Investigation of the Algintal Rogue Drone Hive
WORK IN PROGRESS: PENDING REVIEW
Introduction
Rogue drones have been a threat to civilian space travel and colonization for around 70 to 80 years since their first appearance, reported to be due to advanced AI research gone wrong.[1] The rogue drones have since spread greatly all over the New Eden star cluster and continue to increase their numbers by constructing new drones out of material either harvested from asteroids or forcefully taken from starships. Certain drones, known as 'hive mothers', act as central control units for other drones and as the guiding hand of the hive. This control is mostly directed at smaller class drones while the larger classes (such as queens and matriarchs) possess a certainly level of independency but also acts as local controllers of minor drones. Different hives have different mothers that each has developed differently based not only on the originally programming but also due to adaptation to the environment, where the hive has settled, and to the retrieved materials used to construct new drones. This ability to easily assimilate foreign technology has often resulted in new generations of drones being more powerful than their predecessors.
The Algintal constellation is known to have been settled by the Yan Jung nation millennia ago during the initial colonization of New Eden when the EVE Gate was still operational. Many Yan Jung technological artifacts can still be found in the constellation, specifically in the system of Deltole.
This project aimed at investigating the possible assimilation of Yan Jung artifacts by a rogue drone hive located in the Skeleton Comet deadspace complex (Deltole system, Algintal constellation) and to what extent (if any) this have had on the development of the hive.
Methodology
A single capsuleer pilot from the Ataraxia Pharmacies corporation, Material Acquisition Division, was dispatched to the Algintal constellation to establish contact with a Thukker agent, who had requested help regarding the rogue drone development in the constellation.
The findings and experiences of this pilot were gathered into two reports describing in detail the development within the rogue drone hive.
Discussion
The events described in the reports clearly shows that the drone hive has been assimilating Yan Jung technology into their production of new rogue drones and this has resulted in a completely new strain of drones to evolve. This strain was apparently cast out and attempted destroyed by the local hive queen, from the Skeleton Complex, in the end.
There Skeleton Comet hive is apparently without a hive mother and being controlled by a single hive queen instead. It is remarkable that the hive queen found pursued the destruction of the new rogue strain when the strain showed and development for greater strength that the older generations. Wrtuk Formur suggests that it was to crush a challenge to the queen’s authority, but that an AI should possess such selfish emotions is questionable. It would be much more beneficial for the hive as a whole to be augmented by the new strain even if it meant a replacement of the hive queen. The explanation could instead be that only a certain level of deviation from the norm is accepted in the construction of new drones. Drones have to comply with control from the central hive queen or be deemed too unruly. In any case, this emphasize the facts that the rogue drones not are a strict unified entity and that they have a certain level of self-regulation on drones that become too 'rogue' for the collective.
The abilities the new drone strain gained from the assimilated Yan Jung technology appears to be first and foremost an enhancement of their communication abilities as found in the Aether Hive Links. This has likely occurred due to assimilation of Yan Jung Tachyon Stetoscopes. Another assimilation effect was present at the Aether Drone Queen in the form of immense armor repair ability. A lot of Yan Jung artifacts are known to be related to armor engineering and used in the construction of armor repair and enhancement modules for capsuleer ships. Though far from as powerful as experienced with the Aether Drone Queen. What exactly makes the difference is unknown, but it is a clear indication of the strength that lies hidden within these technologies.
The assimilation of Yan Jung technology might also have advanced the cognitive abilities within the new strain to a higher level. Some Yan Jung artifacts appear to be related to microprocessor engineering and possible AI research. At least there seems to be quite a number a 'hive minds' within the new drone strain and not just a single controller.
Both the enhancement of communication and cognitive abilities could explain the reason why the Damaged Drone Hive Mind would contact a capsuleer to help it in its distress. While seemingly a member of the new strain too it is puzzling why it asks for the destruction of the queen of the new strain (the Aether hive) and to be brought the Drone Mind Embryo. Maybe the damaged drone is not aware that the capsuleer will be met with hostility and not freely given the embryo, or the some self-preservation routine simply states that getting the embryo is the only possible way to survive. But again, that a single drone should be able to put its needs above the needs of the hive, especially the controlling unit like the queen, is uncommon rogue drone behavior. A different answer could be that a high level of competition existed between the hive minds of the new drone strain to whom should be the controling unit. This is in line in with Wrtuk Formurs suggestion on the worries of the Skeleton Complex hive queen.
Conclusion
While the drone queen in the Skeleton Complex might be actively trying to eradicate the new drone strain, at least one hive mind appears to have survived, partly due to the actions of the pilot assigned to gather the reports presented here. The rogue drones in Algintalwere found to be able to assimilate Yan Jung technology even to a level that surpasses human constructed modules for capsuleer ships. Further studies on the rogue drones ability to assimilate technology from other human civilizations and the resulting effect are needed to fully understand the potential threat of the rogue drones.