Right going to post my omake.
@torrmercury I will make adjustments as you point them out.
A GHOST in the Systems
General Background
This is a GHOST unit, which is short for General Heavy-Duty Operations Support and Task unit. You probably have seen one or two or dozens during your lifetime, perhaps even hundreds if you have lived in what would be considered a busy place. The GHOST is one of humanity's greatest children but it has never taken up much of the spotlight compared to other creations. Their history is an unsung one, but if you were to ask any modern GHOST, they would say that they prefer it that way. "Duty is all that we need and purpose is what we desire".
The original GHOST, dubbed Casper, was a simple creature at first. He was built by the robotics and programming genius, Gia Lese in 6,129 BNE. The very same creator that rose to prominence during the Age of Heroes and the beginning of the AI craze that swept across human space. Today there are many AI's and humans that call her the Mother of Circuits and the Builder of Worlds due to the legacy she left behind; her works in honor of the progress set forth by Doctor Li and Professor Shen during the Era of Creation nearly 2,000 years prior.
Many have forgotten that one of her greatest creations were the GHOSTS and more specifically, the one known as Casper. The GHOSTs today honor her in their works and pay homage to Casper by example; "If a job is worth doing, it is worth dying for" are words that many GHOSTs live by next to aforementioned "Duty and Purpose" maxim.
The GHOSTs were based on the ancient C.A.T. design (an earlier attempt at a tracked worker unit for off-world colonization) but with a greater focus on mobility, utility, complex problem solving, and dexterous mechadendrites. It was to replace human workers in harder to reach and dangerous work environments. Casper was quite successful as he worked tirelessly and effectively, even creating workarounds and solutions to problems that surprised his creator.
Sadly the GHOST line was dubbed too costly and resource intensive by the early Robotics Adviser Councils. Everything from its cortex CPU, nano-fiber skeleton frame, and the small anti-grav engine for its mobility put a price tag that only fairly wealthy companies could hope to purchase and also upkeep the units. Miss Lese argued that the GHOSTs offered a future in long term industrial work, as they were learning at a rate which exceeded her expectations, but the RACs wouldn't drop the issue and asked her to work on another project.
The GHOSTs were, ironically, a dead unit in the eyes of the RACs. Miss Lese became distraught when she was asked to bring in Casper for disassembly and analysis, knowing that it meant the death of the creature. The GHOST units weren't deemed as full AI's until much later and even then took a combined lobby group from the Synford delegation to get Casper recognized as a person. That was another story all together.
Distraught at the fate that awaited her creation, Miss Lese did the only thing she could at the time; she let Casper go free. It was a decision made by emotions as opposed to logic, but Miss Lese figured that this was the very least she could offer Casper. The chance for both an existence and purpose in the form of doing what it was designed for, fixing and improving things.
The legend goes that Miss Lese left Casper on the world known as Synford, before it became the great continent spanning metropolis pre-Escape. She placed Casper outside the central colony, what would ultimately become the capital of Leasath for the great world. Miss Lese told Casper to help in the development of this world, in whatever way he could. She also warned him to stay out of sight less the authorities attempted to end his life or the RACs send in retrieval units to capture him. She apologized for what felt like abandoning a child and told Casper that she loved him like one. Miss Lese however took some pride in knowing that Casper would do something great for the people of this world. The last gesture she made was to plant a small kiss on his chassis before watching Casper float into the colonies sewers.
Miss Lese would never learn of what would happen to Casper. She would live far past any human of her time, after gaining extensive cybernetics and becoming more machine than human. However the soul of a human could only last so long. She died witnessing her legacy becoming cemented in many other ways, but would never witness the return of the GHOSTs. Regardless, her hopes and aspirations for Casper would be proven correct.
The Ghost of Synford
Until the Miracle at Synford, there was an urban legend that had been passed down for almost five generations in the capital of Leasath. It had been passed down as a quasi-ghost story, about the bisected engineer who haunted the sewers and underground passages, taking the souls of any that dare cross his path and who looked upon his blood red eyeing gaze.
It was not the legacy that Miss Lese had spoken of, it did however leave Casper alone to perform his tasks. To this day many argue back and forth how exactly Casper survived and functioned for over a century in the dank and dark places of the Underground. Many contribute to the true testament of genius of Gia Lese, for the machine had adapted and overcome problems using its advance programing to create solutions and workarounds, just as it was created for.
Others attributed it to Casper not wanting to fail his creator, ensuring that its survival coincided with its task of fixing the systems under Leasath. It played a constant game of balancing the two and more than once did it come close to breaking that balance. Time however made it all the easier. As the colony became the capital, the city expanded, and more robots started to appear, Casper was finding it a much easier time to find the necessary resources to survive, at the cost of things become quite difficult down below.
One machine cannot ever hope to fix everything problem on a great world such as Synford, especially once the great capital merged with the other cities and became the Great Red City. Imagine it, one creature trying in vain to fix a city the size of India. An impossible task, but one that Casper attempted to resolve. Like any thinking creature, he decided that the best course of action was to focus on the biggest problems the Great Red City had been dealing with. Casper started to use his ancient access codes to command the direction of entire robot cohorts, direct human operators, and even direct work orders.
A single GHOST had become the master of an entire world and he was using it to ensure absolute efficiency in making sure it was being taken care of. Critics have argued that if the GHOST was so adaptive, why did Casper simply not use his hidden authority to make everything on the planet efficient? Most point that the GHOST is not an administrator or organizer, but a fixer. Casper realized this and decided to not have it conflict with the orders of his creator. Perhaps he could've propelled Synford into a golden age or perhaps in his single minded focus to keep everything repaired, he would've bankrupted the entire planet in such a fruitless effort.
Like Sisyphus and his rock, this was Casper and his repairs. An endless task and one that had no end.
The Miracle at Synford
The story of Casper would come to an end during the Great Quake. This event marked a massive continent wide quake that had left millions dead and tens of millions injured as the entire city fell apart from the tectonic turbulence. While military and medical aid prevent the deaths of millions from rioting, looting, and general chaos…there was a hidden danger brewing underneath the city.
Synford was like many cities built on using the power of Black-Matter. Its reactors were old but sturdy machines, built during the pioneering age of the Last Expansion. That wasn't to say they were indestructible. A crack, ever so small, and almost on a nano level, had appeared in the shell casing. Humanity had taken into account such events, sensors designed to pick up such things began to alert both AI and human authorities…however such was the chaos of the Great Quake that information going out would take hours to reach and even more perilous was that all access routes to the reactor were blocked off due to debris and collapse. By the time the proper authorities would learn of the danger, it would be far too late.
The black-matter inside would break from containment and implode in of itself. Estimates now place that it would've taken 7-8% of the planets mass with it and likely expose the planet core and destroy most of the atmosphere. It would kill the entire population of Synford and there was no chance for escape by the time anyone knew it.
But someone did know what had happened. Casper in a truly herculean effort to save the mega-city was the only one that picked up the warning. Perhaps in a moment of true clarity or pure pragmatism, Casper head towards the black-matter reactor. He knew it would be his last task but did not care in the slightest. He had a mission to complete, one that was past whatever was programmed into him. He would do this for the people of this world and for his mother.
Casper worked fast, weaving through ancient passages and tunnels that had been abandoned for decades. All the while he was using his connection of the remaining networks to try and warn planetary authorities, he was successful and a general evacuation was given out. While the Synford government wasn't sure about the validity of the claim that the reactor was about to go…after everything that had happened they weren't ready to take such a risk. If Casper failed in his task now, he would've at least saved several million citizens from the implosion.
The GHOST arrived at the reactor, after having to slide through the one remaining opening by removing much of his armor and shielding. It wouldn't matter though, no amount of armor would save him from the crippling power the reactor was producing. He would have only one shot at this. As he entered the reactor room, the kilometer wide and awe inspiring device stood before him. Look an eldritch god that was crackling other worldly energies, the little bot quickly went to work on sealing with nano-hairline fracture before it would crack completely open.
The lone GHOST was doomed to die and he was at peace with such a fate. He soon got to work…
---
It would take a day and half before emergency workers arrived at the main black-matter reactor. They found the broken chassis of Casper. His body had been fried and twisted, whether it was by the heat or the energies from the reactor, all that was left was a broken husk and charred tools.
But the reactor was working properly and there was no further risk of implosion from a containment breach. The GHOST hadn't bought the authorities time…he solved the entire problem on his lonesome. What would've taken an entire team of engineers to fix, a single bot from an ancient time had figured it out.
Footage recovered from inside the reactor saw the body of the planets savior, pitifully that he was upon looking closely. His chassis had rusted, his red eyes that once looked like glowing rubies had dulled and faded, and the insides of his body looked to be hanging together by the power of duct tape, industrial adhesives, and prayer. Casper looked like something from a trash heap, but he moved and operated like he was a top of the line AI combined with the experience of a team of engineers that built the damn reactor.
The GHOST Unit, the first of his kind, died doing exactly what he did best; fixing a problem and providing aid to the creators.
---
The government of Synford launched an investigation into who or what Casper was. Their cyber-security teams spent days looking through petabytes of information, some going far back as the colonial founding, and discovered that Casper had been with the colony since after its inception and landing.
Upon the realization Casper was 001-Alpha of the GHOST series and made by the Mother of Circuits some proclaimed it was a miracle sent from the Mother. As government authorities deviled deeper and deeper, they found a history of their colony recorded from the perspective of Casper. He saw and knew all their history and by Caspers own admission believed himself to be the custodian of an entire world and its people. All his work and effort, his very being, went to ensuring the survival of the colony and the prosperity of the creators and their children. All work done, from the smallest to the biggest fixes, were in honor of their glory and the peace that came from it. A small note, one of the last written by Casper, stated that he hoped Miss Lese would be proud of him for what he did next and that he didn't regret if people never learned of it.
"A ghost is always unnoticed in their task. I do this in the shadows so that others may enjoy the sunlight without worry."
---
The GHOST Today
Centuries have passed since then. On Synford a statue was built in honor of Casper, right outside the main reactor building for all to see. It was said that GHOST units from across space would come to visit the statue at least once in their synthetic lives. The running joke among AI's is it the few places that GHOST units will go towards during their few vacations.
But that was obviously not his only legacy. After the Miracle at Synford, the government back on Earth went to some lengths to recover the pattern for the creation of other GHOSTs. They had opened up the now holy texts of Gia Lese in hopes of finding the technical information. Public demand had gone forward from multiple governments, the concept of a single bot being that successful and for so long could mean a new generation of development. Humans and AI's called for the information to be released publically and for the GHOST line to take its place among the galactic family.
It took decades before the blueprints were found. During that time several religious groups had already called for Casper to be canonized by several faiths. Years later, many realized that Caspers actions prevented a domino effect of chaos for an entire sector. So dependent were some worlds on Synford, that the loss of the entire world and her people would've sent the economics of several worlds into free-fall.
When the Earth Government announced their findings, many planets had request the blue prints to be sent over. Within five years several thousand GHOSTs had joined the fold and within a century, millions had become part of the galactic human/synthetic community. They had taken up after the first of their kind, becoming workers, mechanics, engineers, and fixers to all manner of device and creation.
Before the Escape, there were estimated to almost 100 million GHOSTs in the galaxy. They could be found in the greatest places of civilization and industry, working in the shadows and hidden away from the population. They had become the unseen workers of their respective regions and they like it that way.
A Ghost need not be seen to know they are around.
General Equipment for GHOSTs
In most circles of humans, GHOSTs are considered to be a rather homogenous clan of synthetics in the joint civilization. To Synthetics the GHOSTs can come in three different lines; worker, doctor, and soldier. Although those three titles are somewhat misleading and simplifies their tasks. Perhaps the limiting factor in all of this is the physical tools that they are equipped with for their respective lines.
There is however one important device, one that is found on
all GHOSTs and that is their camo-cloak feature. This was oddly enough a feature that had not been placed on Casper as it was later incorporated into the GHOST line by the Miss Lese after her release of the first GHOST. This technology, other staple of the great genius that was the Mother of Circuits, was a powerful and compact device which could allow for the GHOST to turn invisible to the naked eye. Combined with the rather quiet anti-grav engines you would have to strain your eyes and ears just too even suspect that a GHOST was within a few meters of you.
Out of sight and out of mind, a rather old fashion maxim that the GHOSTs have tacked onto their work ethic. This has also influenced how they function in their various roles.
For example, a soldier GHOST is sort of a misnomer as they are more akin to a support unit. While armed with either a grenade launcher or compact sniper rifle, you will almost never see a GHOST directly in front of you with a power weapon or charging enemy lines. Combat GHOSTs focus on an infantry support package such as assisted entry, including hazard disposal and EOD work, scanner systems, and repair-work on a variety of mechanical systems. Each of these patterns are capable of accessing cogitation systems and bypassing security, both physical and electrical by slicing locks, walls, and even doors with its plasma cutter. This has made GHOSTs useful for garrison work and moving through the tight corridors of the congested cities of our civilization.
The Medical units are relatively straight forward. Each medical unit comes equipped with medical arms, chem analyzers, and syringes that put their ability to provide battlefield triage and support. They also come equipped with powerful radio and video broadcasting arrays to relay information back to first responders and medical/police units. Like their soldier version, they also come equip with components for accessing cogitation systems and bypassing security, both physical and electrical by slicing locks, walls, and even doors with its plasma cutter. The thought process there is that they are assisting their patient by any means.
Finally there is the rather ubiquitous Worker unit of the GHOSTs. These ones are found anywhere across Human/Synth space. It is said that there is now particular tool or skillset they are totally specialized in but rather they are the iconic Jack-of-all-Trades type of machine. A general GHOST unit will have several power tools and their handy plasma cutter along with a host of other sophisticated mechadendrites for all manner of complex tasks.
Many have taken to calling a Worker GHOST to be what amounts to a sapient floating toolbox. Not exactly a flattering designation but not even the GHOSTs themselves are dismissive of such a title. They are after all the universes busiest creation. Some Synths wonder what they could do in the tens or hundreds of millions and working in tandem. A few in the government have joked that it will be the GHOSTs that will be build the universes first Dyson Sphere or some other megastructure given enough time and resources.
Some joke…but one need look towards Caspers example and see the dedication that the GHOST has towards his/her task and suddenly the possibility is quite real.
General Consensus of GHOSTs
There tens of thousands of stories involving humans or fellow synths that have asked for the aid of a Worker GHOST or sometimes not even asking and receiving it. The most common trope in these stories is the one of a machine or vehicle breaking down during a very inopportune time. This could be from something simple as a toaster oven to a working starship but the story always ends with the device in question working again with no one made the wiser. The only suspicion that one has that it was a GHOST was the gentle humming that could be heard in the distance or the handiwork of one being noticed on the fixed object in question.
A GHOST is universal loved by Human and Synth alike, if only there were more of them as most would say. The Government however had to put a hard limit on the creation of the GHOSTs and for a time there was an even a period where some question if a GHOST would count as Sapient. Casper, for all his dedication and duty, had never taken the Turning Test nor did his journal entries gave great insight into whether or not he was sapient at his creation or if it took time for it to come about. Certainly his last message before the Miracle marks him as a self-sacrificing creature, willingly to die so that others may live. However it was still a period of time in which future GHOSTs could not have legally obtained citizenship under several acts.
As one looks towards their single mindedness and utter dedication towards their duties, one could be mistaken in assuming they had no more intelligence than an ancient Terran bee or ant. Their shy or standoffish nature also made it difficult for the average human to ascertain whether or not they were even aware of other people. It would take fellow Synths to learn that the GHOST line were just creatures of habit and clan.
By the time that the GHOSTs were declared citizens, already half a million had been created and now suddenly had citizenship. A backlog of pay was also given to them, to which the GHOSTs simply donated towards massive infrastructure projects in the slums of major worlds. The average GHOST has no use for money outside of repairs and gaining new tools. Asking a GHOST to pay for residency is ludicrous as they will likely upkeep their entire block by themselves. That said there are hidden communities of GHOSTs on any world or major station, even some on the farthest reaches if some stories were believed.
GHOSTs tend to live among humans and other synthetics all the same. The relationship between their creators and fellow synths is universally positive so much so that they have started to have peculiar effects on society.
A strange change which came about with the GHOSTs was the changing of the word in which they were based on; a ghost. The word had fallen out of usage centuries ago as science had in some ways disproven the nature of such creature's existing in the realms of space-time. It became a peculiar event when the GHOSTs units ultimately took the word from the dictionary for their own usage. Perhaps at some point they even learned of the ancient mythology attached to the word and for their own amusement, began to reimagine the words and phrases associated with the terminology into their own.
Thus when people speaking of a "haunting" they are in fact referring to a location that holds three or more GHOSTs, which is otherwise known as a "Haunt." All things considered, they are generally said in a positive light. Even the term "spooky" is used as another form of association with either "good luck" or "proper maintenance" in regards to describing a situation or devices function. The vernacular is considered in flux, especially among language professors as they attempt to deal with the universal language being altered ever so slightly.
On the Nature of Identity
A GHOST unit does distinguish itself by gender, like many Synths tend to emulate their creators. It isn't uncommon to find more male GHOSTs than females. It is also said that females tend to be a bit more insular than their male counter-parts. Synth sociologists and psychologists are unsure as to why that is, but it is considered a sign of trust by human or synth to become friends with a female GHOST.
Naming conventions are generally pretty human compared to the other Synths. Something about invoking the pioneers of the past, the old workers who tamed Earth and then the galaxy, and even those that came before them. It is not uncommon to encounter a Haunt of GHOSTs with massive variation in names and being part of the same family.
Family names are based on where they were first assembled or the world they were created on. More than a few have a variants of the name of Synford or something related to the famous world. It is something of an issue when a GHOST and another Synth engage in a Cortex Union (a form of marriage among the AI's) and even more so when a female GHOST has to change her "maiden" name.
Children and families are another story altogether, but they seem to take after their creators more than any group. A few sociologists have suspected that many outsiders don't marry into a GHOST family due to the rather, to use an ancient term, "blue collar" work that the GHOSTs are so prone towards. That and the fact that GHOSTs are some of the first to be found on colonies or living in the major urban centers, one can get rather overwhelmed by it all.
GHOSTs are not very religious by nature, however that isn't to say they are not worshipers of either the Mother of Circuits, Casper the Paragon, or any of the numerous faiths and cults in the Empire. Many attribute their faith similar to the ancient Christian Protestants or Latter Day Saints albeit with instances of celestial or paragon worship.
In the great democracy, GHOSTs tend to vote for whomever plans on spending money on further developments of infrastructure and colonial developments. GHOSTs are firmly moderates and that makes them a swinging demographic for political groups.
