L-004's Influence
Biomes
Each biome is unique to its contents, but all serve the same purpose of resource gathering. The largest of biomes span miles across, some mimicking the natural forests of today. Others are more agricultural in structure, less variation in plant life. Biomes that aren’t used for purely resource gathering may be used as a place of mechanical equipment and weaponry testing, though all recent Biomes are equally technologically advanced. It is rare a Biosphere will be abandoned without deconstruction to collect materials and destruction to prevent repurposing by inhabitants of Earth, though abandoned Biomes created pre-exodus still exist.
Biospheres post-exodus are much more technologically advanced, taking advantage of the progression in technology since L-004’s occupation. Biosphere’s are never operated by humans, instead functioning through the labour of robots. Any humans that reside within Biomes are temporary residents from outer planets, there for purposes of maintenance, research and testing. These humans are extremely avoidant of Earth’s humans, and extreme hostility should be expected. Biosphere workers seem to show fear in regards to R-001’s dwindling human population, as though unconvinced they are human at all.
Biome worker uniform concepts - Credit to @clown_crows / peren
Guards of phanes
The Guards of Phanes, or ‘the Guards’ are a class of hostile robots that roam R-001. Their only purpose is to eradicate life outside of the Biomes. Created and engineered by the Antares Committee, they are extremely technologically advanced, developed with the single purpose of hunting in mind. They tend to be modelled similarly to animals, the most common models resembling coyotes, though models based on large cats, birds and reptiles are also seen, as well as more humanoid models.
Frequently Encountered Classes:
G-Sabre class: A guard class resembling large cats, these models are built for defensive and attack power. They are equipped with lightweight armour and are water resistant, making them relatively difficult to damage. They actively hunt for living creatures with the goal of killing them, equipped with sensitive sound and heat detection.
> G-Sabre-347: The most commonly encountered subtype of Sabre class Guards, 347-A resembles mountain lions in its size and design. It is built to navigate tough terrain and climbing, perfectly suited for the rocky ravines and formations surrounding Salus.
> G-Sabre-348 SENTINEL: Larger than the standard models of Sabre class, the sentinel model can be likened to a male African lion. The ‘mane’ appears to be made up of conductive metal rods with a similar spiked tail, of which can be used as projectiles.
G-Canid class: This Guard class resembles dogs and other related canines, built for their speed and agility. On average they are smaller than any Sabre class models, but tend to be found moving in small groups up to five.
>G-Canid-156: G-Canid-541: Dog class models, Canid-156 is most closely related to large domesticated dogs such as Dobermanns, whilst canid-541 resembles wolves. 156 is usually seem in closer proximity to resource biomes and actively guards them from intruders, whilst 541 is more similar to G-Sabre-347 in purpose, roaming terrain and actively searching for live creatures. Whilst not as large as 347, 541 will usually travel in pairs or small groups. They are vulnerable to water, and are less heavily armoured than Sabres.
G-Ophidian-431: A model resembling a snake, measuring over twenty feet long. It is able to assume two different formations, a standard snake-like shape that allows for the robot to be heavily armoured, and a form in which the robot will flatten itself in order to push out sharp blade-like plates in an offensive action.
For further information regarding the Guards and other Robotics, please see the Parallax Bestiary!
Antares
The Antares Committee is an amalgamation of those who originally proposed the move from R-001, those who contributed the most to the creation of biomes, and the brightest individuals that grow L-004’s ever-improving technology. Their identities are heavily guarded but their power over both L-004 and R-001 is immense, and they are a growing force within the solar system. They decided to convert R-001 into a purely Resource planet for the purpose of fuelling L-004’s consumption and eliminating all remaining humans on R-001.
Defectors
Defector is the name given to Biosphere workers that have chosen to turn against their home planet authorities in favour of helping those residing on R-001. Defectors are a rare occurrence, as it is difficult to get through to the workers of the Biospheres, who seem convinced against the humanity of those on R-001.
Identification chips
The chips are implants that Martians working on Earth have as a form of ID- these display relevant information when scanned about the individual. This is what prevents biome workers from being attacked by their own robots, as the Guards would not be able to differentiate otherwise. Chips will remain active so long as they are with the person, however what they display can be remotely changed. This means that a person who defects will not be immune from the guards of phanes, as their chip will be changed to reflect them being a defector. A defector may remove their chip, but it is not necessary and may be difficult to do without a medical professional.