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Hazel Electromotive is an interstellar producer of luxury shellframe IPCs and their associated merchandise under the Getmore umbrella of subsidiaries, split between two separate branches in Sol and Tau Ceti respectively. They are known for the signature brand of expensive female shellframes known as Hazels, IPCs created in series on regular releases which all share the same face.

History

Starting as a modest robotics company in the former Earthen province of Germany in 2410, Hazel Electromotive found success in its field of domestic robotics. With competitive electronic products and rudimentary robotic assistants that served their purpose well, automating and assisting household life at an affordable price, the company managed to dominate a large portion of the local market, granting it the necessary boost for further development.

In 2440, Hazel expanded and broke out of Earth, branching off into the Lunar market. The new competitive environment forced a new approach, with a new product being required to cater to a more sophisticated clientele.Talks about entering into the more advanced, yet far more challenging IPC robotics field were being entertained, and by 2444, efforts were already underway to deliver the first prototype. In February of 2445, the Hazel Autonomous Domestic Unit was created and presented for approval, built entirely within the company. It featured a light, agile frame and a human design, notable for its sculpted face resembling that of a young human female. Even though the initial design was considered too bulky, expensive and unsuited for a dedicated production line, the idea of a service IPC more elegant than a Baseline, cheaper and more grounded than a Bishop Frame and less sterile than a Zeng Hu, lingered throughout the next years.

The concept was revisited by company officials as a last ditch effort to push out a product that would reverse the imminent financial collapse, looming due to a series of poor marketing decisions, increased competition by encroaching rivals and an unsustainable Lunar branch. Plans were drawn up for a new design which were immediately put into production, leading to the second prototype in early 2448, the Hazel Autonomous Domestic Unit 2, promptly renamed to the far more consumer friendly “Hazel”. The new design focused more on AI personality and human looks, rather than efficiency. The mechanics of the face were revamped, adding the ability for the Hazel unit to move its mouth and assume facial expressions. The bare metal plates covering the limbs and face were painted over, after the comment of a marketing executive to the CEO that “[it] would never look real enough.”, to which he responded by using a red paint spray can on the unit’s lips.

The new Hazel line was put into production under the name, entering stores on the 25th of December 2448 and although the level of polish left much to be desired, it was met with instant success by an excited Lunar market, selling out the first 200 units by January 2449. This initial hit based off of how “real” the Hazel looked, emboldened the company into abandoning their simpler electronic products and focusing solely on their IPC line aimed at the higher echelons of society that could afford it, creating a further 500 units, with a healthy response by the main Earth branch and Unity Station.

Further research was funded and seen as imperative, the company creating and expanding a dedicated robotics and software R&D division while at the same time outsourcing the fabrication of the frames and mechanical aspects to Hephaestus Industries. While gradual interest to subsidise Hazel Electromotive was building up by various megacorporations, a series of skillful maneuvers, agreements and lunch meetings secured its place as an independent entity in the robotics market, allowing the development of more advanced Hazel units, the “Hazel 2” on the same year. They, too, were met with positive reactions by the public for their more advanced and organic AI.

A breakthrough was achieved when in 2450, Terraneus Diagnostics brought total synthetic skin coverage to the scene of IPC robotics. Hazel designers immediately recognised that this was exactly what was required for the perfection of the Hazel design, devoting a large part of company resources into synthskin research. The first Hazel as they are known today was revealed in a widely publicised event at the Harmony City headquarters on Luna, the public witnessing the first unit of the new shellframe Hazel product line. An instant success, Hazel Electromotive saw its stocks skyrocket in the span of a couple of days, the new line being praised for its mimicry. The first series was soon released to the market with a total number of 200 being produced.

During the decade, Hazel Electromotive experienced its best years, releasing a new series almost every year while developing and advancing the software as well as its marketing strategy. A large undertaking of expanding their reach was initiated, with stores opening in Unity Station and Venus, culminating in the 2460 opening of the Tau Ceti branch under a new subsidiary “Hazel!”. By introducing themselves to the market of the young republic, Hazels were pushed at entertainment establishments, companies and for private use as maids, service staff and housekeepers.

The Tau Ceti branch was met with rapid growth, earning it a place in the Phoenix Park district of Mendell for its spacious complex, acting both as the main store and the company headquarters in the system. Hazel ads are being made common in the more affluent areas of Mendell City, the latest series being advertised on holo-signs, bus stops, magazines and through a wide variety of other means. The company also possesses a number of assets and stores in Phoenixport and other large settlements on Biesel, the main industrial center in the system being located in the outskirts of Mendell, providing the main center for repairs, maintenance and low level hardware development and production.

Getmore Subsidiary

Due to recent events involving the collapse of the solarian political system, the phoron shortage and the subsequent crisis brought profound difficulties that entities unaffiliated with any of the megacorporations had to face. Hazel Electromotive, along with the majority of those affected, found itself unable to support or even communicate with the Tau Ceti branch, itself facing imminent bankruptcy following a collapse in the stock market and potential cancellation of Hephaestus contracts. As a result, talks with Getmore that had been initiated since their arrival in Tau Ceti were escalated into a full buyout, with Hazel Electromotive and its subsidiary, Hazel! Ltd. both coming under the arm of the megacorporation. In the few months after the buyout, Chip Getmore seems keen on having a loose grip in the affairs of his new businesses in both Sol and Tau Ceti, allowing them to function with little change while retaining the Hazel brand and its marketing direction.

Hazels

Production of Hazels in Tau Ceti space is achieved through legal loopholes with the bulk of the frames assembled in cheap Hephaestus factories located in Sol being shipped into the system, only to have the skin and software installed. This results in the units being given the mark “Made in Tau Ceti”, bypassing many hurdles involved with the troubled relationship with the Alliance while maintaining the illusion of them being a local product.

Hazels are released in series, with newer series supposedly sporting more advanced features in both hardware and software. While this is true for the older lines, the company has been accused by critics for making no tangible changes apart from cosmetic alterations and minor improvements between its series, essentially rebranding the same product while charging full amount for a new release, allegations which are dismissed as baseless.

There are currently twelve standard Hazel series, with special editions released separately. They all follow the same naming convention:

Hazel #S-Hx.y, x being the series number and y the individual unit number of that series.