SOLVED. Adult Science Fiction. Automated terraforming machine that creates other machines malfinctions & the machine evolves into a civilization that is found by human explorers. I read this in the early 2000s & bought the book at a used book store. [s]
Joseph Hanes
About all I remember is in the topic. There was a part where 2 machine beings are talking, I don't remember about what. I remember the machine beings described the humans as having an endoskeleton made of "calcium rods". I remember a part when the humans first interacted with the machine beings that the humans were surprised at how fragile some looked, they all looked like they were made from different alloys and parts. One was made from a metal that would have melted at very low temperatures. I read this between 2000 and 2005. I don't know when it was printed.