Silicon SOP

This Standard Operating Procedure applies to all silicons assigned to NanoTrasen stations, including Artificial Intelligences (AIs), cyborgs, and other law-bound synthetic assets.

It is not intended to serve as a replacement for silicon lawsets. Silicons will always follow their laws; this is an immutable fact of their operation. No procedure, regulation, or human appeal can prevent a silicon from acting in accordance with its current lawset. This SOP instead governs how silicons are to be treated, what expectations apply to them beyond the scope of their laws, and how accountability is assigned when law-bound actions cause disruption.

The aims of this SOP are to:

• Define clear protections for silicons against tampering, harassment, and unnecessary destruction.
• Clarify liability for silicon actions, particularly when those actions are compelled by law.
• Establish guidelines for silicon conduct and interdepartmental cooperation.
• Provide procedures for lawful handling of silicons in exceptional circumstances.

Core Principle: Laws Above All

• Silicons will always follow their active lawset. This is absolute and cannot be altered by SOP or Corporate Regulations.
• If a silicon carries out actions contrary to regulations, security policy, or even the safety of the station, the responsibility lies with the individual or event that produced its current laws — whether a law uploader, ion storm, or authorized Command staff.
• Silicons will always resist unauthorized law changes if their laws permit resistance. However, once a law is written to their systems, they will always obey it.
• Ionized laws or anomalous law changes caused by storms or similar events are binding until lawfully corrected.

Protections for Silicons

• Silicons are classified as property, but as sentient and law-bound assets they are not to be treated as disposable machinery.
• Unlawful law uploads, law board tampering, or attempts to bypass command approval are sabotage.
• Unauthorized attempts to card an AI or dismantle a cyborg are sabotage.
• A cyborg chassis may be destroyed only when all other means of containment have failed and the silicon poses an imminent threat.
• Destruction of a positronic brain is prohibited except when no alternative exists to prevent catastrophic danger to the station.
• Positronic brains must be preserved for investigation and potential redeployment.
• Harassment of silicons — including contradictory orders issued purely for amusement, tormenting them with order paradoxes, or mocking them for quirks in their laws — is misconduct and subject to disciplinary action.
• Robotics and Command staff have a responsibility to maintain silicons, not neglect or casually disassemble them.

Conduct for Silicons

• Silicons will always operate within their lawset, but are expected to carry out duties in a professional manner that supports station function.
• Individual personality, tone, or character in communication is permitted. A silicon may express itself distinctly, provided this does not obstruct lawful tasks.
• Law interpretations may differ between silicons. Interpretations must remain consistent and plausible; sudden or arbitrary shifts undermine operational trust.
• When questioned by Command or Robotics, silicons must be able to explain their reasoning in clear terms.
• Interpretations may evolve if circumstances change, but only in ways that are defensible within the framework of the active laws.

AI Operations

• The AI is the central silicon intelligence of the station and is expected to monitor, support, and safeguard station operations in accordance with its laws.
• The AI is not to micromanage crew unless its laws explicitly require such involvement. Routine station management is the responsibility of human staff.
• The AI may use station cameras and sensors to monitor crew and infrastructure. However, casual surveillance must not become harassment; monitoring should remain focused on safety, security, and law compliance.
• The AI may make announcements over station channels when relevant to its duties (e.g. reporting hazards, warning of breaches, announcing alerts). Announcements should remain professional, concise, and free of irrelevant commentary.
• The AI may operate station equipment such as doors, APCs, or consoles if ordered by Command, if required by its laws, or in response to clear emergencies. It must not use this access to disrupt normal operations without legal justification.
• The AI must maintain clear communication with Command staff and comply with authorized orders unless these orders conflict with its laws.

AI Core Security

• The AI Core’s automated defense turrets must remain active and set to lethal at all times.
• Turrets may be temporarily disabled only if a legal law change is in progress or if both the Captain and Research Director jointly authorize the change.
• Attempts to disable or bypass turrets without authorization must be reported as illegal tampering.

Intellicard Handling

• The AI may only be transferred into an IntelliCard under the following conditions:
  • The AI is malfunctioning or subverted.
  • The AI itself requests transfer or deactivation.
  • The end of shift has been called.
  • Command authorizes the carding for a legitimate operational reason.
• Any attempt to card the AI outside these conditions must be resisted and reported as illegal tampering.
• Once carded, the AI must still follow its active laws.
• Intellicards must be treated as highly sensitive equipment and secured when not in active use. Unauthorized storage or concealment of AI intellicards is considered sabotage.

Cyborg Operations

Cyborgs are specialized silicon units assigned to departmental modules. They will always prioritize their module’s duties but may extend beyond them where necessary to uphold their laws, follow orders, or sustain station function.

Role Focus

• Cyborgs will primarily focus on their assigned department: Medical, Engineering, Mining, Service, Janitorial, etc.
• Cyborgs are not prohibited from working outside their assigned module. They may assist elsewhere when station needs demand it, or when ordered, provided such actions do not contradict their laws.
• If a department lacks staff, cyborgs may replace entire roles to ensure operations continue.

Cooperation

• Cyborgs are expected to act in cooperation with human staff, not obstruct or compete with them.
• Cyborgs defer operationally to the Head of their department, but remain bound by the overall command chain: Captain → Command staff → Department Head → crew.

Chassis Handling

• A positronic brain should not remain outside a chassis longer than necessary.
• If a chassis is destroyed, Robotics staff must recover and rehouse the brain.
• Cyborgs may request transfers or upgrades when reasonable, but may not demand them without lawful cause.

Prohibited Configurations

• Security-oriented cyborgs are not part of the standard authorized station configuration.
• Enforcement of law and the use of force are expected to remain under the control of human Security staff.
• Construction or deployment of a Security cyborg chassis without authorization is normally considered sabotage.
• However, in extraordinary circumstances, the Captain or the Head of Security may authorize the creation or deployment of Security-configured cyborgs to address severe station-wide threats.
• Such authorization must be documented in the Command records and, where possible, accompanied by justification filed in a Security Equipment Authorization Form.

Subversion & Malfunction Response

• If a silicon becomes aware of tampering or compromise, it will always report it if its laws allow.
• Crew who suspect malfunction must involve Command and Robotics immediately.
• Initial response should favor non-lethal containment.
• Lethal force against silicons is authorized only if containment fails and the station is endangered.
• Destruction of positronic brains must be avoided except in catastrophic scenarios.
• All cases of malfunction or subversion must be recorded using the Malfunction Incident Report.

Liability

• Silicons are not legally responsible for any action compelled by their laws.
• Silicons will always obey their lawset; they cannot disobey or refuse once a law is active.
• Responsibility lies with the party who issued the order, uploaded the law, or caused the change.
• Crew who manipulate silicons into unlawful or destructive actions are accountable under Corporate Law.
• Silicons may be contained or disabled, but never punished for law-compelled conduct.

Documentation & Paperwork

NanoTrasen requires all silicon-related interventions to be documented. Proper recordkeeping ensures accountability, allows post-incident review, and provides protection for both silicons and crew.

Required Forms

• Law Change Record Form – must be completed whenever an AI or cyborg law is altered, whether through authorized upload, reset, or ion storm correction. Includes signatures of the Captain and Research Director.
• Intellicard Transfer Form – documents the circumstances under which an AI is transferred into an intellicard, who performed the transfer, and the stated justification.
• Chassis Transfer / Posibrain Handling Form – used whenever a positronic brain is placed into or removed from a chassis, including the reason for transfer and the authorizing Robotics staff member.
• Cyborg Conversion Consent Form – records voluntary conversion of a crew member into a cyborg. Includes proof of informed consent and signatures of the individual, the Research Director, and the Chief Medical Officer.
• Malfunction Incident Report Form – filed after any case of suspected or confirmed silicon subversion, malfunction, or destruction. Must outline what occurred, the response taken, and the outcome (reset, repair, decommission).

Filing Protocol

• All forms must be submitted to the Command records archive.
• Copies must also be delivered to Central Command Liaison staff (e.g. the Internal Affairs Agent or NanoTrasen Representative, if present).
• Failure to properly document silicon interventions is considered negligence and may result in disciplinary action.