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Warpminds and living computers

Electronic Computing has greatly advanced as a field since its inception in the 20th century, and it remains highly dominant for good reason. It was perhaps one of the greatest inventions in human history, bringing marvelous capabilities into the hands of humanity. Curious minds wondered however, if something else could fill the place of copper and wire. Something more lively. Experimentation with neuron based computing has existed as for long as humans had the capabilities to keep a neuron alive separate from a body. it seems like a bright idea, neurons make up the brains within us that were many times more powerful than even the greatest computers. A computer with all the potential of a human brain. For a long time though, the field was dead. No serious effort was ever invested in it because it was just not practical. Conventional computers were far better understood, making them  comparatively easy to use and make for just about everyone. As time went on, conventional computing continued to advance beyond neuron based computing, while neuron based computing struggled to grow. The biggest hurdle in the way living computers was keeping the neurons alive. Food, oxygen, and water all needed to be circulated all throughout the living computer in order to insure proper function, not to mention the fact that the computers were inherently large and fragile due to their contents. The most advanced living computers of the era(used for research into the field rather than as a serious competitor to conventional computing) took up several rooms of space and large amounts of resources. But a breakthrough was on the horizon, it would only take a little more curiosity and ambition.

Research discovered a unique technique that enabled living computers to be used in a manner that could not be replicated with conventional computers, no matter how hard they tried. A niche had been found. Scientists found that they could use living computers to communicate with other living computers. In theory, faster than light. with no physical connection. The discovery was unprecedented, the implications of such capabilities were astounding. A whole field of science opened up just trying to learn how it worked. Research into that question would continue on for the foreseeable future, without a clear answer in sight. All scientists could figure out was that during such communication, the neurons that made up the computers would cease connections with themselves, and simply send signals to neighbor cells that simply weren't there. The receiving computer would face a similarly odd experience, in that it's cells would pick up signals without any sort of origin. Signals from one computer just seemed to travel some unseen web where they would find themselves picked up by a receiving computer. The determining factor for signal delay? the computational power of the computer. Generally, the more powerful the living computer, the faster signals could travel from one computer to the other. in time, delay was shortened enough to be insignificant for most communication. Conventional electronics still dominated due to their efficiency, smaller size, and more widespread use, but when it came to linking solar systems to each other, living computers were the only good choice to send information to far off stars. Instant communication, no matter the distance.

But communication wasn't the only hurdle in the way of humanities interstellar dreams. It didnt matter how quickly a message could be sent if it would take generations to make the trip to a far off world. Travel through space is slow, and it seemed like it would never get better. Some looked to advanced theoretical physics for answers, with mixed results. Others figured faster travel would simply never be feasible, and that this was simply the hand they were dealt. But a few looked back to the living computers for answers. Calculations that could give them the answer to faster than light travel, the same way it had blessed them with the gift of communication. In time, they would get their response. An experiment that changed humanity forever. A pencil, moved from one side of a desk, to the other, in an instant. A complex series of formulas that when plugged into the living computer, while making use of techniques similar to those used for FTL communication, moved matter from one location, to another. The pencil was in pieces, chunks of it completely missing and smoldering, but this was something new, something revolutionary. The technology was in it's infancy, but travel could be achieved through living computers, and its only speed limitation was the strength of the computer. After decades of innovation and discovery, Warpminds, living computers designed specifically for FTL travel and communication, would become standard on most bigger ships within thick walled and inertially dampened rooms plugged with pipes and tubes for food and water and oxygen. People could travel from system to system in a matter of days. Uselessly long for travel from one country to another perhaps, but revolutionary for travel among the stars. The strongest and largest warpminds aboard military starships in recent times can make travels in just 5 or 6 hours. The unseen web that connected warpminds and the world? They called it the warp.

Warpminds and living computers are essentially synonymous terms by this point, living computers are hardly ever used for much more then travel and communication, especially given that they still required air, food, and water, not to mention proper temperature control and pH regulation, all the things a living thing needs in order to live and function.

The warp still held unsolved mysteries though. How did it function for example? This question remained unsolved, and research into it mostly ceased with the outbreak of the war and resources being dedicated elsewhere. 

Warp travel was not instantaneous, and it wasn't exactly safe. It would eat away and burn at the surface of whatever was sent through it, so it wasn't until strong energy shielding was developed that ships or other things could travel through the warp without severe hull damage. 

Another unforeseen danger was the view of the world outside itself. Once people aboard ships could finally be safely sent through warp travel, a severe incident occurred during the first test of its safety in 2334. Almost all of the people aboard the ship during its brief travel had seemingly completely vanished. The only one spared that fate was one particularly silent individual who typically kept to themself, who decided to stay in their room to work and sleep during the travel. It was clear that something deeply wrong had happened. On board security cameras were checked, but all who viewed camera footage that displayed a view of what was outside the ship, such as through a window or on the outside of the hull, were completely incapable of forming sentences or speaking coherently. They were completely delusional. They would calm and return to normal with time, but if they attempted to describe the footage, they would be left completely confused and lost again. When asked, all said that they couldn't even begin to remember what they had seen, or what had even happened to the missing people. After trials using animals instead of people, a rule for warp travel would be set in place. All windows on ships were to be closed during warp travel, and exterior cameras were to be shut off. No one was to look into the warp for any reason. With that simple rule, problems ceased.

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