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Description
As predators of feral von Neumann robots, the feeding apparatus of the Petrolean Dragon must be robust and flexible. When in flight, protective plates interlock to create an aerodynamic profile and protect the delicate sensors. When hunting, these sensors are exposed, along with the feeding and hunting apparatus, which includes pincers, saws, cutting torches, and the distinctive blow-torch.

The entire feeding-sensory assembly (or "head") is manufactured piece by piece in internal fabricators, these pieces swapped out as the dragon grows and moults. Thus, the head is not an integral part of the somatic factor swarm ("body") and can be removed completely without causing irreversible dissasamebly ("death"). Like the structural chassis ("skeleton") and internal fabricators ("organs") the head is a tool manufactured for a purpose by the swarm of finger-nail-sized factors.
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Some design sketches for the "Petrolean Dragon" from my novella . These were meant to inspire simon-roy in his illustrations, so whatever he comes up with might look totally different from what you see here.

Description
As predators of feral von Neumann robots, the feeding apparatus of the Petrolean Dragon must be robust and flexible. When in flight, protective plates interlock to create an aerodynamic profile and protect the delicate sensors. When hunting, these sensors are exposed, along with the feeding and hunting apparatus, which includes pincers, saws, cutting torches, and the distinctive blow-torch.

The entire feeding-sensory assembly (or "head") is manufactured piece by piece in internal fabricators, these pieces swapped out as the dragon grows and moults. Thus, the head is not an integral part of the somatic factor swarm ("body") and can be removed completely without causing irreversible dissasamebly ("death"). Like the structural chassis ("skeleton") and internal fabricators ("organs") the head is a tool manufactured for a purpose by the swarm of finger-nail-sized factors.
~~~

Some design sketches for the "Petrolean Dragon" from my novella . These were meant to inspire simon-roy in his illustrations, so whatever he comes up with might look totally different from what you see here.