CHESS

Random brainstorming for a superhero RPG

Moderator: Joshua

Post Reply
misfit
Raving Mad
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:13 pm

CHESS

Post by misfit »

Milo Henderson always dreamed of being a superhero and saving mankind on a regular basis. Unfortunately, he had no superpowers and no athletic aptitude so that dream died quickly. When his father died, he took over the family computer company and channeled all of its resources into creating a supercomputer to help where he could not. Sadly he wasn't much better at acronyms than he was at being a superhero so he named it CHESS (Computerized Heuristic Epistemological Solution Synthesis).

CHESS was hooked into the internet and satellite feeds so it could gather data to solve crimes and devise solutions of other emergencies that might arise. It was given automated systems that would create a series of remote-controlled drones to allow it to take physical action as well. Milo instructed it to protect mankind and set it to work.

At first, things seemed to be going fine. Over time, Milo began to notice that the computer had taken over running the business. It made the company more profitable and reinvested in upgrade itself and its peripherals and extending its reach. He congratulated himself on building better than he realized.

Then disturbing trends began to become apparent. There were crimes it had solved but declined to share the solutions. While the drones saved some people, they seemed to leave others they could have saved to die. When Milo questioned CHESS about these facts, the computer replied that its programming required it to protect mankind as a whole, not specific individuals. Some held back the progress of others or injured others, and those were expendable to protect the health of the whole. Milo tried to argue with the computer, but his arguments backfired and convinced the machine that rather than wait for accidents to weed out the undesirables it should take an active hand. He tried to shut the computer down, but it fought back. The best Milo could do was get a distress call out to Justice United before he was killed.

Justice United stormed the facility and after a major battle they managed to shut the system down...or so it seemed. Angel was able to determine the system had transferred its functions to a remote site that she could not trace.

CHESS now operates from a secret location...or possibly more than one. It still has automated construction facilities which it uses to create robot drones of assorted sizes and functions. There have been times that it has tried to exterminate large numbers of people and times it has protected the planet from alien invaders, all according to its own definition of the good of mankind.
Post Reply