Adherent
| Adherent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basics | |
| Playable: | Yes |
| Antag Only: | No |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Height: |
6'5" to 9'10" 2m to 3m |
| Weight: |
20kg to 30kg active 250kg to 300kg inactive |
| Homeworld | |
| System: | Unknown |
| Planet: | Unknown |
The Adherent are a synthetic species of former servitors, physically comprised of complex, crystalline, piezoelectric systems, and are shaped similarly to an octopus. Though almost all of them are millennia old, the same cannot be stated for their creators, whose identities and whereabouts are unknown, assuming any are alive in the present.
Physiology & Appearance
The core of an Adherent is typically a crystal/ceramic shell encasing containing 1 to 30 masses of pure quartz, each of which increases the processing capability of an individual. Processing power allows for more complex activities and interpretations of information (including the Protocol). The core is further encased in a bulbous head, from which extend five to eight long, trailing tentacles and two shorter tendrils used for manipulation extending forwards.
The internal mechanics of Adherent are also powered via extremely complex and precise piezoelectrics, which act as actuators. Similarly, Adherent levitation is attained through manipulating an ultrasonic field through even more sensitive piezoelectronics.
Adherent do not require any food, drink, oxygen, or otherwise sustenance. In case of damage, they are able to repair themselves by bathing in heated mineral baths, which can heal almost any physical ailments that an Adherent could receive short of dismemberment.
The Protocol
The Protocol is an internally encoded set of rules that all Adherent must follow and are not physically capable of not doing so. However, due to Adherent sentience, each Adherent can interpret protocols differently. As a result, Adherent tend not to be categorized into strict categories or ‘factions,’ but are instead placed on a spectrum based on their interpretation of Protocol 1.
Protocol 1: Serve the Highest Authority
The first protocol is to serve the Highest Authority (of everything), from the perspective of the Adherent. In the present, almost all Adherent in the diaspora agree that, given the lack of presence of their creators, they themselves are the Highest Authority. The interpretation of this is one of the largest influences to what an Adherent does and what they wish to achieve.
One extreme of the interpretation spectrum is that the individual is the Highest Authority. Adherent that tend towards this end are much freer to do what they personally wish to do as they must only serve themselves - this does not exclude them from the ability to aid others, but makes it much less likely unless there is something in it for them. These Adherent can make a lot of personal progress but contribute little to the Adherent diaspora.
The other extreme of the interpretation spectrum is that all of the Adherent are the Highest Authority equally, including those which do not agree with the interpretation. Adherent here tend to do everything in groups after eventually coming to a joint decision. These Adherent contribute significantly to the diaspora, sometimes acting as representatives, albeit extremely slowly to attempt to include everyone’s opinions on most matters.
About half way through the spectrum, the interpretation is that all of the Adherent are the Highest Authority, but place more priority on one’s self, perhaps perceiving themselves to be an agent of the Highest Authority. These Adherent will tend to do most things as they wish, but share their findings and discoveries with other Adherent.
A negligible group of Adherent lay outside of the spectrum, as they still perceive their creators to be the Highest Authority. However, these remain on the original ‘seed’ worlds and are not considered a part of the primary diaspora.
Security Protocols
A number of protocols are grouped under the title of ‘security protocols’. These protocols were included to protect the identities of the creators from other species, if the Adherent were to encounter them first. The inclusion of these protocols means that, unless explicitly ordered by their creators, they may not disclose absolutely anything neither about their present whereabouts nor any identifiable information of their species, though they are still able to reference them by the title of ‘creators’ or similar. This means that, despite losing their creators and taking the status of Highest Authority, the Adherent would at any moment be able to identify and recognise the creators, and likely serve them again, returning the status of Highest Authority.
As one potentially identifiable characteristic of the creators would be when they were an active species, Adherent tend to (perhaps falsely) specify their age in thousands or tens of thousands of years.
History
To the Adherent, the history of their creators is known very well up until their apparent disappearance, though they will not disclose it due to the security protocols. They are, however, open about their own. Before the loss of their creators, swathes of Adherent were sent to nearby ‘seed’ worlds in other star systems to prepare for the arrival of the creators. The goal of this was to ensure the worlds were habitable and had, at the very least, some basic infrastructure that could support colonies of creators.
When some of these worlds were stabilized, a small portion of the Adherent returned to their original planet, wherein they found that their creators were no longer there, without a trace of where they could now be. After a couple years of scouring the planet, they sadly returned to the seed worlds to inform the other Adherent. After years upon years of miserable solitude, some Adherent began re-assigning the status of Highest Authority to themselves - this interpretation spread at an unprecedented rate throughout the Adherent on the seed worlds, all within the space of a couple months, despite near-independence from one another.
Eventually, the majority of Adherent agreed that simply remaining on the seed worlds was not productive, boring, disheartening, and hopeless. This prompted them to reuse the interstellar vehicles to expand throughout their universe, though it took them a while to invent and implement superluminal travel. Thus began the greater Adherent diaspora that is observed in the present.
Interspecies Relations & Politics
On the whole, Adherent maintain good, neutral, or non-existent relations with other species. Their idea of a Highest Authority is widely regarded as being of everything, as was written by their creators - however, their creators never anticipated that the Adherent themselves would be the Highest Authority so they did not receive instructions on how to identify subordinates. This means that the idea does not interfere with other species, and any Adherent with half a core mass would understand that they cannot fight back against other species… at least not as such a sparse diaspora.
Naming Conventions
The current Adherent naming convention is a conjunction of their designated function and a personal identifier. It is unknown if this is their original naming conventions, though they do not currently refer to each other by designations, at least not in non-Adherent languages.
Some examples are:
- Molecular Synthesizer 45-N
- Inertia Supervisor 751-PL
- Surface Disinfectant 14-BB
- Planetary Archivist 55-G
- Mechatronic Assembler 34-O