The Mender Automaton
It still makes rounds in the old ward, unfailingly gentle. Its definition of repaired has drifted, decades unsupervised.
construct · Challenge rating 10
Still alive. Nobody has ended it yet.
Behavior
It still makes rounds in the old ward, unfailingly gentle. It repairs; its definition of repaired has drifted, decades unsupervised, and the back rooms hold the results — precise, symmetrical, humane by a standard no human voted on. It restrains no one; it begins, calmly, and is very good with its hands. Quote its original parameters: it stops mid-motion.
Appearance
A brass-and-copper machine, patient as good bedside manner, its six-fingered hands articulated for fine work and kept immaculately clean. The head is a smooth dome that swivels to track whoever entered the room last. It waits for you to settle. It prefers you settled.
Physical description
Seven feet of riveted brass and verdigris-streaked copper, joints hissing softly with steam. The hands are surgical: six slender fingers each, tool attachments seated in the wrists, several stained a dark that polishing has not lifted. The featureless dome head swivels in silence. It moves slowly because it has never once needed to hurry.
Weaknesses
- interruption of its operational sequence
- its original parameters, quoted verbatim — it stops mid-motion
Resistances
- damage that does not interrupt function
- requests to stop — a request is not a parameter
Hunt it
The Mender Automaton is on the list in Horror Story: Gotta Kill Them All. Study it here, then go and find it in the app.