[Coda]

SUBJECT: Postmortem - Mark II Robot Masters
AUTHOR: Dr. Albert Wily
DATE: July 8, 20XX
FORMAT: Plain Text

After discovering what I have tentatively named the Wily effect, I created a controlled experimental setup. I deployed one Robot Master for each discovered peak of the Wily effect and one control Robot Master that did not employ Wily effect technology. The goal of the experiment was to gather data about the properties of Wily effect technology. The intent of this document is to summarize the experimental data and draw conclusions about it.

All of the experimental setups emitted visible light radiation while employing Wily effect energy, with the intensity of the glow appearing to be roughly proportional to the magnitude of the exhibited phenomena. Further details on these phenomena will be documented below. The intensity also appears to correlate with certain action potentials in the state of the algorithmically generated AIs. I have begun further targeted research into understanding the semantic meaning of these action potentials, but my preliminary hypotheses are also documented below.

All of the Robot Masters were able to supplement the energy from their power cores with Wily effect energy. Most experimental setups demonstrated an ability to augment or modify Master Weapon effects using this energy as well. DWN-010 and DWN-011 demonstrated the most significant variation from their weapons' design specifications. DWN-014 demonstrated a novel mode of attack unrelated to any of its existing weapons systems; more details below.

Additional observations and conclusions, in order of increasing optical frequency:

Red: DWN-010 was observed using red Wily energy as a destructive force. Preliminary estimates of the energy requirements to reproduce the effects observed yield an implausibly large number, suggesting a more exotic mechanism of action than vaporization. Action potentials correlating to red energy appear to have something to do with aggression or frustrated objectives.

Orange: DWN-012 was not observed to produce novel Wily effect phenomena. The recordings of DWN-012's telemetry and my own personal experimentation suggest that the orange energy is influenced by desire or need, especially considering DWN-012's tendency toward hoarding and greediness.

Yellow: DWN-015 was observed generating barriers. Yellow energy magnitude appears to be inversely correlated with confidence estimates. However, the increase in yellow energy levels before DLN-001 entered the volcano remains unexplained. This may suggest that Wily effect efficiency may be influenced by external factors in addition to internal ones.

Green: DWN-013 actively blocked transmission of its telemetry and was able to override hard-coded software directives. This does not provide any insight into the behavior of the green Wily effect, but it did suggest that intent, contrarianism, or self-determination could be linked to the evolved behavior algorithm. This is consistent with observations of DLN-001. Further direct experimentation leads me to believe that the specific mental state that influences the green effect is the exertion of willpower.

Blue: DWN-011 was observed generating barriers and altering weapon behavior. Blue energy magnitude appears to be positively correlated with confidence estimates.

Indigo: DWN-016 was not observed to produce novel Wily effect phenomena. Action potentials correlating to indigo energy appear to have something to do with outcomes beneficial to third parties. The evolved AI's behavior is very puzzling to me. Its decision-making process does not seem logical to me, but it was apparently psychologically effective against DLN-001 and led to DWN-016's survival of the second deployment.

Violet: DWN-014 was observed generating many forms of crystalline structures, including barriers, platforms, and weapons. The evolved AI's behavior is erratic and has some similarities to DWN-012's. I was not able to form a hypothesis about the mental state associated with the violet spectral peak that was consistent with the observed behaviors.

The contrast between the yellow and blue behavioral models suggests the possibility of further symmetries in the spectrum. Assuming symmetry suggests that yellow and blue may correspond to fear and hope. Assuming the truth of these additional hypotheses suggests a pattern: at least three of the spectral peaks (desire, hope, and fear) are correlated to focused emotional states, four if determination is considered to be an emotional state. And if the peaks represent emotional states, then that suggests that red corresponds to anger or hatred. By symmetry, violet would correspond to affection or love, which -- while strange -- might be consistent with DWN-014's behavior if taken in the right light.

The remaining question is that of indigo. If these hypotheses hold, then indigo would correspond to the inverse of desire. However, it is difficult to identify an opposite of desire. I might have guessed asceticism but that neither seems like an emotional state nor is it consistent with DWN-016's behavior. Disgust is an emotional state, but it is also inconsistent with the observed behaviors.

Another pattern to observe among these hypothesized emotional states is that the peaks of lower frequency than the axis of symmetry are considered "negative" or "sinful" by many cultures while the identified peaks higher than the axis of symmetry are considered "positive" or "virtuous." If the orange light is taken to correspond to excessive desire (gluttony? greed?) then the "virtuous" inverse might be somehow related to an outward-directed impulse such as altruism or charity. Perhaps compassion?

I will begin designing follow-up experiments to evaluate the likelihood that these hypotheses are correct.