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Mecha-noids are a race of humanoid robots supposedly created by the Lawn Gnomes of Polovia.
Biology[]
Mecha-noids are Human-like sapient robots, bearing synthetic skin capable of having freckles and growing hair. In addition, they are able to grow, like organics, and can remain functional after losing limbs. Through unknown means, they can malfunction, causing them to have incredibly vivid delusions of siblings, past events, entirely new planets, and even cause them to forget that their own mechanical nature and purpose. Their malfunctions appear to be able to be fixed by sudden shocks to their minds created by dangerous events, or possibly tied to a certain pit of quicksand known as the Quagmire.
Culture and society[]
The Mecha-noids are servants to the lawn gnomes, built to manage the gnomes' society during the daytime, when the gnomes are unable to move, remaining inside during the night. The Mecha-noids are known to function with their own Earth-like society during the day, taking on jobs for the lawn gnomes and creating "families," despite being supposedly constructed, even operating their own law enforcement agency. Pranks are known to be unusual to them, usually the result of malfunctions. They are known to own animals as pets, but since the only Mecha-noid known to do this was malfunctioning, it is unknown if this is normal. When faced with a malfunctioning unit, they are known to repeat "malfunction" over and over again.
Technology[]
It is unknown if Mecha-noids normally make and use their own technology, as all Polovian technology is presumably of lawn gnome origin. However, at least one Mecha-noid, albeit a malfunctioning one, was known to create minor items such as glowing sticks.
History[]
At some point, the lawn gnomes created the Mecha-noids to manage their society during the day, when the light would make the lawn gnomes freeze. One day, a Mecha-noid child named Pul-Mar began malfunctioning, believing he was an organic troublemaker named Jay Gardener, that he had a sister named Kayla, that he had moved after burning down his house, and that he lived on Earth. In addition, he kept a dog, or dog-like creature, named Mr. Phineas, as a pet, although it is unknown if he previously owned the animal. With his new personality, Pul-Mar tried to pull a prank on his neighbor, a Mecha-noid named Mr. McClatchy, but because Pul-Mar forgot what planet he was on and other facts about his species' history and purpose, he was distracted by the frozen lawn gnomes, allowing Mr. McClatchy to catch him in the act. After being scolded by his father, Pul-Mar left on a bike ride, bumping into another Mecha-noid child named Elliot, who brushed off a question of what the gnomes were, assuming that Pul-Mar was joking.
They then go visit the Quagmire, a local quicksand pit, the two Mecha-noid children are attacked by fish-like creatures inhabiting the sands, with Pul-Mar forced to rescue Elliot from falling into the sands, although Pul-Mar's bike was lost in the sands. Returning home, Pul-Mar was scolded by his father again, taking Mr. Phineas out for a walk afterwards. While walking, Mr. Phineas got loose and out into traffic, causing a crash. The driver of the crashed car, seeing Pul-Mar approaching, began repeating "malfunction" before being taken away by Mecha-noid police officers. Pul-Mar managed to get ahold of Mr. Phineas again, only for the dog to get into Mr. McClatchy's yard, where Mr. McClatchy kicked him. In retaliation, Pul-Mar returned at night to vandalize Mr. McClatchy's lawn gnome, only for the gnome to stop him, with other gnomes coming over and painting the letter M on Pul-Mar's head, repeatedly calling him a malfunction. Pul-Mar managed to escape and returned home, finding that his father wasn't surprised by the lawn gnomes moving, only telling Pul-Mar to not go outside at night.
In the morning, Pul-Mar tried telling Elliot about the same thing, and after Elliot also displayed no surprise, Pul-Mar recounted his delusions of burning down his house and moving. That night, Pul-Mar created a light stick, going out to investigate the gnomes while dragging Elliot along and still seeing a vivid hallucination of a sister. The gnomes unfreeze and grab the Mecha-noids, carrying them towards the Quagmire, although Pul-Mar pulls the light stick on them, making the gnomes freeze. However, something in the light causes Elliot to malfunction and collapse, and when Pul-Mar tries to get him up, his arm comes off, and the light goes out as Elliot repeats "malfunction." Without the light, the gnomes become active again and continue taking Pul-Mar to the Quagmire. Along the way, Pul-Mar's delusion of a sister vanishes. The gnomes throw Pul-Mar into the Quagmire, but quickly pull him out with the net, the shock resetting Pul-Mar's mind and fixing the malfunction. Met with his Mecha-noid family again, alongside Elliot and Mr. McClatchy, Pul-Mar remembered who he was and where he was, reminded of his robotic nature by his father, who also noted that Earth was an imaginary place. With Pul-Mar back to normal, he returns home with his family, only to be met with Mr. Phineas, who says it's time to return to Earth.
Appearances[]
- "Planet of the Lawn Gnomes", by R.L. Stine (2012)
Notes[]
- The ending of the book implies that Pul-Mar's father was lying about Earth being imaginary, and that the Mecha-noids may have originated from Earth, possibly once being Humans that the gnomes converted to robotic servants.