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Bioroids are artificially intelligent androids produced by the Haas-Bioroid corporation. Universally, bioroids are property and have no rights. Groups like the Liberty Society campaign to change this fact, and are opposed by groups like Humanity First. "Full-body" bioroids are denoted by the perjorative slang "golems" and are frequent targets for random violence and destruction (as seen in the Android board game, and the Netrunner card Experiential Data).

Biotic labour

The Three Directives[]

Experiential data

All bioroids are subject to the Three Directives, rules which form the core of a bioroid's programming. The Directives are inspired by Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics".

Putting the "Bio" in Bioroid[]

Despite what the name might imply, bioroids have no biological components. Bioroid design is based on a method of mapping human brains developed and patented by Haas-Bioroid - presumably the term is a shortening of something like biomimetic androids, because the artificial intelligence is based on the function of a biological brain. In the case of some bioroids, fragmented memories of the original intelligence can remain. This process is called cerebral imaging (as is the sub-company that provides it), and requires an enormous amount of data storage.

Full-body Bioroids[]

"Full-body" bioroids have synthskin on their faces and hands to make them more palatable to humans, but typically have a visible synthetic shell. They can also be identified by their artificial eyes, which are solid silver orbs. If they cover their eyes (glass technology is popular in the world of Android) and wear a coat, they can pass for human with relative ease. Bioroids are made of five different types of plastic around a titanium frame and are incredibly strong and durable.

Full Body Models[]

  • Adonis, male companionship
  • Kevin, male companionship
  • Eve, female companionship
  • Lisa, female companionship
  • Steiger, mining
  • Rex, search-and-rescue
  • Ash, efficiency expert
  • Adam, heavy industry
  • Alix, financial analysis
  • Greg, marketing & sales
  • Gillian, management
  • Marilyn, childcare
  • McDreamy, medic
  • David, a less-complex model
  • Simon, a less-complex model
  • Steven, caretaker / nurse
  • Florence, caretaker / nurse
  • Matthew, general purpose
  • Lauren, general purpose
  • Benjamin, janitorial services
  • Jonathan, equipment repair

Notable/Named Bioroids[]

  • Floyd 2X3A7C, NAPD detective
  • Ash 2X3ZB9CY
  • Drake 3GI2RC, NAPD detective
  • Marilyn 7Y3T9D
  • Eve 5VA3TC, murder suspect
  • Eve 49A57D, in-call employee of the Fleur-de-Lis in Lunacent
  • Lisa XM4DR9, former callgirl of Belladonna's, destroyed while working Meireles Street for an unidentified owner-pimp
  • Kevin 28R96M, abused substitute "husband" for an unidentified woman
  • Alix 75H2LW, PA at Heinrich & Browning Investment Group, recovered from a scrapper raid and slated for destruction
  • Alix T4LB07
  • Ben 28AG31, sanitation specialist for HAZARD-US
  • James AK49I27, a clerical assistant responsible for the fire at Allied KhemTool
  • Ash 4L1KD5PS, an office productivity manager for the Astrapo Corporation
  • Ulysses 89Z3L7, a J-series prototype
  • Ronald 5, star

Net Bioroids[]

Not all bioroid brains are installed into a humanoid body. Others are designed specifically to interface with the Net. Some have claimed that such bioroids have unstable personalities, and that net bioroids are capable of inflicting brain damage on human users. Haas-Bioroid denies such claims, but any unwary Runner who has run afoul of Bioroid Ice knows that the corporation is more than willing to harness bioroids' ability to damage human brains.

Net bioroids include the various editions of Eli, Heimdall, Viktor, Sherlock and Ichi (all of which are examples of bioroid Ice)

Ichi's name is the Japanese for the number one, and may be a reference to the titular character in the film Ichi the Killer. Viktor appears to be named after and drawn to resemble Victor the Cleaner in the film Nikita; both are terribly violent assassins. Heimdall of course comes from Norse mythology and you know who Sherlock Holmes is.

In the Bible, Eli is the mentor of Samuel, and suffers under a curse that his descendants will all die young, as punishment for the behaviour of his sons. Eli also dies with shock when the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines. In Chaos Theory's introductory fiction, Chaos defeats Eli to steal something valuable, and Eli indicates there will be consequences for him.

Bioroids and AIs[]

While bioroids are certainly an example of artificial intelligence, the setting also contains AIs. The distinction between these is not entirely clear, but it seems likely that the term "bioroid" covers any artificial brain based on human brain mapping, where AI refers to software agents which have been programmed without an attempt to mimic biological brains.

Quotes[]

"Bioroids changed the world. Over the long run, androids are going to be as revolutionary a technology as fire, or the printing press, or the Network. And Haas-Bioroid got there first (a fact they’re never going to stop rubbing in Jinteki’s face)." – How Not to Get Scragged

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