Cylon

Introduction
Cylons - from Cybernetic Lifeform Node - are a race of sentient machines created by Colonials of the Twelve Colonies. They have several forms, some of which are mechanical in appearance and function

Biology
Retaining much of the appearance of the Caprican-built U-87 Cyber Combat and commercially available offshoots of that model, modern Centurions are heavy, bipedal robots distinguished by a roving red eye.

During the Cylon War, the Centurions are joined by a number of variations on the typical "toaster" model, as well as earlier Cylon models and more advanced Centurion forms.

Variations
The quintessential Cylon War-era Centurions were the chrome-plated "toasters".

Carrying backpack-like power cells and approximately six feet six inches tall, these Centurions are protected by flexible rear armor which covered otherwise exposed internal mechanisms. Physically stronger than Colonials, these Centurions are designed with sufficient dexterity and capability of using weapons and tools. Centurions communicate vocally, but are also capable of receiving radio signals internally. Unlike their successors, these early Centurions did not possess built-in projectile weapons, but are armed with retractable blades, built into their forearms.

Several variations of these models exist, ranging in design and function within the Cylon hierarchy. More compact models were built for piloting Raiders, while more heavily armored models act as ground forces and warriors in the conflict with humanity. Gold-colored Centurions also existed, denoting command positions.

The Cylon War-era Centurions were the root of modern Cylon society, though their anger and hurt over their enslavement by the peoples of the Twelve Colonies has tempered in their modern progeny.

During the Cylon War, the Centurions developed new robotic models as well as several cybernetic hybrids in their pursuit of organic humanoid forms.

Iconic features such as the red, roving "eye" are carried into later generations of the Cylon Centurion and even into the modern, autonomous Raiders

Resurrection
Upon the death of its body, a Cylon's consciousness is automatically transferred into another copy of itself. This "resurrection" is limited by signal integrity and proximity to the Cylon homeworld or a Resurrection Ship

Culture
The Colonial-designed Centurions utilized artificial intelligence and were designed as sentient beings. The Centurions are practitioners of a religion centered around a "One True God" or what would come to be considered the "Cylon God".

Creation
The U-87 battle robot was created by Daniel Graystone and his team of scientists at Graystone Industries in Caprica City around 2135. Commissioned by the government of Caprica, the U-87 was intended to serve as a battlefield soldier, capable of "shooting and fighting". A departure from the simple servant robots available at the time, the U-87 was designed to be a semi-sentient humanoid form.

Inspiration
Whether deliberately or unintentionally, Daniel Graystone's design for the U-87 chassis carried a striking resemblance to drawings his daughter, Zoe Graystone had done as a child. Zoe's design featured distinctively jointed legs, an artificial brain contained within the chest rather than the head, and a single, red-glowing eye.

Research & Development
Following the fabrication of the prototype chassis and acquisition of the military contract from the Caprican Ministry of Defense, the U-87 project stalled, taking five years longer than expected and going half a billion cubits over budget. While the creation of the robot chassis itself is a simple task, the creation of a functioning artificial intelligence to drive that body is another matter.

Testing of the U-87 includes at least 42 evaluation protocols in which the robot was placed in a simulated battlefield environment inside the Graystone labs. Tested on its ability to independently identify and acquire targets, and resolve and execute conflict, the Cyber Combat Unit consistently failed to live up to expectations.

With the media playing up the delays and cost overruns, the Caprican Prime Minister began to apply pressure to Graystone Industries while considering taking the project to an off-world contractor.

A major breakthrough occured when Graystone Industries' competitor, Tomas Vergis, founder and CEO of the Vergis Corporation of Tauron, cracked the artificial intelligence problem with the development of the meta-cognitive processor, or MCP chip. While the Vergis Corporation was thought to have been years behind Graystone Industries in the field of robotics, the creation of the MCP brought them into play for the Cyber Combat Unit contract, despite being off-world.

As Daniel Graystone was confronted with this professional challenge, he also suffers a personal tragedy when Zoe Graystone was killed in the Caprica City Mag-Lev Bombing in Caprica City. Shocked to discover that Zoe had created an identical copy of herself within the virtual world, Daniel soon came to realize that he could theoretically bring his daughter back to life by implanting the avatar in a robotic body. Daniel, though, needed the MCP to make the resurrection possible.

Enlisting Joseph Adama - a Caprican lawyer with ties to the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate - Daniel arranged to steal the MCP from Vergis Corporation labs on Tauron. Unbeknownst to Daniel, the theft resulted in the brutal beatings and death of two men. This is a loss Tomas Vergis himself would soon seek retribution for.

Cybernetic Life Form Node
Upon delivery of the MCP chip, Daniel worked tirelessly to bring his daughter's avatar from the virtual world and into the physical one. Downloading the program into the MCP, Daniel then implanted the chip into the U-87 chassis. At first appearing to be a successful integration, the U-87 took a step towards Daniel, speaking a single word: Daddy. The datastream within the chip, however, destabilized and resulted in a catastrophic loss of data and the apparent deletion of the Zoe avatar.

Grief stricken, Daniel took little comfort when the U-87 began operating efficiently, performing above expectations during a demonstration for Caprican Minister of Defense, Joan Leyte.

With the Cyber Combat Contract securely in the possession of Graystone Industries, Daniel Graystone dubs the working U-87 a "Cybernetic Life Form Node" or "Cylon" for short

The Differently Sentient
As the threat by the monotheist terror group, the Soldiers of the One, culminated in the attempted bombing of Atlas Arena in Caprica City, a turning point was achieved. Using a squadron of Cylons to target and kill a group of STO terrorists at Atlas, Daniel Graystone prevented the bombing and the deaths of 100,000 Capricans. The event at the arena galvanized the public in support of Cylons as protectors of the Twelve Worlds, with statues erected in their honor.

Within five years, Cylons are integrated into Colonial society as a slave race, with new models based on the original U-87 chassis created for various purposes. Acting as laborers and servants - as well as in their initial function as soldiers - Cylons are everywhere, walking alongside Colonial society in the Twelve Worlds and provoking some to question their sentience.

Cylon War
Read More: Cylon War

Within just a few years of their introduction, the Cylons revolted during the Sixth Colony War in 2140, first resulting in the Virgon Genocide and then the Night of Tears, resulting in a costly and protracted twelve-year war known as the Cylon War. Both Cylon and Colonials took heavy tolls as Cylon basestars and Raiders clashed with Colonial battlestars and Vipers in many battles, both on the ground and in space.

The Cylons - in the form of Centurions - sought to punish their masters for their enslavement and injustices committed against them. But as they battled to wipe out humanity, they also worked to mimic them, performing bizarre and brutal experiments on animals and human captives in order to create biological/machine hybrid.

Ultimately an armistice is declared - the Cylons leaving for a homeworld to call their own and the Colonials left to unify their own worlds in a federated government.