CYBER Collective

Society

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 brain food.

Technology

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 transplants. 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,