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SuperJerms

OK, here's a new one for y'all (I hope the community at large hasn't started ignoring this tread yet). And just so ya don't think I'm getting Meta, this is in line with the whole, "Do we really wanna neutralize the SP, reintegrate, or whatever?"

Let's revew FACTS we know about rampancy IG:

FACT: Durga is similar to Melissa
* Durga is subject to ruptures and downtime whenever the subject of Yasmine comes up, just as Melissa ~~was when SP was in the casket~~ is.
* Durga escaped from calamity and ended up on a civilian PC.
* Durga exhibits the same personality traits of Melissa.
* Durga and Melissa have a sort of connection in that Mel can block or transmit to Durga.
----> COROLLARY: Durga = Melissa
FACT: Durga is dissimilar to Melissa
* Durga is being manipulated (blocked and transmitted to) by Melissa.
----> COROLLARY: Durga < Melissa
* ~~Durga is still subject to ruptures and downtime, whereas Melissa isn't.~~
* Durga manifests a little girl voice whenever she breaks down, Melissa doesn't (unless SP is in the coffin).
----> COROLLARY: Durga's "Glass Coffin" still contains Yasmine, Melissa's doesn't.
* While she may or may not be affected by PF in the future, Durga certainly did not go through the events Mel did in Phase s 1 -3 .
* Durga tells Jersey that she is becoming rampant or will be soon b/c she's seven, but Melissa told us that SP is rampant.
* Whereas Durga self-monitors and reports, Melissa's orders have changed without her being aware (during the Operator Monologues and phone conversation with Adam). It is noteworthy that Melissa has listened to us and started thinking about PF, but she denied knowledge of a virus in the past.
----> COROLLARY: Durga is ~~much~~ slightly more self-aware than Melissa.
FACT: SP has become much more bold and arrogant, both in how she communicates and her actions.

OK. So we've been theorizing who should be supported...SP, Melissa, Dana, etc. I really havn't heard any dissenting opinions against Durga, so I will assume we all agree that Durga is good natured and should be supported. From that, I also assume that we generally think that an AI's human memories being combined with the advanced construct (e.g. Yasmine + Melissa = Durga) is a good thing. Clearly, we should consider the converse as well.

My SPEC: Rampancy is the result not of the AI going rampant, but rather of the AI's human memory or "inner child" becoming listless and taking over. Durga is correct, she is bordering on Rampacy. Melissa is correct too, SP is becoming rampant. Melissa herself will never become rampant so long as SP is not re-integrated, but Durga will (because Yasmine is still integrated).

In this case, Melissa wants to re-integrate with SP (which would neutralize it from being rogue) because it's central to her core programming. What she doesn't know is that it would make her rampant. On the other hand, SP is probably there for a reason, and maybe Mel will die without having the human core? It would be an interesting paradox...but it would be in our best interest not to allow the two to re-integrate (we'd end up with a rampant Melissa).

This game is intended to give more background for Halo (and to give a prequel to Halo2, according to the New York Post story). In Marathon, rampancy led to AI's looking for bigger spaces as well, and it was rather harmful to humans around the AI in the process. Fans strongly agree or disagree with the issue, but truthfully we don't know if Halo rapancy = Marathon rampancy. The two do look more and more alike as we get more information, though.

What we know of rampancy from Halo is that the AI's start over-thinking. They eventually run out of space to code in, so they re-code over vital portions of themselves (killing themselves in the process). This logically would make an AI look for bigger spaces to inhabit, so that they won't have to kill themselves. We also know that Durga told Jersey to secretly get her shut down. More reason to believe that rampant AI's are harmful to humans and would act agressively to avoid dying.

In both Halo and Marathon, AI's go rampant. How similar the two are remains to be seen, but in neither case do we know what's so special about seven years that the process begins (aside from Bungie's adoration of the number seven). Perhaps the ARG will shed light on the issue?

EDITS: Changed info based on what folks posted below, but the main SPEC still stands...thoughts?

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johnny5

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:20 pm

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Are there any other e-mails like that?

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:23 pm

ariock

One Minor Problem Here

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:11 pm

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thebruce

I was thinking a while back, what if Durga has the same kind of issues Melissa has right now? What if Durga is infected with a Pious Flea as well? We'd never hear about it because, just as Melissa is oblivious to PF, Durga would be as well, and we don't have the same kind of informative resource with Durga as we do with Melissa, so we can't explore what's happening to her...

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:17 pm

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kingchaos2 · Decorated Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 153

I have an issue with the whole pious flea thing... First of all, we know that these so-called "Brain Ninjas" take genius kids, flash clone them, and make an AI out of them. My thing is, who made or programmed the flea? And for what purpose? Nothing can just materialize out of nowhere (you can apply a law of physics to that, but I know we're talking about computers here). The flea seems so interested in "Revealing the truth," that it makes me wonder which human wants to reveal the truth? Could it be Jersey's dad (who we [SPEC]ced was the castaway guy that sent Melissa into the past...or something along those lines...)? Notice I'm not saying he's a covenant bug, because isn't he trying to reveal the truth about what's going to happen hundreds of years from now? Somebody stop me if I'm wrong, please. Thanks.

skyhawk0000

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:50 pm

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TheBiggestSean · Veteran Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 90

Agreed. Military doctrine insists that you get the most out of whatever program you pursue - even if it's not necessarily what you wanted from the program.

I think ONI would have been more than happy to just add some 100 super-genius AI's to their stable of processing power for the next seven years.

It strikes me that the Flea has seemed the least aggressive. Sure he's kinda smarny and doesn't seem trustworthy, but he HAS kept the SP relatively safe.

If we're accepting that he's an alien-created cosntruct, I don't think it's safe to assume that just because he's a Covenant program, he's a "bad" entity or an enemy.

Melissa went through a LOT when she got rocketed through time and space itself. Who's to say the Flea didn't go through a change of source (/heart. haha, I'm so funny. Embarassed

) during the same amount of time?

Further, it doesn't seem like any of his efforts to !attach to the Princess would result in benefits for him or his mission of "Seeking, Beholding, and Revealing."

So the question remains, why? I don't think it's necessarily wrong to assume the Flea has some sort of motive in this. He's much more capable and complex than we ever gave the Spider credit for, and he manages to get his points across and have an.... interesting... interacting relationship with the princess, so there must be some extra reasons behind his actions.

And I don't think it's safe to assume that they're malicious.

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 3:06 pm

Machiavelli · Veteran Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 99 Location: Dallas

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:00 pm

Machiavelli · Veteran Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 99 Location: Dallas

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:30 pm

vpisteve

Ah, but here we go again. How do we know they're not sentient? Wink

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:34 pm

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SuperJerms

Ok, I incorporated what Johnny_Nitro and Ariock posted into the above fact list, and corrected my mistakes. We still know that Yasmine is incorporated with Durga but not Mel, that Mel thinks SP is rampant whereas Durga thinks she herself is rampant...so I suppose the idea that Melissa would be fine without Yasmine being re-incorporated still can stand. Any thoughts there?

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 5:18 pm

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krystyn

K, I am really confused. If Dana is going to be there, I am terribly sure she can make sure Auntie M. listens to her and helps administer her meds properly. I think the whole diabetes thing was a lure - this part of the storytelling is really bugging me, because Melissa can't even get a grip on herself long enough to have a conversation with a crewperson on a payphone without dropping into another personality any time knives or revenge or needles are mentioned.

I don't think Aunt M. could possibly be in danger once Dana is on the premises.

My suspension of disbelief around this whole, "But Aunt M. might die!!!!!" plot point is crumbling.

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 5:32 pm

johnny5

**Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 5:52 pm

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