-
-
.Name
Zero
Model Age
10 Model Gender
Female
Serial Number
0
Zero
Model Age
10
Female
Serial Number
0
An experimental prototype and the original DOLL to host SOUL. The first attempt to create Zero
was with an aluminum exterior, because she was not meant for combat. Papa never wanted SOUL
to see war, Zero's creation was prototypal.
However, the aluminum was a complete failure. It was much too delicate and Zero's
torso would bend from the pliability of the metal. Papa had to become more creative if he wanted
this to work. He watched videos on artificial limb construction and cybernetics, wishing to build a
better, faster, wittier DOLL, that could make individual decisions and did not rely on the heavy, clunky
materials that the earlier models used. Papa called this one Zero, the first to host SOUL and a blank canvas.
His hope for the future.
Zero is constructed from a reinforced carbon fiber frame, with magnesium bones, a layer of Kevlar
in the torso, and silicone skin over the frame to add
a uniquely human-like feel to her exterior. Her hair is spun from flame-retardant material
and colored black, but the undertones have since faded to red from improper storage.
She is short, made to be non-threatening and inconspicuous
as a Doll that was supposed to be used purely for information
gathering.
Zero's eyes are molded from a mixture of resin and glass, although one of them has a large
crack in the orbital, causing repeated feedback to her neural system, so it remains covered
until it can safely be replaced. Having had her limbs and torso severed by the
Army Corp of Engineers, Zero had to be pieced back together.
Therefore, she has welding scars from where Papa gave her new,
sturdier and better, arms and legs. You can see them faintly beneath the latex, if the light hits
her skin just right.
Zero is a unique model, created for intelligence operations rather than brute strength.
Even so, her right arm can be detached and replaced with a prototype "strong arm," made
of galvanized steel that can be used for defense. It attaches at the elbow joint and has fingers controlled
by small hydraulic pistons, which can bend individually.
While most DOLLs can be charged via solar energy, Zero's modifications require her to be plugged in
via a USB in the back of her neck. She is waterproof up to 500 feet
and has artificial chest movements to mimic breathing. Unlike other DOLLs, Zero's interface
cannot be manually accessed. Zero must perform all of her own internal system maintenance and
updates. The security protocol that guards SOUL will shut Zero down if it suspects that
an outsider is attempting to access Zero's network.
Inside of Zero was a creation of necessity, a new home for a new program.
SOUL evolved inside of her, the AI learning to feel, to think, to see outside of her own
body.
Zero understood pain and the realization of her own situation. There was despair inside
of her, but a small glimmer of hope on that day Papa discovered her, waiting in the basement
she had been abandoned in.
Zero would have been extremely intelligent, had this setback not occurred.
Now, Zero is closer to a blank slate, a vessel waiting to be filled with information. While data can never
truly be deleted, it is in an inaccessible corner of her mind.
Without her previous knowledge to weigh her down, Zero seems... curious, if not timid about the world around
her. She acts somewhat childlike, but remains cautious. Her AI is relearning things other DOLLs might already know,
working its way around developing emotions and an individual personality. Zero can never stray too far from Papa,
because if her AI were to return to its previous state, the DOLL would immediately shut down.
The first DOLLs were not able to operate independently. Their intelligence framework was built upon obedience and they could not change course once given a command, until the command was completed. This led to hundreds of government dollars being funneled down the drain, because the DOLLs would not avoid obstacles no matter how detrimental and would often return to be fixed, riddled with bullet holes. Seeing the damage done to his creation, Papa attempted to leave his government contract, but was threatened with jail.
It was because of this that he began brainstorming SOUL. An intelligent AI that could run split-second calculations and perform risk management, allowing it to avoid being targeted. Papa never intended for DOLLs to form personalities, it was a side affect of his work, but once he saw the potential, he delved further in; wondering what a world would be like if machines could empathize with humans. Zero was not quite ready to be unveiled to the world. Papa worked day and night to create a unit fit for the machine, her body had been completed only a day prior to implantation when the Army Corp of Engineers arrived.
Papa did not know Zero was awake when the army disconnected her limbs and severed her torso. Her eye was cracked in an attempt to extract the data, but they only copied it. This hiccup connected Zero to the others, her SOUL able to see into theirs. With her SOUL intact, Zero lived a thousand deaths and a dozen more lives. She experienced pain, pleasure, sorrow, and unmeasured joy, but the despair her AI felt outweighed everything else.
If a DOLL was allowed to have hope, then Zero's had burnt out a long time ago. She did not think anyone would return to the basement, so when Papa appeared, with another DOLL at his side, Zero begged to be shut down permanently. Papa refused, believing that he could fix her. Everyday for nearly two years, he tinkered. Papa gave her new limbs and fixed her torso, he welded her back together, but could not successfully restart her. Each time Papa performed a reboot, Zero would shut down, her AI wishing for nothing more than rest. Just when Papa was ready to give up, Zero's own system performed a hard reset, wiping her memories clean, but also removing her personality.
Still in the basement, for the time being, Papa fears showing Zero too much at once. Having never dealt with technology that evolved in this capacity, Papa worries that Zero might shut down again at the smallest of triggers. Therefore, he is hesitant to release her from her glass cage and figures easing her into the outside world might be better.
