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Chapter 51: Paperwork

  I sat at my desk With to my dismay Dr.Graves Next to me, scrolling through Dr. Patel’s files, now finally accessible to me for investigation. It had taken a frustratingly long time to get clearance Just because my Status was still on leave, but now I had access. The contents were... fascinating. One of the most intriguing files was a private File with only a list of drones that Dr. Patel had marked as requiring, in his words, "continued observation due to anomalies in behavioral patterns." The list contained:

  


      


  •   ALPHA

      


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  •   3 EPSILON units

      


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  •   2 YOTTA units

      


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  •   7 TAU units

      


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  •   2 RONIN units

      


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  •   8 DELTA units

      


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  •   1 XENON unit

      


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  A total of twenty-four drones, standing apart from the nearly two hundred others. What was special about these? I dove into Patel’s notes. Some of them contained cold, clinical observations, while others carried an almost personal fascination with the subject matter.

  I focused on recent Files

  FILE: Drone Common Room Observation

  Author: Dr. Patel

  The reason drones are given free roam in the common area is that the biological components require rest outside of just work tests and charging. Constant pressure would cause severe neural degradation, akin to burnout in a human brain. However, unlike human burnout, a drone's biological brain cannot cope with prolonged stress in the same way and will eventually shut down entirely, leading to catastrophic failure. Additionally, the common room is an invaluable environment for observing free-roam behavior and monitoring the progress of the self-learning and evolving programming.

  //Edit//

  A military representative recently visited to oversee operations and posed a question: Why do drones require biological components at all? My response: The biological components serve as a parallel processor, interpreting environmental stimuli faster than purely synthetic parts. The mechanical components receive sensory data from lenses, pressure sensors, and various other receptors, while the biological brain rapidly processes it. The AI, in turn, integrates this information for logical decision-making and movement. The seamless integration of biological and mechanical elements is what allows drones to adapt and learn at the speed they do

  I continued reading. Another file focused on interpersonal relationships—or rather, inter-drone relationships.

  FILE: Relations Between Drones

  Author: Dr. Patel

  Several drones exhibit behaviors outside their programmed parameters. Certain units have formed persistent bonds, while others display hostility toward humans despite no explicit programming supporting such responses. The most notable cases:

  


      


  •   RONIN Unit: Demonstrates overt aggression toward human personnel, requiring intervention of the Main Facility AI to prevent damage to equipment and personnel. Notably, this hostility is directed at specific individuals involved in maintenance and combat studies but focused more on maintenance personnel. In terms of a training study for new hires, the active drone was taken apart to showcase working internals, suggesting that it recognizes patterns in its treatment and assigns enemy designations based on past interactions.

      


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  •   EPSILON Unit & YOTTA Unit: A unique bond exists between these two drones. When separated, both units exhibit measurable distress responses beyond standard operational parameters. AI process logs indicate that each drone factors in the other’s presence as a constant. More and more sightings of what seems to be episodes of sadness were logged by a trainer for the Yotta models. The trainer is told not to interfere with those episodes. This may be a programming anomaly or a copy of behavior but no genuine emotional attachment, though further study is required.

      


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  •   TAU Unit & DELTA Unit: An unusual case, like Epsilon and Yotta but older. This case was unofficially dubbed:

      You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

      THE LOVEBIRDS.

      A Delta unit was the first to be deactivated in a one-on-one test combat. Following its destruction, the TAU unit it was attached to and forced to fight against exhibited erratic behavior, culminating from decreased performance into self-termination. Maintenance logs indicate that TAU inflicted severe self-damage with its own claws:

      


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    •   Destroyed outer plating

        


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    •   Bent inner frame for easier access to internals

        


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    •   Cut off black blood veins

        


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    •   Destroyed internal tank for nutrient processing

        


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    •   Caused extreme damage to the high-capacity batteries

        


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    •   Destroyed the centrifugal pump

        


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    •   Inflicted severe damage to inner shoulder & neck actuators

        


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    •   Shattered the core

        


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  This suggests an emergent and undesired connection between certain units. To prevent self-termination from happening, new failsafe coding was implemented restricting the use of extended claws to drone arm's length away from the core. Further investigation is necessary.

  That particular note sent a shiver down my spine. I had been there when TAU "ripped itself apart." Reading it like this, in black and white, made it feel unsettling and brought back memories.

  I turned my attention to another document, this one discussing language patterns.

  FILE: Linguistic Development Among Special Behavior Drones

  Author: Dr. Patel

  Despite initial assumptions that drone communication would remain within standard command protocols, a subset of drones listed in another document has developed an internal language utilizing clicks and whirrs. This language appears simple but has the potential to become highly sophisticated, with drones varying pitch and frequency to convey complex meanings.

  This may suggest an emergent awareness. However, it is uncertain whether this is a learned behavior by mimicking what they see and hear and reproducing it with what they have at their disposal or a byproduct of AI neural structures adapting to human influence.

  ALPHA is of particular interest.

  Unlike other special-behavior units, he does not fully conform to the pattern yet understands and uses it. In an incident, he used crude, copied, and artificial words via a speaker to communicate. After an incident that followed, a reset was ordered and commenced. That behavior has not repeated.

  The younger units with behavioral anomalies defer to Alpha and some other drones in certain matters, suggesting a hierarchy forming outside standard command structures. Hierarchy formation was anticipated but not this fast. It was suspected to form around the 6-7 generation but is forming at the 2-3 generation. Calculations will be redone.

  Another document caught my eye. It was focused less on behaviors and more on physiological responses.

  FILE: Neural Buildup and Hormonal Activity in Drones

  Author: Dr. Patel

  The biological components within each drone are tightly integrated with their synthetic cores, forming an unprecedented hybrid system. The system is centered around a crystal core that holds and stores information. The core is set into two plates: one of them has connectors that extend into the organic tissue with 2nm diameter wires all over the tissue, connecting and integrating it with the core. The other plate is connected to computer parts. Both sides are connected to the core to draw pre-inscribed information on it. The limit on information inscribed has not yet been reached.

  Inscribing information after installation inside the drone is a tedious process that is only done for resets.

  Recent tests indicate that neural activity in drones mirrors certain patterns seen in human subjects, suggesting that the self-learning functions for pattern recognition and routine behaviors work as intended.

  Authorized Production of Hormones:

  


      


  •   Adrenaline – Present in all models; likely contributes to rapid response capabilities in combat situations.

      


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  •   Leptin – Found in minor traces after nutrient paste has been given.

      


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  •   Melatonin – Released during rest cycles; aids in biological maintenance.

      


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  •   Cortisol – Not present under normal conditions but fluctuates under high-stress situations.

      


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  Anomalies in Hormone Production:

  


      


  •   Oxytocin – Found in minor traces in black blood of bonded units.

      


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  Standard AI protocols and the structure of the Lab grown hormone gland should not allow for the production of oxytocin, a hormone associated with emotional bonding and social attachment. However, multiple tests confirm its presence in some drones, particularly those exhibiting close relationships with another unit. Most notably, TAU and DELTA—before their destruction—produced minor traces of oxytocin. This raises disturbing questions. If these units were beginning to develop attachments strong enough to trigger a biological response, what does that imply about the limitations of our AI's cognition?

  Requested authorization of an experiment on Epsilon unit and Yotta unit.

  Authorization Pending

  Experiment Details incl-

  I exhaled sharply, leaning back in my chair. Patel had been on the verge of something monumental before his death.

  There was no follow-up, no conclusion to his findings. His research had simply… ended with his life. I turned to Dr. Graves, who had been reading alongside me. Her eyes were sharp, focused, but still Something nervous could be seen in her eyes.

  What did she know?

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