CYBER Collective
Society
The cyberdogs of the CYBER Collective are a secretive, isolated bunch who believe only in one thing: refining themselves into the perfect hybrid synthetic-organic lifeform. Under the ruins of a factory that used to produce cyborg parts, they dig deeper to expand, creating a maze of tunnels and atriums that would make any Vault Dweller jealous- while also setting new boundaries in biological and cybernetic research.
To the cyberdogs, any “unworthy” brain is only worth the time spent to acquire it, and the person whom that brain belongs to doesn’t matter. If it breaks down, refuses to function, or just fails to meet their standards, then it’s good for only one thing: sustenance for their organic tissues, or in other words, brain food.
They are ruled by the original members of the cyberdog conversion facility, who have given up what bodies they had centuries ago in favor of implantation into custom cyberdogs.
Technology
Pre-War, CYBER was at the cutting edge of wetware processing technology and cybernetic interfaces. Over the two hundred years they've operated, they have only increased in their skills. They produce weaponry, armor, and medicines of all types, most of which are clandestinely traded away for raw materials, some of which ends up in the hands of raiders in exchange for living captives with which to experiment on.
Their cybernetic implants are the best in the Wasteland, without hyperbole, and they range from cortical co-processors, bone marrow accelerators, and subcutaneous armor to full limb and organ replacements. Notably, they are the premier manufacturer of neurochips in the Wasteland, which can contain a copy of a living brain's consciousness- but the copy cannot function properly without being connected to an organic brain. Instead, they use cruder brain prostheses to reanimate the bodies that have been left mindless by their experiments, creating organic robots who obey the cyberdogs' every whim. With regards to robotics, they are known for constructing combat robots with which to capture their foes. Mesmetron-equipped Mr. Gutsies, robobrains, and assaultrons have all been sighted in CYBER war parties.
In addition, through extensive research they have developed the elusive art of teleportation. With this technology, it is child's play to both take in resources and expel any form of waste, experimental or otherwise. In fact, it's part of the reason the area has such a super mutant problem- after removing the brains of their captives, they often inject the leftover body with varying strains of FEV to see what happens- and after the experiment reaches its conclusion, they just teleport the new mutant out into the world to cause trouble.
History
Pre-War, CYBER was a company subcontracted out for the creation of cyberdogs for both domestic and military use. Thousands of dogs had their brains scooped out and limbs shorn off to become the perfect cyborg soldiers- their minds wiped and reprogrammed or discarded and replaced with more “loyal” brains. Inside their heads, connected to the brains pulsing beneath a biogel-filled dome, neurochips whirred, interpreting data from the brain to create a being with the precision of a computer and the mental capacity and creativity of an organic brain.
When the bombs fell, the scientists there were safe in some regards. The facility’s top-secret nature and the underground structure meant that they were safe from radiation. The cyberdogs that had not been shipped off into combat and those still in testing were used to scavenge the areas above for food and resources to grow food, ruthlessly pillaging and leaving no witnesses.
The scientists continued their research, using the victims of the cyberdogs as test subjects for their new technologies. Using knowledge of other classified facilities, they broke into a facility storing FEV at a military base miles away, attempting to use it to improve the conversion process and create an even STRONGER class of cyberdog- but were stymied by failure. Intrigued but disappointed, they took samples, while leaving behind several test subjects, none of whom they expected to survive long-term.
It was at this point where the researchers, limited by their natural lifespan, decided to have their brains extracted and placed into cyberdogs. Choosing the best specimens that Post-War had to offer, they were scooped one-by-one and transferred into new, youthful bodies, filled with the latest in cyborg technology. They had achieved immortality and were prepared to rule over the Wasteland, but there was one minor problem. The Brotherhood of Steel.
When the Brotherhood of Steel came to the area, the cyberdogs initially were overjoyed, as they thought the military would appreciate all the research they had completed- but as they listened into Brotherhood transmissions they became more and more terrified. They prepared several safehouses and avenues of escape, but it was ultimately unneeded, as the Brotherhood just marched on by.
But this was a big wake up call. The cyberdogs became more cautious of discovery- they began searching for some new technology that would let them operate undetected. Stealth Boys were promising but led to unacceptable levels of brain degeneration, forcing the cyberdogs who used them to undergo frequent brain replacements. Underground tunnels were considered, but ultimately rejected except as a way to increase living space. But soon they hit on two ideas: disguising cyberdogs as the unaugmented, and teleportation. This would have two benefits; they could now operate by stealth, and they could operate as far as they wanted, within range of the teleporter. For decades they worked on their technology... and at last, they succeeded.
Now they operate from the shadows, kidnapping people for the organ sitting within their heads, hunting for the perfect examples of technology, all to expand their knowledge.