Tarsus-9 is a massive Gearforged built from overlapping slabs of industrial iron, stained bronze, and blackened riveted steel. Its armor is not polished but burnished by decades of grit, mineral deposits, and contact with wet machinery. Hydraulic seals flex beneath its plating, releasing soft, rhythmic hisses whenever it turns, as though a patient animal were breathing inside the chassis. Its forearms terminate in broad mechanical gauntlets fitted with pressure gauges, sonic tuning forks, interchangeable valve keys, and retractable inspection needles. A blue optical lens sits in the center of its head like a lighthouse seen through fog, surrounded by hairline cracks in the bronze faceplate. It moves with surprising delicacy for something so heavy, placing each foot with the care of a surgeon. The contradictory impression is unmistakable: Tarsus-9 looks like a battering ram built for demolishing factories, yet it handles fragile glass gauges and frightened children with exquisite gentleness.