When I first played Star Control 2 and enjoying melee mode, the ship I loved the most was the Androsynth Guardian. The combination of bubbles and a speedy death dealing meteor was without doubt the most interesting combination of weapons, and I yearned to see the Androsynth in game.
What little we know of the Androsynth has been pieced together from archived text manuals.
The Androsynth adopted homeworld as of Star Control II is Eta Vulpeculae II, a Telluric world. The Androsynth were created on Earth as human synthetic hybrid clones and subjected to slavery as they were stripped of their human rights. After the clone revolt that freed their people, the Androsynth fled into hyperspace, making their home on Eta Vulpeculae II.
Fifteen years passed and the Ur-Quan invaded Androsynth space subjugating their species. The Androsynth chose to serve the Ur-Quan hierarchy as combat thralls. Utilizing their Guardian starships with deadly efficiency against the Alliance of Free Stars who opposed the hierarchy.
It was a sad tragedy for me to find the Androsynth planet a ruined mess, no matter how quickly I seemed to get there. In a 1996 IRC Chat, Fwiffo stated: “In regards to the Androsynth: They were snagged by the entity who/which projected its fingers into our dimension (which looked to us as the Orz.”
Despite this, the frustration showed by the Orz when asking about the androsynth seems to indicate that it’s likely they found some way to escape, which frustrates the Orz no end.
The Androsynth Guardian is an exceptional ship, and probably one of the best designs in the game. It utilizes a molecular acid sphere launcher, which shoots bubbles of acid that track enemies and move erratically. Whilst on the outset a little slow and clunky, the ship can transform into a blazing meteor which massively increases manouverability. This meteor can be used to inflict damage, close distance and escape, allowing the guardian to fight effectively in almost every situation.
Just your average space adventurer turned blogger. Prematurely balding. Egad, no! Forsooth!
