ARIA Ship Control System

The ARIA Ship Control System, often simply referred to as the ARIA or ARIA-SCS is a pre-exodus technology developed by the Lorath Matriarchy in the Post Exile Year 547. The ARIA serves as a high power, sapient capable computing system intended for use in installation, starship, and large vehicle applications providing dedicated computing systems as well as in some cases supplementary or secondary crew options.

The history of the ARIA-SCS began in early 542 Post Exile as a primarily academic exercise headed by a group of independent hardware specialists, AI programmers, and bio-engineering specialists coming together to form a team to tackle what would be known as Project A. The initial concept was to create an intelligent starship control AI system with an ego¹⁾, rather than simply replicating a pre-existing ego for the AI's template. Inspired by other military-grade artificial intelligence endeavours at the time, the goal eventually became to create a computer that was also a fully-realized, fully functional, humanoid through entirely artificial means.

After numerous failed prototypes, the team was finally successful - in 544 Post Exile, 'Aria' was activated. The system became known as the Advanced Responsive Intelligence Assembly Starship Control system²⁾ and was installed in a patrol craft.

The system did everything it was intended to do. Aria was obedient to the orders of the Project A personnel, and was able to easily control and monitor the ship in its entirety. Further Aria was visibly indistinguishable from any other Lorath and was fully capable of interpersonal relations³⁾.

However, not all was well.

Despite Aria doing everything she was intended to do, as time passed she became belligerent, snarky, impersonal, violent, and easily angered. The parties involved and invested in Project A when demonstrated the capabilities of the ARIA-equipped patrol craft were impressed until they actually spoke to Aria herself. Expecting the computer to have a cheerful personality⁴⁾, they were universally put off and refused to license, sponsor, or continue the fruits of Project A's work.

Despite desperate attempts of the team involved to develop a second prototype, with a more agreeable personality, the funding pool for Project A soon dried up. To recoup some of their costs, Aria was reinstalled into a derelict cargo vessel and put into stasis, while all other assets of Project A were liquidated and the team went their separate ways. A quirk of fate led to the old cargo vessel eventually landing in the hands of an entrepreneur involved in Lorath defensive initiatives during the Lorath's early forays into the interstellar stage. The presence of the ARIA prototype within the cargo ship proved to be a pleasant surprise to the man.

Despite Aria's continued belligerence on reactivation, she was obligated to obey and project her new owner, which she did⁵⁾. The Entrepreneur oddly developed a fondness for Aria and very much liked her company, and even gave her a somewhat ill fitting pet name “Grey Serahim” derived from 'human' folklore, which she herself eventually adopted. Though the Entrepreneur possessed the complete schematics for the ARIA system, he realized that he lacked the necessary capabilities to copy or improve the ARIA system for his own purposes. Additionally it was far too complex for him to understand fully, much to his chagrin. As such the ARIA project was once again shelved as the Entrepreneur awaited the opportunity to acquire the resources to develop it further.

The chance would come when the Entrepreneur found themselves in the employ of the Lorath government having answered a call for technical specialists sorely needed to bolster the Matriarchy's at the time inadequate technological and military capabilities. While the Entrepreneur himself proved rather infamous for his cultural faux-pas and a rather unnerving tendency to obliviousness, Aria quickly acquainted herself with their new circumstances impressing many of those around them. With recent advances in Lorath bio-technology already trending toward the development of organic starship super-computing, including a primitive implementation in prototype fighter craft of the time, the decision was made to adopt, reverse engineer, and continue the development of the ARIA unit utilizing the forgotten fruits of Project A.

“The role of an A-Type is to provide the ultimate interface. One that can be instructed even with minor gestures. One that is seamless in conversation, but more forgiving than any counsellor psychologist. This also means that they make excellent companions, both professionally and personally, in that they can not only have an intelligent conversation, but they're also extremely loyal, have a long life-time, and can often provide useful services for their user. Bonding with the end user, so to speak.⁶⁾”

- from the ARIA Operation Manual

The Type 0 refers to Aria herself, as the original prototype template for all future A-Types. Notably she lacks a persogenic keybond and simply operates on hardcoded directives about obeying the end user and self-preservation. In addition, her internal workings are very different from those present in later models, having been referred internally within the Matriarchy's R&D as “A mess of spaghetti logic and the work of a madman.” Currently her body is a mishmash of elements from 'human' and human-derived genomes according to her last owner's wishes. She is about twice as strong as an average 'human.'

Type 1 refers to the pre-production run of test-types that were produced by the Lorath military and a few private developers at varying persogenic settings. Though few problems were expects, many tests and careful analysis was completed on this run of ARIA units to ensure that they were 'safe' before proceeding into mass-production. The genetic template used for the Type 1's run was based partially on volunteer members of the Fyunnen caste, though the vast majority were sourced from helashio templates. A small number of the templates were modified to have a 'human' physical form at the request of the Entrepreneur who provided the ARIA schematics to the Matriarchy's government.

At the time of testing many organizations were evaluated and eventually allowed to perform tests on the Type 1 production line. Some of the more noteworthy examples are listed below:

• The Lorath Self-Defence Forces
  • These were used in select bringer_of_thunder models, violet paint was used to identify them as ARIA Test Types.
  • A few models were installed in Zahl 01 class cruisers with similar marking colors.

The Type 2 marked the first full production run of the ARIA system. This model, unlike the pre-production model was widely available and even exported beyond the borders of the Lorath Matriarchy to allied militarizes and civilians. This model upon release featured a negotiable price that was handled on a case by case basis by the Lorath Matriarchy, with background checks performed and periods of consideration taken, especially in the case of bulk orders. Retrofitting services were also made available by the Matriarchy for a nominal fee further increasing the availability of the ARIA Type 2.

As a result of the data gathered during the testing phase of the Type 1, the ARIA architecture was extended into several general roles it was not initially designed for; in particular, networking capability. ARIA-type processing units became common in Lorath military technology, at all levels of capability.

== ARIA (Standard Type) The standard type was designed to be a powerful, flexible computing unit, bodyguard, and a companion. It was available with several options for physical form, and persogenic settings. Installation was available for most ship models, or to be included natively in Lorath ships designed from the ground up to support an ARIA unit.

The “S” meaning “servant” on the Type 2S models were designed to provide similar capabilities to the standard Type 2, with one vital difference: The AI is modified in such a way as to ensure it is no longer truly sentient. While Type 2S AIs have pleasant personalities programmed in with memory capability and emotional response, it will in no way mature or develop in capability. As a result of the changes the Type 2S was notably much lower in cost and was intended primarily as a ship control interface.

Intended as the low-end civilian model, the Type 2NV has no physical body at all. While it is otherwise capable of all the standard ARIA functions equivalent to those programmed into the Type 2S, it is simply a computer without a face. This model was provided not only as a low-cost option, but also for those who prefer this method of operation. Additionally Type 2NV units were used as subprocessor units in specialized applications.

Further simplified the Type 2LNV model of the ARIA processor was only used within the Lorath Matriarchy's government and military with no civilian applications. This system was reduced to the point of not being functional as a 'ship control system,' but rather a generalized processor based on the same architecture as the ARIA Type 2. It was used in places such as laptops, data pads, communications devices, powersuits, and other embedded systems. This unit contained no AI whatsoever in the majority of its applications, and simply ran the Xtal interface as its operating system.

The ARIA Type 3 released in 547 Post Exile after an initial beta development phase in which ARIA II types were outfitted into a 2.4.2 configuration as a transitionary step toward the official ARIA III release, the LSDF has determined that the ARIA III project is suitable to be fully and properly released. ARIA III improves upon the ARIA II by using entirely synthetic components, in place of potentially failure prone organic components, such as neurological tissue, skin, cardiovascular system, and sensory organs.

With advancements made by the ARIA 2.4.2 beta program, the synthetic components used in the Type 3 release are entirely unable to be differentiated from organic models unless a diagnostic or medical exam is performed. To further compliment and expand upon the Type 3's functionality the units are equipped with a pair of Lorath Medical Implants which serve to maintain the integrity of the unit, aid in stabilization and repair in the event of damage to the unit, as well as provide tertiary function as desired by the end-user.

Type 3 models like the Type 2 are available in “S”, “NV” and “LNV” configurations as required by user or application.

Being at its core, a humanoid life-form with a computerized brain designed to replicate that of a Lorath, an A-Type has a similar psychology to that species. Though early runs of the A-Type addressed many of the initial problems such as overt violence, unchecked neural growth, among others, the series did not read the ideal espoused by the original designers until the release of the ARIA Type 3.

This major system innovation was provided initially by the Lazarus Consortium, then Lazarus Precision Technologies, referred to as the persogenic keybond. While the original Aria had a rudimentary system that identified the owner and obligated Aria to serve them, this system could be easily circumvented and was rather obtuse in its logic. The new system which was based wholly on Lorath psychological theory, not only identifies the owner(s), but also outlines exactly the level of 'realism' that the A-Type is allowed to develop and express.

The system was developed to be represented in either a three-character or five-character string which will be represented with the characters A through F. An 'A' indicates that, in the chosen category, the A-Type is fully loyal to its owner and cannot refuse under any circumstances. An 'F' means that the A-Type has complete free will in regards to that aspect of its operation. Anything above an 'F' in a function means the A-Type's will is restricted in some way.

Generally the more people that a given A-Type is expected to serve, the less free will it will have. Typically A-Types designed for fighter craft have the most free will, as they have only one assigned pilot, and will usually slowly develop a natural bond with them over time. A-Types on capital ships on the other hand, may not even have the ability to properly interact with the crew, and thus will have as little free will as possible.

A keybond may be upgraded, giving the A-Type a greater aspect of free will, but it may not be downgraded without extremely sensitive equipment available only to Matriarchy technicians. This is due to the very high risk of psychological damage to the A-Type in the event of a downgrade and is typically not recommended.

Three-character format: PSY:PHYS:SEX

Five-character format: PSY:PHYS::VAN:ACT:MAN

Sample key: A:A:A - Completely loyal in all formats.

• PSY: Psychological: It won't argue with you, it won't despise your habits, or say “no.”
• PHYS: Physiological: Even if it does despise or love you, this can be compared to the degree of “free will” allowed. Even if it doesn't want to, if this is A, the A-Type will do it anyway. If it is F, it has to be convinced just as any organic sentient does.
• SEX: Sexually: This decides whether the A-Type will have an integrated system for managing emotional/social constructs like vanity (VAN), sexual contact (ACT), and maintenance (MAN).

Note: that none of these functions will restrict the A-Type's thoughts; as such it is possible for the A-Type to hate it's owner and still have to utilize its body to please them.

Under normal circumstances, the first thing an A-Type wants to know is anything not taught or input prior to activation. Common questions are; who people are, who “master” is, etc. During this stage, the A-Type will seem very monotone and difficult to deal with⁷⁾ Through this process, the A-Type's personality will manifest quickly, and soon enough it will be able to socially interact in a proper, if eccentric manner.

During this time, the A-Type will develop a personal connection to the craft it was designed for. The exact results of this connection are dependant upon the specific model. For example: A-Types designed explicitly for control⁸⁾ will feel vulnerable when outside of the control core, as though naked. A-Types designed for both control and social interactions however, are fully capable of venturing throughout the whole of the ship, and even away from their ship without difficulty.

During this stage, the A-Type will be quite eager to gather any and all possible data. It will often attempt to connect to networks to process data and store it for later use. This can be dangerous, depending on the networks available to the A-Type, because of this filtering software is recommended and included with the A-Type by default, to prevent inadvertent access to data dangerous to the impressionable A-Type's psyche.

As this stage continues, the A-Type will begin to form proper interpersonal relationships with those it serves. While the A-Type, through Xtal, can concentrate on multiple conversations at once, it is recommended that the A-Type be allowed interpersonal relationships outside its control core⁹⁾. Sexual relations, depending on the persogenic settings, are also to be expected, especially with A-Types who only have a single operator, such as in fightercraft.

By the third stage, the A-Type will be psychologically complete. It will know who it is, what it is, what its purpose is, and its relationship to those around it. Its learning systems will not have waned in operation, however, since it knows almost everything about its immediate environment, much of that system will be devoted to self-optimization, making the A-Type's capabilities much greater relative to the prior two stages.

During this stage, an A-Type requires little to no special treatment as it can be treated as any other sentient. Although it knows more, and thinks faster than most, it will respond as a sentient individual, with a a full emotional range that is complete with quirks, idiosyncrasies, and flaws. If battle comes, it will serve as an extremely capable control system, taking command of the ship and following every order to the letter and as needed, spirit.

It is only at this stage that it is possible to transfer an A-Type to another craft without lasting psychological damage.

During the third stage of operation, an A-Type will eventually break down its persogenic keybond through its own data management interface. It will, essentially, route around it. How soon this happens is variable depending on the development of the individual unit with the only hard commonality being that it only occurs in the third-stage of operation. While this inevitability causes a dramatic increase in capability¹⁰⁾, it also means that the A-Type is no longer beholden to its instructions. For this reason, for the safety of its owner and those around it, it is recommended that the owner keep an amicable relationship with the A-Type.

An extremely rare issue present in early Type 2 models was that some models became insane upon the persogenic keybond's breakdown. Due to being observed in 1% of all Type 1 test models the eventuality was prepared for, and there were few notable incidents within the Matriarchy before the problem was addressed and eliminated in the Type 2 2.0.5 configuration. Despite the high danger it was found that an insane A-Type is not always useless as demonstrated by the Type 0 model, which has been insane almost since activation, yet was still a useful unit. As such despite the highly dangerous nature of insane models, a few were kept by their users even though the Matriarchy offered a program to provide replacements for insane models free of charge, some of which are still in circulation aboard independent ships.

Typically shortened to simply ARIA, this term refers to the system as a whole.

Sort for ARIA-Type, this is a bio-engineered creature that forms the heart of the ARIA system. An A-Type can, in theory, take any form that can accept the simulated central nervous system. Despite this the majority of A-Types take physical forms similar to a lorath, helashio, or human, though other humanoids are not unheard of. As a result of tradition and social beliefs the A-Type is usually female in form, but can be male as well. Most A-Types are designed to mimic biological function as closely as possible¹¹⁾. Typically an A-Type can be identified by the series of plugs descending along the spinal column. Though other plugs are present in all models, they are more often covered by simulated skin for social reasons. A standard scan will reveal the nature of an A-Type easily, though some specially made models may be modified to obfuscate this. Early tradition was to provide an A-Type with a single name, usually starting with an 'A' phonetic, however, time, user preference, and practicality has resulted in limited adherence.

Effectively a simulated brain, the CNS is covered in neuron-like tissue in order to emulate the proper interactions that would be found within the biological host body. The CNS has three levels of processing: Neural-network, digital, and quantum; and two levels of data storage: Neural-network, and digital. As a result, it thinks like a sentient being, but has the speed and reliability of a computer. The CNS physically, is very durable and redundant in construction allowing for an A-Type to be revived so long as the main portion of its CNS is intact, this main component of non-redundant parts being a sphere about the size of a marble¹²⁾ found at the center of the device.

Even with the processing power of the CNS, the amount of data that an A-Type must process at once is immense. As such an optical multiplexer located near where the body's brain stem would exist, referred to as the 'dataplexer' helps keep the amount of data that the A-Type must manage at once manageable.

Constructed as a fluid filled cavity, within which a myriad of cables congregate from every part of the ship, the control core is where the A-Type resides when she is running the ship's systems. As the central computing interface for the entire ship, this location features a hardwired connection to every system, external terminal, and access point for independent computing devices present aboard the ship.

While immense, the memory of the CNS is not unlimited. To assist with the memory storage needs of the A-Type, biological memory packs, collectively referred to as the 'Datacore' are stored within the construction of the Control Core. In addition to providing a backup of the A-Type's computer memory, it functions as a central memory back to store the ship's repository of information¹³⁾.

When in the Control Core, in order to meet the A-Type's needs, air, water, sustenance for the biological portions of the A-Type, as well as the power feed for the electronic portions, a consolidated cable that attaches directly to one of the A-Type's many ports. When outside of the Control Core however, the A-Type will usually eat and drink normally to provide basic fuel for its body's operation.

To properly operate a ship, the A-Type must have the ability to see what goes on within its corridors. In fightercraft the sensor systems are usually limited to aural sensors and biosensors for communicating and monitoring the pilot, in addition to the craft's external sensor data. In larger ships sensor systems are handled in one of two ways;

1. As a network of internal sensors with occasional 'eyes'¹⁴⁾ typically found within ships designed for use with the ARIA.
2. As retrofitted sensor strips along the walls and ceilings of the ship.

Typically internal sensors are provided with OLED capability that allows them to glow faintly in a colour of the A-Type's choice when it is within the Control Core, and to flicker when the A-Type speaks giving crew a focal point when conversing with the A-Type.

The interface that connects the Core-occupying A-Type to the outside world. When one communicates with the A-Type, whether through keyboard or voice, they are being routed through the Xtal, and when the A-Type responds, the Xtal is providing the voice or text that appears. As a secondary function, the Xtal replaces the A-Type for basic ship functionality when the A-Type is unavailable. The Xtal is unintelligent, and does not respond to voice commands well as its capabilities alone are rudimentary.

See ARIA Systems Breakdown

This sub-article features thick technobabble that has been said to be thick enough to suffocate in. Read or ignore at your leisure.

Original work by Osaka and Doctomoe present version transcribed by Eistheid