Fiction:AW-413

Formerly termed AW-413, this small cluster of stars at the edge of the Cygnus Arm in the Milky Way galaxy recently came to the attention of Human astronomers after the stars within dimmed considerably over an eight month period. This was later determined to have been caused by "Macrobots", an unintelligent form of robot created by an unknown intelligence

History of the region
In 2660, Human astronomers first recorded AW-413, a cluster of four stars and fifteen planets. There was little initial interest in the system, as none of the planets were suitable for terraforming and their remoteness posed logistical problems. A survey conducted in 2662 recorded three white dwarf stars, one red giant star, four gas giants and eleven planets, six of which had one or more moons.

In 2671, the cluster was seen to dim. Initial theories suggested that AW-413 was colliding with an unknown body of gas of cosmic dust, thus producing the grey haze that was seen to hang around the boundaries of the system. After eight months, the haze seemed to have permanently settled. Analysis of background radiation from AW-413 registered a significant spike in radio noise that peaked after two months.

A laser-sail powered probe was dispatched to the cluster. Three months into the mission, the probe encountered a derelict space station of Grox design, from which it liberated considerable amounts of data on the cluster. The probe continued on, but suffered a catastrophic system failure while entering the cluster.

Picobots
Analysis of data from the Grox space station revealed the true origin of the haze surrounding AW-413. Subsequent readings bear out the conclusion that the system is shrouded by a veil composed of tiny robotic devices, originally nicknamed "Picobots".

Each Picobot is rectangular and very thin, only slightly larger than an obsolete credit card. A raised indentation on the top edge of the rectangle houses a power unit that harnesses the energy of an as-yet unknown radioactive isotope with a half life of approximately 18 months. The Picobots also feature a reservoir of “magnetic mercury”, a liquid that allows the robot to stick to metallic surfaces. The surface of a Picobot is smooth to touch, and is composed of a metal alloy that is heat resistant up to a thousand degrees. However, it is brittle, and a Picobot can be easily broken through warping or crushing. A tiny logo of unknown origin, almost invisible to the naked eye, is stamped on the back of the power supply unit. In the centre of the device is a tiny yet highly advanced helium laser diode that the Picobot uses for communication. This data is beamed at periodic intervals to Macroboxes.

Macroboxes
The Macrobox is the only other documented type of Picobot observed within the Cluster. Most information is known from a single example that was captured by the Grox, at an unspecified “personal cost”. Each Box unit is rectangular in shape, except for one side which is polished to mirror-like smoothness. This is likely to be a receiver for laser communications from Picobots. Inside the Box unit is a complicated computer network, powered by a different, longer lasting isotope from one the one found in standard Picobots. The Grox describe: ...an advanced communications device nestled within a complex cooling system. The device makes use of photonic entanglement to communicate over an unknown distance, and with an unknown target. The large amount of laser light being reflected off the Boxes at regular intervals make them easy for astronomers to spot. Each remaining planet in the Cluster has at least ten boxes in orbit around it, with an unknown number of boxes also communicating Picobots deployed around the edge of the system.

Known interactions
Tests performed on Picobots indicate that each unit is capable of hijacking electronic equipment. For example, a Picobot, if left undisturbed on the surface of a standard palm computer, will crash the system within three minutes and permanently lock out the user. A mainframe database computer, even if equipped with sophisticated anti-virus software, will become unresponsive after ten minutes in contact with a Picobot. Picobots do not require standard links, although these can speed takeover procedures. Picobots are also capable of directly interacting with the nervous system of living organisms. Tests performed on non-sentient creatures show that Picobots can “zombify” a host animal within an hour of physical contact. In certain situations, Picobots will deliberately overload their power supply, destroying themselves in an explosion with an explosive yield comparable to a small hand grenade.

Large-scale Grox testing
Evidence exists of former Grox tests being conducted on Picobots as early as 2645. A log from the now destroyed Grox space station records one of the tests: At time 0:00, the Subversive Mechanism was attached to a droid transport craft docked to the left arm of the station. By time 0:24, the sensor cluster (visual) nearest to the Mechanism was unresponsive. The craft was instructed to perform a roll in an attempt to dislodge the test subject, but it remained firmly attached. By 0:36 the craft no longer responded to commands. At 0:43, the craft suddenly started its engines and attempted to leave the station, breaking through its moorings under violent acceleration. At time 0:50, the craft was destroyed by the asteroid laser defence grid. Separate records indicate that the Grox space station was most likely destroyed through excessive tampering with the single Macrobox, which was described as having a power source with a potential explosive yield far greater than that of a standard Picobot.

Picobot behaviour
No records, current or Grox, contain any evidence of Picobot sentience. Aside from laser communications, which, when intercepted, contain little more than positioning information, Picobots have never attempted to communicate with any species.

Macro Cluster
Each system in the Macro, now termed M-1 through to M-4, is shrouded by a thin shell of Picobots. Behind these shells, long-range telescopes have found that more than half of the 15 planets in the system have disappeared. The term "Macro" was originally coined to reflect an earlier theory that the system was shrouded by a single robotic entity.