Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Tue Nov 19, 2024 8:06 pm
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: The Haunted Apiary (Let Op!) » The Haunted Apiary (Let Op!): General/Updates
[SPEC] Flea not covenant, possible timeline
View previous topicView next topic
Page 1 of 1 [5 Posts]  
Author Message
Sit
Greenhorn

Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Cardiff, UK

 		[SPEC] Flea not covenant, possible timeline
I know most people seem to think that the flea/seeker is a covenant AI, but that just doesn't seem to fit for me. It's not smart enough for a start, it's entire behaviour is based on mimicry and camoflage. It seems more realistic that the flea is a lightweight insurgent intelligence agent, smarter than a simple repair subroutine (like SPDR) but not smart enough to react intelligently to events or anticipate reactions. Also even though the flea spouts a lot of the "seek, behold, reveal" business, that's only representative of it's programmed goal, it also produced a lot of "survive, evade, resist, escape" (especially during the phase 3 flea vs SPDR text) which in my mind is indicative of earth military programming. Based on this I've come up with a possible timeline to explain how and why the flea is involved in this.

1. Cpt Greene & crew uncover covenant plot to glass Troy. They then inform HQ, and in doing so attract the attention of another group (section zero maybe?).

Quote:
Capt. Greene: I think we have to report it. Our job is to gather intelligence: it's HQs job to decide what to do with it.


2. Cylinder is discovered and secured in the hold. Group finds out about this and sends the flea to monitor the situation. They could have piggybacked it in the communication received by McKaskill knowing its intention would be mis-interpreted and serve to distract attention from the introduction of the flea. McKaskill himself suspected the transmission originated from intelligence.

Quote:
I've got your back, McKaskill But you're going to have to tell me about this contact.
Some old guy. You know, bad taste in clothes. But he was cleared to come aboard, so he has to be Intel.


3. For some reason, the flea starts messing about. Melissa informs Cpt Greene that she may be compromised. They incorrectly suspect the covenant.

Quote:
I might be compromised, I said to her.
I still want to know what you think. When could it have been introduced?
The Covenant transmission?


4. Then, either they return to earth, which leads us to all the current business with Durga, or we get the apocalypse, which results in Melissa and co. getting splatted against the inside of the ilovebees server.

in goodbye.wav, Man asks "Any data yet?". This may be them waiting for feedback/report from the flea. SP did say these axons would allow us to "spy on them", and in the SP/flea conversations we learned that the flea was trying to get back home.

** sits down to wait for inevitable flood of flaming trouts.Very Happy I can't be the first to have thought of this, despite searching the forum for an hour. Rolling Eyes

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:09 pm
 View user's profile Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 ICQ Number 
 Back to top 
Sep7imus
Veteran

Joined: 26 Jul 2004
Posts: 149

 		Re: [SPEC] Flea not covenant, possible timeline
Sit wrote:
I know most people seem to think that the flea/seeker is a covenant AI, but that just doesn't seem to fit for me. It's not smart enough for a start, it's entire behaviour is based on mimicry and camoflage.


Well, the rest of your theory may be plausible, for all I know. But, this is hardly a reason not to suspect that the Flea is Covenant. The Covenant are not actually known to be all that intelligent/creative. Most of their technology, from what we know, is stolen from other races or scavenged from the Forerunner. Thus, "behaviour based on mimicry and camoflauge" sounds about right, actually, especially if the Covenant AI had to be able to interface with an alien (human) computer/AI.

-Sep7imus
_________________
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
-Sherlock Holmes

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:14 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
Sit
Greenhorn

Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Cardiff, UK

 		Re: [SPEC] Flea not covenant, possible timeline
Sep7imus wrote:
this is hardly a reason not to suspect that the Flea is Covenant.


Oh don't get me wrong, I haven't dismissed the idea. It just, to quote Melissa, "Didnt feel right to me." As for your observations on Covenant behaviour, I take your point. It seems to me that such behaviour won't pay off in the long run, though they seem to be doing pretty good so far, and they've probably been at it for quite some time.

Nice Holmes quote btw:) definitely need more data, hopefully we'll get something useful from the new recipe3 axons.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 3:15 pm
 View user's profile Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 ICQ Number 
 Back to top 
Astald
Unfettered

Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 747
Location: Just outside of Pittsburgh (Go Steelers!)

 		I had forgotten about Section Zero. But the person they wanted was Standish. I wouldn't really see it trying to manipulate Melissa if all it wanted was information. It is a good idea though.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 6:52 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address
 Back to top 
GunsmithCat
Unfettered


Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 459

 		1 - I largely believe Melissa is probably pretty well-equipped to diagnose herself. While she poses it as a question, she's probably right that the Covenant transmission is the cause.

2 - Flea does sound like the Covenant. He repeats his religious mantra about the truth (which, itself is Covenantlike) repeatedly and seems to be out to convert everything he finds.

3 - Flea does act like a Covenant. Humans are bit odd in that they don't seem interested in subjugating us, only destroying. Their usually tactic is to overpower, subvert and coerce others to their will. Flea might not be able to overpower, but boy he is persistent.

When the Covies couldn't tackle the Hunters on their home ground (because the Hunters decimated them physically), they just glassed them into submission. Their military are pretty smart, and if they're doubtful that Earth will fall easily I don't see why they wouldn't employ some perverted AI technology to help them out.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:27 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 1 of 1 [5 Posts]  
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: The Haunted Apiary (Let Op!) » The Haunted Apiary (Let Op!): General/Updates
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group