Blame this.
Heuristic-Empathic Roving Database (H.E.R.D.)
Well… strictly speaking, the people behind H.E.R.D. didn’t deliberately genetically-engineer a bunch of sheep into something that could serve as a distributed computer network. What they simply tried to do was genetically-engineer the sheep so that they would produce natural fiber optic cables. The logic seemed sound enough: while inorganic cables certainly work, you require an industrial infrastructure to make them. There are obvious advantages of being able to grow your own, particularly if it could be done without requiring expensively trained technicians. And it wouldn’t even hurt the sheep; after all, they get sheared every year anyway.
Fortunately, somebody didn’t carry the one when making the critical calculations, or something: the sheep didn’t come out quite as designed. They got the fiber-optic wool, sure – but what they also got was sheep that are also the equivalent of an organic motherboard. And do not think too hard on that. Seriously, don’t: doing so has caused at least one biologist to be led out of the room in restraints while she screamed “STOP IT!!!!! Genetics doesn’t WORK like that!!!!!”
Continue reading Adventure seed: the Heuristic-Empathic Roving Database (H.E.R.D.)