Sleeves

Sleeves are a commonly manufactured product on Earth-8008. They act as the repository for the consciousness, memories, and skills for the individual undergoing the sleeving process. Sleeves come in two varieties: Biomorphs and Synthetics.

The Sleeving Process

On Earth-8008, the greatest technological breakthrough in the history of mankind was pioneered by a scientist by the name of Dr. Antares Castiglione. Dr. Castiglione pioneered the means by which an individual's consciousness could be digitized and implanted into another form. Although this process does pose some inherent risk, such as memory/skill degradation or data corruption, is commonly viewed as the fountain of youth. When a body becomes too old, too tired, or if someone simply wants a new one, they can simply re-sleeve themselves into a new body.

The process itself is relatively painless and involves scanning the brain in three dimensions and essentially downloading the imprint and storing it prior to implantation into the new body. It is not uncommon to hear of corrupt sleevers that will alter an imprint prior to implantation to create false memories, skills, or remove memories entirely before sleeving. Sleeving itself is a very regulated industry, but black market sleeving operations do exist.

Types of Sleeves

Sleeves generally come in two varieties: Biomorph and Synthetic. Biomorphs are primarily created by Tabula Rasa and Synthetics are created by Cortical Systematics. Although Tabula and Cortical are not the only purveyors of their respective sleeves, they are among the most recognizable in the world, with too many makes and models to name. Both types of sleeves come with their own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages. Common to all sleeves, however, is the fact that each consciousness is a distinct entity; they cannot be saved and copied. If a sleeve is destroyed there is no way to recover the consciousness within.

Biomorphs

Biomorphs are exactly what one might expect, a living, breathing body. These bodies are genetically engineered as to specifically be void of any form of a consciousness; as this allows the implantation to occur seamlessly. Base costs for biomorphs are slightly less expensive than equivalent grade synthetics, but also come with less features. Standard biomorphs come in an array of sizes, shapes, ethnicities, and genders, but customization is not possible at the base level. More expensive biomorphs can be fully customized including hair and eye color along with natural aptitudes in certain areas by a process called pre-programming, which allows additional skills to be inborn in the host biomorph prior to implantation. The most expensive biomorphs can also be physically augmented to enhanced human standards whereby strength, agility, endurance, and other natural skills are pushed to the peak of human possibility. These are among the rarest of biomorphs but not entirely uncommon.

All biomorphs are susceptible to disease, though more expensive biomorphs can have added resistance to disease customized into the genetic programming of the sleeve. Also, all biomorphs are sterile by design.

Synthetics

Synthetics are inorganic forms that individuals can be sleeved into. Synthetics can appear as human, robotic, or anywhere in between. Base costs for synthetics are slightly more expensive than base biomorphs but come with additional features. Humanoid synthetics can eat food and process it into energy, similar to human metabolism. Synthetics are naturally invulnerable to organic diseases, but are highly susceptible to computer viruses and malware. Contrary to popular belief, synthetics do experience pleasure and pain as sensors exist to duplicate these electrical impulses and sensations.

Among the greatest threats to synthetic sleeves is the Carrion Virus, which not only causes data corruption but also corrodes the synthetic from the inside out by interfering with the metabolic processes engaged synthetic respiration. Synthetics are much more easily customized than biomorphs, which has lead to greater utility for them. The only cure for the Carrion Virus is re-sleeving into a new body, however it is not unheard of for the Carrion Virus to embed itself in the digital persona of the human and re-infect the new morph. Daily patching, the equivalent of viral suppression drugs in biomorphs, can assist in keeping the Carrion Virus in a controlled state.

More robotic appearing synthetics are often used as sleeves for soldiers, heavily armored and with enhanced physical attributes. These are not the only application of semi-humanoid synthetics. Digitized human consciousnesses have also been implanted into drones, vehicles, and spaceships, which allow them to function similarly to AIs.