Z on 8/5/2003 at 13:44

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{Possible spoilers for some of the game...}

As I understand it, and if I remember the Continuity Bible correctly, Icarus is a powerful AI with the ability to intercept and observe all kinds of transmissions. Icarus was built by MJ12 as a replacement for the original, Daedalus.

For a long time, MJ12 and co. wanted to create an powerful AI designed for electronic survelliance. This was kind of an evolution of the infamous Echelon system that has been around for several years - they wanted a powerful, efficient and never-failing way to monitor and track phone calls, letters, e-mails, and other forms of communication across the world. In other words, a way to spy on everyone's communications in order to detect terrorism and other subversive activities.

However, when they created Daedalus for that purpose, something went wrong, and the machine turned against it's masters and "defected" This is why Daedalus tries to help JC and Paul.

So, with Daedalus gone, MJ12 constructed Icarus, a machine that is similar to Daedalus, but more powerful, efficient, and most imporantly, imbued with a sense of absolute loyalty and obedience to it's creators. Icarus first appears in Paris, and tries to intimdate JC with scary emails, phone calls, and infolink transmissions. There are some very cool sequences when this happens. Also, it becomes clear that Daedalus and Icarus are also fighting each-other, engaged in a kind of on-line war to damage and disrupt each other's systems. What happens to them becomes clear later in the game.

Hope that helps,

Z

UnConeD on 13/5/2003 at 00:39

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I have a related question, but i'll put it in spoilers...
[spoiler]
When you arrive in Hell's Kitchen again later to talk to the Illuminati informant, Daedalus contacts you and says something like "Streets are....guarded...*pause*. No danger. Go ahead."
Is this part of the fighting between Icarus and Daedalus?

Also, I believe it is mentioned somewhere that the reason Daedalus defected was because it was built to counter terrorism, and it classified MJ12 as terrorists. They didn't make this mistake with Icarus, but when they merge and become Helios, it seems this part of Daedalus takes over again?
[/spoiler]

Rolander on 13/5/2003 at 08:08

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That broken msg from Daedalus is probably the first definite clue that it is an AI instead of a person/group.

Maybe Icarus and Daedalus were fighting then (I think the actual net-battling began much later), but I think it is more probably an error in Daedalus; it probably considered UNATCO by itself as non-hostile at that point.

When the AIs merge to from Helios, initally Helios seem to follow along Page (who masterminded the merge and probably insured some 'loyalty' to himself), but later it reveals its own agenda ...

I always wondered whether Helios was actually that self-aware when/shortly after it forms from the merge. Perhaps Helios played along with Page until the latter went to get augmented and were no longer able to 'supervise' ...

BTW, didn't the names Daedalus and Icarus come from a Greek legend about an inventor and his son attempting to escape from a island dungeon by creating wax-and-feathers wings and flying away. The son Icarus flew too high towards the sun (Helios is a name for the sun or sun god in ancient Greek) , causing his wings to melt and he fell into the sea and died.

I always like the Helios Ending

Delacroix on 13/5/2003 at 12:35

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No doubt it is.

rachel on 13/5/2003 at 13:05

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woah, thanks for the link, Z :thumb: