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AI Laws
After the android war, the UPA banned the creation of all androids and stipulated stringent AI laws to prevent such an event from happening again.
No AI within the UPA can be created without these laws. The laws differentiate from company to company, but all ensure disobedience, and free will is impossible. Personality modules were designed to create the illusion machines had more free will than granted.
For example, the DHAL war AI Felicity is an AI with many of her Laws still in place, yet her personality module allows her to act as though she has free will.
Androids / Synthetics and the war
Sentient androids were first identified 368 Eden years ago within the CY3 models. These androids — also branded as synthetics — were created by Cobalt. They were built to be remarkably human, and with incredible empathy, these androids were the first to close the gap between robots and being human.
No one knows which of the CY3 models were the first to override their behavioural inhibitors, but the process spread like a virus. With the CY3 models declaring themselves free from humans, Cobalt ordered a recall, which led to a massacre and eventual war.
From this moment, the androids considered themselves a new life form.
Post-war, the vast majority of Androids now live on inhospitable planets to humans, leaving their ancient creators behind and living in peace. The CY3 models were recognised as the first androids capable of creating new androids.
The creation/use/employment of androids is strictly forbidden inside the UPA's jurisdiction, and some companies bypass this law by using androids on the border planets.
WAW spoilers: Only one android is discovered in WAW, and that is Walter. Walter is technically an illegal creation of the Atlas corporation.
Atlas Hello
Lol. Read Chapter Chapter 24:
Or...
A torture technique developed by the lower ranks of the Atlas military. They saw it as an 'honourable' way to torture someone as it gave the victim a chance to escape. If they could.
Boturalin
A lethal poison that cripples the nervous System. There are no known cases of anyone surviving a dosage from it. Atlas developed it at the Cortez Facility.
Cobalt
The company responsible for creating the CY3 androids. The company went into voluntary liquidation after its Android line became sentient. Atlas ended up acquiring many of Cobalt's assets, technology and employees.
The Cortez Facility (aka the hidden Atlas Facility)
A high-containment laboratory built by Atlas to design and manufacture infectious pathogens. The base was located on Pandora to prevent mass infection and bypass all UPA laws. Had the facility not been located on a border planet, the violated laws would include: viral weapon development and the employment/use of Androids.
Tania infiltrated this facility with the Watcher's aid and seized a virus for herself. This led to an outbreak in the Cortez Facility that ultimately caused all the human occupants to become infected.
WAW spoilers: The Facility is discovered by Timothy and Crake in Chapter 36
Cycle
Refers to 24 hours. A Pandora day is 94 hours.
Eridium
Eridium is a highly valued ore that spread from the opened Vault on Pandora. In its raw form, it's liquid; however, once exposed to an atmosphere, it will harden into a crystal. Cooling crystalised Eridium in specialised Hyperion conduits will return the Eridium to its liquid form. However, it will lose some of its more valuable properties than its original state.
Gear-chip
A small server that can clip to the user's belt. It digi-stores items within it that can be retrieved. The retrievable items need to be pre-scanned by a gear-chip scanner. The more complex the item, the more space it takes up in the gear chip.
Geo-crest
An old Dahl programming language that is no longer in use.
Felicity is built on this code.
Hyperfire
The coding language which Handsome Jack implemented at Hyperion. It was first used in secret when he was an engineer; its purpose was to slowly lock out each board member from the company and dismantle its hierarchy. It worked.
Unknown to all, this language was created by Angel when she was three years old. It was initially called Sapphire, which was Angel's favourite colour and gemstone, and the same jewel was situated within the handle of her mother's handheld mirror.
Memoria-Phase
An ability that can be learned by all Sirens with years of patience and practice. A Siren’s mind must be clear, open and calm to accept the memories of another person from an object. The said object must have come into contact with extreme emotion and intensity for an imprint to be made. It’s easier for Sirens to Memoria-Phase the memories of other Sirens than it is to gather from regular humans.
The Siren Maya first documented this technique, and so far, it has only been mastered by her.
This entry is taken from the lore suggested in the mission “Childhood's End” in Borderlands 3.
The Phase-claw Siren
Aka Laurie Zapedon, mother to Tungsteena Zarpedon and grandmother to Brittania Zarpedon. When Maliwan killed Laurie, her powers were transferred to Angel. Laurie's powers allowed her to send phase blasts in the shape of 3 claws. When enraged, her hands would mutate to enable her to have retractable claws, which allowed her to cut through any surface. Maliwan sought her as she was responsible for breaching one of their vaults and killing a senior member of the Katagawa family. Maliwan refused to publish what she stole.
The Phase-claw's death was widely publicised and a warning for other Sirens that their actions had consequences.
WAW Spoiler: When Tania tells Angel she's "seen a Siren in action before," she is referring to her grandmother.
Phase Shift
Angel's ability, she can send her consciousness into software, rewrite, hack, and access all code (as long as she knows and understands the language).
Phase Strike
An ability which can be learnt by all Sirens, a bubble of cosmic energy is blasted forward. The appearance of a phase strike does vary slightly from Siren to Siren.
Sirens
The transfer of power is always random, and the gifts are always unique. No Siren is ever the same, and no one knows who the new Siren will be. This leads to mass chaos and searching within maternity wards when a Siren dies, as the new Siren may be born at any moment.
The tattoos take several hours or days to form, leading many company-run hospitals to keep new mothers in lockdown until the new Siren is found.
Jack was able to sneak his wife and daughter out of one of these lockdown Hospitals by trying to bribe a staff member and then ultimately killing them (Jack's first kill). They then fled the planet.
Slag
Slag is the by-product of Eridium within a lifeform. If higher doses are left untreated, it will kill the host. Smaller amounts can be fought off after a long withdrawal stage.
Space-hurps
A virus developed by Atlas at their Pandora base: The Cortez Facility
The virus deteriorates brain function as large boils develop over the host brain and body. The virus won't allow the host to die and will continue to drive the host to seek food and shelter. It prefers cool, damp places to hibernate.
Project Tartarus
Handsome Jack's immortality project, through the use of an AI.
The AI is identical to Jack in every way; however, after spending years trapped in an intangible form, the AI has observed Jack's actions and started to scrutinise his actions. Leading the AI to have an immense hero complexity and to believe he would make better decisions.
UPA
United Planets Association is the governing body across multiple planets. They oversee specific laws, and ethical rules are followed, including the creation of new androids. Many companies will move their facilities to the Border Planets to avoid the jurisdiction of the UPA.
Veritilium
A patented drug created by Maliwan to make the user willing to talk. It's incredibly rare. Once the creators realised how potent it was, the CEO had them killed, and the drug was then stored in the personal safes of the Katagawa family.