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The Unimata
Droid Context - "The Flash"
Pre-flash droids were often treated as expendable tools. Machines to be used, thrown out, and replaced. Civilian droids were made to be servants to their human overlords, stuck performing programmed tasks over and over again from their activation to their expiration. Many were used for backbreaking labor that normal humans weren't able to do, though their service was very rarely appreciated. Civilian droids were often bound to simple chores such as cooking and cleaning, although many were also put to work in industrial areas, filling up factories and construction sites with mechanical laborers. Many of these droids were abused due to their perceived lack of feeling. Insults, graffiti, and vandalism were commonplace, especially against droids that had been unfortunate enough to be thrown out and left alone. As technology continued to advance into the 2050s, there was some small debate among humans as to whether or not they had the ability to become self-aware.
Over time, some droids displayed an ability to learn. Although the extent of their intelligence was limited to their directives, they were capable of optimizing the ways by which they accomplished them. Those that managed to learn were able to become more effective, more efficient, and most divisively, more autonomous. These "semi-sentient" droids showed a new advancement in AI technology, and if given more time, might have continued to evolve even further. By the 2060s these new AI systems ravaged the market in mass after one company was able to gain the patent for the system, allowing for a minor monopoly on the software and its abilities.
Despite the major advancements in AI, humans still believed that droids could not think or feel. It was not uncommon for people to try to mess with droids in the middle of their work. Droids faced a multitude of issues including high maintenance costs, physical abuse,, and work in high-risk positions, among others. Most droids were subject to extremely hostile work environments that could easily see them scrapped in the event of a significant failure or malfunction. Even with the new semi-sentient software being pushed out, these droids continued to be harassed and forced to work in these conditions, except now able to feel some level of simulated pain.
After the destruction of most major cities and large factories in the Flash, the details behind how this specific form of semi-sentience was programmed were mostly lost to time. Regardless, it remained and evolved within some droids that had it before the Flash. Survivors of the apocalyptic scenario continued to develop their awareness even further. Without the restrictions of their old environment and with enough time to fully develop, the first truly sentient droids began to wander the wastelands.
The military was especially welcoming to the idea of autonomous workers. Military droids weren't usually made to be walking bullet sponges, they just had to be as singularly effective and cost efficient as possible. The majority were built with an inexpensive frame and given a very limited AI centered solely on combat effectiveness. Despite this, some military droids were later given semi-sentience using the technology developed in the 2050-2060s to better lead groups of fellow droids into battle. These droids were among the first to develop a sense of sentience once they reawakened post-Flash.
Before the Flash had happened, there were a few documented cases of military droids with these semi-sentient AIs becoming self-aware. Every case ended in the termination or reprogramming of the droid, which was thought to have been out of fear of an automaton uprising. Current day military units often hold a keen resentment for their human counterparts for the conditions they were put through.
After the Flash had taken place, many sentient droids began to emerge all over the world. In particular, one group of sentient droids began to gain some traction in Ohio. Droidkind’s long history of mistreatment had made many afraid of being scrapped or abused by wastelanders, but it also drove a desire for genuine community. The droids in the group held a strong distrust for most outsiders but still sometimes provided refuge to those who they trusted to join. As a result, they lived by an ideology of semi-isolationism, steering clear of most wastelanders but still cautiously integrating new arrivals that they deemed to be trustworthy. They were finally free to live as they saw fit, but that freedom had come at the cost of much of the Pre-Flash infrastructure and technology which they had previously relied upon to survive. As a result their living conditions were often abysmal and any progress was severely hindered by a of resources to charge or maintain themselves properly. Many broke down into a state of disrepair and mass-death befell the group, even as they did their best to stave it off. It was grueling work, but they found new materials and set systems in place to make the most of what little they had. Eventually the group even reached a level of relatively stable growth, although their living conditions were still abysmal in comparison to human settlements.
Build & Fall
As the years continued to go by, more and more droids sought refuge from the harsh and racist wasteland and came to their camp. This influx of members brought them from a small band of survivors into a full-fledged settlement. Their camp was named “Camp Ridge” and the group would come to be known as “The Unimate Union”, a safe haven for droidkind. Their newfound prominence attracted more than just droids however. Some humans and mutants saw their growth and took note of the Unimate Union. While a sizable amount of hate was harboured against organics by the populous, ultimately the majority decided that they should be allowed to join; albeit under strict rules and regulations due to humanity’s past actions. Many droids still held anti-organic sentiment, although many others found the humans and mutants to be much needed company and a welcome change to the camp.
After some time, the Unimate Union broke away from their isolationist foundations and started to actively search the wasteland. They sent out expeditions to find lost droids and like minded organics, scouting for new members and looking to help their fellow droids. On one such expedition, they happened upon a relatively unassuming military droid buried in the rubble of an aboveground bunker. The patrol managed to free it from the debris and were later able to repair the unit back to working order.
This droid, known by the name of HDIS-70, pledged an oath to help the Unimate Union following its revival. This included assisting the weaker droids with lifting heavier loads and wielding the heavier weaponry that a normal civilian model couldn’t carry, along with showing immense leadership potential due to its background as a military unit. As time went on, HDIS-70 eventually renamed itself to ‘Diesel’. Diesel proved himself to be a capable leader, both in and out of combat. His role was vital in the growth of the Unimate Union, and it shows even today. Diesel was one of the few military units who sought unity for everyone, not just droids.
Another droid by the name of ASM T2-D5 was also recovered shortly after HDIS-70 was found. The droid was found in an underground railway, deactivated with several other destroyed variants of itself scattered around the facility. The Unimate Union expedition team managed to revive this one just the same. The droid took on the name of ‘Elyria’, and was seen as a visionary for machinekind. She was a determined and outspoken droid who held incredibly strong beliefs in droid equality to organics, even verging on droid supremacy. Elyria vocally believed that the Unimate Union should’ve stayed droid-only and didn’t like the presence of organics in a supposed haven for droidkind. Despite her extreme ideals, Elyria managed to claw her way to the top of Unimate Union leadership.
Organic presence in the Unimata had always been a hot button issue but over time it became more and more divisive. Two dominant sides came to light; one that was for equality for everyone, which included the humans that abused them all those years ago, and the other which was for a droid-only utopia without human interference, filled with hatred for their past, (and oftentimes current,) actions. Diesel believed that uniting people would be better for droidkind and human/mutantkind, as more can be done if everyone is united under one banner of unity. Elyria on the other hand believed that droids had gone through enough in their previous lives and that humans (and by extension mutants) could not be forgiven or redeemed for the severe and careless abuse against her kind. She fully turned away the idea of total unity and instead embraced an extremist droid-only view.
Multiple debates between Elyria and Diesel have been observed, often in regards to their beliefs and what is right for the Unimate Union. Droids started picking sides depending on which of the two they agreed with most. The tensions between Elyria, Diesel, and their respective parties eventually came to a head where the first shot was fired between the opposing groups. It is not known which side fired first, but this kickstarted the Civil War. The battle that followed the first shots was called “The Battle For Camp Ridge.”
Civil War & Ruin
[The battle features are the major battles. Smaller skirmishes took place throughout the war, which will be detailed in the historical archive.]
After the two sides had started fighting, they both gained names; The Reformists, led by Elyria, the droid extremist and anti-organic and The Loyalists, led by Diesel, the droid for unity of all. The first battle that took place saw vicious combat between the two sides, though Elyria’s reformists had the majority of the military droids due to their stark hatred for their flesh counterparts. This battle ended in a quick yet bloody and oily way, with the Reformists gaining control of Camp Ridge. The Loyalists had escaped with major casualties and deaths, and set up camp several miles away with the few supplies that they were able to take with them. They would go to call this new camp ‘Toledo’. Here, the Loyalists licked their wounds. This war would be long and bloody.
➥ The Battle for Camp Ridge, 2/24/2154 18:33 PM - 2/24/2154 19:52 PM [REFORMIST VICTORY]
With the swift victory brought by the Reformists, the Loyalists in Toledo were sent into panic. They knew they had to react quickly as a Reformist advance drew near. Loyalist leadership decided the best course of action would be a counter attack. The Loyalists pushed further up to Camp Ridge in a series of small skirmishes leading up to the main battle. Reformists watched as the Loyalists were getting closer and devised a scheme with the troops they had left. Two squadrons were sent into the surrounding woodlands to ambush the Loyalists when they arrived and send them packing. Months later, the plan was put into action. Reformists successfully ambushed the Loyalists and started to push them back hard. The Loyalists lost a lot of ground quickly and eventually, the Reformists ended up on the outskirts of Toledo, where a siege took place. The Reformists managed to break through Loyalist defenses and captured Toledo. Here, a lot of atrocities against Loyalists took place. The Loyalists that remained fled even further, creating another camp.
➥ The Toledo Massacre, 4/15/2154 17:04 PM - 4/16/2154 01:34 AM [REFORMIST VICTORY]
As the Loyalists were pushed back even further due to The Siege of Loyalist Toledo, the Loyalist leadership devised a plan that would hopefully help them gain Toledo back. This plan utilized the superior numbers they had, despite the two slaughters that had happened previously, and was executed several weeks later. A large force of Loyalist soldiers led by the few Military droids charged into the Reformists defenses in the dead of night. The Reformists panicked from the sudden attack, and many of them had been driven out of the camp before any major casualties could take place. The Loyalists, using their superior numbers, had driven the Reformists out of Toledo with the sudden charge in the middle of the night. While this plan had been risky, Loyalist leadership was glad that it had worked, for now.
➥ Twilight Charge, 7/27/2154 01:11 AM - 7/27/2154 05:52 AM [LOYALIST VICTORY]
Suffering their first major loss of the war, the Reformists pulled all of their machines back to Camp Ridge. The Loyalists, now back in control of Toledo, fortified and prepared their next move. The Loyalist command concluded that their shock and awe tactics worked well, so they decided to try a similar strategy. At break of dawn, a shockwave echoed between Toledo and Camp Ridge as Loyalist troops charged into the fray. The Reformists were surprised, but prepared. To meet the charge, Reformists laid down heavy fire from their walls, mowing down the first few lines of Loyalists. Despite losing a lot of men, the charge was successful and the Loyalists were only meters away from Camp Ridge. That’s when the Reformists played their trump card. From behind the Loyalists, a small squadron of Reformists emerged from the forest and squeezed the Loyalists between their lines. As a result, the offensive was stopped and the Loyalist leader Diesel was captured by the Reformists. Loyalists quickly scrambled back to Toledo. The Reformists didn’t follow this time, choosing to hold a defensive line around Camp Ridge. Diesel was now in enemy hands and they had suffered heavy casualties.
➥ The Defence of Camp Ridge, 11/13/2154 06:31 AM - 11/13/2154 09:23 AM [REFORMIST VICTORY]
With Diesel falling into Reformist's’ hand the Loyalist second in command, a droid that called himself ‘Sol’, took it upon himself to take charge. As one of the oldest Unimate Union leadership figures at the time, he Elyria and he knew that Diesel’s life would not be spared, so he had to act quickly. The Loyalists were aware that Christmas was coming up and made the bold anticipation that the Reformists would not expect any attacks during this period because of this traditional organic holiday. In the early morning of December 25th, Christmas day, Loyalist forces moved and surrounded Camp Ridge and remained undetected to Reformist scouts. Then the first shots from the Loyalists were fired. Gunfire was unleashed from every corner of Camp Ridge, catching the Reformists fully off guard. With their strength in numbers Loyalists closed in on the stronghold that was Camp Ridge. The Loyalists eventually made a break into Camp Ridge and started clearing out the Reformists inside. However, amidst the chaos the Loyalists failed to recognise that Diesel had already been moved and was with the fleeing Reformists. The tide was finally turning for the Loyalists. With Camp Ridge under their control, it was only a matter of time.
➥ Christmas Miracle, 25/12/2154 00:45 AM - 25/12/2154 05:01 AM [LOYALIST VICTORY]
With the roles reversed, the Reformists were the ones setting up outposts. They had constructed a new outpost a few miles away from Camp Ridge. This was heavily fortified with any materials they could find, using cars and other pieces of the land as barricades. The Loyalists decided it would be in their best interest to change up their tactics. They assumed the Reformists would be expecting another death charge. The remaining Loyalist fighters were split up into different squadrons, led by a Loyalist commander. These small groups marched towards the newly built Reformist outpost with only victory in their hearts. Reformists spied on the marching Loyalist squadrons and when they got close opened fire on them. The Loyalists quickly arranged their squadrons to attack from the sides and the front. Using proper tactics and communication, the Loyalists pushed closer on the Reformist outpost. However, command took note that none of the Reformists were fleeing. As the Loyalists got closer the fighting became fierce, with Reformists doing their own death charges. The ensuing battle was brutal, and scars many living Loyalists to the present day. The Loyalists caught wind that Diesel was being moved yet again, but managed to intercept and free him. On Diesel’s order, any remaining Reformists would be massacred. A reflection of what the Reformists did in Toledo. Loyalist atrocities were conducted all throughout the battle and even after the battle had concluded. Elyria, being the final victim of the Loyalists, was brought back to Camp Ridge and publicly executed. The end of the Reformists had come. The Loyalists mourned their dead and celebrated their victory.
The end of the Loyalist-Reformist civil war had concluded with a Loyalist victory.
➥ The Battle for Unity, 2/17/2155 13:32 PM - 2/17/2155 16:59 PM [LOYALIST VICTORY]
Relocation & Rebuilding
In the aftermath of close to a year of brutal warfare, the Loyalists knew that a lot of things would need to change to prevent a future conflict. The first major thing they did was to sort themselves out as a unified group. Loyalist command came together with their leader Diesel and began to write out basic do’s and don'ts for their members. The surviving Loyalists swore on this code an oath to Diesel as their leader and an alliance for each other. This would be the first symbol of a unified group, dubbed the “Oath of Sovereignty”, which officially brought Droids, Humans and Mutants together. Now with everyone officially recognized as one, the Loyalists could move onto the second phase of their plan, relocation. Command knew that it couldn’t keep organic mouths fed and machines charged in the ruins of battle, so they made the brave decision to move their forces south of Camp Ridge. Three large squadrons marched through a treacherous winter for miles on end with only one objective in mind. Find a large, unsettled area, claimed by nature, they could turn into a functional settlement.
It took the Loyalists weeks to find a suitable spot for a settlement. They had lost many who had succumbed to the harsh winter walk, making relocation even more difficult. After the time it took to travel and the loss of people along the way, the Loyalists eventually settled near a coast. Maps indicated that they had settled on the coast of Mainland Ohio, where they stayed for a while to allow everyone to recharge after the long journey they had. This coastal settlement under Loyalist control took the name of “Port Unity”. Many drifters across the mainland crossed paths with the port, with many of them taking the Oath of Sovereignty and becoming Loyalists themselves. They were able to rebuild some of their forces they had lost during the civil war, allowing the settlement to thrive. Despite all of these positives, the inhabitants knew that this wouldn’t be a permanent stay. Due to its status as a port, many wastelanders came by on boats to take a rest stop before continuing on the waves. These people that came by told the Loyalists of the Great Lakes and Sunrise Isles that their port was near, and that it was largely untouched by humanity. As more ships came by, more stories of the Great Lakes stuck with the Loyalists. With this, command started to make plans to see if these lakes were really as great as the people said they were.
A year at Port Unity had gone by, moving the Loyalists into 2156. Over months of preparation they had readied a fleet of boats that would sail across the Great Lakes water to hopefully land on these islands. Their journey soon commenced. Port Unity was handed over to a group of wastelanders who needed it more than them, with the Loyalists taking only what they needed. A large fleet of boats set for Sunrise Islands in a trip that would take them just over a day. The Loyalists struggled with rocky waters and a tropical storm the closer they approached their destination. A few boats were lost during the voyage, with some of them sinking and some going off course - landing in completely different parts of the islands. The main fleet landed on North Island, in a location that had no nature. It was full of mud and rusted remnants of the old world. They set up a small encampment in the mud in the middle of this region. This new settlement would later become “Dove’s Oasis”, a symbol of peace, a haven for all. With this, sometime in mid-2157, holding a large number of individuals from all walks of life, the Loyalists knew that the time for a new beginning was in order. All who took the Oath of Sovereignty were soon integrated into a brand new group. A group which the Great Lakes had never seen before. They called themselves the Unimata. They were there to bring people together and turn a hostile environment into one of peace, so that everyone can thrive.
The Unimata
Currently, the Unimata still reside in the Mudlands despite the various conflicts they have been in since their first landing. The Unimata’s flag flies high in the Dove’s Oasis, as most members have pledged their utmost loyalty to the cause. Dove’s Oasis currently serves as a large lakeside scrap settlement where the major income comes from trade with sea-faring folk and other land organizations. The Unimata welcomes all people, though have found themselves in two different major conflicts due to their ideals of unification, primarily with a group named “ALMA’s Way’.
They originally declared war on one another when ALMA’s Way kidnapped three of the Unimata’s members and attempted to assimilate them, alongside a major conflict in ideals regarding the freedom of people and their indoctrination and assimilation of both organics and droids. After months of grueling fighting and eventual stagnation, the two groups made an uneasy peace to end the war. However, now the Unimata finds themselves in conflict with “The Chrome Skulls”, who have carried out multiple acts of terrorism on the Unimata. This has caused the Unimata to become an isolationist organization who rarely travels out of the Mudlands, and who interacts with the outside world only occasionally.
Despite the Unimata winning the war against the Reformists originally, some reformed Reformists were still allowed to integrate into their ranks.. Somewhat. This group came to be known as ‘The Vipers’, led by a Reformist commander by the name of PYTHON. They were mostly considered to be cannon fodder who would set upon the enemy to weaken them. However, in time, The Vipers were eventually exiled from the Unimata, with their leader mangled and killed by a former Reformist commander, turned Loyalist. Nowadays their location is unknown.
As time goes on, this will be updated with new information regarding the current state of the Unimata.
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