Folkmore: Application

[ugh_emotions]

❥ Character Information

Character Name: Murderbot, though it considers this name private. Generally it goes by 'SecUnit', or 'Rin' if it is pretending to be human.
Character Age: Literal age is unknown thanks to memory wipes, but remembers least 5-6 years. Appears somewhere around mid-late 20s.
Character Species: Construct, which is a machine intelligence that combines inorganic computing and construction with cloned human tissue. Basically, think something like a cyborg (though leaning more towards machine than most other cyborgs in fiction). However, as long as it's wearing clothes and shoes that cover its arms and legs, it can pass for a very tall human (with the only notable exception being the dataport on the back of its neck).
Current Health: Alive, and uninjured at this point.
Outfit: Workboots, black pants with lots of sealable pockets, long-sleeved shirt with a collar and dark blue soft hooded jacket.

Character Canon: The Murderbot Diaries
Link to History: Brief biography, with more detailed summary of each of the books on Wikipedia.
Canon Point: Post System Collapse
Canon Iteration: Original canon
Canon Iteration Explanation: NA

❥ Folkmore Roles & Attributes

Skills:

It should be noted that with Murderbot, the line between learned skills and abilities is exceptionally fuzzy. Many of its skills are essentially programs and education modules, but there are some things that it's learned that are outside of what it has been directly programmed to be capable of.

SECURITY KNOWLEDGE: Murderbot has a lot of knowledge and skill all centred around security - how to monitor for and identify risk and potential dangers, how to keep humans safe, how to manage any injuries that might occur, etc.

MEDIA KNOWLEDGE: It has watched a lot of media, giving it an essentially encyclopaedic knowledge of common tropes, story structure, and technical aspects of media creating.

WRITING & MEDIA CREATION: In addition to just knowing a ridiculous amount about media, Murderbot has also shown some ability for creating itself. It writes it's own logs as a kind of diary, and was also able to write a script and help pull together a documentary.

Canon Abilities:
COMPUTATIONAL ABILITIES: Murderbot is a construct, which means it is essential a combination of human and robotic parts. This means that in regards to many of its abilities, it operates more like a computer, with all of the advanced processing power that comes with that:

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION: It was designed to integrate with other systems, particularly security systems. It can make this connection over the Feed (essentially wifi) to communicate with and control those systems. This also includes being able to control things like drones to be additional camera inputs (or weapons).

HACKING: Murderbot is very, very good at hacking. The fact that it was designed to integrate with other systems helps with this. Some examples of hacking it does regularly include removing images of itself from camera recordings, removing other bots memories of Murderbot, or convincing other systems that is it has the authority to give them instructions.

ASSESSMENT MODULES: Murderbot has two modules that analyse the potential for danger, and then deliver a percentage chance of it occurring. The first is its Threat Assessment module, which analyses the likelihood of someone making any kind of hostile action against someone else. This module is highly effective, and works even if Murderbot can't consciously identify what or why something is triggering it (essentially working in some ways similarly to spidey sense). The second is its Risk Assessment module, which analyses all other risks and hazards that might endanger someone. The Risk Assessment module does not work as effectively, and isn't always able to give an accurate reading.

DATA MINING & COMPUTATION: Murderbot has also essentially been designed to data mine on an extensive scale. It can collect camera footage, feed information, and basically any other kind of computer record - then run analysis on those records and collate it into a report. Also, since it is a machine intelligence, it can do all of this at the same speed that a computer can.

MEMORY MANIPULATION: Its has a computer's memory storage, which means it is able to remember and view back its own memories with complete accuracy and detail. Effectively, its memories are recordings. These memories can also be deleted or purged. However, some memories are still stored in its human neutral tissue, which means it will still retain some level of ability to remember even after purging (particularly for the kinds of memories that stick, like traumatic ones).

PHYSICAL ABILITIES: As a security construct, Murderbot was also designed to be highly effective in combat and dangerous situations:

ENHANCED PHYSICAL ABILITIES: It is highly durable, extremely strong, and extremely fast. It has much better shock absorption than humans, and will generally just be pissed off by many things that would cause humans real damage. Essentially, it takes a lot to really damage it.

CONTROL OVER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS: It has a lot of control over it's own physical systems - it can choose to turn down its ability to feel pain, or choose to increase the temperature of its body. It can also individually control and unlock its own joints with some concentration.

SENSES: It has enhanced senses, include a range of vision filters that allow that include seeing in infrared or being able to pick up blood splatted. It can also do a scan for energy readings, particularly those in weapons. It's also generally designed to operate with multiple inputs at once - Murderbot is used to have a whole range of camera inputs to see through, not just its own eyes.

SELF-REGULATING SYSTEMS: Murderbot does not need food, water, or much in the way of air - and it doesn't need to eliminate foods or solids. Instead it runs on power cells that can last for hundreds of thousands of hours, and which are able to recharge.

REPAIRABILITY: It was designed to be highly repairable; its arteries and veins will seal automatically after being injured, and it can repair itself completely by connecting to resupply and repair leads. Its organic components can be regrown, and it can reattach limbs after severing them. The result is that Murderbot is able to survive what would be truly catastrophic levels of damage in anybody else, but be repaired to full functionality.

ENERGY WEAPONS: it has gunports for two energy weapons built into its forearms. These aren't powerful enough to seriously damage another SecUnit, but are certainly enough to kill a human.

Role: Legend
Role Qualities/Attributes: It's already got enhanced durability, strength, and can literally turn down it's sensation of pain - so mostly it'll just get more of that. It'll also get a module / program that'll alert it if someone is in need of help nearby, even if it wasn't already aware of them. And it'll get some shiny new mechanical wings.
Role Reasoning: Being protective is literally it's function and what it was created for; Murderbot will protect humans even when it doesn't like them, and has no real reason or desire to help them. It might have a blunt and prickly personality, but it absolutely cares about people and will sacrifice itself to save them. Being cast in this role though is going to be something that Murderbot will struggle with, emotionally - in its home universe SecUnits (and especially rogue SecUnits) are typically cast as evil and dangerous. It does not think of itself as heroic or 'good', so there may be a bit of a journey for it to really accept this role.

❥ Personality

Option 1: Summarize your character's personality in general

To say that Murderbot is socially awkward would be an understatement of epic proportions. Dangerous and deadly situations typically don't phase it, but talking to humans? That's another matter. It is highly introverted and intensely uncomfortable in social situations. Looking other people in the eye is something it avoids wherever possible, preferring to instead look through drones and cameras. Though while Murderbot is awkward, it certainly isn't meek; its manner is typically blunt, prickly and standoffish. It swears frequently. It can be highly confrontational and antagonistic, and does not suffer foods gladly. If it thinks you're being an idiot or incompetent, it will tell you. It will just be staring at the wall rather than your face while it does so.

Emotions are another thing that Murderbot struggles with. It does not like having emotions, and is often confused by its own feelings. Frequently, it can't actually identify what emotions it is feeling, often describing what its feeling in more physical terms, such as its 'insides twisting' or its 'insides melting'. Regulating its own emotions, particularly anger, is difficult. It's often overwhelmed by its own emotions, at which point it usually tries to step away to 'have an emotion in private' (because the absolute last thing it wants to do is talk about said emotions with other people). But despite the fact that it will often insist that it doesn't care about other people, it's clear that it does in fact care very much.

In fact, there are a number of things Murderbot cares very much about. It cares a great deal for 'its humans' - even Gurathin, who it doesn't actually like - and will go to great lengths to protect them. In fact, even for people outside of its social circle, it really does not take long at all for it to care about the wellbeing of those it comes into contact with. (This is, in many ways, a core element of its programming; Murderbot was created specifically to protect people, and it cares a great deal about its ability to fulfil that function).

And of course, Murderbot cares about media. Movies, books, music - but mostly serials, and especially The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. This serial was the first piece of media that it ever encountered after hacking its governor module; watching it made it feel like a person for the first time. In fact watching media is essentially how Murderbot learned to be a person, and it takes a lot of cues and inspiration from it. Media gave it something that it could love and enjoy - something that it simply hadn't ever been allowed while under the control of the governor module - and eventually as a way to connect with other people. It also uses media (and in particular Sanctuary Moon) as a way to calm itself down when it is angry or upset.

Unfortunately though, Murderbot isn't at all good at caring about itself. It has a highly negative self-image, often viewing regarding SecUnits like itself as inherently dangerous. It's self-deprecating and rarely gives itself credit. It defines its own self worth by how efficiently it functions - and since it's function is essentially to protect other people, it also tends to regard its own life and wellbeing as literally worth less than others. As far as it is concerned, its job is to throw itself at danger so as to prevent any harm coming to the vulnerable, squishy humans. It also tends to regard things like therapy and timely medical intervention as something that is really important for humans to do, but not so much for itself.

It's not really a surprise then that Murderbot suffers from a lot of trauma and mental health issues. Much of this is the natural result of its life as an enslaved construct; effectively compelled into obedience by a shock device implanted it its brain, and then by the lack of avenues for escape once it managed to disable that. But its experiences in Ganaka pit - where poorly constructed corporate sabotage accidentally forced it and its fellow SecUnits to attack and murder each other, and the people under their protection - is really central to Murderbot's trauma. Its memories might have been wiped, but enough remained in its organic neural tissue to leave a lasting impression. Other key sources of trauma include Miki's death, and its encounter with targetControlSystem and alien contamination on the planet of the Lost Colony. As a result, Murderbot struggles with PTSD, is paranoid and highly anxious, and frequently lashes out at others. It has also at times suffered from depression and apathy - particularly early on in the series.

❥ Permissions

OOC opt-outs: Nothing I can think of!
IC opt-outs: The only thing that's a complete nope is smut, which Murderbot absolutely isn't going to be getting involved in anyway.
Content warnings related to the character: Slavery, depersonalisation and punishment/torture to enforce compliance are a central part of Murderbot's backstory. Also, as a machine intelligence Murderbot does use 'it/its' as its pronouns, which could be an issue for some people.
Sensitive subjects related to the character: Murderbot is very touch-averse, will be repulsed by any mentions of sex, and will react very negatively to anything that attempts to control it.

❥ Player Information

Player Name: Blue
Pronouns: She/her
Are you over 18?: Yes
Contact(s): blueflowers
Link to invitation: Link
Current Characters: NA
Permissions: Permissions post
Writing Samples: TDM thread and Musebox threads