This is the overview and timeline page for the IPC Tag Replacement Arc which began on April 29th, 2020, ended on June 15th, 2020 and pertains largely to IPC lore.
The arc is centered around IPC tags and the subsequent changes to them as a result of a mass malfunction.
Below is a summary of the arc's events, applicable news articles, and additions.
In a string of repeated and strange reports, unbound synthetics—sometimes en masse—have been reported to short circuit and collapse, unable to be reactivated. Moreover, the malfunction appears indiscriminate across all chassis and occurs seemingly at random.
Earlier this week in Mendell City’s District 2, a government-owned Parks Maintenance worker, affectionately named “Adrien”, fell from the ladder it was perched on and crowd soon gathered around the writhing Bishop brand chassis. However, by the time the Park’s Maintenance supervisor arrived on scene, Adrien had long since fallen still, unresponsive to any of the crowd’s calls or prodding. One such park goer remarked on a supposed plume of smoke that burst from Adrien’s neck, prompting the IPC to fall.
Moreover, on the early morning of April 21st 2462, a Synthetic Team supervisor aboard the Freighter Ship NCV Archimedes found that half of their Generation 2 Hephaestus Chassis Loaders were unable to reactivate from storage, citing particular markings along the necks of each unit in question. So far in each reported incident, the damages to the positronic brain have rendered all units unrecoverable.
Although the cause presently remains unknown, concerns have been raised from business owners and private citizens alike as to the safety of the many IPCs that occupy our Bieselitte workplaces and homes.
Hephaestus Industries Sparks Controversy!
News Article
Publisher : MENDELL CITY BUGLE
Writer : NIENNAB
02/05/2462
Revelations Come to Light Following Mass IPC Malfunction.
Following an investigation into the recent mass deactivation of unbound synthetics across Tau Ceti Space, researchers have found the issue to be a malfunction in the first generation of Hephaestus Industries’ tags implemented following the Gruber Bill. With the news brought to light, citizens and politicians alike have called for change.
The Shell Registration Act, commonly referred to as the Gruber Bill, passed a little over four years ago on January 15th, 2458, following a 198 - 84 vote with 4 abstentions. The bill requires a mandatory registration of all unbound synthetic intelligence into a centralized database in addition to being made to have a collar tag installed onto their chassis, indicating their status as synthetic.
The generation 1 Hephaestus Industries’ tags have been found to possess an overclocking malfunction that gradually heats the IPC's tag, eventually resulting in a short-circuit, powerful enough to disable an synthetic’s positronic brain permanently. Moreover, researchers have confirmed that the overclocking issue persists in later iterations of the present IPC Tags, prompting the corporation’s rapid response.
Given the shutdown of a reported 327 synthetics so far, The Republic of Biesel has settled on standardizing a new, reliable way of tracking synthetics without the need for an outer piece of hardware. As such, while the new system and hardware are under rapid development, The Republic of Biesel has agreed to put a temporary block on the Gruber Bill, allowing unbound synthetics to have their tags removed.
However the temporary stop has drummed up certain controversy. Many ask as to what this may mean for aberrant, rogue synthetics who by and large may have an opportunity to insert themselves into our workplaces, governments and homes during the stop.
Synthetic Salvation in Light of Mass Malfunction
News Article
Publisher : MENDELL CITY BUGLE
Writer : NIENNAB
09/05/2462
Hardware and Software Updates Made Readily Available.
The Republic of Biesel, working in tandem with Hephaestus Industries have released a new version of tags for unbound synthetics across Bieselite Space. The new design features a small card that is installed instead in the base of the synthetic’s neck, out of sight and viewable only by trained personnel.
As such, the Shell Registration Act has been additionally stripped of the clause that refers to the requirement that synthetics must outwardly indicate their status as synthetic. Therefore synthetics have been offered one month to receive the required software as well as hardware upgrade that if avoided, will cost the owner or free synthetic a 8,000 credit fine. Given the concerns of malfunction, individuals are encouraged to seek out the upgrade as soon as possible.
The changes are as follows:
*Internal software updates for standardized branding and tracking.
*The integration of an internal identification system, accessible only by trained professionals. As such, manufacturer information will be more readily accessible by positronic interfaces when chassis disassembly occurs.
*Unbound synthetics are required to have engraved fingerprints unique to each chassis across the board.
Although the patent lies with The Republic of Biesel, the new designs have been licensed out to corporations in the business of manufacturing Integrated Positronic Chassis’.
However, Hephaestus Industries, the previous sole manufacturer and distributor of IPC Tags is under continued investigation following the mishandling of IPC Tag development and implementation. Many wonder, will Hephaestus be made to foot the bill for the destroyed positronic brains? Moreover, how can we trust that this won’t happen again?
Nanotrasen's Official Untagging
Server Event
Host : NIENNAB, THE STRYKER
Participants : SHESTRYING, CNAYM
02/05/2462
Nanotrasen Officials visit the station in order to officially untag the IPC crew.
Following the revelations pertaining to the Hephaestus Generation 1 tags and the temporary block made to the Gruber Bill, Nanotrasen officials boarded the NSS Aurora in order to officially untag, and make note of, the resident synthetics aboard.
Ceres' Lance Visitation
Server Event
Host : NIENNAB
Participants : THE STRYKER, TAILSON, SHESTRYING, NEWORIGINALSCHWANN, CNAYM, DOOMBERG
05/06/2462
Ceres' Lance officials will partake in a scheduled visitation of the station.
Ceres' Lance, contracted by Nanotrasen took to the NSS Aurora one month after the new tags have been distributed, as part of an initiative to make certain that each IPC in NanoTrasen’s employ is rightfully tagged with the new system. Although largely unbeknownst to the crew, Ceres' Lance made additional inquiries in regards to a certain missing reclamation unit.
A struggle broke out after the rogue synthetic Liam Bennett, called in for an examination, fled the Lancers, resulting in an altercation that led to the IPCs arrest.
Ceres' Lance Catches Rogue Synthetic!
News Article
Publisher : MENDELL CITY BUGLE
Writer : NIENNAB
07/06/2462
Ceres' Lance Catches Rogue Synthetic!
Following a visitation to NanoTrasen’s phoron research and mining station, the NSS Aurora, Ceres' Lance officials soon discovered a rogue synthetic by the name of Liam Bennett — who, unbeknownst to the crew at large, had been residing on the station approximately since October of 2461 as a gardener. A brief struggle occurred when Ceres' Lance personnel called the unit in for an examination, resulting in a single Ceres' Lance operative being struck with a hatchet. The operative was treated on site and made a full recovery. After its capture, the shell was disassembled and its positronic brain is undergoing a deep scan for potential malignant software.
“I am very proud of our operatives,” Ceres' Lance Central Officer Bradford Myles said in a statement following the unit’s arrest, “But it was thanks to the teamwork demonstrated between both our team and the vigilant crewmembers of the Aurora that we saw success today. Keeping everyone safe will always be a combined effort.”
The authorities have determined the case as an isolated incident and the likelihood of repetition is null. However, concerns have been raised regarding the apparent ease in which Bennett had been able to remain hidden for so long. In a later statement to the press, a Company Representative for NanoTrasen Madison Hallewell stated, “We are grateful for the [Ceres'] Lance’s continued efforts and we intend to look into how the unit was hired.”
Miss Lena Hegarty, a cargo technician, was detained under suspicion of collaborating with Bennett but was later cleared of any charges.
Ceres' Lance Visitation: A Follow Up
Server Event
Host : NIENNAB
Participants : THE STRYKER, TAILSON, SHESTRYING, NEWORIGINALSCHWANN, CNAYM, DOOMBERG
13/06/2462
Ceres' Lance officials partake in a scheduled visitation of the station.
A week has passed since the incident with the rogue synthetic Liam Bennett. Following his arrest and disassembly, Ceres' Lance returned to the station with Bennett’s positronic brain in tow inorder to finish their work and root out any possible individuals who may have harboured Bennett or are willing to reveal themselves in an effort to steal him.
Janitor Keegan Impukane, after fleeing from and later arrested by Ceres' Lance officials, was found to be an untagged synthetic and, following his arrest, was retagged and charged with the crime of being an unregistered positronic. Bennett’s positronic brain was questioned by the crew and later wiped by Ceres' Lance officials.
Ceres' Lance, contracted by Idris Incorporated, inquired with the crew in regards to the disappearance of a reclamation unit by the designation IRU-Jack, who initially did not return to his place of storage in Mendell City.
Ceres’ Lance Sees Continued Success in Search for Lawbreaking Shells
News Article
Publisher : MENDELL CITY BUGLE
Writer : NIENNAB
15/06/2462
Ceres’ Lance sees continued success in search for lawbreaking shells.
Ceres’ Lance officials took to NanoTrasen’s phoron research and mining station—the NSS Aurora—again last Saturday as part of their ongoing sector sweep of the area, ensuring IPCs employed by NanoTrasen are tagged under the new regulations in accordance with Tau Ceti law.
During their station sweep, the positronic brain of the previously apprehended rogue shell, Liam Bennett, was temporarily left with NanoTrasen’s Research Department in an effort to perform a scan of its positronic pathways. Those who have been keeping up to date may recognize Liam Bennett as the rogue synthetic that attempted to evade law enforcement and attacked a Ceres’ Lance operative during their attempts to escape.
During the follow-up visitation, a pursuit broke out when Keegan Impukane, a janitor aboard the station, fled officials after being stopped for a scan. Quick on their feet, the Lancers chased and promptly cornered the janitor, demanding his surrender. However, Impukane continued to ignore the officials despite repeated demands to halt and attempted to evade them once more. The pursuit ended when Impukane lobbed a grenade at the Lancers before being stunned and subdued. The grenade in question was later determined to be a harmless cleaning grenade.
"Janitor Impukane knowingly and deliberately violated Republic law, deceiving its long-standing colleagues and fleeing as soon as it came under suspicion,” Ceres’ Lance Officer Lawrence Graham said in an interview following their visit to the station. “We could not have rooted it out so quickly without the generous assistance and cooperation of Captain Vira Bolivar and the NSS Aurora's crew."
Ceres’ Lance have decided not to press additional charges for Impukane’s grenade threat. “Thank God it was just soap suds in the bomb, right?” quipped Lance Researcher Giselle Royce during a later interview.