mechanical bodies filled with data chips that transmit the memories and existence of the user throughout the body thousands of times per second
So basically - "
Mind Uploading" ?
Are we talking Ilia V'ger probe mechanical?
Are the Ultimums aware they are in a mechanical body?
Are the Ultimums limited to the human shape and function?
Considering the limitations of mechanical over organic, how much of the human mind is in the ultimums?
Without the need to procreate, many things will be different in decision making.
Not only will emotional responses change, it could impact creativity and imagination.
Perennis corporation forsees that immortality
Immortality impacts many different aspects of life.
Part of being human is being mortal.
Since there are no mechanical immortals indigenous to planet Earth, the Ultimums will be '
aliens'.
They will not 'think' like humans, 'act' like humans or have 'commonalities' with humans past their outward appearance.
Plus, being a mechanoid, their body design is not limited to the human form.
Not only could they be designed as any known life form, there could be custom designs determined by function.
Why make them anything individual, why not make their entire ship a composite of systems that are sentient.
Without an organic body, there will be no need for life support or comfort.
There is however, a flaw in your reasoning concerning immortality of a mechanized body using data chips for life essence.
Electromagnetic Pulse
A single EMP blast to the ship will kill every ultimum on board.
The ship could be fitted with shields but that indicates immortality is not true.
Plus, there are natural sources of magnetism and electromagnetic pulses in space.
Then there are computer virus and malware that could infect your ultimums.
Code degradation, fragmentation and capacity overload makes them vulnerable too.
Its the immortality that is the issue.
Without the threat of death, the story will have no risk.
The second issue is that without an organic body, the human mind is no longer a human mind.
People are driven by desires of the flesh. We are geared to sensation and reactive to stimuli...of the flesh.
All our emotional states and reasons for imagination are slanted to optimizing pleasure or dealing out pain.
As far as indestructible qualities of a human body go, nanotechnology using cell repair nanobots would preserve the human mind, sensations and emotions but allow a body to self-repair. Even then, there would be changes in human thought patterns that reflect the new level of physical freedom. Value systems would change, more risks would be taken. However, you would retain your baseline human body and personality.