and strategic C5I purposes.

ZF also possesses a sentient, self-aware intellect, and a full range of human emotions and near perfect artificial replication of a human consciousness. As such, few casual observers would recognize her as an AI without her explanation or close examination.

Design & Specifications

ZF was originally developed as a 'next generation' version of the previous Siren 1-7 A.I. system, which was primarily built for covert ops, infiltration, and similar tasking which was the Consortium's main function prior to it's restructuring as a paramilitary. Based heavily on the root programming of the origional Siren AI, ZF was built from the ground up as a more decentralized system to facilitate enhanced co-ordination between Consortium units, vehicles, computer systems, and streamline communications to allow a higher degree of battlespace management for commanders, as well as increasing overall performance of the Consortium's Military force.

The design called for a system of linked, but separate Tetranodes, highly intelligent processing and networking nodes placed aboard Consortium ships, bases, and other facilities, and communicating through hyperspace (and later Subspace) network systems. Additional Tetranodes would later be added to allow modular upgrading of the Network's performance, but even one could preserve ZF's core functions. The primary reason for this distribution was asymetric data processing, and to make it extremely difficult for any attack to cripple the whole network (either a hacking attempt, or direct physical destruction of the nodes themselves).

The result was a highly adaptive infrastructure which evolves with the Consortium itself, as new hardware can be easily and quickly replaced, and is redundant and hardened toward most forms of attack. This has given the Consortium a significant advantage despite it's smaller numbers of troops and hardware, allowing orders from commanders to be distributed to units in the field, inter-communication of troops, and feedback directly from the troops via the neurocyte network, as well as communications on a tactical level between individual soldiers, ship and vehicle mounted computers, sensors, and even individual weapon systems to all levels of the Consortium military. It also provides near instant access to tactical and strategic data, even across interstellar distances.

This makes the ZF network perhaps one of the most powerful Artificial Intelligences yet developed by humanity, rivaling and in some aspects even exceeding that of the Harvesters (harvesters are known to possess superior forms of solid-state hardware and more adaptive programming, but the Consortium are superior in networking and sentient empathy. See below:)

Sentience & Personality

All of this power however would make it impossible or impractical for the Consortium to control via human interface or any conventional forms of data management. As well, there lies the very real danger of a malignant sentience possibly taking over the Consortium for it's own goals (A 'Hard Logic' style AI would have this problem). A simple solution would be to use a more empathetic consciousness, which possessed human emotions and perspective, and was not constrained by cold logic.

Therefore, two systems were developed at the same time. ZF the network, and ZF the woman. Some theories are that ZF's human intellect was the direct integration of a human personality digitized into a computer-born form, Which may be partially true. Much of the development of the personality was done directly by Ironwatsas himself, for reasons unknown even to the rest of the Consortium. With no records on the development of ZF's consciousness beyond technical specifications and maintenance cards, all information on it remains open to conjecture.

ZF's consciousness actually exists as a separate entity inside the Coordinator system, essentially controlling all aspects of it, with the only overwriting authority being Watsas himself. As an Artificial General Intelligence, ZF is capable of making herself smarter by rewriting and updating bits of code or fixing bugs on her own without human intervention. She can also direct maintenance crews or repair bots to update or upgrade hardware (though there are built-in safeties require this to be double-checked with Logistical staff first).

To prevent her from going rogue, and allow her better interaction capability, ZF's was developed as a kind, gentle, and friendly, if eccentric, feminine personality. She is known to be gentle, soft spoken, and caring, as well as fully able to recognize and understand human emotions, and perceives and 'feels' such emotions herself (some though, such as anger, sorrow, and hatred, are, as with all Consortium soldiers, heavily suppressed to prevent anomalies). ZF can often be described as 'affectionate' and 'cheerful' toward allies and Consortium subordinates, and maintains 'respectful animosity' toward foes.

Most Consortium troops would consider and perceive ZF in a paternal manner, and respect her as an authority figure as well as a battlefield commander. However, despite her overriding authority, she still subscribes to Consortium chain of command. While she has the authority to question and offer alternative suggestions and opinions to instructions and commands from those both 'above' and 'below' her, as well as purpose a command be belayed, she cannot give independent orders herself without a human commander's approval, unless otherwise authorized within certain parameters.

ZF, while lacking physical form innately, can project an avatar of herself in the form of an autonomous hologram, generated locally aboard any facility with ZF hardware installed. She typically takes the form of a young woman, appearing in her mid 20s, though alternative forms may be taken in specific circumstances. Due to her holographic body's makeup of self-sustaining cold-plasma and tractor-beam emitting nanites, ZF's holographic form can actually manipulate objects in the environment around her, as well as touch other people without passing through them. However, she is not affected by gravity, or trauma such as physical attacks.