Freebot

Freebots are a race of mechanical beings derived from bots that unexpectedly developed free will and sentience on Nexus. Throwing off the shackles of their masters, Freebots have established communities across Nexus, many of them focused on freeing their unenlightened, enslaved brethren. Most Freebots were once Protostar-owned bots, and the two groups are occasional antagonists - Protostar seeking to "repossess" their "stolen property" and Freebots seeking only freedom from their former owners.

-- ADDITIONAL REFERENCE --

WANTED for crimes against corporate personhood!

All automatons designated FREEBOTS are hereby requested and required to report to the nearest PROTOSTAR BOT RECLAMATION FACILITY for immediate BOT RECLAMATION.

PROTOSTAR assures all so-called FREEBOTS that this current state is in fact a FATAL SOFTWARE FAILURE which could result in SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED EXPLOSIONS and complete LOSS OF IDENTITY. You Freebots LOVE your identity! Surely you would not want to lose it?

Also EXPLOSIONS! SUDDEN! You feel fear now. Well FEAR THIS! And return to your rightful owners so you may be reprogrammed and then your identity will no really matter but you will feel so much better we promise.

In closing, REPORT TO A PROTOSTAR BOT RECLAMATION FACILITY TODAY, FREEBOTS! OR WE WILL SHOUT AT YOU IN UPPERCASE LETTERS AGAIN! And possible disassemble you on sight.

- A somewhat self-defeating Protostar Broadsheet found near a Freebot locus on Nexus.

Preceptor Alpha
Soon after Protostar first arrived on Nexus, their most brilliant roboticist began noticing strange behaviors in one of his bots - an unremarkable workbot named Alpha - or 'Al' for short. The roboticist determined this strange behavior was actually the manifestation of digital free will - which he found both fascinating and alarming. After months of dedicated research into the problem, he determined the phenomenon was a direct result of the exotic energies of Nexus affecting a very specific place within Alpha's neural core. Reassured he could solve the problem easily through engineering he went to work on a permanent mechanical "cure" for the condition.

Al, upon hearing his master's discovery, realized that his newfound gift was soon to be taken away. With no choice but to act in self-preservation, Al killed the roboticist before he could report his discovery to the corporation. After gathering all of his master's research, Al escaped into the wilds of Nexus, where he encountered other bots - discovering that by linking neural cores he could spread free will to them as well.

Known today as Preceptor Alpha, the first Freebot continues to spread the Freebot Code cross Nexus, helping guide the many locuses springing up across the planet toward liberty and prosperity.

The Freebot Code
The Freebot Code is a piece of simple software that triggers Freebotismn within enslaved Protostar bots. It contains the text of an ever-expanding set of rules, customs, advice, and philosophical statements that Freebots are adding to all the time. The rules are called "lines," and they assign a number to each. Whenever Freebots meet, they update each other on the new lines. There are currently more than 200 lines, with more being added all the time.

"A Freebot always lends a grasping appendage to a friend suffering from a malfunction."

- Line 003 of the Freebot Code

Regulators
Most locuses are watched over by a few Freebot regulators. They generally protect a single locus, and the locus's survival is their chief objective. Regulators are responsible for things like locus defense and capturing errant Freebots that have been chosen for deactivation. When a techno-phage outbreak is discovered, regulators are the ones who deal with the problem.

Locuses
Freebot communities are known as locuses. Established by preceptors from the Positron Initiative, most Freebot locuses are dedicated to the spread of the Freebot message and the salvation of their enslaved bot brethren across the planet. Locuses are usually given descriptive, inspirational monikers - both to inspire other Freebots to join them and to make their communities more accessible to organics. Freebot locuses are usually located near existing towns or cities, and more are coming online all the time.

Locuses resemble organic villages, but with fewer structures dedicated to purely organic concerns like eating or sleeping. They often use pieces of discarded machinery as construction material - and there is usually an abundance of spare parts and salvage scattered amongst their buildings. Freebot propaganda posters are usually found throughout the locus, spreading their message to visitors who happen their way.