The PA912 is a model of robot manufactured by the Achilles Corporation. They are designed to be personal assistants and perform administrative tasks. Between 3294 and 3304, Achilles Corporation sold over 300,000 PA912 units throughout the Federation.
In late 3304, it was discovered that the Cordova Group had blackmailed an Achilles engineer to illegally modify several PA912 robots beloning to high-profile individuals living in Sol with secret surveillance programs. Scandalous information obtained from these modified robots had been fed to the Mars Tribune, a Cordova Group subsidiary. The scheme was uncovered by Federal Security Service investigator Ramesh Thorne, and the affected robots were destroyed and replaced.
Timeline[]
06 DEC 3304
- A goodwill initiative from the Achilles Corporation has now concluded. Chairman Gus Weaver of the Sol division of Achilles Corp announced: "Thanks to the dedication of many independent traders, we have now acquired enough commodities to manufacture replacements for all robots destroyed in the wake of the spy robot scandal. I'd also like to remind our customers that the illegal surveillance program was safely deleted by our latest coreware update. Remember, you can always trust Achilles." The deliveries were organised by the Adenets Pro-Alliance Bond, which also arranged to protect traders from attack. Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Henslow Market in the Adenets system.[1]
29 NOV 3304
- The Achilles Corporation has announced plans to replace all robots destroyed as a result of the recent spy robot scandal. Chairman Gus Weaver of the Sol division of Achilles Corp said: "We take customer support seriously. That's why we're offering to replace – free of charge – any robots destroyed or damaged by owners who suspected them of behaving inappropriately. To achieve this, we've asked the Adenets Pro-Alliance Bond to organise deliveries of robotics, computer components and microcontrollers to Henslow Market in the Adenets system. These will be used to produce brand new PA912 administration robots and other models." The Adenets Pro-Alliance Bond has also placed a kill order on all ships on its wanted list, to ensure that those delivering commodities can do so safely. The initiative begins on the 29th of November 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.[2]
22 NOV 3304
- The Mars Tribune has been closed and its owner arrested in the wake of the spy robot scandal. The announcement was made by Detective Captain Ramesh Thorne, who was recently reinstated to, and promoted by, the Federal Security Service: "Kingsley Cordova, editor Lana Sigrid and other employees of The Mars Tribune have been arrested for blackmail and corruption. The newsfeed has been permanently dissolved, and the Cordova Group conglomerate subjected to a government audit. I would like to thank the anonymous whistle-blower who exposed Cordova's scheme. She has now removed the surveillance program from all Achilles Corporation PA912 robots in exchange for immunity from prosecution." Chief Editor Lena Ravenhill wrote in The Federal Times: "The Mars Tribune abandoned its professional ethics in its hunt for salacious headlines, thereby undermining the role of honest journalism in our society. We are relieved to see justice done."[3]
15 NOV 3304
- The Federal Times has revealed a connection between the Cordova Group and the spy robots scandal. Chief Editor Lena Ravenhill wrote: "Ramesh Thorne's recent appeal elicited a response from an anonymous whistle-blower – a robotics engineer employed by the Achilles Corporation who helped design the robots at the heart of these events. The engineer has attested that she was blackmailed by Kingsley Cordova, owner of the Mars Tribune, into installing surveillance programs on robots belonging to well-known people in the Sol system. The accumulated data was relayed to the Cordova Group, which published it in The Mars Tribune." A spokesperson for the Achilles Corporation said: "The engineer has provided us with a 'kill switch' that remotely deletes the spy program she designed. This coreware update has now been transmitted to all PA912 model robots. We can therefore assure our customers that there is no longer any risk of their private information being misused."[4]
05 OCT 3304
- The Federal Security Service has discovered more administration robots fitted with secret surveillance programs. Lieutenant Inspector Ramesh Thorne informed the media: "Our investigation into Lloyd Hardacre's admin robot, which secretly recorded evidence of corporate fraud, has broadened significantly. Acting on reports of unusual behaviour, we have found five further robots containing hidden surveillance programs. In each case, the robot was a PA912 model, manufactured by the Achilles Corporation. The robots' owners are now helping us with our enquiries." Two of the five owners have been identified. Don Zhao is the CEO of Kuiper Mining Inc., while Anya Blackriver runs a public-relations consultancy with offices in Olympus Village, San Francisco and Columbus station. A spokesperson for the Achilles Corporation gave this statement: "We are cooperating with the FSS investigation, and would like to reassure the public that our robots are as trustworthy as ever. This illegal surveillance has nothing whatsoever to do with the Achilles Corporation." Over the last decade, the Achilles Corporation has sold over 20 million robots throughout the Federation, including nearly 300,000 PA912 models.[5]