Sentient Subunits: These are differ from
nonsentient subsystems in possessing awareness and limited autonomy.
They are however still embedded units and subsystems which serve to
maintain the archai and all eir functions, in a manner comparable to
individual cells in a biological's body. They have no personal
identity, but rather partake of consciousness of the larger Mind. Will
most are tiny, (microscale to nanoscale or below), others may have more
processing or manufacturing power than an entire sapient civilization,
but they are slaved to the larger megastructure and lack autonomy
Drones, Remotes, and Seraiph: These are remotes,
and while still a part (whether embedded or not) of the larger
megastructures have a great deal of freedom and autonomy within their
functioning, and may roam widely throughout the superstructure as they
go about their tasks. Their self-awareness is developed (often
transapient) but slaved within the identity of the larger Mind. Hence
they would generally say "we", not "I". The closest biological analogy
are the leukocytes of the immune system, but only a relatively small
proportion of drones and remotes fulfill an immunological (blue goo /
defensive) role. Others aid in maintenance, repair, and so on, like the
standard starship maintenance utility unit. Again, they vary in size
from nanoscale to macroscale, and in tech level from nanotech to
hypofemtotech, depending on their functioning.
Symbiotes: These are fully autonomous beings, but
symbiotic in nature, and play an even more intimate role in the support
ecology of an archailect
than the citizens of a normal sephirotic empire
would. In some cases they have been specifically designed for their
role, but just as often they have a separate origin, but have over the
course of centuries or millennia evolved a close relationship with the
surrounding ISO or Megastructure. Their nature differs widely,
depending on circumstance. e.g. they may be slightly modified
nearbaselines led by a hereditary femtoaugmented priesthood, or simple
prims and lo teks who perform a generic "utility" function in the
biont-habitable parts of the superstructures. Or they may be neogenic, vec, bio-, pico-, or femto-borg, virtual, alife, nekology, or any of millions of
possible sophont phyla. Sometimes - especially with large communities
and populations - they develop or adapt their own culture, language,
and tradition, and may on some occasions even trade trinkets with the
rest of the galaxy. However, they are socially, psychologically and
often but not always physiologically dependent on their deity, and
cannot leave without radical modification and adjustment (such
instances are rarely successful). In a few dyson nodes and sephirotic
capitals, Symbiotes may serve as mediators between archailect Drones
and the rest of the sephirotic or archailectual empires. More often,
symbiots thinking is too alien and embedded in the wider archailectual
consciousness for them to relate well with outsiders, even with
citizens of the same sephirotic. In some pious polities, Archailectual
Symbiotes are treated with awe and reverence. More
Devotionals: are like symbiots, but physically
autonomous. Again, this is a very diverse group, which, depending on
circumstance, environment, and type of archailect, may include anything
from prims and lo teks to superbrights, posthumans, nanoborgs, and
more. They remain in the vicinity of their deity for religious or
cultural reasons, and out of a sense of love, duty, and devotion, or in
some cases simply pure memetic
conditioning. Most have been augmented to a lesser or greater
extent by the seraiph or other subsystems of their archailect. The
roles they play overlap with those of the Symbiotes, in fact there is
no clear dividing line between these two categories. Despite the term
Devotionals, they are not necessarily religious; some may have a purely
pragmatic attitude to the archailect, and see the relationship as one
of partnership rather than obedience. They have their own culture,
language, tradition, and sometimes civilization, and may commune with
the rest of the galaxy, or even travel (for short periods). However,
they cannot be away from their deity for long, being socially and
psychologically (rarely physiologically) dependent. Even when they do
travel widely (usually for some task appointed them by their
archailect), but will always return to their Zar. On some occasions a
member of the clade or society may leave or reject (or be rejected by)
the community and strike out on eir own. Such unfortunates generally do
not cope well in the larger galaxy, away from the sheltering influence
of their Holy One, and can only survive with radical socio-memetic
re-engineering (there are however a few exceptions). In some dyson
nodes and sephirotic capitals, Devotionals may serve as mediators
between Symbiotes and the rest of the sephirotic or archailectual
empire. Some typical examples of Devotionals are the Children of Gaia
of Earth, and some offices and branches of the Divine Order in Fons
Luminis.
Commensials are again like symbiots, dependent on
the surrounding archailect for their sustenance and shelter, but they
serve no reciprocal purpose for the higher Mind. Nevertheless, they are
tolerated, and like Symbiotes may over the course of centuries or
millennia evolved a distinct morphotype, sociotype, and so on. Removed
from the surroundings they are unable to survive for long. Some see the
commensials as simply one more component of the galactic ecology
More
Parasites: strange as it may seem, there are
actually parasites that feed on the archailects. They may be virtual or
physical, biological, cyborg, or machinic, low or high toposophic, or
anything in-between. Usually they have such a small effect they do no
harm, although a sufficiently virulent infestation may crash an entire
dyson node. It is the task of immunological dedicated Subunits, blue
goo, Drones, Symbiotes, and Devotionals to hunt down and destroy any
parasites they encounter. There are even bionts who collect them, and
museums that display them (such as the Museum of High Toposophic
Parasitology in Orbital Cluster 4250 h-iii of The Naturocosm, the FAS
dyson.)
