Races of Heimland: Machines

The machines were made by the Old Folk centuries ago to complete their required tasks. After the Folk vanished the Factory from which they all came from continued producing machines until it shut down. Now the Factory is the main home of the machines.
The machines come in varied forms, from the humanoid Asimov-Models to the box-shaped Kinnara-360s. Each machine serves a particular purpose and, since the Folk left, they have spent most of their time maintaining the Old Folk's facilities all across Heimland. A few work alongside the common people, most prefer to live isolated in the mountains. The machines could be considered as a race/ethnicity, since they have shown to possess emotions such as pain, fear, happiness and hunger. Some machines, such as Patrick-the-Engine, are stationary and some, like the Gliders, fly high above Heimland, watching over the citizens in their daily activities.

Basic Information

Anatomy

All machines, whether with wheels or legs, have a basic skeletal-structure made of beryllium-bronze. Their cores house a combination CPU and data-storage module (CPU-DSM) capable of recording video, audio, data and a person's DNA. The module, roughly the size of a microchip and shaped somewhat like a piece of plastic, can be extracted surgically and inserted into an external device's reader port for offline downloading. The CPU-DSM is made of neuroplastic, a synthetic material that can record information like living cells. Within each machine are densely-packed bundles of microscopic filaments that are connected to the RAM (Random Access Memory) and EEPRR (Educational Electric Programming Requiring RAM) of a computer chip. These filaments contain the programming and memory for the machine. The CPU-DSM is housed within the square-shaped black cuboid known as a "brain-box" filled with a motor-fluid that must be maintained at a consistent level, leakage or loss of fluid will result in the malfunctioning of the machine, from lethargy to loss of reasoning and motor-functions. Machine gather information of their surroundings through four methods: Visually (Wireless. This is the most convenient method, allowing machines to access information from a safe distance), Tactile (if Visual is unavailable, the machine can send information through touch and texture to a data-port embedded in the "hands" of the machine), Auditory (if Visual and Tactile are not an option, special speakers in the machine's side will record audible information, scanning sound and patterns of sound to gain information. This is why it is hard to be sarcastic with a machine) and Gustatory-Olfactory [if Tactile, Auditory and Visual are not an option, the machine can use Gustatory and Olfactory to gain information. A machine can "smell" and "taste" things with the help of a transistor used for amplifying or switching electronic signals, organic polymers that conduct electricity, non-conducting polymer-composites with the addition of conducting material such as carbon black, measuring mass per unit area by measuring the change in frequency of a quartz-crystal-resonator (QCR) that can be stored in a database and used for future reference and surface acoustic waves (SAW), a class of microelectronic-mechanical-systems (MEMS) which rely on the modulation of surface acoustic waves to sense a physical phenomenon]. All machines are powered via sub-nuclear cells operating via a unipolar-computer (an Artificial-Neural-Network, or ANN) which is their CPU-DSM.
Below is a picture for an average skeletal-structure of a machine:

by C.S.De Silva (Ken D)

The above "skeleton" is the design used for the Asimov, Samura and Kawai models. The skeleton consists of H.A.I.Rs (Hyper-Augmented-Intelligence-Reciprocators) at the back of the neck, two antennae (known as a fork-radial and spear-radial), a "thinking-cap" (a solid flat tin of metal to protect the head), a face-plate (strips of metal joined together to act as a face that protects the front of the machine's head), two Tethers (metal strips that absorb kinetic and electrical energy and control the body-temperature), two Pads (a plate of armor on each shoulder), and multiple Segments (plates and pieces of metal armor that cover the torso and legs).

Genetics and Reproduction

Machines can't reproduce, although they can produce other machines by extracting information from themselves and uploading it into the new body. This could be considered as "giving birth", but machines prefer to call it "cloning."

Dietary Needs and Habits

Machines don't require food, but they do require motor-fluid and a recharging of their batteries, which they can achieve via charging-station built by the Old Folk all over Heimland.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Robots, being pacifists, maintain a fair social-structure, although worker-bots and smaller machines are sometimes treated with less respect than the Asimovs. The social-structure is divided into Humanoids, Workers and Cyborgs (living beings with robotic enhancements, still considered as machines).

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Machines are used for mining, to maintain hospitals, to clean factories, for construction or sometimes just for entertainment. The humanoid machines normally live among the common people, as they are more accepted there due to their usefulness.

Facial characteristics

Most machines, such as the Asimov-Models which are the most common, are humanoid in shape as their main function is to interact with living beings. Some machines, like Kinnara-360s, are worker-bots, small square mechanisms with four to six wheels each. Worker-bots are built to maintain facilities all across Heimland. Some machines, such as the Mechs, are massive hulking war-machines that haven't been seen in 20 years and are the stuff of legends.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

All across Heimland, a few in The Tagaloa

Average Intelligence

Their intelligence is higher than that of any other race on Heimland. Their processing-units function at twice the speed of light, and via the tech of the Old Folk their "brains" can store an infinite amount of data consecutively without overheating. Machines have vast knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, biology, chemistry and sometimes even alchemy. But their knowledge is rarely put to use by the people they live with.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Through their many methods of receiving information, machines can assess situation immediately and can even predict vents that will happen soon by observing the environment around them. Their CPU-DSM also grants them psionic-vision which they use to try and interpret or read a person's mind. If a machine is "blinded" or disabled, it will use infrared-vision and heat-sensors to move around.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

A major political organization would most likely be the Tale Foundry, a society of Asimov machines known as the "Isaacs" that are planning on building a utopian all-robot city where machines can live in piece, isolated from the rest of Heimland. They are associated with the KoA.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

All languages of Heimland, including the languages of the Old Folk, B33P3R and Heimtongue (variants of the High-Talk).

History

The machines have been around for hundreds of years, and wil most likely continue existing even after the other races have gone extinct.
From the time of their creation, the machines have followed the three Laws (a machine may not injure a living being or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm, a machine must obey the orders given to it by living beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law, a machine must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws). There is also a Zeroth-Law: a machine may not harm any races, or by inaction allow any races to come to harm.
The Laws are unbreakable and, if broken, will result in the immediate self-destruction of the machine via detonation.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Machines maintain inter-species relations with almost every ace on Heimland, as is their programming. Although they do not support violence, they will not participate in stopping violence if that means harm will come to the person instigating the violence. Being pacifists, machines prefer to not argue with others and will sometimes turn off momentarily if it seems an argument will ensue.

Scientific Name

Homo-Technium

Origin/Ancestry

Made by the Old Folk

Lifespan

Indefinitely (unless rusting)

Average Height

2-3 ft (workers) and 1-7 m (humanoids and cyborgs)

Average Weight

55 ounces (workers) and 2-75 metric-tons (humanoids and cyborgs

Average Length

2.5 m (depending on model)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Machines are normally colored a dull steel-gray, but some are painted brown or jet-black. All machines have a marking saying "Product of Popova Industries" labelled on their backs, supporting the theory that a man named Popova made the machines. Being made of beryllium-bronze, machines require a new coat of paint every month to prevent rusting.

Related Ethnicities

• Ethnicities of Heimland

Related Materials

• Bioweapon: Thalássion