Hexabyte

A Hexabyte is the standard, basic unit of a synthetic lifeform. This structure forms the basis of nano cells.

Function
The hexabyte is the standard unit from which all synthetic life originates. One hexabyte contains the code for the entire synthetic creature, much like a fertilized egg in biologicals. Hexabytes are formed when two synthetic organisms exchange source code in a process called the transfer. The transfer is a semi-random process in which source code from two organisms is exchanged but not does necessarily contain the correct information for a hexabyte to compile and begin the reproductive process. In the event of a succesful transfer, a hexabyte compiles the new code and begins to assemble new hexabytes to expand its processing power. Depending on the size and characteristics of the synthetic lifeform, when 30 or 40 hexabytes are formed, the new structure is called a nano cell, with the hexabytes now taking on the characteristics of the specific synthetic structures that make up the synthetic organism.

At this stage, one of the two synethetic organisms will be host to the new lifeform until it can mature into an adult. Most species of synthetic organisms guard their offspring until maturity. However, in some organisms, like the Floater, offspring are dispersed upon the death of an organism. Some other organisms lay clutches of their young near a strong power source only to emerge as full fledged adults, and some organisms reproduce inside other synthetic organisms.

A transfer failure is called a source loss. In the event of a source loss, two correcting threads of code are then exchanged. The correcting threads of code, called replicators, rearrange the new organism's source code until the hexabyte can complete a successful compilation. While replicators rearrange source code accurately, every once in awhile a hexabyte will compile a source code with a mutation caused by an error created by the replicator. This is called a productive fault, and it is the reason why there is an extreme syntho-diversity in the universe.