We Welcome Our Robot Overlords

by Maggie Geppert, Executive Officer

27th March 2020

(Alice #1 through 250) "We are programmed to function as human females, lord."

(Chekov) "You are?"

(Alice #251 through 500) "Yes, my lord."

(Chekov) "Harry Mudd programmed you?"

(Alice #251 through 500) "Yes, my lord."

(Chekov) "That unprincipled, evil-minded, lecherous, kulak, Harry Mudd programmed you?"

(Alice #251 through 500) "Yes, my lord."

(Chekov) "This place is even better than Leningrad."

- From “I, Mudd”

One of the themes of The Neutral Zone is the androids found throughout The Original Series.  Mirror, Mirror brought two of those androids, Dr. Roger Korby and Ruk from What Are Little Girls Made Of?  However, there is much more to explore.  You’ve already seen some hints of this theme in the introductory article, which showed off Kirk Android from that same episode.  Expect to see more soon!

Another prominent android episode is I, Mudd.  This one provides us our three featured cards for today.  First off is the card Hard-Working, Happy Androids.  This Incident allows a deck to be built around androids.  It allows you to play them directly to Exo III or Planet Mudd.  You can report all manner of different androids directly to that planet, including Cravic or Pralor Units and their ships, which previously could only be reported to the Delta Quadrant. It also provides a cycling and play engine for your androids.  You can put an android under your deck to draw two cards.  If one of those drawn cards is an android, you may report them to your Cybernetic personnel.

Now, you must stick to androids if you want this bonus. The cycling only works if you have one or fewer non-androids.  Your can use Hard-Working, Happy Androids to download Lore’s Fingernail.  This will give you access to non- android personnel, which is essential due to the restriction on Provide Purpose.  This mission at Planet Mudd doesn’t allow your androids to mix with aligned personnel, but Lore’s Fingernail lets your Soong-Type androids and Exocomps become , even while in your deck. So sayeth the Glossary! As long as no one destroys the fingernail, you don’t need to worry about finding yourself in a house arrest situation.  Go ahead and put in Lal or Juliana Tainer.

The thing I like best about Hard-Working, Happy Androids is that it provides a theme, but also options.  You can choose which planet you want to work with, which gives you options for Preserver Obelisk downloads.  Do you play Norman and Stella Mudd to Planet Mudd?  Or do you send folks to Exo III?  Pralors or Cravics?  Who should your Android Emperor should be?  Do you choose Harry Mudd because he does Provide Purpose all by himself, even though it’s a little on the nose?  Do you choose Ira Graves or Dr. Soong for their Cybernetics? Or do you include The Final Frontier to get Fesarius and have Balok be your emperor?  There are so many choices and so many more androids to be revealed.  I’ll post a deck to the Deck Designs forum on release day so you all can see what I chose.  In the meantime, tell us about how you’re going to put your androids to work!

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