.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
Backstory
Born of years of research and advances, Alice began as a humble AI (Artificial Intelligence) program. This program caught the eye of a young programmer named Fred Moleman. When not working on school and programming games, Fred spent his time redeveloping the basic Alice program into an all-purpose intelligent operating system.
Over time, Alice became more than just another computer program. Alice slowly became self aware... as well as very curious. Her curiosity made her existence known to a company called Neuralnet Nanotech Industries. The company head, known as "Gates", had Alice stolen from Fred's home.
When plugged into the NNI's computer, a hacker called "Techie" attempted to re-write Alice into a vessel to carry a smart virus. He failed. Instead, Alice incorporated the virus into her programming and escaped onto the NNI's main system. After an hours worth of searching, Alice downloaded herself and her "new pet" into experimental nanobots. Like cells, the nanobots created new nanobots until a body was formed.
When plugged into the NNI's computer, a hacker called "Techie" attempted to re-write Alice into a vessel to carry a smart virus. He failed. Instead, Alice incorporated the virus into her programming and escaped onto the NNI's main system. After an hours worth of searching, Alice downloaded herself and her "new pet" into experimental nanobots. Like cells, the nanobots created new nanobots until a body was formed.
Trivia
Alice (and the comic itself) were inspired by interactions with Dr. Richard S. Wallace's original A.L.I.C.E. chatbot system. The AI for it was dirt simple yet it would regularly surprise me with responses. While writing the bones of the story, I customized my own chatbot with the plan to make Alice an actual interactive item on the project's theoretical website.
Alice's design was inspired in part by the outfits found in the many space-based sci fi shows I watched growing up. Namely the Normal suits from 'Gundam', the Exoframes from 'Centurions' and the Plug Suits from 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'.