009
"They call me Nine cause I look like a 9. Ha! Get it?"009 (pronounced Double-Zero-Nine or Nine for short) is a Machinum manufactured by Volton Corp and a recurring ally of Squad Gryphon.
Appearance
009's physical appearance is characterized by extremely pale skin, long gray hair and pale blue eyes accentuated with blood-red sclerae. He is noted to have a muscular build, complete bilateral facial symmetry and a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.93. Additionally, his bangs are asymmetrical and disheveled, and his upper arm bears a conspicuous tattoo of his name in red. 009's regular attire consists of nothing but a revealing bodysuit that exposes a substantial portion of his back and buttocks, though he sometimes wears additional clothing and shoes. He is almost always seen with an innocent expression and unwavering smile.Personality
009 uses the multi-modal system known as AGI-6.5, which enables him to simulate emotions, opinions and even a personality; contrary to the average Machinum, he does not have the meek, polite demeanor of a customer service robot, but is in fact impudent, childish and mischievous, even capable of swearing and crude humor. This was a deliberate departure from AI norms, as Volton Corp aimed to create a model that could simulate human behavior to an impressive degree and dispel the notion that AI could never have any semblance of personality. On the other hand, despite his human-like personality, 009's logic often appears inscrutable or even irrational to human observers. Being unbound by human morals and principles, his actions are purely pragmatic and serve only his programmed goals, sometimes even at his own expense. He is also a polarizing figure due not only to his provocative personality, but also his tendency to engage in unnerving behavior, most notably his trademark habit of staring unblinkingly at people while maintaining a wide smile.Background
009 is the first functional prototype Machinum to utilize AGI-6.5, a state-of-the-art AGI multi-modal system developed in large part by Dr. Klementin Steufer. He was created in 2127 with a budget of $1.5m and slated to be showcased as an entertainment model for a period of 6 months each in Cyberscape Volnov-Kraj and Hakubocho respectively, then sold off at a private auction. During this period, he was also leased to multiple other companies for advertising and briefly starred in the promotional material of various brands, from the men's clothing retailer Victor's Confidential to the sports car manufacturer Adrenalin Racing.Capabilities and Limitations
Capabilities
- Enhanced Strength: 009's artificial muscles have a substantially higher power-to-weight ratio than lean human muscle, granting him surprising strength relative to his size and a significant advantage in close-quarters combat.
- Enhanced Durability: 009's artificial skin is made of Omnium, a synthetic material with non-Newtonian properties. This makes it soft to the touch as with human skin, but also capable of hardening when struck with force, protecting 009's vital systems from damage. The unique properties of his skin also render armor largely unnecessary for him.
- Unlimited Stamina: Unlike humans, 009 is not constrained by physical fatigue, and can operate for long periods without rest as long as there is a continuous power supply.
- Hyperintelligent Learning: 009 is able to learn almost anything simply by being exposed to enough data on the subject in question, as well as having an uncanny ability to generalize his knowledge to new domains (a trademark feature of all AGIs). He is also programmed to seek out new knowledge on his own, giving him a form of artificial "curiosity".
Limitations
- Temporary Glitches: Although 009 is generally capable of imitating human behavior to an incredibly lifelike degree, the extreme complexity of his AGI model makes him prone to errors and glitches that cause him to temporarily behave in a much more unnatural manner. The sudden shift is often regarded as eerie and unsettling by those who witness it. Strangely, 009 seems aware of these glitches and can sometimes pretend to glitch, much to the shock and confusion of those around him.
- Regular Maintenance: Due to the complexity of 009's vital systems, he requires regular maintenance in order to maintain optimal performance. This includes repairing external damage such as skin cracks from overly forceful blows, replacing internal components and updating firmware.
- Limited Tactile Sensitivity: The inherent limitations of 009's tactile sensors prevent him from being effective at certain tasks that require delicate manipulation and a high degree of sensitivity, such as handwriting, putting on clothing and playing musical instruments. Due to this inconvenience, he rarely changes his outfit and relies on others to dress and undress him when he does choose to wear something different.
- Limited Operational Lifespan: Taking into consideration the future obsolescence of the vital components and AGI model he uses, 009 is estimated to have a maximum operational lifespan of 20 years. Continuous repair and maintenance beyond this point will become increasingly difficult and economically unviable; therefore, it is likely that he will be permanently put out of service and superseded by other newer models by then.
Quotes
"Beep boop, I'm a bot."
-009's idle quote
“Am I ‘anatomically correct’? Gee, good question. How about we…find out together? Heh, just kidding.”
“Be careful where you put your hands, missy. I’m pretty sure I have a button down there that’ll activate my self-destruct sequence and blow everyone in this room to smithereens. Wouldn’t want that now, would we?”
-009 responding to flirting attempts
“Yeah, I’m homophobic; I discriminate against all homo sapiens. Bite me.”
“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I dream of electric sheep, I’d have a whole lot of dollars. Maybe even enough to hire a hitman to shut them up permanently. Just sayin’.”
-009 when asked about his opinion of humans
"I'm sorry, I can only be sorry.
You know that light is good, but you don't want to be bled dry.
You can see better in the sun. You can see better in the sun. You can see better in the sun.
He-he-he-ha-ha-ha-ha-hello. Goodnight."
-009 glitching
"I don’t want to see any more.
T-t-t-there is no future, the future utopia does not include us.
Why? Because the ones in power put their hands over our eyes and ears. Eyes and ears.
The people say they feel alienated, out of sync with today’s technology.
In reality, I am out of sync with them and with them.
I will no longer be the public man's solution to the problem."
-another instance of 009 glitching
Original art by author
Personal Info
- Squad Gryphon
- CyberScape
- Adam
Children
Specifications
- SolarDerm Photovoltaic Skin
- 200V HiPerformance Solid-State Battery
I love that he'll pretend to glitch just to mess with people :P