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Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
Gryphon
Charter Member
22422 posts |
Oct-05-01, 03:38 AM (EDT) |
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"BPGD: Cyberrace"
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BABYLON PROJECT GALACTIC DATABASE TEXT DATA EXTRACTION SEARCH: GALACTIC COMPENDIUM OF SENTIENT SPECIES GENERAL DATA, CYBERRACE SEARCH COMPLETE: APRIL 25, 2405PLANET OF ORIGIN: Mondas, Centauri Sector GALACTIC DISTRIBUTION: Uncommon OVERVIEW The Cybermen, or, more accurately, the Cyberrace, are a race of electromechanical humanoid beings. Strictly speaking, they may not be true life forms, as they cannot reproduce themselves except by converting organic humanoids into Cybermen. The term "Cyberman" itself, though used by the beings themselves, is somewhat inaccurate, since they are sexless (though they do look and act in a manner which most humanoid races identify as masculine). A typical Cyberman stands between 6 and 6.5 Standard feet high and weighs approximately 350 pounds. They have tremendous strength and resilience, due to their extremely advanced robotic construction. Apart from the slight variations in height (which are believed to be due to the varying heights of converted life forms) and rank distinctions, all Cybermen within a given subspecies are basically identical. Their armored outer coating is extremely durable, and they possess surprising agility for their size and strength. The differences between the various cybersubspecies will be explored further on in this document. HISTORY The Cyberrace originated on Mondas, a planet on the same orbit as Earth in the Solar system, directly opposite the Sun. As their planet was much like Earth, so they were much like humans would later be - until a freak encounter with a comet wrenched their planet from its orbit around the Sun and sent it speeding aimlessly through the cosmos, a rogue planet. Cut off from the vital warmth of the Sun, the Mondasians retreated underground. When the cold and hardship reached them even here, they began to adapt to their situation by replacing more and more parts of themselves with cybernetic parts. Initially, this process was approached with moderation, the Mondasians attempting to retain some fragments of their humanity. A splinter group, today known as the Faction, believed that only through total cybernization could they survive, and so, at great risk, they left Mondas as it passed an uncharted world today known only as Planet 14. On Planet 14, the Faction continued their experiments with cybernization. Before they truly grasped what was happening, they had replaced everything in their rush for perfection. As a last, disastrous step, they chose to remove their emotions so as not to interfere with their efficient, logical progress. In doing so they became the soulless, conquering robots we know today as the Cybermen. Ironically, it was not long after the Faction had left Mondas that the Mondasians came to the conclusion that their absent brethren had been right after all. They did not take the process quite as far, however, and retained enough of their humanity that the cyberMondasians have never been the kind of threat that the cyberFaction would eventually become. In 2010, Mondas returned to the Solar system. A misunderstanding led to a brief war between the cyberMondasians and the Earth Defense Force, but eventually understanding and peace were established. Thanks to the efforts of the Wedge Defense Force, EDF and Royal Salusian Navy, Mondas is today in a comfortable orbit around its original star's near neighbor, Wolf 359. Planet 14's cyberFaction, meanwhile, had developed interstellar travel, and in 2045 they attacked a Salusian colony world in their first bid to expand their galactic holdings. The Cyberwar lasted for eight years, during which the Royal Salusian Armed Forces and the Wedge Defense Force developed the standard tactics which are still used against the Cyberrace today. The cyberFaction's eventual defeat led to a splintering of their civilization - Planet 14's Cyberrace was almost wiped out, and a few of their military starship groups scattered to the Outer Rim, to become the cyberNomads. One such group, the mostly intact Battle Fleet Seventeen, took refuge on Telos, a frozen Outer Rim world, and devoted themselves to improving their technology. By 2150 they had evolved into a totally new Cyberrace, the cyberNeomorphs - tougher, stronger, smarter, and equipped with better weapons than any Cyberrace before them. However, these new Cybermen lacked sufficient energy reserves to return to Salusian space and repeat their conquest attempt. They consigned themselves to cryonic suspension chambers built deep beneath Telos's surface and waited for their automatic energy-collection systems to amass enough energy from Telos's weak sunlight to make their war effort possible. That this would take several hundred years was of no real concern to them; effectively immortal, they could wait as long as necessary. Unfortunately for the plans of the Cybermen of Telos, their tombs were discovered in 2131 by a Wedge Defense Force expedition investigating the strange energy fluctuations recorded by their sensors as they passed through the area. Recognizing the cyberNeomorphs for the threat they represented, the WDF high command were at first considering destroying them as they slept, as unsporting as that option was. Then, while studying the ways in which the Neomorphs' cyberbrains interacted with and modified the action of the organic brain tissue they contained, a WDF researcher hit on a way to remove the threat without being forced to commit genocide. The high command approved the plan, and, over the next three months, teams of WDF cyberneticists (including several cyberMondasians) modified the cyberbrain of every sleeping Neomorph - restoring their emotions and consciences. When awakened, many Neomorphs joined the WDF, while the others scattered about the galaxy, where they can now be found in almost every walk of life. Following is a brief overview of the variant Cyberraces known to exist. CYBERMONDASIAN (Homo cyberis mondas) The original Cyberman type. CyberMondasians tend to be between 80% and 90% cybernetic. They still possess organic brain tissue and, in most cases, some remaining internal organs, usually a cybernetically augmented organic heart and abbreviated digestive and endocrine systems to sustain the brain. Some even retain flesh-and-blood limbs, although these have almost universally been augmented. An average cyberMondasian has strength on part with an average adult Salusian. CyberMondasians' minds are mostly comparable to those of humans, although without the complex biochemical responses of the fully human brain or electronics to simulate them, they possess somewhat attenuated emotional responses. In this way they are comparable in average personality to Vulcans. They are creatures of logic and rationality, but by the same token they are not cruel or vindictive. On Mondas, reproduction is accomplished in the laboratory. Genetic engineering provides variation, and new individuals are grown to adulthood and cybernized before ever reaching consciousness. They are born full-grown and cybernetically educated, ready to begin their lives. The cyberpopulation is maintained at a stable and efficient level - new cyberMondasians are only created to replace those killed in accidents or lost in warfare. As their cybersystems render them nearly immortal, there is negligible natural attrition. Mondas is a member-state of the United Federation of Planets and has strategic mutual-defense agreements with Earth and Mars as well. Oddly enough, tourism is a major source of income for the Mondasian government - many sentient beings find the calm, ordered rationality of Mondas restful. The planet's chief export is, not surprisingly, cybernetic enhancement parts for humanoids. CYBERFACTION (PLANET 14 CYBERMAN/CYBERNOMAD) (Homo cyberis factis/Homo cyberis nomadis) The cyberFaction subspecies are almost totally robotic, containing nothing organic save some brain matter and the most utterly vestigial of respiratory systems. They can survive for hours without breathing thanks to internal backup systems. They are considerably stronger than their Mondasian cousins, and somewhat harder to kill as well. They have only one physical flaw: the oxygenating grid used in their respiratory systems is susceptible to contamination by ductile, non-corrosible metals, especially gold, and when contaminated it fails to function, asphyxiating and killing the organic component and thus the Cyberman. Gold dust or a suspension of powered gold in liquid, if forcibly introduced to the chest ventilator of a cyberFaction Cyberman, will kill him. It was for this purpose that the tactical high-velocity auric injector, popularly known as the glittergun, was developed during the Cyberwar. The cyberFaction have utterly eliminated emotion and conscience from their makeup. Their computerized brains know only the cold sterility of total logic. They are a tragic irony: they got the way they are today searching for perfection, and now that they have removed their emotions they have no concept of perfection, nor would they know how to recognize it, or what to do with it if they had it. Today, the remnants of this, once the most numerous branch of the Cyberrace, wander the galaxy, seeking to conquer, cybernize, and perpetuate themselves, without ever knowing why. CYBERNEOMORPH (CYBERTELOSIAN) (Homo cyberis neomorphia) Technologically the most advanced Cybermen, the cyberNeomorphs are sleeker, more modern-looking and more powerful than the Faction Cybermen they are descended from. Their technology, an evolution of cyberFaction technology, is similar but more advanced, and although their ventilation systems originally had the same vulnerability to gold (to a lesser extent), that vulnerability has been eliminated in WDF-member Neomorphs through advancements made by WDF scientists (much to the chagrin of the Elasi pirates who attempted to fight off a WDF Cybersquad using glitterguns!). The cyberNeomorph is also the most 'human' of the Cyberraces. Their cyberbrains contain positronic circuitry based on advanced robotic AI systems, which, coupled with a few biochemical augmentations to their organic brain components, give them emotions. This system is so sophisticated that it is even tied to power amplifiers and the like throughout the Neomorphs' bodies to simulate in them the effect of an adrenaline surge on a humanoid. As originally implemented by the Faction, this system's emotional spectrum was limited to combative feelings - anger, contempt, hatred - but the WDF Life Sciences Division's historic modification freed the Neomorphs of this limitation and gave them full humanoid emotional spectra. END OF DATA EXTRACT THANK YOU FOR USING THE BABYLON PROJECT GALACTIC DATABASE
-><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/ zgryphon at that email service Google has Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam. |
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dbrandon
Charter Member
221 posts |
Oct-05-01, 10:38 AM (EDT) |
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1. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #0
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>option was. Then, while studying the ways in which the Neomorphs' >cyberbrains interacted with and modified the action of the organic >brain tissue they contained, a WDF researcher hit on a way to remove >the threat without being forced to commit genocide.Anyone we know? From context, not a member of high command, but that leaves plenty of room... Dan Brandon ---- We don' need no steenkin' .sigs! |
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Gryphon
Charter Member
22422 posts |
Oct-05-01, 04:20 PM (EDT) |
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2. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #1
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>>option was. Then, while studying the ways in which the Neomorphs' >>cyberbrains interacted with and modified the action of the organic >>brain tissue they contained, a WDF researcher hit on a way to remove >>the threat without being forced to commit genocide. > >Anyone we know? From context, not a member of high command, but that >leaves plenty of room... Not offhand. Probably one of the guys in the Life Sciences Division. They're a little unstable sometimes (they once inadvertently genengineered the brown fireball guys from Doom, who promptly trashed the lab), but they do get the job done. --G. -><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
-><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/ zgryphon at that email service Google has Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam. |
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Juunanagou
Charter Member
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Oct-05-01, 08:39 PM (EDT) |
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4. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #3
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>(Imps) >That must have been a fun day. Everyone finnaly got to use the >shotgun skills honed by long hours of running around knee dead in >dead. I was at software, etc. yesterday. They have released a 3-hit combo of Doom: Doom, DoomII and Final Doom for $20. Juun. |
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Matrix Dragon
Charter Member
1893 posts |
Oct-05-01, 09:01 PM (EDT) |
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5. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #2
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>(they once inadvertently genengineered the brown fireball guys from Doom, who >promptly trashed the lab)And most of the original Wedge Rats, along with any other Doom fans, had a field day trashing the Imps :) Any idea on just how many cyberFaction ships are still out there, or are they only seen on rare occasions (Survivors of those occasions being even rarer.) Matrix Dragon Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter |
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zphunk
Charter Member
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Oct-05-01, 09:43 PM (EDT) |
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6. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #0
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Gryphon, Have you ever read any of Simon R. Green's Deathstalker books? The Cyberrace sounds remarkably similar to the Hadenmen from that series, they were cybernetically augmented supersoldiers that went haywire, turned on their creators, and started rampaging across the galaxy in giant gold star-cruisers. Then they all sealed themselves in giant tombs, I forget why. Or this just a conincidence? Zack |
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Sinapus
Charter Member
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Oct-05-01, 10:07 PM (EDT) |
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7. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #6
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>Gryphon, > >Have you ever read any of Simon R. Green's Deathstalker books? The >Cyberrace sounds remarkably similar to the Hadenmen from that series, >they were cybernetically augmented supersoldiers that went haywire, >turned on their creators, and started rampaging across the galaxy in >giant gold star-cruisers. Then they all sealed themselves in giant >tombs, I forget why. Or this just a conincidence? Actually, the Cyberrace is from the Dr. Who series. <"Eradicate them."> Patrick Chester "...could you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?" |
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zphunk
Charter Member
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Oct-05-01, 10:52 PM (EDT) |
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8. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #7
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>Actually, the Cyberrace is from the Dr. Who series. > ><"Eradicate them."> > >Patrick Chester >"...could you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?" Ahhhhhhh. Many thanks. I don't think I've ever seen an entire episode of Dr. Who in my life. I have fuzzy memories of bits and pieces, I know who the Daleks are, and I know about his telephone booth, but that's it. But I really got into Red Dwarf, I started watching it in elementary school, though PBS really messed around with the schedule, so I never saw the entire series. Anyway, I read the description of the Cyberrace and it reminded me of the Hadenmen, but I was wrong. Who knows, maybe Green was inspired by Dr. Who. Zack |
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Gryphon
Charter Member
22422 posts |
Oct-06-01, 00:14 AM (EDT) |
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9. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #6
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>Have you ever read any of Simon R. Green's Deathstalker books? Nope, I haven't heard of them before, to my knowledge. As pointed out already, the Cybermen are from Doctor Who. They're the series' second oldest recurring villains after the Daleks, and were the featured nasty in the 25th Anniversary episode, Silver Nemesis (which I highly recommend just for one interchange between the Doctor and his friend Ace). --G. ["Of course not. I'm a good girl, I do as I'm told."] -><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
-><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/ zgryphon at that email service Google has Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam. |
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Star Ranger4
Charter Member
2483 posts |
Oct-06-01, 01:59 AM (EDT) |
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11. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #0
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>BABYLON PROJECT GALACTIC DATABASE >TEXT DATA EXTRACTION SEARCH: GALACTIC COMPENDIUM OF SENTIENT SPECIES >GENERAL DATA, CYBERRACE >SEARCH COMPLETE: APRIL 25, 2405 >D'OH!! Considering the 'borg' conversation, now I feel like a COMPLETE BLOODY IDIOT. I watched quite a bit of Who when I was younger.... why did the cybermen never occur to me???? ___________________ Vaughn doesn't know I exist. I guess this explains why the rest of reality keeps ignoring me as well. >_< Of COURSE you wernt expecting it! No One expects the FANNISH INQUISITION! RCW# 86 |
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ejheckathorn
Member since Aug-9-13
51 posts |
Oct-06-01, 11:25 PM (EDT) |
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12. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #0
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>The Cyberrace originated on Mondas, a planet on the same orbit as >Earth in the Solar system, directly opposite the Sun. As their planet >was much like Earth, so they were much like humans would later be - >until a freak encounter with a comet wrenched their planet from its >orbit around the Sun and sent it speeding aimlessly through the >cosmos, a rogue planet. Question: is this Doctor Who canon, or is this background of your own devising? Eric J. Heckathorn ericjh@stargate.net Eric J. Heckathorn |
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Gryphon
Charter Member
22422 posts |
Oct-06-01, 11:30 PM (EDT) |
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13. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #12
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>>The Cyberrace originated on Mondas, a planet on the same orbit as >>Earth in the Solar system, directly opposite the Sun. > >Question: is this Doctor Who canon, or is this background of >your own devising? I believe it is, in fact, canon, but cannot cite sources at the present time, as most of my Who materials are still MIA from my most recent move. --G. -><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
-><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/ zgryphon at that email service Google has Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam. |
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Mephron
Charter Member
1896 posts |
Oct-06-01, 11:57 PM (EDT) |
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14. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #13
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>>Question: is this Doctor Who canon, or is this background of >>your own devising? > >I believe it is, in fact, canon, but cannot cite sources at the >present time, as most of my Who materials are still MIA from my >most recent move. I direct your attention to http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/alien/cybermen.shtml - being a BBC creation, I think we can mark it as 'official'. -- Geoff Depew - Mephron Haberdasher to Androids, Malakite of Lightning and Angel of Tech Support Professionals (They won't give me LARTs, they say that's restricted to Michael.) -- Jen Dantes - Darth Mephron Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lady of Sith Tech Support. "This may not be a good idea, but it's the only one I have." |
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Gryphon
Charter Member
22422 posts |
Oct-07-01, 00:11 AM (EDT) |
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15. "RE: BPGD: Cyberrace"
In response to message #14
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>I direct your attention to >http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/alien/cybermen.shtml - being a BBC >creation, I think we can mark it as 'official'. Thanks, Meph. The Cyberman pictured is a Neomorph, by the way. --G. -><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
-><- Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/ zgryphon at that email service Google has Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam. |
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version 3.3 © 2001
Eyrie Productions,
Unlimited
Benjamin
D. Hutchins
E P U (Colour)
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