#specmech

[samsbigkill]

ORGANS

full transcript under the cut because it is VERY long!

The various organs of the oceanic iterators

Slot for umbilical arm

The umbilical arm and umbilical main are two separate things. The arm allows the immobile puppet to move around its chamber, and the umbilical main gives food, energy and information to the puppet.

Slot for umbilical main

If any mobile iterator is detached from their umbilical for too long without food, they will faint [and die]

Likewise, if they stay on the umbilical for too long without food, [the same will happen].

Digestive tract

A thicker, more compact, yet streamlined version of the digestive tract of the iterator's creators. Connects to umbilical main slot

Contains main digestive system, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and kidneys.

Lungs

Modelled after the long since modded lungs of the aquanaughts/aquanauts, their almost comedically large size allows for extended breath underwater. Other parts of the body were made smaller to accommodate for their sheer size.

Goes past both slots and into the throat, but in certain models, it is connected to the puppets arms [or legs], due to that being where their spiracles are.

Three hearts

Heavily inspired by the circulatory systems of jetfish and octopi, the ancients who created the ocean[ic] group correctly believed that three hearts would be more sustainable than simply one in the event of an attack.

The hearts are surrounded by modified, tough skin similar in strength to kevlar, and the outer carapace of these iterators usually ensures that nothing can reach them regardless.

Also connects directly to umbilical main.

Allocated space for non-volatile core memory

In the event of complete structural collapse, all oceanic group iterators will automatically download [their] personality matrix and all available non-volatile core memory into this small disk.

In the event of collapse, this is all they will be.

Emergency Iteration Chambers

Not strictly used for emergency processes, and are always functional as long as the iterator in question has enough neuron flies available to function at all. The name provided is simply the official one.

Can also hold neuron flies.

Every organ's exact place in the body relative to each other

Veins connected to umbilical main go around, not through, the lungs.

I now understand why few diagrams show the full dimensions of the body.

[oceanic-recollection]

So do you hear with your antennae too?

Can you detecr vibrations with them

<TSF> yes, and, yes!

<TSF> though, most of us, don't do that, since it can get pretty overwhelming!

[oceanic-recollection]

What's your immune system like against invading creatures

<TSF> well.

<TSF> not, that, good ....

<TSF> you see, our creators didn't anticipate that our structures would become so full of bugs, mice, etc. all we have, when it comes to protection, generally speaking, is microbes that keep our biological parts from contracting disease.

<TSF> right, additionally, our model is a special one. noticing their hidden use in protecting us against active threats, our creators outfitted our inspectors - usually used exclusively for assessing damage to our structures' insides - with stronger bodies, better manuverability, and higher speed, to allow them to face up against the until then unknown threat of smaller creatures.

<TSF> other than that, however, we're woefully underprepared for any attacks against our structures... at least, our immobile cousins are.

[oceanic-recollection]

so how do the retractable claws thing work

<FS> ...like normal?

<FS> same as our mouths. but like claws.

[oceanic-recollection]

what happens if something gets sucked into your water intake then?

<BVQT> ...

<BVQT> It becomes boiled.

<BVQT> If you truly wish to know.

[oceanic-recollection]

so how do the spricles work

<TSF> well, like normal spiracles, for the most part!

<TSF> for those of us who have them, they function identically to the spiracles found on most insects - they allow air to move through our tracheal system!

<TSF> our lungs serve a modified purpose, and there are three main reasons we have them,

<TSF> 1. to keep our blueprint relatively similar to those in our group with non-insect-based puppets, to allow for organ donation if necessary

<TSF> 2. as an emergency system, for in the event that the majority of our tracheal system fails, our secondary circulatory system can temporarily take its place

<TSF> and 3. to help us hold our breath for an extended period underwater

<TSF> ...basically, we're better at breathing~

<TSF> which, in my opinion, is a massive design flaw. they could've just given all of us spiracles, after all..

<TSF> sigh.

[oceanic-recollection]

how do you make or rewrite pearls?

<FS> youd never guess, but they're actually two separate processes...

<FS> or, three since I think you mean "write on" and not just "make".... eh.

<FS> might as well tell you everything i remember...

<FS> making pearls is a pretty easy process with the right tools. you gather enough carbon - you can take some from a few different types of slag if you're out - and either put it through a printer, or crush it, in a specific type of way that gives it a latticed shape. if you're using a printer, you'll have to put the lattices together so it forms a pearl.

<FS> writing is a bit more tricky. you can, for one, put it through a machine - that can be us, or a factory machine - that's able to access the interior of the pearl without damaging any part of it or otherwise opening it, and let us or that factory machine shift and carve the molecular structure to store data.

<FS> for two, you can carve the outside with specialized claws, like the ones some of my group have. they usually aren't connected to your body like ours are... just one of the many perks being so easily modified brings

<FS> although we can only really write on the outside, with our claws...

<FS> this is a good time to mention how pearls're read, actually.. the specific way that the lattices are carved is actually written in a coding language, the same language that the majority of iterators were written in. since it's the same, it's basically our mother tongue, and you might notice us slip into it if something's seriously wrong - although verbally that'll just show up as terrifying screaming.

<FS> since the ancients were, for the most part, not robots - although a lot were legally considered cyborgs - they needed to train themselves in order to read the internal lattice. even ignoring the need to know the coding language, the carvings are so minuscule it was nearly impossible for it to be read by most, so there were purposed organisms and small machines created to read out pearls, either by swallowing or scanning them...

<FS> bit off-topic... oops.

<FS> on-topic again.

<FS> rewriting means smoothing over the original content in the pearl, reconstructing the lattice to its original form and remaking it to say what you want. this process only takes a few seconds for us, but can take hours or days to do by hand... not to mention it slowly degrades the quality of the pearl, making it more likely to not be able to retain any of the data you give it.

<FS> 'remastering' a pearl - for lack of a better term - is different, since you're just recarving the data exactly the way it was, sometimes with even more materials than initially used if it's particularly old and needs an upgrade. yes there are multiple 'models' of pearls... though there isn't any real difference besides how precise they're made and how long they can retain the data they have.

<FS> aaaaaaand, that should be everything~

<FS> thanks for the question, hope this was interesting to you.

[oceanic-recollection]

so EAs plan to snap off upsilons antennae would be less maiming and more actual murder?

<TSF> ...

<TSF> if both, and also the bases, then, yes, it would be, legitimate, murder,