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Ghasts
 Image from Steve Bowers and Artbreeder AI |
Morphs of this type are optimised to be subtly disturbing in appearance rather than blatantly frightening; some use subtle memetics and psychology to deepen the valley for effects that are as unpleasant as possible. However, hu can become as used to Ghasts as they can to other exotic types of sophont, and rearrangements of their perceptions can entirely eliminate the disturbing effects of Ghasts if it is desired. Because of this Ghasts are not be very widespread, and in most places are more of an urban legend than a known fact.
Ghasts are often used as emissaries of anti-human polities such as the Diamond Network when interaction with bionts is necessary. They exploit their uncanny appearance as a psychological tool or weapon for use against bionts in diplomatic relations of this sort. Many humans (especially near-baseline or baseline types) are distracted by the slightly disturbing appearance of these near-human robots putting them at a disadvantage during negotiations. Sometimes the Ahuman AI who is the creator of a given Ghast gives the equivalent of a shrug and the explanation that they 'did their best'. At other times the Ahuman AI simply describes the Ghast as a measure of its contempt for Hukind. At all times the explanation considered best for the AI in terms of disconcerting of the bionts in question is the one used.
A number of fringe groups and cultures in the Sephirotic Empires prefer to use Ghast-type morphs as they everyday appearance; this is usually a passing fad, and rarely lasts more than a few standard decades, because their uncanny appearance soon becomes accepted as normal.
The effect of the Uncanny Valley exploited by the Ghasts is something that Environmental interfaces, provolutionists, angelnet directors, and may other groups have to take into account, and either choose to 'get it exactly right' or go with a toon-ish subset of norm to avoid its results.
The same effects achieved by hu-type Ghasts can be adapted into morphs which are disturbing to non-hu sophonts and other entities, and can be applied to other senses than sight, depending on the exact sensory suite of the entity in question. So a non-humanoid Ghast might smell 'wrong', or emit sounds which cause unease or disquiet.
Sometimes, Ahuman AIs will use other types of morphs for similar but different effects to those achieved by Ghasts. These include types that are hideously 'deformed' by normal standards, but that have perfect manners and are very polite and urbane. Despite their polite manners, such 'monsters' are unpredictable, and have been known to disregard basic sophont rights in various disturbing ways.
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Development Notes
Text by Tony Jones
Additional material by Steve Bowers 2024
Initially published on 26 February 2006.
Additional material by Steve Bowers 2024
Initially published on 26 February 2006.
