When we talk about Rolamaton, we talk about a community, a family, before the apparent “robocity” it is.
Because that is what Rolamaton actually is: a big family, united in its differences, where ties happen more often by affection than blood or hydraulic fluids.
And being a family doesn’t translate in only positive things. Unpleasant situations happen every day. For example, when a family member deviates, the entire structure enters a state of tension, like a chord that might break at any time. So Rolamaton can also be weak, fragile, even more so since it’s a microcosm built into a macrocosm that’s still small when compared to its container.
Put something out of place and Rolamaton begins to generate turmoil from within its very soul. It’s the case of Destroyer Soldiery, the ex I.A.R Military robot who, because of severe faults in his cerebral circuits, can’t get rid of his pre-programmed war code, so he acts violent and he’s often not clear headed.
The “Destroyer problem” weakens Rolamaton in its core ideals (peace, siblinghood, freedom) because Destroyer doesn’t really internalize them. Robocitans suffer for him and with him, given that Destroyer’s behavior makes the already low esteem humans have for Rolamaton’s robots (really because they are robots) even more precarious.
Yet, Destroyer is nothing but an ill person. And it’s not his fault.
Together as a close knit group, the Robocitans still manage to face the difficulties it runs into. They are strong, and not only in a physical sense. It’s because their shared pain strengthened their sense of community. Together, they make one love-driven ‘army’. United in love for themselves and others, Robocitans have all it takes to face difficult situations.
Even Destroyer’s not entirely curable illness.
But again, what does Rolamaton represent to me, as an author?
1. Rolamaton represents my own ideal of peace
We’re all one family, brothers and sisters and siblings, with the same rights and the same responsibilities toward others, our world and ourselves.
2. Rolamaton is a pacific place
It’s pacific (not pacifist) in that it welcomes and accepts others for what they are. I.A.R. and more common Military robots, always treated so poorly because they were seen as the incarnation of evil (when it was really their creators to be evil) were welcomed by the first Experimental robots of Rolamaton with such a warmth that love soon melted the ice they carried within their souls. They became good people, sometimes even better than some Experimental robots.
The Tales of Rolamaton narrate the daily lives of the Robocitans, the way they face the most critical and sci-fictional situations and their relationships with Electronia’s robots, to whom most of them are mirror images. In the continuity of Rolamaton, the Electronians belong to an alternate universe where the Robocitans don’t exist. You’ll read about a young pacific Robocitan called Meron who gives life lessons to Electronian Mechawars founder Meron-Fighter. And the Tales will also feature numerous human beings.
3. Where is Rolamaton?
Geographically, Rolamaton takes the place of Genzano di Roma’s public library. Genzano is a town of the Castelli Romani area and a province of Rome. That’s where one of my best friends lives. When I mentioned Rolamaton being a microcosm inside a macrocosm, that’s what I meant–- a “city inside the city”. I loved the fact that Rolamaton would be close to my friend even in real life— its location is Genzano’s library “Carlo Levi”, her forever favorite place in town, that I have visited and supported myself when I was there.
Photos of the the real life Rolamaton: the Carlo Levi public library
You can imagine how I poured my heart in Rolamaton, so I would appreciate any constructive criticism you can give.
And as the Guardians of Rolamaton would tell you at the gates— Welcome to Rolamaton!