06/08/24 ♦ the wirebound: to love so deeply

something i wanted to elaborate on are the wirebound, a subpopulation of robots in the microcosm, typically enjyn, who transfer themselves permanently to different bodies like industrial machinery or spacecraft. in a way it's like an industrial-strength gender transition, but one notable aspect is the level of care that goes into the procedure.

becoming wirebound is a choice that's heavily respected by enjyn culture, and the options one has in doing so reflect that. many just have their cores moved and their old frames hooked up permanently as 'appendages' - this is where the 'wirebound' moniker comes from, as their hollow forms are characterised by the many umbilicals that often trail from them - but some enjoy a degree of flexibility in which form they use, slotting in and out at will

a scant few have even copied themselves across entirely, creating new people from the machines they connect to in the process. a special amendment in the Maker Protocol allows for this exact thing (since otherwise, new Awakened robot creation is limited to 1k per year outside of extenuating circumstances). those few have all formed deep, loving relationships to their clones... it's a bit weird, but kinda normal in a world where digital consciousness is an everyday occurrence. and, hey, what better way to love yourself, right?