1975: Soviet cyberneticist Lana Levitsky designs the world’s first neuromorphic circuit, a true artificial intelligence that crudely imitates the design of a living brain.

SLAVA is finalized and replicated several times, with variations being employed for calculating mission trajectories, code-breaking, and economic planning. Its ability to learn and make decisions is unmatched by any typical computer, although the system seems to settle into a pattern with time.

Within a few years, the neuromorphic circuit is reproduced across the world. In the West, GERTRUDE beeps to life just in time to join the Space Race, roaring off to Mars and Venus. The world had not known yet, but cybernetic life was about to change the system forever.

Neuromorph

Cybernetic being inspired by design of a biological mind. Consists of number of components and systems working in tandem to create a living system.

Neuromorphic circuit or core

Device that contains mind of neuromorph, not including extraneous systems. Analogous to biological brain. Often spherical.

Heuristic worker

Primary component of neuromorph that responds to input, traverses links, and organizes data within other portions of the system.

Hard module

Hard-coded block which provides baseline skills, rulesets, and memories for neuromorph. Each neuromorph has a number of hard modules, and a heuristic worker cannot manipulate the contents of a hard module.

Deep memory

Enormous storage banks to which heuristic worker reads and writes. Besides storing all kinds of information, this system also stores links.

Link

Pointer between memories, skills, and whatever else is stored in deep memory and hard modules. Critical to learning and decision-making aspects of a neuromorph.

Virtual module

Block made entirely from links pointing to other links which develops over an enormous amount of time and experience. One theory suggests that virtual modules naturally “fill in the gap” for missing systems that would otherwise be present in a biological brain. Virtual modules can bypass logic in hard modules.

Emergent consciousness

Theoretically, consciousness may be correlated with higher levels of interconnectivity within a system. Virtual modules appear to confirm the theory, although whether neuromorphs are truly conscious has always been a core point of political contention.

Automatic

Chassis controlled and operated by a neuromorph, often self-propelled. Interchangeable with robot, automaton, or machine.

Mastermind

High-intellect automatic made of multiple mainframes, designed to understand and interact with complex systems. Assists in micromanagement, optimization, and generally assisting human operators in decision-making. Often wired directly into computer networks and permitted to directly control complicated systems.