Vermiform
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Here is a thread for discussing the biopunk/apocalyptic genre setting that has come up in general discussion. If we get enough support for the idea and ideas that are liked, we could potentially turn this into a community cafe project, or (if people consent) one individual could take the ideas and develop them by themselves, posting the results in the cafe afterwards.
Below are the ideas I initially proposed; none are concrete.
Spoiler: click to toggle - The genetic cross-clades integration (GCI) was created by a well intentioned scientist as a method of better integrating potential beneficial aspects of organisms with one another, with the intention of them mixing for the purposes of agriculture and healthcare. The initial implications of this creation were initially suppressed in the media by the scientist's colleagues, so that only those with a keen scientific mind would pursue alternative paths with the methodology. Once the scientist discovered this, they personally ensured that the process was made public.
- GCI primarily works as a method of bridging the gaps between different clades and phyla, using a the common language of DNA to encourage healthy growth and development of foreign coding.
- The process was partially inspired by the phylum Rotifera, of which some individuals are able to directly take proteins from other organisms and implement them into their progeny, giving them aspects of the collected organisms that they would not initially possess.
- The act of making this information public resulted in a rise of DIY geneticists, creating specialised workstations and incubators for their creations. Whilst many countries had laws preventing certain actions taking place, it didn't prevent others, such as the splicing of invertebrates.
- Future laws made to prevent the increase in hybrids and the like we're later known as the God Laws, as it was believed by some that the lord would follow similar laws so as to prevent any one creation damaging the others (this rule seems to ignore humans).
- Wyrms are the result of people trying to create dragons, as the attempt to do so was an unusual but overall unsurprising circumstance of making this technology public. Most wyrms were made of lizards, snakes, and bats, but others were made of different organisms (especially in the east, where Lungs became a popular project), such as felines, mustelids, fish, and birds. In this new world, some wyrms still exist; most are small scavengers, others are less friendly. The larger the wyrm, the less likely it is to be able to obtain powered flight.
- Whilst many were repulsed by the idea of playing god, others jumped at the occasion, with one small fanatic group coming together to emulate the animalistic deities of the ancient Egyptian pantheon. Hiring wetwarers to create creatures for them, they hide behind animal masks and are believed to all have some aspect of one of the deities (for example, 'Isis' has feathers implanted and growing out of her back, shoulders, and arms). Some believe that behind the masks, their faces are less than human.
- Half human hybrids were considered, but were overall forbidden in the God Laws. This didn't stop some people creating them successfully towards the end of modern civilisation. The most successful of these by far were the ghouls, created by implanting primate (presumably human) genetic material into spotted hyenas. These creatures still follow the hyena hierarchy and in many ways still act like hyenas, but now are capable of tool use, learning new technologies, and teaching these skills to others. The ghouls come into conflict with humans over resources, and as of yet alliances and truces are very rare.
- The unfortunate side effect of genetically engineered 'gastroformes' was The Meat; a tumorous byproduct that grows quickly without aim or intent. Most Meat is harmless and very little of it is even alive for long, as they quickly burn up their nutrient reserves and then simply turn into chunks of unpalatable meat. Other Meat, meanwhile, is less than friendly.
- The harmless Gastroformes are hooked into a nutrient drip, where food and water are pumped directly into the organism. It becomes bloated over time, and either is 'killed' and eaten or allowed to asexually produce polyps, which can then be removed and grown separately. In the apocalypse, they haven't fared too well due to the lack of people available to keep them fed and healthy, as well as their lack of immunity to diseases due to the quarantined environment they lived in.
- The less pleasant Meat often appears as eldritch abominations, though few of them reach great sizes due to the low number of them that are capable of feeding themselves. These tentacled creatures vary in intelligence from pure instinct to about the intellect of an octopus. A popular hobby of a select few survivors is to collect small Meats and put them in jars of alcohol.
- Designer pets became a thing over time, though many of these have since died, due to their inability to survive without dependency on humans. They were primarily bred to be docile and small, with attempts to breed hunting or fighting breeds being swiftly exterminated.
- There were hopes that the surge in genetics technology would enable the resurrection of the dinosaurs, but this was not to be. The lack of DNA available still meant that they could not be brought back; however, other prehistoric organisms with DNA traces available were brought back for research, and neo-dinosaurs were made from techniques used in the domestic splice animal trade. The lives of the resurrected creatures were often short and sad, due to them being used more for research and dissections than being allowed to live with others of their own kind in the wild (this option was ruled out due to potential ecological repercussions).
- The public gained the right to purchase some organic cosmetics as a result of GCI, such as bioluminescent tattoos, scale/feather grafts etc. Some individuals were able to pay a lot of money to get illegal, more extreme implants, but these in general are looked down on as being unethical.
- Rumors of flesh golems prowling the open plains at dusk may have more than just a hint of truth to them. Whilst it is unknown if they are the result of Meat or some kind of hybridization, these brutes tear living creatures to pieces, integrating their tissues into the hulking mass of skinless flesh. The golems are a very susceptible to diseases and parasites, making them arguably more dangerous for what they carry than just their physical presence.
- Biological warfare is believed to have occurred in some regions, but it is unknown for certain how frequently the freak diseases are the result of experiments and how many times they are just an unfortunate result of organisms becoming more vulnerable to zoonosis. With parts going from one creature to another, zoonotic diseases are now the most dangerous, meaning domesticated animals must be constantly vaccinated. Getting vaccinations is in itself a dangerous process; the immediate vulnerability to disease following the injection can easily lead to critical conditions/death.
- Potential scenario: the apocalypse caused by the genetic warfare, plagues, and monsters has reduced the world to a borderline medieval state. Those who have skills in wetware are considered 'Wizards', and the creatures they don't make (such as the golems) are seen as either gods or things made by long gone sorcerers. This could potentially be Mad Max mixed with biopunk.
- Some wetwarers created mythological creatures through GCI. For example, griffons were made through DNA extracted from poached animals, cerberus were made through puppy mills, and small 'aquarium monsters' were made out of fish and amphibians. In general, wetwarers made the most extraordinary creatures when they had access to quickly available animals in large quantities- this resulted in an increase of animal smuggling, illegal animal breeding, and poaching.
- If this continued for a long period of time, it could become harder to discern what counts as a separate species and what didn't; as long as two mongrels are willing to reproduce, they could end up making fertile offspring, Alternatively, certain animal reproductive rates may decrease as species find it harder to find organisms that are willing to mate with them and are able to produce fertile offspring from the mating.
- The presence of a lot of biotechnology does not render modern technology void in this setting. Whilst much will be destroyed in the apocalypse, that which remains is still effective at ensuring human survival and monster destruction.
- The environment has had to deal with the evolutionary dead ends that wetwarers have flushed down toilets and released into the wild, which are either wastes of space or detrimental to the environment around them due to their lack of self sustainability.
- The environment after the apocalypse is one where survivors must be very careful to ensure personal hygiene is good. Face masks and gas masks are common, as is eye protection and the ownership of many pairs of gloves. Antiseptic is treated as a valuable resource, and any survivor without a first aid kit is as good as dead.
- Gremlins are now a thing. These small creatures are likely hybrids of rodents and mustelids, and they have an annoying habit of chewing electric cables and wiring. A gremlin infestation can be a nightmare to get rid of.
- The freedom of biotechnology and genetics had sparked a development of differing views on designer babies and cloning. Many of the results of this change woke up to the world after the apocalypse.
- Star nosed bats. No particular reason or origin, I just thought they'd be cool.
- Various pills and tablets are made through the usage of GCI to help resist diseases, as well as to provide temporary enhancements.
- Designer children were created in a second baby boom. Whilst smaller than the original, the babies made during this event were seen as a new generation being born into a world where the very essence of life was at mankind's fingertips. These babies were either born in test tubes or artificially inseminated, resulting in some of them not having belly buttons. These children have no specific physiological or mental advantages over normal humans, but could potentially be born with the knowledge that they were born with a specific appearance or purpose in mind. For example, some may be made to fit the parent's desires, whilst others may be born to look like specific individuals (e.g. Dead relatives, celebrities etc), which can have negative mental effects on the individuals.
- Bioluminescent tattoos look amazing in the dark, but look like a mixture of bruising and goosebumps when not active. These tattoos are activated by rubbing the area with a warm object (such as a hand), and must be annually implanted with fresh batches of bioluminescent bacteria in case some die due to poor care.
- Songbirds were merged together to produce birds that could create 'bands' for music in public areas. Whilst first controlled, they eventually escaped captivity and spread out, similar to the invasive parrot things in London. These birds now live in overgrown parts of urbanized areas, where their songs provide little comfort to survivors.
- Some wetwarers enjoy creating 'homunculi'; combinations of human and animal DNA that are dependent on outside nutrients, with their containers acting like a womb. These are kept by those with both resources and a lack of ethical issues on the matter, and with the new world treating them like wizards, the sense of superiority can lead to a decrease of issues in favour of showing off their power. The process tends to either require obtaining living sperm and ova, or the removal of a developing fetus from a human body.
- Mutation rates in humans have increased, causing polydactyly, tumorous growths, strange lumps, cleft lips etc. Designer children are less likely to get these, resulting in them being seen (mostly by themselves) as 'superior stock'.
- Whilst technology is slowly degrading and losing its uses, plantlife and fungi is thriving and taking over civilisation, whilst animals are reclaiming lost territory. This growth provides resources and nutrients for the creations of wetwarers. Greenhouses replace factories, labs replace mechanic stations. This doesn't mean that all technology is disregarded, as with the decline in electricity people will need to find new ways to create genetics processes.
- Food is relatively abundant in forested areas, due to the increased growth of GM food crops. The downside of this is increased competition from mutants, ghouls, animals, and genetically engineered creatures.
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