Genovials
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Genovials (also known as Nanite Vials, Vials, or Twist) are a device capable of rewriting a humanoid organism's DNA on a temporary basis and for a specific effect.
Usually, the intended effect is to alter one's biology in drastic ways for a short period.
A genovial makes extensive use of gene-editing nanomachines and blood-soluble computing power, but no artificial intelligence is used whatsoever. This is mainly due to cost, size and complexity constraints placed upon commercial disposable nanotechnology. The nanites are therefore driven by compex 'dumb' algorithms instead of environment-adaptive systems or machine intelligence.
Genovials are expressly illegal in the Terran Empire, from a sense of suspicion stemming from their official stance of humanity's superiority over mutants as well as their frosty relations with other users. Other nations in the sector tend to control vial production closely, oweing to their potential for misuse, inheritable toxicity and more.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
Within a genovial is a soup of capped decay-resistant proteins and vitamins, nucleic acids, biochemical protein-foundry nanites, preprogrmmed controller nanites, and nanoscale RAM packages. All are suspended in a sterile saline mixture in the airtight-sealed vial.
The nanites are seperated from all other components by an emulsion of oils that will only dissolve when in contact with a compatible being's blood, saliva or stomach lining, to prevent premature activation.
When activated, the nanites infiltrate the nucleus of various cells and begin unzipping and reading the patient's DNA in full. The entirety of the code is then held in memory as a 'buffer', or reversion code, indefinitely.
The nanites and biochemical agents then read the DNA again from scratch, this time snipping out, altering, and replacing stretches of genetic code at algorithmically predetermined points to make the required changes. Aspects of the patient's heritage, suich as skin tone and facial features, are maintained in all but the cheapest Genovials. More expensive genovials will keep biometric data identical no matter what form is taken or how dramatic the changes.
When the genetic code is completely rewritten, the nanites then 'flush' the cell's messenger RNA and secondary functions of the biochemical agents activate, artificially accelerating cellular regeneration and fully replacing the patient's bodily makeup over a few seconds. This stage is very energy-inefficient and drains both biological resources and nanite power at a prodigous rate.
When all changes are complete, the nanites go into a power-saving mode and remain in the patient's bloodstream. At this point, the nanites also dump the encoded DNA from memory entirely and save the original patient DNA in its place, expending the 'buffer' memory entirely. Reactivated to safely revert changes is therefore simple. The nanites simply repeat the process start to finish by writing the patient's original genetic code onto that of the temporary form.
Consequences
In the short term, the cost in proteins, essential vitamins and raw biomass inflicted by the transformation must be paid somehow. Deficiencies are to be expected as well as both hunger and fatigue. Repeated vial use in a short time can lead to artificial starvation, or in more carefully designed vials a small but permanent loss in size as emergency features prevent simply killing an unprepared user. The RNA flush also resets a great number of biological processes, which may cause nausea, unusual cravings and depressed immune response for the first minutes to hours after taking the vial. If the most inconsequential flu-like illness is going round, a Twist user's day as a catgirl will likely turn into a day in bed with painkillers instead... Needless to say, rewriting of physical biology based on genetics will 'overwrite' any characteristic not accounted for upon conception. Hair colouring, scars, tattoos, piercings, implanted prosthetics, and even whole amputations are removed or reversed as soon as the nanites take hold. Sometimes this acts as a giveaway that someone has used a genovial - more fanatic human-supremacists in the Terran home provinces tend to have prominent, ideologically revealing tattoos to 'prove' their loyalty to their race. Prolonged use of vials may also come with medical risks. Continuous use of vials (or any use of low-quality or poorly programmed vials) can lead to transcription errors in the patient's DNA which flash-propogates into brand new birth defects or advanced cancers. Much of the concern over long-term use of vials is related to their effects over decades or across generations. DNA modification cannot take into account every possible edge case fo specific biology or rare disease, and vials creating an artifically designed form have no evolutionary comparison 'in nature' to compare to at all. Conditions such as wearing of joints, unintended stresses on bone structure, muscle tearing etc are unlikely to occur over a day or two, but over a 10-20 year period the health of a permanently mutated patient is up to the foresignt of the genovial's designer. Moreover, genetic changes to the patient affects any and all genetic material within the body. Effects on the unborn child are inconsistent and not fully understood. A permanent DNA change, or a change made permanent, is no less inheritable than the DNA it modifies - a programming error in the initial genovial will propogate down the generations without end.Permanence
Oweing to the risks of misuse, or the potential for long-term medical issues not anticipated in a short-term change of biology, genovials are by default temporary. Lasting anything from 2 to 36 hours depending on the battery life of the controller nanites. (for the average Twist Dealer in Terran space, a temporary effect also means clients will need to buy in a regular supply, meaning steady business) However, some people for various reasons may wish to change their biology permanently. There are ways to make the change in form permanent. One is to remodel the vial's contents deliberately to ensure the 'buffer' DNA does not activate except where a medical emergency requires it. This is much more careful and time-consuming than simply extracting the buffer memory from the vial, usually requiring reprogramming bespoke to the biological requirements of the patient. This type is performed by specialist Species Clinics only really found in the Tri-Star Commonwealth or on environmentally demanding worlds such as Rupee Quay Bandir or Sestin. The latter worlds offer bespoke modifications usually for Fennecs or Kitsunes, so that they (and their offspring) can survive the extreme temperatures of their adoptive homeworlds. The other known way to make a vial's effects permanent is to damage the buffer while changed. A very narrow frequency of electromagnetic field, calibrated to the specific controller nanites and projected in a strong enough pulse, can cause electron-harmonic effects that damage the encoded algorithms and so prevent any returning to the original form. While this is possible, it doesn't guarantee what parts of the algorithm are disabled. Haphazard activation will likely happen and may cause partial transformation with significant risk of harm.
Related ethnicities
Dimensions
25 x 105 mm, cylindrical, usually round-bottomed.
Raw materials & Components
The common appearance of a genovial is that of a toughened glass vial, containing a non-viscous silvery liquid that slides and sloshes a little too easily to be mistaken for water.
The natural colour of a vial's contents is actually a yellowish brown sludge, but this is considered so unappetising that a metallic food colouring is always added. A common popular-culture association between ominous silvery liquids and nanotechnology helps things along a little too.
Vials manufactured in the Terran Empire carry no insignia, other than a cryptic symbol indicating the encoded form along with a symbol indicating its intended use or not-so-subtly implying quality. Vials manufactured in other nations are considered medical devices and come with densely printed labels, filled with patient advisory information and warnings over their (mis)use.
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