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We have the dubious honour of being located in the city where robot evolution
took a huge leap 15 years ago with the invention of the Nexus 1 by the
Tyrell Corporation. As you know, this was the first "replicant"
- not electro-mechanical, but bio-mechanical - in essence, a biological
organism replicating the appearance, motor skills and basic brain functions
of a human being. Other corporations around the world had been developing
similar projects that came on-line over the next few years and of course
these were going into production soon after Tyrell Corporation. But Tyrell
has always been one step ahead and so our classification of the replicants
follows the standard categories Tyrell Corp have set with each evolutionary
advance of their Nexus range. So while there are many companies that got
into replicant production and associated areas, including black market
production and alterations, these can each be categorised as compared
to one of the Nexus models.
Replicant timeline
Class 1 = Nexus 1, etc.
After years of research, it was the Tyrell Corporation who were first
with a fully functional replicant - the genetically engineered biological
robot that revolutionised the industry. Announced in March 2005, they
were rolling off the production line by September. Nippon Industries were
the first to provide competition with their Symbot in December of that
year. These first replicants were still relatively easy to spot at first
look. As they were directly programmed, they were limited to repeatable
tasks and could only hold simulated conversations, i.e. could only provide
answers from a pre-programmed decision tree. Their programming also included
the standard "Do not harm humans" instruction set that could
not be overridden. Hence, the Class 1 replicants we have to deal with
are usually suffering from damage or deterioration or have simply been
thrown out. They are easily identifiable and usually come quietly.
Class 2 = Nexus 2, etc.
While gearing up for production of the Nexus 1 reps, Tyrell was acquiring
other companies, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
This technology was married to the bioengineering of replicants so that
a mere year after the announcement of the Nexus 1, Tyrell was producing
the Nexus 2. Smarter by far than the Nexus 1, the Nexus 2 had the capacity
to learn - it did not have to be programmed with everything, but could
enhance its own programmed knowledge base. With some key advancements
in the genetic engineering, the Nexus 2 reps also looked more human, with
greater and more realistic variance of appearance.The Nexus 2 was also
provided with what might be termed a basic personality. As the price didn't
go up, and the competition was right behind Tyrell, Class 2 reps replaced
the Class 1 altogether and that is why we have so few Class 1s to deal
with.
It is with the Class 2 replicants that we first got crimes being perpetrated
by reps - mainly due to black market reprogramming, but we also had to
deal with the occasional malfunction. Still relatively easy to spot, we
are nevertheless now required to subject them to the V-K test anyway -
a few questions should suffice. There was no V-K back then, but I don't
think anyone ever mistook a human for a Class 2 replicant! Still, the
similarity is sufficient that it is now standard procedure regardless.
In 2007, the key to safely harnessing the energy of Dark Matter was discovered
by Jan Svenson and immediately, major corporate money poured into developing
it. In 2008, the first FTL spaceships equipped with Dark Matter Drives
were exploring space. The first ships were stocked with Class 2 reps as
a matter of course - disposable labour that could go into hazardous situations
either on the ship itself or more likely when exploring new planets.
Class 3 = Nexus 3, etc.
With the extra funding that came from the Aeronautics industries and
government grants (mostly military), the Nexus 3 was significantly better
than the Nexus 2 and incorporated so many new discoveries and enhancements
that it was effectively a whole new design. Programming could be started
during growth and the reps started to be engineered with generally superior
physical capabilities - in strength, endurance and resistence to extreme
conditions. Although developed with a particular focus on hazardous space
exploration, these enhancements were widely welcomed as they were able
to be used more effectively in many more applications. By the end of 2009,
the first Threes were going Off-World.
Class 4 = Nexus 4, etc.
Demands of space exploration and heavy industry drove a number of developments,
but with the reduction in price stemming from public acceptance and consequent
mass production of reps, it was consumer use and the entertainment industries
that brought about the introduction of the Class 4 replicant. In most
ways similar to the Nexus 3, but with the significant introduction of
simulated emotions.
Pressure groups suggested at this time that it might be possible to mistake
some humans for replicants and that police termination of any malfunctioning
or criminally reprogrammed replicants must therefore only be undertaken
after some test gave a 100% identification. It was this that brought about
the introduction of a test created by Voight and Kampff and was the first
incarnation of the V-K test we now use. It was also this that prompted
the introduction of special police units to deal with replicant crimes
of all types and to administer the V-K test. Having been involved in the
development of simulated emotions for replicants, Voight and Kampff were
able to create a foolproof way of identifying the different reaction times
a replicant had to questions designed to evoke emotional responses. Although
it has been somewhat enhanced since then, it is still this empathy test
that we use today.
Class 5 = Nexus 5, etc.
Replicant evolution had seemed to reach somewhat of a plateau then, with
minor enhancements being added by each manufacturer. Then came Christmas
Day 2010. Who can forget? The Great Cataclysm changed everything. With
the world in turmoil, the imperative to move Off-World came rapidly and
governments everywhere poured money into research to move large numbers
of people out into space. Experimental Off-World settlements were rapidly
developed into colonies. A vast labour force was required to do this -
one that could withstand harsh and alien conditions. New worlds needed
to be found and settlements built. Money was poured into replicant research
and ever increasing demands for more of everything. More rep labourers,
faster production, enhanced strength and resistance. In 2012, the Nexus
5 was replacing the Nexus 4. A V-K test should identify the Fives in about
10 to 20 cross-referenced questions.
Class 6 = Nexus 6, etc.
Rapid production, increased strength and robustness were not enough though.
With the shortage of qualified humans and the ever-expanding settlement
of space with associated "disagreements", there needed to be
increased intelligence in the Reps, so they could operate more autonomously.
They needed to be able to be told the higher level requirement and be
able to figure out the details themselves. It is undoubtedly Tyrell himself
who is most responsible for the Nexus 6 stage of development in 2014.
With an amazing advance that led to natural programming during replicant
incubation, some of the resulting reps were coming out smarter than the
scientists who created them. We now know that due to certain issues during
early Nexus 6 experiments, it was decided to introduce a control feature.
They chose to limit the Nexus 6 reps to a four year lifespan. Introduced
within the DNA, this is biological, so can vary by some months either
way, but will eventually guarantee the end of a Nexus 6 life. What is
a problem is the destruction that they can potentially cause before they
terminate.
The problem was quite apparent in November 2015 when there was a particularly
bad rebellion in the outer colonies, which as you know resulted in Replicants
being banned on Earth.
It is the Nexus 6 abilities in particular that make them so dangerous.
Not just the strength and intelligence of most of them, but the particular
capabilities of those trained for combat. This includes co-operation between
replicants which is quite different to the purely individual motivations
of previous models. What is becoming an increasing worry is that other
manufacturers have not installed a similar timed lifespan. Although few
others have managed to make the leap to Class 6 replicants, some are now
in production. It is suspected that more than 20 questions might be required
to identify a Six.
Class 7 = experimental
Obviously largely focused on the Tyrell Corporation, but applicable to
a few other corporations, we use Class 7 to refer to any experimental
replicants with enhancements beyond the Class 6. The Tyrell Corporation
may have had significant problems recently, but this hasn't stopped research
and development continuing at other corporations around the world.
You have been hired to expand the ranks of Rep-Detect because our problems
are increasing over time, not diminishing.
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