How do Matoran maintain the MU?

[NuvaTube]

So we know that Matoran are very important for the proper running of the Matoran Universe's inner working, and that if they stop working, Mata Nui's health, and presumably the MU's "health" are affected, as Toa Jovan's team and the Metru Nui Civil War showed. But I was wondering, how exactly do they maintain things? What is it in a Matoran's day to day life that contributes to their ecosystem's "health"?

 

This image makes it seem like they actively worked around, replacing and maintaining the Robot's insides: http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/5/5c/Art_Workers_In_Mata_Nui.jpg

But from what I gather from Metru Nui, what they Matoran did wasn't really much about their environment as a whole (their environment generally resembled an natural ecosystem, no the inside of a robot remember), but about building for themselves in their own society and economy. Judging by human civilizations, this building tends to not help your environment so...how do we think it works?

 

Maybe its something in their actions itself that remotely influences their environment's health? It's only stated that Matoran need to work to keep things running, but what part of all their jobs really helps their environments? I suppose being in the military is just a job that keeps the Matoran's jobs safe (so like stopping Rahi), rather than a job that directly helps the MU?

 

Also, on Mata Nui, did the Matoran's actions help Mata Nui's health or not; so does being just outside the MU make a difference like that? I guess it would, and that Teridax planned as much, so that Mata Nui would eventually die, leading the way for the Toa who would bring he Ignika into play.

Edited January 11, 2014 by NuvaTube

[bonesiii]

My theory is that there are unrevealed machines working behind the scenes that the Matoran indirectly repair, by keeping the many automated skyscrapers in Metru Nui and presumably elsewhere intact, and these machines do most of the repairs. I've posted more about this before. My retelling features it extensively.

[LordofBionicles]

I think it has to do with the Matoran doing their duty, since it's part of the Three Virtues.

A Matoran has to work because it's his job, you could think of different occupations that could help Mata Nui more than others like Mask Makers who keep the Matoran functioning well, but what about a sculptor? I believe that as long as a Matoran works on something, doesn't matter what, he is performing his duty and thus one day will find his destiny and fulfill it which is why he was created in the first place.

[Toatapio Nuva]

Well, in Metru Nui especially the Matoran were maintaining a city. That's what matters. They thought they were providing for themselves, but by running the city and keeping it in good condition, it was benefical to Mata Nui since Metru Nui was his "brain". In other cities it would be the same. It's true that activity like that often doesn't help the environment, but keep in mind that the MU is a robot, a mechanical construction. Things work differently there.

 

As for the environment, I thought it was stated long time ago that the existence of Rahi is more crucial to the artificial environment that the Matoran. So the Matoran maintaint he workings of the robot and the Rahi maintain the illusion of a natural world.

[Toa of Italy]

As far as Metru Nui is concerned, I think I can attempt to associate Matoran jobs with their contribution to the MU.

 

On Metru Nui, Ga-Matoran were mostly teachers and students. However, apart from teaching and studying, Ga-Matoran had the job of purifying liquid protodermis, which then had many uses, including keeping the Coliseum power plant going and providing energy not only to Metru Nui, but to the rest of the universe as well (according to Legacy of Evil).

Ta-Matoran kept the fires of Ta-Metru going. This may have something to do with power generation as well. In addition, they craft objects which other Matoran can use to do their own jobs, including Kanohi and Kanoka, artefacts that, having the power they have, might be used not only by the rest of the population but also by some of the mechanisms of the MU (for example, the one dealing with weather control).

Po-Matoran were manufacturers, not only of stone sculptures but of other tools and components as well. This too might be useful both to other Matoran and to the city itself (some of the components built in the assembly villages might be replacements for pieces of the giant machines bonesiii theorizes).

Onu-Matoran may seem the least useful, but we have to remember that apart from being archivists (which might come useful, for knowing about Rahi and other things might help the Matoran manage their environment better) they also took care of the city's underground areas, where liquid protodermis pipes and many other things which kept the city going passed.

Ko-Matoran may also appear useless, but in my opinion their job as seers and astronomers had a vital role: that of conveying instructions from Mata Nui, which communicated through the stars above the city, to the rest of Metru Nui. This happened, for example, when Dume and Nuju discovered that Mata Nui was dying and that the Ignika was needed to save him.

I'm not sure if Le-Matoran have a direct influence over the environment. However, Le-Metru's function as a distribution network for basically everything cannot be overlooked.

 

The real problem begins when you go outside Metru Nui. We know little about the kind of jobs done there and almost nothing about the workings of the Great Spirit Robots, so it is difficult to speculate on exactly what the latter needed and what the Matoran could do to provide it. However, I believe that there were ways through which the products of Matoran work got to the Great Spirit robot. To be precise, I theorize that the robot was equipped with some kind of circulatory system, which, like in the human body, carried what was needed from the cells (or in this case, the Matoran) that created it to the correct location. The Matoran would probably have thought they were doing something else when inserting the products of their labors into the "bloodstream" and therefore wouldn't have realized the true nature of the MU, for they wouldn't have even come close to the actual machinery (the image you mention is probably relative to an early phase of MU history, when Matoran "labored in darkness" and probably weren't even fully sapient yet.

[NuvaTube]

 

Ta-Matoran kept the fires of Ta-Metru going. This may have something to do with power generation as well. In addition, they craft objects which other Matoran can use to do their own jobs, including Kanohi and Kanoka, artefacts that, having the power they have, might be used not only by the rest of the population but also by some of the mechanisms of the MU (for example, the one dealing with weather control).

 

 

The movie makers of LoMN said they imagined they towers of Ta-Metru actually creating the clouds on Metru Nui, so weather control might actually work!

 

And yeah...Metru Nui is probably the easiest place to rationalise, but what about remote villages, like Krakua's village in the middle of no-where? I can't see (though they didn't explain what they did for work so yeah) how they could have done much there. I had a similar idea to Bonesiii, though his sounds better XD Maybe there was some machine bit nearby that the De-Matoran helped maintain unwittingly, I dunno, some little power discharger (complete guess here that think is unlikely but just for the sake of example), that if no one used you could have a waste of power and it might damage the local area, so Matoran having a settlement there would keep things efficient by at least putting them to good use?

[Chro]

I think it has to do with the Matoran doing their duty, since it's part of the Three Virtues.

A Matoran has to work because it's his job, you could think of different occupations that could help Mata Nui more than others like Mask Makers who keep the Matoran functioning well, but what about a sculptor? I believe that as long as a Matoran works on something, doesn't matter what, he is performing his duty and thus one day will find his destiny and fulfill it which is why he was created in the first place.

Yeah, but how does that help the MU to run? Unless of course it's destiny-fueled.

[bonesiii]

The real problem begins when you go outside Metru Nui. We know little about the kind of jobs done there and almost nothing about the workings of the Great Spirit Robots, so it is difficult to speculate on exactly what the latter needed and what the Matoran could do to provide it. However, I believe that there were ways through which the products of Matoran work got to the Great Spirit robot. To be precise, I theorize that the robot was equipped with some kind of circulatory system, which, like in the human body, carried what was needed from the cells (or in this case, the Matoran) that created it to the correct location. The Matoran would probably have thought they were doing something else when inserting the products of their labors into the "bloodstream" and therefore wouldn't have realized the true nature of the MU, for they wouldn't have even come close to the actual machinery

Two responses:

 

1) To the "real problem" bit -- keep in mind most Matoran everywhere are the same six main elements. So probably Ta-Matoran everywhere do roughly the same thing as Metru Nui Ta-Matoran, they just aren't as "rich" or influential, probably having less infrastructure. Etc.

 

2) A circulatory system is part of my theory. Basically a network of tunnels that only these robots can enter, which come up here and there inside automated repair buildings, and the Matoran repair the buildings (and make parts that they don't really know what are done with but the buildings use to repair the robots). (I also theorize that part of this network is where Makuta forced the Ignika after fusing it with Mata Nui's mind, to get it out of Karda Nui by going underground, then around the domes and out that hole in the chest.)

 

And yeah...Metru Nui is probably the easiest place to rationalise, but what about remote villages, like Krakua's village in the middle of no-where?

They worked to keep each other alive, so that one day one of them would become Toa Krakua and do all the important things he did/will do (like maybe, if it's the same dimension's future, sending that vision to Vakama) -- is probably how the GBs and destiny would look at it. Not everybody has to be doing something vital everyday, but keeping them alive holds them in reserve for if they or a Toa of their element is needed. The GBs probably looked at it as, occasionally some special repairs might require a Toa of Sonics.

 

Maybe there was some machine bit nearby that the De-Matoran helped maintain unwittingly, I dunno, some little power discharger (complete guess here that think is unlikely but just for the sake of example), that if no one used you could have a waste of power and it might damage the local area, so Matoran having a settlement there would keep things efficient by at least putting them to good use?

That's possible. Or maybe they make parts, of substances that don't make much noise, like insulating material or something, and trade them at the cities for food and supplies. They probably do something, indirectly or directly, but it isn't actually necessary, as long as members of each element are kept alive off the land at least, in case they're needed later.

[boston100]

i always thought each matoran was like a cell sort of, and their life force helped the sustain the robot. so killing eachother, like in the matoran civil war was bad.

[bonesiii]

i always thought each matoran was like a cell sort of, and their life force helped the sustain the robot. so killing eachother, like in the matoran civil war was bad.

Whether something like that plays a role or not is unknown, but doesn't seem to make sense. When one was killed, a new one would be made to replace them. And it was stated clearly that it was the fact that they weren't working -- keeping the city in good repair -- that was the problem in the war.

 

However, one possible evidence for it is Greg's statement that there are "limited resources" and this was why the Red Star was made. We don't know what this means. It might imply that reviving and sending back the same people who die preserves a constant level of some expensive resource, and since the Sendback teleporter broke and Mata Nui had to instead make replacements, that resource may be used a lot faster during a war. It's possible this is a life force reservoir or something like that.

[fishers64]

My theory is that there are unrevealed machines working behind the scenes that the Matoran indirectly repair, by keeping the many automated skyscrapers in Metru Nui and presumably elsewhere intact, and these machines do most of the repairs. I've posted more about this before. My retelling features it extensively.

Okay, questions.

 

1) Why do we need this mysterious machine level? If the machines could run the system on their own, why develop the Matoran? If that GBs intended the system to be run by the Matoran, to avoid Baterra-style robot problems, why make the machine level?

 

2) You seem to imply that are automated robots that make repairs to the robot's systems, and that the Matoran repair these. Why would they not repair these systems directly?

 

3) Why would the GBs value that the fact that the Matoran are actually maintaining a giant robot to be a secret (as a possible solution to number 2), if the Matoran were not meant to be sapient in the first place? Why would it matter?

 

If you can't answer, I get it, but I thought I would throw the thoughts out there anyway.

[bonesiii]

1) Why do we need this mysterious machine level? If the machines could run the system on their own, why develop the Matoran? If that GBs intended the system to be run by the Matoran, to avoid Baterra-style robot problems, why make the machine level?

Because they wanted near-sapient beings for their creativity in dealing with unforeseen problems, but wouldn't want the everyday repairs to be done by such beings who might misapply that talent and cause other problems.

 

Keep in mind that we already know the Matoran don't directly repair things beyond the domes. We thus need something like a "mysterious level" to then explain how their work equates to repair of those things, whether it's machines or something else. The option of "Matoran travel anywhere needed to fix things" isn't given to us by the story team.

 

So, however the mysterious level works, clearly the GBs intended the system to be run by Matoran, and this is simply part of that system.

 

It's like, using a computer like I am now; I'm just doing a little bit of work, and a bunch of tech translates that little bit into comparatively big accomplishments (turning it into binary code, electrical signals, wireless signals, connecting to the internet, sending the message around the entire globe, etc.). Likewise, the Matoran do a little bit of work, putting replacement parts as instructed into automated towers, and systems move those parts wherever needed, and install them. By the rule of Ockham's Razor, seems to be the simplest explanation.

 

2) You seem to imply that are automated robots that make repairs to the robot's systems, and that the Matoran repair these. Why would they not repair these systems directly?

Because then they'd need to know about them. They'd need to know about the 90 something percent of the machinery around them that aren't contained on small spots of islands or continents which themselves are just little spots on the insides of the dome-shaped spaces of air. We don't know how much of what surrounds them is just rock, and how much essential, vast machinery, but it seems to be a good bet that there is a lot of huge machinery out there, and since the Matoran only know of what little is on the lands, they can't be the ones doing those repairs. There were even Rahi to actually prevent them from going near these systems.

 

In other words, it's a simple deduction from the fact that your essential repair workers (whether just "partially sapient" as Greg confirmed the GBs knew the Matoran were, or fully as they turned out to be) are kept both physically away, and ignorant of, most of what they need to keep functioning, and yet just not working for a while during the civil war caused Mata Nui to nearly die.

 

It wasn't that Matoran weren't taking trips to spots deep underground or in the ceiling of the domes to make repairs -- just not keeping the automated skyscrapers in Metru Nui going was sufficient for Mata Nui to be dying. This implies there's some kind of technology that "reaches" from these skyscrapers to essential systems. Whether it's mobile robots as I theorize or something else, it does seem there has to be something. And it can't be just Mata Nui's power because he doesn't pay attention to his insides.

 

The only other option, it seems to me, is that his most essential functions are entirely contained within those automated skyscrapers themselves, which seems unlikely for a robot of this size. Although I suspect the truth is somewhere in between these two; some key functions surely are in the skyscrapers, but also something has to explain how Matoran work in a few small places (compared to size of robot) achieves repairs throughout the entire robot.

 

3) Why would the GBs value that the fact that the Matoran are actually maintaining a giant robot to be a secret (as a possible solution to number 2), if the Matoran were not meant to be sapient in the first place?

This is where I think it's key that Greg said they did know they were partially sapient. They apparently didn't expect culture, or evil, but they might have foreseen things like beings with such intelligence and imagination having a stronger potential for losing mental grip on the mundane things. The very things needed to solve unforeseen problems could make them have trouble coping with mundane, easily-foreseen problems that are the majority of needed repairs. Something like getting bored and snapping, perhaps, and realizing the scope of what they were keeping running could then be a really bad thing.

 

Say, one decides everything is just too boring and it wants to end the whole thing. If he just thinks he's on a mound of dirt in an ocean under a sky of stars, keeping some mysterious gizmos in a city that are strictly conveniences for some complex city tech, he won't think that sabotaging that tech is likely to make everything end. Probably the glitching unit would just commit AI suicide. But if he knows how to bring the whole place down -- if everybody does, and they're all prone to getting bored... the risk of it getting brought down sooner or later in such a way goes up. Or maybe some "non-evil but similar enough to be a threat" version of raw ambition could lead one to do something like Teridax's takeover.

 

Keep in mind too that Angonce's reaction implies that it's not like the GBs thought they could make sapience and "didn't want to" make them that way. It's that they never dreamed they could achieve it. So, sapience does seem to be roughly what they aimed for, they just assumed it wasn't true sapience and was just a best-guess AI approximation. But even that close approximation could come with many problems. They seem to have intended emotions, for example. The everyday repair tech wouldn't, so it wouldn't have a problem doing the same basic job over and over and over. But that's all it could do, so if it runs into a new problem it isn't programmed to handle, it can't fix it, so it needs to go to a "reservoir of creativity" -- the beings contained in the artificial environment.

 

 

Another thing is just quality of life.

 

The GBs might go to drastic measures sometimes like the Baterra, but they seem to be motivated out of empathy for living things. Even as "not quite sapient", they would still be creating something like really smart animals, and it seems more humane to have them do only a little work in locations designed to appeal to them (plants, animal life, starry skies, cool breezes, etc. -- not ugly metal walls only), and have tech "extend the reach" of their work. And keeping them ignorant of exactly how their work is important may itself be more humane too. Believing yourself to live on a self-stable planet is probably a lot less stressful than knowing you're inside a shell of metal careening through the deep cold nothingness of space. (And then being less stressed probably makes you a more efficient worker too.)

 

So, in short, probably the simplest answer is, the theoretical repair robots have no emotions, thus no problems caused by emotions, yet also thus no imagination. The Matoran are the inverse -- to have imagination to solve unforeseen problems, they had to be emotional by design, but thus have problems caused by emotion, whether as "smart animals" or "fully sapient like humans." By having both in the system, theoretically any problem could be solved.

Checks and balances.

 

BTW, we could apply the same question to the Bohrok -- why not have Matoran or Toa travel outside the robot to clean off the camouflage island? They'd be physically just as capable. But then, again, they'd have to know about it. So, since robots were used by the GBs for that problem, it seems natural to me to theorize that robots also probably solve the other. Just probably way less of them, since repairs are needed a lot less often than clearing the camouflage (needed every single time he leaves a suitable oceanic planet, at least).

Edited January 14, 2014 by bonesiii

[Omega12]

Well let's think about it like a circuit board. You have different parts of the board. These towers you keep talking about probably act like capacitors, if they go out then you're screwed. You have chutes going everywhere that could be seen as carrying information. You have archives which are basically like a giant database. So in this scenario the matoran would basically be the electricity flowing through the circuit board when they are doing repairs. Keep everything flowing nice at the right current, don't build up to much in one spot and short the system out.

 

You also have another scenario. Think of Mata Nui as a country. If everyone in the United states stopped working right now what would happen? First off people would starve because food wouldn't be readily available. Our roads would deteriorate, making traveling much harder if not impossible. Water and electricity would stop being available. Cats would be abandoned in the middle of the road. People would start looting. And eventually people would just stay killing one another. All this would lead to the end end of the United states (or the death of Mata Nui).

 

So even though it may seem that just working is a weird way to keep the robot alive, just remember, for all we know roads and chutes and things may just be giant wires and electrical path ways.

[bonesiii]

These towers you keep talking about probably act like capacitors... the matoran would basically be the electricity...

 

So even though it may seem that just working is a weird way to keep the robot alive, just remember, for all we know roads and chutes and things may just be giant wires and electrical path ways.

Er, capacitors store electricity. Automated buildings do just about the opposite of storing Matoran.

 

Those kinds of analogies are cool to think about, as long as you only look at them as analogies. They're poetically similar to what Matoran do, but they don't actually explain how they do it which is what this topic is about. We don't really need an analogy; the basic idea is easy to understand; maintenance workers living inside a spaceship. That is what's going on; the other things just add detail, like what the purpose of the ship is, its shape, its controller AI who has stopped paying attention to the interior, etc.

 

With that in mind, the only weird part is that most of the ship is off-limits to them, yet is somehow indirectly repaired by them. But I don't think it's really weird, all things considered, if my theory or something similar is the case. The Matoran repair the repairers, basically.

 

Also, to this part:

 

All this would lead to the end end of the United states (or the death of Mata Nui).

We should keep in mind that Mata Nui is not synonymous with Matoran society. The part in parentheses there doesn't belong, as nothing in that analogy explains why the death of the human society would have anything to do with the death of what in the analogy would presumably be Earth... which is self-stable, not needing humans at all. Also, no part of Matoran society, chutes, or any such thing is even included in the actual "circuit" -- the Core Processor. Although some secondary processors might be inside some of the automated buildings in Metru Nui (seems implied by the adjective "core"), but this again would not explain how repairs are done to the Core itself or other systems.

 

And I hope you don't think that Matoran moving through chutes actually equals Mata Nui thinking (so that stopping would mean he dies) -- if that were the case, he would think like a snail moves.

Edited January 14, 2014 by bonesiii

[You just lost the game]

The Matoran helped to maintain Mata-Nui (Character) to keep him alive.

The way I see it, is that as long as the Matoran maintained Mata-Nui's inner-workings, the land would remain fertile, and everything would be kept in normal order, for the most part.

 

The Matoran are like blood cells, and the islands are like organs.

Edited January 14, 2014 by You just lost the game

[Toa Of Anarchy]

My personal belief is that is has something to do with the energy that they release when working, although I am very much open to change.

[Kopekemaster]

My personal belief is that is has something to do with the energy that they release when working, although I am very much open to change.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I figured as well. Where is that image from, though?

Edited January 14, 2014 by Master of all Kopekes

[Roki]

Just thought I'd pop in a add a little bit of my own theory-crafting from a few years ago on this matter. I came to the conclusion that the matorans physical work made the robot work and that depending on the type of matoran/ inhabitant of the MU, their affect on the robot would be different. I wrote a fairly long blog post about it at the time, of which several parts have had flaws pointed out, though the majority of it still stands together fairly well.

In hindsight, Bonesii's words above probably make a lot more sense than my rambling, but I'll post it anyway.

Spoilered so only those interested can read.

MU Inner Workings

Each Element holds a key part of Functionality for the Matoran Universe.

When the Great beings initially created the matoran universe, upon planning the construction and design of the Robot a need for a robust nano-tech worker emerged. A Base template of a generic template matoran was designed. In order for the system to work as it was being constructed the base matoran template included an "Element" as which this worker would contribute sub-consciously as it worked inside and throughout the system of Mata Nui. These became the Matoran of Light which would both moderate power transfer throughout the MU . Initially They were programmed with several initial functions including self defence algorithms and an inner "System protection algorithm". We know this as the Moral light/shadow settings.
This system was implemented to prevent further damage cause by corruptions in the programming of the Matoran workers. For example; if a matoran becomes corrupted for some reason (Bad moral choices, virus, Error in programming, refusing to obey system parameters to build the robot) The System will enact physical and visible changes to the matoran which allow the other parts of the system to easily identify and quarantine the threat. Thus preventing further corruption.

At this point we have the two basic matoran types.
Matoran of light, the initial matoran created.
Matoran of Shadow, Corrupted matoran


After various successful and unsuccessful testing of the matoran and the construction was coming along nicely. Some changes were to be made to the further templates. Anti-Virus Protection would now be assigned to new improved dedicated system protection and maintenance modules known as Toa.

As the Matoran universe requires workers of many differing types to maintain functionality of the robot, the remaining 'elements' were created as differing templates assigned to the matoran AI programming . These templates contained passive systems maintenance subroutines which kept the varying systems of the MU working. These templates also spread throughout their biomechanical structure allowing them to be easily identified based upon whatever color scheme the template had.
The differing Templates had the following functionality of maintaining the MU.
Systems Maintenance
Psionics - Regulate and maintain programming of internal components, CPU Maintenance.
Lightning - Regulate and control flow of power through the circuits.
Gravity - Inertial Dampeners, Artificial Gravity Stabilisers.
Sonics - Engine and internal MU Noise Dampeners, Communication Circuits
Magnetism - Robotic Movement control, Control Resulting Magnetic Currents and polar stability.
Plasma - Weapons and Propulsion Systems
Iron - Internal Structural support maintenance, prevention of internal and external breaches.
Fire - Regulate Internal Heat levels, Maintain Temperature.
Ice - Regulate Internal Cold Levels, Maintain Temperature.
Light - Regulate Power flow in universe, Regulate Lighting systems esp. Day cycles, Systems running mode. Anti-Virus capability.
Shadow - Regulate Night cycles, System shutdown/Sleep/hibernate mode. Anti-Virus containment

Inhabitant Maintenance
The Green - Maintain Internal Organic and Mechanical Flora.
Psionics - Maintain Internal Mechanical Fauna's/Flora's Programming

Protodermic Maintenance
Earth - Maintain Fine Solid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Stone - Maintain Raw Solid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Water - Maintain Liquid Solid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Air - Maintain Gaseous Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Ice - Maintain Frozen liquid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Fire - Maintain Molten liquid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.
Iron - Maintain Pure Solid Protodermis throughout Ecosystems.

Toa
-Workers with increase functionality and Protection sub algorithms.
-Designed as an Anti-Virus System.
-Designed to be unable to destroy internal components(Toa Code/Do not kill) and harm inner workings of MU.
-Quarantine Viruses / Threats when able (Toa Seal/Capturing).
- Make sure Internal Systems function and keep working (Protect the Matoran at all costs)
- Have limited run time in order to maximize efficiency. ( Completing Destiny)
- Able to Create more Toa if Virus Threat too big to handle (Toa Stones)
- Still has Functionality to increase worker efficiency once no longer Toa ( Turaga mode).
- Once in this mode, able to warn and prevent against previously encountered Viruses and keep System aware of threats ( Prophecies about Bad guys, Telling Stories of Evil)

Kanohi Masks
- Backup / Residual storage system.
- Creates a temporary cached backup of the wearer in case of system corruption.
- Contain Extra Sub-modules/Subroutines which are able to be accessed by the wearer, like adding an extra function to a program or giving your body an immunisation which can help fight viruses.
-Legendary Kanohi Masks
- More advanced Kanohi which hold a program filled with many subroutines and maintain a core part of the matoran universe.

Skakdi
- Designed to integrate the varying MU Systems together.
-Hence why Can only use Elements in Tandem with each other.
- Located on Zakaz at the base of the MU Neck. A place Filled with nerves that link throughout a human body/ the MU robot.

Artakha and Karzahni

Were both Assigned the Task of Maintaining the Matoran's Physical, Biotic and Mechanical well being to make sure they continued powering the Matoran Universe.
The Great beings rewarded them for their hard work during the creation of the MU with the Mask of Creation to aide them in their duties. However they quickly fought for it and Artakha emerged the victor. After Artakha gained the Legendary kanohi he chose to continue his job via inspiring the matoran to work harder by rewarding them with a paradise of his Creation. Whilst the dejected Karzahni worked on repairing the broken and injured matoran so they could continue working. His Mask designed especially to show him visions of what could happen should he stop doing his job.

Makuta
-Systems Internal Method Of Learning and adaptation.
-Equipped with 42 various powers for experimentation purposes.
-In charge of Studying "Shadow" Elements of the MU, to understand how they work, How they became corrupted, and create new ~antibodies~ to prevent further infection via the same methods or via methods discovered. They also Created Various other components to the MU in order to make it work more efficiently and keep the MU working.
- This is also known as their ability to Create Various Rahi to populate the MU.

Vortixx
- Originally designed to maintain the flow of Resources throughout the MU's Body.
This distribution of both tools and other materials allows the matoran workers to work more efficiently, whilst simultaneously providing a system somewhat akin to the human bodies resources systems . Though, due to Evolution of the programming in their AI, The production and Selling of Weapons eventually became their primary function.

Zyglak
-Rogue Creations of the GB's, Code was corrupted during the Krana Energized Process.

Bohrok
- Designed quite simply to Destroy the Active Camouflage Created to cover the MU robots Body.
-Originally The Av-Matoran had a Sub-module to turn them into Bohrok after they complete their destiny of creating the Robot. However, this was deemed as an inefficient management of resources by the GB's. As more matoran would constantly need to be created once they transformed. Instead the Toa/Turaga Destiny System was implemented with newer Matoran AI Templates, though it was never removed from the programming of the Av-Matoran.
The Bohrok at this time were programmed to be one of the preposed Six main elements the GB's believed to be used in the MU somewhat modified to be capable of destroying the active camouflage: Fire, Ice, Water, Stone, Earth, Jungle(Acidity). However later in the MU Design Process, it was decided that Air was to replace jungle as a primary element.

Tren Krom
-Primitive AI Designed to maintain the MU whilst under construction.

 

-Roki

Edited January 15, 2014 by Roki

[fishers64]

 

 

At this point we have the two basic matoran types.

Matoran of light, the initial matoran created.
Matoran of Shadow, Corrupted matoran

 

This is the big problem I see with this theory: Shadow Matoran weren't created until the Makuta made them.

 

Although the GBs might have seen this as a possibility and built a failsafe against it, in which case much of you theory could be plausible.

[Aanchir]

I believe the Matoran's functions are some of the same things that cells do in a living creature: they generate and transport resources and information throughout the body. They generate energy for the body using power plants like the one in Metru Nui. They diagnose and repair problems in the body, such as natural disasters, cave-ins, etcetera.

 

Realize for a minute, that the chute system in Mata Nui's body is similar to the human circulatory and nervous systems, and it should be incredibly clear just how dangerous damage to the chute system could be if not repaired. The Archives, too, are important. New tunnels in the Onu-Metru Archives are similar to new neural connections in the brain — they are a record of information that the body can consult if an issue anywhere in the body should emerge. And just as the Archives help the Matoran diagnose problems, the Knowledge Towers help them forecast them. Considering that the Ko-Matoran get a lot of their valuable and seemingly prophetic information by charting the movements of the stars, which are in actuality an elaborate means by which Mata Nui's conscious and subconscious can deliver signals to the inhabitants of his robot body.

 

Mask-making, the majority of the work done in Ta-Metru, is important because masks are what keep the Matoran running. Similarly, the carvings done in Po-Metru are more than mere art projects. Through cross-cultural exchange with the islands and continents to the south, they can serve as templates for rigid or mechanical structures throughout the Matoran Universe. And Ga-Metru's protodermis purification is obviously essential to keeping things running.

 

If the cells of the human body were conscious, I don't think any of them could tell you WHY they do what they do. They act in response to signals they receive from other cells. But on a larger scale, these cells form organs and organ systems that perform important tasks. We never got to see a whole lot of the Matoran Universe other than Metru Nui (the brain) or Karda Nui (the heart), but I guarantee that every Matoran culture throughout the universe has its own important task that they perform, in addition to shared tasks like maintenance and trade that keep things running smoothly.

[Chro]

 

 

Skakdi

- Designed to integrate the varying MU Systems together.
-Hence why Can only use Elements in Tandem with each other.

Unless Spiriah was receiving orders from the GBs... nope.

[Dapper-Sama]

It had something to do with Metru Nui.

 

Or maybe it's the Bionicle universe and you shouldn't think about it too hard.

[fishers64]

 

Skakdi

- Designed to integrate the varying MU Systems together.

-Hence why Can only use Elements in Tandem with each other.

Unless Spiriah was receiving orders from the GBs... nope.

 

It is possible that Spiriah was not acting in the finer interests of Mata Nui and the GBs. He's a Makuta, and Makuta are, like, evil.

[Roki]

 

 

Skakdi

- Designed to integrate the varying MU Systems together.

-Hence why Can only use Elements in Tandem with each other.

Unless Spiriah was receiving orders from the GBs... nope.

 

It is possible that Spiriah was not acting in the finer interests of Mata Nui and the GBs. He's a Makuta, and Makuta are, like, evil.

 

This was one of the aforementioned errors from when I wrote it in 2010, just copied it out of my blog without changing anything.

One day I'll revise and update it, If I ever get around to it.

 

-Roki

[fishers64]

 

 

 

Skakdi

- Designed to integrate the varying MU Systems together.

-Hence why Can only use Elements in Tandem with each other.

Unless Spiriah was receiving orders from the GBs... nope.

 

It is possible that Spiriah was not acting in the finer interests of Mata Nui and the GBs. He's a Makuta, and Makuta are, like, evil.

 

This was one of the aforementioned errors from when I wrote it in 2010, just copied it out of my blog without changing anything.

One day I'll revise and update it, If I ever get around to it.

 

-Roki

 

The theory isn't bad - it's just that Spirah ruined their original purpose, thereby subverting their behavior so their original purpose was not achieved.