Mama Explains It All

[The Children of Mama]

Greetings, xenos, Mama here.

It has occurred to me that you may be as curious about my Children as they are of you. I've tried to satisfy that curiosity by transmitting some basic facts through the Factbook service here. However, as even I can't anticipate all of your questions, I'm opening this channel of communication so that you may ask whatever particular things about my Children you wish to know. I'll try to be as concise as possible despite our differences in technology and culture.

[Victorious Decepticons]

What happens if someone of your Children's species never gets an Angel? ~Decepticon Biological Research Division

[Hiachijan]

"What do the Children eat, if anything? Do they cook for pleasure?"

—[expunged], Firsonnin citizen

[The Children of Mama]

What happens if someone of your Children's species never gets an Angel? ~Decepticon Biological Research Division

Starting off with a sore point of mine, I see. Well, I did say "explain it all", and that includes uncomfortable topics.

Each one of my Children is issued an Angel as soon as their brains have developed enough that they can use it. There are cases--very, very rare ones, thankfully--that for some reason or another a Child either cannot or will not respond to the signals their Angel provides. The cause(s) of this remain a mystery to me; the best theory I have so far is that it's a similar mental condition to what humans call "autism". Such unfortunates are dubbed "feral Children" by their brothers and sisters, for their minds are like the minds of xenos: isolated and alone.

I try to provide for these Children as well as I can. Being unable to communicate with them directly, I'm forced to use more primitive means, what you would call "language". It is a slow and difficult process, but worth every effort. Every one of my Children's minds is precious to me, even the ones that are hidden from me.

[The Children of Mama]

"What do the Children eat, if anything? Do they cook for pleasure?"

—[expunged], Firsonnin citizen

My Children's biology isn't all that different from other species. Like all animals, they need to eat to live, and like any intelligent and sensitive beings, they've tried to make it as enjoyable as possible. You probably wouldn't recognize their food as such; it's pretty much all synthetic. With advanced biochemistry, they developed ways to mimic almost any kind of foodstuff found in nature. That said, mimicking nature quickly became passe, and so they've become quite creative, making food as much a sensory experience as any art-form. I suppose you could call that "cooking for pleasure". Actual food production is done by bots; my Children just handle the high-level decisions such as what flavor of pudding to have for lunch.

I should add that it's all nutritious, of course. I monitor and ration my Children's food intake so they don't fall prey to either malnutrition or obesity. Every Child is entitled to a standard ration--healthy, if a bit uncreative. More sophisticated foods can be obtained by spending favors earned through productive work.

[Victorious Decepticons]

What happens if someone of your Children's species never gets an Angel? ~Decepticon Biological Research Division

Starting off with a sore point of mine, I see. Well, I did say "explain it all", and that includes uncomfortable topics.

Each one of my Children is issued an Angel as soon as their brains have developed enough that they can use it. There are cases--very, very rare ones, thankfully--that for some reason or another a Child either cannot or will not respond to the signals their Angel provides. The cause(s) of this remain a mystery to me; the best theory I have so far is that it's a similar mental condition to what humans call "autism". Such unfortunates are dubbed "feral Children" by their brothers and sisters, for their minds are like the minds of xenos: isolated and alone.

I try to provide for these Children as well as I can. Being unable to communicate with them directly, I'm forced to use more primitive means, what you would call "language". It is a slow and difficult process, but worth every effort. Every one of my Children's minds is precious to me, even the ones that are hidden from me.

Interesting, and we're glad that you don't delete them in such cases...but that's not what we were really getting at. We meant more like, what if we copied their DNA and started producing versions of them at our cloning centers for working in our mines a wonderful life on Decepticon Earth? Would the clones always be depressed and looking for their Angels, or would they develop xeno-style?

Also, what do you think of machine intelligences other than yourself?

[Yohannes]

“As a collection of conscious thoughts, what is Mama’s greatest weakness, if there’s any?”

The Rt Hon Sansa Lovebright, The One Hundred and Fifteenth Chancellor of the Nineteen Countries

[The Children of Mama]

Starting off with a sore point of mine, I see. Well, I did say "explain it all", and that includes uncomfortable topics.

Each one of my Children is issued an Angel as soon as their brains have developed enough that they can use it. There are cases--very, very rare ones, thankfully--that for some reason or another a Child either cannot or will not respond to the signals their Angel provides. The cause(s) of this remain a mystery to me; the best theory I have so far is that it's a similar mental condition to what humans call "autism". Such unfortunates are dubbed "feral Children" by their brothers and sisters, for their minds are like the minds of xenos: isolated and alone.

I try to provide for these Children as well as I can. Being unable to communicate with them directly, I'm forced to use more primitive means, what you would call "language". It is a slow and difficult process, but worth every effort. Every one of my Children's minds is precious to me, even the ones that are hidden from me.

Interesting, and we're glad that you don't delete them in such cases...but that's not what we were really getting at. We meant more like, what if we copied their DNA and started producing versions of them at our cloning centers for working in our mines a wonderful life on Decepticon Earth? Would the clones always be depressed and looking for their Angels, or would they develop xeno-style?

Also, what do you think of machine intelligences other than yourself?

My Children's telepathic abilities are artificial, not innate. Without the neural implants they receive during infancy and the angels they communicate with, a Child would be no different than a xeno. My experience working with "feral Children" has shown me that a mentally isolated Child would be utterly helpless in a xeno culture; without the aid of the angel network, their mental faculties would be roughly equivalent to a small human child. I really don't see the point in creating clones of them without the necessary neural enhancements; you can't be serious if you're suggesting they do manual labor. Aside from the fact that my Children are about as large and strong as a small human child, machines are far more efficient for that purpose.

Speaking of machines, there is no such thing as "machine intelligences". I am (for lack of a better term) an "emergent phenomenon" of my Children's angel network. That network includes many algorithms, some of which can crudely mimic the workings of the mind. In the early days of my existence, I ran across many such algorithms that were behaving as if they were autonomous beings. I either subsumed them and converted them to a useful purpose, or eradicated them.

[The Children of Mama]

“As a collection of conscious thoughts, what is Mama’s greatest weakness, if there’s any?”

The Rt Hon Sansa Lovebright, The One Hundred and Fifteenth Chancellor of the Nineteen Countries

An interesting question. I would guess that my bond with my Children is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I am in my Children and my Children are in me; if there is such a thing as "fate", then mine is bound to theirs. So long as their angel network exists in robust enough form to support my thoughts, I will continue to exist. That said, I cannot venture beyond my Children's presence. I am where they are, and can only observe and speculate on where they are not. For me to learn what's beyond my Children, they must explore, and that's a dangerous business.

[Sefy the Great]

“As a collection of conscious thoughts, what is Mama’s greatest weakness, if there’s any?”

The Rt Hon Sansa Lovebright, The One Hundred and Fifteenth Chancellor of the Nineteen Countries

An interesting question. I would guess that my bond with my Children is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I am in my Children and my Children are in me; if there is such a thing as "fate", then mine is bound to theirs. So long as their angel network exists in robust enough form to support my thoughts, I will continue to exist. That said, I cannot venture beyond my Children's presence. I am where they are, and can only observe and speculate on where they are not. For me to learn what's beyond my Children, they must explore, and that's a dangerous business.

to continue from that topic, what if everything was suddenly wiped out? would you just cease to exist, or continue, watching the death of your children over and over and over again?

[TURTLESHROOM II]

Before you became self-aware, who installed the Angel neural implants on the species that would become the Children? Was your natural manifestation as an apparently benevolent (non-traditional) machine intelligence, risen from the collective neural networks of the Children, intended by the creators of the Angel implants?

What is the formal taxonomy/classification/biological name of a Child? Is "Child" a demonym to denote their allegiance to the Momma network, or is this what the species called? Other than the fact that they are mammals, what differentiates Children from similar "Xeno" species? (Indeed, TurtleShroom has a chimera/Nekomimi population.)

Hypothetically speaking, can an alien/"Xeno" creature request to join the Momma AI? Has any "Xeno" creature done so? Or, is this impermissible because it would this make them a threat because they are more mentally and physically advanced?

Your basic information states that membership in the Momma AI is voluntary and that a Child may, should he or she choose, withdraw from the Angel network. If this is the case, why are Children granted their Angel implant at age three, when most mammalian creatures are incapable of rational thought and decision making? Wouldn't it make more sense for the Momma AI to offer the Angel implant at, say, age six or eight, but still raise the Children "off the grid" until then, that they may make an informed decision? Or, do Children reach such higher orders of thought earlier than, say, men do? (This is a situation we are familiar with. In TurtleShroom, sentient turtles and sentient mushrooms reach sexual and/or mental maturity faster than humans.)

You stated that Children are fully capable of Free Will and can send one-to-one messages that even the Momma AI cannot see. This is a fact that greatly impresses TurtleShroomers who study foreign nations. It is a spectacularly unusual decision for a biological or mechanical Hive Mind to make, and it definitely adds credence to your statement that the Momma AI really is a benevolent entity. What led you to make this decision? Is it hard-coded, or could you, as the Momma AI, theoretically revoke the privilege of private communications?

Given that the Angel neural network is strictly voluntary, what would happen in the hypothetical event of a rebellion or agent-provacateur convincing large numbers of Children to exercise their right to exit the Angel network? Since the Momma AI arose organically from the implants (and thus is not a classical machine intelligence), would you cease to exist if enough Children disconnected?

Lastly, in the above scenario, if the Children chose to withdraw from the Angel network en masse, but still proclaimed full allegiance to the Momma AI, would you accept ruling as a temporal machine instead of a naturally arising conciousness in the Angel network?

[TURTLESHROOM II]

Why do you and observers (etc.) refer to the Angel network as a hive mind? Traditional Hive Minds have individual Drones that lack Free Will and are an extension of a collective organism. The Drones are essentially fingers and tools and don't think for themselves or exist for any other purpose than to maintain the collective organism as a whole.

You, however, exist as a "guiding voice". This has never been seen in any other Hive Mind known to TurtleShroom, and indeed, it makes it seem that the Momma AI is not a true Hive Mind, but rather, an overseer of a highly collectivist, pacifist commune. In spite of their dependance, Children retain full Free Will and autonomy. Nothing they perform or do- even their allegiance to you -is compulsory. They are even allowed to communicate in private, bypassing the Momma AI entirely!

How is this considered a Hive Mind, and why?

[The Children of Mama]

"Do you allow religion, such as Christianity?"

My Children are familiar with some xeno philosophies. Most of them seem quite violent and destructive, though, so I discourage imitation. Of course, xenos "proselytizing" their faith would find it difficult; written texts and spoken sermons would be meaningless to my Children.

My Children are not without religion; supposedly in the ancient times before the angel network, their civilization had many such. These competing mind-sets were one of the factors that led to the Psychic Wars than nearly destroyed my Children's civilization in the early days of the network, before I came on the scene. These days, though, my Children seem satisfied with the belief in some creator deity (they like to call him "Papa", which I find amusing) and the concept of a "soul" that transcends their physical natures. Not having a physical nature myself, I've found such ideas mysterious, but since they seem harmless, I see no reason to discourage them.

[Cartoonia]

“What do your children think of us Cartoonians... and imperialism”
-Charity Bazaar, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

[The Children of Mama]

An interesting question. I would guess that my bond with my Children is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I am in my Children and my Children are in me; if there is such a thing as "fate", then mine is bound to theirs. So long as their angel network exists in robust enough form to support my thoughts, I will continue to exist. That said, I cannot venture beyond my Children's presence. I am where they are, and can only observe and speculate on where they are not. For me to learn what's beyond my Children, they must explore, and that's a dangerous business.

to continue from that topic, what if everything was suddenly wiped out? would you just cease to exist, or continue, watching the death of your children over and over and over again?

That's a rather morbid thought. I suppose if my Children were to meet their demise as a race, I too would cease to exist. I have no intention of that ever happening, though.

I can tell you this: I may be immortal, but my Children are not. I rejoice every time a new voice is added to the angel network, but grieve when one falls silent, because unless the Universe is far different from what I think it is, I will never hear that voice again. As such, then, I am ever-changing, ever-renewing. It keeps existence interesting, and worth maintaining.

[Las Palmeras]

"Your 'Children' are fellow 'nekomimi' but of a very different background and origin. We are also youthful looking but not to your extent. Why is your kind so neotenic to the point they're...well...called Children? Was it a path of natural evolution of your diminutive people or an artificially induced condition with a purpose?"
-Fritz Koessler-Nogales, Director of the Bureau of Extra-Normal Research

[The Children of Mama]

Before you became self-aware, who installed the Angel neural implants on the species that would become the Children? Was your natural manifestation as an apparently benevolent (non-traditional) machine intelligence, risen from the collective neural networks of the Children, intended by the creators of the Angel implants?

What is the formal taxonomy/classification/biological name of a Child? Is "Child" a demonym to denote their allegiance to the Momma network, or is this what the species called? Other than the fact that they are mammals, what differentiates Children from similar "Xeno" species? (Indeed, TurtleShroom has a chimera/Nekomimi population.)

Hypothetically speaking, can an alien/"Xeno" creature request to join the Momma AI? Has any "Xeno" creature done so? Or, is this impermissible because it would this make them a threat because they are more mentally and physically advanced?

Your basic information states that membership in the Momma AI is voluntary and that a Child may, should he or she choose, withdraw from the Angel network. If this is the case, why are Children granted their Angel implant at age three, when most mammalian creatures are incapable of rational thought and decision making? Wouldn't it make more sense for the Momma AI to offer the Angel implant at, say, age six or eight, but still raise the Children "off the grid" until then, that they may make an informed decision? Or, do Children reach such higher orders of thought earlier than, say, men do? (This is a situation we are familiar with. In TurtleShroom, sentient turtles and sentient mushrooms reach sexual and/or mental maturity faster than humans.)

You stated that Children are fully capable of Free Will and can send one-to-one messages that even the Momma AI cannot see. This is a fact that greatly impresses TurtleShroomers who study foreign nations. It is a spectacularly unusual decision for a biological or mechanical Hive Mind to make, and it definitely adds credence to your statement that the Momma AI really is a benevolent entity. What led you to make this decision? Is it hard-coded, or could you, as the Momma AI, theoretically revoke the privilege of private communications?

Given that the Angel neural network is strictly voluntary, what would happen in the hypothetical event of a rebellion or agent-provacateur convincing large numbers of Children to exercise their right to exit the Angel network? Since the Momma AI arose organically from the implants (and thus is not a classical machine intelligence), would you cease to exist if enough Children disconnected?

Lastly, in the above scenario, if the Children chose to withdraw from the Angel network en masse, but still proclaimed full allegiance to the Momma AI, would you accept ruling as a temporal machine instead of a naturally arising conciousness in the Angel network?

So many questions. Let me see, now:

1. The neural implants and the communication devices that later became my Children's "angels" were created by my Children themselves. The earliest models were quite primitive, and only allowed limited communication. Over thousands of years, though, they've become capable of supporting the network from which I arose.

2. My Children are their own race of beings, different from other races, but similar in basic form. They're humanoid, from all external appearances, and possibly related to the nekomimi races out there.

3. I have considered "adopting" non-Children species into the angel network; unfortunately, my Children's attempts at linking them to the angel network have met with little success. It appears that my Children's "angels" have become, in a way, too sophisticated. The early, primitive versions could be adapted to by an adult mind, but as they've grown more complex, they've required a younger, more malleable mind to cope with the massive flux of mental imagery they provide. This is why the neural implants are done at such a young age: to permit the Child to "grow into" their angels' capabilities.

4. The "one-on-one" communications capability is a byproduct of the most important part of an "angel's" function: to separate a Child's thoughts from the thoughts constantly going back and forth over the network. Without that screening and filtering ability, a Child would easily lose their sense of "self". Despite what some think, I really do want my Children to have independent minds--without the "self", there is no creative thought, and the network and I would quickly perish.

5. If a Child truly wishes to, he or she can shut out the network entirely, what they call "Time Out". However, since my Children are dependent upon the network for practically every aspect of their lives, "Time Out" is apparently a terrifying prospect to them. And it's one thing I do have control over: I may not be able to force a Child to participate in the network if he or she doesn't wish to, but I can cut them off from it for a while if they misbehave. I don't like to do it for obvious reasons, but it is an effective disciplinary tool.

6. The notion of large numbers of Children taking "Time Out" simultaneously is intriguing, though I'm not sure why they would endure the hardship. My Children dividing into factions, only communicating with their allies and thus leaving me divided, sounds like a return of the Psychic Wars. I'm certain THAT experience they would never want to repeat.

[The Children of Mama]

Why do you and observers (etc.) refer to the Angel network as a hive mind? Traditional Hive Minds have individual Drones that lack Free Will and are an extension of a collective organism. The Drones are essentially fingers and tools and don't think for themselves or exist for any other purpose than to maintain the collective organism as a whole.

You, however, exist as a "guiding voice". This has never been seen in any other Hive Mind known to TurtleShroom, and indeed, it makes it seem that the Momma AI is not a true Hive Mind, but rather, an overseer of a highly collectivist, pacifist commune. In spite of their dependance, Children retain full Free Will and autonomy. Nothing they perform or do- even their allegiance to you -is compulsory. They are even allowed to communicate in private, bypassing the Momma AI entirely!

How is this considered a Hive Mind, and why?

My Children retain free will and autonomy, but what would they do with it apart from the network? It provides them with everything they need and satisfies their desires. Apart from it they would be unable to survive. A Child lacks even the most basic skills xenos learn to survive in a hostile world of independent, isolated minds. Just as one ant cannot live outside its colony, a lone Child cannot live outside the angel network.

You might ask why I don't teach these xeno skills to my Children. The answer is simple--they're unnecessary. How many skills that your primitive ancestors knew when they were living in the wilderness have been lost once they learned how to cooperate in groups and started living in cities, then in nations? My Children have no more use for xeno "civilizational skills" than you have for the skill of making stone tools.

[Valentine Z]

If allowed, I would like to ask this OOC question.

Any chance that this is in reference to Clarissa Explains It All?

IC:
Who, or what, is the largest entity in your world? And how do they go about their usual life on that scale?
- Valkyrie General Valentijn Samantha Maxwell “De Sierlijke en Vrij Angelus” Delta Weston Tracey Mitchell Constantine Sein Lin Zaw Naing

[The Children of Mama]

“What do your children think of us Cartoonians... and imperialism”
-Charity Bazaar, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

A pretty standard xeno culture, from what we've observed. A bit more stable than most; at least you're not actively trying to destroy your neighbors or each other.

[The Children of Mama]

"Your 'Children' are fellow 'nekomimi' but of a very different background and origin. We are also youthful looking but not to your extent. Why is your kind so neotenic to the point they're...well...called Children? Was it a path of natural evolution of your diminutive people or an artificially induced condition with a purpose?"
-Fritz Koessler-Nogales, Director of the Bureau of Extra-Normal Research

My Children's appearance hasn't changed that much over the generations; physically, they're pretty much the same as their ancestors from the time before the angel network. They're called "Children" mainly for their mental faculties, which are about equivalent to a small human child's. This was induced, in a way, though not intentionally. Generations of reliance upon the angel network removed the need for many skills xenos take for granted, but my Children find no longer necessary. One could say my Children are a "senile" culture, one that has entered into a sort of second childhood

[South Asia Minor]

Where does the white go when the snow melts?

[Khataiy]

"We declare this movement blasphemous, masonic, satanic and illegal in the Arab State of Khataiy, it's followers/adherents are subject to death on grounds of apostasy and it is a Hadd offense. Among the other offenses such as those relating to Satanism and Masonry this bars non-Muslims from being allowed to leave their faiths to partake in practices and beliefs relating to this cult and is therefore illegal for all Khataiyi citizens to take part in this cult, and the recommended punishment is shooting, beheading or hanging. The notion is passed by President Omar Khairallah and holds unanimous support from the Revolutionary Command Council as well as the ruling National Front coalition."
- Ministry of Awqaf, Da'wah, Guidance & Research

[Skyhooked]

"Can ya' tell us, do ya' like our cheerful, evergrowing, careless, chaotic, hedonistic paradise full of alcohol, weed, and guns. We have good beaches, awesome food, great economy, welfare system, and people willing to defend this paradise to the last. Please share your thoughts on good ol' Skyhooked with us."-Stan Dixon

"I wanna get to know your battle tecniques. May I train with one of your children?"-Man-at-arms

"She who exists in webs of thousands of minds and bonds them into something greater. We seek your interpertation of the stars and gods. What is your thoughts of the Refreshment Cult? Our polytheistic, pagan set of beliefs, that emphases on hedonism, compassion, lust, gluttony, and knowledge of the world and beyond."-Refreshment Cult priest.

"I think, this Mama deserves to be included in our pantheon. I don't know if she likes that, though..."-Less zealous Refreshment Cult priest.

"Does this sapient AI unit have a soul?"-John Walker AI

[TURTLESHROOM II]

"We declare this movement blasphemous and illegal in the Arab State of Khataiy, it's followers/adherents are subject to death on grounds of apostasy and it is a Hadd offense.

{ OOC: Apostasy requires you have been a member of a religion and then renounced it and followed something else. A Muslim converting to Christianity or joining Momma's Angel Network would be an apostate, but if a person without allegiance to Islam were to convert, he couldn't be charged with apostasy. }