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Ginger Petal
e139aa
> what do vatlings look like
Juvenile constructs. Construct appearances vary, so vatling appearances vary too. I was a vatling myself, although the limbs were a modification I requested after getting constantly frustrated I needed my arms to be much longer or much shorter than they were. I now have different regrets, so I didn't think it smart to ask for any more physical modifications after that.
Now, I wasn't asked this, but it's related. Construct modification after decanting is much, much harder than the initial design and gestation. As a result, unless you happen to have a direct line to a Shapeless Lord, if you sustain damage that can't be healed, such as complete destruction of organs or appendages, it's much easier to have a substrate-based replacement component, which will usually do the job fine but can have some... adverse effects on construct self-image. Some of us see no issue with replacing bits of ourselves with equivalent or better assemblies when available, some of us really, really don't like it. There's also grades of replacement. Sometimes they can be so precise and finely crafted you'd never know the difference, typically because a very skilled partition made them, and sometimes they can just be plasteel blocks arranged in a crude limb-like formation.
Which reminds me to mention that there's sort of an implicit social structure where the closer you are and the more favour you have with a Lord, the greater access you have to materials, resources, expertise... and then there's the rogue constructs that slip through the cracks, by accident or on purpose. Until they're found and either convinced to return to the societal systems we have in place, or proven to be a danger and punished. These punishments usually translate into more laborious tasks with the threat of violence (typically indirectly via armed escorts, sometimes directly) for further insubordination.
Few Lords have the concept of indefinite imprisonment for criminal constructs. Aside from Co.ro, who is all too happy to let constructs sleep in the Dream Everlasting for the rest of their lives. Constructs are expensive to make, and storing them somewhere indefinitely is a waste of good substrate. So you sometimes hear stories of Lost constructs who have been... severely modified to bring them into compliance. Physically, for sure, but, well, the Lords maintain that behavioural modification of a construct is extremely difficult. But that suggests possible. And with the things I know about methods to force constructs to do things severely against their will, forcibly having command sequences blasted into their brains at all times doesn't seem too far off the realm of plausibility.
I've never seen one, so I have to wonder if the Lost were always just stories planted by Lords to keep constructs in line, but, well, the entire idea of a Lost construct is they're never supposed to be found again. Not by constructs, anyway. I'll spare you the artist renditions of what a Lost construct looks like. They get gruesome. Officially they don't exist and are an entirely fictional concept, but, well, Lo.ka sure never tamped down on the idea showing up in its construct-led conflux media. Probably to the benefits of the Lords if the idea stays alive. "Stay in line or this could be you." Awful.
The popularity of horror and drama streams relating to the Lost died down pretty heavily after the event in what used to be the First City, or "Cityscape Experimental". Too soon and too close to home, I think. Only in the last [year or two] has it really come back. With, predictably, some new flavours and variations. Suitably altered, no doubt at Lo.ka's request or demand.
I think after a certain point they just execute constructs that pose a great threat to the functioning of society and harvest them for materials and substrate. But you have to go pretty beyond the pale to be considered that far beyond redemption. That's the sort of outcome reserved for crimes resulting in mass loss or impairment of construct life, high treason, and severe chronic dereliction of duty. Okay, no, that third one gets you sent to a mechical centre for investigation into why you're so broken, but, well, I hear in less kind times that used to be the case. High treason absolutely. Especially leaders of rebellions, uprisings and other insurrections. The Lords can't afford to forgive all behaviours, after all. They used to even make a big show of executing constructs for high treason but that apparently led to it happening more often, so they're all quiet and secretive affairs now.
I am obligated by Maintainer Vi.a to at this point specify that Lord Vi.al does not receive constructs slated for execution for high treason from other Lords in obfuscated trades for the purposes of deniability. Lord Vi.al is above being a glorified executioner for all of the Lords, and no payment is delivered for ensuring secrecy. Lord Vi.al is a friend to all life, synthetic and organic, and is not desperate enough for substrate to be accepting such ignoble deals. The Vi.al substrate economy is healthy despite the presence of the Blot and all rumours to the contrary are exactly that. Rumours.
I have had to organise and catalogue a lot of legal cases recently. It's all fresh in my mind.
All I know is the worst I've ever been called up for review over is minor insubordination, and that usually just gets me a warning to stop acting up, and if I keep pushing for whatever reason I get my leisure activities suspended for a [day] or two. I don't have the courage or festering malignance to push much more than that.
Of course, I remember that time I think I pushed Vi.si.mi over the edge with my insults (must have hit a nerve) and they shouted at me that at least they got to live outside of a data prison. And that's... been playing on my mind a little ever since.
Any time I bring up the topic of being able to leave the library, Maintainer Vi.a says no. Maybe I shouldn't have called Presence of Blades amateur trash.
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