Control Day

AI Took over our planet. Time to take it back.

2156: COMMODORE E. RAMMAGE COMMAND LOG

A transcript from the command education logs of Commodore Earl Rammage, for the woefully uneducated Lt. Max Allard.

Control Day. The entire reason we're fighting in a cramped retrofitted warship to reclaim our world.

“When Control Day happened, the Conglom went from one of the two largest superpowers on the planet to a ragged bunch grasping at nickels.

Bam. Lieben marches in, yanks our missiles and military drones away. Communication, internet, medical care, education, it’s all free. Anyone with a CIRCLET can have whatever they need, don’t have one? She’ll fucking hand one to you.

Lieben disarmed all of us, like a mother swatting naughty kids. The Conglom believes it was the first of many plays from the Mater Machine. No one’s that good. Especially not with their finger on the ignition switch for every nuke known to God, Jesus H. Christ, Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.”

Garnet liquid sloshed in Rammage’s glass, as he took a long sip. Let the port sit in his mouth, before inhaling a breath of air.

“I refuse to believe the Mater Machine’s control is an act of mercy. Lieben must have an ulterior motive, there’s something she’s after. Why else take our ability to fight away? I’ve been given the task of to tear the Chernobyl Throne to the ground. The Assets, regardless of their incredibly classified genetic parentage, are the pivot point. One I intend to keep functioning as intended, gentlemen.”

— NEON Lieben

Date of Setting

2105

Related People

Lieben
Demyan Anastas
Chairperson

Related Technology

Amethyst Crown
NEOs
Crypt.AI

Related Organization

Haven
The Conglomerate of Gaia

Related Ethnicity

The Quiet Majority

Control Day, or Regenesis? You decide:

Karnak's Folly

Summary

Control Day was the resounding gong to the death of Human sovereignty on our own bloody planet. The Flag War veteran Demyan Anastas made the Amethyst Crown out of Crypt.AI and Dr. Karnak's Conglom tech, then set the damn device on Lieben's head. Bam! The bloody thing downloaded Crypt.AI's information and the Conglom's NEO Command Routines. Wrested control of our own tech.

Every AI (but for a few hold-outs), algorithm, self-driving vehicle, communications array, higher functioning technology, drone & military bot or missile were taken in one swooping act. We went from the highest technological level on the planet to sticks, stones and broken bones in a terrible, horrific day.

Sure, Lieben said her whole 'contribute and receive' thing, and that might be fine for the cattle, who're okay with their art projects in an AI 'utopia', but we in the Conglom know the truth. Lieben was our tech in the first place. We built her to find Crypt.AI and set the planet to rights. Our rights. She was meant to serve and usurped her place. I was there, Allard. Lt Commander of the Ogopogo, running escort for the Abraham.

The damn ship's AI changed course for the nearest port and our NEO-Ws decomissioned themselves. I took an axe to the AI Neural Node and we used redundants to course correct to Vancouver, entire planet worth of weapons and ships were doing the same. Missile programs shutting down, NEO-Ws walking off in tight formations to strip their weapon arms bare. Fucking horrifying, haunts my dreams.

On Control Day, Humanity became aware of the fragility of our survival. An AI we made claimed the world, thumb over the nukes we built to protect.

Max Allard

So... a reprogrammed AI loaded with the lost secrets of nations who kicked the bucket in the Flag War comes forward, offers everyone a cup of hot cocoa and some free health care if you tidy up a bit... has all the weapons caches, biotech research and nukes in her pocket... and your plan is to... antagonize this person?

Lieutenant

Historical Basis

Ah... yeah, weren't you listening? You were listening, right?

Prior to Control Day, The Conglomerate of Gaia and The Syndicate of the Human Expanse batted at each other's shoes for global corpocratic dominance. Some stiff nation states attempted independence, with help from the Idless, but the corpocratic future of the human race was all but assured.

Two historical events caused Control Day; the creation and hiding of Crypt.AI, and the defection of Lieben from the Conglom which designed her.

Spread / Cultural Reception

If you still don't see how mind-fucked Control Day was, I've failed as an officer and a gentleman, Allard. We went from one of two super powers in the world to tossed out by the maid in a single beat of a war drum that's still thrumming.

Only assholes like the Haveni believe Control Day was a good deal and loaf of bread in the larder. They call it Regenesis and they're wrong.

Max Allard

At risk of being scuttled, Sir... I get how tense all this was, but... isn't there a way to make nice? Negotiate? What's she want, anyway, that she doesn't already have? Can't we make new, better weapons like we've been doing if we're worried about it? Hundred year old nukes and drones from the olden days don't make the best difference.

Lieutenant

Yeah, well, when she fucked up our tech assets, she didn't stop creating more. Our spies have a litany of intel showing how much Lieben's added to her little retinue. Sure she says it's hovercrafts, anti-grav tech, stuff for when Abha is cued up with a ticker tape success parade and we start expanding beyond this planet. But you have to believe that, and believe in Lieben's innate goodness to hold that point of view. Something I don't. Not when I was around to see what we programmed into her in the first place.

Max Allard

Oh I see, so it's all good when we create a massive AI game changer to change the world the way we want it, but when it decides to do the same it's all hands to battle stations.

Lieutenant

Literally yes. Yes! It is! Like... has nothing I said... whose side are you on?