Joanna 'Tragedy' Sinbow's Authorization Application

[Elions]

Player Section

Steam Name: Elions
Age: 19
How long have you been Roleplaying? (can be any game): About 4 years
How long have you been playing Serious GMod RP?: About 3 years

Character Section

Authorization(s):
- A prototype, PDA like device, containing some general but not entirely specific information about mankind as well as a simple (one colour) hologram projector
- An AI housed inside the previously mentioned prototype device, which will be a separate character in it's own right.

Name: Joanna 'Tragedy' Sinbow
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Affiliation: None

Write a detailed in-canon back-story how your character obtained these authorizations.

"Project's software is installed, Doc." The intern talked to Dr. Krauz as they both worked on the small PDA like device in the table, connected to a computer which was finalizing the last checkups on the device, making sure all the internal components were working correctly and that temperatures were under control
"Allright... Conditions could hardly be more ideal, Mr Faust, i think it's finally time to test this AI." The doctor smiled, they had been working on this project for almost 8 years already, an AI that would not only work on a smart device but that would have it's own personality, making it being able to make judgements, relate to the user, and have life of it's own. The (Technically) first synthetic being.  They fired up the device as the screen showed the running processes on the custom OS they built, having no issues to starting up as it chimed
"CHYR1AV - SYSTEMS ONLINE. RUNNING SYSTEMS CHECKUP.... COMPLETE."

"Good.. Mr Faust, what does the performance look like hardware wise?"
"Everything's in order so far doc. Temperatures are a bit lower than we expected but that's nothing to worry about"
The doctor nodded as he looked at the device's screen, already lit up and with a simple, 'glowy' cloud of green smoke displaying, this was the abstract representation of the AI itself "Allright, let's start with the hologram's check then." The device was prototypical in most of it's measures, both with the AI and with a new holographic display to make the information easily visible by more than one subject, as well as make it easier for the AI to "Socialize" with people.

Using two small but powerfull lights, the device projected an image, slowly 'creating' the figure of a man. It however had no defined face or figure, as it was the first time firing itself up. This was the 'avatar' of the AI, a more relatable image for people to identify it by, that would show either on the screen or on the holographic display.

The doctor smiled lightlymas the hologram lighted up "Good, let's do a quick set of questions to make sure everything's in order... What's your serial code, boy?" he adressed the AI in a friendly manner as he kept check of the system perfomance.
"CHYR1AV, sir." the AI responded in a relatively soft voice as the doctor asked "... Will that be my permanent name sir?" The AI almost inmediately showed the signs of it's personality with this strange question.
"Well, we can find you a proper and more traditional name later, but for now we need to make sure you're working fine" The AI nodded, strangely accepting of it's role as the doctor worked on his terminal "And please, don't call me sir. I may have made you but i'm not that formal" The doctor joked lightly on this, something that given the situation was rather weird if not unique in it's context.

During the next few days, Dr Krauz and Intern Faust worked on the internal parts of the AI, while making sure it stayed online as well as interacting with it, during these times the AI was given complete freedom by the doctor to 'investigate' humans and reality, having a connection to the internet already established in it as well as being able to use a simple IM and Voice chat system to talk to other people involved in the project. It's human likeness was remarkable to people, but more so it's curiosity, and strange optimism despite knowing about mankind's best and worst times. During this time the AI picked up on images for the avatar that it "liked", it's appearance changing from time to time but remaining male, as it identified itself after some time, as well as picking a name for itself, Darius.

It's learning was aided by it taking in and saving most of the information it deemed important online, having internal backups of it as well as relying on double-checking it again every now and then.

Unfortunately, the AI's progress was put to a halt when the 7 hour war erupted. Mankind saw itself going into a full stop when it came to freedom and advancing technology. The project, though it was never publicized, was never hidden from the public either, which meant that if Krauz wanted to hide Darius from the combine, he'd have to act quickly.

He needed to make them believe that the AI was no longer viable in case they did want to peek into the matter, so the doctor set to create false records with an earlier and much basic AI, faking 'failed' procedures as well as claiming that the AI was destroyed. These spanned for a few months, managing to fool the Combine for a while, but the doctor felt like Darius was no longer safe with him, and had to take a more drastic measure.

Grabbing Darius' device, he quickly turned it on to talk to him one last time.
"Doctor, how can i help?" Darius answered in a normal tone, unaware of what was really going on
"Darius. We're going to have to relocate you... It's the only way these monsters won't get to you"
"Wh-What?" He was taken aback by the idea of being relocated, the lab was the only place he had ever been in, and going outside of it was a venture he didn't feel prepared to do yet
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you stay safe. I promise" The doctor gave him a warm smile, trying to calm him down.
They said goodbye to each other, believing the separation would be temporal as the doctor finally shut the device down.

Hiding Darius inside a special case, he gave it to one of the few contacts he had that was not connected to any scientific organization, making it at least less dangerous for him to be caught by the combine forces, which had already begun their settling in to earth and it's cities.

The doctor's contact got on a train headed to Romania, a country where the organization that Doctor Krauz worked for had a private lab, meant only for secret military and health related contracts. There he would be able to hide Darius and continue his development at least for a little longer, or so he would have if the train had reached it's destination.

The combine, under the belief that a major target was in the train that the doctor's contact was in, had set up a bomb in the train's route. Right on the stabilizing parts of the bridge itself.

Once the train's first cart was on top, the bomb went off and cause the entire train to collapse down onto the canal the bridge helped keep it away from. Most people on the train died from the kinetic strenght of the blow, some died from debris hitting them. The doctor's contact however, managed to survive, but in his dash to find a way out of the collapsed vehicle, he left the case that contained Darius behind, hidden in the rubble of the train, forgotten in a random place of Romania that would soon be known as the Outer rim of the Outlands.

Years passed by, with a medium sized group of gypsies finding the train. They figured that with the conditions that the world was in now, that they were no longer allowed in "civilization", if you could call it as such. They used the woods around them, making tarps and ghillie covers to make the train appear completely abandoned, using the fuel compartments as a way to hide in plain sight the smoke from the fires they used to heat themselves during winter and rainy days. The leader of the group, Marcus, found during one of their many searches through the Train's destroyed compartments the suitcase that carried Darius, though seeing the device as a simple PDA, he stashed it away rather than tinker with it, as he despised technology.

It was not long before Joanna was to find the improvised town on the destroyed remains of the train. The gypsies were not versed in medicine the way that Joanna was, and she prooved to be an incredible aid to them, not only by curing their ailments but teaching them how to mend minor wounds and treat certain kinds of food, spending a couple of days with them, but improving their life, and thus their survival, tremendously. It was at this point that Marcus asked to meet her personally

"The help you have given us, Miss Sinbow... Is something that i cannot even begin to repay you." The man humbly talked to her as he took her hand, kissing it as a gesture of appreciation
"W-Well... Thanks, but i'm just doing my job, Mister uh..." "Marcus. Please, Just call me Marcus." He smiled at her as he let her hand go, looking at her and her equipment for a moment "Hmm. There is one thing i have however that you could definately get much more use of than me, or any one of my people will. If you could just wait for a second..."
He turned around and went into his personal chambers for a moment, getting back outside with a black metal suitcase, he put it on one of the compartments several tables and presented it to her, opening it up and showing the device inside, as well as the cables and other related gizmos. "I found this little... Treasure, ages ago. But i'm afraid that i have no use for such technologies, let alone anyone of my children and brothers... Please, feel free to take it with you, it is the least we can do to thank you."

Joanna sighed, looking at the PDA like device, figuring he was right, and that at the very least she could hand it to someone else if she found no use for it. She took the case, thanked Marcus and promised to return to the camp every once in a while to check up on them, as well as provide them with whatever medical assitance they needed.

It was that way that Darius came into the hands of a completely unaware Joanna Sinbow, who walked back with the sentient AI back to the main 'Village' of the outlands, unaware of what was laying for her in the future thanks to this little addition to her 'equipment'.

What will these authorizations give your character in regards to perks or defects?
Perks
- Access to a general, but at the same time limited base of knowledge of mankind in general. Such as processes for certain products or simple historical facts.
- Ability to work easier with computer systems thanks to connecting the Device, and thus the AI, to the system in question.
- A 'partner' so to speak.

Defects
- The maintenance the PDA requires means the character will require the aid of someone who is actually versed in electronics to work with it
- Since Joanna is not entirely familiar with high tech stuff, she will not be able to use the device to it's full lenght, If not require the aid of someone with more technological experience to do so
- The database inside the PDA is encrypted, meaning not all information is available, and thus the character's current access is limited at best (OOC this would translate to being able to use it to 'find' some information but no in-depth instructions/knowledge unless it was cracked by someone with a higher technological skill)
- The AI, Darius, can become a bit of a nuisance in some cases, as well as be difficult to relate to for other characters.
- Having a high piece of technology, The character would be in the eye of anyone that could be remotely interested in technology, knowledge, or power.

What do you plan to do with these perks/defects?
Obviously to create more interesting RP, but mainly because i feel like Joanna has never had any actual 'particular' things about her character other than being "that redhead with the burned face that 'may' heal you up". She needs to have something that actually throws a bit of "Weird" into the mix, something that is genuinely interesting and allows her character and the ones around her to move forward.

Will anyone else need these auths? (If so, list OOC and IC name(s))
Nope.

Which server does this apply for?
Outlands

Extra Notes (optional):
As you can see, i put a lot of defects for this idea, for obvious reasons. It's risky all around.

[[LP]GMK-MRL]

Being a player who's RP'd with Eli, I know he would be able to handle this Passively, which is why I +support him. But the hologram part is something that i'm having trouble understanding, due to the fact that it's currently 2012 and really haven't mastered the technology. But this is the future (2017) and it may be possible.

[kmp]

It would be better if you provided how your character went through the seven hour war and her life before it. Also, with your back story, although it made sense, Recruits would never be allowed to do what you described in your story. It doesn't seem right how they would be transporting such an important thing through convey, as dropship would seem more logical. It just seems too easy that they would lose such a precious item. However, I do like the story and will provide my support, although I would like if it didn't have so many strange things, such as Recruits in the Outlands.

[Elions]

IF you consider the fact that in the HL2 universe AI's exist in rather complex stages (See Portal 1 and 2, which are in the same universe as HL2) AI's are nowhere near "impossible" to create. That said, this AI is independently created by a group of researchers, and therefore not linked to black mesa or aperture science. The hologram part considering the technology available at both stations that wasn't necesarily bolted to their facilities is also a reason to think it could be done. Besides you have to take into account this device was a prototype, meaning it had tech that was "state of the art"

As for the backstory of Joanna, i believe i've covered that before as she is not a new character. She's in fact one of my first characters in outlands, and this is more of an addition to her equipment than an auth to create her. Still if the admins do require it i can write some about her.

[Frolie [Jellykid]]

Elions is a great Rper, who's characters are always inventive and engaging on a multitude of levels. He frequently finds ways to incorporate other characters into passive and action RP, and this authorization (from my perspective), would continue to re-enforce his resolve for more innovative and fun RP.

+Support with no hesitation

[Scratchie]

The AI being a seperate character will not work. For the simple fact characters cannot interact, and under the assumption it would be your character this would cause that rule to be broken.

As for the entire app, it seems a bit short to me for what it is. Though it's not a lot being asked for, it is an unusual and frankly extreme auth, so you need extreme detail. And recruits walking through outlands is a complete no, the only combine would be the overwatch. And it would be delivered via dropship.  So unless that is fixed I cannot support this at all.

(Yes, I am saying a full rewrite to be more plausible is require. Sorry.)

[Elions]

The AI being a seperate character will not work. For the simple fact characters cannot interact, and under the assumption it would be your character this would cause that rule to be broken.

As for the entire app, it seems a bit short to me for what it is. Though it's not a lot being asked for, it is an unusual and frankly extreme auth, so you need extreme detail. And recruits walking through outlands is a complete no, the only combine would be the overwatch. And it would be delivered via dropship.  So unless that is fixed I cannot support this at all.

(Yes, I am saying a full rewrite to be more plausible is require. Sorry.)

With the AI being a separate character i mean that i'd essentially have to /it his lines and what not, but he'd be present along with Joanna at all times.
And while i can agree to put a bit more detail into some parts of the auth, i cannot agree that it's an "extreme" auth, specially considering both AI and Holographic tech exist in the HL universe. "Extreme" doesn't really describe this auth at all.

[Scratchie]

The AI being a seperate character will not work. For the simple fact characters cannot interact, and under the assumption it would be your character this would cause that rule to be broken.

As for the entire app, it seems a bit short to me for what it is. Though it's not a lot being asked for, it is an unusual and frankly extreme auth, so you need extreme detail. And recruits walking through outlands is a complete no, the only combine would be the overwatch. And it would be delivered via dropship.  So unless that is fixed I cannot support this at all.

(Yes, I am saying a full rewrite to be more plausible is require. Sorry.)

With the AI being a separate character i mean that i'd essentially have to /it his lines and what not, but he'd be present along with Joanna at all times.
And while i can agree to put a bit more detail into some parts of the auth, i cannot agree that it's an "extreme" auth, specially considering both AI and Holographic tech exist in the HL universe. "Extreme" doesn't really describe this auth at all.

Ah, in that case I can see it being done.

By extreme I meant the circumstances that you described which would never happen ICly, especially with something such high value to the CCA.

Plus, from the Auth App Do's and Do not's

Restrictions:
No authorizations will be given via authorization applications for be the following:

• Stalker
• Any other NPC - headcrabs, zombies, seagulls, barnacles, etc
• Any canon character - Alyx, Eli, Gordon, etc
• Black Mesa employee/Black Mesa knowledge
• SYNTH Units - hunters, striders, etc
• V, G, Q, C, n, z and m flags.
• Weapons/Ammunition - you cannot apply for weapons such as a pistol or SMG. You are allowed to apply for knives or  or gain them through IC purposes on the servers, but you MUST be able to provide a time and date of when you acquired this weapon when asked by an admin.
• Resistance Vests
• Special/Psychic Powers
• Anything related to the CCA/Combine
• Vehicles (Jeeps, etc)
• 'Child' Characters

[Elions]

The AI being a seperate character will not work. For the simple fact characters cannot interact, and under the assumption it would be your character this would cause that rule to be broken.

As for the entire app, it seems a bit short to me for what it is. Though it's not a lot being asked for, it is an unusual and frankly extreme auth, so you need extreme detail. And recruits walking through outlands is a complete no, the only combine would be the overwatch. And it would be delivered via dropship.  So unless that is fixed I cannot support this at all.

(Yes, I am saying a full rewrite to be more plausible is require. Sorry.)

With the AI being a separate character i mean that i'd essentially have to /it his lines and what not, but he'd be present along with Joanna at all times.
And while i can agree to put a bit more detail into some parts of the auth, i cannot agree that it's an "extreme" auth, specially considering both AI and Holographic tech exist in the HL universe. "Extreme" doesn't really describe this auth at all.

Ah, in that case I can see it being done.

By extreme I meant the circumstances that you described which would never happen ICly, especially with something such high value to the CCA.

Plus, from the Auth App Do's and Do not's

Restrictions:
No authorizations will be given via authorization applications for be the following:

• Stalker
• Any other NPC - headcrabs, zombies, seagulls, barnacles, etc
• Any canon character - Alyx, Eli, Gordon, etc
• Black Mesa employee/Black Mesa knowledge
• SYNTH Units - hunters, striders, etc
• V, G, Q, C, n, z and m flags.
• Weapons/Ammunition - you cannot apply for weapons such as a pistol or SMG. You are allowed to apply for knives or  or gain them through IC purposes on the servers, but you MUST be able to provide a time and date of when you acquired this weapon when asked by an admin.
• Resistance Vests
• Special/Psychic Powers
• Anything related to the CCA/Combine
• Vehicles (Jeeps, etc)
• 'Child' Characters

This is why he's not directly related to the CCA, but is a independently developed project. The combine were trying to reverse engineer the technology since a portable unit like him is 'new'. The very few things he got FROM the CCA are, as the auth explains, useless or stuff the rebellion already knows. As for how he got transported so easily, it's because they wanted the thing to remain mostly a secret, including from other CCA personel. Besides the fact they had no reason to believe the rebellion would hear of the convoy, or you could even explain it as "A problem of over-confidence". If the auth seems short, i'm sorry, but i did not want to write an entire novel for this and have to bore the admin reading it (I've heard from admins more than once complain of long auths, so i condensed as much information in as little text as possible for utility's sake.)

[Scratchie]

"Kept a secret from other CCA personnel" "Given to a recruit to take through outlands"

Let me make it simple as I have said:

It is CCA as it is for something related to the CCA as they are carrying it and it bears the CCA logo. Not to mention the uncanon backstory. As it stands this could be denied right now for failing to comply with canon as well as breaking auth app rules.

That being said, you have one chance to fix it. Length doesn't matter, more is better if it is relevant. Admins are just lazy.

[Elions]

"Kept a secret from other CCA personnel" "Given to a recruit to take through outlands"

Let me make it simple as I have said:

It is CCA as it is for something related to the CCA as they are carrying it and it bears the CCA logo. Not to mention the uncanon backstory. As it stands this could be denied right now for failing to comply with canon as well as breaking auth app rules.

That being said, you have one chance to fix it. Length doesn't matter, more is better if it is relevant. Admins are just lazy.

I'll write up something more detailed, but the item itself is not related to the CCA, nor is the character itself, but is simply being carried by them, besides the fact the recruit was not told WHAT he was carrying, simply not to lose it. I'll make the changes that you're asking for, since you do have a point on how detailed it should be. However i don't see how the story's in any way "non-canon". This restricts itself to what we have seen is possible in HL1 and 2 as well as stick to the idea of combine restricting technology to people (though as i read through this, getting the device caught on by the CCA so quickly can be seen as a major problem in the story) I'll write up something tomorrow to acommodate it.

[Elions]

I finally took my time to edit the story. It's a bit shorter unfortunately, but it adresses the idea of how is it that the AI remained away from Combine hands and explains how it got into Joanna's hands in a more accurate manner.

As for detail, i'd please ask in what parts do you want more detail now, wether it's the construction of the AI or how she got the device, since i can't do anything with just "needs more detail", it's a rather vague line to use.

If it needs any further editing, do let me know.

[Elions]

Just trying to bring attention to this thread right now, i need to know wether this will get accepted or denied after all.

And please do realise RTLK's "This has to do with the CCA" or "This is extreme" is a load of crock .-. Holograms and AI's were /not/ out of reach according to HL's canon, and i can proove it if necesary

[kmp]

Prove it, please. Just a few thing firsts, Black Mesa was destroyed long before the Seven Hour War, and Aperture Science has so far never been discovered by even the Combine, with all AS personal killed by Glados, who I might add, was so unstable she tried to kill everyone within the first few seconds of booting up. If AI's were made in the HL universe, they would be extremely unstable and require massive amounts of power to make, as well as a full science development team.

[Elions]

We'll start of prooving that Holograms are in fact plausible and have been used before in HL.
I am sure of course that all of you have played Half Life 1, the original. Half life 1 has an in-canon "Hazard Course" which served the purpose of helping new players understand how the game works, during this course you are assisted by a Holographic AI, that identifies itself as one as well as shows that Holograms not only exist, but they exist in vivid colours.

Proof of this point can be found in the following video:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlSzuu9iXlo" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlSzuu9iXlo</a>

As for wether it is plausible outside Black mesa, this is a rather simple thing to proove. As we have seen in HL2, there are several pieces of technology that we see in black mesa that re-appear, even after it's destruction, for these to reapear we can assume that they were not black mesa specific but technology advancements that were in fact common in the real world. Such things as keypad systems, retinal scanners, the super computers and in some cases the lab equipment and even the HEV standarized suit that can be seen as early as Kleiner's lab in HL2. Though i doubt this requires video proof, i will provide some in the following video

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LgWPAE6RAA" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LgWPAE6RAA</a>

The AI subject can be a bit more tricky, however, considering that Half Life is in the same universe as Portal, my task is made a bit easier.
If we take Portal 2's (And i'm sorry for this but i will have to go to spoiler territory for those who have not finished Portal 2) explanation for how Glados became "evil", or the why Wheatley became evil, is because the system that the AI was hooked into had specific programming to make them obsessive with testing, unfortunately the system backfires and corrupts the AI. This is also prooven by  Wheatley changing his personality in it's entirety when he's disconected from it. The AI was not unstable or evil perse, but it was corrupted by the programming of the core that controlled the entirety of aperture science and it's faulty testing (ironic huh) There's also the fact that Aperture was constantly assaulted by people stealing their patents and ideas throughout their existance, meaning that even if AI's were an aperture specific thing, chances are the idea, schematics or even an AI itself was leaked out for people to tinker with, making it more than plausible that Aperture, Black mesa, and the combine are not the only ones capable of creating AI's or knowledge-able on the AI matter. This point is prooven by, well, the entirety of portal 2, which i can't just link on a video but i will trust you can understand.

Finally, The fact that all of these are plausible, even more so currently exist or existed at one point in the Half life and portal universe prooves that creating a new one is not impossible, however the novel part of this idea is the fact that this one is being carried on a portable device, which is why the hologram projector is only one colour (Specifically, though i did not put this in the auth, it would be cyan-ish) And is of course limited to what the user allows it to do, meaning the AI would be very much locked to what Joanna asks it to do or what she permits him to do. There's also the fact that given the 10 year (or so) difference between the black mesa destruction and the seven hour war, there was plenty of time for the doctor who created the AI to make the progress, given that nowadays in 10 years of well supported development we can achieve tremendous things, and for that i simply cite you to important scientific research that has been done presently. Seriously just pick one and you'll find something cool that's in prototype stage or what not.

EDIT: I also forgot to point out, the AI in HL1 never identifies itself as a trademark of black mesa, or has any kind of hint that it is such, meaning it is plausible, if not logical, that it's not a piece of technology that is locked to black mesa.

Double edit!: Oh and as for the power intake of AI's, i cite Glados being able to work while connected to a bloody POTATO. And the fact that the AI's in portal were created by supposedly a very underpaid and small group of Aperture people, meaning that they did not require that much effort to create the advanced stuff you see in the games.