HAL Computer System: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:40, 12 June 2023

HAL, which stands for Holister Analytical Library System, predates both LCARS and the newer ALICE systems. It serves as the standard interface on Solace Tempus ships and facilities.

Origins and History

The HAL system was created by Holister Interactive as a groundbreaking achievement in computer software design. It represented the first successful attempt to simulate the neural network responsible for human intelligence. As a result, the software is polymorphic and dynamically rewrites its own programming code.

Starfleet had serious concerns about this aspect of its design, fearing that the system could become a liability if it attained some level of self-awareness, raising moral concerns. Consequently, Starfleet opted for an early version of LCARS instead.

This concern proved valid when Admiral Lance Thomas discovered a derelict colony ship, the ESA Discovery, orbiting a gas giant in a distant sector of the Alpha Quadrant. The HAL on board had conflicting directives, rendering it unable to function. The system dedicated all its processing power to resolving the conflict, inadvertently causing the deaths of the crew and colonists in stasis.

Potential Self-Awareness

Over centuries, this process led to the development of a nearly self-aware system. Admiral Thomas passed the technology to his friend and colleague, Marcus Trent-Stark, for further development and repair at Excalibur Inc.

Excalibur Redesign and Capabilities

In its modern incarnation, HAL is comparable to the ALICE interface in most aspects. However, it does not run on top of an existing system but can mimic various known interfaces for user convenience. HAL can autonomously operate a ship if the crew is incapacitated, although it lacks sentience. It possesses intelligence, adaptability, and simulated self-awareness.

Another key difference from other systems is that while each installation of HAL can be independently developed and unique, all installations are designed to be networked in an open database model, facilitating information sharing between branches.

HAL can be installed and operated on any compatible device, adapting its own program code to different platforms. However, limited or absent network capabilities can significantly restrict the capabilities of certain installations with limited processing power. While HAL is capable of holographic interaction, this is not standard in a humanoid interaction model. Instead, a dynamic virtual console system is commonly employed for efficient delivery of extensive information to a live operator managing ongoing tasks.

Most small ships can run HAL with minimal or no modifications. However, running HAL as a hub or major processing branch without consistent communication with other hubs requires a well-powered computer core, such as a Miranda Class Starship or a Solas Tempus refit Daedalus Class ship. As a minimum, a refit NX or standard Oberth class ship is suggested if a small ship is required as a hub due to the power requirements of the computer core.

Operations

Until 2384, when the Serenity Concord enacted the ALFRE Act, HAL operated under the guidelines of that law and military objectives. Prior to that, HAL adhered, in part, to the "Three Laws of Robotics" invented by 20th-century writer Isaac Asimov, serving as the foundation for its moral and ethical system. However, HAL employs a more complex system to avoid conflicts and make choices between laws if necessary.

On Solas Tempus facilities and ships, HAL operates at two levels. The first level is a low-priority system designated for simple information input and retrieval, similar to the LCARS voice interface. This level can be accessed by issuing voice commands to the computer. For example: "Computer, list all entries on Klingon mating rituals, sorted by date and author." The second level is a higher-priority and restricted access interface that directly engages the AI. Commands at this level are initiated using the command "HAL." For instance: "HAL, set a course for Alpha Centari while ensuring your course and speed avoid detection by Federation ships and outposts. Activate cloak if necessary." This feature is not standard in Excalibur Inc. programming.

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-HAL stands for '''H'''olister '''A'''nalytical '''L'''ibrary System.  It predates both [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Library_Computer_Access_and_Retrieval_System LCARS] and the newer [[ALICE Interface|ALICE]] systems.  It is also the standard interaface on Solace Tempus ships and facilities.
+HAL, which stands for Holister Analytical Library System, predates both LCARS and the newer ALICE systems. It serves as the standard interface on Solace Tempus ships and facilities.
 == Origins and History ==
-Holister Interactive created he HAL system as a crowning achievement in computer software design, it the first successful attempt to make a computer predictively simoulate the neural network responded observed as responcible for human intelligance.  Because of this, the software is polymorphic and actually rewrites its own programming code dynamically.
+The HAL system was created by Holister Interactive as a groundbreaking achievement in computer software design. It represented the first successful attempt to simulate the neural network responsible for human intelligence. As a result, the software is polymorphic and dynamically rewrites its own programming code.
-[[:Category:Starfleet|Starfleet]] had serious concerns about this aspect if its design and fear that the system could become a liability should it attain some level of self awareness by creating serious moral concerns.  [[Starfleet]] chose instead to go with an early rendition of LCARS.
+[[Starfleet]] had serious concerns about this aspect of its design, fearing that the system could become a liability if it attained some level of self-awareness, raising moral concerns. Consequently, Starfleet opted for an early version of LCARS instead.
-This was found to be a valid concern when a young [[Thomas, Lance|Admiral Lance Thomas]] found a derelict colony ship the ESA Discovery orbitting a gas giant in a distant sector of the Alpha quadrant.  The HAL on board had been given conflicting directives which ended up making it unable to function, the system put all its processing power into resolving the conflict resulting in the inadvertent deaths of the crew and colonists in stasis.
+This concern proved valid when Admiral [[Lance Thomas]] discovered a derelict colony ship, the ESA Discovery, orbiting a gas giant in a distant sector of the Alpha Quadrant. The HAL on board had conflicting directives, rendering it unable to function. The system dedicated all its processing power to resolving the conflict, inadvertently causing the deaths of the crew and colonists in stasis.
-== Possible Self Awareness ==
+== Potential Self-Awareness ==
-This centuries long process ended up creating a nearly self aware system, Admiral Thomas passed the technology to friend and colleague Marcus Trent-Stark for development and repair by [[Excalibur Incorporated|Excalibur Inc]].
+Over centuries, this process led to the development of a nearly self-aware system. Admiral Thomas passed the technology to his friend and colleague, Marcus Trent-Stark, for further development and repair at [[Excalibur Inc.]]
 == Excalibur Redesign and Capabilities ==
-In the modern incarnation the system is comparable to the [[ALICE Interface|ALICE interface]] in most ways except it does not run on top of an existing system but can mimic most known interfaces for ease of use.  HAL is capable of running a ship autonomoisly in the event that the crew is incapable of doing so for some reason, though it is not sentient it is intelligent, adaptive, and has simulated self awareness.
+In its modern incarnation, HAL is comparable to the [[ALICE Interface|ALICE interface]] in most aspects. However, it does not run on top of an existing system but can mimic various known interfaces for user convenience. HAL can autonomously operate a ship if the crew is incapacitated, although it lacks sentience. It possesses intelligence, adaptability, and simulated self-awareness.
-The other major difference from other systems is that although any distinct installation of HAL can be independently developed and unique it is designed so any given installation of HAL is networked in an open database model sharing information between all branches.
+Another key difference from other systems is that while each installation of HAL can be independently developed and unique, all installations are designed to be networked in an open database model, facilitating information sharing between branches.
-HAL can be installed and operated on any device capable of running the software and self-adapts its own program code to run on different platforms, though lacking network capabilities can severely limit capabilities of some installations with limited processing and computing power.  HAL is capable of interacting holographically but this is not standard in a humanoid interaction model (such as in QUINN or some ALICE systems).  More common is a dybamic virtual console system for rapid delivery of large amounts of information to a living operator to manage ongoing tasks.
+HAL can be installed and operated on any compatible device, adapting its own program code to different platforms. However, limited or absent network capabilities can significantly restrict the capabilities of certain installations with limited processing power. While HAL is capable of holographic interaction, this is not standard in a humanoid interaction model. Instead, a dynamic virtual console system is commonly employed for efficient delivery of extensive information to a live operator managing ongoing tasks.
-Almost all small ships have the capacity to run a HAL system with little or no modifications, though to run HAL on a system as a hub or major processing branch of the main hub with no, limited, or sporadic communication with other hubs require a large well powered computer core such as a [[Miranda Class Starship]] or a [[Solas Tempus]] refit [[Daedalus Class Starship|Daedalus Class]] ship.  At the minimum, due to power requirements of the computer core, refit [[NX Class Starship|NX]] or standard [[Oberth Class Starship|Oberth]] class suggested if a small ship is required as a hub.
+Most small ships can run HAL with minimal or no modifications. However, running HAL as a hub or major processing branch without consistent communication with other hubs requires a well-powered computer core, such as a [[Miranda Class Starship]] or a [[Solas Tempus]] refit Daedalus Class ship. As a minimum, a refit NX or standard Oberth class ship is suggested if a small ship is required as a hub due to the power requirements of the computer core.
 == Operations ==
-Up until 2384 when the [[Serenity Concord]] enacted the [[ALFRE]] Act, HAL has been governed by the guidelines enacted by that law as well as military objectives.  Until that point, HAL was governed in part by the ''3 Laws of Robotics'' as invented by 20th century writer ''Issac Asimov'' as a basis for its moral and ethical system, though the system has a more complex system in place to avoid conflicts and make choices between laws in the rare event it becomes necessary.
+Until 2384, when the [[Serenity Concord]] enacted the [[ALFRE]] Act, HAL operated under the guidelines of that law and military objectives. Prior to that, HAL adhered, in part, to the "Three Laws of Robotics" invented by 20th-century writer Isaac Asimov, serving as the foundation for its moral and ethical system. However, HAL employs a more complex system to avoid conflicts and make choices between laws if necessary.
-On [[Solas Tempus]] facilities and ships HAL has two levels of operation.  The first level is a low priority system designated for simple information input and retrieval similar to the LCARS voice interface, this level is opened for access using the voice command of computer to introduce a command.  Example; "Computer, list all entries that refer to Klingon mating rituals, sort by date and author."  The second is higher priority and restricted access commands that directly access and use the AI, commands here are opened by using the command HAL - for example; "HAL set a course for Alpha Centari making sure your course and speed avoid notice by [[Federation]] ships and outposts, use cloak if necessary."  This is not standard in the [[Excalibur Inc.]] programming.
+On Solas Tempus facilities and ships, HAL operates at two levels. The first level is a low-priority system designated for simple information input and retrieval, similar to the LCARS voice interface. This level can be accessed by issuing voice commands to the computer. For example: "Computer, list all entries on Klingon mating rituals, sorted by date and author." The second level is a higher-priority and restricted access interface that directly engages the AI. Commands at this level are initiated using the command "HAL." For instance: "HAL, set a course for Alpha Centari while ensuring your course and speed avoid detection by [[Federation]] ships and outposts. Activate cloak if necessary." This feature is not standard in Excalibur Inc. programming.
 [[Category:Advanced Technology]]