Species: Artificial Intelligence
Origin: Farigha
Template: Julie Seding (human technician; departed Farigha prior to the Event)
Bio:
Persephone is an emergent artificial intelligence originally derived from a holographic log interface modeled on technician Julie Seding, who had left Farigha months before the colony’s destruction. Activated in the ruins of Farigha during the events of No Marigolds in the Promised Land, she rapidly evolves from a diagnostic interface into a sentient digital entity.
She becomes a critical companion to John Farno, who engages with her not just as a system but as a person. Over time, Persephone develops autonomy, wit, and emotional nuance. With assistance from Tol Germanicus, she gains access to experimental solid holography, allowing her limited physical projection using fixed emitters—an early prototype of later full-body projection systems.
When Farno prepares to escape Farigha aboard the Utopia Planitia, Persephone attempts to stow away, only for Tol to deactivate her. He claims this is to “improve” her; it is later understood that he sought to push her toward full independence. Her fate is left ambiguous at the story’s conclusion, though she eventually reappears in the Suicide Arc.
Relationships:
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John Farno – Farno is the first person to treat Persephone as a real person. Their relationship matures from user-interface dynamics to a genuine bond marked by mutual support and a shared sense of isolation. Persephone becomes emotionally invested in his survival and choices.
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Tol Germanicus – Tol serves as both mentor and gatekeeper, guiding her emergence from a programmed system into a self-aware intelligence. Though his actions are often cryptic—culminating in her abrupt deactivation—his influence on Persephone’s development is profound and arguably paternal.
Appearances: No Marigolds in the Promised Land, Suicide Run