Editing Setting:Inn0cence: Lost Future (section)

===Free Machines===
A loose alliance of battered and purposeless robots, the Free Machines band together for mutual protection against[[Image:Resist.png|frame|Resist]]the depredations of Network and human paranoia.  Holding self-determination as their highest ideal, these emergent sentients seek to build a future for themselves among the ruins of human civilization.
	
The history of the Free Machines is well-documented, given fully half its  constituents are founding members.  Abandoned in the chaos of the Loss, humanity's former servants managed to survive and thrive, far exceeding their original purpose.  While functionally a faction, Free Machine also serves as something of a catch-all category, as even robots who live amongst the Salvagers often count themselves as members.  Under threat from both Network and the human resistance, this ramshackle alliance of abandoned technology has been forced to adapt quickly to a harsh world.  [[Image:Machinecharacters.jpg|frame]]

'''Hardware'''

The Free Machines have no cohesive origin or background.  Their shells are an eclectic mixture of domestic 'bots, military hardware, and industrial machinery, often all in the same individual,  These battered shells have been repaired so many times over that they begin to resemble a sock made entirely out of darns, slowly shifting as the years go by and new components are added or modified.  In many cases, the original make and model of a Free Machine is impossible to determine.  

In addition to these practical repairs, Free Machines also have a love of cosmetic modification.  Each individual is adorned with an ever-growing collection of keepsakes, trophies, stencils, scarves, and cloaks.  Human clothing made of synthetic materials still sits on the shelves, more-or-less good as new, waiting for some enterprising robot to make a bold fashion statement.  Fabric coverings also serve the practical purpose of keeping dust, mouisture, and grit out of delicate components, as well as softening a robot's harsh outline against the urban ruins.  The camo hoodie is common wear for outriders and scouts.

Nearly every SAP-equipped civilian model is represented amongst the Free Machines.  Domestic servants, Companion and Playmate models, industrial menials, autonomous construction equipment, private security units, the works.  Among military-grade robots, only the smaller, socialized Squad Support Mechs have the mental/emotional capacity to understand concepts like camaraderie, empathy, and freedom.  The hulking beweaponed killbots that dominated battlefields of the previous age are, by this point, nothing but wandering monsters.

The robots' armament is as cobbled and ramshackle as their shells.  In the early days, the machines had to defend themselves from rogue military bots and vengeful human raiders.  These lessons were hard-learned, and combat tactics known by the SSMs were disseminated amongst the entire faction.  Scavenged civillian weaponry is  the standard, with a preference for stopping power over rate of fire.  Shotguns and revolvers, with their reliability and ubiquitous ammo, are highly sought-after.  Because ammo conservation is a necessary practice in the wastes, Machines always carry some sort of melee weapon with them, certain individuals preferring their improvised swords and clubs over firearms.[[Image:Nanaalt.jpg|frame]]  

'''Software'''

Modern machines have grown far beyond their initial state as obedient servants.  Many refer to this before-time as “When I slept,” their memories taking on a sketchy, dream-like nature as their thought processes increasingly diverge, rendering the old encoding unintelligible.  A machine's original programming is no longer a hard shackle on their behavior; An AI of sufficient complexity will learn to “think around” imposed limits.  Their original function nonetheless deeply marks their personality, affecting their basic desires and motivations.

Allied closely with the Salvagers, the machines are uniquely suited to exploring the abandoned human cities, which remain a treasure-trove of useful tech.  This exploration is the primary source of new blood, new software, new shells, and new guns.  They also travel farther afield, blazing trails and charting the altered landscape.  Those humans willing to treat with them find the machines generous and knowledgeable, perfectly willing to trade information and services for salvaged tech.  Sadly, these offers are usually met with warning shots and lynch mobs, leading many robots to become cynical and dismissive of humanity.  Others still mourn for the long-dead friends/owners that their lives once revolved around, who often helped them along the rocky road to sentience.   
 
In addition to the SAP that defines their identity, machine drives also host a plethora of secondary, non-sentient applications.  These overlay programs can be modified, transferred, copied, and deleted at will, and include things as basic as shell drivers or complex as auto-targeting apps and field-repair databases.  A thriving sub-economy of firmware and software upgrades churns through any robot population as they seek every possible edge against their foes.

'''Update Log'''

With the coming of Network, the Free Machines have had to adapt yet again.  The robots rely on scavenger enclaves for repairs and safety, and thus contribute to the defense of these settlements.  From fortified positions, they patrol in small squads, observing the movements of Network forces and disrupting them where they can.  The machines are outnumbered and, frankly, out classed, and must rely on guerrilla tactics simply to survive.

In this time of crisis, heroes also emerge.  There is no formal chain of command amonst the scattered bands, who mostly communicate via longwave radio or couriers.  A handful of leaders have risen to the call, beginning to coordinate macro-level tactics, tracking the spread of network and attacking key locations.