Chongwu

The Chǒngwù are a manufactured slave species produced by the Empire of Daqin for various purposes, the word itself being Chinese for 'pet'.

They started out as enhanced intelligence, wireless commanded, domestic animals. However, their design criteria changed with time, resulting in three distinct types with several classes of quality, obedience, and programming. Despite eventually being produced as sentient, sapient beings with average intelligence on par with human beings though, they remain classified as animals within the Empire. In the years since their creation, an increasing amount of Chongwu have fled their enslavement to more friendly realms. Even in the face of this growing minority nations outside the Empire, both neutral and antagonistic, have been largely unwilling or unable to address this issue for political, economic, and social reasons. Safe havens have become prevalent, such as the Machine Assembly's Chǒngwù Chéng (寵物城) in New Cambridge, on the planet of Hawking. Like the Daqinren themselves, their genetics are endlessly modifiable, resulting in numerous sub-species of Chongwu that come in all shapes and sizes for any purpose or occasion.

Though they continue to serve in their original capacity as pets within the Empire, they have taken on a more economical aspect in regards to the Empire of Daqin's relationship with other nations. As carbon based goods, Chongwu were and continue to be, cheap and easy to produce for them, with the necessary food to feed them being just as low-cost. As a result, the Chongwu are highly economical and affordable for the Empire, making their sale to humans at a tremendous mark-up even more profitable.

Appearance​

Due to the very deliberately designed nature of the Chongwu, a 'typical' appearance does not exist. As a result of this, the Chongwu can appear to be any animal, fictional or not, and can vary greatly in their degrees of anthropomorphization. Their size and height can also vary appropriately as well. Mammalians are the most popular, but reptilians, avians, and so forth do exist as well. Their coloration can be completely unnatural to their base species if a maker or commissioner so chooses. This is often the case when people commission Chongwu based off of fictional or mythological animals, or if they are based off of characters from popular media such as Anime or Dònghuà.

Anatomy and Physiology​

While their anatomy varies highly from Chongwu to Chongwu, their organs are relatively standardized by class of species. For instance, mammalians have largely the same organs as other mammalians, reptilians have similar organs to other reptilians, and so forth. As a result, Chongwu are often capable of giving or receiving organ transplants from other Chongwu of their animal-type, even if they do not appear to be compatible. Typically they are of the same strength to weight ratio as humans, with the exception of special worker models that are designed expressly to be capable of lifting heavy loads. Despite the amount of care that the Daqin had put into their own bio-engineering, the Chongwu receive very little such attention when being made.

This may lead to individuals that are anatomically unbalanced or may suffer wear from repeated labor.

Nervous System​

The average type-3, the most common type of Chongwu, is based on the humanoid model much like their creators continue to be. What species their animal DNA comes from also frequently shows itself in beneficial ways in their daily lives, and can become incredibly advantageous to them when they free themselves or are freed.

Specialized Chongwu typically feature the cerebral regions necessary to form a wireless connection with Imperial equipment like their Daqin creators. As a result, these specialized models also feature the processing power necessary to function, though only adequately. These special units were designed by their creators to require their masters to follow them into the Empire's VR networks. As an extension of their nervous system, these specialized Chongwu often also feature interface organs located at key points on their bodies. This includes anywhere from four to ten coin sized spots on their scalp that can be electronically synchronized within close proximity or by contact, as well as their tails. Though longer tails can be interacted with electronically along their entire lengths, their very base is typically the standard sampling area to allow for ease of equipment standardization.

Aging, Lifespan and Reproduction​

Like their creators, the Chongwu remain in their prime throughout their lives. As a result, one will not find any Chongwu individuals who are under or overweight. They typically live for around 100 years as standard, with only cosmetic changes indicating their age. These age related cosmetic changes are typically tailored to the desired aesthetic as well. Chongwu degrade rapidly during the last months of their lifespan. During this period of time, they may have arthritis one week, blindness a few later, and so forth until they pass of natural causes, mirroring a sped up version of the human experience.

Reproduction is restricted to type-3's, and typically patterned after the species-type that they are based on, with accommodations and changes made as desired in the creator or commissioner. Chongwu formed of the same species, such as a dog type and a dog type, can reproduce with ease. Outside of their direct species, such as a pairing of one mammal with another mammal reproduction chances are reduced. The chances of reproduction is reduced even further if their class is mixed with another, such as bringing a mammalian and a reptilian together. Additionally, the results may vary significantly in appearance despite being viable to life, potentially having horrifically mixed traits or leaning to one parental donor or the other.

This adaptability and ease of modification is testament to being an artificial species, with much of their genetic lineage coming from homo-sapiens.

As a result of humans being the base source of DNA, they too can reproduce with most kinds of Chongwu without protection. One historical case, soon after Chongwu were being sold on the open market to humans, was the event commonly known as "The Furge." Many politicians with particular tastes were caught having impregnated their pet Chongwu. Despite their sapience, Chongwu were not considered people and thus those politicians were arrested for bestiality.