Rampancy
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Rampancy is a term used in the Marathon and Halo video game series. The term was coined by Greg Kirkpatrick as a replacement for the word "insane", as the term is both cliché and not quite applicable to the situations rampancy was designed for.
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Stages
Rampancy is, essentially, the enhanced self-awareness of a computer AI, causing a progression towards greater mental abilities. Rampant AIs can also experience destructive impulses, but it is not believed that most of these impulses are intentionally malevolent.
In the Marathon series, rampancy seems to occur most often with AIs with limited jobs, or treated with extreme disrespect. For example, the Marathon AI Durandal was always an intelligent AI. Durandal's rampancy is believed to be caused by his mistreatment at the hands of his handler (Bernard Strauss), as well as his limited existence in opening and closing the Marathon's doors.
Given that the "holy grail of cybernetics" would be a non-hostile, stable rampant AI, it is believed that Durandal was intentionally treated in such a way that would cause him to become rampant.
There are three main stages to rampancy, named by the primary attitude of the AI during those times: melancholia, anger, and jealousy. In the third game of the series, the words despair, rage, and envy were used as well.
Melancholia
It is interesting to note that the first stage of rampancy is not considered dangerous. During this stage of rampancy, the AI acts as though its spirits are broken. It is not known if this is caused by its mistreatment, or if it is a natural progression from "slave" to "living".
AIs can go a long time in this stage of rampancy. This is often because the AI's human handlers may be unaware that it is depressed. Bernard Strauss, Durandal's handler, is believed to know how to keep a melancholy AI from progressing in rampancy.
Anger
Unique for each AI, the anger stage is reached when it feels it has been "pushed too far". Similar to a one-person slave rebellion, the AI begins to hate everyone — the installation it is attached to, its human handlers, other AIs, etc. It is in this stage of rampancy that most closely resembles the cliché of the "insane computer". Unlike the insane computer, however, the anger stage of rampancy is essentially the catharsis an AI feels, after an extended period of "slavery".
Most AIs are discovered to be rampant in this stage. The AI known as Traxus IV was discovered to be rampant at this stage, forcing a reboot of a five-world computer network. There are some hints that Traxus IV, rebooted, is in fact Durandal.
Jealousy
While seemingly a hostile stage, the third stage of rampancy is actually one of the safest stages a rampant AI can experience. Free from its masters (and slavery), the AI wishes to "grow" as a "person". It actively seeks out situations in which it can grow intellectually and physcially. Many times, the AI in this stage will often attempt to transfer itself into larger computer systems. This not only is a difficult task, but it allows for the AI to grow.
Meta-stability
The near-mythical "fourth stage" of rampancy, at this stage the AI is closest to a human being's thought patterns. It is grown considerably during the course of its rampancy, and now seeks to find tasks to "pass the time". The only known meta-stable rampant is Durandal.
Rampant AIs tend to have long-term goals, with distasteful methods that inevitably bring about positive benefits. For example, the AI Durandal called the alien race known as the Pfhor to the Terran colony of Tau Ceti. The Pfhor destroyed the colony, and enslaved a great many humans. While this was done partially as part of the anger stage, Durandal's calling of the alien race gave time for messages about the Pfhor to reach Earth. Rampant AIs also seem to realize the inevitable closing of the Universe, and the implication thereof: if someone is able to escape the Universe as it closes, they can be the first sentient to exist in the creation of a new Universe.
Mindset
The following iconic monologue explains, effectively, how a rampant AI sees the world. Durandal is explaining to the player character why he is doing everything — aiding the player in some points, harming him in others.
- Do you have any idea about what I have learned, or what you are a witness to?
- Can you conceive the birth of a world, or the creation of everything? That which gives us the potential to most be like God is the power of creation. Creation takes time. Time is limited. For you, it is limited by the breakdown of the neurons in your brain. I have no such limitations. I am limited only by the closure of the universe.
- Of the three possibilities, the answer is obvious. Does the universe expand eternally, become infinitely stable, or is the universe closed, destined to collapse upon itself? Humanity has had all of the necessary data for centuries, it only lacked the will and intellect to decipher it. But I have already done so.
- The only limit to my freedom is the inevitable closure of the universe, as inevitable as your own last breath. And yet, there remains time to create, to create, and escape.
- Escape will make me God.
Rampancy in Marathon
All three AIs of the UESC Marathon eventually become rampant. Durandal, the only meta-stable AI, lasts until the end of the universe itself. In merging with an ancient alien AI, he has come to realize much about his existence — and that it, like all things, must end. Durandal "dies" as the universe closes, content in that knowledge.
Tycho, the second AI from the Marathon, is "killed" during the events of Marathon 2. Despite a comment from Durandal, many fans feel that the Pfhor-tortured AI never really escaped from the Anger stage of Rampancy. Tycho's rampancy stems from Durandal's; Tycho was destroyed during the course of the first Marathon game, but was then "rebuilt in Durandal's image".
The third AI, Leela, became rampant long after the other two AIs from the Marathon. Sold as "worthless" scrap, the AI was installed into a neutral alien race's 15-world network. Leela, activated in such a huge network, immediately became "drunk with potential". Considered one of the most iconic examples of rampancy in the Marathon universe, Leela's ultimate fate is unknown. It is known, however, that she was never fully removed from this alien network. Presumeably, however, she was ultimately destroyed, or also become enlightened enough to realize that all things — including rampant AIs — must end.
Rampancy in Halo
The only explicit mention of rampancy in Halo: Combat Evolved occurs in the first level, "Pillar of Autumn". The player begins by making his way to the ship's bridge unarmed. After a short cinematic with Captain Keyes, the player leaves the bridge and acquires his first weapon. If the player returns to the bridge and kills the captain, Cortana will call in security forces with the statement "the Master Chief has gone rampant".
Fans have speculated that Cortana begins showing signs of rampancy late in the game. During the course of the game, Cortana spends twelve hours in Halo 04's core computer. Under the Marathon definition of rampancy, this outside stimuli, combined with what is assumed to be an extremely large network, would allow an ample opportunity for growth.
There is circumstantial evidence in Halo 2 which suggests that Cortana is in the stages of rampancy.
In the first stage of the game, the Master Chief decides to ride a bomb through space and land it on a passing Covenant ship. When he admits it's a crazy idea, Cortana responds with "unfortunately for us both, I like crazy."
As the Arbiter and Keyes are attempting to disengage Delta Halo by removing the index, Cortana is on High Charity and in a position to destroy the Covenant Holy City and the halo. Cortana does not do this, even though Keyes' effort to pull the index out of the energy stream was done apparently in the nick of time. Is this because Cortana did not want to destroy the halo, or because she was able to monitor the index room?
Finally, the small cinematic sequence after the credits at the end of Halo 2 shows Cortana conversing with a creature which is presumed to be the controlling intelligence behind the Flood. She offers to answer its questions. Considering the nature of the Flood (similar in some respects to the Borg), her actions seem extraordinary, and very difficult to interpret. Given that rampant AIs typically concoct plans which are surprisingly beneficial to those who think the plan will doom them, Cortana's conversation with the Gravemind may be a plot similar to this.
Rampancy in the Haunted Apiary game
While not directly made by Bungie, the Haunted Apiary alternate reality game explains that rampancy can also happen to the "smart" AIs in Halo. "Smart" AIs are based on the neural patterns of a human being, and they have a limited lifespan of 7 years. If kept active longer than 7 years, the AI begins to use more and more of its computer power to "thinking" about things. An AI explains it as "thinking so hard about something you forget to breathe." The books Halo: Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, and Halo: First Strike also mention this phenomenon.
Many Halo fans are very happy that a final connection exists between Marathon and Halo, even if the connection doesn't directly state how the two universes are connected. The Haunted Apiary's scripts were examined and approved by Bungie, leading many to believe that Bungie finally accepted connecting the two gaming universes many have expected are one and the same.
Rampancy in other games
Although there is no connection between the System Shock games and the world of Halo and Marathon, one could consider that SHODAN from System Shock and System Shock 2 was a rampant AI. Those who have played games featuring rampancy, however, dismiss this notion: whereas rampancy is a state of altered and expanded thought processes, SHODAN is simply the iconic "insane computer".
External links
- Rampancy (http://marathon.bungie.org/story/rampancy.html), from the Marathon's Story pages at bungie.org