It's a Cat! It's a Mongoose! It's a Tank!

The R-332 (Mongoose), one of innumerable patterns of repair drones that service Kllarn's covered cities, now repurposed

Worming its way through densely packed piping and wiring, the R-332 gives off a feeling of unnatural flexibility for its large quadrupedal form. Reminiscent of any number of species of big cat, or perhaps a mongoose, this models pattern was developed several decades ago, during a cultural movement known today as ‘Animystique’. Initially designed as, and still serving as, heavy maintenance drones the 332 series used to spend most of it’s time haunting the dense networks of service tunnels that feed into the République’s innumerable factory complexes. Proactively programmed, they would seek out signs of structural fatigue and repair, unfolding their integrated cutting and welding apparatus’ to take care of the problem.

    In this time of growing tensions and conflict the 332 series has had their programming tweaked to new parameters. Sensors that once sought out structural weaknesses for repair, now hone in on weaknesses to exploit, torches and saws that once cut and welded now rend and burn. Creator becomes destroyer.

The 332 stretches approximately 8’ or 2.4m from ‘nose’ to the base of the tail, with a body that appears fairly feline at first glance, but leans more Herpestidae as it twists and climbs. The bots power plant and other vital internals are located low on the body, in the belly section, as the upper back contains the units tools which fold and unfold as needed. The welding apparatus's are kept in the body, along with the well shielded chemical tanks that provide the necessary plasma. When unfolded, the welding arms are as long as the body, multi-segmented so they can bend and reach into even the most hard to reach crevices. The cutting implement is actually concealed within the bots tail, with it able to extend or retract high frequency cutting teeth as needed. The head contains the advanced density sensing suite that allows the 332 to quickly identify structural weaknesses in almost any substance, it is moulded into a vaguely predatory shape but has nothing like a open-able mouth or nose, the designers opting for a single, unbroken surface.