July 2019 Bonus Story [Part 1]

Hey all!

Starting to catch up! (sort of). Got the first of two prompts from this month done, and should be finished the other one shortly (think days, not hours). Because I'm doing two for this moth and am still a bit behind, each will be a bit shorter than normal.

Winning prompt: Promotional materials for modern robotification tech

Suggested by: Olivia Waters (Thanks Olivia!)

~1113 words

CW:

• It's framed as a document talking about different chassis types and conversion techniques for becoming a robot
• So, like, it's a bit dry to be totally honest
• Not really tooo much narrative
• But hey, I like it
• This would make a good twine game actually, browsing the catalog and choosing what suits you best
• Anyway, mentions medical stuff, but not too in depth
• Oh and to be totally clear, while it is promotional materials, capitalism was dismantled in the setting this story comes from

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You’ve made up your mind. Humanity has lost it's luster, and you're ready to try something new. You already know that becoming fully synthetic is no small matter. But we’re not here to hold you up any longer on this journey. You know you are ready.

You only need to decide on what kind of new body you want, and how you want to get there.

The Department of Body and Self catalogs all of latest developments in organic and synthetic alteration processes, making information on chassis and conversion procedures freely available to any who need them. In order for you to be sure what's right for you, you need to know your options.

~~~

First, we’ll go over general chassis classes. Deciding exactly what you want to look at comes later in the process. The full catalog will be available to you, with thousands upon thousands of base options, and infinite room for customization.

CLASS 1- MECHANIZED:

Mechanized chassis are the more ‘traditional’ option. A body, usually humanoid, made up of wires and motors and plastics and metals. A wide category, ranging from indistinguishable from human, to more abstract, screen-faced entities. The possibility space is endless, but chassis’ of this class tend to have a few things in common. That is to say, they are physical, and they have a static shape. Chassis with swappable parts, or that can ‘transform’ through moving parts (rather than through nanite reformation) count as part of the Mechanized class. A class for those who are looking for a certain amount of stability, or those who like to tinker with mechanical systems.

CLASS 2- NANOMECHANICAL:

Nanomechanical chassis are comprised of billions of tiny receptors, and as such are capable of changing form at will. Human looking at one moment, a swarm of flood of tiny particles the next, this is a class for those who wish for broad, fast-changing self-expression capabilities. As there is no analogous human experience to this level of physical fluidity, there is a definite learning curve with chassis of this class. However, they are difficult to damage, infinitely reshapable, and highly adaptable.

CLASS 3- PROJECTED:

Projected chassis is an interesting category, as they typically don’t involve a chassis at all. Rather, they are holographic projection. This falls into two major sub categories. Standard Projected chassis are pure light projections, ghostly and ephemeral. Unable to interact with the world, they generally rely on a mobile drone to house the core components and act as a projector, as well as several auxiliary drones with manipulators to act as the projection’s physical ‘hands.’ Some come with a small fleet of drones, capable of mass multitasking and point contact. Alternatively, there are Hard Light Projected chassis. Solid while active, formed around a central, mechanical core, these chassis are as fluid and reshapable as a Standard, but do not require auxiliary drones to operate. Some chassis are even designed to swap between Hard light and Standard, with a core that can support itself if the projected body becomes intangible!

There are of course, niche chassis that do not fall into the above categories. Class 4 covers these miscellaneous chassis, but is to broad a category to cover in this document. Things like, swarms of miniature drones, organic machines, and immobile bodies intended for a primarily digital presence.

We recommend browsing the full catalog, and talking to one of our guides if you can’t quite find what you’re looking for. Our guides will be able to find it, or help you alter an existing design to fit your personal vision. And if even then we can’t quite capture you want with existing technology, our expert team will work with you to develop something new entirely. We’re here for you!

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Now, let’s talk about the how. There aren’t as many different techniques for conversion as there are chassis options, but it’s just a small step on your journey. We’ll go over the general categories below.

TYPE 1- TRANSFERENCE:

Transference is a set of techniques by which your consciousness is taken from your original body, and swapped into a new chassis of your choice. This generally involves being connected to the transfer device while facing your new chassis. That setup makes it easier for the mind to understand what’s happening. 

Potential benefits of Transference include:

-A single procedure that takes about one hour. You'll be out and about same day!

-A clean division between old self and new.

Potential drawbacks of Transference include:

-Being able to see your old body after, while cathartic for some, can be stressful.

-The all-or-nothing nature of these processes don't leave room to get used to having machine parts before being converted.

TYPE 2- REPLACEMENT:

Replacement is a general category for swapping out an organic body's constituent parts with mechanical ones. The same procedure for becoming a cyborg, simply brought to it's logical conclusion. This can be done in a single procedure, or over time, part by part. Due to their multi-part nature, these procedures have a variable timeline.

Potential benefits of Replacement include:

-A gradual transformative process that feels like becoming a machine rather than transferring into a machine body.

-Can take your time, or even pause or halt the process partway through, staying a cyborg.

Potential drawbacks of Replacement include:

-Numerous Ship of Theseus jokes.

-Easier to hesitate and stall outcomes you really do want.

TYPE 3- SYNTHESIS:

Synthesis is a general term for techniques that directly convert an organic body into a synthetic one. This typically involves the introduction of a nanomachine solution into the body, and often (but not necessarily) results in a more fluid, nanite-based chassis. The timeline for these are also variable, and is often performed as an outpatient procedure!

Potential benefits of synthesis include:

-No organic byproducts: you are made of the same material after as before the procedure.

-No requirement to wait for parts to be manufactured. The chassis builds itself!

-Use of a nanite production core lends a high degree of self repair capability as a default feature. Less need for complex rebuilding!

Potential drawbacks of synthesis include:

-Usually takes several weeks. Can be sped up if done in the hospital, but a compressed timeline can be jarring on the psyche.

There are a few other, less common procedures we won’t go over here. Talk to a guide to find out more!

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This document really just scratches the surface of your options. Change is difficult, and scary at times. But we’ll be here to guide you along the way. Whatever, and however you decide, we’re proud to be a part of your journey.

We can’t wait until you, are finally you.