An alternative history of the USSR.

The Cold War was in full swing. The world was much more engrossed in the idea of ​​creating a Superman. Scientists from many countries competed to realize this ideal.

At some point, an enterprising and influential scientist from the USSR declared that the ideal had been achieved and proposed his own concept, which, in his opinion, simultaneously expressed the superiority of Soviet ideology and the desire to create better people. He even managed to push the idea that people and their professional activities should merge and be brought to perfection as a single whole.

The era of technomania had begun. When a child, when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" He named an airplane model...

The technology for transferring consciousness into a steel body was announced by the Soviets almost at the same time, and the arms race was already unstoppable...

THE END OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION

At first, countries competed for technological superiority, using the power of propaganda and local conflicts without open confrontation. But many – both humans and machines – noticed new sides to the conflict.

Numerous people emerged who had not survived the consciousness transfer, and their relatives began to oppose this method of achieving immortality, as did religious organizations. There were also people with injuries during the transfer, demanding compensation and a return to their organic bodies, which was no longer possible. Some were forced to adopt a new form – for the sake of status, work, service to the Motherland... Resentment grew. An ethics commission was established, but even this was of no avail, as this organization became just another opposing side in an already philosophical conflict.

At some point, the mechastats realized they were being used as technology, forgetting they weren't AI, and began advocating for changes to the civil code... But this didn't last long. Soon, some military units began declaring their autonomy and "insubordination to the meat sacks." Thus began a conflict between the living and the mechastats. Governments tried to gain short-term gains by favoring one over the other, but ultimately, they simply lost everyone's trust. And everyone went wild. A war of all against all began...

Mechastat is the name of an artificially created race of highly organized machines with a huge number of advantages over humans. Mechastats are machines with human intelligence transferred to them through cybernetics and specialized for a particular type of technology. Each mechastat is free to alter the external characteristics of its body and has at least two forms: a humanoid (anthropo-form) and the functional form of a specific machine. Mechastats cannot change their body volume, so their growth corresponds to the original machine's volume. Transformation occurs through the reorganization and movement of parts. They are the pinnacle of engineering ingenuity for those striving for immortality and noocracy.

MECHASTAT STRUCTURE

The first basic form is that of a machine.

This could be an airliner, a tank, a ship—anything capable of movement. Typically, people chose such models as their new bodies. Special skills, such as combat, were also important. Military equipment was the primary choice, as it seemed to the military that such a choice of new existence corresponded to the idea of ​​perfection. "Might makes the world go round."

Others chose technology that was in itself an object of cult worship—expensive experimental aircraft, for example. Cars weren't popular, as they weren't considered a luxury and didn't offer the ability to move efficiently.

Since obtaining a body was a great success, everyone pursued it however they could: money, prestige, competitions, career advancement. And the chosen technology was a symbol of this success—a symbol that would become "you" for centuries. Therefore, corporate leaders chose their best prototypes as their bodies, while successful inventors and scientists chose either their best project or a machine that could help them in their future work. Military personnel, however, were selected as an analogue of the ideal AI for the machine.

The humanoid form (anthro-form) is a vehicle for communication, familiar leisure, maintaining a sense of identity, and other social needs. Each mechastat had a second, pre-designed form, similar to a human. Not all machines were individualized, as they were mass-produced models. But the human form could be chosen or customized. New details and clothing could be added, and these could be preserved or combined with details of the machine form. This flexibility was achieved through the combination of a segmented exoskeleton, an endoskeleton divided into functional blocks, and a connecting and covering layer of nanites. The latter formed "skin," clothing, hair, furnishings, and other non-functional or mechanically loaded parts.

Aeromorphs, aerosaurs. Beast-planes.

A unique phenomenon that arose during field testing of mechastats. At some point, the host's "brain" attempts to return its body to its normal state.