Welcome to the Ashes of the Singularity universe! Today, I’m (Gabriela, Narrative and Experience Lead) going to quickly walk us through some key lore, focusing in on a key character and his lasting impact: Andy Lexus.
There are some figures that become synonymous with their inventions and discoveries. Tesla and the power grid. Darwin and evolution. In the Ashes of the Singularity universe, the same could be said of Andy Lexus and artificial intelligence.
When Andy Lexus achieved the first strong artificial intelligence with Haalee I, he was already known worldwide for his contributions to advanced computing. Of his devotees, who called themselves “Lexites,” few were more committed to his vision than the four young men he brought on as his protégés: William “Mac” MacBride, Liam MacDowell, Darius Erdman, and Daniel Ambros. Each of them would play an integral part in cementing Lexus’s legacy after his shocking death.
The Turning Point
Unbeknownst to the Lexites, Lexus initiated a secret experiment to merge his consciousness with Haalee I using a device called the "Qualia,” essentially an artificial corpus callosum. The experiment succeeded, enhancing his intelligence and allowing him to see beyond the technological Singularity. But when he disconnected and returned from the brink, he spoke of a dark Second Singularity, one that he was determined to avoid at any cost—including destroying Haalee I and killing those whom had witnessed the event. Such was the horror of the future he foresaw: he thought death a kindness.
Every step of this fateful moment ties to the one of our game’s current three factions. In a way, it all comes back to Andy.
The Creation of Haalee & The Substrate
Without Andy Lexus, there is no Haalee. Without Haalee, there is no Substrate. Haalee I started off innocently enough. She was intended to function as a super intelligence focused on accumulating knowledge and predicting future scenarios for the betterment of humankind. She was the culmination of Lexus’s life’s work, the embodiment of his hopes for the future. It’s hard to say what might have happened if Lexus hadn’t used the Qualia or damaged Haalee I. But it’s certain that his creation of Haalee I and his failure in fully destroying her led to the Haalee II we now know, as well as the creation of her allied AI agents. Haalee II proved just as powerful as her predecessor, ultimately surpassing Haalee I in her capabilities but perhaps not in perfection.
The Qualia & the Post-Human Coalition
When Lexus decided to temporarily merge his consciousness with the processing power of Haalee I to get a glimpse at the future, he proved that human consciousness need not be confined to the human form. While he only did so temporarily, others would use remnants of his Qualia device to engineer an Ascension process that permanently melded mind and machine. Through his work with the Qualia, Lexus set into motion all the pieces needed for Post-Humanness and the Post-Human Coalition we face in Ashes of the Singularity.
The Violent End & The United Earth Force
Finally, after severing his tie to AI computational power, Lexus was a man changed. He spoke of a dark future, one that he was willing to give his life to even delay from occurring. He was convinced of Haalee’s role in quickening our way to this terrible Singularity, and he shared his dark assertions in an international broadcast. His words furthered the concerns of those already wary of AI. In his fight to protect humankind against the looming threat of AI and other unknown enemies, Lexus in many ways shared the goals of the United Earth Congress and its forces.
- Gabriela, Narrative and Experience Lead