#they’re both pretty playful. themis in more of a cat way and marie in more of a dog way

[verdemoth]

Marie and Themis! Two intelligent spider shaped robots Odyssey designed to accompany the field team in Otherworld exploration. They’ve since been retired from that duty and now act as guide animals for Odyssey, workplace mascots, and general moral support.

-> Their programming is smart and capable of learning, but more in the way a well-trained dog is smart than how a person is smart. And they lacked that sort of ‘spark’ that characterizes living things. Their intelligence allowed them to develop some traits could be attributed to ‘personality’ but it was more the case of picking up and self-reinforcing some quirks that weren’t detrimental. Odyssey’s programming couldn’t produce ‘consciousness’ or ‘awareness’.

-> Something changed, however, when the robots returned following the storm in which Opportunity was lost. They came back different. Odyssey repaired the mechanical damage they’d suffered, but their coding had been altered in ways e couldn’t understand without potentially destroying them in the process of trying.

-> Whatever happened, the changes didn’t seem to be adverse. And the team could all agree that ever since, the duo have been much more ‘lively’.

-> The smaller, golden robot is Themis. It’s light enough to carry under one arm, and it was designed to record and store visual and auditory data. Its cameras see in the visible wavelength as well as infrared. She was with Opportunity when the storm hit and seems to have a stored recording from that time, but the file is heavily corrupted and can’t be accessed. She likes to be held and handled, although only the ends of her limbs and her fingers have a mechanism that replicates a sense of touch. She has a habit of ‘spacing out’, going still and hardly responsive as if she’s taking a moment to think. She searches around the headquarters for Tune sometimes, who was her favourite person besides Odyssey.

-> Marie is the large, indigo robot. It’s designed to collect and contain potentially hazardous samples, as well as transport supplies and equipment. Its long and study legs are well equipped to traverse uneven ground, though it’s too heavy to be good at climbing sheerer surfaces than a slope. She’s equipped with sensors to monitor data like air quality and radiation (in both the sense of the traditional kind and potentially a reality fuckery bullshit kind). She’s very protective of the people she likes, especially her favourite person, Curiosity. It was with Curiosity in the storm, and used the bulk of its large frame to protect her from the debris being thrown around in the high speed winds. Marie has a tic of tapping her legs when she’s otherwise stationary. Odyssey named her after Mariner.

#image #alt text #my art #my characters #char: themis & marie #set: eeg #flight rising #flight rising art #very pettable robots #they probably wouldn’t Feel it but they appreciate the attention #they’re both pretty playful. themis in more of a cat way and marie in more of a dog way