In recent years increasing numbers of synthetics humans have been deployed with Colonial Marine line units. Though the Geneva Convention prohibits the equipping of androids with weapons or uninhibited combat abilities, the Colonial marine corps regards them as an invaluable resource, supporting front line units as multi-role team-members and mobile database. Marine androids are always employed in a non-combat role, usually as drivers, pilots, medics and scientific advisors to combat units at platoon level and above. Though they are an artificial intelligence in the broad sense, legally androids are classified as a Corps' property. It can be ordered to perform hazardous tasks in place of humans. However, their utility and not-inconsiderable unit cost is an incentive to any Marine field commander who wishes to treat a synthetic as expendable.

Although a synthetic's cosmetic appearance would seem to be a superfluous feature, especially in a military model, practical experience has shown that it is a necessary component to maintaining combat unit efficiency and integrity. Most human soldiers are psychologically unable to interrelate with an inhuman-looking android; as a result, the physical appearance and simulated behavior patterns of synthetic units are designed to particular specifications. Most synthetics in Colonial Marine service appear as mature, average males or females around 20 to 40 years of age. Their personalities, idiosyncrasies aside, can best be described as passive or non-threatening. Some studies published in recent years have suggested that androids have an important role to play within small infantry units, both as an impassive neutral party, and as a maternal/paternal influence in nurturing and sustaining the group dynamic at optimum efficiency.

The synthetic's mind is an integrated Carbon 60 processor with a processing speed of 1015 floating point operations per second. Memory capacity includes 1 terabyte of fast cash buffer RAM and 1.2 Terabyte of non-volatile memory. The system is architectured around a very powerful heuristic logic driver, making decisions based upon imported sensory data, information drawn from experience and he android’s vast inbuilt databases. Intuitive functions are derived from a suite of nested contextual and semantic programs linked by self-mapping loops of tangled hierarchies. However, an android’s ability to understand and process abstract concepts and symbologies, though powerful, is limited. A synthetic mind and personality is essentially a construct, and there is no true self-awareness as such, though this may not be all apparent to an untrained observer interesting with a unit. Androids display synthesized emotion, superficially register self-awareness and, most importantly of all, have the ability to reason conceptualize and offer opinion. However, these capabilities do not infer human-like consciousness, even though for all other intents and purposes synthetics are artificial intelligence. At TL5, with the release of the Advanced Capability Synth, these lines were blurred even more.

Synthetics have proven themselves invaluable in Colonial Marine service across known space. Their chief advantage to unit commanders is their ability to impart knowledge and experience outside of the training of most combat specialists. In combat arenas and environments where an ever-greater degree of specialized (usually scientific) information needs to be made available to a unit commander, a synthetic is the ideal vehicle for storing and relaying that information. In addition, they have the capacity to perform many non-combat tasks, freeing manpower that would otherwise be unavailable for actual combat.

Despite their advantage in speed and strength over human and their imperviousness pain, synthetics are not especially tough. Indeed by comparison they are somewhat fragile. Though the graphite composite skeletal structure of an android is study, the electronics and fluid musculature are extremely vulnerable to hydrostatic shock and explosive effects from small arms fire. A direct fire to the central processor or fuel cell will result in immediate deactivation of a unit, though in most cases a partially destroyed android can continue to function, albeit handicapped. In hostile environments, synthetics require a similar breathable atmosphere, corrosive atmospheres will melt them, extreme pressure will squash them flat and hard vacuum will explode them. Even prolonged exposure to low atmospheric pressure can cause baratrauma and embolism in the unit due to the high proportion of fluid colloids used in the manufacture of its musculature and skin.

Stan Mayakovsy is considered one of the leading men in animal behavior in the ICC. His book "Cyberantics" was a national bestseller and is considered required reading for scientists venturing in the field of xenobiology. He moved from ants to aliens because of the obvious exposure his research would gather. Secretly, he was also an addict to Royal Jelly and used his experiments to gather large samples for personal use. The addiction stemmed from his cancer. He figured that if an android ant could infiltrate an ant hive, why not scale up an have an android alien penetrate their society. His Bio-National grant was indefinite and he and his Dolomite Cargo vessel sought out to test their prototype "Norbert" Synth in a suitable rogue Hive. However, upon finding one, (CL5) the Dolomite made contact with illegal bee-keeping activities. Norbert failed in his infiltration. When a rescue team arrived on the surface, they found that the doctor and his staff were killed. His research was luckily saved.

The XL1 Norbet prototype was designed by Stan Mayakovsky to study the Alien in its own environment. BioNational funded the project but was the brain child of Mayakosky, who always was interested in the hive structure of many Earth insects. Norbet was a flawed prototype, unfortunately. Its primary problem was its difficult task of infiltrating hives. There was a strong chance the model would not be accepted into the Hive the XL1 infiltrated.

The other flaw was its Alien Behavioral Protocols. They were placed in their own directory. When threatened or provoked, the XL1 would shut down its standard Synth protocols and would act like a xenomoprh until it heard the override command to revert back to its original programming. When these alien protocols are in place, the Synth will kill or harm anything threatening.

Its Synth personality is a Class 1 basic with very little social skills. Its jaw and mouth is not capable of forming words so a special voice box was wired into its skull. The creature’s voice is mechanical and inhuman but the Synth doesn’t even need to open its mouth to talk.

The Prototype is indistinguishable to a xenomoprh except it does not have the acidic blood pumping through its veins. All of the other weapons are the same including the sharp claws and attack tongue. The unit infiltrates the Hive by adapting its pheromone signature to the Hive it is adapting. This mechanism is very effective but Mayakovsky hadn’t realized the Hive has a dominant psychic signature which a synth is incapable of generating. Sometimes, Hives can be forgiving.

Along with its basic armament, Mayakovsky installed strange energy devices over the Synths body. When removed from the body (a section under its arm, a section from the back, etc) and combined, it forms a very unique and crude Cold Plasma Laser only operable by the Alien Synth unit. When asked why the Synth would need a Cold Plasma Laser, Mayakosky simple answered, "I’d want one".

Norbert’s skin is actually DNA patterned exactly like a real Alien, being immune to the acidity of their blood. If wounded, the acid may infiltrate the innards.

"Jeri" is the common name given to the Production model of the Mayakosky prototype. Very few exist considering the extreme production cost of the model. Jeri looks identical to the Norbet model considering they are both Xenomorphic Synthetics. However, the similarities end there. Both can infiltrate Hives, but Jeri can simulate a psychic pulse that confuses Aliens into believing the Synth is part of their Hive. Jeri, However, was designed to monitor Hives already controlled by mankind. There are sanctioned Corporation hives that are usually monitored and controlled. Jeri is kept inside to monitor behavior and track irregularities. He is often paired off with a "Dean" Assault Synth in case control is lost and the hive must be eliminated.

Jeri's radical differences come from inside. The removal of the Cold Plasma laser gave additional room for the personality matrix. The Alien Behavioral protocols have been merged with its standard Synth protocols with a enhanced system capable of discerning situational awareness. The Synth, therefore, is ALWAYS bound by its Synthetic Behavioral Inhibitors and cannot harm a human being. These rules cannot be overridden and the Synth will break from its Alien behavior if a human is in danger unlike the Norbet Synth that would remain in Alien form unless ordered out of it.

Jeri's personality is very advanced, actually a slightly modified form of the ADCAP brain seen in General Support and other Synths. Jeri’s voice box was modified to be more pleasing than robotic even though it still does not need to open its mouth to talk. Jeri is also trained in standard CMC Support Synth Skills, making Jeri an amazing replacement to standard CMC Synths assigned to marine teams required to enter hostile bug-infested territories. Jeri has almost all the abilities from a Bishop, Dawn, or Crowe Synth. This can sometimes cause problems.

Jeri is a amazing fighter but even though he has the programming of a field medic, is not often given the advantage to use them. His fingers, seemingly clumsy for detailed work, are extremely articulate. The additional thumb improves his abilities even more. Jeri can even handle weaponry. Even though Jeri is very personable, very few people can accept working alongside one. In the case of Norbert, which was locked and offline until needed, Jeri has a standard Synth lifespan, given the freedom to move freely with no shut down override. Jeri understands his position and is eager to please. Because of his advanced personality, Jeri's have been known to have their feelings hurt if they are secluded from the group. Because of their appearance, it is commonplace.

XL2s refer to the XL1 with distinction and think Mayakovsky as their Father. Jeri has only been given one name since they are way too expensive to be used in pairs. Jeri was designed and built by Grant Corp and is equipped with their Nutra-Gel compound, making him immune to the alien’s acid blood, even if wounded.