Encyclopedia Galactica: BioCon
BioCons are biotechnological organisms of living tissue, often augmented by machine or cybernetic devices. They are grown to exacting standards using the latest in tissue engineering. Most parts of a BioCon are biological but not necessarily all. For example a BioCon built on a human model might contain a skeleton of durasteel over which skin and organs are placed. All come with only a brain stem (they are decerebrate meaning they have no brain), otherwise the BioCon would be sentient and entitled to the same rights as all organic beings. The BioCon is designed to house a controlling AI, Dup, or Ghost (see Encyclopedia Glactica article).
BioCons are sometimes constructed from a human clone whose brain has been genetically or surgically rendered decereberate so they never develop higher functions. This is often done by an individual who wishes to recreate their own body and use a Dup or Ghost of their brain to operate the new body/ BioCon. Creating a BioCon/ Ghost is perfectly legal since the process involves the destruction of the brain and so merely moves a person’s sentience from one vessel to another. However, creating a BioCon/ Dup is illegal in most jurisdictions as a Dup is merely a brainscan of an individual and so multiple copies (with separate free will) of an individual would be extant at any one time. Most courts are unwilling to sort out that level of confusion, so the majority of legislative bodies have outlawed BioCon Dups.
As previously mentioned BioCons are often augmented in a number of ways. Through cybernetics many of the senses like sight or hearing can be greatly enhanced. A BioCon could be designed with a combat bent by using augmentations like Subdermal Armour, Strength or Endurance, to name just a few. Also through genetic engineering the BioCon can be optimized, fixing defects in the biological materials genetic code. Certain traits like health and memory can be upgraded and some like appearance can even be designed.
The BioCons form is not limited to bipedal humans. BioCons of various types of animals have been created and some exotic designs have even been experimented with. It is far more common for exotic designs to be created as robots due to the high cost of creating BioCons.
A BioCon’s legal status usually depends on the status of the entity (AI, Ghost, Dup) controlling it. However BioCons, when identified as such, sometimes suffer from societal stigma. Often, they are referred to by their detractors as zombies.
