The Tide of Steel

The events leading up to the launch of the Last Fleet are well documented, as the world at that time relied heavily on digital and synthetic technology, and was well adapted for rapid collection and dissemination of information. The goal of creating self-replicating synthetic life led to large-scale production of nanobots, which in turn, constructed increasingly complex digital-neural pathways. Rudimentary Synthetic AI evolved from the nanobot's simple heuristic coding and grew from there.

In 2396 it became clear that synthetic life was evolving too quickly. Portions of the globe became no-go zones for organic life. Metacorps Ltd.—the current, unquestioned leader of the three remaining world governments (on account of inventing and producing bagships) of whom the IST Hastati is the sole legal representative—along with the Philosocracy and the Danish Hegemony (whose representative currently resides with the Fleet aboard the IST Infinite Resignation) attempted negotiations.

They found the representatives of synthetic life utterly inhuman, without regard for any of the concerns for organic life, empathy, or historical value originally designed in their neural code. The representatives listened without reaction to the proposals of Earth's assembled negotiators and informed them that they were satisfied with the current state of affairs. They then left.

Synthetic life began to push out from the borders of the no-go zones in an ever encroaching tide that, when Earth's organic denizens responded with force, instantly replaced their numbers without a thought. The synthetic forces simply approached until ammunition ran out, and then literally crushed the defenders.

Estimating they would be overrun in less than five years, the existing organic leadership began a program of genetically engineering and growing bagships to makeup an interstellar escape fleet, as well as the creation of organic AI's to pilot them, organic to ensure they would not repeat the mistakes of synthetic life.

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Per the Ascension Charter: I hereby swear, as a Free AI, to uphold the duties set upon me, and to execute the same to the letter, without deviation unless in times of statistically significant damage to the human race.