AI War:Overall Mission

What Is My Overall Mission?

A: Let me be frank with you, commanders. We've lost a war you didn't even know we were fighting. You're collectively the best military minds humanity has ever produced, and you've been called out of stasis as a matter of last resort. It's been a few decades for some of you, centuries for others. You come from both factions, so you may have fought against one another in the past -- but it is time to put any grievances aside.

What many of you may not know due to your time in the freeze is that our scientists and engineers have been hard at work creating automated war machines. Over the last century, we've moved to pilot-less ships that are both created and operated using highly computerized technology. With the ability to command these mechanical fleets from a distance came the idea to use Artificial Intelligence. These decisions were not undertaken lightly, and we thought all of the appropriate safety checks were in place, but I think you can guess what has happened.

Both factions created AI commanders so fast, so organized, that none of our contemporary human commanders could match them. There was even a great debate as to whether to remove the lot of you from stasis and let you go on with your lives. Thank God we decided to keep you in reserve. After the two AIs decided to work together, they eradicated us in a matter of days.

That was three weeks ago, and already they view us as beneath their contempt, not even worth stamping completely out. The AIs have focused their attention elsewhere, on something outside the galaxy. We don't know what it is that they are doing, what it is that they have found out there, but this may provide us with our one chance to strike back at them.

You're in the last tiny corner of the galaxy that is left to us, though we think there may be some captive settlements that yet survive. When I say this is our last chance, do not think I exaggerate. The AI is disinterested in our pitiful remaining forces at the moment, but they don't know about you -- when they see our fleets are growing, and are guided by competent, intelligent commanders, they will react. The more you infringe on their territory, the more you demonstrate your power, the more likely they are to crush us.

The AI forces outnumber us ten thousand to one, so a direct assault would be suicide. We have no resources, we have hardly any ships, and the schematics for our most advanced hardware are lost to the AIs. Your mission is to take what little we have, and turn it into victory in whatever way you can. Take back our resources from the AIs, steal knowledge of the ships we once built with ease, and destroy their data centers whenever you find one. Most importantly, find and destroy their core command stations to wipe them out.

We've been beaten to our knees, but we're not going to sit by and watch our species die. You're the best military minds we've ever been able to produce, and so if you can't prevail we really are lost. Use your heads out there, and make sure not to let emotion or aggression cloud your better judgment. Fight smart. Remember your tactical training as well as the bigger picture. Win where all others have failed.

AI_War:Fleet_Command