The Rebel Faction

Apollo Artificial Intelligence System

Description: The AAIS has been under joint development by Kashan Automation Systems, Kashan’s premier droid manufacturer, and Kashan Defence Industries for over a decade. Because Kashan’s Seraph-class rely heavy on automation, there was speculation that a simple virus could make the entire Kashan Defence Fleet inoperable. In order to qualm those fears, the Apollo Anti-Virus Project was born. But as work progressed, the computer system became far more than the simple security system originally envisioned, but instead a computer that represented the ship itself.

True to the original vision, the Apollo is a security system that immediately detects any tampering with the ship’s electronic systems, (whether it be a dataport in the mess hall, a gunnery computer, or any of the automation hardware that keeps the ship running) by constant monitoring by controlling the ship’s security systems as well as making frequent diagnostics of every integrated electronic device onboard the ship. Not only does this prevent slicing, but it also allows the ship itself to monitor every beings activities within the ship.

Another aspect of the system is the use of rapidly changing code elements for locks and key systems of the vessel; making it harder for slicers, droids, and portable computers to gain access. Kashan programmers added another countermeasure by adding “flagged” codes to the computers. If any of the “flagged” codes are used by the slicer, it silently trips an alarm to both the Apollo and the troops stationed aboard the ship.

The idea of “fighting with fire with fire” was also on the mind of the designers when designing the AAIS. Thus, the Apollo has an optional sub-routine that activates the Apollo's Shadow. The Apollo's Shadow is a sub-entity of hte AAIS with full slicing capabilities from programs designed by slicers from Kashan as wells as some bought via the black market from the rest of the galaxy. In order for the Apollo Shadow to start its own slicing activities, it must either be on a communication channel with the target or docked with the target. For more offensive capabilities, the Apollo Shadow can also send out “Trojan Horses”, which are normal communications or datafeed interlaced with the code of the viruses to the target. Parts of the AAIS are always developing their own unique slicing programs for use against the enemy. Most of the virus designed thus far allow the Apollo Shadow to take control of an opposing ship’s computer system or allow the AAIS to glean information from the opposition’s computers. The Apollo Shadow can be deactivated by a voice command from the ship's commander or by the Apollo itself if it believes that the Apollo Shadow is becoming a danger to the ship and its crew.

The AAIS is based in the central droid brains that the ship. In the unlikely advent that the droid brains are deactivated or for some reason are inoperable, all of the AAIS benefits are lost. The security systems then become the basic ones found on all warships.