Neural Interfacing

During their rule, the Precursors used neural interface technology for a great many things. From vehicle control, to construction engineering, to recreational activity, connecting ones mind to some form of dataflow has been a useful tool on the homeworld ever since a time long before the last war.

After the collapse, the surviving species explored the ruins of the Precursors dead cities. Therein, many marvels could be found, but none would prove to be as important as the discovery of synth-frame coupling tech.

As part of the war effort, the precursors used to create robotic versions of their own bodies, to neuroconnect with and pilot into battle. Once a connection was established, the precursor that was connected would gain motor control of their assigned body double and receive sensory input back from it. Thus allowing the pilot to carry out tasks without putting their own body in harms way.

Post collapse, the surviving species studied this technology and learned to use it for their own needs. Uplifted as they were, these species understood just how useful it would be, to live in a body equipped with manipulators capable of fine motor control. So they set to work, with intent to eventually construct their own synthetic body doubles, to help make complex tasks more manageable.

The first synth pilots were able to patch in and use old precursor synths frames that had been uncovered. This proved incredibly useful, but the experience was no less than utterly jarring. For a natural born quadruped to have their mind inserted into the body of a biped, very few of the remaining "nerves" in the old synths that they paired with, actually lined up properly with those of their natural body. Upon logging out, the first pilots exhibited symptoms of extreme motion sickness and vertigo, and needed several hours between attempts at piloting the synth frames they found, to steel themselves for the experience. Whinndex — 01/10/2022 Once a rudimentary understanding of the synth connection tech was developed, early pilots volunteered to be operated on, and given the first neural implants granted to a quadrupedal homeworlder. Soon enough, these pilots were able to work with a research crew to develop and construct a vaeu compatible anthropoid synth. This synth was piloted by a single user each and every day until it's retirement, some twelve years later. By then, it had been used to help construct countless more synth frames, in different configurations for each of the species interested in becoming synth pilots themselves.

Some species however, still prefer a natural life, lived solely in their own four hooves. Even still, few can deny that when an emergency occurs, it's always good to have a pair of hands somewhere close by.

Today, many members of society on the homeworld have access to one or more synths, to help carry out the daily tasks of life. Whinndex — 01/10/2022 Another use for synth tech, is exploration to places where the pilot could not naturally travel to.

Synths are self sustaining, and do not have the same needs as an organic body. This allows for travel to hazardous environments, like extremely hot, or cold places. With a synth it is also possible to visit high altitude zones with very little active resonance, or places that are oxygen deficient, or flooded with dangerous gasses.

Homeworlders can not leave their worlds atmosphere. If they do, they would die instantly due to the absence of resonance. The two homeworlders that make contact with Pronova, are in fact resting safely at home, rendered motionless by a neural interface connection, as they conduct their affairs on the human colony with a synthetic version of themselves. Those synths were made to resemble many aspects of their natural forms, and as such could not pass for a human divergent, but they are realistic enough that it would be nearly impossible to see that they are in fact constructs, and not biological in nature. Whinndex — 01/10/2022 There are many different styles of neural interface available for synth pilots. All of them require some form of surgical procedure, in order to install the connections needed. Whinn's own interface is hidden inside his mouth. Embedded on the roof of his mouth just behind the dental pad, is a smooth plate with several metallic dimples in it. The machine he connects with has a small cable with a connector on the end, that he has to take into his mouth. The connector fits flawlessly against the roof of his mouth, and has a series of pins that click into the dimples on his neural connection array. As soon as those pins make a solid connection and the machine is energized, It will instantly pull Whinn into an "unconscious" state, where he is awake, but his mind is no longer in control of his natural body, despite still being able to feel everything it feels. In this state, he can mentally leaf through the various synth profiles he's been given access to, and choose one to log into. When he does, his consciousness is instantly transferred to that frame, and he begins to feel not only what his natural body is feeling, but also what the synth frames sensory suite is sending him. As soon as the synth has been "woken up in" it initializes and starts preforming automatic functions that it may have paused while logged out, such as simulated breathing. Whinndex — 01/10/2022 Synth forms can be fabricated to any specification that one might request. If you can design it, they can probably build it. The sky is the limit.

That said, many synths are built to closely resemble the features of their pilots, and some pilots may even have an exact copy of their own quadrupedal body crafted. This could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps they have to take on hazardous work, and don't want to risk injury with their own body, or maybe they need to preform a task that requires unnatural speed or strength. Most Synths however, tend to be anthropoid type, and near flawlessly lifelike. These synths, just like their less fleshy construction-grade robot types, have an onboard microreactor, and are self sustaining for a period of up to 200 years. They will not run out of batteries, nor do they grow tired. Mechanical damage to any component of such a synth can not heal back like living tissue, but as long as no damage is incurred, a synth can remain in service without need for fuel or maintenance of any sort.

A lifelike synth may be seen eating and drinking, but both of those actions only serve to keep the frame as lifelike as possible. without water, the eyes and "mucous membranes" would dry out. And though a synth has no use for food, "sitting down at a table to enjoy a meal with newfound friends" can help a synth pilot blend in and look natural, helping to gain the trust of any organic beings they might be hanging out with.

Sense of taste can be relayed back to the pilot themselves, so If one of the locals is trying to teach you a killer recipe for mushroom soup for instance, you can actually dive in and get a feel for it. Whinndex — 01/10/2022 Synths are built in all shapes and sizes, custom to order, based on the needs they are to fulfill. Some pilots are granted an array of different synths, for different tasks. In other situations, multiple pilots may take turns using a single synth. A labor crew for instance, might only need a set of hands occasionally throughout their day. In a work environment like this, they could leave a synth sitting on a bench nearby, and log into it when hooves just won't do the trick.

Another instance of a shared synth, would be a public domain synth left in place at a communal shower house. Sometimes it's hard to clean behind the ears when you can't easily reach... so an option is here to log in to a local tether and transfer ones consciousness to the synth that was left there for public use. One could then manipulate and wash their own body from an outside perspective, before logging back out and and carrying on with their day.

Any time a synth is meant to be shared, it's sense of touch tends to be a little bit fuzzy. For best results, a single synth should be set up to the specifications of a single pilot. This allows the nervous system of the synth itself to be calibrated and perfectly mirror that it's pilot, allowing for flawlessly one to one communication of all natural senses.