The Orphyx Program
The Orphyx Program
It is not known when exactly the Orphyx program took place or what the Orphyx program end goals were due to the heavy censorship of information by CONCORD but what is understood is the researchers were using radical new programming techniques alongside the latest cutting edge hardware to create an advanced artificial intelligence drone that seems was intended to operate below the threshold of sentience and thus avoid Concord directive omega-one-five. At some point near the programs completion the drone appears to have self activated and gone on the rampage, killing many people and causing extensive damage before apparently leaving the research station via an airlock. The Orphyx program is of particular note due to so many of subsequent rogue drone incidents seeming to involve researchers who had worked on this project. The current whereabouts and status of the Orphyx drone are unknown.
The catastrophic end of the Orphyx program led to an investigation by CONCORD Special Projects Office (SPO), With clear jurisdiction over investigating unusual and secretive projects run by the Empires, the CONCORD SPO forced an official investigation on the XXXXXXXX corporation when large numbers of their staff were killed by the malfunctioning AI unit under development, the Orphyx. As the SPO's report states, because so many XXXXXXXX staff were unfortunately killed in the Orphyx incident the collated interviews of the survivors paint an incomplete picture of the events that transpired before the Incident occurred.
Prior to the Orphyx entity malfunction the SPO had received anonymous tip-offs concerned with the development of the program, run by XXXXXXXX though they were deemed too vague to support an investigation at the time. However the closer monitoring of open GalNet communications, XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX and XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX was approved by the Inner Circle and intelligence was slowly gathered on the potential nature of the XXXXXXXX project. This early information formed the primary intelligence that fuelled the Orphyx Program investigation in the wake of the disastrous malfunction. By the end of the investigation large quantities of personal GalNet logs, requisitions and official corporation research records that had been subpoenaed from XXXXXXXX.
As summarized in their report, the SPO's conclusion was that there was no substantive evidence to indicate that the intended outcome of XXXXXXXX's research was in contravention of CONCORD law, and that the incident was genuinely unforeseen and unexpected by their personnel. However, given the unique nature of this incident the investigation team found the current directives surrounding AI research and development insufficient in key considerations. The lead investigator suggested that the Orphyx Program would have been classified as potentially dangerous by the SPO much earlier had the newer proposed directives been in effect. The report levied the suggestion that the current directives, Concord directive omega-one-five, be revised to assist in the identification of potentially dangerous projects. The revised Concord directive omega-one-five was ratified by the CONCORD Assembly.
The following are excerpts from the CONCORD Orphyx Investigation Report.
- CONCORD SPO, Approval Committee Log
After review of application for research permit into drone cognitive applied for by the XXXXXXXX corporation we have decided to reject the application at this time. XXXXXXXX currently have 23 such permits active at this time, with 17 being utilised by the XXXXXXXXX laboratory. Also, the Oversight Committee has obtained several independent, yet anonymous concerns in the course of the last month regarding the Orphyx Project listed under the same laboratory. Further review will be applied after a period of two standard EVE months.
- XXXXXXXX, Personal Log (Subpoenaed from XXXXXXXX by the SPO Orphyx Investigation)
Our permit was rejected by the narrow minded bureaucracy over at the SPO. Nevertheless research into Project Orphyx proceeds apace and even without this permit we have many avenues to explore. Professor Bohat thinks he will have the prototype ready with a few weeks. Once the final tweaks to the software are completed we will be able to match the two, and our dreams will begin to become realized. Interesting times indeed.
- DED Incident Site Report Summary
After a comprehensive review of incident at the XXXXXXXX offices on XXXXXXX station we can still not ascertain the cause. Our current theory points to a simple drone malfunction, however the sheer breadth of damage inflicted not to mention the unanswered questions of exactly how it managed to activate and control the XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX leaves us with many unanswered questions. The list of confirmed missing personnel is currently at 3 including the director of the facility. Exact fatalities have yet to be counted given the level of dismemberment making an accurate assessment of the dead impossible at this time. There was also extensive damage to several rooms and corridors, however there was no damage to airlock 5-FG which we believe the Orphyx used to escape.
- DED Forensic Investigation and Information Retrieval
Data retrieval has turned up minimal leads. It appears most of the research data was wiped. The investigating officer is convinced someone copied it before we got in but so far we have been unable to determine who or why. The forensics report has come back and one of the missing persons has been accounted for after body parts were found scattered over a wide area. The director of the facilities is still unaccounted for although apparently we may have one arm, but that is still awaiting ID tests and the other missing person is XXXXXXXXXX, the director's personal assistant.