Salamander
Writer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Sub surrogate mother droids that can carry a fetus to term, including Sithspawn.
- Image Source: Xiaosong Wang
- Canon Link:
- Permissions: Enviro Mesh purchase approval.
- Primary Source: Cloning tank
- Manufacturer: Arrius Messala | The Primyn Group
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Model: N/A
- Modularity: Yes - any parts can be swapped out and replaced, modified, or recalibrated as needed.
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Durasteel, phrik, artificial bio-tissues
- Classification: First Degree/Third Degree
- Weight: Average
- Height: Average
- Movement: Bipedal
- Armaments: None. It could theoretically pick up a weapon and protect itself if necessary, but it is not programmed for combat and is more likely to simply flee from danger.
- Misc. Equipment:
- Analytical computer
- PFG-700 (universal plasma synthesizer)
- Pulmonodes (artificial heart and lungs)
- Integrated medpac system
- Computer interface tether
- Medicine dispenser
- Vocabulator
- Enviro Mesh clothing
- Can incubate a fetus of any species, provided it is calibrated to accommodate the species' gestation period and conditions
- Designed to imitate "the smaller details" that get lost with the use of birthing pods, tanks, and other forms of artificial wombs
- Monitors the fetus' developments down to the smallest minutiae - and if anything goes wrong, can deal with most problems immediately
- Mobile unit; just tell her where to go and she and the fetus will be on their way
- Artificial intelligence programmed to protect itself and its charge by any means necessary
- Designer Babies: These droids could be used as a general alternative to surrogacy, but they were specifically created to be used by Messala in his genetic experiments. Using droids allows him to make modifications to the embryo/fetus as he goes along.
- It's the Little Things That Count: The machine mother will imitate all the bodily processes of a female of the species it is harboring, including elements which other scientists might deem "unnecessary" such as the mother's heartbeat and the sound of her voice. The incubation unit also mimics the anatomy of an actual womb using artificial tissue and materials. Despite the cover image above, the interior of the incubator is not normally visible to the naked eye, being covered by layers of artificial tissue and enviro mesh cloth. While its contents can be made visible to the curious observer, the droid will usually refuse to reveal what it is carrying unless it is in a safe, secure setting with low lighting.
- Mobile Unit: This droid is bipedal and can transport itself to a new location easily; no need to pack her up and ship her out. In the event she and/or whatever she is carrying is placed in danger, she will automatically seek safety, even if the danger stems from her current owner.
- Only So Many Eggs in One Basket: A single one of these units could hold roughly the same amount of fetuses in a single pregnancy as a human female could (which, if I recall correctly, is no more than eight, although I don't advise you go for that high a number anyway). Anything beyond that isn't possible, meaning that you will be making babies in smaller batches than if you built a whole facility full of womb tanks like
AMCO
keeps saying he will. - Life Is a Risk: While it is considerably safer and less taxing than the old-fashioned way of making babies, there are still some dangers associated with using droids. If the droid is significantly damaged, compromised, or destroyed, whatever it is carrying will also suffer the same fate unless a transfer can be done in time - which is around 5-10 minutes following the "death" of the Dvirat Motina - that is, the cessation of the droid providing necessary life support functions to the developing fetus.
- I Hate Transhumanism: This droid will inevitably be a source of controversy. The Chaos galaxy is not a very nice place, and the reactions of others will be unpredictable. Even if you were to disguise it as a normal human, Force Users can still tell it's a droid and that it is carrying a living being inside it. For these reasons, and because the droids' programming makes it rather shy and reserved anyway, it is advised that you don't parade these out in public unless you are prepared to protect your investment.
Using a surrogate mother to carry Sithspawn and other such experiments to term is not only extremely dangerous, it is inefficient. Unfortunately, Arrius Messala knows this from personal experience. Rather than standing by and letting his fellow Sith scientists ignore the messy and often tragic consequences, Messala was quick to suggest an alternative.
Granted, artificial wombs and cloning tanks are hardly new technology. What Messala has set out to do here is tailored for individual projects where the results can be unpredictable and the testing environment is subject to change. These droids are meant for "prototypes", one or two modified offspring whose success or failure will determine if the next generations will have a chance at life.
To that end, they are designed to imitate nature as much as possible, mimicking the smallest bodily functions of a mother of the species it is calibrated for. Sithspawn always start with an existing species template and simply mutate them with alchemy; these droids imitate the original species even down to how they sound and behave. The idea is that, if the environment is suitably familiar, the chances of successfully carrying the fetus to term are higher.
It also creates a vital psychological connection not much different from that between a typical mother and child. Children born to Dvirat Motina will automatically perceive the droid as their "mother"; if permitted, this bond will last for as long as they are unable to tell the difference between a machine and a mortal. For Messala, who has no desire to create mindless monsters or drones, this is one of the many methods he employs to "humanize" (for lack of a better term) his creations.
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