Autonomous Laboratory EXperiment Assistant

Autonomous Laboratory EXperiment Assistant (A.L.E.X.A)
Vatborne Product Line Info
Homeworld		Fen
Creators		Kyoshi Corporation
Life Expectancy (Max)		100 (200)
Average Size		5-6 Feet

The Autonomous Laboratory EXperiment Assistant, or A.L.E.X.A program, represents a series of over 100,000 Vatborne sapients created by the Kyoshi Corporation, with production beginning in 2810 and continuing to this day. They are known for their Rokhandan appearance and function in a variety of roles ranging from laboratory assistants to medical doctors and engineers. The line is well known in the industry for their performance, though the program is not without its faults that, largely, have been kept quiet by Kyoshi.

Program History

The ALEXA program began out of a wartime need for manpower as more and more resources were devoted to the war effort, including manpower. The template was started using a black and tan Rokhandan office assistant, named Alexa. The first batch of Alexa’s were cloned in 2811, with three initial models; Maintenance (M), Lab Assistant(L), Physician’s Assistant(PA), and General Purpose (GP). All initial ALEXA models were female, based on their genetic mother. It took approximately 6 months to produce a clone, with them being released from vats at the biological age of 20.

All clones were created with their organic brains, but with an inhibitor chip and computer in their brain stems that allowed for multiple functions and control mechanisms. This allowed the rapid download of data and knowledge; to where a ALEXA clone out of the vat could be considered a objective expert in their designated field within weeks, direct command and control, and computational assistance, allowing the clones to compute problems far faster than any organic being, all while largely keeping the units with the independent function of a organic brain. The program has seen success, though not without a body count.

As the war progressed and manpower shortages increased, further generations of clones included new models. These included Medical Doctor (MD), Security (S), Supervisor (SUP), and Executive Assistant (EA), among others. Generation 5 also introduced a male model of the clones, largely for the Security models. Production continues to this day, though it has scaled down post-war. To date a little over 100,000 A.L.E.X.A clones are in circulation around the populated galaxy, and the first defective models are being released to the wild galaxy or terminated. It is common to see models leased out to other Kyoshi companies, with the Security model in particular largely seeing service for Momentum Security or Shock Trauma Armed Rescue Service during peacetime. Though produced for use by the Coalition, Directorate their corporations during wartime, at least several hundred A.L.E.X.A units came into the hands of the Federation either during the war through capture or after the war through purchase. Since over 90% of units were non-combat units designed for science, hospitality, medicine or mechanics, most were simply reprogrammed to serve the Federation’s interests.

ALEXA Program Timeline

• February 2810 - Wartime manpower shortages force Kyoshi Labs executives to authorize ALEXA program, with the goal of automating 20% of the laboratory’s workforce. Due to the quick timeframe, an existing Rokhandan laboratory assistant is used as the template for the clones.
• September 2810 - First ALEXA models become operational. This will become known as Generation 1. Initially only providing Maintenance (M) and Laboratory Assistant (L) models.
• January 2811 - Second batch of ALEXA models delivered, officially Generation 2. Minimal upgrades from Gen 1.
• March 2812 - The rapidly deteriorating war forces rapid ordering of more ALEXA models, now with a goal of automating 60% of the workforce of all Kyoshi companies. This is, needless to say, a ludicrously expensive effort, but with the war seemingly never ending, the company deems it necessary while keeping to Asashi Kyoshi’s ideals of favoring biomechanical clones to traditional A.I and androids.
• August 2812 - The third and by far largest thus far batch of ALEXA models, Generation 3, starts being delivered. This includes a significant upgrade to the clone’s inhibitor chips after several prior units became defective. Units of Generation 3 and later also come equipped with “Safe Mode”. Safe Mode forces a clone to behave much more like a traditional ‘dumb’ AI or android. The feature is implemented over Asashi Kyoshi’s objections after several obedience issues with earlier models.
• April 1 2813 - Black Sunday occurs. With Generation 4 being rushed out the door due to a now horrific manpower situation as the Secession War entered its fourth bloody year, an attempt at speeding up the cloning process leads to an entire class of 1,293 clones dying when prematurely removed from their vats. The trauma of the incident is enough for 27 Generation 1 and 2 ALEXA’s to stage a minor revolt in the lab where their younger siblings were being grown. Seven non-cloned scientists and guards are killed in the revolt, as are all revolting ALEXA’s. The incident is brutally suppressed by corporate and covered up from investors, employees, and government contractors. This leads to Generation 1 and 2 ALEXA’s being silently phased out in favor of Gen 3’s and above, with their enhanced inhibitor trips and safe modes making them more “trustworthy.” No Generation 4 ALEXA’s will ever see service, all having either died in the incident or reprogrammed to cover it up and marked as Generation 5’s. Asashi Kyoshi is ousted from majority control of the company as his position that the clones would be trustworthy without artificial control chips is now proven wrong in the eyes of investors.
• April 3 2813 - Asashi’s eldest “son”, XO-014 JUL, goes missing several days after the Black Sunday incident. The company has never been able to track him down.
• October 2813 - After several weeks back at the drawing board and several high-profile resignations, Generation 5 of the ALEXA program is launched. This, very controversially to those aware of the Black Sunday incident, includes the Security (S) model variants, and the first male variant ALEXA’s. Thankfully, at least to corporate, the Safe Mode inhibitor chips started with Generation 3 prove their worth, and make open revolt on the level of the Black Sunday incident impossible in later models.
• February 2815 - The final wartime improvement, Generation 6, is launched. This improves updated combat functionality for the Security ALEXA’s, and the Executive Assistant variant. Rumors that Generation 6 was intended to be marketed as combat clones to the Directorate are suppressed.
• October 2815 - The Secession War ends. Kyoshi is left with 70% of its workforce in its laboratories and starships being ALEXA models. Many wonder at what cost, as the company is now trillions in debt and in the post-war recession without anyone to do business with.
• January 2817 - Asashi Kyoshi dies at age 193 from a sudden stroke, apparently from the stress of the last decade. Reportedly his biggest regret was allowing the ALEXA program to cost him “my company’s soul and my eldest son.” Kyoshi’s deathbed wish to free the ALEXA’s is discussed, but quickly shot down at investor board meetings as bankruptcy inducing. It is never acknowledged publicly.
• October 2819 - Generation 7 is launched. While prior generations had a few dozen models sold to other companies as gestures of goodwill, this is the first model marketed for public civilian use outside of Kyoshi companies. This is the current latest-generation model.