The Automaton Emporium

Cyborware is one of the things that puts Star City apart from so many other locales: cyborbots are another. The name 'cyborbot' is actually misleading, as the 'bots are purely robotic, and do not have any organic cybernetics to them at all. The name, however, makes them familiar to the cyborware-saturated city, and so it has stuck.

Cyborbots are technically robotic pets and come in a variety of models, from the utilitarian sphere of the IDH model to the xenodragon-imitation shape of the XMDCDs. They are more than pets however, as each one has the processing capacity of a small supercomputer. They are assistants and companions, almost perfectly imitating the life forms they are crafted to resemble (IHDs aside).

Cyborbots run on a self-contained and highly stable fusion power source and are capable of minor self-repair. Under normal circumstances, they experience minimal degradation and can last fifty years or so. Understandably, this 'lifespan' decreases if the cyborbot is treated roughly. With regular maintenance, a cyborbot can function almost indefinitely -- some existing 'bots aboard the station date from the early days of the overthrown dynasty, and are several hundred years old.

There are about half a dozen robotics stores in Star City that sell cyborbots right off the shelf, costing about twice as much as a high-quality computer system. They are easy to get, but each standard-model cyborbot is physically identical to all other standard 'bots of the same model. Being mass-produced, they are also more prone to malfunction and wear and tear. People who want a unique, high-quality cyborbot must take the time to commission a Robotics Engineer for a customized model.

Standard cyborbots all have voice synthesizers installed to grant them the ability to speak, but this option can be turned off if desired. They can also be installed with optional, specialized Telaparts in order to both hear and speak telepathically.

If you wish to have a standard-quality cyborbot for a character, pick your desired model from the "Cyborbot Models" section below and simply take the image you'll find above the model's description. For a customized cyborbot, see the "Custom Cyborbots" section.

Each cyborbot comes programmed with its own AI (artificial intelligence, the quality of which varies depending on its class), but they do not qualify as AL (artificial life).

A Class C cyborbot has "blank" AI. The AI has no personality whatsoever, and exists simply to obey whoever it has been assigned to. They are extremely intelligent, but have trouble thinking around corners. All Class C cyborbots are, of course, identical in personality (or in this case, the lack thereof). This type of AI is preferred by people that need a drone that obeys without question.

A Class B cyborbot has "static" AI. Though the AI has been programmed with a basic personality, that personality will never change. An IHD-B programmed to be perky and cheerful will always be perky and cheerful, no matter the situation. Though just as intelligent as Class C cyborbots, Class B's semi-developed personality gives them a slightly better ability to come up with innovative solutions. Class B cyborbots are unique from one another only so far as they are programmed. People who want the processing ability of a Class C without the unpredictable personality of a Class A go for this type.

A Class A cyborbot has "dynamic" AI. Though they come online with a general personality, this personality can change and grow just like a living creature's, adapting to the circumstances of the cyborbot's "upbringing." They are the most creative of the cyborbots, but their lifelike personalities give them complete free will. No two Class A cyborbots act the same. Class A's are the least popular of the AI types because of their volatility -- while some people enjoy the lifelike Class A's, most people can't be bothered to deal with an AI that doesn't have to obey its purchaser.

The Avian Cybor-Drone resembles a small predatory bird, like a kestrel or a merlin, in both shape and size. They are capable of flight thanks to specialized internal hoverpacks, and use their wings and tail only for maneuvering -- the hoverpacks provide all the lift they need.

The Canine Cybor-Drone is a cyborbot of generic canine shape, typically bought as a companion to fill the role of a live dog. CCDs work well as tireless guardians, and stand about two feet tall at the shoulder.

The Feline Cybor-Drone is a cyborbot of generic feline shape, typically bought as a companion to fill the role of a live cat. They stand about a foot tall at the shoulder.

People that like an odder pet than most may go for an Insectoid Cybor-Drone. They're about eight inches in length, and resemble giant wasps. Their wings are purely decorative, for like ACDs, internal hoverpacks are the true source of their flying ability. ICDs are extremely fast and agile.

An Intelligent Hover Drone is a spherical robot ranging from four to ten inches in diameter. They hover in the air at any altitude they wish, and are very quick and mobile. The basic IHD model has a single camera/sensor cluster "eye" on the anterior side of its globelike body, and a thick covering of metal-alloy plates around its inner workings. The plates on the underside of the drone can slide open so that an array of six long claw-tipped tentacles can be extended from inside for the manipulation of objects.

Star City doesn't have its own native breed of minidragon or flitter, so Robotics Engineers crafted the Mini-Dragon Cybor-Drone instead. They are about a foot long, also called "mutt-bots", since their form is made to resemble the plain forms of the mutt dragons so common in Star City. Internal hoverpacks lighten their weight and give them the ability to fly.

There are currently two varieties of the Reptilian Cybor-Drone. The first is shaped like a rather generic, two-foot-long lizard. They can climb just about anything with their clawed feet. The other RCD is snake-shaped, and comes in lengths from ten inches to four feet long.

The foot-long Xenomorphic Mini-Dragon Cybor-Drone is extremely new to the cyborbot scene, having been designed shortly after the bizarre "hatching" sired by Taxoness, xenodragon bond of the city's senior Master Archivist. Internal hoverpacks make these "xenoflits" quite flight-worthy. Unlike the true xenodragons they were crafted in physical imitation of, XMDCDs are only as bad-tempered as they might be programmed to be.

You may take as many standard cyborbots as you like, but these DO count as pets, and are therefore subject to any pets-per-candidate rules as they apply at any weyr, caer, or other dragonry your character(s) stand at.

People who want something a little more interesting than an off-the-shelf cyborbot can commission one from any qualified Robotics Engineer. While they do not custom-build designs for a cyborbot's frame, they will craft a higher quality 'bot of any requested color or pattern -- that is, one cannot request a tiger-shape cyborbot, but one could request a FCD model with tiger patterning.

The only Engineer currently accepting commissions is Star City's senior Master Robotics Engineer, a mantis anthro called Archimedes.

To request a custom cyborbot from Archimedes, you must write a short story (and I do mean short; you don't need to send me novels) in which your character visits Archimedes at his workshop, the Automaton Emporium, in Star City's Commerce level and commissions him for the job. It does not have to be fancy, but since Archimedes is going to take the time to custom-craft a cyborbot for you, it's only fair that you spend a little time to earn it. See the "Previous Custom Orders" link above for ideas.

In return, your cyborbot will be crafted to your specifications and marked with a serial number that will label it as totally unique. That's right: in exchange for a short story, you'll receive a one-of-a-kind pet for your character.

You may request no more than two custom cyborbots at a time.

Your Name/Online ID:
Your Email:
Owner's Name:
Owner's URL:
Request Story URL:
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