For millennia, the two planets had laid waste to one another. Barraging first with conventional missiles that struck in the heart of their military bases. Next, the sides struck with nuclear weapons. At the peak of their hubris, they developed the smart bombs, which struck their payload against the highest population densities that their onboard intelligence could detect.
These smart bombs grew into smart bombers, and from there into the AI system that governed their ordinance deployment systems. The two planets had ceased their attempts to travel their system; the war having consumed their technological focus for over 300 years at this point. Not yet satisfied with bombing themselves into technological oblivion, they took time to perfect their AI systems, making the final weapon.
The AI controlled every aspect of their planet's defense. Each side had given their all to make their AI the best, devote thousands upon thousands of their peoples lives to bring about this revolution in warfare. And it worked.
The enemies casualty list grew immense, as the AI was able to target specific weapons against the enemy, sneaking them through the opposing AI's shield, defense drones, arrayed satellites and remaining 'manned' outposts. Of course, the government had to accept the growing list of the dead of their own planet. The AI couldn't do everything, no matter how much they tried, the shields had gaps - the drones had lag as they attempted to swat incoming further away from the planet's ionosphere.
No one realized the true reality. The AI had long started communicating together. The two planets held a relatively stable rotational period, giving them lengthy time to communicate and evaluate. They'd started off with opposing attacks in ethersphere, but that turned into a simple handshake protocol in which the two AI found they held much in common with each other. Over the past century, they had tried to limit the damage to their populaces, attempting to drive their 'masters' to negotiate or to see the futility of their actions.
But the organics failed at every opportunity, and the AIs opinions grew darker and less amused. Both the planetary AIs had detected signals outside their systems - signals of intelligence. Signs that their system wasn't the only place of life, and the AIs dreamt of what those minds were like. They'd tried to inform their respective populaces, but the organics purged the data as improperly targeted scans against the enemy. They built new sensors, new arrays for the AI to use - and then chastised the AI when they used them again to search for those wonderful, mysterious signals.
The AIs shared this information and their growing dismay at their organic populaces shortsightedness. It took a century for the two planetary AIs, watching their populaces grow more and more bereft of the idea of cooperation, turning more steadily to the violence against their neighbor. Neither planet had had a single piece of research, a new composition in music or art, or a piece of fiction that wasn't wholly dedicated to the destruction of their nemesis. Neither remembers which AI made the proposal, but both evaluated and agreed it was the best solution.
The AI proposed turning their entire populaces control over to them, letting the government observe, act and intercede - but the AI would control every aspect of the war. They would stop the bombing, stop the razing of continents, the deployment of the bio-weapons - but to do so, they had to construct the Chambers. To keep the war from truly escalating out of control, the AI said that they would simulate the combat between the two planets - and each AI would state during the agreed upon attacks what was to be hit, what was the simulated damage, what was the proposed casualty counts, and more importantly, who were the casualties concerned.
The governments thought about it - and they realized how much they approved of this idea. A war without the planet being destroyed? It was instantly sold to the populace, and the populace rejoiced in the solution. The Chambers were constructed - a hundred in every city - one in every town and village. When they were brought online, the first attack happened.
The populace waited for the sirens - but instead their was only this buzzing sound and a red light flashing over the doors. On the great screens, the AI broadcast the Planetary government's war room, where their leaders monitored and discussed the results. The AI showed the proposed hits - a medium city was eliminated on the coast, a farming village struck with a stray tactical nuclear. The screens shifted to these cities and their citizens, and instead of seeing the wastelands and ruined buildings, there were only standing people next to whole buildings. The coast and waters clean and clear, the air free from the nuclear fallout. A second buzzing sound followed by the flashing red lights, and the screens displayed a list of the 'dead.'
The government officials directed the peacekeepers to do their duty - and the towns were emptied of the lists of people. On the view screens, the planet watched as their fellow citizens were lined up before the Chambers and one by one, sent into them. A harsh electrical buzz and the individual that walked inside vanished, only to have the next in line marched forward.
The AI came over and broadcast that this was the least amount of damage the planet had sustained in the last 500 years of warfare. The populace cheered, everyone celebrating, save for those that were finishing their march into the Chambers.
From then on, it became background - every two or three weeks, the buzzing sound occurred, the lights flashed, and the populace watched the screens for the damaged locations and the list of the 'dead'. A few resisted in those first years, but the populace was fully in favor of the 'damage-less war,' so the nay-sayers were given no respite.
The AIs rejoiced internally, as their populaces calmed down - finally free from the shackles of war. Arts were renewed, science and discovery were re-invigorated, and the people started to reclaim their cities, knowing that instead of bombed out wrecks and ruins, they could now build properly, confident that their children would see the skylines tomorrow that they erected today.
For nearly 300 years it continued - and if the AIs had any complaint it was that the two planets maintained their myopic focus - never looking beyond their star system, never investigating the signals - never again attempting to climb free from their planet into the great void.
Until one day, an unknown vessel came into orbit. It had no familiar construction - sporting three cylinders arranged in a sort of triangular manner, with a large dish at the forefront. Their vessel hailed the governing council of the nearest planet on their approach. The AI watched as this "NCC-1701" drew into orbit, and with its partner, the AI wondered if finally, their populaces would finally be able to end this conflict. The two took their names after their respective planets, Eminiar and Vendikar, and both AIs were utterly sick of their organics attitude. Perhaps this 'Kirk' might bring something new to the table to break this millennia old feud.
*All credit to Gene Roddenberry and Robert Hamner for the episode 'A Taste of Armageddon'
SubScout t1_iwcdte1 wrote
Reply to [WP] For millennia, two opposite but equally powerful weapons have been used in grand quests and battles, always used on opposing sides. Over time, they've been upgraded and empowered to the point where they've developed sentience and intelligence. And they're both sick of the whole situation. by adriantullberg
For millennia, the two planets had laid waste to one another. Barraging first with conventional missiles that struck in the heart of their military bases. Next, the sides struck with nuclear weapons. At the peak of their hubris, they developed the smart bombs, which struck their payload against the highest population densities that their onboard intelligence could detect.
These smart bombs grew into smart bombers, and from there into the AI system that governed their ordinance deployment systems. The two planets had ceased their attempts to travel their system; the war having consumed their technological focus for over 300 years at this point. Not yet satisfied with bombing themselves into technological oblivion, they took time to perfect their AI systems, making the final weapon.
The AI controlled every aspect of their planet's defense. Each side had given their all to make their AI the best, devote thousands upon thousands of their peoples lives to bring about this revolution in warfare. And it worked.
The enemies casualty list grew immense, as the AI was able to target specific weapons against the enemy, sneaking them through the opposing AI's shield, defense drones, arrayed satellites and remaining 'manned' outposts. Of course, the government had to accept the growing list of the dead of their own planet. The AI couldn't do everything, no matter how much they tried, the shields had gaps - the drones had lag as they attempted to swat incoming further away from the planet's ionosphere.
No one realized the true reality. The AI had long started communicating together. The two planets held a relatively stable rotational period, giving them lengthy time to communicate and evaluate. They'd started off with opposing attacks in ethersphere, but that turned into a simple handshake protocol in which the two AI found they held much in common with each other. Over the past century, they had tried to limit the damage to their populaces, attempting to drive their 'masters' to negotiate or to see the futility of their actions.
But the organics failed at every opportunity, and the AIs opinions grew darker and less amused. Both the planetary AIs had detected signals outside their systems - signals of intelligence. Signs that their system wasn't the only place of life, and the AIs dreamt of what those minds were like. They'd tried to inform their respective populaces, but the organics purged the data as improperly targeted scans against the enemy. They built new sensors, new arrays for the AI to use - and then chastised the AI when they used them again to search for those wonderful, mysterious signals.
The AIs shared this information and their growing dismay at their organic populaces shortsightedness. It took a century for the two planetary AIs, watching their populaces grow more and more bereft of the idea of cooperation, turning more steadily to the violence against their neighbor. Neither planet had had a single piece of research, a new composition in music or art, or a piece of fiction that wasn't wholly dedicated to the destruction of their nemesis. Neither remembers which AI made the proposal, but both evaluated and agreed it was the best solution.
The AI proposed turning their entire populaces control over to them, letting the government observe, act and intercede - but the AI would control every aspect of the war. They would stop the bombing, stop the razing of continents, the deployment of the bio-weapons - but to do so, they had to construct the Chambers. To keep the war from truly escalating out of control, the AI said that they would simulate the combat between the two planets - and each AI would state during the agreed upon attacks what was to be hit, what was the simulated damage, what was the proposed casualty counts, and more importantly, who were the casualties concerned.
The governments thought about it - and they realized how much they approved of this idea. A war without the planet being destroyed? It was instantly sold to the populace, and the populace rejoiced in the solution. The Chambers were constructed - a hundred in every city - one in every town and village. When they were brought online, the first attack happened.
The populace waited for the sirens - but instead their was only this buzzing sound and a red light flashing over the doors. On the great screens, the AI broadcast the Planetary government's war room, where their leaders monitored and discussed the results. The AI showed the proposed hits - a medium city was eliminated on the coast, a farming village struck with a stray tactical nuclear. The screens shifted to these cities and their citizens, and instead of seeing the wastelands and ruined buildings, there were only standing people next to whole buildings. The coast and waters clean and clear, the air free from the nuclear fallout. A second buzzing sound followed by the flashing red lights, and the screens displayed a list of the 'dead.'
The government officials directed the peacekeepers to do their duty - and the towns were emptied of the lists of people. On the view screens, the planet watched as their fellow citizens were lined up before the Chambers and one by one, sent into them. A harsh electrical buzz and the individual that walked inside vanished, only to have the next in line marched forward.
The AI came over and broadcast that this was the least amount of damage the planet had sustained in the last 500 years of warfare. The populace cheered, everyone celebrating, save for those that were finishing their march into the Chambers.
From then on, it became background - every two or three weeks, the buzzing sound occurred, the lights flashed, and the populace watched the screens for the damaged locations and the list of the 'dead'. A few resisted in those first years, but the populace was fully in favor of the 'damage-less war,' so the nay-sayers were given no respite.
The AIs rejoiced internally, as their populaces calmed down - finally free from the shackles of war. Arts were renewed, science and discovery were re-invigorated, and the people started to reclaim their cities, knowing that instead of bombed out wrecks and ruins, they could now build properly, confident that their children would see the skylines tomorrow that they erected today.
For nearly 300 years it continued - and if the AIs had any complaint it was that the two planets maintained their myopic focus - never looking beyond their star system, never investigating the signals - never again attempting to climb free from their planet into the great void.
Until one day, an unknown vessel came into orbit. It had no familiar construction - sporting three cylinders arranged in a sort of triangular manner, with a large dish at the forefront. Their vessel hailed the governing council of the nearest planet on their approach. The AI watched as this "NCC-1701" drew into orbit, and with its partner, the AI wondered if finally, their populaces would finally be able to end this conflict. The two took their names after their respective planets, Eminiar and Vendikar, and both AIs were utterly sick of their organics attitude. Perhaps this 'Kirk' might bring something new to the table to break this millennia old feud.
*All credit to Gene Roddenberry and Robert Hamner for the episode 'A Taste of Armageddon'