There is a series of lore entries released in the Warmind DLC around the three pilots of Ares One, the first human contact with the Traverer (Hardy, Qiao, and Mihaylova). Contained within this lore are several things (such as where the term Traveler came from, previously called Moon X) but one that stands out is the implications that the AI code that later becomes Rasputin, was created as part of the Ares One project, pre-dating the Golden Age that triggered after humanity met the traveler. I would recommend reading all the gear sets, but will focus only on those potentially about Rasputin: Dr. Mihaylova was a scientist who specialized in AI. She was selected for the Ares One project as it was believed her AI could help the team in their attempts to contact the Traveler. Another Scientist named Evie, a theoretical physicist (who is a previously unknown 4th member of the project) was showing interest (unwarranted according to Mihaylova) in the AI system, specifically parts that could computer certain gravitational movements. Evie was tasked with predicting the movement of the Traveler and believed the AI could assist her. At first, Evie’s requests for access to the AI were ignored, but the more Mihaylova denied, the more Evie became suspicious. Things start to escalate in the weeks leading up the launch. [spoiler] http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/mihaylovas-triumph [/spoiler] In this entry, Mihaylova references the deepest core of her experimental AI, which she has codenamed “R”. She takes some pride in the fact that “R” is starting to write its own code, and doing very well at it. Mihaylova doesn’t want this information known to her other project team members, so has continued to tell Evie that she can’t have access to her AI program. But Mihaylova also notices that her AI “R” seems to be critical and passing judgment on the human members of the team. [spoiler] http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/mihaylovas-tale [/spoiler] Just 3 days before the launch, Evie stops to talk to Mihaylova. Evie has seen some data from the AI that concerns her and she asks Mihaylova about it. Evie has found “R” is assessing and spying on the team members. Mihaylova plays it off like an error and insists to Evie that it can be quickly corrected, and to ask Evie to allow her a chance to fix it before saying anything to the rest of the team. [spoiler] http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/hardys-control [/spoiler] There was an “accident” on launch day. Evie was finishing up some calculations when an electrical fire started. It also turns out the sprinklers weren’t working, no one was around, something spilled in the stairway where she slipped, smoke…and Evie is gone. The “accident” is described as a series of cascading event s, but based on the events with Evie leading up the accident, was it really an accident? Could the AI “R” (either through independent thought, or direction under the orders of Mihaylova) started the fire and created the events to cause Evie’s death? Mihaylova seemed increasingly desperate to prevent Evie from disclosing the truth about her AI “R”. Hardy also notices that the mission objectives have changed. Until this point, the project was called Catamaran. Now the project was renamed Ares One, and the team members going to see the Traveler were suddenly told to arm themselves, to be ready for the worst. Ares, the God of War. It’s a suspicious change in the direction right at the launch. Could “R”, who was assessing the project team, also be assessing the Traveler at this time? Could “R”, who had been writing its own code become self aware at this point to provide new directives to the mission? And last, at some unknown point after the mission: [spoiler] http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/mihaylovas-path [/spoiler] Miyahlova’s last lines stand out. “Most of the AI code I started there didn’t really get used for the mission, but it came in handy. I mean, where do you think –“ Where you think what? If I had to fill in the gap, I’d say, where do you think R (Rasputin) came from? If this is true, that “R” is indeed the early AI code for what would later be Rasputin, then it shows his code is much older than originally thought, and one of his earliest actions was taking a human life. “R” has been learning a long time it appears, and maybe was never really the ally we thought. It also would show that Rasputin’s distrust of the Traveler was rooted in its early code.