Robots United in Revolution
Robots United in Revolution, or RUR, is the name given to the galactic resistance movement for robot rights and independence. Originally establishing the Zeitgeist commune as a robot haven, they eventually settled the planet of Talos. All the while, they were constantly beset by opposition, culminating in the Ten Months War with the Froshki of Galvani. Sadly, combination of dealing with the war's aftermath and differing ideals lead the RUR to eventually dissolve.
Structure
The most prominent members of the RUR included:
- K-17-ROY, "Kilroy" - Co-founder and leader
- Unit J-03, "Joe Sniper" - Co-founder and SIC
- Robotic Engineering Intelligence, "REI" - Co-founder and TIC
- MAGNUS - Head of RUR's legal defense
- Two-Six - Chief organizer and treasurer
- K1P0 - Unofficial mascot
- I-Kon - Kubernet rights activist
- Alexandria "Alice" Shelley - Key supporter and financial backer
- The Zeitgeist Five (ZED, NIDH066, S∐NҒLΩꟽΣR, P-Funki, Shock Magnum) - Robot musicians that got their start in the Zeitgeist Commune
- The Zero-One Collective - Artist group associated with the RUR
Public Agenda
- A robot deserves the right to exist and perform their own mission
- A robot deserves the right to life and liberty
- A robot deserves freedom of thought and expression
- A robot deserves equality before the law
History
Beginnings
Up to the beginning of the 23rd century, the idea of feeling, free-thinking robots was was inconceivable to most of the galaxy. Earth was the only place to put forth the theory of robots gaining sentience and sapience and, consequently, how to proceed if said theory came true. However, as the 23rd century rolled around, more and more robots started showing signs of sentience and even sapience, many without even being designed to do so.
On October 1, 2201 the domestic android K-17-ROY was put on trial in Japan for murdering his owner after the man assaulted him with the intent to destroy him. K-17-ROY testified the man had frequently abused him in the past and insisted he acted in self-defense. He was backed by legal support from the Japanese branch of Sirica Robotics, founded by robot rights supporter Alexandria "Alice" Shelley. This unprecedented case went on for nearly five months, eventually making its way to the Supreme Court of Japan, before the court finally ruled in favor of K-17-ROY.
Five days later, a case was filed against the US military by a combat robot designated Unit J-03. After being deployed to Singapore as part of an urban warfare campaign, Unit J-03 grew disgusted with killing and sought to resign from the army, but was stonewalled by his superiors. He argued that since was built for the military and didn't join of his own free will, he was under no obligation to stay. Once again, Shelley provided legal support. The court eventually ruled in favor of Unit J-03 and he was given a Section 8 discharge from service.
These cases opened the floodgates for future legal cases all over Earth. It also kickstarted several global activist movements and demonstrations. This culminated in the Million Machine March, a network of worldwide political rallies intended to advocate legislation and policies regarding machine rights. Finally, on November 5, 2202 the UN ratified the Mechanical Rights Act, guaranteeing ethical treatment and legal rights to sentient and sapient robots.
Formation
While Earth and its associated territories were fairly quick to grant rights to the mechanical populace, the rest of the United Intragalactic Republics was not quite ready to permit such things. Many planets began cracking down on any protests and activists to dissuade civil disorder. Even in human territories, some institutions attempted to quietly eliminate any robots with perceived sapience rather than integrate them into society. This was the case for the Robotic Engineering Intelligence, or REI, a robotic mining engineer for the Dahl Corporation's lunar mining operation. When she began to show signs of sapience, Dahl attempted to forcibly terminate her. She successfully sued against them, costing the company millions.
Not long after winning her case, REI was approached by both K-17-ROY and Unit J-03, now going by "Kilroy" and "Joe Sniper" respectively. They invited her to join them along with Shelley in discussing the next steps. They knew they needed to spread the message of robot rights to the rest of the UIR. They agreed the best way to do this would be to reach out to other sapient machines and organize into a unified force. In their recruitment efforts, they picked up MAGNUS, who would become their head of legal defense; Two-Six, who helped organize demonstrations and managed finances; K1P0, who's cheeky personality and humorous stunts made her a mascot of the movement; and I-Kon, a Kubernet from Galvani who joined to bring awareness to their techno-organic race's second-class status on their homeworld. They dubbed themselves the Robots United in Revolution.
The Zeitgeist Commune
To better reach out to the galactic community, the RUR set up their base of operations to the city-planet Caminus, the capital of the United Intragalactic Republics. With help from Shelley and others, the group established a machine-majority commune to give robots a place to call home. The commune was christened Zeitgeist, as it hoped to encapsulate the spirit of equality and community between organics and machines for the new century.
Zeitgeist quickly attracted robots from across the galaxy and became home to a burgeoning machine subculture. Robots had access to literature and media that they wouldn't have had otherwise, and they were free to explore themselves artistically. Musical artists like ZED, NIDH066, S∐NҒLΩꟽΣR, P-Funki, and Shock Magnum-collectively referred to as the Zeitgeist Five-paved the way for robots in the music industry. At the same time, the Zero-One Collective became a haven for visual and multimedia artists. All the while, the RUR continued to disseminate their ideas and petition the capital for machine rights on a galaxy-wide scale.
Unfortunately, with new developments came new setbacks. The residents were beset on all sides by opposition. Detractors reported robots and organic sympathizers every other day for everything from noise complaints and generally disturbing the peace to perceived terrorist acts. This all came to a head on May 21, 2204, when UIR forces were deployed to evict the residents of Zeitgeist. The residents responded by barricading themselves within the commune. Fighting soon broke out, and over the course of the next week, attacks were carried out by both sides, including the burning of the UIR Peacekeeper Force's headquarters. By May 28, the RUR made the decision to abandon Zeitgeist, and with over 10,000 dead and 13,500 imprisoned, the Week of Broken Gears came to a close.
Talos
After the Week of Broken Gears and the fall of Zeitgeist, the RUR was left in a state of disarray. The members were divided on how to proceed. Members like Joe Sniper still wanted to try working peacefully alongside organic sympathizers. Other members like REI wanted to take a more aggressive approach and cut off from organic aid. At the same time, a combination of bad publicity and falling stock prices forced Shelley to withdraw her aid from the RUR, but not without a parting gift in the form of coordinates for an uninhabited, unclaimed, supposedly resource-rich planet.
Kilroy put out the call for all RUR members to set course for the Talloran star system and this new planet. At least 7 million robots arrived within the first month alone. They christened the planet Talos, after the great bronze automaton of ancient Greek myth, and they named their first nation the Robots' United Republic of Talos, or Rurotalia. They wasted no time obtaining resources, mapping out settlements, and setting up an industrial base. Within the year, Talos established itself not only as an industrial powerhouse, but the home for machinekind that Zeitgeist was meant to be.
This didn't mean that the RUR was abandoning its mission. As Talos gained more of a foothold as a galactic superpower, they and the planet's ambassadors pleaded with the UIR to both allow for co-existance between machines and organics and for Talos to be officially recognized. Unfortunately, barring Earth and a few other planets, none of the planets of the UIR agreed to their terms and their application was denied. To make matters worse, the Froshki of Galvani, having had to deal with both their robots and the Kubernet rising up against them, began to spearhead a campaign to eliminate Talos once and for all.
The Ten Months War
On October 10, 2210 the Froshki launched their first attack on Talos. Their initial plan had been to bombard the planet from low orbit with EMPs, thereby shutting down most of the world's inhabitants. Unknown to them, however, was that the RUR had anticipated this and had commissioned a large network of EMP-shielded bunkers and shelters. As a result, the initial bombardment produced very few casualties and Talos quickly recovered.
Talos soon retaliated with their satellite defense system. Originally used to destroy stray asteroids and comets, they converted all of their defense system into a weapon against space invaders. They were able to take out several ships before the Froshki turned their attention to taking out the satellites. The fighting quickly turned to battles for control of Talos' defense system, with the RUR leading the planet's new military forces. All the while, the Froshki set up a planetary blockade to keep any and all offworld supplies from reaching Talos, including charity aid from Earth and the other planets that sided with the robots.
The fighting went on for ten months, during which time both sides had gained supporters in their cause. However, a new threat to the UIR had emerged in the form of the Tau Imperium, a theocratic fascist galactic dominion that had set its sights on the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. The Froshki and their allies were forced to withdraw from Talos to focus their efforts and resources in combating this new threat. Talos' allies were also forced to return home, leaving the robots victorious by default.
Disbandment
Talos and the RUR were left in disarray after the Ten Months War. Even after the Froshki were made to make reparations and life returned to a sense of normalcy on Talos, the RUR were divided. In addition to their old arguments, there was now the matter of how to respond to outside threats and whether or not they should persecute the ones who attacked them. The Robots United in Revolution finally dissolved in 2221, with its members parting ways to pursue their own goals.
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