Steel Eden

[Lord Liaden]

Book Of The Machine, the PnP source book for all things related to the genocidal robot Mechanon, reveals that in his desire to replace all organic life with "superior" technology, Mechanon has created metallic counterparts to various natural animals, including the Chromecat, Ironquill, Steelhawk, Steelshark, Steelspider, and Tritaniumceratops (fully described in the book). These are all relatively large and heavily armed robots, used by Mechanon as guards, assassins, spies, and the like.

However, it occurred to me that Mechanon might experiment with creating an entire robotic "ecosystem" of pseudo-animals and -plants, in some relatively isolated or hidden location, perhaps one hostile to normal life -- in a desert, arctic or antarctic waste, deep rainforest, huge underground cavern, even the surface of the Moon.

Mechanon could have created "Steel Eden" as a model for what he'll remake the world into after organics are gone; or if these "organisms" are self-replicating he could plan to loose them into the world to propagate, and devastate the natural ecosystem. The area could have been discovered by accident and the PCs sent to investigate; or they might respond to its encroachment on the environment and have to find a way to destroy it; or Mechanon might set prisoners loose in his "preserve" and let his creations hunt them, so they have to fight to survive and escape.

One could go wild designing bizarre and dangerous metallic creatures to populate such a landscape, in addition to the ones mentioned above: trees that hurl knifelike leaves, with roots like cables that burst out of the ground to grab you; "sunflowers" that project blinding light and heat rays; "rosebushes" that fire thorn-darts or lash you with tendrils like barbed wire; grass that electrifies when walked on; fruit that explodes with shrapnel when touched; swarms of small robotic insects or rodents, which can combine into single giant versions.

[Major Tom 2009]

Jeez...to use GURPS as an analogy, that sounds like Reign of Steel meets War Against the Chtorr.

A definitely scary scenario, indeed.



Major Tom 2009

[Lucius]

The plant analogues would be the energy sources, as in a real ecosystem.

The glassgrass would be photoelectric cells, programmed to replicate themselves from "soil." Each blade (sharp enough to justify the name) both gathers energy from light and stores it, probably changing color depending on how much energy is stored. (The indicative color might be in the ultraviolet range, visible to machinimals but not Humans.) "Herbivore" machines consume glassgrass, preferring to feed when it's most energy-rich.

The "soil" is largely created by wormitrons, which break down scrap and deactivated machines into smaller particles more easily assimilated by plant analogues. They also take apart organic life forms that lie still long enough.

The powerplants are tree analogues that not only have solar panel "leaves" but cable "roots" that not only anchor them but extract organic compounds from the soil (or perhaps directly from life forms if they are equipped and programmed to ensnare) to perform various chemical processes inside the trunks, most especially to refine fuels and lubricants, which are distilled into "fruits" that are consumed by other machines. The fruits also, of course, contain chips programmed to build a new powerplant when they hit the soil or from the body of the machinimal if it ceases to function while containing the "seed." If the roots go deep enough, powerplants may even access fossil fuels like petroleum and coal. They may also be the source for plastics and other substances synthesized from organic components. Now I think of it, their roots probably also locate and refine ore, since all the metal has to come from somewhere.

Lucius Alexander

Palindromebot

[phoenix240]

Maybe Mechanon could even be actually going for a replication of Eden except "perfect" right down to an android Adam and Eve, his vision of a perfected humanity: a pair of guileless innocent AIs unaware of their creator's homocidal insanity. Then the PC(s) get to play the role of the serpent...

[death tribble]

Home for the Daleks, definitely.

[Christopher]

Book Of The Machine, the PnP source book for all things related to the genocidal robot Mechanon, reveals that in his desire to replace all organic life with "superior" technology, Mechanon has created metallic counterparts to various natural animals, including the Chromecat, Ironquill, Steelhawk, Steelshark, Steelspider, and Tritaniumceratops (fully described in the book).

One important thing certainly is a "self-sutaining" cycle. So the entire system needs to be able to harvest raw materials and solar power. The Tree/Grass ideas do that well so far.
One question is: Do herbivores have a place? I personally am not even certain that "diegstion" would have a relevant place. After all, just connection to the power coupling in the tree is that much easier than a fake digestion system (after all the bad energy-efficience is one of his rasons to favor robot over humans).

On the other hand having mutliple layers/multiple sources for one resource allows the system to be more stable against disruptions. And if the Grass/Tree's are self replciating you could need herbivores to keep them in check.

[Lord Liaden]

I love how you guys are actually exploring the logical ramifications of this concept.

HERO players: the deep-thinking gamers.

[JmOz]

I thought we were the OCD gamers, with minor obsessions in minutia...

[Lucius]

One important thing certainly is a "self-sutaining" cycle. So the entire system needs to be able to harvest raw materials and solar power. The Tree/Grass ideas do that well so far.
One question is: Do herbivores have a place? I personally am not even certain that "diegstion" would have a relevant place. After all, just connection to the power coupling in the tree is that much easier than a fake digestion system (after all the bad energy-efficience is one of his rasons to favor robot over humans).

On the other hand having mutliple layers/multiple sources for one resource allows the system to be more stable against disruptions. And if the Grass/Tree's are self replciating you could need herbivores to keep them in check.

Perhaps every machinimal has a cable that connects to the powerplants, or even to one another, to exchange information, energy, and even lubricants.

The powerplants and glassgrass could spread via root systems.

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary wonders if Mechanon could turn over a new leaf

[phoenix240]

Maybe "Steel Eden" would make a good setting to introduce Mechanon's "female" counterpart to another strange note to a somewhat surreal scenario.

[Lord Liaden]

He has a pseudo-feminine counterpart of his own creation, Mechana, detailed in Book Of The Machine. There's a rather cheeky illo near the back of that book of the two of them in a typical-looking suburban back yard, with a couple of smaller versions of themselves roughhousing, and Mechanon standing over a grill wearing an apron that says, "Kiss me I'm digital."

[phoenix240]

He has a pseudo-feminine counterpart of his own creation, Mechana, detailed in Book Of The Machine.

Yep, that's who I was talking about.

[bigbywolfe]

Threads like this are why I love the Hero forum. Rep will be spread when I'm at a real computer.