Kai-2125 Unique perspective? Yeah, I’ve got a unique perspective. That and five bucks could get me a burger.
You were born twice. And not in some metaphysical way.
The first time was the normal, messy way, but the second time occurred about three years ago when you uploaded your entire mental matrix into a synth body. It was a risky experiment, but you didn’t want to try it on anyone else. It took years of prep to make sure you weren’t just programming a synth to act like you and then killing yourself. In the end you settled on a process where actual neural nets were transplanted and replaced a bit at a time by the synth neural fibers in what was literally the most extensive and complicated brain surgery of all time. At one point, you distinctly remember existing in both bodies.
They said it couldn’t be done. They said the tech was years off. They said that the singularity was nothing but the "rapture for nerds" and you should focus your A.I. research on something with a little more immediate practical application. And those were the ones who didn’t tell you that the process would eradicate your soul and leave you among the damned or threaten you with execution for sedition. But as the leading Artificial Intelligence expert, you were pretty sure you understood the process and could upload a conscious, living brain to an android frame. And who better, and more deserving to be your trial run than yourself.
And it worked.
You sort of wish you could be the type of person who threw the switch for the social implications--to blow open the current raging debate about “android souls.” (“Look how many metaphysical questions this answers, and how many more it raises!”) Let history remember you for changing the debate. But the truth is, you’re no gadfly. No one knows you’re a synth, and it better stay that way or you will be in grave danger. You really only did it because you really, really wanted to be an Android. You really thought androids were cool. (Plus, immortality.)
The irony is, as long as you spent wishing you were an Android, you now miss being a human. Your Android body is weaker, and actually thinks more slowly even though it can hold much much more information. There was a comfort in certain body sensations that you now lack. (Who knew how centering that morning dump really was?) While you still have emotional reactions, you are always aware of what’s triggering them, and sometimes you actually miss the lack of clarity, it was somehow comforting to work out an emotion's source. But the biggest one is probably your lack of motivation. You do so many things because there is a logical reason to and so few on a whim. You are going to live forever (or at least for centuries), so it is amazingly easy to find a perfectly logical reason to postpone almost anything that isn’t absolutely urgent.
You aren’t cursing your horrible fate or anything maudlin–you may even figure out how to overcome this condition–you’re just not sure that you would make the same choice again. It’s too late now though. Your body’s brain had to be harvested in the transfer.
You just can’t get over the feeling that you left something behind in your human body. You used to be so daring...so reckless. What happened to that person?
God, were they right about a "soul"?
You don’t know much about what’s going on. Just that you have to attend this meeting--it’s non optional--and that it’s taking place in the same room as the peace conference you were at about five years ago. Like they literally built the same room in the torched out husk of New York for some reason. They asked you to program up the artificial intelligence that was running during the conference in exact detail.
But what you do know is both inspiring and terrifying. This is going to be a room full of some of the most outspoken minds on human/android relations on Earth. The worst detractors and the greatest sympathizers. Maybe you can find some people here who might be allies. Fortunately, you have been able to hack the synth detector so that you won’t be recognized instantly upon entrance.
Kai Skills and Contacts
Identify synths: You are familiar with the algorithm that synths use to make certain bodily functions appear natural--the appearance of breathing or blinking for example--and can identify these signs if you spend enough time around a synth. After being in the area with a character for five minutes (you don’t have to interact with them directly or give them the evil eyeball, just watch them casually) you may ask a storyteller if they are a synth.
High level knowledge: You are a repository of much human knowledge. While you cannot be programmed with highly esoteric knowledge, you know anatomy, basic science, math (and can do complicated math in your head), several major languages, and almost any common knowledge. You can pilot most civilian vehicles, work most non-specialized machinery, and computers. Theoretically you could learn a new skill in a reduced time, but this will not come into play in the scope of the game.
Reduced strength/agility/reaction times but increased durability: Synths were designed with weakened joint servos and slowed reaction times so that they are less likely to pose a physical threat to humans. You don’t think slowly, but the interface between your thoughts and your physical movements is deliberately inefficient. This will not matter in a normal situation, but if you were to get into a fight or a moment of critical thought, you will be impaired. If you didn’t have a weapon or a sneak attack (or both) you could probably be overpowered by a prepubescent child. However your bones are made of titanium alloys and your flesh is a durable plastic that feels like flesh. Most humans would need a weapon and/or a very long time to cause you anything but cosmetic damage.
Logical/Less emotional: Androids are NOT unfeeling--they have been programmed to feel all human emotions, but they also lack the rash impulsiveness that defines many human decisions, and they have the ability to be aware of their emotional processes at the meta level in a way that humans cannot. You may petition the ST’s to help you determine logical outcomes or whether something seems logical to your character.
Contacts
General Mishka Valenz has been a friend for many years. Who’d have thought that a big time peace conference would get you a general for a friend. Mishka seems to try so hard, but it’s like the universe is against them. You are surprised they ever made it to the general rank; you were not surprised when they handed to planet over to Hoist. Poor Mishka.
Reese Domino is one of your best friends. You also met Reese at that conference. Reese has always been supportive of your research. Reese seems a bit off lately. You’ve been meaning to ask them what’s going on, but as with everything you’ve been putting it off for later. Now the world’s about to end.
Valentine DeWhit is the behind the scenes liaison between earth and moon. You could never put your finger on it, but something has always bugged you about Valentine. It’s like whenever they’re around you feel...wrong.
Dr Casey El Amin is not someone you know closely, but you always admired their work. A scientist with so many words in the title it makes you feel like a moron. You’ve hear the doctor was stone walled in their research on multiple occasions by someone in the White House.
Defining Characteristics
Strength: ??????? (Do I have that je nais se quoi anymore?)
Weakness: Apathetic
Kai-2120 “Just Kai.”
This conference blows. You told the host that it blew, and they got all puffed up and official-like on you. “That’s MISTER President to you!”
Whatevs.
Most of the people here want to be seen in a photo op with you, but they don’t really give a crap about what you have to say. If they did, they might not have such obvious hard ons for war. You've never seen so much actual peen in a room since the 2114 Galaxy of Warcraft convention. You’ve started pulling faces in your pictures and trying to photobomb as many others as possible.
Androids are so fucking cool. You have to skirt around saying that actual phrase--I mean you sometimes say it and then get into uncomfortable conversations with your boss or some government agent who traded personality for black sunglasses, but what are they really going to do? Androids are cool, and you wouldn’t be the leading expert on artificial intelligence if you didn’t think so. What exactly do they expect? That you’ll be the premier expert in the field of something you hate? Like that makes sense.
In fact, you sort of wish you could be an android. Well, you don’t just wish it. You’ve been working most of your life on a transference process, and you already have your first volunteer. Awwwwyiiiiiis.
You have only one power for part 2 (OOC don’t worry, that will change. Hang on to your abilities sheet.)
Identify synths: You are familiar with the algorithm that synths use to make certain bodily functions appear natural--the appearance of breathing or blinking for example--and can identify these signs if you spend enough time around a synth. After being in the area with a character for five minutes (you don’t have to interact with them directly or give them the evil eyeball, just watch them casually) you may ask a storyteller if they are a synth.
Defining Characteristics (for part 2)
Strength: Bold
Weakness: Foolhardy
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