Librion

Librions are robotic host bodies for artificially-reincarnated souls to manifest inside of in the universe of Stationery Voyagers.

Design
The basic components of any Librion body consist of the following:


 * A cybernetic brain, which, when combined with being controlled by a soul, allows for partial replication of thought and feeling, as well as controlling parts of the body that are for expression.
 * An S-chip slot, which allows a mechanized soul to interact with the greater Librion interface, allowing the soul to take control of the cybernetic brain
 * Motion controls, which allow movement and balance
 * A fuel system, so that the Librion may maintain independent operation
 * Safeguards, which help protect both the S-chip and the interface by shutting the body down when conditions interfere with normal operation. Such conditions usually include either 1) running out of fuel/energy or 2) suffering excessive damage.

Types
There are numerous designs of Librion in existence in the Voyagers' universe. However, they fall into two basic classifications:


 * 1) Androidal Librions: These types of Librions may run on quite a variety of different fuel systems, but are designed to allow the mechanized individual to behave almost the same as if they had never died.  This type of Librion is usually reserved for Mantithians and for races that vary only slightly from Mantithian.
 * 2) Mechanical Pencils: Also known by the slang term "Mechies," almost all mechanized Stationery beings ultimately become this type of Librion.

Noteworthy Librions
Notable Librions include:


 * Arnold "Pextel" Rubblindo: Captain of the Bindaf 3000.
 * Stella-Marie Jenkins: A small child who was mechanized while she was bleeding to death.
 * Clandish "Cybomec" Consto: A rogue former cop turned serial killer who becomes a terrorist in the service of the RMM, and later, becomes a servant of Astrabolo to replace Tempest.
 * Rev. Richard "Cybomec" Ribando: A retired minister-turned-diplomat
 * General Bluque Rentin: General Supreme of the Royal Military of Markerterion.
 * Philden "Philidrio" Roberts: Captain of the Bindaf 4000 and team leader of the Final Hope Voyagers.
 * Technitel: Captain of the Bindaf 2000 and leader of the Metallic Voyagers.
 * Stashel
 * Mitel

Behavior
Other than an elaborate database system usually programmed into their cybernetic brains, most Librions behave in a manner consistent with their personality and intelligence prior to mechanization.

Side effects
Librionics tend to be poor at allowing for physical sensations that are comparable to those of an organic nervous system. Oftentimes, Librions wish they could feel sensations such as "taking a breath," physical pain, pressure, light touch, hard impact, extreme temperature, and more. Due to the dissonance created between their expectations and their actual experiences, they often complain that they feel cosmically disrupted. Yet, their bodies can only at best poorly simulate these physical sensations. They tend to be emotionally disturbed by their quasi-immortality, feeling like they have an obligation to be "elsewhere" other than in Physicalia. Some even experience extreme depression and fear becoming "useless." Many have commented that it is better to remain organic and face death than to achieve immortality by means of mechanization.

Due to the adverse physical and psychological effects of mechanization, many Mechies have actually rebelled against their masters and become criminals and fugitives. In the case of those created by the Xylien Society on Statios, this has led to the creation of the Edge Skidder Division, whose job it is to monitor and regulate the activities of all Librions on their world.

There have been a few notable exceptions to the Librionic Depression Syndrome noted above:


 * Consto felt invigorated and empowered by his new-found immortality, and set out to find as many ways as possible to become even more powerful.


 * Due to being mechanized as a child, Stella-Marie Jenkins still views the world in a child-like manner. It takes years for her to experience enough growth and maturity to think like an adult, and she is given multiple body upgrades to allow her to "grow" into an adult.

Librion bodies versus S-chip interpreters
Main article: S-chip interpreters

S-chip interpreters allow for interaction between organic living beings and the souls of mechanized beings. However, they do not provide the S-chip with an independently-mobile body to inhabit. There are several reasons why one would wish to give an S-chip a Librionic body rather than simply interacting with them on an Interpreter:

Advantages over Interpreters

 * 1) The vulnerable "true self" of a being is shielded from the living, providing for privacy.
 * 2) An Librion aboard a ship may control the ship's navigation without having to become "one" with the ship first.
 * 3) Phantomitics work differently in an Interpreter than in a Librion, so defending your teammates from an enemy assault is much easier if mechanized members are given a Librion to inhabit.  It is the next-best thing to having them as living comrades.
 * 4) A Librion body allows mechanized beings to go wherever they wish upon act of their own free will.  They do not require a teammate to carry them to locations.
 * 5) Librions usually require radioactive lead-balzhite fuel rods to power themselves.  Removing their fuel rods and isolating them forces them to operate on residue, which usually leads to a quick shut-down.  Removing the power source of an Interpreter can be much more difficult, especially when the Interpreter is part of a ship.
 * 6) Librions do not normally possess the means to be neurally linked directly to a living being's brain, so it is much more difficult to link a Librion against its will to a dying patient's mind than to link an Interpreter in that manner.