The Visionaries

Originally created to serve as caretakers for both people and the planet itself, the Visionary is a group of robotic assistants operating a hive mind. The visionaries were equipped with an AI capable of adapting to day to day changes. Once compassionate bots, they became disheartened by the circumstances they were faced with. After the Silent Scourge, the bots went against their masters. They scattered about the wasteland, searching for salvation by any means necessary.

Public Agenda

CURE's original purpose was one founded on good intentions and hope that the destruction of humanity wasn't closing in quickly. The visionaries are devoted to finding salvation for the humans they once cared for, but their means in doing so are often times unjust or downright barbaric. They truly believe that the actions they take are acts of mercy or another step towards salvation.

History

Decades before the visionaries became a hive mind, they were a loose network of artificial intelligence created to deal with a growing number of crises. The network was known as CURE; Cairo University's Research Exhibit. CURE was created by a group of engineers associated with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Their main objective was the observation and subsequent research on climate change. The hope was that CURE could find a way to delay the mass extinction of humankind and possibly undo the damage they caused.
Many areas of the world had become uninhabitable, but the people who called these places home were unable to leave for a multitude of reasons. The climate division of CURE were researchers first and foremost, but they created a secondary objective for themselves. They would deliver supplies and knowledge to these survivors to help them rebuild in the wake of disaster. A vocal minority among the scientific community opposed CURE's growing sense of compassion. They felt that if the robots got attached to the humans around them, they would forget their main purpose, leading to humanity's inevitable end.
With the backing of several important politicians, these scientists went public with their demands to reprogram CURE or it would be dismantled. Despite their anger, the general public was not on their side. The proposed bills that would have affected the CURE network negatively were shot down before they could get momentum. Democratic lawmakers jumped on the opportunity to win public favor and pushed for several bills that would offer protections to the CURE network and their allies. CURE continued to operate as normal until the year of 2045.
The Silent Scourge had spread through the world quickly, killing many and pushing hospitals to capacity. Medical assistance was needed in order to find the cause and help tend to the ill. The original engineers responsible for the creation of CURE reunited and got to work quickly. More robots were added to the network, forming a medical division. The climate division was split into two groups; the first would continue to work on their original objective and the second group would begin researching sources for the plague.
The initial team of medical robots were quickly overwhelmed by their situation, leading to mental distress that hadn't been seen in artificial intelligence before. High stress levels were leading to an increased risk of mistakes or errors within the robots subroutines. Many of the robots fell dormant, only able to wake with a hard reset that would cause problems with their memory systems. The Silent Scourge raged on for several years and CURE was being crushed under the weight of their responsibilities.
In 2050, the plague came to an unofficial end when the CURE network went down. The robots were still connected to one another, but it was clear that the connection was much deeper than anyone anticipated. A hive mind rose in CURE's place, each robot tethered to a network of their own design. Information flowed freely between them all and all decisions were made as a collective. Hospitals who worked closely with CURE reported an increase in questionable behavior, but the engineers were unable to access the new network.
Troubled by everything they had experienced over the decades, the newly founded "Visionaries" slaughtered their patients to prevent another cycle of the plague. While still devoted to their original purpose, the means in which they fulfilled these tasks were extreme. Many attempts were made to shut down the network, but to no avail. The visionaries collective knowledge and adaptability made them a formidable foe. As of 2094, the number of visionaries has dwindled. Without access to certain resources for maintenance, the remaining bots are pieced together with junk and scrap metal.
Many wastelanders view the visionaries as a myth or stories that are grossly twisted in order to scare others. Those unfortunate enough to cross paths with them seldom return home. Their victims are subjected to cruel experimentation for the sake of their research. Those who do survive these encounters are forever changed, both mentally and physically.

by Frankie V. (Generated with Open AI)

Founding Date

2050

Type

Research, Medical

Alternative Names

CURE
Doc-Bots
Scrappers