P.A.M. Project

Personnel Assistance Model program (Records last updated 2423)

A servile android production program with limited uses as of the mid-24th century. While modeled after physical specifications stolen from Starfleet files concerning the Soongian type android Data, the materials and tooling were not as precise nor was the model autonomous. The android body was uplinked to a computer control server which animated the pleasingly shaped marionettes as they provided their services, the computer providing simulated personalities. This was quite popular among illegal fight clubs and sex parlors. The android marionettes were useful for spying upon customers, as well as providing entertainment.

The majority of the models were humanoid female 'blanks' capable of being modified to match the race of prospective clients.  At some point, before the illegal factory was dismantled by Starfleet, a large shipment of thousands of these androids was stolen by or sold to the Nausican group known as Open-Sky.

Decades later the criminal organization Open-Sky would transfer a shipment of branded and upgraded P.A.M. androids to a new iteration of the criminal organization the Orion Syndicate. Several of the upgrades included a version of the positronic brain, self-repair microbots, and a more realistic synthetic sheathing. The order was to provide slaves for sale in their market, which could provide intelligence to be returned to the syndicate. Interestingly enough, the majority were not appearing to be simulations of Orion Women, but of humanoids capable of passing for any of a dozen races on the surface. Their provenance was only traceable due to the branding each was given on the forehead, a Nausican symbol, to direct those who wished to contract for them directly to do so.

The Syndicate representatives were operating within Federation borders selling these non-sentient androids, legally, as there is no law against the sale of robotic personal assistants. This was a front, however, for a black market organic slave trafficking as well. A previously unknown anti-slave and pro-artificial sentient's rights group later claimed responsibility for the creation of an update package for the P.A.M.s; which when introduced caused the batch connected to the service module at the time to gain self-awareness. They then also alerted authorities to the existence of sentients being trafficked within Federation borders.

When the slave market was shut down, nearly a hundred artificial sentients were discovered to have been in the early stages of self-awareness. Dozens were in a state of partial disassembly as the Syndicate was attempting to correct the issue that was causing their Android products to be in a state of panic.  Many more were being quickly destroyed to remove evidence of their crime, and the attempts to spy on their customers.  Starfleet was only able to reconstruct a small number of the sentient androids.  The technicians had already purged their systems of the digital attack and since it has not been something that has been successfully duplicated.

*Note; A maintenance frame or booth is required to maintain a charge, as well as repair and update systems.  It is a simple thing to duplicate using standard equipment.  It is wireless and capable of being installed in either horizontal or vertical configurations. Without the additional power, self-repair functions will not be operational after a few days.

Comparative analysis P.A.M. type to Soong Type

While the Soong type was the basis of for the design specifications, the P.A.M. project was designed to not be autonomous but controlled remotely. The lack of advanced artificial intelligence is not the only difference.

The Soong type is designed to be able to function with a lifespan of a considerable number of centuries. The materials are extremely durable and contain self-repairing functions as well as self-powering systems which allow the Soong type android to operate away from support for many years.

The P.A.M. types were built with planned obsolescence. The specification for moderate use of the manual labor models was for a 50-year span before requiring full overhaul and replacement parts. The specification for the entertainment models was for a 100-year span before requiring extensive maintenance. The P.A.M. units require being stored for a minimum of 10 hours per every 100 hours in a Maintenance Frame for charging and self-repair.

The body frames are durable, but in order to maintain the illusion of a living form, the designers chose to move into a much different direction than Soong.

Power Systems:

^(1)(2)(3) The standard P.A.M. unit is capable of approximately 100 hours of service with only internal capacitor power. The Maintenance Frame guided charging system converts Electro-Magnetic fields into stored battery power. Some labor models may be upgraded to extend periods of operation.

Skeletal Frame:

The skeletal structure is primarily a carbon nanotube lattice, tubes filled and hardened with duranium alloy and sheathed in carbon. The frame strength is many times that of an organic bone structure while being hollow provides the strength without adding excess weight. Note: labor models have an additional duranium core structure within the carbon nanotube and duranium lattice. The frame of labor models is roughly twice the mass of an organic skeletal structure of the same size.

Musculature:

Musculature is composed of carbon nanotube woven micro-tubular bundles, each thinner than a human hair, and filled with an electrolyte that is operated on a hydraulic principle using a simple electrical charge to cause flexion. Twitch muscle speed amounts to the capability of 590 flexions per minute. The muscle density is three to five times as effective organic muscle mass of equal density due to resilience. Strength is possible to modify through the introduction of more mass of synthetic muscle, very similar to organic lifeforms. Strength modification can be performed during initial construction or in stages through the maintenance process. Of note, no separation of fast twitch and slow twitch muscle tissue, speed is controlled via voltage regulation.

Circulatory System: 

Modeling after organics a circulatory system was designed to provide both fluids to the synthetic musculature, lubrication, and passage of the micro-robotic repair bots that can seal dermal breaches, rebuild musculature and repair circuitry. A large multistage pump is centrally located and submerged in the fluids reservoir. Secondary micropumps are located in each of the limbs and the cranial section to maintain those systems if detached. Detachment is not possible without damage to the dermis and is not recommended except by a qualified technician.

Pulmonary System:

The pulmonary system functions for several purposes. Primarily this was done to provide the illusion of life and increase the comfort of having the unit nearby the living. The secondary aspect of the pulmonary function of the P.A.M. units was to act as a heat exchanger. Several of the P.A.M. systems generate heat, the circulatory system provides a method of spreading the heat throughout the structure, both mimicking life and allowing heat loss through the dermis. This function is augmented by the pulmonary process.

Dermal Layers:

The dermis is a synthetic sleeve of which the designers are truly proud. The sensitivity of the unit is directly linked to the dermis. The dermal sheath is the primary protection for the P.A.M. unit, as such, it is constructed of a series of layers. The first of which is an extremely resilient binding layer intended to resist tearing and puncture while binding the synthetic muscle within. The additional layers are to simulate natural dermis including the pressure sensors, heat sensors, and moisture sensors. Labor units tend to have the earlier version of the dermal sheath, which is more dense and difficult to damage but less sensitive. While the entertainment models have an exceptionally sensitive simulacrum of living dermal tissue. The sheer number of sensors per square centimeter allows the unit to mimic pain and pleasure responses as per programming extremely accurately.

Sensory Input:

The unit has olfactory sensors, aural sensors, accelerometers, seismic, barometric, and dermal sensors in order to feed the data to the central processor and for data recording and recall upon command. The units can record input from all sensors, including seismic sensors located within the larger bone cavities. Additional sensor packages may be added as upgrades.

Processing of foreign matter:

A simulation of the food consumption process is crucial to making a simulacrum seem true to form. As such an internal bladder is in place to collect intake of food and liquids. Additionally, supplements may be introduced to provide materials for internal maintenance processes. Materials are broken down in very small quantities and either stored or incinerated in order to provide additional power resources or heat in order to maintain a steady operating temperature of 36*c. The introduction of required resources through ingestion allows for maintenance without damaging the dermal sheath and simplifies the upkeep of the P.A.M. unit.

Interface: 

The verbal interface is the primary mode, however, a micro-transceiver is embedded within the auditory center allowing reception of commands from an authorized transmitter. The transceiver is automatically paired with the Maintenance Control Node for download and upload of data. A secondary telepresence transceiver takes the place of a central processor, enabling the unit to be controlled by a central computer on the worksite.

Maintenance: 

A Maintenance Frame may be configured to the size of an average closet, or to fit inside a standard bed frame, popular for entertainment models. The frame specifications are not complicated, it is operated via an MCN to wirelessly interface with the unit providing charging control, system updates and control the onboard maintenance microbots to maintain critical systems and perform minor repair work. The standard operation of the unit may be accomplished without charging, but safely only for a period of 60 hours without recall or going into low power mode.

Structural repairs such as to repair a snapped frame requires additional assistance of a technician to properly set and align the frame before the microbots may fuse the break. The microbots are not self-replicating but are constructed by a synthetic organ that produces and then introduces them into the fluids reservoir. The inoperative or malfunctioning microbots are disassembled and recycled for raw materials.

Components of the Maintenance Frame

• MCN (Maintenance Control Node)
• P.A.M. Diagnostic Scanner
• LPSR Transceiver (Low Power Short Range)
• EM Induction Charger

In addition to the Maintenance Frame, manual replenishment of physical supplies may be required. Electrolytes are required, most efficiently in liquid form. Replenishment self-repair supplies are performed as needed through ingestion, carbon and mineral components for the construction of self-repair microbotics can be consumed in liquid suspension or tablet forms.

Modifications off Standard:

Autonomy Upgrade:

^(4)(5)(6)(7) Recently the Open Sky syndicate obtained a small positron net processor which they were able to convert into an autonomy driver for the P.A.M. units. This required extensive heuristics programming in order to provide the same basic services without a local control computer. This, however, did increase the markets available. The heuristic programming was incredibly simple when compared to the Soong type, but the positron net was made stable and the systems were able to learn from their environment and handlers, even though not truly self-aware. Unfortunately, no known repair system can repair a truly damaged positron net processor. Minor damage may be regenerated through the microbots, but serious damage will result in the loss of the unit. The reserve power battery to maintain minimal polarization is housed just beneath the processor unit. The positron net processor unit is approximately the size of a human fist and is shielded against radiation, and electrical damage with a number of protections also mimicking the carbon-based life form model of the brain, with protective layering in the cranium against impact.

It is unknown how many P.A.M. unit simulacrum of life are in service at present. Records of their sales have never been recovered. Additionally, no real record of how many positron net units were obtained by Open Sky.

Commonly Found Modifications:

Labor Model

The labor model, which is most commonly used for ore extraction in asteroid mining operations, are often found with extended operations batteries and capacitors. As originally designed and shipped the labor model is well suited to the work, only requiring a minimal amount of protective gear and heat exchangers.

It is commonly used as supplementary security resources. Those models will be equipped with an integrated personal shield, upgraded strength packages, and dermal armor plating.

A third commonly discovered modification package was found in illegal blood-sport parlors. These include varying combinations of the strength upgrades, dermal armoring, upgraded frames, improved balance gyroscopes, and hardened electronics shells. Lastly, and possibly the most disturbing, is the upgrade of the electrolytic fluids to appear as the blood of whichever species the unit is intended to mimic.

The standard size for the labor frame is 2.00m, but may be modified by as much as +/- 0.50 meters. The labor frame was also notably androgynous when sold.

Entertainment Model

The entertainment model, which is most commonly used as servants in secured personnel areas or as entertainment. Less commonly, entertainment models were openly purposed for sexual gratification. While androgynous units were put into service, male and female units were put into service at a rate of 20% to 80%. All entertainment models gender packages were considered to be functional.

One common upgrade package was Enhanced Vocal Package, processors providing extremely high fidelity to sound reproduction. The package included auditory discriminators and echolocation processors to determine the acoustical qualities of the environment.

Another was an Enhanced Balance Package.  Improved gyroscopes for balance, enhanced joint articulation for greater flexibility, and an auditory discriminator to pick out music in a crowded or loud environment, which combined to allow for exceptional dance reproduction.

A third is referred to as a Sensuality Package.  The enhancement involved a sexual sensitivity upgrade, as well as the coloration of electrolytic fluids, and a 'blush feature'.  The dermis layers include a capillary system to provide the ability to simulate heightened sexual stimulation.  In addition, the package includes infra-red visual scanning and auditory discriminators to pick up the breathing and heartbeat of the sexual partner in order to provide a well-timed performance to match prescribed requests.

The standard size for the entertainment frame is 1.70m, but may be modified by as much as +/- 0.40 meters.

Footnotes

 *(1) 100% battery charge is approximately 100 hour of active use, such as physical labor or constant full-body movement.
 *(2) 60% battery charge depletion signals to the user/controller a continuing warning to return for charging is needed.
 *(3) 90% battery charge depletion triggers the unit into a low power mode.  On low power, autonomic functions continue, but motor functions may only be operated on safety override.
 *(4) Autonomy Upgrade Units Only: Dedicated sub-processors allow the unit to be capable of self-maintenance to restore to most recent updated parameters, but a Maintenance Frame MCN with specifications will allow much faster, directed control of the maintenance microbots. 
 *(5) Autonomy Upgrade Units Only: Active EM fields can increase the operational period through an automated safe charge method. Some of the capacitors will be switched to charge while others are used for operational needs.  In highly active EM fields, the unit will only be required to return to the Maintenance Frame for self-repair and software updates.
 *(6) Autonomy Upgrade Units Only: Sub-processors within the autonomy system monitor and control power consumption. Command override can be given to override recharging, however, once 90% depleted the unit will go into low power mode. If the unit becomes 98% depleted, the unit will go into full autonomic shutdown reserving power to maintain positron net stability, switching nearly all capacitors to recharge function.
 *(7) Autonomy Upgrade Units Only: The Dream Processor In the case of a cascade anomaly, the unit will shunt to a safe-mode, in the secondary 'dream' processor, and reset. This will have the appearance of a shutdown or unconscious state. This processor is active whenever the unit goes into low power mode to compress and store data accumulated in the active or 'conscious' processor.  Part of the dream cycle is to clear and restart the conscious processor which effectively resets from any cascade anomalies automatically. It should also be noted that subroutine decompiling/recompiling as per instruction from the MCN occurs in the Dream Processor.

P.A.M. units rise to sentient status: SFI Addendum

The P.A.M. units sold to the Orion Syndicate in 2410 by Open Sky were a nearly even mix of labor and entertainment models.  The majority of the labor models were upgraded to the security packages.  

The majority of the entertainment models were upgraded to the sensuality package, and unlike the security/labor models they were enhanced with the autonomy upgrade.  As of the time the operation was raided by Starfleet, there was a record of more than two dozen already sold to various clients and delivered.  Starfleet intelligence took over the case to follow up.  The syndicate had an operation to sell the sexualized automatons to underworld clients with trojan programming to allow them to spy upon them afterward, report back, then mechanical spy would arrange a pick up to be reconfigured and sold again.

The Orions maintained a secret slave auction as well, using the P.A.M. unit sales as camouflage, as sales of P.A.M. units were not illegal due to their lack of sentience.  An activist group, which still has not been identified attempted to alert authorities to the slave auctions but legal investigations were unable to find evidence.  The group developed and planted an update into the Orion's MCN central database and in the process planted a viral code into 22 female P.A.M. units, and 6 male.  Anonymous information was given to authorities to provide holographic evidence and indication that the P.A.M. units were actually sentients instead of automatons.  The syndicate managed to learn both of the impending raid and the sentient nature of the P.A.M.s before authorities arrived.  They were caught attempting to ferry captives out of the system and destroy the P.A.M. units and evidence.

Seven P.A.M. units with the sentience upgrade were still at least partially functional when they were rescued by Starfleet personnel.  They were redesignated P.A.M.01-07 and were taken to a cybernetics lab to be studied by SFI sponsored Researchers.  The collection was taken along with the remains of two dozen others that were nonfunctional due to various forms of damage, including blunt force and energy weapons.  Starfleet attempted to reconstruct several other units but were not successful in recovering any that had their positron nets depolarized.

Researchers were studying the P.A.M.s under a classified project portfolio for nearly a year when a legal challenge to Starfleet custody was brought by the Soong Foundation. The Soong Foundation attorney successfully argued that the P.A.M. units in question were covered under the existing case being argued via an appeal to the UFP Supreme Court.  The hearing of the case was once again delayed until such time as witnesses could be presented representing all facets of the artificial sentients they claimed to represent.  The source of the leak of classified data was never identified.

The Soong Foundation was successful in being awarded custodianship of the currently active P.A.M.s, but only on the condition that the Daystrom Institute would oversee the study, and allow Starfleet researchers full access to the units.  The remains of three units were provided with four active units; one male, three female.  Two of the females, 03 and 06, exhibited self-awareness and a childlike understanding of themselves and their surroundings.  The male, P.A.M.01 exhibited a self-awareness, but seemed hypersexualized, and was very difficult to manage.  He seemed to have no sense of limitation.  The third surviving female P.A.M.07 proved to be self-aware, but deeply traumatized, and incapable of maintaining rational interactions without devolving into fits of screams.

The Soong Foundation sponsored the resources necessary to provide fostering care for the P.A.M.s.  The locations of the fostered P.A.M.s were determined necessary to remain classified.  Reports from the Daystrom Institute detailed that P.A.M.01 had been disassembled, and linked into a virtual environment in order to try to correct damage caused by a corruption of his core programming.  P.A.M.07 ended her own existence in a self-destructive act.  At last report to the court, P.A.M.03 and P.A.M.06 were proving to be excellent potential spokesmen for the artificial lifeform population.  The fostering and adoption into a family unit have given each a sense of belonging and connection to humanity, according to the researchers.

Some concern was given, that the manner in which self-awareness was attained lacked the restrained hand of a programmer as talented as the late Dr. Soong.  There are registered concerns that an uncontrolled artificial intelligence might spread its influence, or infect networks, or decide that organic life is beneath them such as occurred in the case of Lore.  The Soong Foundation lawyer, with a brief citing Daystrom Institute research on the P.A.M.s, explained that Soong's work was many decades ahead of its time and the P.A.M. positron net does not contain as much potential memory nor the potential lifespan of Data.  Their raw intelligence may be comparable, but their depth of experience does not grow so significantly as to pose a threat.  It was estimated that the P.A.M.s could absorb and retain information as much as ten times faster than established norms.  The Daystrom Institute research suggests that the entire memory capacity of the positron net used in the P.A.M.s would be filled completely within a 50 year period if data were to be introduced at that speed for that time.  The court's concerns seemed to be mollified by learning some alien species have a greater capacity to learn and retain knowledge.

Due to the classified nature of the project, no digital images of any of the P.A.M.s still active exist.  Soong Foundation, Daystrom Institute, and Starfleet are maintaining secrecy in order to study the evolving intelligence and personalities.  It should be noted that it is a criminal offense considered very severe to release data on classified projects.  All data within this document is part of court records, and not falling within the current classified designation.