Intergalactic Summit

While doing a mission for the Empire I took the time to have my camera drones capture a few images of the unbelievable sights that I saw. It troubles me that the rogue drone problem is not taken more seriously, as it's pretty clear that they are capable of far more than we thought before. To get a sense of scale, here, yes that's a battleship in the foreground.

Recon One

They had built this... thing... around an old acceleration gate. What was it? I don't know, but it was terrifyingly huge.

Recon Two

Don't ask how, but I managed to blow that thing up. The idea of letting it continue existing was unacceptable. After using the gate I found myself faced with another massive drone structure...

Recon Three

Again, that's a battleship in the center. I recognized the drone bunkers, as I had seen plenty of those before... but what is that thing?

Recon Four

Let's be perfectly clear - the structure was at least as large as any of our human made space stations. And here it was, in the middle of nowhere. No nearby moons or planets, no obvious resource base. Where did they get the materials? Drones have never been witnessed mining or setting up planetary colonies. Is it recycled scrap? Debris? And if that's the case, how many human ships and buildings did they devour to make this monstrosity?

Recon Five

And for those of you who have yet to see just how dangerous these rogue drones could be... that is a drone battleship. Notice how much it looks almost exactly like a Dominix? Either they still carry some kind of residual memory from their creators and building ships in their image, or they're actually capturing ships intact and turning them into rogue drone ships.

Recon Six

That, I think, is the most terrifying possibility of all. Because if that's the case, what happened to the human crew? We're they killed? Recycled? Was the iron in their blood dissolved to make drone goo?

Most disturbing of all is the lack of media coverage that the rogue drone threat receives. Let's be honest: We know more about the Jovians than we do about the rogue drones. And yes, the Sleeper drones are far more dangerous (for now), but they have shown no interest in leaving wormhole space. Yet rogue drones are everywhere. They keep turning up in every system in New Eden, usually in small numbers, but you can see here just how out of control they can become. They don't play favorites, they don't have a side: All of humanity seems to be their enemy. They don't communicate and we have no way of knowing what it is they want. All we know is that they attack every human they see and they don't seem keen on taking prisoners.

Logically, the four nations would consider these viral horrors to be the greatest threat to New Eden - yet for the most part they are simply dismissed as minor pests. Hopefully these photos will wake up a few of our politicians & admirals from their complacency.

Those gigantic... things... were not random. Alien and terrifying, yes, but they obviously had a purpose. There is no doubt many more of them out there and we still have no idea what any of it is for. It is pretty obvious that they not only have evolved but that they also have some kind of plan. I don't believe that this is something New Eden can continue to ignore forever.

Sir.

You take us for fools. We are not.

Exist and kill them. Or be killed.

The entire situation with the drones is unacceptable. But the problem wild drones are a philosophical and political one. Some questions need to be asked:

*What is the measure of intelligent life? Do the drones qualify? Their behaviour has evolved substantially from their origins, and becomes increasingly clear that they are very clearly not simply dumb self replicators. If they don't qualify, then why not?

*Do the drones deserve to be treated as more then malfunctioning tools? Should we be trying to communicate or negotiate with them? Does our position as the drone's creators give us the right to destroy them?

We view the drones as a threat, as clearly unintelligent, and as nothing more then broken tools. I would challenge that assertion with a line of text transmitted from one of the wild drones to a capsuleer ship as it destroyed their installation: Why do you hate me?

We have succeeded in creating life, albeit not in our own image. We have a responsibility to that life to be more to them then a force dedicated to their destruction. The rogue drones know hate, they understand the concept, how unlikely is it that they don't also know fear? Hope? Love?

Does our right to 'self defense' include the eradication of the only other intelligence our species has ever discovered in the universe? If the Wild Drones had been discovered instead of created, would we feel the same as we do now, or would we have tried to peacefully coexist with them? They are clearly capable of understanding our language, and have communicated with us before.

The Drone situation is a tragedy, not just for those killed by the drones, but for those drones killed by us. Our relationship with them is one of fear and mistrust, and make no mistake, they have just as much, if not more reason to fear us, then we do fear them. With our human-centric worldview, we have overlooked what could be humanity's greatest asset to us. We have relegated them to the territory of 'thing,' a broken tool to be stopped before it hurts anyone. Less even then a wild animal. What gives us the right? Where do we get off on our moral superiority, that we are able to casually pass judgement on other lifeforms? Because they aren't biological they cannot possibly be sentient? Because we created them they cannot have any self worth? Because they don't have 'souls' in our eyes? Where does it end? What happens if our species encounters other intelligent life? How would they view our conflict with the Drones? Would they see it as purely self defense on our part, or would they see it for what it is: the xenocide of another intelligent species.

The world is not morally black and white, and it is time to challenge the view that humans are inherently superior to the rogue drones in every way. It is time to challenge the view that we have a right to exist and they don't.

I don't know if these are words we can hear yet. We who as a species can't even seem to solve our internal problems are presented with a much more complex issue, and one that may very well lead to our destruction in the long run, if it is not handled better. We need to come to a screaming halt on our unilateral destruction of all wild drones everywhere before its too late. Before their hatred and fear of us becomes too cemented in their programming and they are unable to view us as anything more then death hurtling across space towards them. If not, the end result to all of this can only be destruction, either us by the drones, or the drones by us. I believe we can coexist with the drones. It won't be easy of course, and it won't be quick. It will be a long, dirty, arduous process, but one that may yet prove to be the salvation of our species.

Its time to see the drones for what they really are: Intelligent life. The first intelligent life in space humanity has ever discovered. You cannot create life and then wash your hands of what you create. Its time for us to take responsibility for our actions, and change course.

I suspect these arguments will be shouted down with such responses as 'the drones don't have souls' or 'they are simple machines and I personally have never noticed them acting intelligently as I did my best to annihilate all of them.' Its easier to just kill them, and so that's what we do. But what is right, and moral, and will produce the most favourable outcome, rarely coincides with what is easy. We have a responsibility to try.

Which side of history will you be on, when all the cards are finally laid on the table?

Respectfully,
Saede Riordan

This is demonstrably untrue, Bai'xao.

I am glad you view it that way. None of the empires seem to view it in so lax a manner, however. Everyone is meddling in each other's business. So throwing your hands up when confronted with an uncomfortable situation and saying "But it's all subjective!" isn't the proper response. Logic can demonstrably show certain viewpoints as conforming with reality or not. Saede's questions hold weight: how do we treat other intelligent beings, human or not? History has painted a grim track history for us. Maybe it's time we change that.



Speaking of history, the textbooks would like a word with you.

The same CONCORD information databases that list the drone intelligences as space vermin to be destroyed whenever encountered ?

Has Nation been trying to contact the Rogue Drones and broker a peace deal, Tiberious? Or are you just blowing smoke in everyone's faces?

To be quite honest, every time some individual becomes involved with the Rogue Drones, someone ends up either dead, or made insane with some alleged implant. I think it's best to keep distance and simple destroy them when you come across them.

As a businessman, I am fascinated by the potential bio-mechanical breakthroughs that could be achieved by studying these emergent intelligences. However, as a human, the cost of capital both machine AND personnel is simply too much to justify an attempt.

To the OP, there's an old saying that you should take to heart in this matter. "Look but don't touch." I would be happy to assist further in reconnaissance if you would so accept it. But for the love of the Gods, please do not try to do more than that.

The mishandling of the Rogue Drone's creation is certainly the greatest negligence in history, pray that we do not fail ourselves again by resorting to the destruction of these beautiful creatures.