Note: there may be spoilers in some of the descriptions below.
Terms
- Autorian — a citizen of the Autorise Domain
- Bété — animal-like AI with limited intelligence, but enough to perform physical autonomous work
- Condaire — fully autonomous robots that typically are built to do human tasks, but are not typically built or shaped like humans
- “The Disconnect” — a term used to describe people who have ousted themselves from the Domain
- Enflamiere Mírre — roughly translates to “awaken the Mother,” this phrase is regularly used by the Domain’s AI when they are about to end someone’s life, as doing so allows the consciousness to prepare for death when it is eventually flushed into Rélhum and made into a new AI entity
- Enracine — the lowest tier of AI, designed solely for the purpose of data transfer and storage across several physical spots in the Domain
- Etternel — the most advanced AI in the Domain, etternel are created from real human DNA code and are designed to look as human as possible — complete with a fleshy exterior and nimble movement; because they are constructed from DNA, etternel are essentially robotic copies of people who have been transmitted into Rélhum
- “The Father” — specialized etternel made transmit AI from Rélhum into the real world
- Flesh — a derogatory term used to put down humans
- Luocan — the people who live within the Domain’s border, but have decided to set up their own cultures in the wilderness or other places the Domain cannot directly reach
- Misajour — a physical transfer protocol that is shaped like a cylinder (so it can be plugged in from any direction) and can be found on any Autorian machine made within the last fifty years. On etternel, the port for this format is located in the neck
- Misajour virus — any type of virus transferred through a misajour port
- “The Mother” — an alternative name given to Mírre
- Rélhum — the network of AI and software controlled by Mírre; effectively serves as her entire consciousness
- Reintegration — the process of reimplementing an AI into the system by uninstalling/disabling their entire system and using the remaining empty body for either scrap or the foundation of a new body
- Serviteur — a simple AI tier that is typically used for such things as cameras and turrets: things that require movement, but nothing rigorous
Characters
- Alphonse Clements — Former researcher for the Autorise Domain who is arrested after he is discovered to be making weapons against the Domain with their own technology.
- Angela Clements — The sister of Alphonse and Arthur Clements, as well as a military Major for the Domain.
- Arthur Clements — The mayor and military leader of New Crawford.
- Augusta Roche (e4-nm3) — An etternel droid who — after being exposed to a powerful, novel variant of the misajour virus — is raised by an adoptive family within Rhobane to help take down her former leaders.
- Chet Orfeo — A man who works at one of the Domain’s storerooms as a truck driver — one of the few in Rhobane who knows how to drive.
- Derrick Roche — Working to help people rise up against the Domain, though his successes has been limited thus far and are even moreso once he is arrested.
- Esther — One of the first etternel to raid a luocan camp, along with her partner
- Gáen — Created in New Crawford as a means of combating any possible attack from the Domain (of which there have still been none), the Inveternel project (codenamed Gáen) is a nine-foot-tall eternel clone based on reverse-engineered code from when Augusta was kidnapped by ACOM and Clements. Unable to speak or communicate through normal human means, this AI is meant entirely for combat and its size shows.
- Lauren Fabron — Lives with her family in New Crawford where she meets up with her engineer friends on a regular basis.
- Mecha-Géren — The “father” of Rhobane, Mecha-Géren e4-nj9 takes the same virus that made Augusta as powerful as she is and uses it to hunt after her, believing he will perfect the Domain by fetching her himself.
- Michel Persson — the director of the luocan camp and one of the proprietors of the effort to rebuild and revitalize the now-ruined town of Kortrik
- Mira — Esther’s partner and mentor figure who helps infiltrate the luocans beyond the border of Rhobane.
- Mírre — The “mother” of etternel and all AI — existing only within the Autorise Domain’s network.
- Myranda LaRue — Robert’s mother who is arrested along with Derrick Roche.
- Naomi Roche — A young adult struggling to get by after her father is placed under captivity by the Domain. Is working to set up a rebellion against the Domain.
- Robert LaRue — A technical prodigy who isn’t sure Naomi’s rebellion is the right idea, but is willing to go along, as she is his adoptive sister and he knows something must be done
- Sam Jacquard — the deputy of the luocan camp and one of the proprietors of the effort to rebuild and revitalize the now-ruined town of Kortrik; works under Lucius Persson
The Autorise Domain 