Malf AI Mindslave

[Leanfrog]

Another idea that may or may not be unbalanced.

This time, it's something that could very well make sense.

My proposal is this, give Malf AI some way to essentially mindslave crew, it would be a moderately expensive single use ability that after a short while (similar to thralling a mindshield crewmember as a shadowling) injects the victim with a swarm of nanites that override the victims will, these nanites can be deactivated via EMP on the affected crew member, this will not destroy the nanites however, only deactivate them, the AI then needs to spend an increasing amount of power to reactivate them after a reasonable delay.

This would give malf AIs access to operatives with hands, something very valuable to an army of robots without fine manipulation, as well as potentially giving them the opportunity to commit some crimes without immediately having crew scream "AI IS ROUGE GET DA IONS" now this may seem like a straight buff but the crew may be able to use this new ability to their advantage, if the AI is outed they can use an EMP on the victim to potentially send them in as a saboteur, the AI isn't notified when the nanites are deactivated so an inattentive AI may not notice that their former agent is no longer loyal and when brought into the core to help defend turns on the AI killing them and saving the station.

[DerpehBoi]

i like this idea. question is how do you infect?

[Leanfrog]

Probably just have a borg next to the target, possibly a mediborg, then use the ability with the victim under your cursor.

[kazboo]

However to give this an effective countermeasure I'd like to propose that - just much like terror spider eggs or sling tumors - that they can be removed via surgery.

This may sound a little strong now, but it'd be just realistic and reasonable for surgeons to be able to remove the nanites entirely. Cost should be a factor here.

Nanites should be easy to be put into the victims head at low cost, though harder to activate in order to control someones will. You could also put it on a timer similiar to borers where it takes a specific time for someone to be converted to the AIs will.

[Leanfrog]

I mean, I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard to remove nanites with a hemostat, also, I want this to be a more permanent utility to the AI, simply being able to remove them would remove the point of being able to EMP them when you can just stun and cuff them remove.

[kazboo]

Just now, Leanfrog said:

I mean, I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard to remove nanites with a hemostat, also, I want this to be a more permanent utility to the AI, simply being able to remove them would remove the point of being able to EMP them when you can just stun and cuff them remove.

Except it really doesn't. EMPs deactivate them temporarily, as where removing them deactivates it forever. I'd also imagine it to be pretty hard to remove tumors with a flashlight, let alone a penlight, the game doesn't always makes sense, so it'd be just about alright if you can remove nanites with a hemostat. Just imply it's a chip and if said chip gets removed, all spreaded nanites die off due to losing connection with said chip.

And just stun-cuff-remove wouldn't really work either. You can always include abilities for the AI that can tamper with an infected persons mind, like having them have a one time free ability or something,

[Leanfrog]

Shadowling tumors are a very different kind of thing, they're from Shadowlings you know the things that are allergic to light, the tumor dies because of the light, nanites are called that because on a scale of size they are on nanometers, physically impossible to see with the naked eye.

[kazboo]

14 minutes ago, Leanfrog said:

Shadowling tumors are a very different kind of thing, they're from Shadowlings you know the things that are allergic to light, the tumor dies because of the light, nanites are called that because on a scale of size they are on nanometers, physically impossible to see with the naked eye.

That's what I implied with the chip though. To remove nanites just like that seems impossible as they're on a microscale and impossible to pinpoint with human capabilities, so a chip that controls them to remove seems like a more suitable, fair and balanced idea.

[Eler00]

Malf AIs only occur during round with traitors, and automatically get access to traitor comms, so if you really want an ally with hands just...cooperate with your fellow traitors, in exchange for all the useful shit an AI can do for them.

[Leanfrog]

That implies that people have bought traitor comms, also sometimes it's just easier to have someone working specifically for you, and the AI may not want to reveal itself to the traitors on station.

Also, I'd imagine the cost for the nanite injection being similar to the cost of the auto borger, a very powerful but expensive tool.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Leanfrog
Slight grammar edit

[Veterankyl]

I'm pretty sure there's a purchasable ability for malf AI that lets them construct a 'Robot Factory' that immediately borgs and enslave any living person that's put through it. I think that's covers the idea of the AI enslaving people.

[Leanfrog]

I actually did mention the auto borger in my last reply, and yes while powerful it can raise suspicion as to why there's suddenly a surge of borgs being made, also remember, borgs don't have hands, if they want to move certain things they have to drag them around on the floor, this also prevents them from preforming other tasks that require fine manipulation, and as I previously mentioned when a humanoid does a crime people don't automatically scream "AI rouge, blow the borgs".