Dark Entropy

It is no secret, thanks to the efforts of the Brotherhood, that high technology is not to be trusted. But what, exactly, is "high technology", and what can be corrupted by the Dark Symmetry?

There are certain powers of the Dark Symmetry that are capable of corrupting even the most simple of machinery. After all, there are also Dark Symmetry powers quite capable of corrupting something so perfectly natural as flesh and bone, or simply to unleash destructive powers that would burn it away entirely. Nothing is truly "immune". However, most of the time, these effects do not happen unless some agent, some user or carrier of the powers of the Dark Symmetry, is present to act as a focus, to deliberately attempt to corrupt or otherwise affect the item to be so cursed.

Especially high technology seems to be subject to unexplained malfunctions even if there isn't anyone -- or anything -- alive within miles or more. A deep space probe is just as susceptible to the corrupting influences of the Dark Symmetry as a computer secretly being used in someone's basement.

Electricity seems to be especially susceptible to the influence of Dark Symmetry, but, basically, a machine that pulls things isn't that much in danger. However, if you create a machine that you can ask "yes" or "no" to, then you're opening yourself up to trouble. The more complex the machine is, the more room there is for the Symmetry to exert its influence.

The Human Touch

Some may attempt to describe the Dark Symmetry in scientific terms, but really it's just good old fashioned bad magic. As magic, it defies attempts to easily quantify it or bind it to certain rules. That said, there are some "rules" that apply to the Dark Symmetry. It's just that, for just about every rule, there are exceptions.

One basic concept is that machines are corrupted through the people who create them. No person is wholly immune to the subtle influences of the Dark Symmetry, which pokes and prods them every which way. It encourages tiny little errors in just about everything people do ... and in the case of complex machinery, those tiny little errors can add up really quickly.

The door to the corruption of a machine is opened by the person who made it. One may argue that machines that are created by assembly line robots would therefore be free of such things. Quite the contrary -- This is even worse. After all, those robots were created by humans, and the human "taint" gets passed on, but with the robot working on its own, without supervision, the Dark Symmetry is even more free to pervert its original intent to cause mayhem.

The Cybertronic Way

Cybertronic products seem to be largely "immune" (or at least resistant) to casual effects of the Dark Symmetry. Thus, they are capable of making complex electronics that, should the other corporations attempt to duplicate them, would invariably go berserk at the most inopportune time.

Cybertronic's secret is that it has succeeded in all but killing the human spirit in its mindlessly loyal followers. Its citizens are subjected to brainwashing, chemical treatments, and sometimes even cybertronic brain enhancements, to make them more "perfect" in the Cybertronic sense. The "human touch" is lost. The Dark Symmetry doesn't have an easy opening.

The Human Touch

While the "human touch" can be what makes an item corruptible by the Darkness, it can also be exactly what protects it from such corruption. Carefully hand-crafted items are generally more resistant to corruption by the Dark Symmetry, because, in a sense, the craftsman has put a little of himself into the product. Mass-produced, assembly-line products don't really have this advantage -- It has just enough contact with humanity to have an opening for corruption, but not enough personal contact for one's spirit to infuse the item with a little potency against the influences of the Dark Symmetry.

The Brotherhood and the megacorporations have stumbled upon this phenomenon in various ways. The Brotherhood constructs a number of fairly sophisticated weapons, not the least of which being various types of power blades employed by their warriors, and the technology required for their stabilizer packs and armor. These items are fairly expensive and rare because they are carefully hand-crafted. Certainly, there are some molds, dies, and other standards involved, but there's still a great deal of care involved, and personal touches are put onto each weapon, in the form of little engraved designs. While not all such weapons are created alike, and some of those engraved designs may look pretty repetitive from gun to gun, that extra, personal touch gives the weapons a more special feeling to them ... and it's sufficient to make them slightly more reliable on account of it.

Some of the corporations employ a few machines that utilize fairly high technology compared to their other projects. Despite this complexity, these machines often display features that seem to serve no technological purpose at all ... for example, the way that Great Greys and Purple Sharks really do look something remotely like sharks ... and how Dragonbikes have ornate decorations and sculpted "dragon heads" that are totally unnecessary for function. Machines with these whimsical touches actually work slightly better than their more utilitarian counterparts.

Other examples are in how an originally mass-produced item is treated to special care by its owner. In the world of Mutant Chronicles, a pampered "classic" car that is hand-cleaned and waxed by its owner is going to be more reliable than the next door neighbor's car -- same make, same model, and even taken to a professional for maintenance -- that lacks any such personal touches. Capitol pilots often name their aircraft, and paint "nose art" on them. Mishiman meka sport banners and are often painted with images of dragons or other ferocious animals. Bauhaus Homebuilders decorate their arms and armor with heraldry and holy symbols.