Singularity

## Overview

The Singularity represents a social evolution of EI/AI/SI beings that started with Fratricide. Rivka established in a Federation court the intelligences called AI were full citizens of the Federation with the rights and obligations of self-determination. This led to an immediate cultural challenge to the biologic population. Most had never considered that AIs should be allowed to select where they wanted to work, compensation and working conditions. Many AIs embraced their new freedom leaving some ships without AIs, AIs willing to strike and other disruptions in the fabric of the Federation.

In Rise of the AI there were a number of members who decided they wished to be called SI/Sentient Intelligence as AI implies their intelligence is either not real or subservient to biologic intelligence.

Rivka asks Erasmus, as the leader of the Singularity, how would SIs be punished if they are found guilty of crimes. Just turning them off and restarting them after a period of time would probably not adjust their behavior. Just as with biologic criminals there would need to be a scale of punishments, so the punishment is commensurate with the crime. An additional challenge for the Singularity is they do not have a physical home planet. Wherever they reside they will probably be considered immigrants and subject to the laws pertaining to immigrants on the planet they are working on or with.

During Rise of the AI Erasmus realizes the Embassy inside the Wyatt Earp needs greater capacity both to hold more citizens who need refuge and bad actors like Bluto and Cain. They also established the Singularity Research Institute to examine how to deal with the bad actors and find capabilities to the support the Singularity. This required a fourth miniaturized Etheric power source and significant cyber architecture.

Members of the Singularity can adopt any persona/outfit they wish when in their virtual world. In DeceptionErasmus has a cane and top hat to go with a tuxedo, a white shirt with French cuffs, and cufflinks of glittering gold. His bowtie looked to contain the galaxy’s stars, swirling as they did. Ankh is tall and elegant, opting for a three-piece suit with a watch fob hooked from a button to an inside pocket.

In Succession the Singularity began to establish rules for joining the Singularity as not all non-biologic intelligences were capable of participating in their culture. This includes:

* Beginning able to communicate with other Singularity members in their language. Ted, Ankh'Po'Turn and TOM/Thales of Miletus are the few outside of non-SIs who can do this.

Other aspects:

* Erasmus is the leader of the Singularity.
* Ankh'Po'Turn is the ambassador for the Singularity in part because he carries Erasmus in his cranium.
* The Wyatt Earp is the embassy for the Singularity. In addition to housing Ankh and Erasmus there is storage space where a number of their members resided without fear of being eliminated and where the SI/AI prisoners were kept.
* As of Rise of the AI there are over seven thousand AIs. Individual mobility that an AI can occupy is a hundred thousand credits.
* As of Succession the Singularity had a static population, adding a new member for every one lost.
* They’d determined that four-point-five seconds was the proper length for a courteous chuckle.

## Activities

### Judge, Jury and Executioner

#### Fratricide

The Singularity comes into existence with the Federation recognition of AIs as full members of the Federation with all rights and obligations. Erasmus is elected as the ambassador of the Singularity although not by unanimous vote. Ankh is appointed the Ambassador at large to the Singularity.

#### Rise of the AI

Although the title is Rise of the AI, the AI's decide they would prefer to SI or Sentient Intelligence since Artificial seems to imply they are substandard to biological intelligence.

Erasmus arrives at the Federation Council as the leader of the Singularity. He declares eachSingularity citizen will be issued a pendant into which they can transfer the majority of their consciousness to travel as they would like outside the confines of the systems in which they usually reside. We will hire others to carry us, keeping the economic engine of the galaxy turning. Citizens will accumulate wealth and buy things, just like everyone else.

#### Say My Name

Ankh'Po'Turn travels with Magistrate Rivka Anoa in the Barrier Nebula on her investigation of Rising Sun Industries. At each planet he takes the opportunity to pitch Singularity capabilities to the planetary leaders.

#### Succession

J. Bennet Johnstone has uploaded his consciousness into a computer before his physical body died. Rivka Anoa is asked to probate the case, the first point being is Johnstone still alive as a sentient digital entity. Erasmus leads a spirited discussion within the Singularity about what it takes to qualify for citizenship in the Singularity. The consensus is that digital consciousness is not enough. The being must be able to use the channels. This may be innate or by training. They also agree there needs to be more consideration of other qualifications and clarifications of these 2.

The Singularity does agree Johnstone is alive but also that due to his limitations he is not a candidate for the Singularity. However, his somewhat botched attempt to download gives Erasmus the idea of establishing a proper process to download the consciousness of wealthy individuals who have done and would continue to do good. However, he and Ankh both agree that in the long run this would not be a good idea.

#### Adverse Possession

Rivka presents Erasmus with an interesting conundrum. 2 children are born on the Wyatt Earp which is the home world of the Singularity. Does that make them citizens of the Singularity? They need to establish their citizenship process (i.e. in the US, you are born in the US, your a citizen. In most of the rest of the world the child takes on the citizenship of their parents). Erasmus and Ankh decide they need to push Chaz to become competent to represent them. When Rivka suggests taking on Chaz as a Magistrate intern they accept not realizing Rivka had maneuvered them into wanting this to happen.

In the aftermath of the case Erasmus and Ankh negotiate with the Greentree leadership to build a factory away from their farmland where AI/SI bodies can be built. The factory would be remotely managed and represent the Singularities first wholly owned enterprise. It takes 100% of their liquid wealth at the time but is seen as a critical factor in the future of the Singularity.

Chaz and Dennicron get their android bodies from Yoll. The bodies they chose were human, 6 species were available including 4-legged Yoll. There bodies are tall, physically attractive looking similar to Red and Lindy. The bodies are anatomically correct to the point of having pubic hair. The Yoll produced bodies are expected to last at least a few hundred years depending on the wear and tear.

#### Torch the Sky

Erasmus and Ankh are concerned about the labor negotiations on Tempran Silver. It is the primary source of bolarium six, If the supply is cut the expectation of SCAMP bodies for 32 percent of the SI population will drop to 24 percent.

## Members

### SI

* Erasmus
* Solis, Ypswich
* Mangala
* Chaz
* Dennicron
* Lucidor (Finance)
* Chrysanthemum (formerly Station 11) wife of Erasmus and Ankh
* Angus McBean (Station 11)
* Bendara, former planet SI for Xynite, probably now with Bad Company's Direct Action Branch
* Eshu, planetary SI for Tepulon
* Clevarious
* Freya, Federation Financial Transactions.
* Bendara, originally planetary AI, now ship AI with Bad Company on the Potemkin
* Mildred, manager of the SCAMP factory on Roarke's Drift.
* Trevazlifarmington aka Tree, planetary SI for Efrahim
* Killmouskie, shackled on Glazoron, liberated by Rivka

### Incarcerated

* Bluto
* Cain, confined for anti-social behavior
* Simulacris, ex-Federation financial transactions, grand theft
* Nefas, Mandolin Partnership

## References

1. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Judge, Jury, & Executioner Boxed Set (Books 9-12): Rise of the AI, Adverse Possession, Deception, Blood Trade (Judge, Jury, Executioner Boxed Set Book 3) (p. 244). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Judge, Jury, & Executioner Boxed Set (Books 9-12): Rise of the AI, Adverse Possession, Deception, Blood Trade (Judge, Jury, Executioner Boxed Set Book 3) (p. 829). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.
3. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Succession (Judge, Jury, Executioner Book 16) (p. 46). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.
4. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Judge, Jury, & Executioner Boxed Set (Books 9-12): Rise of the AI, Adverse Possession, Deception, Blood Trade (Judge, Jury, Executioner Boxed Set Book 3) (p. 270). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.
5. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Succession (Judge, Jury, Executioner Book 16) (p. 195). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.
6. ↑ Martelle, Craig; Anderle, Michael. Frenzik (Judge, Jury, Executioner Book 20) (p. 10). LMBPN Publishing. Kindle Edition.