A new add-on to your Universe

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Emerald_Flame300
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Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 12:53 pm

A new add-on to your Universe

Post by Emerald_Flame300 »

Greetings,

First of all, I have to preface this post by introducing a series of modules revolving around Dr. Null. They are well-written and fun to play through. They were for 2ed, but can easily be converted. What follows is based off of one such module.
In the module, Dr. Null unleashes a swarm of robot bugs on the city. The bits are the ultimate recyclers and have the ability to use assorted raw materials and make new 'bots. I quote....

"Dr Null has created a mechanical army of Bugbots in his latest scheme to conquer the world. The genius of his plan is that his robotic soldiers are capable or constructing their own reinforcements from materials they gather. The more they conquer, the more Bugbots they create, until the entire world is under his control. It’s world domination through recycling!"

Next:

"Bugbots are programmed to seek out raw materials and use them to construct additional Bugbots. Each one is a mobile factory, capable of cutting, welding, and wiring together more mechanical terrors in its own image. Raw materials like steel plates, machine parts, and electronic circuitry are salvaged and incorporated."

Finally:

"A single Bugbot can build a new Bugbot in one hour if all the necessary raw materials are present. Gangs of Bugbots will usually work together–up to six can cooperate to cut construction time down to 10 minutes."

OK... now we are all up to speed....

From the text samples above, we could (using comic logic) extrapolate that if it takes 1 hour to make a new bugbot then their generation cycle would be approx. 1 hour. Humans range from 20-30 years. (Average 25 years)... SO... if every hour, the "bugs" could produce a new generation. in one human day (24 hrs) you would have @ 24 generations.... equating to @ 600 years of human evolution. Having said all of that... What do you suppose would happen to a race of robots that have 600 years to evolve??? I realize that they would not just blatantly continue to build bugbots for no reason... but I DID mention comic logic!!
This is where my geekish mind kicks in. I have always been a big fan of Transformers... specifically Beast Wars. I think that they were cool and with the new movies and the newer "less thrilling" toy lines... Beast Wars still holds as my favorite.
Here is my theory.

Dr. Null created the Bugbots to reproduce and to continue to follow his orders. Following the Bay Bridge battle, multiple Bugbots are thrown/blown/dropped from the bridge. They plunge into the depths of the Bay River and sink out of our thoughts....believed to be "dead".. But they weren't. The few remaining bugs start to follow their orders, but there is a glitch. Damage to one of the bugs slowly starts to filter into the design. After mutliple "generations" the glitch has taken hold and full-on free thought has evolved. The bugbots have now started a process of evolution, or redesign and of inquiry. They are able to tap into the internet and television stations and they soon realize that the world is not what they thought.

As the generations of builds continue they craft newer, more intricate designs. They optimize themselves for camouflage and newer, better models develop. Months go by and the new 'bots are ready to explore. They emerge from hiding, not as bugbots, but as robots in disguise. (Is that copyright infringement?) They have the ability to transform from an animal form to a robot form. Their size is that of a normal human. Weight and camouflage being a prime reason for the limited size but also the idea of power consumption. The bigger the 'bot, the bigger the power need. A balance had to be struck. There are some 'bots that are bigger, but they are usually the leaders and have a larger share of the power supplies.

Somewhere in the back of their minds, Dr. Null is still considered "Father", but their is also enough free will so that they do not blindly follow him.

Welcome the next form of life to Earth..... Ani-Mechs!!!!

It's just a thought.....

I also envisioned that as they evolve to higher levels, schisms form within the group and they form different factions... One group wanting to live in peace with the humans while another wants to move away and ignore humans and yet another group that holds onto Dr. Null's thinking and wants world domination.
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