CANON REFERENCE
Assimilators & Gruboxes
Atomic Matter-Fabrication Machines
Assimilators — sometimes called magicians, because they can build most objects needed — are machines that take in raw material, separate it, analyze its atomic composition, calculate the ratio of elements entered, report isotopes, radioactivity, moisture, and other properties, and then manufacture finished objects from the available elements. This reference connects the development of assimilator technology, and the food-specialized Grubox, to the Thrishton core that powers the most advanced units.
How an Assimilator Works
An assimilator takes in raw material, separates it, and analyzes its atomic composition. It calculates the ratio of elements entered, reports isotopes, radioactivity, moisture, and other properties, and then creates a list of objects that can be assimilated by the machine from the available elements. The user must upload schematics into the unit for proper assimilation.
These machines were first constructed for early colonists on Luna, Mars, and other bodies in the Sol system, where supply lines from Earth were scarce and every kilogram of manufactured goods was precious. More complex objects require a greater diversity of elements.
Power Sources
An assimilator can be powered by any of the following, depending on its size, brand, and intended use:
Thrishton Cores
The most advanced power source — ties assimilator development directly to Thrishton-density technology.
Deuterium Fusion Cores
A common, reliable high-output power source for general and industrial units.
Fossil Fuels
Some extraterrestrial planets retain virtually untapped oil, coal, and natural gas, usable without resorting to Thrishton density zones.
The Thrishton core is the link between assimilator development and the broader Thrishton-density technology family — the same mathematical foundation that powers the Metric Curvature Data Repository.
Assimilator Brands
Assimilators come in different brands, which vary in the speed of assimilation and the complexity of items they can produce:
| Brand | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| Magician 2.0 | Mostly domestic use |
| Sorcerer version 5 | General-purpose |
| Genie 8.3 | General-purpose |
| Assilitron Max 9.0 | Industrial use |
| The Wishmaster 3.0 | High-complexity production |
Complexity Limits
The level of complexity an assimilator can produce has limits. An entire Thrishton core, a Madori wave emitter, or a Morpheus nest cannot be assimilated as a single finished object — but some of the smaller building components of those systems could be.
- Simple objects: readily produced from common elements.
- Complex objects: require a greater diversity of input elements.
- Forbidden wholes: complete Thrishton cores, Madori emitters, and Morpheus nests cannot be assimilated outright.
Schematics & Licensing
A user must upload schematics into the unit for proper assimilation — the machine builds from plans, not from imagination.
Assimilation of weapons requires a license from KAVOE, ICIA, or local law enforcement. Civilian-grade units are factory-limited from producing restricted items without verified authorization.
The Grubox — Food-Specialized Assimilator
The Grubox is an assimilator specialized to produce food. Raw materials can be anything, but organic input is best — often human waste, animal waste, leaves, sticks, and rotten fruit. Inorganic material works too, since rocks and soil contain useful elements such as calcium, selenium, copper, iron, sulfur, and carbon. Nitrogen can be pulled from the atmosphere and converted into nitrites and nitrates.
The machine is able to separate microbes and microbial waste very easily, breaking bacteria and fungi down into base elements. Even the smelly sulfur compounds can be used and turned into something nutritious and delicious. Once a recipe is entered and the elements entered, the Grubox lists the foods that can be produced — or lets the user know what elements it needs more of.
Input valves need to be cleared regularly. Brands vary in speed and complexity of foods: sugary food is easy to make, while meat is difficult to approximate unless the input material was rotten meat or foods high in amino acids.
