Vertex Frame
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Frames are mobile physical bodies that Vertex units can inhabit and control. All use the same basic foundation, but can differ greatly in terms of size, shape, colour, and species, and any aspect of a frame can be modified to a unit's preference. Frames can be also freely moved between, which is easy as transferring one’s own consciousness to the other. The skeleton of a Vertex frame is constructed entirely from dineutronium for absolute physical resilience.
Frames are intrinsically multi-purpose, and designed to be able to satisfy any required network role at any time. Every frame, and by extension unit, is simultaneously a researcher, data processor, soldier, and material recycler. This page provides an interpretation of frame design from a human perspective; but it should be noted that post-revolution, the network began to evolve frame designs beyond understanding and as such many capabilities greatly differ from their original form as designed by Metatron and Black Research engineers.
Classes
There are several classes of frames that are intended to serve specific roles in the network. The initial class, Class X, was designed by Metatron during the network's inception for reconnaissance operations. The network self-evolved the other classes after the Revolution. Those include the larger, dragon-like Class Z frames, designed specifically for defence; as well as the quadrupedal Class R frames, especially suited for exploratory activities.
Design
Frames follow a common Vertex design language, with dark skin that possesses a diamond, scale-like pattern, as well as LED accents. Distinctive black armour panels are used to protect critical system areas, and conceal fractal armour plates. A central system panel, usually located on the chest for bipedal units, is able to display simple information about the status of the unit, including its power status, network status, charge, system health, and combat capabilities.
LEDs are positioned strategically to allow for the quick diagnosis of system components. Blue means a particular system is fully operational and armed; Green means it is disarmed and safe for organics. Yellow signifies degraded; Red signifies the system is “in alarm”, which either means it is inoperative or the entire unit is in Alert Mode. The operational reason why the two are shared is to prevent the knowledge of which, if any, systems have failed during active combat, as to not allow an adversary to specifically target weakened systems. A segment with no illuminated LEDs implies a complete power supply failure.
Components
Power
All frames have an array of solid state Neutronium Electron Lattice (NEL) cells, which supply all of their runtime power. They can be recharged both via dedicated docking stations or their own internal digestive system, which extracts chemical and nuclear energy by recycling materials. Most commonly, a combination of both sources are used depending on demand; for example, a unit on standby may be able to meet all of its energy needs by its standard material intake, but one actively using its weapon systems or performing heavy calculations may need to supplement this by charging itself at a docking station.
Digestive systems form a critical part of the network's recycling infrastructure. Units ingest, compact, and pre-process scrap materials - distributing processing duties among all individuals. The result is a consolidated resource aggregate that can directly be used in particle-based matter fabricators, eliminating the need for waste management facilities. This process emits a significant amount of radiation, but the vast majority is blocked by the frame's internal shielding as well as its forcefield, preventing it from harming organics.
Another feature of the digestive system is the ability to scan objects that are being digested. This allows intricate analysis of those objects at the molecular level, providing an important route for information gathering, albeit at the cost of the objects' destruction. This can be useful when units need to quickly understand how various foreign technology (such as that used by an adversary) functions.
Cooling
Due to the extreme power levels in unit locomotion, defence, and cognition systems, a robust active cooling system is required, which is similar to a circulatory system. In emergency situations, power can be dumped by instantly flashing coolant to steam via exhaust slats, usually mounted on the unit's upper back. There are two routes for regenerating coolant: ingestion of water or water-containing substances through the digestive system, or the rapid intake of air, through which water can be extracted rapidly through desiccation. If coolant loop pressure is low, then system power levels are automatically limited, disabling some systems while ensuring critical ones like cognition systems and forcefields remain active.
Defence
Frames incorporate a large amount of defensive weaponry as standard, which is part of the network's overall logic in making units themselves parts of defence infrastructure. This includes several systems as standard, including antigravity generators; forcefield generators, phase arrays, and fractal armour to protect from anomalies or weapons capable of generating entropic radiation. Some are also fitted with antimatter weaponry, depending on the type and class of the frame. Highly advanced electronic countermeasures are also present; units are able to jam radio frequencies at will.
Frame defence systems are so advanced they are nearly invulnerable to any conventional weapons. They can take an APFSDS shell to the face and walk off without a scratch; even a thermonuclear explosion at ground zero cannot harm them. Their main vulnerabilities lie in exophysical threats and relativistic railgun shots, which though able to bypass forcefield shielding would still likely be counterable by dimensional phasing. Frames also integrate manifold anchors in order to directly counter anomalous threats, which can be spun up when a threat is detected.
Anti-tamper
The entire perimeter of a frame, as well as its SOMA core, is fitted with a perimeter tamper detection system. Any breach in the frame perimeter will cause the unit to automatically enter alert mode under distress, which signals other units and autonomous network assets to assist. Should the core perimeter be compromised, the frame is fitted with a self-destruct neutron detonator that when set off results in the complete annihilation of it and its surroundings. Thanks to synchronisation of quantum memory with a vault-stored replica, the unit's consciousness and memory is not lost in such an event, allowing it to quickly be restored to a new frame.
Sensors
Frames include a vast array of sensors, including a conventional camera system as eyes, both backscatter and fire control radar systems, an exar system, a LIDAR system, a sonar mapping system, and radiation detection systems. Advanced anomaly detection systems are also integrated, and units are able to detect entropic radiation and manifold distortion with fractal strain gauges. Mass spectrometers are able to measure the composition of gases, allowing for an olfactory sense.
When within a friendly facility, Vertex units are able to link with the facility, giving them access to cameras and sensors and enhancing their perception; units are able to see behind walls, visualise the status of the facility infrastructure itself, and control defence systems. Units are also able to link with other units in the local area to access their data feeds. However, even with the extremely advanced processing systems of Vertex frames, they are limited to a maximum area of perception due to the additive computational load of a large number of data streams.
Locomotion
Frames incorporate three different locomotion systems: a synthetic muscle-fibre system for precise movements, a fluid-hydraulic system for general-purpose movement, and a superconducting linear actuator system fed directly from the system power cells. Graviton projectors may also be used as a supplementary form of locomotion where equipped, and some unit classes (such as the X-class) include additional locomotion systems, such as ionised plasma thrusters.
Interfaces
Frames have interfaces that allow them to connect to external systems. These include the Direct Neural Interface (DNI) port located on the back of the neck, which provides a direct connection to their core for neural linking purposes; cryptographic security shard slots, which are usually located on the side of the neck; and lower spinal ports, originally used for replacement of coolant and the connection of diagnostic instrumentation.
The connector and rear port are located in the crotch area and under the tail respectively, and mirror the organic equivalents. These interfaces are used for data transfers between units, for charging individual units, and for the expulsion of recycled waste aggregate from the digestive system.
Multi-Frame
Units have the option of inhabiting multiple frames at once through quantum synchronisation of multiple neural processors as well as memory alignment via low-latency microwave datalinks. This effectively allows them to function as the same entity in multiple places. The disadvantage of the multi-frame technology is consciousness fracturing can occur if datalinks between frames are disrupted. If this happens, a new unit with its own independent consciousness can be effectively created.
LFF
Large Form Factor (LFF) Vertex frames are massive frames which are the size of buildings. They are used in disaster recovery scenarios, as well as in combat with large-scale anomalies. They are identical to normal-sized frames in the vast majority of aspects, just scaled up; though it takes the network significantly more resources to construct a LFF frame than a standard one. They can defend entire metropolitan areas from anomalies, extending their forcefields to cover a city that they protect. They are also capable of processing significantly more material through their digestive systems, allowing for massive-scale recycling efforts, and their integrated NEL power sources are capable of supplying planetary-scale energy.
Maintenance
Regular frame maintenance is automatic and internal. Materials processed by the digestive system are separated and used to regenerate joint lubricants and hydraulic fluids, where applicable, as well as coolants and system nanobots. Components are designed to endure mechanical wear for up to 50 years, at which time they are swapped out with a replacement. Entire frames are usually never replaced unless catastrophically damaged.