“The X-1000 is a masterpiece. Imagine a microchip sophisticated enough to control the guidance systems of ballistic missiles. Imagine it can be used to instantly upgrade any system that it's plugged into; like a Smart Drug for machines. Then, imagine it can learn."
"What are you talking about? Artificial intelligence?" "No, 'actual' intelligence.” ―Ralph Quist and Irwin Wayfair |
The X-1000 is a smart microprocessor, originally developed by Mars Micro-Digitech for The Pentagon's Department of Defence.
Small Soldiers (film)[]
The X-1000 chips were designed by Ralph Quist to be a smart ballistic missile guidance technology, capable of upgrading any machine they plug into by enhancing its core programming; to the point of achieving "actual" intelligence. Despite this groundbreaking technology, the project was prematurely shut down when it was discovered that the chips were vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses; the kind generated by the detonation of a nuclear device. The chips were deemed unsuitable for the theatre of war, as adequate shielding was deemed not cost-effective, and they were indefinitely shelved.
Ralph Quist likened his X-1000 to Michelangelo's sculptures, and was more than a little displeased at the outcome, though remained in Globotech Industries' employ following the incident.
Larry Benson later bought 500,000 chips (valued at $4,000 each) through the internal Globotech ordering system (using Irwin Wayfair's account), simply for being "state-of-the-art", for use in the new Commando Elite and Gorgonites toy lines. He had no idea the microprocessors were capable of achieving sentience until Alan Abernathy's complaint caught the attention of Globotech, and the two designers went to Ralph Quist about the chip directly.
Enhancing the toys' original programming, the Commando Elite were programmed to hunt down and destroy the "Gorgonite scum", while the Gorgonites were programmed to hide, and ultimately lose to the Commando Elite.[citation needed] The X-1000 chip enabled the toys to adapt and evolve beyond their prime directives, resulting in increasingly divergent and extreme behavior.
After the death of Nick Nitro, the Commando Elite reverse-engineered his X-1000 to produce similar chips, using them to militarise Christy Fimple's Gwendy dolls.
During the final battle against the Commando Elite, the Gorgonites evolved beyond their programming to hide and lose; fighting back against the Commandos, and eventually surviving (ironically, by hiding, in which case underneath the Fimples' TV satellite dish).
In the film's epilogue, Gil Mars realizses that the Commando Elites could make them a small fortune if sold to politically unstable countries, instead of as toys. The "Top Secret Dossier" goes on to show an ad for this venture, stating:
“ATTENTION THIRD-WORLD DESPOTS! Tired of troops that require food, water, and rest? We've got the solution for you! For only $12,000 each, you can have an army made up of state-of-the-art soldiers that will obey your every order without question and never rest until their mission is completed.”
―Mercenaries of Fortune magazine ad, Volume 2, Issue 5[1] |
Trivia[]
- The "Top Secret Dossier" includes an in-universe email from Larry Benson and Irwin Wayfair to Gil Mars, stating that a number rounding error mistakenly ordered the X-1000 chips instead of X-1 chips (valued at $0.03 each).[1] It is unclear if this is a holdover from a previous version of the screenplay, or if they were knowingly lying to bury their culpability (which is highly likely).
- The X-1 chip is stated to "hold the recordings of twelve different spoken likes of dialogue and play them at random"; typical functionality for a consumer toy.[1] The programming for a microprocessor this simple would have been very different from a X-1000's, and not capable of containing the core directives of the Commando Elite and Gorgonites. Either the programming was expanded to accommodate the enhanced processing capacity of the X-1000 after the fact, or this was an unconvincing lie, and they never intended to buy X-1s in the first place.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dreamworks (1998). "Small Soldiers Top Secret Dossier", ISBN 0-14-130242-9
| Navigation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgonites | Canonical | Archer • Insaniac • Ocula • Punch-It and Scratch-It • Slamfist • Troglokhan (Freakenstein) | |
| Non-Canon | Chanter • Flatchoo (Belch Brigade) • Nibble (PS1)/(Toy) • Stench | ||
| Commando Elite | Canonical | Brick Bazooka • Butch Meathook • Chip Hazard • Gwendy Dolls • Kip Killigan • Link Static • Nick Nitro | |
| Non-Canon | Bipod • Mortar • Sentry • Vasquez | ||
| Civilians | The Abernathys | Alan • Irene • Stuart | |
| The Fimples | Christy • Marion • Phil • Timmy | ||
| Globotech Employees | Gil Mars • Irwin Wayfair • Joe Kawalski • Ms. Kegel • Larry Benson • Ralph Quist | ||
| Others | Brad • Montgomery Heart | ||
| Locations | "Real" | The Abernathy House • The Fimple House • Giant Toy World • Globotech Industries • Heartland Play Systems • The Inner Child • Winslow Corners | |
| Fictional | Gorgon • Gorgonite Homeworlds | ||
| Merchandise | Media | Books • Film • Games • Music | |
| Toys | Action Figures • Miscellaneous Products | ||