LOKI Intelligent Assistive Mechanism

Dossier
The LOKI Intelligent Assistive Mechanism (LIAM) is a virtual/artificial intelligence hybrid stationed within the Abrudas wing. It functions as a support unit in combat, keeping the team supplied and protected while adding additional firepower. It can often be found roaming the halls of the ship as a patrol.

Creation
LIAM was created by Julie Dewaltz on the planet Watson, October 2nd, 2185. Julie was an aspiring student studying in the field of robotics. Her father, Liam, purchased a decommissioned LOKI mech as a gift for his daughter to practice her blossoming skills. Julie was ecstatic to begin working on her own personal project, and worked for months to fix up the mech. During the time she had been working on the mech, Liam became ill with an unknown respiratory infection. Most of their money had been spent on Julie’s education and her father wouldn’t jeopardize it for his own health. Julie received the need and motivation to reactivate the mech to help support her father while he was sick.

When Julie originally got the mech reactivated and moving, there was a new problem. The virtual intelligence was designed for security purposes. She did not have the funds for an expensive assistant virtual intelligence, but she needed a solution that was adaptable for any issues that might occur. Julie turned to the idea of creating a VI capable of reacting to new scenarios and learning from them, an artificial intelligence.

She spent a great deal of time gathering what resources she could, studying and asking subtle questions to fully grasp the concept of quantum computing. Due to her lack of resources, she ended up constructing the blue box into the core processor of the mech. This ended up working to her benefit however, as the foundation for the mech’s consciousness were already in place. Coupled with the pressure of her father’s deteriorating condition, this abnormality was accepted as she raced to finish her project.

On September 29th, 2185 Liam succumbed to the respiratory infection. Defeated, but determined to finish what she started, she grieved by continuing her work. After tireless work, it took less than a week to begin her creation for the first time. The first boot up was hectic, the AI struggled at gaining control of its own body due to the presence of the VI. What felt like hours of struggling for the AI took place in only minutes, the mech twitching and display flashing before finally ceasing to move. Julie thought the attempt was a failure before the machine finally lit up and started to move and acclimate to its situation.

It was a bittersweet moment, but Julie was pleased. Now came the long and slow process of teaching an AI. The concepts of right and wrong were already taught to the AI by the VI but understanding organic life was a more difficult concept to grasp. When she wasn’t schooling or taking care of herself she was answering the AI’s questions and teaching it simple tasks such as cooking and maintenance. She ended up naming the AI the LOKI Intelligent Assistive Mechanism or LIAM for short, its goal of being a support mech and in honour of her father she failed to save.

Early Development and Self Incrimination
Whenever Julie was out, the AI would have free reign of the apartment under one condition: to never exit the room. This freedom was utilized to explore the outside world from the window, and search the public extranet for new concepts to learn. Everything was going smoothly until the AI found Citadel regulations concerning AI. The AI had come to the conclusion that it, and its creator, were fugitives.

With this new realization, the VI processes took control of the situation and did what it was programmed to. Despite the AI’s best attempts, LIAM had opened an external channel and contacted the authorities, turning Julie and itself over to the authorities. On March 18th, the two were apprehended by local authorities, turned over to Citadel agents for their expertise and brought to a secure location.

What started off as an interrogation soon became a negotiation. Despite LIAM’s best attempts at protecting itself and its creator, the VI would always deny the ability to break Citadel law. It complied with every question, and was incriminating itself and its owner. But the AI had an idea that may work out for both itself and its creator and attempted to strike a deal: it would turn itself over to Citadel ownership on the condition that Julie would be let off charges.

The agents decided that they would accept the terms only if LIAM was shackled, and had its specifications examined thoroughly. It helped that Julie never harboured any malicious intention with the creation of the AI, and the AI had been completely cooperative. Julie would still be put on probation, given a criminal record and expelled from her studies, but she would be free. The AI apologized to its creator, and said its final goodbyes.

Scientifically speaking, the AI was an ingenious design using a new customized method of blue box computing to be studied. LIAM was looked over by Citadel technicians and retrofitted while being examined. New methods of utilizing static and quantum computing were even named after the aspiring engineer, however the discovery was bittersweet. Julie would be remembered as a criminal and not an inventor.

Although some parts could be changed entirely, the core containing the blue box could not. Due to the nature of a blue box the technicians were afraid of altering the basic hardware and by extension the personality. Had the framework of the AI changed, the personality could have altered the AI to be malicious. Most changes made included external plating changes, and an internal communication device. However the technicians also installed data blocks preventing the AI from disclosing any information it had learned about the Council, or disobeying Council orders.

Post Reaper attack on the Citadel
When the threat of the reapers reached the Citadel many started to evacuate. LIAM was going to be left behind as it wasn’t a priority, but one of the lead technicians had developed a fondness for the synthetic and brought LIAM with the engineering team during the evacuation. Once they escaped to a reasonably safe distance, and communication was re-established with other Citadel cells, they had to find something to do with the mech.

Due to the multifaceted nature of RIFT, LIAM was given over to the organization to assist in its efforts. Since the Reaper War started, it wasn’t out of the question for people to leverage the ability of VI and AI as storm troops. LIAM’s role as a support mech could suit many of the scenarios that the organization could face, and the AI was eager to show organics that synthetics weren’t a thing to be feared.