As augmentation became more easily obtained, many of its adherents modified themselves in ways beyond anything that they were capable of on Earth, seeking to embrace the machine in new ways. As they did so, the adherents of the cult grew apart from other colonists. Outsiders started to view the Cult and their followers as strange and inhuman. Some even left the Cult, embittered by augmentation failures or haunted by a feeling that they had lost some part of humanity. 

As a result, the Machine Cult petitioned the Great Human Alliance for settlement rights. Their augmentations and robots allowed them to settle inhospitable worlds which were otherwise not suited for human habitation. The Machine Cult’s detachment and isolation meant that few were surprised when the Cult demanded independence from the Alliance. The Alliance was not interested in resettling or occupying the worlds the Cult had claimed and saw little to gain from war, and as such, the Machine Cult gained their final independence diplomatically, rather than through war. 

The Machine Cult still maintains their eternal vigil, awaiting the transcendence of technology and the ascension of the machine. Their forces search throughout the Sector, seeking hidden and lost technologies that might help this come about or allow them to more fully embrace the machine. 

How will you guide your people towards the Singularity?

History

Origin

Transhumanist beliefs emerged in the Milky Way long ago. The beliefs that would form the basis of the Machine were an undercurrent of numerous human philosophies which preceded it. While the elite turned towards gene manipulation and nanotechnology, the faith in robotic augmentation grew in those who were already modifying their bodies to accomplish hard physical tasks: the miners. The early sects of what would become the Machine Cult formed in the penal colonies and asteroid mining outposts.

Civil War

The Founder dismissed Machine Cult beliefs as primitive and flawed, and an affront to true human nature. Already fringe, the Cult went underground, many of its members supporting the rebels. When humanity found itself propelled into the Sirius Sector, the need for mineral resources was crucial. The most promising planet was also a very harsh world. Most miners were sent there, assured that they were performing a vital service to their brethren. As they were under-manned, the use of robotic augmentation skyrocketed. The Cult’s influence grew among the miners.

Arrival

Machine Cult was scattered through many of the human colonies in Sirius. Though far apart, they were united in their faith and their fascination with augmentation. The Cult gained adherents from those who believed that their upgrades were the best way to adapt to new worlds.

A Prophet Emerges

The pressure to extract more and more grew until the miners rebelled, demanding better conditions. A prophet, leading a party of augmented miners, offered a deal: he and his people would stay here and call other believers if they were granted autonomy. This was reluctantly accepted. Machine Cultists came from every settlement, ready to endure this harsh life in hopes of reaching Singularity.

Settlers

Ever since, the Cult grew slowly, settling inhospitable planets. Their use of robotic implants and prosthetics allows them to adapt to harsh environments. They value hard work and believe that great results are attained through great suffering. Their worlds are mostly in the Human Cluster, but they have some farther out settlements. They send expeditions to acquire new technologies and find new planets anywhere they can. Any resources they have are poured back into expanding and strengthening their colonies. Driven on by the new discoveries in Sirius and trade with other species within, Sirius allowed the Machine Cult to augment themselves in ways which could not have been imagined previously, which has allowed them to settle even more planets previously considered inhospitable.

Isolation

As Machine Cult augmentation became more easily obtained, many of its adherents began to augment themselves beyond what was necessary with the goal of embracing the machine. As they did so, they began to grow apart from other colonists who began to see them as strange and inhuman. Some left the cult, citing failures in their augmentations or a feeling that they had lost some part of humanity.

Pioneers

The Greater Human Alliance granted settlement rights for several inhospitable planets to the Machine Cult. The Machine Cult’s augmentations and robots allowed them to populate these hostile worlds. This alleviated tensions on GHA colonies by sending away the Cultists while allowing the GHA to collect resources from Cult worlds.

Split

The Machine Cult breaking away from the GHA was a peaceful process. The GHA was not interested in settling the worlds that the Cult claimed and had little to gain from a war with what they viewed as a fringe cult. The Machine Cult, in turn, had little interest in the Alliance’s protection or in sending soldiers to join the HDF.

Society

The Machine Cult is interested in invention and discovery. Their armies will often be deployed to secure worlds with vital resources or ancient machinery. They are fascinated with the Robot Legion, whom the Cult believes have come closest to singularity. The Cult hopes to discover the secrets necessary to understand, and perhaps even trigger Singularity.

Doctrine

The Machine Cult has long believed that the advancement of technology is inevitable and eventually humanity itself will be surpassed by the machine in an event called Singularity. The Singularity will have absolute power to determine the fate of humanity. The Cult believes only by embracing the machine can humanity remain relevant.

Crisis of Faith

The Machine Cult continues to attract new members, but it faces a crisis of faith as Singularity still feels out of reach. Robotic modifications boost their capacities, but they exact a heavy toll in physical and psychological pain. Plenty of extensively modified Cultists cannot handle it, as the human brain has trouble adjusting to a non-human body. Part of the Cult doubles down on their religious fervour and alienation, while others doubt and wonder if they have lost their way and should rejoin the unmodified "biologicals" which make up the rest of humanity.

Leaving Behind Humanity

The Machine Cult’s way of life surprises and even disturbs many outsiders. They do not value physical pleasure, choosing instead to reproduce through in vitro processes and absorb nutrient slop. The Cult generally adopts gender neutrality as a universal standard. They strive to be perfect workers that can help achieve the ultimate goal of Singularity.

That is not to say that it is impossible for a Machine Cult member to feel desire, to crave good food, or to slack off; but this is not what their society values. The most fervent believers in the Cult wish to repress any type of physical or emotional display, although many others accept that their humanity is still an important part of them.

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