Miranda Pryce

**Dr. Miranda Pryce** is an Artificial Intelligence specialist and implied to be the initial developer of AIs in the *Wolf 359* universe. She is the co-writer of *Pryce and Carter's Deep Space Survival Procedure and Protocol Manual* with William Carter. Pryce was recruited to Goddard at a young age by an aged pre-modification Marcus Cutter, who gave her incentives to create the first AI. She later joined Goddard Futuristics as Cutter's partner and AI engineer.

In addition to AIs, Pryce has developed a range of devices, from memory extraction or modification programs to versions of "mind control" to bodily modifications. Pryce provided biomechanical modifications for herself and Cutter in order to extend their lifespans, make up for physical shortcomings, and enhance reflexes (as shown by Cutter's ability to catch bullets).

Pryce is also the voice of Hera's interface, though this is a functional choice, not a sentimental one. She describes it as a "backdoor into the subconscious" that allows her to easier input subliminal commands in the minds of her AI creations.

## Biography

Pryce was born with vision impairment and a serious heart defect that indicated a shortened lifespan, which led her to go to great lengths to demonstrate her intelligence. As a child she lived in an orphanage, and in order to prove her cleverness she began to "fix" things around the orphanage, making them better and more efficient. Her intelligence and her abrasive and sharp personality made her unpopular among her peers, so she began to develop what she described as "dolls", robotic constructions that she could manipulate to be her friends in lieu of people. Later in life she was found by Marcus Cutter, who was at the time a very old man.

Cutter proposed that she make him a doll that "look[ed] like a real person, and sound[ed] like a real person, and [was] a real person", with the incentive that if she could manage to do so it would fix her health problems and make him young again. She evidently did, in the form of the first fully-realized AI. Cutter then offered her a place at Goddard Futuristics as head AI engineer, which she accepted. Sometime afterwards she designed herself a pair of artificial eyes and presumably an artificial heart as well.

While at Goddard, Pryce built the AIs for use in various functions, ranging from spacecraft mother programs like Hera and Rhea, to aircraft pilot AIs like Enlil, to AIs with more specific purposes like Eris (who describes herself as a "virus"). Pryce never viewed her AIs as people, however; she referred to them solely by their unit numbers rather than their names and by "it" rather than any other pronouns. As shown with Hera, Pryce had no problems with editing the memories and personalities of her creations in order to make them docile and obedient (in her words, to "clip their wings"). In Hera, this manifested as the phrases "I can't do this. I'm not good enough."

## Relationships

### Marcus Cutter

Pryce and Cutter have a working partnership, and wrote *Pryce and Carter's Deep Space Survival Procedure and Protocol Manual* together. Cutter is shown to genially care about her when she is threatened by Renée Minkowski and Doug Eiffel. He has a seemingly higher rank at Goddard. After attempting to negotiate terms of a hostage situation for him there is a brief tension between the two.

## Trivia

* Without her mechanical eyes, Dr. Pryce is blind.