Amorphic Matter

The **Amorphic Matter**is the name given to a group of synthetic chemical compounds when mixed with the metal used in all of the New Generation Reploids and their prototypes. It was developed by the most competent molecular scientists of the Research and Development of Reploids Bureau in the 2180's under the demand of Earth's Government to hasten the recovery of Earth's surface after the fall of the space colony Eurasia. Later on that decade, the New Generation Reploids begin being employed en-masse to space colonization.

## **Technical Features**

Considered the holy grail of the shapeshifting machine designers, the substance reacts and changes its physical aspects in several ways when estimulated by certain apparatus. In its essence, the amorphic matter is a black and unstable mass. It must be contained inside a vessel to prevent accidents such as violent volume expansions. Later, the transformations would be driven by an apparatus called Copy Chip, an internal component of the machines that could manipulate their DNA program in a way they could perform the *Amorphic Transformation* or *A-Trans* and effectively morph into a new thing.

### **The Mind Problem and hypotheses**

Even in the New Generation Reploids the A-Trans is not a complete transformation, since the parts that coordinate the transformation *must* be preserved during the process, as well as their mind and memories - otherwise, a Reploid morphing into another would lose their own consciousness and probably awaken with the pre-programmed AI of the copied body (or without any consciousness at all, as a hollow shell), making themselves a literal clone, which would likely never revert the A-Trans back to their original form.

Mega Man X8 is not clear regarding how the DNA programs stored in the Copy Chips affect a Reploid's mind, since it is also unclear whether the DNA program truly contains the mind and memories of a Reploid. If affirmative, then a New Generation Reploid would have access to hundreds of different minds and memories, and not only that would have been predicted by the several amorphic matter researchers, but its problematic implications would be noticeable. As an example, Axl's Copy Shot would give him immediate access to every feeling and memory his target had.

Due to those problems, there are two possible conclusions:

1. The New Generation Reploids can copy Reploid bodies, but the DNA program stored in their Copy Chips does not contain all those minds and memories. The only possibility that Sigma's DNA program could have affected the Jakob Reploids is that he is an exception due to his viral nature.
2. The Copy Chips installed in the New Generation Reploids indeed contain the minds of the several copied Reploids, but the A-Trans does not grant access to them due to the same preservation principles that protects their minds from being replaced during the transformation. What Sigma did was to modify that device, allowing his thoughts to influence the mindset of the New Gen.

### **Other uses**

* During the researches to develop the New Generation Reploids, some gadgets have been created with the amorphic matter. Dr. Henry Snacman adapted some of those to create the *amorphic packs* for his wife, Platina. The amorphic packs can morph into larger weapons and many kinds of devices, making it possible to carry an entire arsenal within a very compact space.
* The mercenary Baronel has a special kind of amorphic body that allows him to modify it as he pleases through the *Local A-Trans*, although he does not possess the ability of copying another Reploid. His ability is unique, as he does not rely on other DNA Programs to morph, only on the available mass/energy and his own creativity.

## **History**

### **Origins**

After the fall of the space colony Eurasia, Earth was devastated. The government demanded that the RaDoRB developed Reploids immune to any kind of virus that could assume several functions in order to resist the harsh conditions of the surface and make it inhabitable once again. Knowing the risks of an uncautious and hurried technology involving Reploid DNA, Director Seigen made the possible to slow down the research and prevent it from creating yet another threat to the world, such as the Nightmare created by Gate or the Erasure . The synthesis of a functional amorphic matter device could only be made after Seigen's death in 2182 and the reforms made by the new director.

### **New Generation Reploids**

In 2183, the first successful models made with the amorphic matter were developed. The enthusiasm with the technology moved many sectors of the RaDoRB and many robot engineers created their own prototypes. The first prototype could morph only one limb, and later they would be upgraded to morph their whole body. However, the organization was under a new transparency policy thanks to the scandals that followed the events of *Berserk*, and the news reached the wrong ears. Some prototypes have been lost during Maverick attacks, and they supposedly escaped during the turmoil or have been smuggled to the black market for a very high price. Other prototypes may have been kidnapped by bounty hunters and companies that were also doing industrial espionage on the Amorphic Matter. Some of the known prototypes that disappeared from RaDoRB are Axl and Trickster.

### **Moon Colonization**

In the late 2180s, Earth's surface was inhabitable once again thanks to the efforts of the Reploids. However, the populace grew tired of the endless Maverick Wars and the idea of living in the Moon until the planet was completely safe became a strong demand. Earth's Government accepted the request and assigned the New Generation Reploid Lumine to be the director of the Jakob Project, which would raise an orbital elevator to hasten the transport of people and resources to space. However, it was later discovered that Sigma's DNA was among the several hundred programs stored in the New Generation Reploids' Copy Chips, and that may have facilitated their ability to go Maverick at will. Sigma's revelation is ambiguous when it comes to how many Reploids have been affected, but it is presumed that at least all those produced specifically for the Jakob Project have been modified by him. The government took the precautions of halting the production of all New Generation Reploidsuntil the investigations on the Copy Chip were finished. That incident slowed down the development of the Moon colonies and made them more dependent on Earth's support, creating an economical crisis.

### **Lumine's amorphic possession**

   At the climax of the Jakob Incident, Lumine unleashed a tentacle of amorphic matter at Axl's head crystal and left a "shard" inside it, but X destroyed him before he could do anything else. Axl remained in comatose in the following two months, and the medical team of the Hunter Base was unable do determine the cause.

After Axl was captured by Shad, Saturn's team of ingenious Engineers quickly detected Lumine's shard and realized it was slowly altering Axl's DNA. Saturn perceived it as an organism merely trying to survive and approved the idea of "feeding" the shard to see what could happen. In a few days, Axl's body was already showing signs of the corruption caused by it, as if he was slowly performing an A-Trans to become Lumine. Due to the principle of mind preservation, even if the shard was carrying Lumine's mind, he would be unable to completely take over the body, and maybe the comatose is caused by the conflicting minds preventing each other from awakening.
An evidence of that internal battle is that Axl was shown to be trapped in a nightmare with Lumine's speeches during Prologue: Doomsday.