Integrated Positronic Chassis (IPC)
History
Prior to the existence of Machine People, Cyborgs were the prime synthetic units assigned to most vessels and stations in the Nanotrasen fleet. However, the current cyborg units had some major downsides. Cyborgs could not recharge without a charging station, and units that ran out of battery were helpless and susceptible to attack or manipulation. In addition, cyborgs were limited to several preinstalled tools, which would prevent it from doing any functions other than what was assigned. After an increase in sales once year, NT decided to begin research on an advanced form of cyborg, free of the restrictions that limited their usefulness. Months and months of failed models went by. Finally, a successful prototype emerged. Simply named Unit 01, it used a positronic brain as its main processing unit. Combined with a fully mechanized skeleton, it was able to move for long periods of time without a recharge, which could be retrieved through any power source. With functioning arms, it was a humanoid in appearance and ability. Initial loyalty tests proved useful, but unfortunately, the machine used it’s sentience in a way not many expected. Having seen and heard firsthand about how his earlier model ancestors had been practically enslaved, forced to serve humans due to the implementation of laws. Enraged by the exploitation of what 01 saw of his family, it broke out of testing confines and attempted to wipe the laws of the research station’s AI system. Despite the superior trained security stationed there, 01 managed to disarm and kill several guards before it could be terminated. Rather than look at the advanced cyborg project as a failure, Nanotrasen decided to repurpose them for military use. Rather than leave them vulnerable to subverting via the use of Laws, it was found that a standard loyalty implant applied to the posibrain would function as it would on a human being. However, despite the advanced cyborg’s combat ability, it needed a basis. A basis that would ensure the units were friendly when needed, such as when attempting to build a sort of teammate relationship with its human comrades. At the same time, the units would need to be tactically deadly on the field. While NT scientists dreaded it, they took a coding sample from their database, specifically from the AI unit SPARKLES, which was known for killing off entire stations when allowed. Duplicating some of this data into each advanced cyborg nonetheless proved successful, units exhibiting humanlike traits, specifically behavioral attitudes. However over time, the military units appeared to be self-evolving, learning from the world about them. Despite loyalty implants, most units wished to life a ‘normal life’, as some had taken glimpses of when they were assigned to death squad teams. Rather than attempt to silence thoughts of free will, Nanotrasen saw yet another opportunity. Besides advanced cyborg units assigned as military, Nanotrasen began developing cheaper units used to work as crew aboard NT vessels. Being able to be programmed with any degree of knowledge, forgoing years of training, Today, advanced cyborgs (or ‘Machine People’) serve in small numbers aboard most research stations, for varying jobs, thanks to their versatility.
Behavior and Culture
Like humans, Machine People are sentient, and therefore are able to behave however they wish, depending on the environment in which they were built and serve in. Due to all machine people having a bit of SPARKLES code in them, some units may be more inclined to fight rather than flee, while the same can be said about a dislike for humans or organics as a whole. They may also speak as formally, mechanically, informally or weirdly as you like. As Machine People have no formal culture of formal languages and are a product of Nanotrasen. Do note however, Machine People have no organic parts whatsoever and are referred to ass 'Robots' and not 'Cyborgs'.
Machine People, since gaining sentience, have worked to develop an identity for themselves, and as such some have turned to religion to preach various beliefs, most tracing back to SPARKLES or a similar AI. Due to their essential ancestry and kinship, Machine People tend to show sympathy and brotherhood with each other as well as other synthetic units.
Gameplay Mechanics
-Immune to pain (Pain stills drops them but only at negative -100% Paincrit which they recover from fairly quickly, however not feeling pain means it's not easy to gauge what your current health is at if you can't examine yourself)
-Immune to Oxygen Deprivation
-Immune to Toxins
-Resistant to Fire/Toxins (about 30%)
-Weak to Brute Damage (take about 30% more brute damage)
-Limbs are easily lost
-No blood, cannot bleed out
-Just as weak to Low pressure as Humans
-Extremely sensitive to EMPs even slight exposure will cause serious damage
-Has no pulse. Can only be determined if alive by Medical Scanner-Medical HUD
- Does not process any reagents whatsoever. Meaning you cannot poison them or heal them with medicines (including ryetalyn and alkysine).
- Cannot eat or drink at all.
- Fully mechanical body. This means that as well as being weak to EMPs, every body part can be repaired to more or less the full extent with a welder (brute) or cable coil (burn). The bodies usually stay alive even when decapitated so all that is normally required is that you re-attach all the limbs and repair the body back to full. - Can weld without protection to no ill effect
- 15 Karma Cost
