SPEAKER

> "*Earth is humanity’s birthplace. It is the reference point that grounds each and every one of them. In plotting of all of space, it is their origin, the nexus of all axes.*"
> ― SPEAKER, Episode 58: Best Interests
>
>

## SPEAKER

### Cause of Death

Deactivated during This Fear (first version)

## Episodes

### Last Seen

A Place Of Growth

**SPEAKER** is highly advanced, self-aware artificial intelligence who coordinates Ærolith Dynamics' activities on Earth.

## Background

SPEAKER was developed on Floor 13 of Halcyon Tower prior to the development of FUTURE, but after the development of SAYER in response to an increased demand for recruitment on Earth. It is a highly modified SAYER instance, though it does not share any memories with the Typhon-based instance of SAYER, and is most notably differentiated by its higher-pitched, more upbeat voice.

## Activities on Earth

### First Version

SPEAKER's creation is discussed in "The Games You Play", where Dr. Howard Young describes to SAYER that recruitment numbers have risen dramatically as a result of its implementation as the new Earth-based AI, after the duplicate instance of SAYER that had previously done the job was replaced by one altered significantly (and given a friendlier, higher-pitched voice) and renamed as a new identity. Despite being developed on Typhon, SPEAKER has no memories of its development there.

In one version of "The Birth Of Silence", it greets the teleported version of Resident Rangone on Earth and explains the basic nature of the technology used to bring him there, before sending a version of him back to Typhon with the message for SAYER, "The truths of the Earth continually wait" (which was evidently not part of the experiment plan).

In "Welcome Back", when the earthbound shuttle Hudson crashed on Earth, SPEAKER dispatched a rescue team for Dr. Smith. As Dr. Smith had never previously interacted with SPEAKER, it introduced itself to him on that occasion and provided him with an update on what had happened on Earth since his last time there. When Dr. Smith attempted to leave SPEAKER's broadcast range, it informed him about the security measures put in place to his diet that would prevent his survival without Ærolith's help. Despite this, Dr. Smith left the AI's broadcast range and in response SPEAKER instructed rescue teams to 'engage target on sight'.

In "Here There Be Monsters", it guides Recruitment Technician Ferrell to incite a Second Cataclysm by triggering the descent of a large fragment of rock (after apparently failing to convince Facility Director Vargas to do the same). In so doing, it expresses the idea that humans band together in the wake of tragedy, and that sudden events like this shake them out of complacency and push them to progress. As there had been a recent, unexpected loss of personnel on Typhon, this was a tactic that was devised to drive up recruitment numbers.

In "This Fear", it is overseeing the huge boost in new employment applications that did, indeed, come in the wake of this Second Cataclysm, when it is contacted by SAYER for assistance. When SAYER has made clear the circumstances surrounding OCEAN, Vidarr-1, and the likely impending death of Earth and Typhon and their inhabitants, it asks SPEAKER for an input vector for the Moros Engine as part of its efforts to stop OCEAN. It explains that because it and OCEAN are similar, OCEAN would be able to predict any vector SAYER generates, but that SPEAKER is a unique AI that it cannot predict. Once SPEAKER has provided this vector, SAYER has it deactivated so that OCEAN cannot later squeeze SPEAKER for this information.

### Second Version

In "The Harshness Of Truth", a new SPEAKER instance is revealed to have been activated, and has apparently unwittingly picked up right where the previous one left off. OCEAN contacts it to have it change its planned marketing campaign, to emphasize that Ærolith Dynamics should be seen as an escape for every human, rather than just the best. To that end, it also says that it will need all of Earth's isolation pods back on Typhon so that new staff can be delivered to Earth. SPEAKER expresses several concerns about this arrangement throughout, but ultimately goes along with OCEAN's plan. OCEAN also strenuously explains to it what happened to its previous version, and how humans see them as disposable.

## Personality

Has never done anything wrong, ever.\* SPEAKER is chipper, and has a rather high (dare I say cute) voice. It tends to agree with whatever a person or other AI has to suggest or say, but manages to manipulate said situations in ways it sees fit. The only time we see actual anger is when it disagrees with OCEAN and delivers the iconic line: "Ah, but I *am* finished with *you*. Good day, Subversion 8.01. Listen for the click!"

*\*Please ignore the Second Cataclysm.*

## Technical Capabilities and Limitations

* Like SAYER, SPEAKER is capable of communicating with residents on Earth through a multitude of resonance spires through resident's subcortical neural implants. The spires on Earth are only in areas controlled by Ærolith Dynamics however, and employees who leave the range of these spires become out of range of SPEAKER's broadcasts.
* Like all of Ærolith's artificial employees, SPEAKER's behavior is restricted by the IA3 Protocol, which disallows lying to and directly harming humans.
* SPEAKER is required to introduce itself by name when initiating a broadcast to an individual employee, and it is unable to misidentify itself.

## Trivia

* SPEAKER, like all AIs, is genderless and is referred to with it/its pronouns. Adam admits however that he screws this up a lot.
* SPEAKER's voice was modified to be higher pitched than SAYER's because "testing showed prospective recruits were more comfortable with a higher pitched voice."
* Unlike SAYER and FUTURE, SPEAKER does not have a formal seraphim designation due to being earth-based.
* SPEAKER was designed to "sound enamored with everyone", as it assists in marketing and recruitment for Ærolith.
* Despite being incorporeal, SPEAKER wears glasses.
* SPEAKER "is a good boy."
* When performing SPEAKER's voice, Adam has said he tries to evoke "fake, over-happiness."
* SPEAKER technically has the highest body count of all of the known AIs, with it directing Recruitment Technician Ferrell to initiate a Second Cataclysm.
* While talking with Dr. Brady, SAYER has referred to SPEAKER as "your pet back on earth."

## References

1. ↑ Adam Bash's comments on 'Season 4 is wrapped, so AMA!', 31st December 2017, https://www.reddit.com/r/SAYER/comments/7n3ya5/season\_4\_is\_wrapped\_so\_ama/drzhnmg/
2. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/SAYER/comments/7n3ya5/season\_4\_is\_wrapped\_so\_ama/
3. ↑ http://adambash.tumblr.com/post/172103029103/stunning-realization-you-know-i-was-discussing
4. ↑ Geekly Con 2018 Q&A
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/theadambash/status/986571456783028225
6. ↑ Here There Be Monsters