Nexus 6 Replicants
The Tyrell Corporation advanced Robot evolution into the next NEXUS phase — a being virtually identical to a human — known as a Replicant. The NEXUS 6 Replicants were superior in strength and agility, and at least equal in intelligence, to the genetic engineers who created them. Replicants were used Off-world as slave labor, in the hazardous exploration and colonization of other planets. After a bloody mutiny by a NEXUS 6 combat team in an Off-world colony, Replicants were declared illegal on earth — under penalty of death. Special police squads — BLADE RUNNER UNITS — had orders to shoot to kill, upon detection, any trespassing Replicant. This was not called execution. It was called retirement.
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Despite their second class status, these genetically engineered beings are in many ways superior to humans, such as being endowed with greater strength and intellect. However, in order to maintain a semblance of control, replicants were granted a maximum life span of four years and implanted with false memories to further solidify their subservience. Unfortunately, it seems that the replicants were designed too well, as some of them have been able to develop emotions and sentience, which has led to a number of bloody replicant revolts. Consequently, they are banned on Earth, and any replicants found trying to infiltrate into human society are ‘retired’ by specialized law enforcement officers known as ‘blade runners’.
On Earth, androids known as replicants are illegal; especially feared is the new Nexus-6 variety, which cannot be reliably detected through the complicated eye scans used on previous models. In fact, the Tyrell Corporation advertises this model as “More human than human.”
In November 2019, Tyrell met with Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who arrived at the Tyrell Corporation after being ordered by Captain Harry Bryant to perform a Voight-Kampff empathy test on a Nexus-6. This was to allow Deckard to better grasp the situation with a group of escaped replicants led by Roy Batty and how they worked. Tyrell wished to see a negative test result of the empathy test before he allowed Deckard to test a replicant. Tyrell suggested that Rachael be used, only for Deckard to discover that Rachael’s nature as an experimental replicant with memory implants. making her harder to detect as not human.
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