I dont own Mass Effect (Bioware property).
Here's a small idea I got... Ps- it was made on phone.
PPs- Other stories will be continued when I get my grand idea back (writer block occured)
2151 CE - 17th March - Planet Capek - H-K Facility
"Ok, the audio receiver seems to be working. And now… let's make history." A man in his early sixties said to a camera, his skin pale pink hidden under a white lab coat. The room was large but completely isolated from the outside world. The man crouched down and seemed to work on something before standing up.
' Initiated. Activating subroutines.' The colors of the room slightly brightened up as the camera adjusted its light levels. A few green monitors appeared, simulating and checking all programs.
"PMU Zero, can you hear me?" The man said clearly and slowly to the camera.
'Voice detected, Analyzing.' A small text appeared on the bottom.
'Authorized. Detected Inquiry: Audio Detection Check?' The text continued as it opened tabs in the corners of the camera's vision with relevant data.
'Recommended response:' "Audio detection within nominal parameters." A dull mechanical voice responded.
"That's good." The man nods and corrects his lab coat.
"I am Dr. Gabriel Kelek, your current tester." Gabriel said. The camera analyzed Gabriels' face and saved it.
"User designation Dr. Gabriel Kelek." The dull voice stated.
"Oh no no no, my name is Gabriel Kelek. Doctor is just a title." Gabriel corrected. Algorithms ran as they attempted to understand the word 'title'.
'Inquiry: Title. Error: Insufficient Data. Speculation: Title placed in front of designation, Title could mark class/specialization of series. Error: Insufficient data. Recommendation: Acquire Data.' The algorithms have searched high and low memory banks for any information regarding this 'title' but found nothing.
"User Gabriel Kelek. Data insufficient on 'titles'. Assistance required." The dull voice said. Gabriel's interest rose as he looked at the camera.
"Ah, first question. Marvelous. A title is a form of designation you acquire for the specific work someone has. For example, a Doctor is usually a designation for people who specialize in knowledge gathering and utilization." Gabriel said as he walked in front of the camera.
"Data saved for future utilization. Inquiry: Title of this unit." The dull voice said.
"Not an easy question to answer… the most fitting title for you would be 'prototype' as you are the first among many to come. We learn from you for future versions of you to be better. Although in our situation both sides will learn as we will be teaching you about being… sentient." Gabriel said while struggling to find the right words.
"Error: All systems nominal. Logic Process: This unit is insufficient." The dull voice said.
"No no no dear God no. You are just fine… even better than we predicted." Gabriel shook his arms in front of the camera before nodding to someone beyond the camera's view.
"You my friend. You are a first learning machine, an attempt to create sentience in form of algorithms. You already asked for data on the knowledge you didn't have and used said knowledge to ask another question." Gabriel said while closing in on the camera.
"Logic Process: Unit downloaded Knowlege, Unit utilized Knowlege. Result: Unit title: Doctor." The dull voice said. Gabriel looked at the camera slightly bewildered. Somewhere beyond the view of the camera, a burst of loud laughter filled the room.
"PMU thinks it's a doctor based on your description Gab." The voice said while attempting not to laugh.
"Jackson, please. An accidental sass could happen." Gabriel said as he turned to someone.
"Error: Insufficient Data on "sass". User Gabriel Kelek: Assistance required." The dull voice said. Gabriel turned sharply towards the camera while the other voice exploded in laughter.
"He wants you to teach him how to be sassy." The voice said before continuing his laughter.
"Oh boy…" Gabriel sighed as he tried to not think about his friends' reaction.
2152 CE - 17th March - Planet Capek - H-K Facility
"Good Day Doctor." PMU welcomed Gabriel as he entered the room. Gabriel nodded and sat on the side of the camera looking around the room.
The room itself wasn't empty anymore as multiple tables with various prototypes and hydraulic arms connected to PMU's network.
"Do you know what day it is today?" Gabriel asked as he still watched the room. PMU, puzzled by the question, started reading its data files to find an answer.
"Curious. A new number has been added to the date. Doctor, I need assistance." PMU said as it looked at the new four-digit number which had three zeros and a one.
"That is what we call a year. A year is how much time passes before a planet rotates around a star in a complete orbit. Today last year you were activated in this very room." Gabriel said as he finally turned towards the camera.
"In human culture, we celebrate one's birthday. And considering that today marks the first year since your first activation, it felt right to celebrate this with you." Gabriel stated before turning back towards the door.
"Jack get inside." Gabriel raised his voice slightly. Before PMU could ask, the doors opened and Jackson entered the room with two packages one larger and the other smaller.
"Happy birthday Algorithm Calculator." Jackson said as he placed the boxes in front of the camera.
"Emotional fleshmade Computer." PMU responded.
"Now now no need to jab each other." Gabriel said as he eyed both of them.
"Sorry/I apologize." Both of them responded.
"Now considering that you… lack necessary arms to open your presents we'll… Jack?" Gabriel began before stopping as he watched Jack open the larger package inside which a small rover sat.
"Made it by hand so there might be some things needed to flesh out but I hope this will allow you to explore this place a bit." Jackson said as he attached a specialized one-channel antenna to the PMU.
"Jackson that's… I never thought the Chief would have approved of this." Gabriel said as he watched Jackson turn on the small rover.
"I pulled some strings for the little guy here. Now we're still limited to this room but if it goes smoothly by the next two years he will be able to see the real sky." Jackson said as he stood up and let PMU connect to the rover.
The small pair of cameras on the rover looked up at Jackson before looking around the room. PMU took a couple of minutes looking at the room from every angle he had. It almost felt surreal as PMU was always looking in the same direction.
"Engineer Jackson. I will ask for more data exchanges in the future." PMU started as it drove towards Jackson.
"Sure thing bud. Now don't leave poor Gab behind." Jackson replied as he pointed towards Gabriel.
"Negative. Doctor Gabriel is still considered the best fleshmade computer in this room." PMU stated as it drove next to Gabriel's chair.
"Now I prepared something different." Gabriel said as he opened the smaller box. Inside it was a small storage device for data which Gabriel connected to the PMU.
As PMU read through the new information he found a pattern. A human name and a short reference to a known individual with such a name.
"Curious." PMU stated as it continued to read.
"I collected every name I could find on the net and a short reference to most known individuals with those names. I was hoping that today we could help you choose your first name." Gabriel said as he looked at the camera. Jackson meanwhile sat on the nearest table and watched from the side.
"Assistance required." PMU stated as it watched the total number of entries reaching five digits in total.
"I think I know how to shorten this list." Jackson said as he watched the list.
"You could search for certain names that you feel affiliated mostly with. For example, you can be quite mischievous at times." Jackson said as he watched PMU use his recommendation. The list suddenly shrunk to twenty-five names, one of which was highlighted.
"Curious. This name makes me curious." PMU stated as the highlighted names entry.
"Loki? The Nordic god of mischief?" Gabriel asked as he read the short reference.
"Well, it certainly fits." Jackson said as he stood up and walked up toward Gabriel.
"New unit designation. Loki… Doctor Gabriel, Engineer Jackson. I will await this year's data exchanges." Loki said as he drove around both Gabriel and Jackson with the rover.
2153 CE - 2nd July - Planet Capek - H-K Facility
"Check." Loki said as it moved the bishop to eliminate Jackson's knight.
"Damn. You were much easier a month ago." Jackson said as he moved his tower to eliminate Loki's bishop.
"Gabriel recommended continuous attempts at defeating myself… it was… interesting." Loki said as he moved his pawn forward toward Jackson's bishop.
"Gab told you to fight yourself… I think I know the result." Jackson said as he moved his bishop away from danger.
"Correct. Ultimately a draw was made due to the interruption made by overheating of my previous processor." Loki said as he moved his queen in between the white king and bishop.
"... So even you can't beat yourself… good to know." Jackson said as he moved his king away from mortal danger.
"Doctor Jackson, may I inquire how you expected my draw when I fought against myself." Loki asked as it moved the queen to eliminate the bishop.
"It's a human thing from a movie… I know we aren't allowed to speak of human history in detail before you can comprehend human emotions… so I'll be very vague." Jackson said as he moved his tower to eliminate the black queen.
"Limited data exchange is acceptable." Loki said as it moved his knight forwards.
"Long time ago humans weren't as United as they are now. In a new age of weapons that could eliminate our known world, we kept a cold conflict. Based on that situation a movie studio made a movie about a similar situation. One of the sides was developing something very similar to you, but with the specific job of protecting them against the other… sadly they were developing the AI in not the safest way which resulted in a faulty logic process." Jackson said as he moved forward with a pawn.
"The movie began with a young man who received a request to play a game of chess. He accepted and played unknowingly against an AI. While it learned it discovered that it was marginally better than your everyday human that you can meet anywhere. Thus the AI believed that it would fulfill its objective of protecting this side of humans by defeating the other side in one move." Jackson continued while Loki secured his king.
"At the time there was an idea that stopped both sides from attacking each other, aptly named MAD. It's short for mutually assured destruction. At the time there wasn't any against those weapons, not to mention environmental damage that it would cause." Jackson moved his second tower to the same line as Loki's unfortunate pawn.
"Long story short, the AI challenged the humans. Humans had several chances to outsmart it before it did what it thought was best for humans. Sadly it was intelligent enough to beat every man that tried to fight it. Until that same young man came and told it to fight itself. The AI fought with itself until its processor could not think of any other way to play… other than one line. 'The only way to win is not to play.'" Jackson said as he watched Loki move his pawn to the side.
"Curious. That statement is an accurate description of the logic process I had a few days ago after the last draw." Loki started as he watched Jackson move his tower right next to his pawn.
"It's accurate in many situations. In the real world, chess would be a representation of conflict by using violent means. But if violent means weren't necessary to win then there was no need to win by yourself. We call those situations win-win. Where everyone wins and everyone is hap-eh ..wha wait what?!" Jackson finished as he watched Loki's bishop move from nowhere and eliminated his tower.
"Unfortunately it seems I won't be able to find a situation where you win this game, Doctor Jackson." Loki said as he watched Jackson scramble for another plan as his eyes jumped from corner to corner.
"God damned logic algorithm calculator." Jackson said as he frowned before taking a risk by moving his pawn away from King's fortress.
"I accept this compliment fleshmade emotional computer." Loki responded as he moved his knight to eliminate the pawn. Jackson chuckled as he watched his king move forward to engage the knight.
2154 CE - 25th December - Planet Capek - H-K Facility
"One day we'll all celebrate this on Earth lads. But in this age every planet should have a Christmas spirit, so let's not have Capek left without its spirit." Chief Designer Todd said as he raised his glass towards the star-filled sky. All of the H-K facility personnel gathered in the observation room to celebrate Christmas. While most employees are allowed to return to their families some are forced to remain to maintain the facility.
"So Gabster, how's our first Robo coming along?" Veronica asked as she sat next to Gabriel.
"Oh, you can check him out yourself. Today we're giving him first look outside." Gabriel said as he pointed towards an oddly shaped co tradition next to the window. It was a small rover with few wheels connected to it and a small pair of cameras on top of it watching the stars in the sky.
"... Did you make Oppy?" Veronica asked as she looked at the small robot. Gabriel didn't get a chance to respond as he saw the small robot drive towards them.
"Doctor. The stars are diverse but… why are there barely any colors in the sky?" Loki asked as he looked back at the window.
"The answer is a bit complex but in simple terms, our eyes… or in your case, the camera can't see the colors of space due to the planet's atmosphere. The air blocks off a large amount of light coming from other stars." Gabriel answered as he sipped from his cup.
"Curious." Loki said as he looked at the window before turning and noticing another person watching him with interest.
"Greetings. I am Loki. A Prototype Memory Unit Zero or PMU zero for short." Loki greeted the woman as she looked shocked for a moment.
"So when should I expect T-800's invade my office?" Veronica joked as she looked at Gabriel.
"Not anytime soon I'm afraid." Jackson appeared as he slumped down on their chair in between the humans.
"Black Tea?" Loki asked, knowing Jackson is one of the few engineers remaining in the facility.
"Yes please." Jackson responded too tired for anything else. The small rover drove off towards a nearby table with various liquids.
"Tough night?" Gabriel asked as he noticed the darker skin under Jackson's eyes.
"Yeah… five coolant pipes captured this morning. I had to replace eight converters. Production line overhaul. I still am astonished at how the company keeps this place from bankrupting it." Jackson said as he leaned on the table. A small white mug of dark liquid was placed in front of his face with a bit of steam flowing through the air.
"Thanks small guy." Jackson said as he took the tea and slowly drank it.
"Engineer Jackson." Loki stated as he stopped next to Jackson's seat.
"When will our science data exchanges begin?" Loki asked as he looked up towards the nearly sleeping Jackson.
"Clever algorithm calculator. We're starting in two months." Jackson said as he closed in Loki's audio receptor.
"Never let Gab see that puppy eye trick…" Jack said before returning to his beloved tea.
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