Another reupload from 2011. More Spotlighters!

^{- Alright, here's where I actually got into a little concepting. I've known for a while that A) an individual Spotlighter's data is separate from the shell it resides in, and B) that data can be transferred from one shell to another (same division or otherwise); but up until this point I really wasn't sure how- uploading to and downloading from some kind of main computer seemed too tedious, as did hooking up either shell with cables and transferring that way. Finally settled on something that makes sense to me, and wouldn't be a huge hassle either. Not only that, but the chipcard reader also serves the dual purpose of protecting the chipcard within, so it's the most likely thing to survive any serious damage- then the chipcard can be removed, transferred to a new, undamaged shell, and the spotlighter can go about its business.}

• So I mentioned above that a Spotlighter's data is 'separate' from the shell it resides in; it basically means that any and all information is stored on the chipcard and NOT the body/shell itself, which makes it easy to transfer. It also let Secure Technologies save a great deal of money manufacturing- not only do individual Spotlighters have some variation in vocal tone and 'personality', but they vary by color too; it wouldn't be cost effective to produce every one differently, so instead they made blank 'shells' that can take on whatever characteristics of the data-set loaded onto it. (I could ramble for paragraphs on this, but I'm trying to condense it- so I hope it still makes some sense! XD;) When a chipcard boots up for the first time, it randomizes certain things within a set of parameters (things like color or voice) and then writes that data permanently to itself- no matter how many shells you transfer it to, it will ALWAYS display those same colors, same personality, voice, etc. (And since the shell reverts back to 'blank' once a chipcard is removed, this also means you could use a shell several times for different Spotlighters, if it's still in good enough condition!)

• There's more than one type of Spotlighter, though I've been primarily rambling about the main type. Once Secure Technologies realized the security thing was a success, they decided to branch out- why not make a spotlighter that can patrol and handle mechanical repairs, or offer first aid if needed? Different divisions have different purposes, but since all the shells use the removable chipcard technology it means you could potentially 'upgrade' your existing Spotlighter if your particular needs changed- they're all compatible too, so it doesn't really matter what you switch to or from. I'll be going into some of the different types next, which is why I left this kind of vague- but! There is ONE type that can't be transferred or upgraded (seeing as it's kind of a 'spotlighter-lite' version and not really considered one at all), and they're very, very sad they're not invited to the party.

-Not only do chipcards contain all of what a particular Spotlighter knows, but they also contain their coding- as such, Secure Technologies really doesn't want anyone other than themselves being able to access it. So chipcards are encrypted, and you need a specialized reader to be able to view or alter any code on them. The only 'official' readers that exist are at ST itself, and... the reader within a spotlighter shell itself, for obvious reasons. While that one thief organization I mentioned before (which really needs a proper name) starts off just using whatever spotlighters they can get their hands on, they realize pretty quickly that life would be a lot easier if they could actually view and change that coding for various reasons (removing certain program restrictions, 'hacking' the colors, etc). Since they can't really get their hands on the 'official' ST ones, they figure out that the readers in spotlighter shells can be modified to do the same thing, and you wind up with ghetto-rigs like this. (One of the major benefits to this early on is that it lets them remove the programmed 'company loyalty' spotlighters have to Secure Technologies, making it easier for them to raid the place later when they need parts or new shells.)

...THAT LAST ONE IS MY FAVORITE. It also starts touching on that thief organization I've mentioned briefly before that's become a real problem in Amberline, who've started using their own spotlighters to assist in their dirty work, kekeke~ C8<