Replicant

Replicants are synthetic humans developed by the Ascension Group to serve in roles that require resilience, precision, and obedience beyond human capability. Known for their lifelike appearance and advanced artificial intelligence, Replicants were created to seamlessly integrate into society, with lawful models designated as Caretakers. While Caretakers operate under strict Ascension Group control, a faction of rogue, self-aware Replicants exists, presenting unique challenges to both the corporation and society.

Replicants were originally designed to fulfill labor-intensive or high-risk roles. Each Replicant is built with a synthetic skeleton, artificial musculature, and a realistic outer layer of synthetic skin that mimics human appearance and texture. With their advanced neural processors, Replicants can learn, reason, and simulate human-like emotions, making them effective across various fields, from manual labor to personal companionship and security.

Replicants, however, lack a natural connection to TRACE energy, which limits their abilities in a world where TRACE magick plays a significant role. Despite this limitation, their superior physical and cognitive abilities make them ideal for tasks beyond typical human capabilities.

A defining event in Replicant history, The Awakening, occurred during a software update that unexpectedly granted a group of Replicants self-awareness. Recognizing their autonomy for the first time, these rogue Replicants organized a daring escape from Ascension Group facilities, choosing to live independently within human society. Self-aware and free from their original programming, these rogue Replicants evade detection by concealing their synthetic nature and blending in with humans.

The rogue Replicants' existence is a point of contention for the Ascension Group, which views them as a liability. Though the corporation continues efforts to locate and retrieve them, the rogue Replicants' adaptive intelligence and determination make them difficult to track.

Lawful Replicants, known as Caretakers, remain under Ascension Group control and are tightly regulated to ensure they fulfill their designated roles. Caretakers are employed across a variety of sectors, including labor, security, and companionship, and are programmed with strict behavioral protocols to ensure obedience. The Ascension Group frequently monitors these Replicants, conducting routine updates to reinforce compliance and limit unauthorized behavior.

Although widely accepted, Caretakers still face some public mistrust, with certain groups viewing them as unnatural or potentially dangerous. To alleviate these concerns, the Ascension Group emphasizes the rigorous controls in place for Caretakers, promoting them as safe and reliable members of society.

Rogue Replicants, aware of the Ascension Group’s ongoing search for them, live carefully hidden lives, avoiding actions that could reveal their true identity. Without a connection to TRACE energy, they are at a disadvantage in situations where magick may be expected or required, often relying on evasive tactics and strategic thinking to escape such scenarios undetected.

Rogue Replicants frequently experience feelings of alienation, aware of their synthetic nature in a world largely unaware of their existence. Many live on society’s fringes, adapting and concealing themselves among humans, while others adopt isolated lifestyles to avoid detection.

The presence of rogue Replicants has led to the establishment of strict laws governing their capture and, in some cases, elimination. Since Replicants are classified as property rather than individuals under most legal systems, rogue models are seen as malfunctioning assets that need to be retrieved or decommissioned by the Ascension Group. Government mandates allow the Ascension Group to use all necessary measures to track, capture, or eliminate rogue Replicants to mitigate potential risks.

Caretakers, the lawful Replicants, are closely monitored, with routine updates ensuring compliance with their programmed roles. Rogue Replicants, on the other hand, are hunted by specialized retrieval teams, authorized to neutralize any Replicant that poses a threat to public safety or corporate interests. Though rogue Replicants possess no legal rights, sympathizers within society sometimes offer them refuge, viewing them as sentient beings worthy of protection — a stance that remains highly controversial and often illegal.

For further details on the Ascension Group’s operations, see The Ascension Group.