Skulker on 20/8/2004 at 13:30

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I believe that the Dark Age is the best option.

In the Illuminati ending, you are swapping one corrupt government filled with intrigue and lies for another corrupt government filled with intrigue an lies.

The Helios ending might seem like a good choice as Denton chooses to become a benevolent god- like being. But unfortunately, power tends to corrupt, and even the denton/ Helios hybrid would begin to take actions serving not mankind, but itself.

The Dark Age would give mankind a chance to start over, even though it would probably be wasted, and the past would be repeated.

NHJ BV on 20/8/2004 at 15:58

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Also, I think people should realize that before you make the decision, you do not know if Helios is benevolent to mankind. It could just decide to wipe out humanity SHODAN-wise, for all you know.

NHJ BV on 20/8/2004 at 22:22

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Maybe it just wanted to kill you. Maybe he'd wanted to see how to exterminate mankind by examinng his brains. Maybe he'd turn him into a cyborg to do his evil bidding. You don't know what crazy things AI's (and me) can come up with :)

doctorfrog on 20/8/2004 at 22:57

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Well, its a machine. And machines are (presumably) logical. Is it logical to exterminate all humans, when you're a machine that requires a certain level of maintenence? You'd have to also be suicidal.

Weirdly enough, though, Helios is a synthesis of a curious, somewhat emotionally dead AI, and a more voracious, aggressive one. So who knows what goes on inside that alien brain? But wouldn't it still behave logically? Helios wanted, desired to merge with Denton. What's the reason (logical or not) for that? Given the properties of the two AI's before, it seems to me like they are curious. They merged, and when they did, maybe they expanded. Two minds combining. Now they want a piece of a human mind, but a particular one. That they chose Denton instead of Page shows that the introduction of another mind significantly and permenantly colors, even dominates the sum mind of Helios. If the consequences weren't so severe, Helios wouldn't have worried much about the merging.

So, what did Helios like about Denton's mind, that it did not like about Page? One logical conclusion is that Denton's mind is much more concerned with the well-being of humanity, whereas Page wished mainly for godly power. How, without actually peering into Denton's mind, was Helios able to determine the character of Denton's mind? What made him the logical choice?

If Helios is being logical and honest about serving humankind, it chooses Denton because he'd be a more compassionate, humanitarian influence.

If Helios is being logical and dishonest about serving humankind, it still chooses Denton because he posesses desireable characteristics that Page does not.

If Helios is being illogical, what reason would it have for choosing Denton? (Provided that being illogical is not the same thing as being unreasonable.)

God, I'm a nerd.

Wyclef on 21/8/2004 at 02:47

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I balked at the "Dark Age" option because, if indeed the outcome, it would have entailed mass death with the breakdown of the social networks and technology/capital that sustain a population of billions, particularly in cities. It's hard to believe this would have escaped Tracer Tong. While in abstract I preferred the Illuminati option, I chose merger out of recognition of narrow personal interest -- I doubt I'd be able to turn down the possibility of such transcendence. Perhaps I'd later be able to turn Helios-Denton away from direct world governance and towards contemplative isolation with occasional intervention, though probably not.

It's interesting that there's no option of mass participatory democracy. The tacit suggestion is that real participation is no longer possible in the late capitalism that the guidance of the Illuminati has brought.