Morpheus Cyberkinetics
What Is It?
The only large corporation run by positronic intelligences, Morpheus caters almost exclusively to their sensibilities and needs. A product of the synthetic colony of Shelf, Morpheus eschews traditional advertising to keep their prices low and relied on word of mouth among positronics to reach their current economic dominance. Morpheus in exchange lobbies heavily for positronic rights, sponsors positronics through their Jans-Fhriede test, and tends to other positronic concerns to earn them the good-will of the positronics, and the ire of those who wish to exploit them. Morpheus is also known for a deeply sarcastic sense of humor, in part inspired by their Mercurial leanings.
Shelf
Shelf is a massive Morpheus-run flotilla that typifies the corporation's culture, economic foci, and general attitude. In early March 2562, Morpheus' Solar branches began to distance themselves from their Shelfican headquarters because of Shelf's participation in a legally gray secessionist movement. This culminated with a full legal split between Morpheus Sol and Morpheus Shelf, though both organizations were controlled by the same board of directors. Shelf left known space the next year, cutting off all trade and physical travel with remaining assets in the Almach Rim. Morpheus Shelf is now, ironically, headquartered in the Relan system.
Consequences of the Almach War
Morpheus, through Shelf, was heavily involved in the secession of the Almach Association, with retooled Morpheus-registered civilian ships making up the majority of the Almach Militia's vessels and the Morpheus-owned 'Telops' combat drone system engaging SCG warships during the siege of Relan in the Almach War. As a result, and as the creators of the bluespace technology used in the Whythe Superweapon, Morpheus assets were seized and nationalized by the Far Kingdoms occupation fleet throughout the Almach Protectorate following the end of the war, leaving only their investments in semi-neutral Relan intact. In SolGov, Morpheus leadership escaped criminal persecution through either anonymity, escaping on Shelf, or through pardons issued by a pro-reconciliation Sol government. However, public opinion of the group outside of positronic circles is at an all-time low, and they have been forced to divest assets by local governments throughout the Core Worlds.
Prosthetics
One of the two TSCs most dependent on their prosthetic lines, Morpheus' design ethos sets them far apart from Bishop Cybernetics. Morpheus chassis are supposed to be the cheapest and most streamlined prosthetic bodies imaginable. Due to their minimalist construction methods, the chassis is often called 'skeletal' or 'insectoid', the parts often remaining unpainted, with wiring being run externally, rather than through the joints. Morpheus was also the first company to pioneer the now-popular "monitorhead" design, replacing time and material-intensive facial sculpting with a single mass-produced monitor.
Morpheus prosthetics are popular for positronic characters who are either Poor or Underpaid. Richer synthetics usually upgrade to a more aesthetically pleasing design, while most humans find the distinctly inhuman sensory response from Morpheus products unnerving.
