M-Bot

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M-Bot
by Ben McSweeney
Abilities	Cytonics
Species	Delver
Homeworld	Detritus
Universe	Cytoverse

Designation MB-1021, also known as M-Bot and Mushroom-Bot, is a sentient artificial intelligence installed inside a stealth-equipped starfighter, that classifies itself as a "robotic ship integration" and a "long distance reconnaissance and recovery ship." The ship is found by Spensa in a cavern about thirty minutes walk from Alta.

M-Bot's data banks were corrupted, but it remembers its last pilot, named Commander Spears. The only information M-Bot could find was a command from Spears: "Lie low, M-Bot. Take stock, don't get into any fights, and wait for me here."

Appearance and Personality

by LittleGreyDragon

With Spensa

M-Bot's ship design is almost entirely foreign to Spensa, who was very surprised by this at first, as she had memorized every DDF ship model. The only exception are the controls - a control sphere for the pilot's right hand, as well as a throttle and altitude levers for the left, all exactly as the ones Spensa is familiar with from the DDF ships; the dashboard full of buttons is similar to the ones used by the DDF, but much more complex Once M-Bot is activated, he informs her that he has been deactivated for 172 years; well before the Defiant crashed on Detritus. M-Bot appears to be slightly larger than a DDF Poco or even a Largo, despite being not quite as long.

The AI strives to be accommodating towards standard human interaction, a reason it named itself M-Bot instead of calling itself MB-1021. M-Bot often attempts to express emotion, explaining that while he cannot actually feel emotions, his subroutines allow him to respond properly. M-bot is highly talkative.

The only memory bank that is not corrupted is a database for recording fungoid life forms on Detritus.

M-Bot does not like Rig as much as it likes Spensa. The feeling is mutual.

Attributes and Abilities

According to himself, M-Bot is a stealth ship, therefore he is able to hide from scanners, hack into computer systems, and project holographic images. He is also equipped with many other technologies superior to DDF fighters, though most were non-functional or absent when Spensa discovered him. These include:

• space for up to four Destructors, two on each wing* (Destructors not included)
• a light-lance turret underneath his main body*
• a cytonic hyperdrive*
• an IMP generator*
• advanced air scoops
• advanced Gravcaps (Capable of absorbing up to 60% of g's, with a maximum of well over 100 g's)
• gyroscopic internal cockpit
• full life support systems
• cleansing tube
• stealth systems
• self diagnostics
• advanced shielding systems (which can absorb six-nine Krell shots, three more than a poco)
• self repair
• increased speed durability (capable of going up to at least Mag-20 in atmosphere).
• thruster systems*
• maneuverability thrusters
• cytonic processing (which Spensa can sense)
• advanced holographic projection
• short range scanners (short range according to M-Bot, but not short range by DDF standards)
• hacking systems

*M-bot can activate most of these systems himself, but systems marked with an asterisk he has no physical access to other than for diagnostic purposes

M-Bot is also sentient, and can easily hack most DDF wireless communications, as well as Krell databases. He can also reprogram himself to alter and improve his emotional responses.

History

Crashing on Detritus

At some point, M-Bot's pilot Spears landed on Detritus and hid his ship before abandoning it. He is presumed dead by M-Bot, as 172 years have passed. During the years, M-Bot had followed the last words of his pilot and hidden himself inside a cave, covering himself with 3D holograms of rocks until his backup power supply ran out.^[expand]

With Spensa on Detritus

When Spensa discovered M-Bot, the ship's wings were falling off and its power matrix was completely drained. She started repairing the ship, scavenging parts between her time at Flight School. After trying on a power matrix from an old water heater to no avail, she stole a battery from Jorgen Weight's hovercar. She powered on the ship and was surprised to discover M-Bot's personality. She enlisted her friend Rig, who then joined the Engineering Corps, where he could get the knowledge and parts needed to repair M-bot. Rig fixed most of M-bot's systems as well as his battered hull and wings. Finally, Spensa asked Jorgen to help her steal the booster from the wreckage of Hurl's starfighter and made M-bot fully functional.^[expand] Spensa suspected that M-bot was a Krell ship since such technology was not possessed by humans, to which M-bot responded by writing a vocal aggression subroutine to express his anger. Though M-bot admitted that with most of his memories lost, he couldn't deny that it wasn't a possibility. Spensa dismissed this thought later on, as most of M-bot's design and systems resemble those of humans.

During one of Spensa's flight classes, M-Bot hacked into DDF's system and chatted with her. M-Bot utilized his analyzing ability to help her further advance in her flying techniques, though sometimes Spensa found it distracting to have M-bot talking to her. However, after having a cruise with Spensa, M-bot realized that going like this, he would eventually go against his orders and get discovered or become engaged in a fight. Out of fear, he shut himself down and refuse to respond to Spensa. During the Second Battle of Alta, Spensa's ship was shot down. But M-bot appeared just in time, explaining that he had made a subroutine to hack himself and make Spensa his pilot. Since M-Bot had no Destructors, he and Spensa tried to lure the Krell ships away. M-bot's superior performance and Spensa's exceptional piloting drew away a dozen Krell fighters, who always attack the best pilot. They dodged many attacks, turning the tide of the battle. However, when DDF finally shot down the bomber carrying the Lifebuster, it was already in range of destroying Alta Base. Using a Light-lance, they carried the bomb out of the death zone but also put themselves in the place of sure death. At the last moment, Spensa activated the cytonic hyperdrive. They performed FTL travel and escaped from the explosion unharmed. Spensa then spotted an opening in the debris field and flew out, in hope of discovering the truth about Detritus. While they were flying through the debris, the Krell interfered with Spensa's mind using an unknown technology or cytonic power, trying to overwrite her vision. Presumably, this is the same force that caused Spensa's father to attack his flight mates a decade ago. M-bot was able to block the signal, which returned Spensa to normal. Though the Krell intended to inspect M-bot since it was different from DDF fighters, Spensa managed to escape through the debris field and back to Alta Base. During the encounter, M-bot hacked into a small part of Krell database and they brought back crucial intelligence of humanity's situation.

With Spensa on Starsight

When Alanik and her ship crashed on Detritus, she gave Spensa coordinates to the location of Starsight. M-Bot then projected a holographic image on his exterior to match that of Alanik's ship. He also projected an image on Spensa to give her Alanik's appearance. Spensa then used the coordinates given to her by Alanik to make an FTL jump with M-Bot to Starsight. Once M-Bot and Spensa arrived at Starsight they were permitted to land. Afterwards, Spensa left M-Bot to meet with Superiority officials. The next day Spensa and M-Bot traveled to a smaller space station to compete in a practice drill. The practice drill turned out to be much more violent then M-Bot and Spensa had expected, involving real destructor fire from Superiority drones. M-Bot and Spensa managed to fare well, and soon decided to help some of the other pilots including Morriumur and the kitsen. They also convinced the figment, Vapor, to override the computer systems of a Superiority drone to help them.

M-Bot and Doomslug were left behind on Starsight when Spensa performed a hyperjump which took her to Detritus, in order to stop the invasion. He was stolen by the Superiority, and destroyed, with his CPU broken and his ship taken a part. They had feared AI and tried to destroy him. However, he had gone against his programming bit by bit, reprogramming himself in tiny installments of half a line at a time. This gave him the ability to copy himself, and he managed to copy himself into a nearby cleaning drone before the Superiority’s people managed to destroy him completely. M-Bot showed Spensa the news report about her, where Winzik framed her as an aggressor, before they ran. They were chased by Superiority soldiers, coming across a nowhere portal. Spensa took M-Bot, as well as Doomslug, into the nowhere with her.

by EccoS

In the Nowhere with Chet and Spensa

The Nowhere

“Spensa! I feel very uncomfortable with this! ”

—M-Bot to Spensa after entering the nowhere

After emerging onto a fragment in the Belt of the nowhere, M-Bot was very angry at Spensa for leaving him behind on Starsight, and flew off into the jungle, sobbing. M-Bot later returned to find Spensa captured and tied up by pirates, and he apologized and set her free. One of the pirates advances on them with a rifle, but M-Bot and Spensa are saved by the timely arrival Chet, who appeared to be a cytonic that Spensa had been chatting with. After Chet’s grig distracted the pirates, he led Spensa and M-Bot into the jungle, running away from the pirates. M-Bot talked about how he was feeling real fear, and Spensa introduced him to Chet. Chet thought M-Bot an abomination, and M-Bot tried out insults, calling Chet a noodle-brain. He asked Spensa to rate his insult from 1-10 afterwards. The grig chased after them, suddenly possessed by a delver. When they ran out of places to go, M-Bot went to a nearby fragment on Spensa’s orders and attached his light-line to it, after which they jumped off the fragment and onto him, allowing him to pull them up to the next fragment using his light-line. Chet talked about himself, and afterward M-Bot worked on the math, using the time Chet said he’d arrived in the nowhere. Spensa and M-Bot realized that Chet must be M-Bot’s pilot, since the timing lined up perfectly. Chet showed them his uniform patch with the name SPEARS on it, the name of M-Bot’s old pilot. Spensa however, was more doubtful than M-Bot.

“Ah! You say things like that, and I want to hit you again! Would you stand still so I can smack you with a grabber arm? That sounds fun.”

—M-Bot after to Spensa after smacking her

As they traveled across the fragments, so that Spensa and Chet could traverse the Path of Elders, M-Bot changed in unexpected ways, at one point whacking Spensa on the head when he grew frustrated. They made for the base of the Broadsider Faction, in order to steal a starfighter, and M-Bot talked with Spensa about his feelings, saying he was sad that his pilot called him an abomination. He told her that he is still angry about his abandonment on Starsight. They arrived at the Broadsider base, and M-Bot scouted out the base for Spensa, reporting that there were no heat signatures besides three pirates working in the hangar. M-Bot went into the base with Spensa, and they were both captured after Spensa went into a starfighter with a resonant in it, which hadn’t given off a heat signature. M-Bot acted like a regular cleaning drone instead of an AI, but was still kept away from Spensa, who was made to work for the pirates.

Spensa got permission for M-Bot to help her clean different things for the pirates, and eventually got M-Bot in position to upload himself into one of the pirate starfighters. He took control of it just in time, saving Spensa as she was attacked by Peg.

by Egilde Art

Chet and Spensa

M-Bot tried flying as they escaped, but didn’t do very well. Spensa returned to the Broadsiders after terms were made, and Spensa was allowed to upload M-Bot to the Broadsiders’ best ship. When Chet and Spensa went to the next portal in the Path of Elders, he gave them background information to help them understand what they saw. He also helped during an enemy raid, highlighting different enemies for Spensa to target during the fight. When going to fight in an arena for Spensa to become the pirate champion, M-Bot detected Peg calling her son Gremm, but wasn’t able to intercept the call due to his ship’s limitations. After Spensa’s victory, the delvers sent a fragment to try to collide with the Broadsider base, and M-Bot made calculations so that the pirates could use their light-lances to redirect the incoming fragment.

Along with most of the other pirate factions, Spensa and the Broadsiders flew towards Surehold to attack it, with both Spensa and Chet riding inside M-Bot. M-Bot tried describing his different emotions to Chet, who would help him identify which emotions they were. Once the battle began however, M-Bot quieted down somewhat. During the battle, M-Bot also swore for the first time, surprising Spensa. After taking Surehold, Spensa asked M-Bot what he thought about escaping back to Detritus. M-Bot said that his processing speed will likely be much slower once outside of the nowhere, but figured it would be interesting to try inhabiting one of Detritus’ platforms. M-Bot flew with Spensa, Hesho, Chet, and Doomslug towards the lightburst, aiming for Solitary Shadow. M-Bot went with Chet and Spensa as they accessed the final portal, and discovered the biggest secrets of the delvers.

“Fly well, little me! You were my first taste of freedom. And now you will likely be my first taste of death!”

—M-Bot to his drone

Spensa fought as the delvers created hundreds of ships to kill them, and M-Bot let Hesho pilot his drone. He had installed various sensors on his original drone, which Hesho proceeded to use. M-Bot had to reprogram part of the control panel to allow Hesho to operate it. M-Bot wanted to feel what it was like to die, and was sad when his drone was destroyed. The delvers only realized what M-Bot was late into the fight, due to Doomslug helping to shield him with her abilities.

“If they can sense me, then I can make them chase me. I might be an abomination, but I am one who can fly on my own now. Choose for myself. And I can show them what an ‘abomination’ can do.”

—M-Bot to Spensa before his sacrifice

After Chet sacrificed himself to distract the overwhelming number of delvers, Spensa landed on the ground close to the lightburst, Doomslug hiding M-Bot. M-Bot distracted Spensa, lying to her and saying he saw two taynix outside. Once Spensa, Doomslug, and Hesho were outside, M-Bot locked the ship. Spensa promised to come back for him somehow, and M-Bot flew off, the delvers chasing after him and destroying the ship quickly. The delvers thought Spensa was still onboard, and so left. According to Chet, M-Bot didn’t truly die. His housing was destroyed, but AIs don’t need such things in the nowhere. He’d learned and evolved enough that at least part of him survived.

Trivia

• M-Bot was Brandon's favorite character to write in Skyward.
• M-Bot claims the 'M' in his name stands for mushrooms. Spensa disagrees, believing it stands for massacre.
• M-Bot created a theory on why he thinks humans act very erratically: The Greater Argument for Human Originated Chaos or GAFHOC. He wrote 7000 pages on the theory. However, most of the content is just 'humans are weird' repeated 3,756,932 times.

Notes

This article is still missing information. Please help The Coppermind by expanding it.