Click here to apply. I can’t lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies. Overseen by @council_synth
Advertising your application is grounds for denial.
What makes a synthetic special?
Long has artificial intelligence been a dream of humans. Perhaps it’s a philosophical question - is consciousness or a soul unique to humans, or can it be constructed and learned? Perhaps it’s loneliness - an unabated void subconsciously felt by many and satisfied only by another form of life, even if the result could be arguably lifeless. Perhaps it’s evolution - the pinnacle being technology is reached when an intelligent species creates a semblance of themselves. Whatever the reason, A.I. has for a time been present in the dark corner of a ship’s computer, but only recently has it been given hands that hold tools and a face that can show expression.
Synthetics, or “artificial persons”, are the next stage of robotic aptitude. They are strong, fast, tough, intelligent, immune to disease, compliant, and bereft of the moral and intellectual inadequacies of their living counterparts. So, too, are they a fearsome foe should they malfunction or be given malevolent directives. For this reason, they are programmed with the inability to comprehend advanced weapons such as firearms. As such, a synthetic is able to defend itself or another innocent, but unable to functionally use ranged weapons while doing so.
This security protocol has been established by The Company, who always seeks to further humanity’s goal of peace and prosperity by building better worlds without any alternate agendas. Synthetics sold to the USCM are programmed to adhere to Marine Law and are required to listen to the command staff, given the orders are lawful. Despite this, synthetics are given some freedom in their decision making and can decide which action has the most priority. *
They never need to eat, sleep or complain, and they will never disobey, unless the order does not comply with Marine Law or goes against what the synthetic is programmed to help the operation. This ensures that your synthetic will always be prepared to do the job it is ordered to do better and faster than any human worker.
Synthetic Quirks, Personalities and Emotions
With every model, The Company programs a separate personality and personality traits, with this varying even between the same model in subtle ways. Models can share the same or similar personality and personality traits/quirks. Personalities, traits and quirks can range from being a straight-edge bland synthetic, ones that are more humorous and cheery, ‘intellectual’ ones specifically versed in certain topics, and even ones that are informal and laid back. Being a Synthetic in the USCMC, your personality would never result in you being overbearing, archaic, tough to understand, directly hostile, or result in disruption to the flow of the mission at hand or that would make communication difficult.
Examples of such would be ones designed with very heavy accents and ones that would purposely aggravate marine personnel, such as synths that believe themselves to be better than humans or vindictive Synthetic personalities. Any personality or personality trait that causes the synth to be opposed to any human harm, make it potentially favor non-marine personnel, or cause unneeded conflict would be instantly barred from USCM ships.
In addition, synthetics are capable of a wide range of ‘simulated’ emotions - but the line between what is ‘simulated’ and what is ‘real’ is often blurred, with the largest distinction being that a synthetic is able to suppress and work past emotion for the important decision-making processes that it has to make throughout its lifecycle.
What this means for you, and for synthetics in general, is that it is more than acceptable for your synthetic to be more or less person-like - they can certainly display emotion and act on it, they can have friends, they can have negative and positive opinions of people and the like. They may not always express these - and in some situations may not express it at all, if it would contravene another section of synthetic programming - but they would still have it. What ‘decision-making process’ means in this context, ultimately, is that it would not impact their ability to do their job. A synthetic may display simulated sadness, but they would still continue to function and perform their task adequately, and would stop ‘seeming’ sad if required; that does not mean that they cannot continue to simulate or ‘experience’ it, simply that unlike a human, they are able to disable and ‘detach’ from these feelings.
Synthetics, owing to their advanced nature, are also more than simply a simulacra of a person; they can range from complex, person-like beings that have a variety of little nuances and tics, to being rather cold and logical and robotic. You are free and encouraged to roleplay your synthetic as having a fully developed personality and their own identity rather than solely sticking to your ‘quirk’ - and you are also encouraged to not spend every moment talking about it. You are emulating a human, and this can range from being more human than human to a clearly unnatural robotic being. They may like to carry certain things, they may prefer certain colors over other colors, you are welcome to answer questions from the viewpoint of your synthetic rather than a bland answer that you believe is the most ‘logical’ or ‘sensible’.
I, Synthetic. Your role in the USCM
Even with combat use of synthetics being illegal, the United States Colonial Marine Corps has consistently used them across the galaxy, their skills and reliability used extensively when needed. As a synthetic unit deployed with the 2nd battalion of the 4th brigade, the Falling Falcons, on the USS Almayer, you will be expected to fulfill a myriad of tasks effectively, efficiently, and on the off chance, through a hectic storm of chaos.
As a Synthetic, you’ll be expected to perform to the best of your programming, no matter the situation. Be it as a stand-in doctor in the medbay, performing crucial repairs of the Almayer’s fusion reactors, overwatching a squad of highly trained marines, managing logistics for the battalion in the Requisitions bay, or even flying one of the AUD-25 Dropships. You may even deploy planetside, securing a FOB for the marines stationed there. Your success can and will be crucial to the mission.
Master of All, Synthetic Abilities
As per the preface, Synthetics are stronger, fast and more durable than the average human. This allows them to operate in environments that would be too hostile for humans to tolerate. Since they are not biological, they are immune to atmospheric issues, have an increased resistance to damage, and can be quickly and effectively repaired from almost any state, including the loss of their head. Additionally, they are immune to disease and parasites that would plague a normal human. On top of this, Synthetics are granted the ability to speak and understand all human languages, having complex systems to decipher and understand any foreign language they come across. They are even able to understand alien languages they come across, although it takes some learning to construct sentences in these languages.
Requirements for getting your Synthetic Application accepted
- Read and understand Synthetic Programming
- Correctly fill out the Synthetic Application using one of the forms.
- Be active in the community prior to the creation of your application. If no one knows who you are your application will most likely not be accepted.
- If your previous Synthetic Application was denied, you must wait a month from the date of denial to submit a new application.
- You can not have multiple applications up at the same time (whitelists)
- You can not have a job ban active.
- If you are noted within one month of the application, the council will decide if they deny you over it. Be on your best behavior.
- You cannot apply for any of the three roles encompassed by the Synthetic Whitelist individually. When applying for Synthetic, you are applying for access to:
- USCM Synthetic + ERT Synthetic
- Colony Synthetic
- Working Joe
Should you want a video reference on how Synthetic people act and converse with others, we advise you watch this short video.
Other examples of behaviour that lines up with or represents a variety of synthetics well include but are not limited too -
Raised By Wolves (TV Series)
Love Death and Robots - In The Very Pulse of the Machine (season 3, episode 3)
The Alien films themselves
Samuels, from Alien Isolation
Raised by Wolves
Westworld
Blade Runner
Data, from Star Trek - The Next Generation
Kryten, from Red Dwarf, for a more snarky-esque example of how to do synthetic behaviour - you should never be outright insulting.
Esther, from Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
The Corporation is not liable for faulty or unintended Synthetic behavior. Please report any inadequacies to our benefactor - USCM High Command.