Mimetic polyalloy

The T-1000 Reforming

Mimetic polyalloy, also known as polymimetic alloy, is a type of artificial liquid metal compound that is applied to advanced Terminator series such as the Series 1000 Terminator and its variants, as well as the Series 950 and Series X Terminators. The mimetic polyalloy, as its name suggests, allows a Terminator to change into any shape or form that it touches, provided that the object is of similar mass. The polyalloy, consisting of billions of morcular units, can not function unless it is programmed with specific instructions or controlled via a CPU. Since the mimetic polyalloy is made of liquid metal instead of solid metal, it is less durable than other solid metals, such as a T-800 endoskeleton, though it can reform and heal itself if it suffers any combat damage.

Production History

The mimetic polyalloy was first created by Skynet and used with the T-1000 Terminator.

After time travelling was introduced into the equation, its history becomes muddled with potential alternate futures and new predestination paradox influences.

In the Battle Across Time timeline, Cyberdyne Systems had developed with a prototype of mimetic polyalloy with a designation called T1.

In the T2 Trilogy timeline, Clea Bennet, an I-950 Infiltrator, began the development of the material under the name Intellimetal to ingratiate herself with the executives of Cyberdyne Systems. The raw prototype material was highly carcinogenic.

In the Genisys timeline, Cyberdyne Systems had created the mimetic polyalloy with the aid in technology from John Connor.

Functions

The polyalloy could disguise the machine into any human it has physically contacted (or maybe seen as well for the T-X), allowing almost perfect impersonation which only another machine could detect. In addition, this type of liquid metal could function as a tracking device. It is also capable of reactivating a de-activated T-800 unit. In addition, it can allow the Terminator to simply reform and heal itself whenever its body structure is physically damaged, effectively making the liquid metal immune to any physical damage. It can also turn into basic melee weapons such as knives or conventional tools such as crowbars.

Unlike Machine-Phase Matter, mimetic polyalloy can only mimic the outer layer of the terminated person, which means only external shape — skin, clothing, and accessories would be actually disguised, excluding internal structures.

Although mimetic polyalloy can mimic some detailed parts likes hairs and skin veins, it cannot mimic biomass fluid like blood, saliva, or tears.

Weakness

Vulnerabilities

The mimetic polyalloy can be destroyed by the following factors:

Extreme temperatures

The T-1000 is melting in the molten steel.

Excessive temperatures in excess of 1535 degrees Celsius, such as those required to smelt iron, could permanently alter the bonding processes of the mimetic polyalloy. The molten iron (or any other element) could then mix with the elements of the alloy and physically alter its molecular structure, thus rendering it inoperative. High temperatures added with collision damage, such as a crashing helicopter, can also destroy the mimetic polyalloy.Extreme friction could also generate enough heat to permanently damage and destroy mimetic polyalloy from the Dark Fate timeline, as the Rev-9’s liquid metal sheath was heavily damaged and cooked by friction from a spinning turbine and the heat from the resulting explosion from the same turbine.

Plasma

The T-1002's structure is destroyed by T-X.

The liquid mimetic polyalloy can be destroyed by a plasma weapon.

Corrosives

The T-1000 is being destroyed by acid.

Karyn Stern (T-1000) being destroyed by solvent 27B/6.

Corrosives, such as hydrochloric acid with high concentration, were also capable of heavily damaging and destroying mimetic polyalloy.

Incapability

The mimetic polyalloy can be impeded by the following factors:

Freezing

The T-1000 is frozen by liquid nitrogen.

• The T-1000 is exposed to liquid nitrogen, which freezes its morphing processes long enough for the T-800 to shatter it with a single gunshot. The effect is only temporary; the heat from a nearby crucible is enough to thaw the scattered fragments and the T-1000 is able to reform itself. However, the unit also begins exhibiting a glitch caused by the freezing-and-shattering process; it begins to randomly sample nearby objects (a safety railing, a diamond-plated surface). Later, when it imitates Sarah Connor to attract her son, John is able to identify it when it involuntarily imitates the surface it's standing on.

• The T-1001 is placed in a box under a low temperature.

Magnetic Fields

The T-X being incapacitated by the magnetic field.

John Connor is able to temporarily incapacitate a T-X by charging up a particle accelerator and triggering an extremely intense magnetic field. The mimetic polyalloy is pulled off her metallic endoskeleton by the magnetic field, until she is able to use an implanted saw to disable the field.

Ballistic momentum

The T-1000 after being shot with a grenade.

Sarah Connor drives the T-1000 to the edge of a platform with a barrage of shotgun blasts

For all its advanced technology compared to a T-800, the T-1000 is in fact weaker than its predecessor with regard to damage sustained from firearms, whether bullet-firing or explosive-discharging. This is due to its construction of liquid metal, rendering it relatively soft compared to an endoskeleton-based Terminator, such as a T-800 or T-850 which is composed of solid materials. It can therefore be said that the T-1000 possesses less shock-absorbing abilities to counter the momentum of a bullet, as ballistic penetration can hydro-statically traumatise the unit for a few seconds. Slow rate-of-fire, heavy-hitting but accurate rounds such as an anti-tank .50 BMG, .45 ACP, .38 special, .357 magnum and point-blank 12 gauge shotgun blasts appear to be the most effective at hindering the T-1000; conversely light, very rapid-firing high-penetration rounds such as 5.56X45 mm from an automatic M16 quickly pass straight through the T-1000's liquid metal body with minimum effect, if any damage is even sustained.

In a close range explosion, a T-1000's head can be blown apart. This can also happen if it gets shot by a shotgun at point-blank range. In addition, a T-1000 also has difficulty keeping its weight balance if its shape is heavily deformed, such as getting shot in the head with a shotgun, or if its torso absorbs a grenade and then explodes. In such cases, the T-1000 will be temporarily disabled.

Burning

The T-1000 walking out of flames.

T-1001 walking out of flames, noticing that its clothes and hairs were re-mimicking.

If the temperature isn't high enough to smelt metal, burning can temporarily disable mimetic polyalloy's disguise, forcing T-1000 series to reveal their metalic surfaces. In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episode "The Good Wound", it seemed that the flames disabled the detailed mimics such as clothes and hairs as well.

Energy consumption

Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor fire on the T-1000 with a shotgun and M-16

The T-1000 consumes a lot of energy whenever it changes outside of its natural state.

The T-1000 can also last a long time while infiltrating. A T-1000 sent back in 1973 remained active until its termination in 1984. During its battle in 1984, it showed no signs of aging or glitches, unlike the T-800 sent back in 1973 which developed glitches due to aging.

Body Contact

Series 1000 cannot produce any heat when operating, which makes them cool to touch. Based on this, series 1000 usually avoids body contacts. However, it's unknown whether T-X and Rev-9 share the same feature.

Known Terminators with mimetic polyalloy

• T-800
  • T-800 (The Terminator)/Genisys (Reboot with a drop of mimetic polyalloy)
  • Pops
• T-950
  • The Female T-950
• T-1000
  • T-1000 (T2)
  • T-1000 (T23D)
  • T-1000 (Terminator Genisys)
  • T-1001
  • T-1002
  • T-1000000
  • T-XA
• T-X
  • T-X (Rise of the Machines)
  • Eliza
• Series unknown
  • Blonde Terminatrix
• Rev-7
• Rev-9

T-800

Main article: T-800

The T-800, while not composed of mimetic polyalloy itself, has displayed that it is capable of interfacing with and controlling the liquid metal to an extent provided that it has not been previously programmed. A single drop of the polyalloy can reboot an incapacitated T-800 unit. In addition, a T-800 unit can also utilize the polyalloy as its replacement parts. A T-800 that interfaced with polyalloy gained shapeshifting abilities similar to a T-1000, though the full extent of these abilities are unknown. Being thrown into a vat of polyalloy was enough to reactivate the T-800 which was terminated as it fell into the vat and completely repair the damage it sustained to both its metal endoskeleton and its living tissue sheath. Another T-800 that was reactivated with a single drop of polyalloy gained none of these abilities nor did any of the damage it sustained repair itself.

T-950

The Female T-950 reconfiguring its arm into another gun.

Main article: T-950

As the arms of a T-950 are interchangeable to form various weapons, some units have their arms covered with mimetic polyalloy instead of living tissue to avoid laceration when switching weapons.

T-1000

Main article: T-1000

The T-1000 Terminator is not issued with any weapons, but was capable of fashioning any solid metal form, such as knives, javelins, and stabbing weapons. The T-1000 could not, however, form any complex systems which may have had moving parts or chemicals, like guns or explosives.

The mimetic polyalloy construction of the T-1000 allowed it to replicate any object or person of similar volume as camouflage that it molecular sampled by physical contact.

The T-1000 is able to use a small part of its body as a tracking device. The T-1001 and T-XA are able to separate part from the body as independent units. In addition, a T-XA is able use part of its body to control human.

T-X's mimetic polyalloy coating.

T-X

Main article: T-X

The T-X Terminator utilizes mimetic polyalloy, which is covered over its endoskeleton as the outer sheath, thus, it is able to impersonate a person that it touches (or sees as well). The mimetic polyalloy not only aids in infiltration, but also adds strength to the overall armor of the T-X. Like the T-1000, the T-X's supply of polyalloy can partially absorb the shock of gunfire.

The mimetic polyalloy of T-X can also independently operate and remain conscious for a short period of time after been detached from its endoskeleton.

Rev-9

Main article: Rev-9

The Rev-9 also features a carbon-based mimetic polyalloy sheath over an endoskeleton, similar to a T-X, although the Rev-9 outersheath is capable of separating from the endoskeleton as an independent unit. This feature is also used by its infantry counterpart, the Rev-7.

Notes

• In the text commentary from Terminator 2: Judgment Day DVD Extreme Edition, it is explained the T-1000 is wrapped in a coccon made of living tissue that will allow an inorganic such as the T-1000, which is completely made of mimetic polyalloy, to travel via Time Displacement Equipment. However, this would contradict the events shown at the end of "Born to Run".
  • Van Ling, creative supervisor of Terminator 2: Judgment Day suggests that in addition to the living tissue cocoon, another theory is that T-1000 could mimic the field generated by a living organism, or Kyle Reese really does not know much technology stuff as stated by him in The Terminator. However, prior to being sent back in time to 1984, Kyle only knew about the Terminators prior to the Series 1000 Terminators.

See also: Time Displacement Equipment§What can be transported

• The novelization of Terminator 2: Judgment Day explains that in the T-1000's case, it features a molecular, liquid brain that can think.
• In Terminator 3: Fragmented, the bullet hits on a T-950 often seems to have the liquid metal impact effect on the body in some pages. It is possible merely an error or effect from author's intention.
• In Terminator Genisys, it is assumed that mimetic polyalloy is immune to laser weaponry.

References

Infiltration Outer Sheath Types Rubber skin - Living tissue - Duroplast - Mimetic polyalloy - Machine-Phase Matter Model Templates Model - CSM - (Model 101: Dieter von Rossbach / William Candy) - Griffith - Helen Wolfe - Aurora Brynn - Vick Chamberlain Voice model: Kurt Viemeister / Sherwood Olson Functions Replacement - Impersonation