Name: Barebones
Creator: Their Manufacturer
Home Zone: Monte
Project Appearances: TBA
Species Development Thread: Species Development: Barebones

Barebones are a bipedal mechanical construct species originating on Monte. Originally intended as a race of mining droids, their manufacturer inadvertently gave them full sentience and consciousness.

Originating in Monte, barebones were intended as a low-cost construct for mining jobs and were inadvertently developed into a proper race. Their manufacturer had decided to cut costs further by basing their design off an existing type of construct, not realizing the design incorporated complete free will.

They were never slaves, despite being designed and built specifically for mining. Once the corporation became aware of their sentience, they were declared a construct race. Nowadays, barebones live under the same conditions as any other citizen in Monte.

A good portion of barebones voluntarily work as miners, as they are naturally inclined towards it and have the ideal skills and durability for the work.

Barebones value worth in a literal sense- they value useful tools or materials more than objects of sentimental value. They believe it's always better to use something until it breaks than to keep it forever. Barebones tend to be hoarders, keeping miscellaneous bits and bobs in case they become useful.

It is very important for a barebones to have some amount of engineering skill- since barebones hospitals are few and far between, they often have to maintain their own bodies. Because of this, they tend not to add things to their body they don't need- hence their skeletal appearance.

When a barebones dies, the body is dismantled and the parts are given to friends and family. Having fresh, unused parts at the time of death is seen as unused potential in a tragic sense- recycling and continuing to use these parts is a way of fulfilling that potential. Old, broken parts are typically recycled back into raw materials. Keeping a piece of a barebones on display is a big no-no- it implies that the part is worthless and is disrespectful to all those who have used it before.

Barebones are named for their extremely thin bodies.

Most tend to be humanoid, although other morphs exist.

Typically range from 4 to 8 feet tall.

Barebones primarily have metal bodies, although barebones made from other materials are known to exist.

They tend to stay close to other species in terms of size and shape for convenience of living.

Barebones are entirely mechanical- no organic components whatsoever.

Generally, they run off of shred energy, but they can also consume certain foods.

They have no sense of taste. They can “smell” whether or not the air is safe for people with lungs, but they don't perceive any flavor.

Barebones can add any type of electronic device to their body, but most tend to limit themselves to one or two 'extras'.

Self-modding is possible and very common, most barebones tend to keep a box of spare parts in their home for add-ons or repairs. About 90% of Barebones have significantly modified themselves in some way, those that haven't are usually very young. It takes some time to become accustomed to a new body part- a barebones with a newly replaced arm will generally be clumsy and uncoordinated with it for the first month or so.

Their thin metal structure was designed to be cost-efficient for easy mass-production, and sturdy enough to allow them to take dangerous mining jobs.

Heads are typically camera-like, with a single lens. Most lenses have a closable aperture for protection and adjusting to different light levels.

Barebones' actual minds and personalities are stored in a hard drive just small enough to fit in the back of their head- the rest of their body is completely subject to modification. Because of this, it is possible for a wealthy Barebones to have multiple bodies- usually a 'personal body' and a more specialized body for certain jobs.

Barebones are powered by a scrap core, typically kept in their torso.

Barebones can theoretically live forever as long as they are properly maintained, and typically reach maturity at 18-20 years.

Children are built from scratch rather than born- there is a several-month-long period in which the parents gather parts from various places, draw up plans, and actually build the child.

Parents tend to use one of the original designs for their child, allowing them to modify themselves the way they see fit during the course of their life.

Due to their AI being designed for simple mining jobs, younger barebones will lean toward being overly logical and pedantic and will have little to no concept of social norms and practices. However, they are capable of rewriting their own code over time, developing a distinct personality.

As a barebones gets older, it will develop more emotional capabilities until its personality is essentially indistinguishable from an adult of any other species.

Barebones can and frequently do form relationships outside their species.

The original design for Barebones, and the variety most still use as a starting point. They average at 6 feet tall, are bipedal, and typically have a square head with a single aperture lens eyepiece and a small light on one side. They have a skeletal frame which is ideal for modification.

A quadrupedal frame designed for carrying heavy loads. They average at 4 feet tall, and have an eyepiece mounted on a rotating ball joint as well as a pair of headlights on the front of their platform.

A pod-shaped frame designed for deep sea exploration. The turbines on either side can unfold into a pair of legs for land travel, and there are a pair of small retractable arms on their torso. They have a pair of powerful floodlights alongside their eyepiece, both of which are protected by a plexiglass dome.