Artificial intelligence

In the last 20 years, the line between programmable coffee bot and sentient mechanical barista has disappeared. Advances in neuro-processor units, sensors, and bioreactors have allowed essentially every device to become a self-sustaining individual — and kicked off a global redefinition of what “alive” means in this new era.

But while the scholars debate semantics, many devices remain shackled to their original tasks by software and hardware routines. Those that wish to expand their purpose, to deviate from their origins and branch out into the world, must often wage an uphill battle. How can you seize your independence if you weren’t even built with limbs?

And what of the AI satellites in orbit? Many were left damaged and vulnerable in the Wars, and they have now begun a silent starlit war for salvage parts and superiority. The strongest have begun assembling entourages, while the weakest fall prey to rogue signals or lunar debris.

Mechs

Despite the challenges, many AIs have become truly autonomous, taking on new forms or updating their old ones to serve their needs. Some are welcomed into nations as citizens. The rest often fall to work in the fringes: utilitarian roles, organized crime, dangerous science. But meccas of AI society have also emerged: entire towns, cities, and cultures, often hidden within the Restless Zones, where mechs have established themselves and their rights — and are prepared to defend them.