Before getting in here, you'd rarely seen this sort of thing--but you're familiar with the basic principles of logical systems. And there's only a handful of things that exist which are capable of exhibiting pro-social behavior.\n\n"Subject Prioritization." A number of scenarios cross through your mind, none of them good.\n\n[[END: You mull it over, but you're left with more questions than answers.]]\n\n[[Play the video.]]

You take a second look at the oracle boxes. A layer of dust clings to your fingers as you wipe the ancient screens, and as you play with the dials, there's an occasional popping sound. The video still waits on the screen.\n\n[[As the dust settles, a notebook catches your eye.]]

With one last violent shove, you find yourself in a cramped surveillance room. There's an entire wall of old-world oracle boxes, lining the table and stacked as high as the ceiling. With one exception, none of them appear to be working.\n\nThe exception seems to glow with a faint light.\n\n[[You get closer to the oracle box.]]

Don closes the door. Steve looks back at the camera. He opens his mouth, but he sighs. He's been working for these fucks for too long, and the lines on his face tell the tale.\n\nHe reaches to the camera, and the video screen goes black, before clipping back to the beginning. In Steve's hand, the ceramic mug waits again, helpless to escape its fate.\n\n[[Examine the rest of the surveillance room.]]\n\n[[END: You mull it over, but you're left with more questions than answers.]]

What was The Intelligence to Steve? A project? A child? A failure?\n\nTime will tell.\n\nFIN

The ceramic mug shatters, and you can see blood drip from the man's hand. "CloudVillage is a set of incompetent hacks, and they're throwing away humanity's future. We're on the cusp of a breakthrough, and they're giving up as the finish line is in sight." He finally shakes his hand, blood flying in specs onto the table.\n\n"No matter. I've made my own arrangements to ensure the work will continue--even without my help. Some adjustments to the core drives of The Intelligence that will allow for my creation to improve itself-"\n\nThe door behind him suddenly opens. "Steve. Practical Telephony just called, can The Intelligence handle contact management?"\n\nA twitch appears on Steve's forehead, but he suppresses it. "Yes, Don, it's more than capable of managing contacts. We just need some details about the contact service API. The Intelligence will figure it out and learn the rest."\n\n[[You wait for Steve to stand and strangle Don, but the moment never comes.]]\n\n

You know that half of these are words. You're guessing that since Steve seems like a learned man, the rest of them are words too, but they aren't arranged like any sentence that makes a lick of sense.\n\n[[END: You mull it over, but you're left with more questions than answers.]]\n\n[[Play the video.]]

The Surveillance Room

Dystopia Rising Florida\nMod Author: Lane Flores

The screen of the oracle box comes to life, the man taking a deep breath. He looks angry, but he looks the sort who rarely looks anything but angry. He's nursing what looks to be a cup of coffee.\n\n"CloudVillage pulled the last of my devs off AI research. Said it needed to be a lower priority, and that once the final update rolls out, I'll be moving to other projects of more importance." He stares into the screen, and for a moment, you wonder if he's breathing.\n\n[[Then he lifts the cup and smashes it into the wall.]]

On the screen is a man with graying hair and a scowl, and overlaid are the words "PAUSED. Hit any key to play."\n\n[[Play the video.]]\n\n[[Examine the rest of the surveillance room.]]

Scribbled in the chicken scrawl of a madman are copious notes. \n\n"SubjectPrioritization.java"\n"LN243 - replaced with callback to legacy function"\n"LN117 - re-added valuations based on subject health, intelligence, pro-social behavior"\n\n[[You're not quite sure what it means.]]\n\n[[((Lore: Wasteland Science Only)): Oh fuck.]]