Various deckmen greet Alita when she goes to register as a hunter-warrior in Battle 2
A deckman (デッキマン Dekkiman?) or Cylinder is one of two types of cyborgs employed by the Factory, the other being the Netmen. They are responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the Factory, which no humans work directly for. Deckmen perform administrative functions for the hunter-warriors, operate the Factory Railroad, and administer Factory Law.
To allow them to reach the surface, the Deckmen use a network of linear tubes. They are equipped with a system that provides them with articulated legs and arms.
Design[]
Deckmen are cylindrical cyborgs whose limbs are provided when they link to a system interface. They have human brains which have been reconditioned to be stripped of any will, desires, or emotions. This makes them loyal and unquestioning servants of the Factory and ultimately, Tiphares. They are distinguished by their numbers, with no two deckmen having the same number. Each also has a different face and individual quirks in their speech. They use a system of linear tubes for transport. An illustration by Yukito Kishiro for the 2003 Ultra Jump calendar depicts a deckman as being silver in color, with flesh colored cheeks and mouth.[1]
Named deckmen[]
The following deckmen appear in the series:
- Deckman 1 pays Alita for some bounties at Factory 33.
- Deckman 5 is one of the deckmen operating Factory Train 12.
- Deckman 10 makes a few appearances in the manga. He registers Alita as a hunter-warrior at Factory 33, warns her about the defensive Factory tube rings after Hugo begins climbing one of the tubes, and passes judgment on her for the Class A offense of using a handgun to defeat Zapan. In the OVA he pays Daisuke Ido for a bounty.
- Deckman 12 pays Daisuke Ido for a bounty at Factory 33. This was changed to Deckman 10 in the OVA.
- Deckman 27
- Deckman 50
- Deckman 71
- Deckman 82
- Deckman 100
Other appearances[]
Deckmen appear in the OVA and in Gunnm: Martian Memory. In the latter, they act save points, keep records of the bounties Gally has killed, and later in the game, also function as shops and the Cyberne. Deckmen also appear in the live action film.