The worm cluster causes an abnormal impulse cascade (represented in red) throughout GW's neural network.
Emma Emmerich's worm cluster was a program made up of several computer worms, each one designed to target a specific part of GW's AI system.
Function[]
The worm cluster was programmed to mimic the data packets that comprised GW. Because of this, GW's scanning agents would be unable to detect the program, and thus could not trigger its antibody production system. The worm program could also penetrate GW's bit brain barrier until it reached its neural network. Once inside GW's neural net, the worm cluster would transform the surrounding neurons by turning them solid and thus make them incapable of resuming their duty as neural nets. After some time, the transformed neurons would perish after transformation, which would lead to the overall system being stripped of its power to define and comprehend data. In turn, this would then lead to language disorders and memory loss, and eventually the shutdown of functions, as the system would no longer be capable of maintaining itself.[1] It was modeled after FOXDIE.
History[]
The Manhattan Incident[]
- See also: Tanker Incident and the Big Shell Incident
Emma Emmerich designed the worm cluster, on orders of the Patriots, as a safeguard in case GW fell into the wrong hands. The Patriots also secretly added in a program that would erase the identities of the Wisemen's Committee. The worm was uploaded into GW during the Big Shell Incident, though its progress was seemingly halted at 90% by an antibody agent. Despite this, following a slight delay, it eventually began to affect GW. Raiden discovered this when his supposed C.O., the Colonel, began to act in a strange manner and was revealed to be an AI construct of GW's. The worm then fully corrupted the GW system as well as everything connected to it, with Revolver Ocelot informing Solidus Snake of this just as the corrupted RAYs were starting to go haywire, also forcing the Arsenal Gear to surface. The worm's coding was later reverse-engineered by Philanthropy to locate the identities of the Wisemen's Committee in the programming, although they later discovered that the identities were duds due to their dying a century prior, although they nevertheless discovered that at least one of the identities was also the same one bankrolling Philanthropy's various missions earlier. In addition, one of the AIs when contacting Raiden nearing the end of the mission implied that the worm, while crippling GW, nonetheless managed to perfect the AI in the process largely because of the S3 Plan.[2]
Guns of the Patriots Incident[]
- See also: Liquid Sun, Solid Sun, Third Sun, Twin Suns, Old Sun, and Naked Sin/Naked Son
Copies of Emma's worm cluster were later found in Gaudi's digital library by Sunny and were later used to perfect the FOXALIVE worm cluster.
Notes and references[]
- ^ Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Digital Entertainment (2001).
Otacon describes the worm's function in an optional Codec conversation. - ^ Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2001)
Colonel: (sneering) Ha, ha, ha ...exactly right. So you see, you’re a perfect representative of the masses we need to protect. This is why we chose you. You accepted the fiction we’ve provided, obeyed our orders and did everything you were told to. The exercise is a resounding success. // Colonel (Emma Emmerich): Didn’t I tell you that GW was still incomplete? But not anymore, thanks to you. // Colonel: Your persona, experiences, triumphs and defeats are nothing but by-products. The real objective was ensuring that we could generate and manipulate them. It’s taken a lot of time and money, but it was well worth it considering the results. // Raiden: ... // Colonel: I think that’s enough talk. It’s time for the final exercise.