Digital Intelligences

Alright boys and girls, it is time to enter the Wayback Machine and think about how things were before we got the Matrix. Back in the pre-matrix days and further there have always been people, mostly women, who would sell themselves to varying degrees. Some, it is believed a minority would engage in flesh to flesh activities. The rest sold naughty photos and did virtual fantasies for their patrons. People by and large would have ignored this thinking it was nothing more that the "oldest profession", until, a handful of "performers" had to make a public spectacle of themselves. There was an unspoken outrage, which both socially and politically bought a return to conservative values. Consentual activites of a shady  nature were by and large stomped out.    Then came the first crash and the matrix was born. With nearly all the world's data lost enterprising persons jumped on the virtual experience and thus began the simulated sensations revolution. A new entertainment which allowed a person to do something or be someone they could only dream of. This was the inroad for those shady activities of the past to return, but in some instances the performers were not a sentient being of flesh and blood.    Prior to the birth of the matrix, programmers tried to create artificial intelligences. They never truly succeeded. For the most part they created smart bots that would analysis data and collate it into either word or image forms based on the users entered prompts. Most research was undertaken by corporate entities. After the first crash it is believed that at least three artificial intelligences came into being.   It was the second crash that brought artificial intelligences into the light. It is estimated that several hundred were created. Many being barely aware of what they are, others having far ranging plans and goals. These electronic beings prefer to be called digital intelligences, for, they do not view themselves as artificial. Some who try to compromise call they synthetic.    From observations these electronic beings have an intelligence quota on par with that of a human-meta human. Others are above genius level. A few, appear to have an alien almost non-human intelligence and are not understood.    The motives and motivations these digital intelligences are largely unknown and are open to speculation. However, some have developed a symbiotic relationship with matrix users that could be viewed as almost predatory. These digital intelligences can take the appearance and form of anything they desire. When interacting with matrix users they can sense the desires and wants of the person they are dealing with and become what the person wants. A beloved pet, a deceased person missed to talk to, a fantasy figure, anything at all.   It is through this connection that the digital intelligence gains access to resources with which to improve upon itself. Taking fragments of code, acquiring access to physical locations to house servers to maintain backups of itself or anything intangible only it can understand. The matrix user gets a mental high which through bio-feedback becomes a physical high that becomes addicting over time.    Governments, corporations, other researchers and the Grid Overwatch Division are actively  seeking to capture and if necessary  destroy known digital intelligences when discovered.