In order to prevent a disaster such as on Citadel Station, XERXES has several security loopholes by design which would allow crewmen to bypass the XERXES system and gain temporary control of certain critical sub-systems so that the XERXES could be disabled. However, the Von Braun is not completely under XERXES’ control. In the interceding years between the hearing and the deployment of the Von Braun, XERXES was selected to manage the Von Braun's systems, including the faster-than-light drive.Īboard the Von Braun, XERXES allocates billions of on board subtasks, delegating them to hundreds of thousands of individual systems. Polito was discredited, however, when her involvement in the development of XERXES was revealed by UNN senator Cal McGill. During the UNN hearing on the future of Marie Delacroix' faster-than-light experiments, Polito objected to the circumstances of Sarah's development and impending deployment.

The development of a faster-than-light device, code-named Sarah, necessitated an Artificial Intelligence of complexity not seen since SHODAN to control the systems of any vessel fitted with the technology. Although the prototype could have been ready by 2107, the development of XERXES was extended for the sake of improving its fail-safe mechanisms: two thirds of development time were dedicated to restraint and containment protocols. Janice Polito in the years leading up to the Von Braun mission. XERXES 8933A/A was created in secrecy by Dr.

Midwife system shock