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This article, 117 Institute, was written by Distant Tide, but may be used freely by other users even without the author's explicit permission. |
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- "To develop objective solutions for the challenges ahead."
- ―117 Institute's mission statement
The 117 Institute, said as "One-One-Seven Institute," established in October 2554, is a nonprofit think tank specializing in the research and advocacy of military and government policy. It is funded through the UEG government, private endowments, and donations provided by public and private entities. Founded by former ONI commander-in-chief, Margret Parangosky, and Spartan Branch commander-in-chief, Musa Ghanem, the Institute came into prominence for publishing topic papers on unifying interests of military, civilian, and corporate entities following the soft UNSC emergency government drawdown after the Human-Covenant War.
Sponsored in part by Misriah Armory, the 117 Institute has played roles in guiding everything from ordinance procurement, technology research-and-development, future war strategy, and macroeconomic coordination. The Institute is named after the famed Spartan, John-117, in an attempt to connect his wartime iconography and legacy with the organization. Behind the scenes, the organization served as a front organization, sponsoring research for classified military projects and providing official cover for Naval Intelligence agents.
The public face of the 117 Institute receives its fair share of criticism in post-war society with claims of war profiteering, continuation of military power interests by other means, corporate power-grabbing, and hollowing out of already fragile democratic values in the Unified Earth Government. There are also rumors of unethical, illegal programs associated with the Institute including child kidnapping and dangerous AI research.
Location[]
A symbol for Boston, Massachusetts in the 26th century.
Similar to other government and defense industry headquarters, the 117 Institute is based in the North American city of Boston and along the shores of Boston harbor and the Bostonian Crater Basin, formed from an ancient conflict in the twenty-second century and a stark reminder to the cost of intelligence gathering failures. Overlooked along the shoreline by the tall glass towers that make up the Boston skyline, the 117 Institute is a low-lying metal compound surrounded by rocky harbor seawalls and architecture that lowered down to water level. A bronze statue of the Master Chief sits surrounded by a grove of trees facing the public sidewalk and a car park that extends underneath the complex. Several aircraft pads sit on the flat utilitarian roof.
Within seven-minutes walking distance of Boston's Naval Intelligence branch headquarters on Rainja Avenue, the proximity shows the close relationship the public and private organizations have but visible traffic between the two offices is not apparent. Unlike the ONI facility, there are no hidden obscuration security implementations discouraging people from walking onto the premises. The small grove park out front has become a common rest spot for pedestrians during walking commutes through the area.
A Maglev car on the NEC-1 plastered with a UNSC recruitment poster featuring John-117.[1]
The facility is situated near the NEC-1 Line (Northeast Corridor-1), a Maglev train route connecting from Boston's central city to the Washington, D.C. historical district (sometimes called "BosWash Route") running parallel with Interstate 95 and with common, scenic views of the ancient Liberty Arcology. It is also notable that the local Andrews City Base (ACB) route intersects with NEC-1, a route Spartan-III supersoldier Andra-D054 used to travel between the Patuxent River Academy of Military Science and the 117 Institute to visit her former mentor, Dr. Reyna Zhou-Romero.
Nearby Locations of Interest[]
- Boston Crater Basin
- Boston Harbor
- Boston Public Library (BPL)
- Interstate 95 (I-95)
- Naval Institute for Intelligent Systems (NIIS)
- Northeast Corridor-1 Maglev Line (NEC-1/BosWash Route)
- ONI Field Office - Boston (Rainja Avenue)
- ONI Chawla Base
Culture[]
- "I never considered my work humane. Despite my employer, I didn't kill or spy. But I kidnapped children and manipulated the masses to save our people. ONI told me to believe in their greater good, so I did. I'm sure my past-self might judge me as a monster but I've come to terms with my work and embraced the regrets I have. I'm paying for them now, but at least I didn't turn into a Halsey."
- ―Doctor Romero reflecting on her career in Naval Intelligence.
The organization personality is similar to Naval Intelligence installations with the architectural features being very unassuming and uniform in a way that could be described as "unnerving" with long empty hallways and spacious interiors or matte-colored exteriors and interiors. Like the Office of Naval Intelligence, the organization uses a large degree of automation in its offices but has a larger ratio of human attendants due to the business culture within Unified Earth Government society and being a public-facing, private organization first rather than a ONI shell corporation. Employees can vary in background, personality, and experience but generally maintain high professionalism and can appear standoffish to outsiders. They, like the building itself, can be unnerving or uncomfortable to be around.
Organization[]
Employees[]
- Reyna Zhou-Romero: ONI Section II/III psychology consultant formerly working on the SPARTAN-III program. Reassigned and under increased workplace surveillance, possibly detention or house arrest, due to a minor role played in a coup attempt against the ONI Osman administration. Involved in Smart AI neurology studies and a post-augment research project regarding later-life mutagen psychosis potentially exhibited in members of SPARTAN-III Gamma Company.
Products[]
The Project LOKIBORN smart AI, ALT 5032-4 Althea.
- Althea: Fourth-generation smart AI developed as part of ONI research venture Project LOKIBORN. The progenitor's brain remained unknown for legal purposes, however, after completing the research trial the smart AI was subject to memory overwrite. Self-assigned as "Althea", the Smart AI took on a copycat personality while in search of new stimuli to support an individual identity. Eventually took form as a simulacrum of Andra-D054; prone to temperate mood swings related to Project LOKIBORN.
- Grytha: Fourth-generation smart AI developed as part of the Project LOKIBORN venture with an unknown brain baseline and subjected to memory overwrite following the end of research. Grytha was in the process of reassignment like many LOKIBORN test AI when the Created conflict erupted. Cortana liberated Grytha and her fellow AI and incorporated into the Created forces, becoming the AI director of the Solid Ground Commission.
Programs[]
Patuxent River Academy of Military Science (PRAMS) was one facility to receive student candidates from the ASAI program.
- Accelerated Service Academy Initiative (ASAI): A legitimate, 117 Institute-funded scholarship initiative directed towards promising high school-aged youth interested in military, science, or industrial endeavors. The program covers necessary expenses for attending premier cadet and military academies in the UEG Inner Colonies and usually leads into a promising military or industry career of the participant's choosing upon completion. Outer Colonial critics have criticized the program for "indoctrinating colonial youth into an Earth-imperialist cult."
- Project LOKIBORN: Research venture prepared by ONI into later-life mutagen psychosis suspected in members of SPARTAN-III Gamma Company. Acquiring forty cloned, augmented brains through some legal ambiguity, Project LOKIBORN converted the subject matter into Smart AI and applied stimulus comparative to stresses experienced by Gamma Company graduates. After trial completion, the Smart AIs underwent memory overwrite and were donated to the UNSC. Findings were inconclusive regarding suspected mutagen psychosis, in particular with tests for extended smoother-deficiency and scenarios labeled "Stockholm syndrome." After the collapse of the Created regime, Lokiborn AI were among splinters of rogue intelligence determined to continue Cortana's crusade after her death.
See Also[]
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Literary Appearances[]
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References[]
- ↑ Reddit: overseen on the L train, NYC., u/NBSquare, (Modified and obscured by Distant Tide with intention of fair use attribution.)