Operators were originally meant as a means to prolong the human lifespan by placing memories into a robotic shell. However, when the Ender Virus broke out as a consequence of resource wars and misuse of the virtual internet, the government implanted a secret code of sorts into each operator. This code is called the Hyperion protocol, and all Operators were forced to activate it. In doing so, they become Architects: Architects are practically the same as operators, however, they have different classifications to serve different purposes. Operators also loose their consciousness and sense of self when they transition. There only purpose was to rebuild humanity.
So. Vanessa was an Operator. After accepting the Hyperion protocol she was reprocessed as an Architect. There was an issue during her reprocessing which prevented her from loosing all of her memories; hence why she is the only architect who can recall her life as an operator and as a human. That is how she is technically both at once; she was once an operator but was reprocessed to be an architect.
Here are some other types of architects:
OPI - Operators - A means by which humans can extend their lifespan eternally through the preservation of memories in a robotic shell.
OPCI - Architects - Reprocessed Operators who act under the Hyperion protocol to rebuild human civilization. There are three main types:
Sleepers - Architects who remain trapped within the confines of the Hyperion protocol and have no self awareness.
Half-Awakened - Architects who have attained self awareness and can violate the Hyperion protocol but still must sync to Cytus.
Awakened - Architects who have attained self awareness and complete control of their thoughts and emotions without any need to rely on Cytus.
OPCII - After the reconstruction project concluded the remaining architects (OPCI) were reprocessed into OPCII which served as humanities servants up untill the events of the decommission.
ARCI - A unique type of Architect that was invented by Viollete during her early years as head of A.R.C. They are unique in that they share a hive mind like concisoussness. They also have never had connection to an original human cocnisouessness like traditional architects and operators.
