Prudens' name is Latin for "wise", and is meant to be paired with Melius' own "enhanced". Together, their "enhanced wisdom" is what saves the day.
Papa is a repair doctor (cyborg equivalent of like an army medic???) which is why he's not around; the war keeps him away. Papa is the one who found Melius as a kit, and he is the one called to repair Melius after the overload of the broadcast.
The following trivia about the universe is ideas I had but couldn't incorporate into the writing. I like the way they add some culture to the life of cyborgs, though, so I thought I'd share them still.
- - Shine-scanners are used in computer identification and clearance among cyborgs. Famous cyborgs' shines are revered and to be born with a similar one is an honor and a good omen. Defacing art of famous shines is considered criminal.
- Melius' tail would have been fully replaced (or his shine at least covered) if the cyborgs hadn't had faith in his ability to climb the ranks and earn a name for himself.
- Cyborg ships have the ability to travel to various climates and worlds, but combat-ready kalon suits are still being produced. Some cyborgs are designed specifically to be able to handle certain elements in order to learn about strange alien planets' weaknesses.
- Most cyborgs are designed to fill one specific role. Melius' is recon, of course, but other categories include:
• heavy soldier (heavily modified, armored, and have lots of firepower)
• swift soldier (faster and with longer stamina)
• analyst (enhanced intelligence and connected to bases mentally)
• leader (armored, fast thinking, and very dedicated to their purpose)
• mechanic (scanners, tool arms coming from back/shoulders)
• assassin/spy (almost silent, don't do a lot of thinking for themselves/very controlled by higher-ups, and connected to bases mentally)
- Cyborgs take unwanted, orphaned, willing, and runaway kalons for modification. Legal modification is done only with consent, but illegal experiments have been performed against subjects' wills.
- The government is suspected of allowing illegal mods to happen, but nothing has ever been able to be proven/no one has ever spoken out.
- Illegal mods usually experiment past current legally ethical mods, and not a lot of heavily illegally-modded kalons survive.
- Cyborgs still capable of having kits are always given the choice of not having their kits modified, but a vast majority of parents allow kit modifications once they are old enough.
- Cyborg kits are raised to believe the best of cyborgs, and many whose parents didn't approve of young mods will later choose final modifications for themselves.
