From:	Glenn Robb <GLENNROBB@*******.NET>
Subject:	Re: [STUFF] Cyber animals
Date:	Tue, 9 Sep 1997 20:19:08 -0600

Barbie wrote:

> As requested, I have made a text from the original html file.
>
> Original author: Pierre-Alexandre Garneau
> email: paganator@*********.com
> Text conversion: Barbie
> email: barbie@**********.com
>
> Android animals
>
> DO CYBERZOMBIES DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?
>
> Due to the rarity of natural animals
> and their tremendous cost a corporation, Cyberanimals led by Miss
> Samantha Gates, has developped the first android animals. These animals
> look like they're true, act like they're true, but are not true; they're
> simply bolts and wires built to make the dream of so many come true: owning
> an animal. Even though they cost a lot to buy they are still very popular,
> since even with their high cost they cost less than their natural counterparts
> and they can be programmed to act following a certain behaviour, making
> them more attractive to some people than real animals (who never wanted
> to have an "off" switch on his dog?).
>
> (>) Samantha Gates? The microsoft-family has separated into a lot
> of different matter since old grand'pa Bill died...
> (>) McIntosh@****.been.bought
>
> (>) His money sure started a lot of corporations... Which all went better
> than Microsoft after Bill's death (Remember that buyout by Renraku?
> Microsoft's CEO was pathetic at the time...)
> (>) MaryJane@**.CAS.3434556
>

(>) How quaint.(>) The Neo-Iconoclast

> The technology used to make the animals is quite similar to cyberware,
> but without any kind of neural interface that is present in every piece
> of cyberware (this is the part that connects, diectly or remotely, to your
> brain so you can control the cyberware). That neural interface is what
> is most high cost in cyberware: connecting an electric device to nerves,
> especially for cyberware that is directly related to nerves (you now know
> why wired reflexes cost a lot :) or for cyberware that does things you
> aren't supposed to be able to do (there is no part in your nerves used
> by your body to "pop out an SMG out of your arm"). So essentially, these
> androids are composed 100% of cyberware but don't cost too much since they
> connect to an electric brain.
>
> (>) 100% Cyberware? Don't they have any essence problems?
> (>) MaryJane@**.CAS.3434556
>
> (>) Essence is what separates man from machine, and these are totally
> machines...
> (>) MacBeth@*****.with.death
>

(>) How weird.(>) The Neo-Iconoclast

> The brain is the most complex part of the whole body of the animal and
> therefore the part with the highest cost. It is simply a powerful computer
> (for its size, anyway) programmed with a very sophisticated Artificial
> Life algorithm to control the animal. (Artificial Life is a subvariant
> of Artificial Intelligence that enables a computer to learn from past
> experience, therefore acting more like real
> whatever-they're-supposed-to-act-like). In its first weeks after creation,
> the animal pass through an express course on how to act like a real animal
> and is then sold to individuals. The android-animals can be constructed
> and programmed to look and act like an existing animal
> (to replace a lost dog, for example) for a cost. Since true artificial
> intelligence doesn't exist (or if it does it is kept secret) it is for
> now impossible to make any human android.
>
> (>) If true AI does exist, this means that something bad is coming...
> I don't like the idea of having androids walk into the streets, undetected.
> (>) MacBeth@*****.with.death
>
> (>) This remember's me an old movie (with some good insight on the future
> though)... Blade Runner it was called...
> (>) MaryJane@**.CAS.34343556
>

(>) Artificial Intelligence? Hmm. Let me see. Ah yes, I have a file in which
Renaku was involved in a Scandal. It seems that United Oil was implicated in
planting something in their programming department. When United Oil was facing a
Chapter 11, it stated that Renraku had constructed a viable AI. Of course Renraku
denied it. I believe the correct term used by their Security is "plausible
deniability." Of course the entire trial was idiotic since Standard Oil bought up
United Oil.(>) The Neo-Iconoclast

> These animal-androids act exactly like their natural counterparts (if
> they don't get broke): they eat, sleep, need care like any other animal,
> even though some functions can be eliminated (if your dog don't drink he
> won't pee on your pant). This option is rarely used since people buying
> artificial animals usually want them to look like "ordinnary" animals,
> they don't want their neighbours to know they don't have a real animal
> but a cheap fake. The option is more useful with corporation who can have
> watch dogs that don't sleep, breath, eat or drink. Combine this with the
> fact that these dogs can accept as much cyberware as they want without
> any essence problem and you get some pretty good watch dog (hell, it can
> even have its brain in its left foot if they want to!).
>
> (>) Cyber dogs were already bad enough! We don't need Dog-droid! Those
> bastards could all the neat cyberware, and still cost less than cyber dogs
> with less equipment... The old trick of "drug-meat-and-throw-itto-the-dogs"
> won't even work! In fact a squirt wouldn't have any effect on those metal
> beasts!
> (>) Crimsom@*****.philadelphia
>

(>) Kill the Android Animal project!(>) The Animal Rights Activist.

(>) AWE SHADDUP!
(>) The Neo-Iconoclast

> Regarding their appearance, android-animals look like normal animals
> exept for a hard-to-find trap for repairs. The lowest level of these animals
> can be easilly spotted since they all look the same, they're constructed
> by robots. Of course, for guard dogs it isn't too important if they all
> look the same... When they get broken, the android can do two things: look
> like a broken mechanic or look like a sick animal. The later one comes
> from the inclusion of "sickness-circuitry" on the animal, which make the
> animal look sick instead of broken, but this costs more.
>
> (>) Sick androids? This is ridiculous!
> (>) Crimsom@*****.philadelphia
>
> (>) Not that much. Some people buy android animals bacause they can't
> afford real ones, but their reputation would get bad if other people learned
> that their pet is just a robot. To avoid looking ridiculous they buy these
> "sickness-circuitry" so their animals will always look like real ones,
> even when they get broke.
> (>) McIntosh@****.been.bought

(>) Sick! Sick! Sick! Who needs sick androids? What happens when they get sick?
Do they get computer viruses? Android viruses? What?(>) The Neo-Iconoclast

> Rules
>
> These false animals have, basically,
> the same stats as their "normal" cousins and the same look. These
attributes
> can be enhanced by adding cyberware, which cost 70% of the price of normal
> cyberware (normal cyberware for animals that is... Corps don't sell those
> at low cost...) without any problem of essence. This includes the side
> effect of the agresivness of normal cybered animals.
>
> The price of non-enhanced, not personnalized animals is around 60% to
> 70% of the price of the normal animal. For rarer ones (tigers, elephants,
> whatever) the cost is usually like the natural animal's, but the android
> version is much easier to find. Personnalized versions cost twice the price
> of non-personnalized animals. The "sickness-circuitry" ups the price of
> the animal by 20%.
>

Comment: I like these rules, Barbie. But I don't like the whole idea of AI. It
really could spell trouble.

— Elton Robb