Hakurabi
24-10-2006, 12:09
It was almost two centuries ago now, when the Hakurabi was attacked by the Rogue AI known only as the Maker-Mind. The homicidal intelligence not only sought to defeat the people of Upsilon Andromedae, but also to destroy them and every remanant of their passing.
So, it was a terrible day when the enormous gates were opened and the hordes of the Maker-Mind swept into the system, overwhelming the fleets of the Scientist Council and laying waste to all exposed to the stars. The fight was brave, but the Hakurabi gradually found themselves forced further and further back, each desperate gain rebuked by an even greater onslaught.
Eventually, those who still survived made a last stand below the capitol, in the AI central control core. It was then that the tide finally turned, the central AI breaching the many layers of encryption surrounding their foes and turning them upon themselves. The Maker-Mind was fought back to the gate with the subverted machines, and the gate was shut. However, by then it was far too late. The planet had suffered too many scars, the multitude electronic systems failing one by one. The survivors knew they were doomed, and used their last days to ensure their knowledge would endure to be someday rediscovered.
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Today, Upsilon Andromedae is a haven for scavengers and pirates, a mighty stronghold for the outlaws of galactic society. Pirate kings have risen and fallen, drawing their power from the rare intact warship - a jewel rarely witnessed outside the hands of strong governments, who often make sport of the occassional foolhardy pirate who plies his trade too close to a major port.
However, there were those who escaped the devastation of Upsilon Andromedae. The starship Millenium fled before the beginning of hostilities, with its crew and passengers numbering nearly two million. The people of the ship settled in a new system, dubbing it "Second Hope". Over the centuries that have passed, their new home has blossomed into a thriving centre of academia and is home to a veritable army of highly talented engineers and scientists, descendants of the first colonists.
Recently, the government of New Oxford (The Capital of Second Hope) have learned of Upsilon Andromedae's location, now rechristened Havenport. The planetary AI has survived the long years, and is a treasure that cannot be ignored.
News has spread to those who would gain from such a conquest, from freelancers looking to make a name for themselves by 'uncovering' it, those who would claim the enormous bounty placed upon the destruction of the pirate enclave formed there, and those who wish to control the AI themselves.
So, it was a terrible day when the enormous gates were opened and the hordes of the Maker-Mind swept into the system, overwhelming the fleets of the Scientist Council and laying waste to all exposed to the stars. The fight was brave, but the Hakurabi gradually found themselves forced further and further back, each desperate gain rebuked by an even greater onslaught.
Eventually, those who still survived made a last stand below the capitol, in the AI central control core. It was then that the tide finally turned, the central AI breaching the many layers of encryption surrounding their foes and turning them upon themselves. The Maker-Mind was fought back to the gate with the subverted machines, and the gate was shut. However, by then it was far too late. The planet had suffered too many scars, the multitude electronic systems failing one by one. The survivors knew they were doomed, and used their last days to ensure their knowledge would endure to be someday rediscovered.
---
Today, Upsilon Andromedae is a haven for scavengers and pirates, a mighty stronghold for the outlaws of galactic society. Pirate kings have risen and fallen, drawing their power from the rare intact warship - a jewel rarely witnessed outside the hands of strong governments, who often make sport of the occassional foolhardy pirate who plies his trade too close to a major port.
However, there were those who escaped the devastation of Upsilon Andromedae. The starship Millenium fled before the beginning of hostilities, with its crew and passengers numbering nearly two million. The people of the ship settled in a new system, dubbing it "Second Hope". Over the centuries that have passed, their new home has blossomed into a thriving centre of academia and is home to a veritable army of highly talented engineers and scientists, descendants of the first colonists.
Recently, the government of New Oxford (The Capital of Second Hope) have learned of Upsilon Andromedae's location, now rechristened Havenport. The planetary AI has survived the long years, and is a treasure that cannot be ignored.
News has spread to those who would gain from such a conquest, from freelancers looking to make a name for themselves by 'uncovering' it, those who would claim the enormous bounty placed upon the destruction of the pirate enclave formed there, and those who wish to control the AI themselves.