Drudge

Drudge are verinsteam automatons designed for general labor and security in hostile or otherwise strength-intensive environments. The Drudge range in exact shape and size, but generally have six limbs; two grasping appendages, and four locomotion appendages for all-terrain movement. As verinsteam is a self-replicating resource, its use only requires that Drudge are refilled with water to keep them operating. The Drudge are mainstream automatons that have been mass-produced across multiple galactic influences, and as such their designs and histories have varied.

They have seen use in combat scenarios, reprogrammed and mounted with weaponry; and also as security in gaols. The generally consensus being that use of Robotics in Warfare is unethical, propping up the primary concern of the immorality of the automatons. In most polities, it is only legal for a nation to use automatons, especially Drudges, in the context of excavation and menial labor tasks. Although, some polities use the Drudge extensively in combat as security-guards and shocktroopers.

Design

Drudge have a lower body consisting of a large chassis with four multi-jointed, four-toed legs splaying sideways from the aforesaid chassis. Mounted atop the chassis is a gyrating bell-bearing upon which the upper corpus of the Drudge is attached; this corpus can rotate 360° cleanly. The upper torso has two arms, with modular grasping digits which can be replaced with anything from mining equipment to plasmatic blades (in less legal contexts). The head consists of a series of a series of twenty cameras, dividended into infrared, ocular light, and ultraviolet sectors; and some Drudge have x-ray capacities installed. Although the latter is particularly used for mining operations or security Drudge.

The back of the upper corpus also contains slots for excess packages, including ammuntion racks, fuel racks (for incendiary weapons or plasmatic tools), battery-packs, etc,. The most successful feature of the Drudge is its modular nature, as a single Drudge model can be used extensively for many purposes, and their design simply requires any metal with a melting point higher than the temperature of the verinsteam.

The lower chassis contains the verinsteam engine, exhaust ports, and oral speakers. The verinsteam engine connects to a water-funnel where fuel is supplied. Water is poured into the funnel and ignited in the engine, where it is transmuted alchemically into gaseous verinsteam, which courses through hydraulic pumps, pistons, and polymer tubles to allow the Drudge to move. Verinsteam is extremely hot, and is known to leak out from Drudge automatons when damage occurs. It is also very explosive. The surface of a Drudge is about 98° fahrenheit, so touching one is ill-advised.

Protruding from the hindregions of the lower chassis is a seventh articulated appendage called the “Tail”, which curves up akin to scorponids. It is supported by heavy clamps, and is used for the attachment of heavy duty tools or long-range reconnaissance and communication systems due to its length.

Tools used by Drudge Workunits

• X-087 Powersaw – An extremely powerful and dangerous rotary saw used for cutting apart rock and thick woods. The X-087 Powersaw has a triumvirate of serrated rows spinning in opposite directions, and modifications of the weapon for military use make the serrations irregular and jagged. The tool is attached to the tail.
• Y7 Needledrill – An extremely thin, long and sharp spinning needle attached to the hand of the Drudge; used predominantly for finely and precisely extracting ores. It can function either as a chisel or spin at high speeds to grind away at material. For a time, there was a torture method in which a Drudge would slowly lower the needledrill into the eye of a prisoner.
• Model 1 Plasmatic Beamminer – Attached to either the tail or hand of the Drudge, the Model 1 Beamminer is the most commonly used piece of mining equipment. It is connected directly to a fuel-pack on the back of the Drudge, and spurts a stream of hot plasma: melting rock, metal, and ores.
• Xylemripper – A simple but effective tool attached to the hand-module. It is an extremely long blade-like armament that cuts with a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. Used extensively for deforestation efforts.