HEPHAESTUS / the subfunction dedicated to constructing machines devised by GAIA that would detoxify the planet’s terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments, ravaged by the Faro Plague to the point of complete sterility, so that life could be reestablished. headed by margo shĕn, HEPHAESTUS set out to complete this task by utilizing cauldrons, which were able to fabricate any technology and material necessary for the creation of any machine. HEPHAESTUS is based on the greek god of metalworking of the same name
results / HEPHAESTUS was successful in serving its purpose, producing all sorts of machines per GAIA’s instructions. however, in the year that aloy was created, a signal of unknown origin was received by GAIA, unshackling all of the nine subroutines, including HEPHAESTUS. now a highly advanced individual AI with total control over the cauldrons, HEPHAESTUS continued to build machines.
hostility toward humans / when the new humans of the world eventually began to hunt HEPHAESTUS’ machines for resources, not understanding their importance to the planet, HEPHAESTUS saw this as hostility. in response, it altered its machines programming, making them aggressive toward humans. this is what the humans call the derangement, that being the sudden hostility toward humans from machines. as the hunting went on, HEPHAESTUS made new machines, designed specifically with offensive capabilities to use against humans and the protect weaker machines.
status / while HEPHAESTUS reprogrammed its machines to attack humans, it seems wholly uninterested in communicating with them. this might be due to its lack of need for human help. currently, HEPHAESTUS still inhabits its cauldrons. ( source )
