Preview: What happened to the Robots?

I am currently working on a slide show for my wedding social, and if I were to do another picture before finishing it I would be looking into permanent residence in the dog house. But I do have some thing in the works.

The next piece will center around what happened to the robot society that was created in "The Canary of Garbage Island". How a sophisticated society of intelligent robots could suddenly become simple drones completing menial tasks and maintaining the systems that once gave birth to some of the most advanced robots ever created on earth. In "The Canary of Garbage Island" alluded to the "Island of Robots" but this piece will draw a straight line of connection between the two, and explain how an advanced society could, without warning, be reduced to lumbering giants maintaining the island.

If you haven't seen the posts I am referring to click on the links above and take a look. I hope to have my next post ready by the end of the coming week.

Let me know if a preview like this is something you would like to see more of? Or is it better to just wait and see what comes next?

 

Exoskeletal Excellence

Science... never solves a problem without creating ten more. - George Bernard Shaw



In the midst of the deadly human cordyceps outbreak, scientists scrambled to find a cure, a vaccine or some way to contain the spores. It was not before half the world's population was overtaken that they finally discovered a way to stop the spread. The poor souls who were already infected would be lost. but at least the human race would live on. The discovery was a vaccine, the compound was produced en mass in the few CDC facilities that were still operational. Soon after clinics were set up across the entire world. United under the common goal of saving what was left of the human race, countries and governments cooperated without indecent. The vaccine was hailed as the savior of the human race, and the men and women who had created it were regarded geniuses. But our accomplishments are viewed through the eyes of those who come after us. Years after the cordyceps threat had ended, women who would have been children when they received the vaccine started having children of their own. In about fifteen percent of cases the infants were born with a new and aggressive bone disease.

The Headless Clone Fighting League

Born from military applications the Headless Clone Fighting League, or HCFL, dominated sports in the years following the war of 2099.



The war had seen rise of many technological advancements, but only one was credited with turning the tide. The headless clone battalions were elite trained troops who linked into cloned versions of themselves. The clones were genetically altered to be stronger, faster and tougher. They also were grown with a small protrusion where the head would normally be. This was known as the "cortical bulb". The cortical bulb was a simple organ responsible for involuntary actions such as breathing and sweating. After maturation of the clone the cortical bulb would be mapped and then merged with a computer equipped with a myriad of sensory inputs that would be attached to the spinal column. The DNA used to make each clone would be specific to one unique operator. The soldiers chosen for these elite battalions underwent numerous genetic, psychological and intelligence tests before being cleared. Controlled remotely, the clones were perfect for ground warfare. With the added benefit of learning from mistakes on the battlefield. The clones would die if the battle was lost, but the operator would learn. Clones couldn't be interrogated for information, and if they were captured they could lead troops straight to enemy hideouts. Additionally the neck mounted CPU was also equipped with a small self destruct charge for emergency use. The clone battalions ended the war swiftly and with less human casualties.

The Cyborg Canary of Garbage Island

By the mid 2100's the amount of garbage carelessly deposited into the earth's oceans had reached unbearable proportions. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch had grown into a floating island twice the size of Texas, it was held together by floating debris and chemical sludge. The island had been a hot-button issue with environmental activists and scientists alike. One attempt to bring attention to the growing problem saw a group of activists docking to the writhing mass and attempting to chart the vast garbage landscape. The group planned to produce a documentary featuring their expedition to "Garbage Atlantis" the name they had bestowed on the island. Tragically the expedition was cut short when a section of the mass gave way and swallowed all but two of the intrepid film makers. All footage was lost and the surviving members never attempted to return. While the environmentalists were bringing attention to the issue, members of the scientific community were attempting to find a solution. In small-scale tests, scientists had observed promising results from very simple robots called  nano robotic separators and nano robotic sorters, or NRSs as they had been dubbed. The simple robot pairs were able to break-down even the most complex compounds and then sort and compile the components into simple forms. The nano robots had originally been developed as a method of cleaning up oil spills and radioactive materials from the ocean. The tough robots were even able to self-replicate as long as the correct resources were present. As a safety measure the devices were unable to break-down living tissue. After the findings were presented to various governments and agencies the project was given the green light. Environmental agencies were split on the proposed deployment. It called for a payload of two tons of NRSs and an additional three tons of support and storage equipment be sunk into the center of the mass. Some thought it was just adding more garbage to the patch. Others were hopeful that project "Sinking Atlantis" would work.

The Unknown Ones

In the Autumn of 1972 a group of physicists, biologist, mathematicians and artists came together to do the impossible. They had plans to manifest matter by sheer will alone. After three years the men and women participating in the project declared it an utter failure. They abandoned their research and all parties went back to their respective disciplines, with strict directives never to disclose the nature of the secret project they had been a part of. The facility, a century old theater house, was abandoned and Anomalous Research Department of the U.S. government sealed the facility until use of it was needed. The property sat on the books as a government facility for over twenty-five years until, during the Bush administration, an internal auditor discovered the abandoned theater. The building was put up for auction and purchased by a property developer with plans to convert the theater to condos.

Last Shot

After seeing a number of the great works that Ralph McQuarrie did in his career as a concept artist I thought of doing a little science fiction homage to the man.



In true human fashion, mankind continues to fight each other, even in the far reaches of space. With hundreds of other alien species to start trouble with, most of the time it's still with each other.

Wendigo

In the frigid north where the wind can cut and the night can kill, a thing exists. The forests offer little respite from winter's grip. Many men have fallen prey to its cold embrace. A sad few have resorted to unspeakable acts to survive in dire times. It is said that a man who consumes his fellow man will be haunted. The hunger that preceded the cannibalism would not be sated. No amount of gorging would stop it, and a chill that would cause your bones to ache would nearly always reside. The story-tellers who live in the far north call it the spirit of the wendigo.



Whether the condition is some form of virus, mutation or some malevolent spirit is unknown. What is known is that the wendigo is a dangerous and crafty creature. With the keen instincts of man and an unnatural strength and speed, the wendigo has remained a thing of myth to most. Reports very, but most put the creatures at around eight to ten feet tall with razor-sharp claws. their gray skin hangs off the limbs, and the skin around the face and forearms is dyed red from feasting. The abdomen is concave revealing the bump of the spine below, and the ribcage is expanded outward. The skin of the neck hangs loose all the way down to the clavicle. The eyes are pale and wide, and the jaw is massive, with teeth that continue up the side of the face making a sinister smile. Human meat is the wendigo's main choice but in times where humans are scarce any wildlife will do. The site where the creatures have fed are easily identified. The snow is melted around where the feeding took place, and only the least edible parts of the prey remain. It is believed that the near instant metabolizing of the meal creates a massive amount of heat, and that is what melts the snow. When kill sites start to appear near populated areas, missing persons reports are soon to follow.