Informational

Because I've seen some confusion about what the Seed was, what follows is a brief description of the way I see them based on things that happen in game.

So to start with, we know that Orokin ships have an AI that can take over organics and turn them into part of its security system. Every single extermination mission in the void has this as it's premise. We also know from the same missions that bad things happen if this isn't nipped in the bud immediately. I touch on this in the chapter 'Luna, Lua, What?'.

Also in the game, when you start a new Dojo (Clan building for research, relaxation, and friendly duels) it appears out of nothing. You are also able to add multiple rooms with a view of the surrounding space, one of which is a Dry Dock. The last thing we see is that Energy-Matter-Energy conversion is possible, and seems to be the way that we carry around so much stuff.

From this was born the idea of a Seed. A self-contained machine that has enough power and equipment to convert matter into the energy it needs to start a reactor, and then convert the surrounding material into a base. The much smaller Tenno designed seed is pre-programmed to consume the asteroid it's placed on (or as much matter as is required to build the basic hall) and build the basic superstructure and an internal Hall before consuming itself leaving only the computer system and a basic generator powerful enough to keep the structure working. This computer system then has the blueprints for a variety of different rooms built into it, and just enough intelligence to construct those rooms where it is directed to. Note the lack of an AI, the whole place is maintained by people.

The Orokin on the other hand, used full blown AI and we know they included it in their ships. As such, why wouldn't they include it from the beginning. Their ships and bases also don't seem to have any obvious power systems, so I invented the Tesseract Reactor, a 4 Dimensional shape that draws a miniscule amount of energy from every 3 Dimensional universe it overlaps. This then means that the seed for an Orokin base is that much larger too, as it contains enough computing power to run the AI as well as all the infrastructure needed to start the reactor. If you have reliable Energy-Matter-Energy conversion, then as long as you have a single emitter you can create everything you need ex-nihilo. As such the seed will only have the absolutely necessary components needed to get it into place and start the reactor. Everything else will be created by the AI on demand. But what if an enemy got hold of a seed, wouldn't they just be able to steal the technology?

This is why the AI is included in the seed in its entirety. Remember that ability to take over people that happens? When it's activated the AI is programmed to assume that it is in hostile territory. For an experienced Orokin this isn't a problem, as they can transmit the authorisation codes fast enough to avoid being attacked. However, for an upstart, inexperienced faction, or an enemy that got hold of the seed? Well, that's where a hostile AI comes in, the first thing it will try and do is take over the activating systems. If that activating system happens to be an upstart Orokin that is biting off more than they can chew, no matter they were obviously too arrogant to survive. Once it's done that it will start to build out in the surrounding area and absorb or take over any technology or organics it comes across. At the same time it will be building internal defences and external weapons in order to fight whatever force has captured it. This process can be halted at any time, as long as valid override codes are provided, but that doesn't release the organics already under it's control. Once it has built itself a sufficiently mobile body, it will seek to return to Orokin space. See "Luna, Lua, What?" For a description of the consequences of that.

The Sentients, being a higher order digital intelligence, are able to "hack" the controlling AI and take it over or shut it down. This is something that Ballas talks about in his various monologues, and is the reason that the infested and warframes even exist.