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Preface
This is the 3rd edition of the Nature and Workings, and includes both "Nota Bene!" ("Good to know!") sections and the publisher's own additions, which are enclosed by square brackets: [].

Chapter I - Of the Anatomy of ROPs and its Design

In order to understand the functions and purpose of ROPs, it is necessary to understand their workings and, in turn, their nature. The primary element of any piece is their synthetic muscle tissue, pieced together from individually spun fibers. These fibers imitate actin-myosin cross-bridge cycling using the latest advances in material science. It is important to note that these synthesized muscles are fully fibrous and lack any sort of cellular structure.

NB! Operators, that is, those that "Operate" (sic) ROPs undergo externally Lamarckian alterations in myophysiology and those sectors of the cerebral cortex responsible for conscious muscle movement (mainly, the precentral gyrus) but not in the cerebellum (which is responsible for passive muscular movements, such as posture).

[Please remember that these changes, contrary to beliefs supported by the recent re-emergence of Lamarckism (which, in turn, is supported by new theories regarding DNA methylation), are not teleological, that, goal-oriented.]

An important factor in the exceptional athletic performance of ROPs is the mitigation of the gradual nature of multiple fiber summation (MFS) - a ROP's muscle tissue may contract fully, that is, using the numerical majority of its fibers, at once. Another factor is the difference in contraction mechanisms between organic and synthetic muscle tissue. Whereas frequency summation (FS) is limited in humans to roughly 33%, or one-third, of the total number of fibers (to avoid tendonal avulsion - bone fracture where tendons attach muscle to bone), ROPs are capable of contractions of up to 95% of the total number of fibers.

[In practice, due to the fact that an Operator's brain is responsible for regular, inhibited motor movements most of the time and uninhibited, ROP motor movement a small portion of the time, frequency summation during training and early combat peaks at 50% and after a sufficient amount of time has passed - 60% or even 70%. Some exceptional individuals may be able to demonstrate 75-80% frequency summation, but these people are highly susceptible to injuries common among professional athletes. The operational ceiling for a ROP's frequency summation rests at 95%, which means Operators performing at the height of their potential, for example, in a state of panic, are capable of performing fabled "superhuman" feats even with ROPs.]

Combined, this means that ROPs are capable of outstanding athleticism (not only with regards to muscular function, but also acrobatics and joint-intensive activites)! This is due wholly to the increase in the FS ceiling, which is psychological, whereas MFS is limited by anatomical structure and the particulars of muscle tissue innervation.

[Passages on the force-length and force-velocity relationships in synthetic muscle tissue have been excised, since these processes are automated through the anatomy and physiology of ROPs, thus rendering ineffective attempts at consciously regulating these parameters and rendering moot the inclusion of this information. If you wish to learn more, seek specialized literature designated for the purpose.]

Other than musculature, another important element constitutes a ROP's nature - the skeleton and various connective tissue. Generally speaking, a ROP's bones are designed to better handle vertical stress, which leads to a prevalence of circular, cylindrical bones over triangular, prismatic bones, as with the tibia, while a ROP's joints are designed to better withstand lateral stress, as with the knee and elbow joints, which are noticeably thicker than in humans.

Connective tissue (in this case taken to mean solely joints, tendons and ligaments as well as associated tissues and structures) very closely resembles its human analogues, being designed simply to weather greater levels of stress thanks to superior materials and components.

On the other hand, ROPs' skeletal constitution completely differs from that of humans. The main component of ROP's bones is a metalloceramic alloy engineered to persist after shockwaves from thermobaric explosions and the disruptive effects of kinetic prokectiles while retaining partial flexibility that is so characteristic of organic bones. To this effect, ROP bones are flexible enough to bend slightly under due force, but remain firm enough to not warp permanently, making them closer to ceramic rather than metallic. In an effort to reduce weight, these bones are made hollow, save for ladders of metal, each rung positioned to fall in line with the muscle fibers connecting to the bone. This drastically reduces warping from muscular stress, which would've caused avulsion in more brittle bones.

Altogether, these two elements lend themselves to the physical superiority of ROPs over conventional soldiers. In the next chapter, we will look at the Analogous Neural System and, in part, at the interface between Operators and ROPs.