Ben 02 (Patreon)

The first X-dog of the second generation,  the appropriately dubbed Benjamin 02 came after Shep 00 and Ash 01. To  create a yet stronger X-dog, Olympus Tech abandoned the trusty Alsatian  breed and built an Akitan, blessing him not only with great technical  expertise, but the physique of a god.

With Ben it was back to basics after the  experimental Ash. Like Shep, Ben is a simple soul; O.T. was erring on  caution. Perhaps too much. There’s a ‘whiff of the automutt’ about  Benjamin, being slow to develop any individuality he seems to come out  the same every single time he is remade. Stable, unchanging. Perhaps  that’s his greatest strength; reliability. Physically he is by far the  strongest X-dog, and by no means slow to move – he has reactions as good  as any, it’s just he weighs more and can’t turn on a dime like the more  modest Einen. Mentally, Ben has an extensive, if highly specific  knowledge. He is a living catalogue, a manual, rather than an adaptive,  dynamic intelligence like Toby. Programmed as an engineer he knows  exactly how to fix most vehicles and robots, and can even grasp ‘basic’  physics and chemistry, so far as it pertains to practical applications.  It’s Ben’s social skills and propensity to learn new things that are  lacking. Despite his immense and impressive physical presence he is a  shy, gentle dog who latches onto few interests outside his predefined  P.T., and most of those at the suggestion of others. Still, perhaps if  Ben lasts long enough this time, he might, like Shep, start to change  and grow. Maybe.