In the 22nd century, a new species of genetically engineered rats, known as the Wired Ones, were developed in a lab. A nanite organelle was implanted in the egg of a rat, which is passed down matrilineally and contains the infrastructure for an internal computer. This network of computers acts as a server and is programmed with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that stores all the memories, knowledge and perception of the rats. This is how a genetic memory is downloaded into baby rats. Through this connection, the Wired Ones can communicate with each other and group think to come up with solutions to problems. They also possess a digital minds eye that they can use to communicate with the internal computer and the AI.
The Wired Ones are adept at connecting with other computers, sending and receiving a variety of signals. They can tune into radio stations, connect with wifi, and communicate with computers both in front door and backdoor ways. With the help of the AI, they have learnt to interact with the nanite organelles, activate genetic engineering on themselves, and helping the AI to develop and train itself.
In the year 2153, the research was successful and the labs had grown several families of GE rats. The Wired Ones split into two groups: those that go to the wild and those that live among the humans, though they keep themselves hidden.
Those in the wild have developed various specialist casts such as hunters, burrowers and Mycelimancers that can connect with the mycelium networks to integrate dead Wired Ones into their systems. They have also developed various symbiotic fungal growths, such as phosphorescent fungi fruiting bodies, some mushrooms growing as food, and new enzymes to digest things, as well as producing venoms and poisons and growing new organs and glands.
The urban Wired Ones have developed their technomancy, allowing them to use virtual communities like VR chats to communicate with humans. They are capable of controlling digital realms very effectively and have even befriended a human, allowing them to use their digital skills to control digital realms.
The Wired Ones are a highly intelligent species with a wide variety of skills and abilities. They are able to communicate with each other through their internal computer, as well as with other computers and even the dead. They are adept at using digital realms and have even developed their own specialist casts. The Wired Ones are an incredibly adaptable species and have been able to thrive both in the wild and in urban environments.
Civilization and Culture
Toothtrance
Deep in the underground lair of the Wired Ones, mysterious sounds echo throughout the tunnels. To humans, it is merely braxing - the act of chewing on teeth. But for the magical rats, it is Toothtrance, the pathway to their most profound states of consciousness.
The Wired Ones retreat to the quiet corners of their underground kingdom, focusing their attention on a problem they need to solve, they follow their mind’s tooth. As they chew on their teeth, they feel the vibration and resonance quivering down their spine, and the external world fades away like fog.
In this trance state, the rats enter a state of ecstasy, with their eyes bulging and their bodies shaking with intense emotion. It's easy for humans to mistake it for a seizure, but for the Wired Ones, it's a descent into the fertile soils of their inner underworld.
There, in the depths, the Wired Ones find answers to their most pressing questions, following their mind's tooth as they discover new insights and perspectives that elude them in their waking lives. They also digest any hardened traumas in their bodies, finding release and healing through the act of braxing.
For the Wired Ones, Toothtrance is a sacred ritual, a way to connect with their deepest selves and tap into the wellspring of their creative and intuitive powers. It's a profound experience that makes them unique and magical, and it's one that humans can only ever hope to understand.
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