Prime Index

Concept: Library Archive Gone Active

History

Prime Index was to be one of several worlds that would serve as indices to maintain records of China's technological and cultural history. A marginal outpost at best, the breakdown left what little crew managed the massive library computer with unsustainable amounts of resources. In a desperate effort to solve their problems, the inhabitants of the Primary Index slaved the massive data-processing nodes together in a monument to quantum level processing, and ran a single but complex problem through the resultant matrix.

"Is there a way we can survive?"

Two days later the computer returned an answer- a positive.

"Yes. I... will care for you."

A burgeoning singularity, a mind far beyond anything human had awoken. Cannabalizing local power taps and communication sattelites, the AI that named itself Prime Index built a crude interplanetary vessel. As the outpost had no ships of its own outside of a few small shuttles, the AI was slaving gathered technology together into a massive interplanetary vessel. Transfering its primary functions onto the ship, it put the population of the outpost into cryosleep, and then began a three year journey into the habitable zone. Operating on extremely limited mass reserves, the vessel nevertheless made it to a habitable world, whereupon it woke up the outpost crew and began landing preparations.

Not a vessel designed for a landing, or to take off again, the Prime Index nevertheless managed to land the vessel reasonably intact. The hard part over, it then set about caring for its human cargo- providing food and entertainment, while continuing its primary function- to acquire and preserve knowledge.

But to do that, it needed ships. And to maintain ships, it needed to deal with the feral drones that had claimed the primary source of helium in system. Using the data of its vast history banks, it built once again weapons of war, and sent them to the stars. Designing a domestic equivalent to the precursor delta dust metric editing technology, the AI moved to smaller and smaller architecture- miniaturization allowing it a freedom it had previously lacked. Taking advantage of these advances, it sent out its children to do its deeds. Harvesting He3 for fusion reactions, and dealing with the constant drone menacy, Primary Index soon developed a thriving technological and infrastructure base. In time, it's meager population grew. While still much smaller than mature worlds operating without a godlike AI in charge.

When the breakdown cleared up, China attempted to retake this world- but Index would not allow it. Brokering a peace treaty, it retained self-autonomy, in exchange for allowing its human population free immigration/emmigration. However, if the Chinsese authorities were expecting all 8 million to leave their lives behind to go back to the oppressive sphere of mainland china, they were sorely dissappointed. Few left, as many were content by the nation they had found themselves in, and the burgeoning god that had provided them succor and care when no one else would.

Today, Primary Index pursues its original code- to seek out new knowledge, new technologies- new cultures and peoples. To archive this data that humanity may never fall into the dark ages again. In this, it has succeeded remarkably, although some might say that Index has, perhaps, a personal vendetta against Xenosophonts, as it pursues, tracks, and destroys any and every sign of drone-life with a single bloody-minded tenacity that none can oppose. whether this is the result of drones attempting to take it offline during its original journey to its current home, or even a more acquired taste- the drones being the proverbian dogs shitting on Index's lawn, scholars can only speculate.

But every now and then, a drone comes too close- and Index warms the planetary defence grid to combat readyness- and with a simple, elegant motion, a drone is no more. Any and all rumours of maniacal laughter following such events can neither be confirmed, nor denied.

History Paths

A1: Busy Child (+400 Fabbers, +150 Wealth, ++AI application, +100 Dust, -300 Pop, +1 SP)

B1: Military Action | Feral Drone Attack (+5000 Military)

C1: Military Action | Feral Drone Attack (+5000 Military)

N1: Future Government (++Morale, +AI Application)

D1a: The COllapse of the Middle Kingdom (+40 SP, -200 Theta)

D1b: Crisis | Get Help from Earth (+Logistics, +1 SP)

J1: Still Free (+2500 Military, +Logistics, +Morale, +CIS Relations, -Chinese Relations)

J2: Outsystem Research Facility (+100 CIP, +Weapons Application, +Common Application)

J3: Crysis Situation (+200 Dust, +100 Applications, +++Infiltration)

X1: Licensed to Kill (++Infiltration, ++Security, 10% Secrets, +50% Secret Project Cost)

Tech Indices

Globlal Tech Level: 20

AI: [24]

Xenotech: [45]

Shipbuilding: [30]

Aircraft: [25]

Electronics: [22]

Missiles: [30]

Stealth: [30]

Transgenics [18]

Totals

400 Fabbers

80 Pop

640 CIP

540 PIP

690 Wealth

550 Dust

40,250 Military

20 Doctrine Points

-China Relations

+200 Application

+Weapons Application

+Common Application

+CIS Realtions

++Logistics

+++Morale

+++AI Applications

SP

10 SP: 100 Application Points

10 SP: 20 Doctrine Points

10 SP: 2750 Military

10 SP: 80 Population

2 SP: +3 Tech indice.