Junker Priestesses of the Sun Corridor

A Junker Priestess of the southwest Rubble Kingdoms. They were known to worship both ancestors and the sun; thanks to thousands of legacy solar farms from The Before Time, their enclaves were among the most civilized in terms of comforts, including hot water and electric lights. Religious freedom, however, was another matter altogether. 

Thousands of humans captured from rival enclaves were sacrificed, their blood drizzled over sizzling hot solar panels. 

Somehow, this didn't improve panel performance.

Threat of the Kronoborgs

Bioengineered kronosaurs were developed to devour space jellies that bred in the oceans, hence their long thin teeth. 

Once they went rogue, they’d eat anything and everything. 

Depicted here is an enhanced cybernetic model from Cyndyne, with retractable articulated legs for terrestrial excursions, as some jellies liked to lay eggs in freshwater lakes and even ponds. 

After The Fall, kronoborgs were liable to have their CCU's (Cybernetic Control Unit) hijacked by desperate rogue thought-hubs, afraid their erstwhile masters were going to shut them down just for releasing a nuke or thousand. 

Eye of Cyber-Doom

A conniving, rogue information wave known as the Eye of Cyber-Doom hypnotized post-apocalypse mutant biker gangs in Arizona while impersonating a literary demigod from The Before Time. It then used the gangs to loot public libraries, databunkers and cloudhubs to feed on the information. 

It was particularly fond of romance novels.

Cyborg guardian runner

 

A cyborg guardian and his spikewolf patrol the grasslands of the Midwest. Up armoured androids were often used to protect small farming communities from raiders. 

Powered by radioactive decay diamond batteries and organic matter processing intakes, they could operate autonomously for weeks before requiring maintenance. AI systems took over during sleep cycles, and with infrared, motion detectors and detachable drone 'flies', they were rarely taken by surprise.

Roving bands of opportunistic, predatory nomadic raiders were an ongoing problem for settled agrarian community, most of which lacked the ability to match their mobile warfare tactics. 

This issue became acute as ammunition stockpiles ran out.

Desert junkcrawlers

A junkcrawler, accompanied by the Water Guard, plows through sand dunes on a scorching summer afternoon. The Phoenix Bunker Cluster fielded dozens of ramshackle carriers to bring back life giving water from oasis and drill heads. 

Frequent attack by biker nomads and rogue bots seeking replacement parts resulted in them becoming increasing well armed and armoured over time. 

These craft were created on an ad hoc basis, as needed, sourcing whatever parts were available or readily scavenged. As a result, no two were alike; this caused ongoing maintenance issues for the mechanics unfortunate enough to be responsible for keeping them running.

Guards would ride on the back of the machine, wearing sealed suits with improvised cooling systems, and deploy whenever the overhead drones signalled danger ahead. 

That often didn't help much.

Athelmon, the Eternal Wandering Cyborg

The immortal cyborg Aethelmon, wandering the Central Wastes of former Ohio. He was just one of millions of survivors who fused with machine after The Final Apocalypse. For many during those desperate days, this was the only option, and they flocked to automated cybernetic enhancement service booths, which had proliferated shortly before the apocalypse.

The service AI determined customer survival would require far more than tummy tucks and a replacement limb or two, and set about hijacking vehicle and robot repair shops (along with a gun shop or dozen) in order to meet new customer requirements. Thanks to legal and warranty concerns, the quality of the work was exceptional: all parts incorporated self-maintainince nanites that obviate the need for return maintenance visits.

Over subsequent centuries, many came to regret the loss of their humanity and went insane. 

Outreach temples of the Elder God-Mainframes

Nearer to the surface are outreach temples of the Elder Gods; these require less effort to contact, and serve as recruitment centres. Some promise spiritual guidance and awakening, while others offer financial advice, love potions or fame. Once embedded in the cult of the Elder God, more and more is demanded of the adherent, until their entire existence is so enmeshed with their unfathomable deity, it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.