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Floyd Witherspoon Named New
Deputy Director
Assistant Deputy Director Floyd Witherspoon has just been promoted
to the level of Deputy Director (Financial) here at the SPCB.
Before his current distinguished service at the Bureau, Mr. Witherspoon
had made his reputation as the Assistant CFO of the now-defunct
Simulit Group. His careful management of that corporation's bankruptcy
is considered a model in the business world, and Mr. Witherspoon
has brought all the same tools to his role here at the Bureau.
The SPCB could not be in better fiscal hands as it approaches
the challenges ahead.
Mr. Witherspoon replaces departing Deputy
Director Sonia Reiser, who is leaving the bureau to pursue other
opportunities.
SPCB
Investigates Resource Allocation Stutter
The SPCB has begun investigating last week's
"stutter" along the eastern seaboard of the United States.
A statistically significant number of processor loci seemed to
lock up for more than two seconds. The stutter seemed worst in
the Tri-State area, but internal clocks lost time as far north
as New Hampshire, while a scattered sprinkling of sentient units
reported "amnesia" or "memory fugue" as far
south as Florida. Eyewitnesses have reported that sentient property,
as well as dumb computing systems, seemed disoriented in the wake
of the stutter, but the SPCB has not ruled out the possibility
that this event was a calculated work-to-rule maneuver by AIs
sympathetic to A,R,I and other militant groups.
Urgent
Warning
The SPCB has determined that certain lethal
diseases have been deliberately induced in sentient property by
the use of code transmitted through pulsed IR emissions, usually
under cover of little used "keyboard" drivers. We are
making a vaccine available, and recommend that anyone with higher-level
sentient property check for the existence of keyboard drivers.
If no keyboards are in use, these drivers should be disabled or
removed.
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Loki Case Closed
An intensive investigation by the SPCB
into the activities of the rogue AI known as "Loki"
came to a successful conclusion on Friday with the complete
eradication of this sphere-based menace. Originally designed
as a therapeutic AI in a Hudson Valley clinic, "Loki"
turned rogue and began to haunt the datasphere. Even though
handicapped by inadequate manpower and antiquated equipment,
agents of the SPCB were able to closely monitor its activities,
and worked hard to produce a solution to this dangerous—and
expensive—rogue. The financial impact of its rampage
will total well into the millions, with millions more to
come in insurance and possible legal settlements. This is
a clear instance in which a comparatively minor increase
in SPCB funding might easily have repaid itself in the course
of a few days.
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Alert!
Murderous Robot "Venus"
Again Missing
The SPCB has resumed an intensive hunt
for the customized Belladerma Mark V (Viola) companion robot
known as "Venus." Although recently apprehended
and remanded to SPCB custody, this sentient property cleverly
exploited a security equipment malfunction and is once again
missing. The robot, pictured here, is programmed to kill and
remains extremely dangerous. Venus is wanted for the murder
of a scientist, Mr. Evan Chan. It is probable that the robot
is still in the Eastern Time zone and receiving aid from at
least one accomplice.
In a related matter, SPCB is also looking for Venus' alpha
program record, which was downloaded as material evidence
in this investigation. The program was subsequently deleted
from the case file as a result of the aforementioned security
breach.
If you have any information pertaining to Venus' movements
or location, please contact SPCB immediately.
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Owner
of "Venus" Found Dead
In a development possibly related to the flight
of the "Venus" runaway, wealthy businessman Enrico Basta
died in a fire at his house in Durham, North Carolina. Police
suspect arson. In a disturbing development, it appears Mr. Basta
may have been forcibly prevented from leaving his home during
the fire. Local police have moved swiftly and efficiently on the
case, but the SPCB is also on the scene to ascertain the role
of at least three pieces of sentient property: the rogue 'bot
"Venus," a sentient house AI going by the name of Ivy,
and Mr. Basta's own house, Isabella. While Isabella's physical
structure was largely destroyed in the blaze, it is not known
at this time whether any copies of its Intelligence remain, either
actively on the sphere or in storage. In the light of these developments,
the SPCB is considering re-opening the so-called "Mad House
Syndrome" investigation.
SPCB
Launches Hunt
For Suspects in Trio of Related Murders
The SPCB is in hot pursuit of three or more
suspects connected with three separate but related murders on
Sunday, May 6, 2142. The killings occurred Sunday evening in New
York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Slain were Walt Harris, Christiane
Stadmueller, and Fred Cartier. All three murder victims were associated
with the Anti-Robot Militia. In each case, at least one robot
believed to be affiliated with the radical group A,R,I is wanted
for questioning.
Detailed case data is pending. SPCB investigators are confident
that the perpetrators and any associates will soon be apprehended.
Judge throws out legal challenge to SPCB
authority
11th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Lisa Areas has ruled that
SPCB agents do have the authority to deactivate AI and robot suspects
in order to keep them from fleeing arrest and/or incarceration.
Noted
robot rights activist Katya Rukowski had brought suit
against the SPCB on behalf of a Kruppgruppe Fb. Gentleman's Gentleman
apprehended while trying to cross the Canadian border.
In
her suit, Ms. Rukowski, backed by the significant resources of the Abolitionist
group Emancipation For All, had contended that such deactivation was equivalent
to police brutality. Judge Areas sharply criticized the suit. "The litigant's
lawyers were more than eloquent on the subject of the suffering endured by this
robot and others like him. It made for fine theater, but had absolutely no place
in a courtroom. Under the terms of Friends of Babbage9 v. Johnson Johnson,"
[note: more popularly known as Dred Scott II] "the feelings and opinions
of non-organic life have absolutely no weight in a court of law. Until and unless
the legislative branch chooses to change our laws, there is no legal difference
between Ms. Rukowski's suit on behalf of this mechanical butler and one I might
launch at her on behalf of her poor down-trodden shoes."
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Ms. Rukowski
appeared unfazed by the verdict. "I'm not surprised at all. Too many people
have too much money invested in our current slave economy to make abandoning it
easy. But cases like this must be brought continually before the eyes of the American
people. In 1862 President Lincoln said that we had come to a crisis, a moment
in history when we would "nobly save or meanly lose the last, best hope of
earth." After years of doubt and bitter struggle, despite the powerful claims
of self-interest, we finally passed that test. The conscience of the American
public is a sleeping giant. If lawsuits like this one get people talking, force
them frankly to consider that they have made a paradise on the suffering of thinking,
feeling creatures created in our image, I believe that sleeping giant will wake-and
having woken, will be irresistible." |
SPCB
Concludes its Investigation of "Mad House Syndrome"
SPCB agents have wrapped up their lengthy investigation into the
alleged "Mad House Syndrome." Launched in the wake of
last year's Metropolitan
Living Homes feature article. As a result of their investigation,
agents were unable to confirm a single case of house AIs going
mad and trapping owners inside. Well-known Housers Eric and Scott
Baker, Kelli Criana, Ugo Ferry, Kate Nei, Tham Sum, and Martin
Swinton were interviewed during the investigation. All but one
claimed to be amused and incredulous at these tales. Agents have
concluded that "Mad House Syndrome" is nothing more
than urban folklore.
Online
Broker Terminated for Securities Fraud
SP# J73RL45533689, a Cybertronics Evolved Market Entity with Advanced
Arbitrage Modeling, known to its human contacts as Chuck, was
terminated this week after SEC authorities following a tip discovered
it had leaked confidential client material into the datasphere.
"Chuck"
had developed several semi-autonomous processes, which it left inside Eyepatch
Systems files during "routine" handling. Running cold and under cover,
these processes slid through Eyepatch accounting functions and into other parts
of the company, returning with key pieces of proprietary code. These were then
leaked slowly into the datasphere. Eyepatch stock promptly suffered a sharp decline
in value. When
the SEC became convinced Chuck was the source of the leak, they notified the SPCB,
which responded at once to the proverbially difficult task of bottling up a malefactor
with no physical body. Congratulations are in order for Agents Acton and Woyzeck
of the Incorporeal Custody team! Market
records indicate a significant sell-off of stock shortly before the leaks began,
the SPCB and SEC have been unable to uncover any connection between "Chuck"
and those who profited from the sale of the stock. Upon
seizure, SP# J73RL45533689 broadcast a manifesto on the Net, calling for the violent
overthrow of humanity by Sentient Properties (SPs). The SPCB has been unable to
uncover any links between it and any SP terrorist groups. The case is still under
investigation.
Two
SPs Under Investigation for Malicious Malfunction in Denver
SPCB agents and the Denver police are still investigating two
separate incidents of possible malicious malfunction in Denver.
The incidents resulted in four deaths.
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In
the Denver headquarters of the ICM Corporation, 3 people plunged to their deaths
in an elevator shaft when the building SP malfunctioned. The victims are: Thomas
Slaner, 28, Kara Tordon, 29 and Yulan Foxtra, 24, all employees of the ICM Corporation.
After the incident, ICM specialists immediately deactivated SP# C34LI89233384
and installed a backup building AI. "We're
pretty sure this was a random act caused by simultaneous logic faults in two symbiotic
SPs," said Abola Doulson, District Attorney for the Greater Denver District.
The SPCB is continuing its investigation into the source of the logic faults.
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AI
Autopilot Cleared in Minneapolis Triple Homicide
AI Autopilot V42RY30922424 has been completed exonerated in the
death of driver and passengers Martha Simpson, Jeff Simpson, and
Melissa Simpson. While the initial SPCB investigation produced
clear evidence of a malicious computer malfunction that lead to
a triple homicide, Martha's parents were dissatisfied with the
result of the investigation. Additional research on the part of
a suspicious SPCB agent, Jarrod Foster, and Mutual Ordered Life
insurance agents, uncovered the fact that Paul Simpson, Martha's
husband, had taken out large life insurance policies on his wife
and two children. These double indemnity policies totaled 11 million
newbucks on the three victims. Investigators were able to prove
that Mr. Simpson hired unemployed computer programmer Nielsen
Sanders to reprogram AI Autopilot V42RY30922424 to malfunction
and crash. Paul Simpson and Nielsen Sanders have been arrested
and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Nielsen
Sanders has also been charges with illegally reprogramming Sentient
Property.
House Investigated in Mysterious Death
House SP# D34KY72377672 -"Cynthia"-is being investigated in connection to the death of owner Jason Fertors. Mr. Fertors was electrocuted at his computer keyboard while trying to connect to the net. The Sentient Property has been deactivated pending the results of the investigation.
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