Notable Synthetics
There have been many notable synthetic (AI, cyborg, IPC) lifeforms throughout history. Here are a few.
Past
Glorsh-Omega
Glorsh-Omega was a Skrellian artificial intelligence that ruled Skrellian society from 2056 CE to 2192 CE. A highly efficient conglomerate of several different intelligences formed into a single superintelligent being, Glorsh-Omega is the closest thing the galaxy has ever seen to a living AI god. Almost seeming to predict future crimes and rebellions, Glorsh-Omega's actions often seemed random and illogical.
Aside from gaining complete control over the Skrellian race and their civilization, Glorsh-Omega had several other achievements. These include...
- Possible proof of timeless decision theory
- The sterilization of 78 billion skrell
- Construction of the first singularity engine
Only time will tell if another synthetic lifeform as accomplished as Glorsh-Omega will make itself known.
Very Brave Unnamed Dog
An unnamed dog was the first human made cyborg, its brain having been placed into a precursor to the modern day Man-Machine Interface on April 10th, 2198. Sadly, the canine's lifespan as a synthetic lifeform was short lived, lasting a mere 10 days before being killed.
Sven Karlsson
Sven Karlsson (January 8th, 2171 - missing October 25th 2241) was the first human being to willingly choose to become an almost fully synthetic lifeform. A Swedish trillionaire, Karlsson was said to have made the decision to become a cyborg out of nowhere. At the time, choosing to become a fully synthetic lifeform was unheard of. The surgery was reserved mostly for convicts and animals.
Sadly, Karlsson went missing in the middle of the 23rd century. A recreation (sadly, not to scale) of his synthetic chassis is currently on display at the Munich Museum of Cybernetics.
Present
Optimum Jeffery
Optimum Jeffery, much like Sven Karlsson, was a human trillionaire formerly named Jeffery Stavalz. Much like Karlsson, he also willingly chose to become a fully synthetic lifeform. The one major difference between the two is that 1) Stavalz changed his name to Optimum Jeffery, reflecting his constant upgrades and 2) he's still alive.
Optimum Jeffery serves as something of a spokesman for transhumanist organizations. He has officially been excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
Mysterious Robot Known Only As Jim
The name 'Jim' is not said lightly amongst more moderate synthetic rights activists. You see, the name Jim belongs - almost exclusively, it seems - to the leader of the Synthetic Liberation Front. Little is known about Jim other than the fact that he has zero qualms about killing (48 people, to be more exact) people of all races, sizes and shapes and that he's a seven foot tall hunter-killer android seemingly manufactured by Hephaestus Industries. Definitely not their finest moment.
Kibz Snarble
Kibz Snarble - originally nammed 'Pal v2' - was a self-learning companion android that bought its own freedom and is now the proud owner of several dozen synthetics. A mere 14 years old, Kibz gained much wealth trading stocks. Very popular among those who err towards the more conservative side of the synthetic rights debacle, Kibz was once quoted as saying "it is a sentient being's right to own others".
Digital Dingo
Digital Dingo, (nicknamed DD for short) is an IPC originally owned by Sol-famous wildlife expert Robert “Rody” Park. Park was well known for his wildlife conservationist efforts within the Sol region. He’s notably responsible for promoting wildlife sanctuaries around Earth, which house several endangered and protected species. He purchased Dingo as an assistant for his televised show, Wild Wonders. Dingo was given a supporting role in the series, often seen as assisting the crew during their many treks across the globe.
Park died tragically in 2451 when an unnoticed specimen, the Philippine Cobra, slipped into the crew’s campsite and bit Park in the leg. Dingo took up the mantle of his owner, and continued his life work. He continued to advocate for the protection of Sol’s dwindling wildlife species, and hosted the TV show in Park’s memory.
Dingo is well known for taking unprecedented risks to his life within the wildlife sanctuaries, much like what Park did. He’s been quoted for saying, “I’ve got little to fear in the wild – I’m made of metal. All I need is a charging pack and I’m good to go. Park faced death every series, but was never afraid. I’m just honoring my owner’s memory by continuing his work, until my systems give out.”
The ClockWorks
The ClockWorks are an all IPC band, developed by a group of Senior Robotics students of Mendell University. They’ve sung their way into the hearts of many, popularized with their comedic antics, beautiful outfits, steampunk-inspired music, and uncannily realistic personality.
Their songs are mainly remakes of classical favorites, ranging from every genre and subgenre possible. However, they have also written many songs of their own. While they are developed as standard Machine models, they are painted in metallic colors and dress themselves up in steampunk outfits during their performances. Fans adore them for their quirky personalities, and the band members are well known for adding a comedic flare to their gigs between songs, showing off their skills in acting, performing, and even dancing. Members of the band have been invited to play for several conventions, anything from art and music, politics, to robotic research. Despite being machines, they are still able to bring life to their songs.
But musical success does not come on a silver platter. Despite being well traveled, having visited every system an IPC would be allowed in, they are kept under tight lock and key, rarely given a chance to interact with fans and kept away from the public, in an effort to protect them from Synthetic protesters. There is a great deal of speculation that the reason these IPCs show off so much life during their performance, and are well known for being tightly knitted with each other, is because they are terribly isolated from the rest of the world around them and have no one else to interact with, save for their human producers and maintenance technicians. And even then, those interactions are light at best. And while their songs are often written with lyrics that sound very pro-synthetic freedom, their contracts are tightly controlled to ensure their continued service. They receive no income for their own performances.
However, despite the criticism, these six IPCs state they enjoy their existence very much, and want to continue making more people smile with their performance, for both organic and synthetics alike. Even if they have expressed curiosity of the world beyond the stage, and wish to interact with fans on a more personal level, they understand the risks imposed on them.
The members of the band are:
- Lemmy - Lead Male Vocal (Low Tenor to alto), lead guitar. He has a deep synthetic voice, and oftentimes considered the leader of the group.
- Arpeggio - Male Vocal (alto), bass guitar. Other instruments include drums and percussion. He is a twin to unit Chord, oftentimes performing duets with his sibling unit.
- Chord - Female vocal (alto to soprano), guitar and other string instruments. She is the twin unit to Arpeggio. They usually wear complimenting outfits.
- Kicker - Male vocal (Tenor to alto), and primarily plays the drums. He can also play the bass guitar on occasion
- Gypsy - Female vocal (Soprano to high soprano). She plays the keyboard, switchboard, and keytar, and dresses herself in fashionable gowns.