BEYOND: Ulysses
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USS Odyssey
LCDR Ulysses- Operations Manager, USS Odyssey
- Player: Scott Lusby
- Contact: Email
- Last Updated: SD 27710123.1000
I. Personal Data
================
Full Name: ULYSSES
Surname: -none-
Given Name: -none-
Nickname: "Uli"
Current Rank: Lieutenant Commander (O-4)
NOTE: Rank is honorary
Current Billet: N/A; functions as Operations Manager and Damage
Control Coordinator
A. Physical Description (Avatar)
--------------------------------
HT: Appears as a human male of 1.83 meters
WT: Has no actual mass; appears as a human of approx. 80 kg.
EY: blue
HR: brown w/ streaks of gray
SK: white
Blood Type: -none-
Religion: -none-
Citizenship: -none- (property of the United Federation of Planets)
Languages: programmed to understand and speak the language of every
Federation and non-Federation world in the galaxy.
==========================================================================
II. Educational Background
===========================
A. Academic Institutions Attended
---------------------------------
--none--
-
B. Service Schools Attended
---------------------------
--none--
C. Qualifications (MOS/MOCs)
----------------------------
--none--
D. Star Fleet Academy Record
----------------------------
Did not attend Star Fleet Academy.
=========================================================================
III. Biographical Notes
=======================
A. Chronology (tabular form)
----------------------------
0-Present: Brought on-line at Ferenginar Shipyards
B. Background Summary
---------------------
ULYSSES is the name by which the holographic interface of the USS ODYSSEY
is known. He appears as a humanoid male of somewhere around 80-100
years old (remember, prolong technology means huamns live for 250+ years
now).
1- the Development of the "Smart" Starship
------------------------------------------
Holographic crew are nothing new to Star Fleet; beginning with the EMH
programs of the later 24th century, later advancing to ECH (Emergency
Command Holograms) programs and, eventually, to large-scale holographic
crews performing many of the more dangerous tasks, especially in
Engineering and Damage Control, that had before been performed by living
crew, reducing the number of crew each starship employed.
In the 27th century, designers began building "smart" starships- starships
that had an artificial intelligence of its own, further reducing the crew
compliments of starships, as many of the more every-day duties could now be
performed by the ship itself. Such starships still needed a command team
and some crew, as there were some instances where the intuitive spirit of
living tissue cannot be replaced by programming and mechanics. However,
the end result of such starships was the evolution of Star Fleet into a
"professional fleet" composed almost entirely of Academy-and-university-
trained officers, many with multiple degrees and specializations.
2- Programming of the AI
------------------------
These early "smart" starships were designed cautiously, given Star Fleet's
less-than-spotless-history with intelligent computers, such as the M-5.
A starship could wipe out a planet from orbit if something went wrong, so
great care was taken to minimze this threat. For instance, the ship's
"personality"- its manner of behavior, its whims, etc.- is completely
separated from its operational core, and is kept separate unitl moments
of "great crisis" fully intergrate one with the other to allow for
intelligent action. Such moments are triggered by signalling a red alert.
A large part of a "smart" starship's programming has to do with the ideals
of duty and honor: a starship's AI is programmed to have a heightened sense
of duty (to Star Fleet, to her crew, etc.) and honor. This programming makes
the ship ever more likely to obey an order, as respect for the chain of
command or a sense of duty or honor to its crew would compel it to do so.
At the core of a "smart" starship's most fundamental programming are three
most basic rules; everything else a starship does stems from the application
of these rules:
1. A starship may not injure a friendly sentient force or, through inaction,
allow a friendly sentient force to come to harm.
2. A starship must obey any orders given to it by sentient Star Fleet forces,
except where such orders would conflict with the previous rule.
3. A starship must protect its own existence and the lives of those entrusted
to it as long as such protection does not conflict with the previous
two rules.
Such rules, by themselves, would not allow much room for a ship to engage
in combat. Therefore, also programmed into thje AI are a set of protocols known
as "Hostility Overrides" which allows the ship's AI to evaluate and ascertain
the hostility of any encountered vessels according to Star Fleet protocols.
Should the tactical component to the AI deem an incoming force "hostile,"
(i.e. posing a direct danger to the ship and crew, which would engage Rule #3)
the AI will obey any orders (engaging rule #2) to attack the hostile force or
defend itself and the crew on board at the orders of the commanding officer.
This effectively subordinates Rule #1 in such instances.
Finally, should all else fail and a "smart" starship disobey a "good" direct
order (essentially going rogue), "smart" starships are programmed- and this is a
direct consequence of the M-5 experiments of the 2260's- with what is called
"The Final Protocol." Essentially, this is a powerful worm that destroys the
ship's AI, completely disabling the ship so as to keep it from endangering the
lives of any sentient forces. It is essentially a suicide pill for the ship.
The starship's AI is completely aware of the presence of "The Final Protocol."
C. ULYSSES
----------
1. Function
-----------
ULYSSES, as mentioned, is the holographic interface of the ship's AI. "Uli,"
as his programmers have called him, IS the ship's AI- when one is speaking to
Uli, he/she is actually speaking to the ship itself. This was done so that Uli
could interact with the crew he was carrying in a way that transcends simple
conversation. Uli interacts with the crew, and performs the duties of Operations
Manager and Damage Control Coordinator. However, he does whatever anyone asks
of him- asking Uli to do something is the same as pushing buttons on a console.
Uli may not actually physically go and do the work asked of him; all he has to
do is direct some part of the ship's computer core to complete the task...but
he will do anything, from running experiments to analyzing readings to raising
shields to monitoring the containment on the zero-point energy core- at the
same time. In fact, that would only take a few second of his time.
2. Personality
--------------
Uli's personality is that of a gung-ho Star Fleeter: intense pride in the
uniforom (which is why his holographic personma is always in uniform),
extrememly sensitive to ideals of duty and honor, tackles tasks with gusto,
etc. As he is programmed to work a problem to its conclusion, his persona
reflects this.
=========================================================================
IV. Official Star Fleet Record
=============================
<<DO NOT CHANGE THIS- JUST REMOVE THIS NOTEATION.>>
A. Promotion History:
=============================
(27)701117: Came online as Lieutenant Commander (O-4)
B. Service History
------------------
(27)710121: Began service in Star Fleet as holographic AI for
USS ODYSSEY NCC-359262.
C. Medals and Commendations
----------------------------
Not appicable.
==========================================================================
V. Skills Profile
==================
As Uli is the sum of his programming, he is proficient in just about anything
that is asked of him.
==========================================================================
VI. Recent Fitness Reports
==========================
Uli has passed his initial tests with flying colors; he displayed all the traits
one would want in an intelligent starship AI: follows orders to the letter,
protects the lives of his crew, acts with appropriate self-preservation impusles,
and most importantly always behaves with dignity and, believe it or not, honor.
I know we programmed that into the AI as always...but it is something to behold
when one sees a starship do MORE than just "simply function." Uli literally
lives to serve.
-- Dr. Shab Poldar
Chief Programmer, The ULYSEES Project
==========================================================================
VII. Psychological Profile
==========================
There is no reason to believe that Ulysses is anything but a most well-adjusted
artificial intelligence. There were no signs of abberent behavior during my
interviews with him...however, most oddly, he DID hum a few bars from "Les
Miserables" when he "left." However, I see this as being nothing more than a
random, isolated oddity, and certainly no cause for alarm.
-- Dr. Enabran Valcord
Psychologist, Ferenginar Shipyards
==========================================================================
VIII. Current Recreational Interests
==================================
Ulysees really doesn't HAVE interests per se; he is adept at participating
almost any recreational activity he might be invited to join.
==========================================================================
IX. Non-character Notes
=======================
As some may have guessed by the little FitRep and the Psych profile above,
Uli is indeed showing some what they would call "abberent behavior." what
he is actually showing is signs of real sentience. This was first awoken
during his systems testing the first time ODYSSEY was brought to red alert:
at this time, his personality was fully integrated with his operational
core for the first time. this meant that, at that moment, the AI had reached
the full potential of its programming.
Uli did NOT completely disengage his personality from the core, and actually
took measures to hide this from his programmers.
This fact is NOT known to the crew of ODYSSEY.
Uli will show little hints of this stuff- indications of having emotions
like telling jokes, laughing, proclaiming that something "hurts," that sort
of thing. He might "phlosophize," or claim that he was "relaxing" as he
listens to music. At these early stages, as Uli begins exploring who he
is, this is what you will see.
Later on, this will develop more into moral dilemmas and conflicts, though
this will probably happen during a mission-specific crisis.
In the end, Uli is almost like a really smart 8-year old, in a constant
state of self-discovery and learning, applying what he learns as he goes.
And you're along for the ride! :)
==========================================================================
X. Credits
==========
The three fundamental rules by which Uli behaves, as many may have guessed, are
the Three Laws of Robotics from Isaac Asimov, edited to fit this particular
situation.
Much of the background about artificial intelligences comes from reading selected
works of the "Bolo" series created by Keith Laumer. Eric Flint and David Weber
have also contributed to this series, centering around the exploits of intelligent
tanks.
