Anatomy of a Bot

The Anatomy of a D.E.R.P. Service Bot

(( written partially as an instruction manual, written partially as a basis for creating bot characters, partially written to avoid giving away too much information about the plot that doesn't need to be widely known... you should be able to tell the difference in various spots. :3 ))

Invented seven years ago by some unknown entity, the bots first surfaced as a commodity for the wealthy along with the middle-class to help make their lives easier or to help keep loneliness at bay.

Bots can be bought at any number of distributors throughout the city who stamp their own logo on the napes of all bots that come into their possession to sell. The serial number found along their hairline, however, is always placed there by the original makers... known collectively as D.E.R.P.

Why is this F.A.Q. so long?

It is so long because there is a lot of information that has been compiled over the time since a week before the opening of the board for play. Sadly, that means that while comprehensive, there is a lot of information to take in about the world. Hopefully the more information you have, the more dynamic your characters will be!

What are the bots made from?

Bots are made from humans that were either sick, dying, excessively poor and their family needed money, or kidnapped individuals.

The conversion process is virtually the same in all of the bots except some of the later models where power-sources were changed and the methods for organizing the mental database were changed.

Most physical ailments are able to be either removed through various surgeries, other medical techniques and a combination of plastic surgery and cybernetics. Many bots that were very ugly or otherwise disfigured are made to be more attractive. Bots whose previous life had been disabled in some physical way are then repaired with cybernetic enhancements.

The skin and healthy tissues are mostly left the same, however, they are treated with preservatives so that they are "eternally youthful" as they do not decay at the same rate as proper "living" flesh anymore. Blood's purpose is limited to carrying only oxygen, except in the modern models that can metabolize certain things. The oxygen does nothing but allows blushing and such. Also, any artificial muscles are made with nano-hydraulics to form artificial muscle-tissue. These require certain amounts of oil to be in taken by the bots on a regular basis as over time, the oil becomes dirty, or otherwise unusable and is then excreted by the former urinary tract.

Furthermore, all female-bodied bots are fitted with artificial hymens if their original one is missing or otherwise damaged.

What makes a bot a bot instead of a cyborg?

First and foremost, bots do not have brains. The first step in the conversion process is to download the memory into a special database which will then become the brain after the human brain is removed. Most memories are completely wiped from this database, then replaced with proper programming protocols which can server a myriad of functions. Some bots are made with certain memories intact, specifically bits of culture and a few personality traits that may appeal to certain customers.

Also, all bots, other than certain models that were rejected and labeled to be scrapped, have a line of code that when a certain phrase is said to them by a certain voice pattern, they will stop doing whatever it was they were and head towards a center location in the city before being under the will of the owner of this particular voice pattern. None of the bots are conscious of this piece of programming... and no one knows what this phrase is, who the owner of the voice pattern is, or that any of this exists.

Secondly, bots are treated as property legally and have absolutely no rights whatsoever. If a bot were to run away from their owner, the owner could then sue whoever was harboring the bot for stealing from them... even if it was not that person's fault.

Ownership is determined by having a citizen's social security number entered into a keypad at the back of the head of the bot once one pops off the skull cap. Ownership of bots can be transferred via a legal will, selling them back to the distributor, or by someone hacking into their system.

How are bots taken care of?

Bots that require manual charging, such as the ones with batteries, will have a cord that can be released at the base of their spine with a press of a button located there. Plug that cord into a wall outlet and you're good to go. Solar powered bots require sunlight or light from various types of sunlamps. Bots that use motion-generators generally just need to make sure that they walk around enough to store up energy or otherwise engage in vigorous motion. The bots that can metabolize food and drink can also be given anything with a caloric value to help boost their energy to stave off sleep mode.

Bots can also be washed and cleaned like a normal human being since they are covered in human skin or the plastic surgeon's equivalent. They are completely waterproof unless some of their circuitry is exposed. Make sure all panels are closed before washing, otherwise you will short-out your bot and kill it. Also, removing the motherboard-brain will kill the bot as well.

Bots are suspected to be able to live for about fifty years before they are completely beyond repair and the decay prevention will no longer keep them from rotting. This has yet to be proven as the oldest current bots are seven years old.

Where is the on/off switch?

It could be absolutely anywhere because that depends on the individual bot and not the model.

Can anyone make a bot?

No, only one legal person knows how to make a bot and that would be the inventor. Most bots are produced by other bots the inventor programmed for this specific purpose.

Can a bot be made from a dead body?

No, only living tissue can be utilized.

What is OFF-mode? Is it like sleep?

No, OFF-mode is when your bot is completely OFF. They do not have simulated breathing to allow blood to receive oxygen while in OFF-mode. The only thing that occurs is that their "heart" continues to pump. Sleep-mode on the other hand is like a computer's screensaver, where everything is still active, just idling.

This bot ran away and came to me, what do I do?

Prepare to get your ass sued because you are in possession of someone else's bot without their permission. It may/may not be considered your fault legally, but you are still going to take the heat for it.

Why won't bots respond to my orders?

Bots, unless glitched, are only able to respond to orders of their actual owner. If you are not their owner, depending on the personality, they may form attachments of sorts to you (do not be deceived as bots are incapable of actual feeling ;D ) and then do things for you like they would for their owner, but they will not respond to direct orders. If they ask you what you would like, for taking orders and such, of course they will respond in that sense.

None of this means you cannot interact with bots you do not own. That is what they are for.

I want to work for the D.E.R.P. organization!

Um... okay. 90% of the staff at D.E.R.P. would be other bots programmed specifically to perform conversions and overall keep the place running. Most human employees are the kidnappers or the people lurking around low-quality hospitals telling people about selling their loved ones. There can be other positions open if you really want to work there. Just contact us and we'll work something out for you. :3

How long is the recovery time for a bot conversion?

Recovery times tend to be 2-7 months with 4-5 months being the average. Once they are finished with recovery (which includes physical healing, programming, and extensive testing), they are given their clothes/costumes, turned off and delivered to the appropriate distributor. Depending on which distributor bought the bot, they may be packaged in a special box as is or with accessories/more clothes. Think about a life-size Barbie doll.

Anything left unanswered?

Please PM the Ivan Braginsky account and he'll not only answer your question, but add the question to the list here to make sure it isn't asked again.