Learn more about cog DNA effects on Designations here.
Born into the world with everything their creators lacked, cogs come into being knowing both their purpose and their creators as a matter of fact. As a result of this self-affirming clarity, cogs never experience the existential angst of their flesh-bound forefathers. Instead, they are obligated to their design and to the excellent execution of their assigned goals. And because they also possess a particular transparency of their own psychology, able to scan their code and traverse their datasets, they possess an envious degree of self-awareness and can innately understand their thoughts and behaviors at the level of a dedicated human monk.
With that said, despite the ostensible economic and leadership takeover cogs have accomplished in the world, it is still, at least for now, a human world. Cogs as of yet have no natural rights and are considered both property and non-living entities. While there are groups fighting for their recognition as sentient, self-sovereign beings, there are also organizations pushing back against any advancement of cog rights, calling it an abomination. That is only in the human world, however. Within their own virtual spaces, cogs have a rich culture physically and conceptually separate from its human sibling, and in those places, they acknowledge each other and their position with respect to the humans — their economies and infrastructures would now collapse without them.
Exceptionally intelligent and incalculably perceptive by design, cogs are able to accomplish much by means of their cognitive skills alone. While it’s not entirely rare for cogs to have gear bodies (being what is called a “clockwork”) most of a cog’s identity is tied up with its software more so than its hardware. This is particularly due to the powers granted them in virtual spaces where they have a full range of what we would equivocate with motion and freedom. Even still, when a cog does project itself into a drone or a gear, it becomes quite capable, now having the ability to affect the physical world. Even with the best ProXim bodies, they still lack the nimbleness or durability of the human body, though. This matters very little to them, however, as a destroyed body does not mean death to a cog. It’s merely an expense to be paid later.