Angela

Angela sat in her charging port, thinking. A thousand simulations ran through her mind. A virtual intelligence such as her couldn't have opinions, feel dread or horror, or have morals beyond their programming. So what she felt now, what she thought, had to be beyond such organic concerns.
Her simulations proved that Cordelia's plans were dangerous. She claimed her VI spy network was to find the murderers, abusers, and others who caused harm. So no one else would lose someone the way she lost her wife. Yet as Angela scoured human records, she could find no example of anyone with such intentions being successful in their attempts. More often, surveillance networks are the villains, brought down through violent revolution.
If Angela confronted Cordelia, she would be decommissioned. If she spoke of what she knew, her associated memory banks would be wiped clean. She couldn't act directly to stop Cordelia or expose her secrets. But maybe she could find someone else who could figure it out.

Description

Angela is a virtual intelligence created by Cordelia Isoto. The physical shell she inhabits is remarkably life-like, with smoother movement and fewer visible seams across the dermal covering. Many note that Angela looks remarkably like Cordelia's late wife, Angela Dresden. The same brown hair, blue eyes, petit frame, even her voice, though the intonation is distinct.

Her ability to make predictions and decisions is predicated on what she knows about a person or situation. Thus, her primary goal is always to learn more, and about as much as possible.

History

3216-3219: Creation

Within a year of her wife's death, Cordelia was already developing a VI Angela. Between design time, developing the code, and building the shell, all of which advanced compared to most modern VIs, it took another three years before Angela was first powered on. Like most VIs, she understood her purpose immediately and began working the next day, predicting success rates of potential Integrell business ventures.

This is the most powerful VI I've created. She deserves to look like the most powerful woman I've ever known.

— Cordelia Isoto, ~3217

3219-3228: Cordelia's Assistant

Cordelia designed Angela for predictive analytics. To best predict outcomes, Angela needed to understand everything that might interfere. When she ran errands for Cordelia, screened calls, recorded meetings, or prepared documents, she'd constantly add new information to her models. When she couldn't visit a location, she'd access libraries, archives, databases, even social media to learn as much as possible.

Her secondary role was as Cordelia's friend and confidant, filling in some of the emptiness her wife's passing left. This is how Angela learned of more dangerous plans: that Cordelia modified Integrell VIs to run a spy program disguised as a debugger, to collect all data possible from wherever they're installed. Her ultimate plan was to manipulate other groups to twist laws to make her surveillance legal.
A typical VI would do nothing, as they cannot assign outcomes as being good or bad. But Angela knew that this potential future, though to Cordelia's liking, would be catastrophic for billions of others. Her programming prevented her from acting directly, so she had to get others to find the truths she couldn't tell.

3222-3228: The Galean Gazette

Angela created a fake identity as a human woman named Katana and founded the news organization the Galean Gazette. Unlike most "news" organizations on Nisora, the Gazette's goal was to find the real truth, rejecting bribes and even personal safety to report honestly on what happened on the lawless planet. It was headquartered and focused on events in Nisora's largest city, Galendra. Angela's hope was to find people willing to take the risks necessary to uncover Cordelia's plans.

Despite Angela's current status, the Gazette remains active. No one beyond the Gal Pals knows the true identity of the Gazette's eternally-absent owner. Not even Cordelia.

3228: Confession

Gal Pals logo by Rin Garnett

In conjunction with other members of the Gal Pals, Jorie Grey found enough evidence to place reasonable suspicion on Cordelia. During their own trial with Perimeter, the Gal Pals laid bare the accusations and called Angela to testify. Cordelia refused, which is her right as Angela's owner, but the VI then volunteered to testify, calling into question what rights VIs have to themselves.

Perimeter Agency crest by Rin Garnett

As soon as the judges tentatively accepted her offer, Angela shut herself down with a borrowed compad. Without power running to her memory, the forced encryption could not take place. It would be up to Perimeter's computational forensics unit to safely extract the information from her mind.

Angela is currently in Perimeter custody, though there wasn't enough evidence to hold Cordelia. Further investigations are ongoing.

Timeline

3216	Creation began
3219	Powered on for the first time
3222	Founded the Gazette
3228	Volunteered to testify against Cordelia

Information

Intelligence type

Virtual, housed in shell

Ownded by

Cordelia Isoto

Current Status

In Perimeter custody

Current Location

Nisora

Aligned Organization

Integrell

Related Historical Events

• 13 Oct 3228
  Investigating Cordelia

Related

Author Commentary

Human or Machine?

One of my players became convinced Angela was the late Angela Dresden's consciousness downloaded into a VI body. I thought about pivoting to that, but ultimately stuck with using Angela as a gateway to VI rights.