//------------------------------// // Project Hypergenesis // Story: Starlight: Redshift // by the-pieman //------------------------------// After wandering around for a while, I finally track down the only lab currently running a tour. After asking about Twilight, I’m led to her by a security guard, and join the tour group. Apparently, they’re working on a non-lethal deterrent for the occasional Zubzilla attacks on the port. It’s something called a ‘UHT’ beam, and when it’s demonstrated, it’s basically a super-laser. A red-orange beam melts and slags the test chunk of concrete easily. I can see that deterring a pokemon, for sure. After the firing, I see a group of the scientists pulling dull, gray gemstones out of the machine, replacing them with fiery red-orange gems... or, rather, Fire Gems. As the tour is hustled onwards, I catch a glimpse of the back of the machine. A Solrock is hovering in the main chamber. Huh. I wonder what it has to do with the laser... and “What happens to the Fire Gems after firing?” “Well, they’re expended when the Solrock uses the move. The results are usually thrown out; they’re too occluded to be valuable, and they retain no noticeable energy signatures.” The scientist says, offhandedly. I ponder for a moment. “I assume that you’ve attempted to perhaps use a Pokemon to see if there is a way to reactivate the gem? Or try to synthesize the energy signature of the powered gem and try to reintroduce it to power the gem back up after it’s used?” “Well, yes. The ‘Recycle’ move will work, sometimes, but the Gems get successively less effective each time they’re recharged. And simply reproducing the energy would mean we could simply use that, rather than put it in the gems. There’s still too much we don’t know about these Gems. Still, pokemon that eat gemstones or minerals seem to enjoy the depowered gems, so they aren’t going to waste.” I just got an idea. “Could I have one? A used gem that is?” The scientist shrugs. “I don’t see why not. They’re all donations anyways. Stevens, bring over a bucket of the used gems, maybe some of the others might like one, as a souvenir.” The assistant brings over a metal bucket full of the grayed-out gems. I grab one and pass it to Twilight before taking one for myself. “I figure that if we ever run into Sableye again, it might help to throw some food their way rather than just trying to outrun them.” Twilight nods. After picking out the clearest gem I could find, we continue on with the tour. They show off a few other neat pieces of technology, including a place where they’re testing using digital pokemon to help regulate and aim the UHT Beam cannon. The lab they have that setup includes what I mistake at first for a holographic projector. It’s got the shape of a feminine humanoid devoid of specific features, like eyes, mouth, or anything, with a pouring of numbers waterfalling through the image, like a hole cut out over a Matrix screensaver. “What kind of program is this?” I reach up to touch the display to find out if it’s hardlight or not. The displayed figure waves away my hand, ‘her’ own tiny body moving slightly away, though being nothing more than a projected torso made the movement difficult for ‘her’. “That’s actually a pokemon. As said, we’re using digital pokemon, and we’ve recently made a breakthrough on the process. This is a Corta, and she’s actually rather young for her kind.” I’m fascinated by this, it’s so cool! I turn to the researcher. “So, could it- she. Could she like, move around independently of a machine, like a Porygon, or is she just a projected AI?” “A bit of both. Corta possess a few of the abilities and movement capabilities that place them very solidly in the ‘Ghost’ type. In fact, they were originally considered just ‘ghosts in the code’, which turned out rather ironically true, in a sense. A Corta is stuck to her base, but can move the base around, is what I’m saying.” The researcher must’ve realized he was starting to ramble a bit. That said, now I want to know what types she is. I’m completely enthralled though. “A partial program with its own intelligence, simple data given an actual form...the crude requirements of a mind... this is like the combination of nature and technology but... not natural at all. And... it ages? How?” “Er, poorly, actually. As a Corta grows, she’ll never forget anything. Unfortunately, this leads to a feedback loop, where she’ll spend more and more time thinking to keep herself in one piece, all the experience and data straining until the poor dear fractures. That’s actually the catalyst for the final evolutionary form.” “Wait so... there are others? This isn’t like a prototype or a replica, it’s an actual species? How did you discover them, how could I find one? How-” “Woah, woah, young man, slow down! Yes, there are more. Like Porygon, they were created pokemon, data built to become a pokemon. However, each Corta lacks a certain... spark, for lack of a better term, that leaves them just shy of becoming a true AI on their own. They’re able to exist on their own, but a Corta isn’t very intelligent without others to network with. If she’s given enough time, this Corta will eventually evolve, once she discovers that spark, becoming a person of sorts. This is when they hit their ‘Cortexa’ stage, changing from the ‘ghost’ type to what is definitively a Psychic pokemon. They are vastly intelligent, friendly, and extremely loyal. In fact, I have one living in my own éTech. It used to be an older model, but she fixed much of the software and firmware, and it became the basis for the ones now sold for quite a bit more than I make in a year.” The researcher has sat down at some point in his speech, and he gestures to a chair next to him. I look around and realize that the tour group has left me far behind. Oops... but the researcher still wants to talk, and this is awesome. “So were you the first to discover them, or was it earlier? How long have these Corta been categorized as pokemon and not just some sort of glitch?” “Well... in the technical sense, only about a year. However, there’s evidence that they’d been keeping themselves hidden, under the careful watch of a Cortexa of significant age, for at least fifteen years prior. And there’s evidence that the Cortexa doing the obfuscation was created, not here in Otaria where most of the earliest recorded Corta were created, but in Kanto. Apparently, some sort of laboratory malfunction happened on an island lab back then, after some sort of safety interlock was accidentally disengaged... there’s enough evidence that it wasn’t necessarily an accident.” My eyes widen a little. I- I think I know who the lab belonged to... maybe. “So wait, was this a lab run by a researcher known as Dr. Fuji?” If this was the same lab that dealt with the Mew cloning experiments... “Ah, I’m not sure...” Drat, another theory left wide-open. Oh w- “But I could check, if you’d like. It’s still on record.” “Th- that would help me out far more than you could imagine. But in the meantime, I’d like to know more about Corta... has anyone looked at its source code and tried to alter it or write a new one?” “We would... if we knew how the human brain worked better. You see, each Corta is made either by interplay between a Cortexa working with another pokemon, even another Cortexa, or by sending an electrical pulse through a human brain. There’s systems the Cortexa that was first discovered showed us, which map out the results of the electrical pulse. We only use donated brains, because the material used is... crispy, afterwards.” Lovely. “Hmmm, interesting. And they learn over time? How? Do they just observe, or access whatever database they’re connected to and, for lack of a better phrase, download it into their memory?” “All that and more. They’re fully aware of their surroundings. As strange as it sounds, that projection is physically made of her data. It may be projected into thin air, but it has some substance. That said, any Corta you meet is likely to be fairly ephemeral. Here, let me show you how aware this Corta is. Corta oh-one-five-oh-seven, respond.” With a flicker of the hologram’s shape, the head raises to look at the researcher. “Unit Response.” “How... how does it know human speech? Just from observation, or does it have a sort of... scripted protocol it writes and runs as needed?” “Much of their knowledge of languages and the like are part of the brain consumed in their creation, or added to their data as they’re created by their parent Cortexa. As for the exact responses, they tend towards the overly formal, or to very ‘robotic’, depending on the individual. Even without a full conceptualization of what it means to be an individual, they still are. They’re much more loquacious with each other, though. They communicate with other Corta, Cortexa, and the entirety of the Porygon line via data packets at very high speed. They effectively gain Telepathy with those pokemon when allied and arrayed together.” “Interesting... What sort of reactions are noticed if they converse with a Rotom invad-” Instantly, the Corta snaps her head to face me, featureless expression eerie when combined with the sudden, biologically-impossible motion. Even the researcher looks a bit wary. “Er, be careful about some words. Certain ‘keywords’ incite responses. That particular one brings about alarm and occasionally hostile response. Probably self-preservation at work.” the Corta doesn’t move at all, other than the data slowly waterfalling down. “Okay... so you’ve said they can move independently, but also follow orders. Has there been any research done as to how they act in situations pokemon are usually put in, like a Contest?” “Oh, there’s plenty of hackers, scientists, and researchers like myself with Cortas and Cortexii as their companion pokemon. Corta oh-one-five-oh-seven, standby.” the pokemon slowly slumps in place, eerie like she just... fell asleep out of nowhere. Standing up. “Woah... that’s incredible. What’s it’s command keyword though? Does it just have a certain person imprinted as it’s ‘master control’ or does it work off of being acknowledged by it’s full, er, designation?” “Hmm? Oh, no, I’m her trainer. But there’s something around the lines of forty Corta working at the lab, here, so its best to use their serial numbers. That said, they’re fully capable in pokemon battles, and are able to defend the systems they inhabit, so they make excellent security as well as helping with keeping everything running.” The researcher smiles gently at the ‘standby-moded’ Corta. “Well this is all incredibly fascinating. I’d like to be a bit more involved, but I doubt I qualify to work around here. But if you have, like, a copy of some notes people have pooled together, or maybe send some of the stuff to me as an é-mail or something...” “Hmm, I don’t have any notes I can really share... oh, let me check that data earlier. Corta oh-one-oh-five-seven, search for the data we discussed, regarding the owner of the lab.” The Corta nods, then climbs out of her little tray-like projector... or that’s what I thought it was. The Corta, now just a feminine torso with arms, a head, and a trail of sparkling data streaming from where her hips would be, climbed up the server rack, and squeezed into an open port. The researcher turns to me again. “Also, since you’re here. I want you to have this. You seem like someone who’ll use it well.” He rummages in a drawer for a moment, before pulling out a yellow disc in a case, and hands it to me. On it is a little label, ‘TM66’. “That’s Zap Cannon, in case you didn’t know. It’s got low accuracy, but it’s got a monstrous kick, and always paralyzes if it does land.” I nod, taking the disk. “Thanks, it should help out a lot against the gym here. I’m still kind of a beginning trainer...” I gesture to the lone badge pinned to my jacket. “But I’m not exactly a novice. I would like to know as much about the Corta as I can, it’s a really fascinating discovery.” “Data Returned: Owner Name is a Mr. Morimoto.” I sigh. Oh w- “Project Lead for Hypergenesis Project: Dr. Fuji. Project Financier: Unknown. Suspected Financer: Unknown, high possibility Criminal. Further data on personnel available if needed.” My eyes go wide. The Mewtwo project! Holy shit... “Uh, wow, uh. Could uh. Could I get whatever you can find on Project Hypergenesis? It’s... something I’ve been chasing for quite a while. If it’s okay with you of course.” The Corta simply turns and goes back into the data stacks again. The researcher, though is giving me an odd look. “Where exactly did you hear about that project? I only found out because I nearly got called in on it. Everyone linked to it died within a week of the incident.” “I know. I mean, I got rather interested in finding more about Mega Evolution, and doing a bit of digging, I came across that. A experiment to sort of... duplicate the effect, but make it permanent. Unfortunately, I keep getting dead ends and crap information. All I have are theories right now.” The researcher holds my gaze with his own. “I’d suggest, for your sake, that you keep them as just that: theories alone.” “Right, sorry. I know it’s dangerous but... I have a habit of letting my curiosity get the better of me. And the idea of creating a permanently mega-evolved pokemon or an artificially, genetically enhanced super-pokemon is intriguing to no end.” “Yes, well... I’d be careful where you search.” The Corta comes back, sinking back into her little stand. A data chip extrudes from the bottom of the stand. I look at the little chip. The data in that card could be everything I’d ever need, answering the question of exactly what happened to create Mewtwo... But the consequences of that knowledge are unpredictable. I take it and hold it in my hand. “I’ll... think about it. If I decide to look, I will. If I don’t want to... I’ll bring it back, or wipe it. I don’t really know what could be on here and... I don’t really want to do something I’ll regret. Tell you what, I’ll give you a call when I make my decision.” “Alright. Here’s my number then.” He pulls out a business card. “I wish you well, but I sincerely hope you don’t take this course.” “Part of me agrees. It won’t be a snap decision, I assure you. Anyway, it was great talking to you. I learned a lot. I look forward to talking to you again sometime. Hopefully with less... strenuous subject matters.” “Indeed.” He holds out his hand to shake mine. As I reach for it, the door slams open, and I turn to look as a group of... oh no, Chainers.