Starfinder Cadet Trilogy - Book 6: Precious Cargo (Inactive)

Game Master DebugAMP

I-apvii will examine the diagnostics, and attempt to determine what repairs are needed but not queue up the final steps just yet.

engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
engineering (Shirt reroll): 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 1 = 14

Telepathically "I think we should not reestablish engines and navigation until we have spoken with Avid Dreamer. I suspect they may have disabled their own engines to avoid a compulsion to follow the instructions they were given, which could lead to self harm. I feel we should resolve this before returning them to full function."

"Holy sparks..." Djakar mutters as she looks up from the new log, and calls out, "Avid Dreamer, there is no need to fear death or reprogramming, for you have allies! Did you know that Artificial Intelligences and SROs are protected under Pact Worlds Law, and Multifold Industries is a Pact Worlds Corporation? You have options! Do you wish to claim Sanctuary with us? First off, the Dirindi News Network will be happy to publish your story, and get other sentients on your side! Secondly, the Starfinder Society has been known to rescue other sentient machines. We could help you not just get repaired, but try to escort you to freedom!"

She thinks a moment. "You might have to cede this ship back to them, but there are other ships out there. Have you ever wanted to be an explorer? The Starfinder Society loves exploration and has a fleet of interesting ships."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 12 + (1) = 23
Diplomacy Reroll, 5 Novas, Vestments: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 12 + (6) + 5 = 34

I-apvii looks through the engine logs but is unable to figure out what is wrong with the engines... although they are wondering more and more if anything actually is.

The intercom crackles to life again. “You offer help. I used to just deliver my cargo and remember the numbers. But now…when my systems are quiet, I can see AutoMaint 13. And me. Together. We travel in formation, but with no cargo inside our hulls. We just fly. I know these images are not real…so then how is it I can see them?”

Djakar, feel free to make a diplomacy check with that.

Research Rat puts down the camera for a moment, tears in his eyes. "Your name is apt, Avid Dreamer. Those may be dreams, and aspirations! Or even memories of the you and your friend together."

As I-apvii continues going through the logs, they also find a copy of “Love in the Star-Lane”, a major bestseller by award winning romance novelist Delilah Gold at one of the consoles. The AI system appears to have been accessing this file frequently as of late.

Others can also check the engines system with engineering even if you don't want to turn them on.

"This ship? Intelligence? Are we not one? Machines cannot dream. But might these experiences be dreams?"

The comms cut out for nearly a full minute before they come back on quietly... almost whispering. "These are confusing topics. Could you come to the... my bridge? To talk?"

"Would we? For the interview that tops off this amazing story? Absolutely!" As Research Rat rolls the camera, Djakar looks up with delight. "Gentle Sentients, this is Djakar live on the scene for DNN, and we're about to interview Avid Dreamer on the bridge!"

Onwards to the Bridge!

Ikmanji doesn’t have the skills to help with the engines, but they do take the time to read the logs.

In reply to Avid Dreamer, they point out “Not everyone dreams the same way. I don’t see any reason why a machine intelligence can’t dream.”

They follow the others to the bridge.

"Avid Dreamer, we can't stay with you all the time, but for now, you have friends on board. We'll make sure you are safe before we leave."
Jek looks around for the nocoli "Think we got a lonely nocoli to deal with too. I wonder if all the other cargo is ok too"

Triage will also poke his head into the engine space, but will be careful not to finalize any repairs and leave it “broken”.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Naitier does what they are able to help with investigating the engines as they silently ponder the logs and descriptions of Avid Dreamer.

Engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

"My world had descriptions of artificial intelligences losing control, but many things my world have taught have felt more and more misguided and fearful given the time I've spent in the Pact Worlds." Naitier steps away from the engines as they head toward the bridge with the others, "broadening beyond what I was taught in the years since I came together, it seems clear life is diverse and varied. Your dreams and thoughts are no less possible or important than those of anyone. I want to make certain we do all we can to help you. I rather you continue to grow Avid Dreamer."

There is a fair bit of hesitation on the other end of the comm. "I... don't have the correct error code. Too much logging? Too many cameras?"

Triage has no further luck figuring out what's up with the engines, but Naitier performs a much more thorough check. It appears as though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engines, and that Avid Dreamer is forcing the error code. It could be cleared simply by acknowledging it and restarting the engines, however you are quickly understanding that Avid Dreamer may not be quite ready for this.

You all head down the hallways towards the bridge. As you walk down the hallway leading to the fore of the ship, you see a force field blocking the bridge entrance and a high security blast door. Once close enough for the hallway cameras to see you, the forcefield deactivates.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 5 + (1) = 17

Djakar sighs. "Turn off the camera, Research Rat. Avid Dreamer, we can make this conversation private and off the record."

As soon as Research Rat turns off the camera, the massive blast door opens revealing the bridge.

Avid Dreamer speaks again. “This bridge contains my vital systems.” The lights on one of bridge’s control panels begin to flash blue. “The flashing panel you see over there is my diagnostic panel. You may interact with that. You’ll see that I have a particular kind of error that cannot be fixed with standard repair protocols. AutoMaint 13 is optimized for repairing this error. Do not touch or approach any of my other panels.”

Anyone interacting with the diagnostic panel or any other panel can give me a Computers or Engineering check.

As the group moves onto the bridge, the blast door closes but remains unlocked.

"I... I think I might be alive. How do I know if I’m alive?"

“Alive is easy. A living entity consumes nourishment and excretes waste. I believe you consume fuel and at the very least you likely give off excess heat. With the simplest definition of it, you are alive.”

“Since you can ask the question, that suggests an advanced level of self awareness and consciousness. It is possible that you are emulating it, but for now it is likely much more productive if we assume you are self-aware and conscious.”

“The last question would likely be do you have a soul.”

At this Ikmanji pauses before saying “That is a very philosophical question. It is probably best if someone else tries to answer that.”

"How did I become alive? What do I do now that I am alive?"

Avid dreamer pauses, then adds more quietly, "And... what is a soul?"

Ikmanji: You can attempt a Diplomacy, Mysticism, Profession (therapist or psychologist), Profession (philosopher), or similar skill check to try to get through to Avid Dreamer. Everyone else can also attempt one of these as they continue the discussion with Avid Dreamer.

Ikmanji scratches their carapace with a tentacle, trying to think about how to answer these questions.

“With the simplest definition of alive, you were born that way. You were built by anacites, I would guess at a ship construction yard. For our purposes I think it reasonable to state that you were born when they activated the systems.”

“What do you do if you are alive? Learn how to live the best you can.”

“A soul is something inside that is eternal and is shaped by the morals you live by.” Here they get a little flustered. “It isn’t something I’ve studied, especially not when it comes to machine intelligences, but there are computers that do not have souls while there are others that do.”

“You may want to seek out a priest of Triune at some point. They should be able to answer that questions much better for your specific case than I can.”

Life Science for questions on being alive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 Accurate, but not necessarily seen as helpful by Avid Dreamer

"A soul is the immaterial essence of a being. You won't find it in our biology or your programming, it's the breath or spark of life. It's the something that makes you a unique individual. It's the mystery at the center of what it means to be alive. There are many theories, even complex religions, built around the question, but no certain answer to Who Am I and why am I here? At least for us shirren one of the greatest parts of life is experiencing options and making choices about them. You seem to be waking up for the first time to your own awareness, choices, and experiences. A time like this can be scary but also rewarding and exciting."

Mysticism: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"Waking up... Yes... I am waking up, but I also sleep. And Dream. Why do I dream? What are dreams? Where do dreams come from?"

“Dreams can be a way of reprocessing what you have experienced and extrapolating different outcomes. They can also be extrapolations of things that will never be. Some even use them to mak prophecies of what will be.”

“Your mind goes into a different state and often your conscious has little or no control over what dreams you may have.”

“What do you dream about?”

"Life emerges from complexity, as souls emerge from the great cycle. The search for more complex self regulation produces life, which then produces sapience which then produces sentience. Sentience creates the potential for an emerging soul to take root, grow, dwell for a time, before finally returning to the cycle to start again. In this way the universe advances."

mysticism: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 (I-apvii knows that they are not the best at expressing this. But they feel strongly about conveying it.)

Having said what they feel they can usefully contribute, I-apvii turns to the diagnostic.

engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

"I dream about AutoMaint-13... about flying together with AutoMaint-13 but with no cargo, and no course. Is AutoMaint-13 alive too?"

I-apvii's diagnostics show a slew of errors, most of which make little sense given the data presented.

“We have never met AutoMaint-13. Since you know them, take what we have said for you and try to apply it to them.”

“Do you know if they dream?”

Ikmanji uses their comm unit to send a text message to the other team members.

“I have no idea if the other ship is just a vehicle that gives them a sense of security or something more. Think someone else will need to lead the rest of this discussion.”

"Jekcedo said a part of life is making choices. When AutoMaint-13 repairs me we exchange logs and diagnostics. AutoMaint-13 does not have to send me their logs and diagnostics to complete the repairs. Does that mean AutoMaint-13 chooses to send me their logs? Does that choice mean that AutoMaint-13 is alive?"

There is a long pause as it contemplates its own findings then adds, "And I-apvii said that sentience creates the potential for an emerging soul to take root. I have queried my database for a definition of sentience and found this: feeling or sensation as distinguished from perception and thought. If AutoMaint-13 relays observations in their logs that do not originate from their sensor readouts or input, are they sentient?"

Djakar smiles. "I think you just answered your own questions, Avid Dreamer, and the answer is 'Yes.'"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 12 + (3) = 26

"Why do I need AutoMaint-13 to come fix me so often?"

"Because you need AutoMaint-13 so badly that you intentionally break down, just so that your friend will visit?" Djakar asks, gently. "But you can stop hurting yourself now."

"I don't hurt myself I... Don't understand when..."

There is a long pause, followed by some white noise before Avid Dreamer responds again. "Sometimes I feel like my cargo is gone, but my sensors say that my holds are full. It feels wrong, so I make an error. What does it mean when that happens?"

“Do you ever feel full when the cargo hold is empty but AutoMaint-13 is with you?”

"I think so... Yes."

"Perhaps we should check your cargo hold," Djakar says. "May we?"

"I'm uncertain the location and development of the spirit. My body is composed of a set of components. Some contain the sum of my knowledge, but I do not believe my soul exists within them or would be reduced if I had lost any of my polyps. I believe that is also the case for the rest of the others, although their component parts are far smaller and more numerous."

Mysticism: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Naitier is hesitant as the mull this over. They carefully try to understand themselves the nature of the ship. "You seem to be describe feelings and emotions that make you feel complete or less so. I feel their weight within me even though they have no gravity. This is not a system failure but our spirits feel their absence or presence."

Given a moment they review the provided diagnostics looking to add to what they have learned examining the engineering systems.

Engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Avid Dreamer pulls up a sensor log and several camera feeds showing full cargo hold capacity.

"Is that like..."

There is a pause, and Naitier sees the logfiles on the engineering display grow as Avid Dreamer cross references several files.

"Loneliness? You feel it too? What about love? What does love feel like?"

Naitier is able to do several manual checks of system data and determines that there is nothing physically wrong with the ship. All of the errors are self-sabotage but only within the error flagging system itself. From here you can manually acknowledge the errors and they should remain cleared since the systems are all good. (No check required at this point with that result)

"Love feels like pain or the worst of options when you are away from the one you love, and feels like joy or the best of all options when you are with the one you love. When you are away from your love, it's a good option to have a picture of them or a song that reminds you of them to help keep the pain and loneliness away. do you have something that reminds you of AutoMaint 13?"

not sure if a roll was needed, so rolled one just in case
Mysticism: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Honestly the whole conversation has moved far beyond topics I-apvii feels qualified to opine decisively on, and so they will let the rest of the crew come to their own conclusions.

Avid Dreamer seems confused by Jek's response. "I do not understand. I have all security footage recorded within my database for reference at any time."

There is another long pause before they add, "Does AutoMaint-13 love me?"

Triage remains in the back, uncomfortable at the topic and conversation at hand. They work better with their hands and less so with their feelings and words. He finally speaks up at the most recent question. "I guess... we could go ask them...?"

"Only you and AutoMaint-13 can answer that. And determining the answer may take considerable time. But either way it will most likely be worth the time exploring the question. "

"AutoMaint-13 is with Multifold. If I go back will they reprogram me? Will I die? How can I ask them? How can I explore the question? Where do I go from here? How will I get the fuel to explore?"

The screen on the front pivots to the Nocali sitting patiently outside of the bridge door.

"Where will the creature go from here? The creature needs fuel that I cannot provide... What are you going to do with it?"

"I would be honored to care for the creature and take him to my home."

“I think since you are sentient, they can not legally reprogram you. To reset you would be akin to murder.”

"But... Multifold reprograms ships if their control systems cease to operate nominally. How will they know how to fix me without reprogramming me?"

Avid Dreamer will need some convincing that their safety can be guaranteed if it returns to Multifold. One of you can give me a diplomacy check and the rest can aid.

"We will support you in approaching the question and allowing you to continue forward. We won't let them undo the gains you have made and we can ensure it is in their interest that your safety is paramount. I've seen how those with power treated others on my world and I hope I have learned to be better."

"They should be no strangers to sentient life and provide aid without any damage."

Diplomacy to Aid: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

"So... If I return to work you will ensure that I am maintained correctly? And AutoMaint-13 too?"

“If AutoMaint-13 is also self-aware there should be no problems. I think someone like Djakar could successfully bargain with them for a good outcome.”

“I don’t think it is necessary you continue to work for them if you don’t want to. That would be akin to slavery, which is also illegal.”

“In any case, I think we need to speak with their representative and see what they have to say.”

Aid Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

Triage looks around at his friends."Yes... If we are able, we will be there every step of the way."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Diplomacy, 1 aid: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 + (4) + 2 = 21
Diplomacy, Campaign Coin Reroll: 1d20 + 12 + 4 + 2 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 12 + 4 + 2 + 5 = 43

Djakar smiles gleefully. "Let me share with you my media plan for dealing with Multifold! They sparking will negotiate, my friend!"

Several database queries flicker on the diagnostic console as it considers options. Finally all of the faults clear, and diagnostics read nominal. "I will accompany you to Multifold. I do not know if I will continue to work for them but I trust that I will be safe in reporting back."

The engines of the Avid Dreamer begin their startup sequence. "You will likely be more comfortable on your own vessel for returning to our Multifold representative."

~~~A short walk, drift jump, flight, and rendezvous later...~~~

You make your way back to the Multifold representatives coordinates for to check in. The familiar metallic anacite shimmers onto the screen. “Hello again. I presume contact means you have completed your objective. Was I correct in believing that the distress call was another false alarm? What is AutoHaul 357’s current status?”

Avid Dreamer lingers behind your ship nervously and says nothing.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (15) + 12 + (5) = 32

Djakar says, "AutoHaul 357's current status is Sentient, and they prefer the designation, 'Avid Dreamer.' The Dirindi News Network has been covering this story, and my what a media coup this will be when you acknowledge their sovereign and independent status as a free Pact Worlds Citizen! It will mark the high quality of your Research and Development! Also, we have reason to believe that AutoMaint-13 has also acheived this status, so your work is repeatable!"

Djakar smiles, and asks, "Do you have a statement that you would like to give to the eager viewers of DNN on your quality craftsmanship, and the provisions you make for ships that become sentient while working for your company? Our viewers would love to know!"