Monday, January 22, 2024

Samurai Patrol

Samurai patrol

A sumaurai runner bot out on patrol in the Midwest. Farming communities repurposed all manner of robots to protect their homesteads from threats.

Lion Guardian

Lion robot

A Kansan Lion guardian robot on the plains, hunting for raider incursions to dismember. Technicians retrofitted robotic lion heads from amusement parks onto loader bots refitted with massive rending claws and a few fusion blasters to make for a truly formidable apex predator of the plains. 

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Troglodyte monuments

troglodytes

These are monuments to the great troglodytes, one shortly after moving underground, and the other millennia later.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Break time

break time
Sadly, they are out of Coffee Crisps

Materialist leader Tensohl takes a break in a surface level station while Bespoke Monks and his lieutenant, Seldar, watch on. Tunnel mall dives could last for weeks, given their extent, and often resulted in heavy casualties. But they were holy expeditions for materialists, who likened them to crusades.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Escape pod before haunted city

escape-pod

Astronaut Miles Vachon stands atop his escape pod after his Z-88 SolarExplorer was destroyed by a space jelly swarm emerging out of Jupiter’s asteroid belt. He landed before the spectacular remains of a long dead alien city, estimated to be over a million years old. 

He set up a distress be on and then set about exploring the ruins. As he approached, he felt increasing pressure on his skull; forward movement became increasingly difficult and a kaleidoscope of lights appeared in his vision. 

The android rescue team found him collapsed on the dust plain. He was removed to a medical facility on Io, where he remained in a coma for two weeks. 

The ruins were later found to be the locus of a powerful memetic field. Remotes, used to enter the interior of the structure, determined it was built over a vast series of interconnected cylindrical caverns, lined with small hexagonal pods. 

All of these proved empty, save for one, which was sealed by an opaque membrane gel. Whenever attempts were made to penetrate the pod, contact with the remote unit would be lost and a wave of feedback would short out the command unit. 


Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Dockbots

dockbot

Dockbots were a common sight in the post-apocalypse, being built to last, with fusion power cells fueled by water. They were enhanced and augmented to fulfill a multitude of other functions, including being bodyguards for precocious teens. 

Not to be confused with duck bots. 

Those are different.


Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Emerald Heads of Kansas

Emerald head of Kansas

The Emerald Heads of Kansas; two dozen have been documented to date over an area of 1000 square kilometers. These mysterious AI edifices combine sculpted monument and bionitic insectoid urban centre, all with a low ecological footprint. They have an aggressive swarm response to trespassers, so few details are known about their deeper nature or purpose.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Decontamination team clears transit hub

decontamination team in transit hub

Transit hubs were the main hotspots for virus and mutation transmission after the memetic 5G versions had been shut down. Even centuries after The Fall they remained dangerous, with proximity activated 'sleepers' set to attack whenever higher levels of mental activity came within psi distance. 

Reactivating transportation systems, especially to other surviving arcologies and robo-mines was a high priority, and hazmat teams supported by any available remaining combat robots would be dedicated to the task, with humans being seen as more disposable. 

When organic team members came under attack, robot support units would provide devastating fire support that was frequently lethal to both parties.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Lunar factory

Moon factory

The automated factory StelCore V, on the surface of Ganymede. Known for its eccentric exterior design, the large spheroid was packed with adaptive manufacturing nanoswarms, and used to produce practically anything. It was best known for making the finest crystal structures in Jupiter orbit. 

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Drunk Jeff and the H/K

jeff and hunter seeker
Jeff and the H/K bot

Hunter Seeker robots, such as the GyDam HS-5 Opal Beetle and the HS-37 Arachnid, were popular even in The Before Time, capturing runaways and fleeing felons. Their AI would tap into any and every information network, bypassing privacy protections. Their legal AI was even more sophisticated.

Friday, January 12, 2024

Holo projector array

holo projector array

Technicians setting up the Arcus holographic projector array outside the capital of Io. It was used for concerts and Jovian Opera primarily; colonists from all over the moon would attend in their vacc suit finery. Attendance went up dramatically after the atmosphere became breathable. 

 

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Lunar asteroid shelter

 

moon-shelter

Early colonies on the moons of Jupiter were austere, but nanomorphic materials allowed for a greater range of artistic and aesthetic possibilities. The result was the Choncology Revival style, which merged geometric shapes and shells. The spectacular city hall of Armstron can be seen here, viewed from within the E5 emergency meteor shelter. 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Special Forces of Arcology VII

special forces

Arcology Seven Special Forces on a mission in former Venezuela, hunting for the mutant cyborg gorilla rebel leader known as Augustus. 

The gorillas, long enslaved on plantations throughout the region in lieu of more expensive (and less disposable) robot labourers, turned to rebellion and guerilla tactics under their leader, Augustus. 

Monday, January 8, 2024

Grand Lady Alesea

Mech lady

Lady Alesea, guardian grand master of the Cameld Biodome; the elite were charged with fielding their own mecha in the defense of the dome, backed by peasant militia and repurposed industrial robots. Lady Alesha’s exploits included slaying the Appalachian Cyclops and the cyborg wraith, Scron. 


Sunday, January 7, 2024

Sniper platform

Snipers

A gunner platform above a viro-zombie infested city; the sentries are armed with old fashioned kinetic energy weapons. Automatic fire proved less useful than long range sniper weapons against zombies: shoot them in the head or they don’t stay dead.

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Sole survivor

Lone survivor

Karl Ville, the last survivor of city square tower in Polloch, Ohio. He claimed mutant avians carried away his remaining family members once their ammunition ran out. Others suspected he just used that to cover the murder his family. The subject of numerous true crime podcasts, he was eaten by a giant irradiated cockroach a week before his trial.

Friday, January 5, 2024

Argus-6 telescope

Scanner crew

An Argus-6 telescope on Ganymede, being repaired by two technicians; these mass produced detectors were used to record activity on nearby moons, the asteroid belt and in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. Their large lenses were crafted in zero-G to avoid deformities, and shielded by a deflector from micrometeorites.

Monday, January 1, 2024

Flight 714 found

Crashed plane

Explorers come across the wreckage of Flight 714, lying deep in the Amazon jungle. Several top CDC personnel were aboard, on their way to deal with the outbreak of a xenovirus in Rio. The virus went on to spread world wide, killing millions.