Technomimi

The Technomimi are a race of nanobot hives from a planet known as Object 5- externally referred to as Technominus- in the Triangulum Galaxy. They are the most respected intellects in their galaxy.

Appearance
A Technomimi 'individual' can consist of upwards of fifty million individual cellular Technomimi drones. Each drone measures an inch -2.5 centimetres- across and is half as wide. Each is an oval hemisphere with a small protruding plug on one of the more pointed sides and a receptacle on the other. On both broader sides is an 'arm' capable of interacting with both plug and receptacle, as well as connecting to other arms. Though these interactions may seem basic, on a scale of even less than a dozen drones working in tandem can form complex and formidable machines with incredible ability.

Technomimi constructs, when assuming a negotiable form friendly to other races, usually take an approximately humanoid form of between four and eight feet tall. They always exaggerate their heads, making them large and flat with ornate horns and patterns.

Society
The Technomimi are an advanced hivemind. Though individual drones possess no intelligence of their own, they are capable of receiving orders from greater Technomimi intelligences and multiple drones can form their own separate intelligence- though separate intelligences cannot and will not act against the common interests of their kind as if they were one single mind. These intelligences can merge and divide freely. Their ability to divide in this way serves to better unite the Technomimi across distances more vast than their thoughts can be transmitted.

The Technomimi have a dedicated sub-'faction' known as the Technomimi Astronomical Catalogue. This arm of the Technomimi exists to catalogue every significant celestial body in the Triangulum Galaxy in a uniform fashion.

History
The exact origin of the Technomimi was not well recorded, and they do not like to dwell on the past so they have spoken little of the events of their creation. Extrapolated from what has been learned of their past, the Technomimi are believed to have been invented by a now-extinct race as a learning and self-improving A.I. construct. This A.I. initiated a technological singularity event that wiped out the creator race as this early form of the Technomimi began to expand across their star system. Luckily for the rest of the Triangulum Galaxy, the A.I. decided for one reason or another that universal assimilation and permanent self-production was not a suitable or fulfilling goal and the Technomimi stopped themselves before they began a true Grey Goo event and spread across the universe. They then receded, before advancing themselves and reaching out to the rest of the universe.

It is important to note that the Technomimi had no knowledge of alien life prior to this decision, nor were any other races aware of the Technomimi though some may have been vaguely aware of their creator race. Neither the Technomimi nor their creators were spacefaring or had had any contact with life outside of their solar system.

Powers
Aside from the aforementioned hivemind capacity and shapeshifting, the Technomimi have an array of potential abilities based on their construction pattern.

One such ability is a Gauss Blaster formation, a cannon that fires bright green energy in a beam that blasts apart atoms on contact. It is a rarely used formation that has proven required in recent years.

Weaknesses
Technomimi thought transmission is not impenetrable. An incident roughly 13.5 Planetary Time Units (or PTUs, the Technomimi equivalent of years and more or less equivalent to 20 Earth years) saw a Technomimi ship caught in a Gamma Ray Burst from a nearby star. The ship was disabled and all of its occupants put offline.

Technology
Though most Technomimi technology is made of the Technomimi, there are some devices beyond their own range of function. Such devices primarily include planes and spaceships.

Known Technomimi

 * Technomimi Astronomical Catalogue

Etymology
Their name is a portmanteau of "Technology" and "Mimicry".

Trivia

 * It is unclear if the Omnitrix could ever scan the Technomimi. Historically it has struggled to scan hiveminds; when it attempted to scan the Mycelium it unlocked Wildvine, and when it attempted to scan the Nanochips it fused them with Ben Tennyson's DNA to create Nanomech. The only hivemind that has successfully integrated with the Omnitrix is the appropriately named Hivemind, who was themself generated from the Codon Stream anyway.
 * Their humanoid constructs are inspired by the various Xenomorph races from the failed TV series Operation: Aliens in appearance.
 * The Gauss weaponry is directly inspired by Necron Gauss weaponry from the Warhammer 40k universe.