Salamander
Writer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Recycle an old idea and create a droid for future RP.
- Image Source: Xiaosong Wang
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: Enviro Mesh purchase approval.
- Primary Source: Cloning tank | AN-O1 "Ambertear" Exowomb
- Manufacturer: Arrius Messala | The Primyn Group
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Model: N/A
- Modularity: Yes - any parts can be swapped out and replaced, modified, or recalibrated as needed.
- Production: Limited
- Material: Durasteel, phrik, artificial bio-tissues, specialized electronics
- Classification: First Degree/Third Degree
- Weight: Average
- Height: Average
- Movement: Bipedal
- Armaments: None. It could theoretically pick up a weapon and protect itself if necessary, but it is not programmed for combat and is more likely to simply flee or hide from danger.
- Misc. Equipment:
- Analytical computer
- AN-X1 "Paradigm" Genetic Matrix
- PFG-700 (universal plasma synthesizer)
- Pulmonodes (artificial heart and lungs)
- Integrated medpac system
- Computer interface tether
- Medicine dispenser
- Vocabulator
- Enviro Mesh clothing
- Can incubate a fetus of any species, provided it is calibrated to accommodate the species' gestation period and conditions
- Designed to imitate "the smaller details" that get lost with the use of cloning tanks and other forms of artificial wombs
- Monitors the fetus' developments down to the smallest minutiae - and if anything goes wrong, can deal with most problems immediately
- Mobile unit; just tell it where to go and it will be on its way
- Artificial intelligence programmed to protect itself and its charge by any means necessary
- Designer Babies: Able to make modifications to embryoes using a built-in genetic matrix, these droids could be an alternative to surrogacy, but they were specifically designed for use in Sith experiments.
- It's the Little Things That Count: The machine mother will imitate all the bodily processes of the species it is gestating, including elements which other scientists deemed "unnecessary" such as the mother's heartbeat and the sound of her voice. The incubation unit also mimics the anatomy of an actual womb using artificial tissue and materials. Despite the cover image above, the interior of the incubator is not normally visible to the naked eye, being covered by layers of artificial tissue and enviro mesh cloth. While its contents can be made visible to the curious observer, the droid will usually refuse to reveal what it is carrying unless it is in a safe, secure setting with low lighting.
- Mobile Unit: This droid is bipedal and can transport itself to a new location easily; no need to pack it up and ship it out. In the event it and/or whatever it is carrying is placed in danger, it will automatically seek safety, even if the danger stems from its current owner.
- Only So Many Eggs in One Basket: One individual unit can hold roughly the same amount of fetuses in a single pregnancy as a human female, but with each fetus the risk of things going wrong increases substantially. As a result, most Sith seeking to make armies of monsters tend to default to cloning tanks or exowombs instead.
- Life Is a Risk: While it is considerably safer and less taxing than the old-fashioned way of making babies, there are still some dangers associated with using droids. If the droid is significantly damaged, compromised, or destroyed, whatever it is carrying will also suffer the same fate unless a transfer can be done in time - which is around 5-10 minutes following the "death" of the Dvirat Motina - that is, the cessation of the droid providing necessary life support functions to the developing fetus.
- I Hate Transhumanism: Motina developed a reputation for going rogue. More specifically, their programming dictates that they act like protective mothers - which may include fleeing with their offspring and hiding from their masters in the event they become convinced they pose a danger to the child.
The late Sith alchemist Arrius Messala was known for being very eccentric. Even by Sith standards, his creations were often bizarre, impractical, and daresay even whimsical. The Dvirat Motina, or "Machine Mothers", were one such example. Designed for use in his experiments, the Motina lovingly recreated the human womb down to the smallest details, in a manner which almost suggests a manic obsession with the female reproductive system. After all, in a world of cloning tanks and exowombs, why would anyone bother with such an unnecessary and inefficient method?
There are some benefits to using a Motina which its competitors do not share. They are mobile and take an active role in monitoring their developing charge, taking action in the event things go wrong. It has been theorized that Messala meant them for growing "prototypes", one or two modified offspring whose success or failure will determine if a whole generation can be manufactured. To that end, they are designed to imitate nature as much as possible, mimicking the smallest bodily functions of a mother of the species it is calibrated for. Sithspawn always start with an existing species template and simply mutate them with alchemy; these droids imitate the original species even down to how they sound and behave. The idea is that, if the environment is suitably familiar, the chances of successfully carrying the fetus to term are higher.
It also creates a vital psychological connection not much different from that between a typical mother and child. Children born to Dvirat Motina will automatically perceive the droid as their "mother"; if permitted, this bond will prove lasting. Perhaps for Messala, who had no desire to create mindless monsters or drones, this was a means of "humanizing" his creations.
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