Braincase

The braincase is the housing of the brain - the cranium. A collection of a few bones that nearly seal off the entire brain, save for the spinal column. In root strain and most alpha strain humans, however, it still possesses a few weaknesses, and both the homo supernus and homo excelsior projects developed a solution that was felt could offer a person maximum survivability in the case of catastrophe. It also serves to strip down as much excess as possible in order to insert the mind into another vehicle, for whatever purpose that may serve.

It exists completely independently of the rest of the body - even in the case of the beta strain and sufficiently engineered homo panacea specimens, once fully matured. Most artificial sapiences make use of a similarly isolated, self-supporting structure. Most designs resemble humanoid or cetacean structures, for ease of implanting in an appropriate body.

They range between one and ten thousand cubic centimeters in volume, though the difference in processing capabilities is not linear, as a result of the holographic principle. A brain with ten times the volume is generally only a bit more than four times as powerful - rising with spherical surface area, instead. In addition, a smaller brain can be brought to higher levels of performance through external encephalons and cooling systems. Most things that wish to pass as human have cases between 1,500 and 2,000 cc in total volume - slightly larger on average than the typical root human but not so much so as to be noticeably different.

Massive artificial sapiences, including most ordinators, generally require immense infrastructural support, and thus have braincases measured in cubic meters or kilometers instead.

Design and Enhancements

Looked at on its own, the most notable feature of the braincase is the metallic 'construction' - in the organic (completely self-repairing) model, it is mostly a non-magnetic titanium alloy, with traces of lead, gold, silver, iron and other metals. In the exomatter model, it is usually highly reflective, though looks vary. It is more spherical than the typical human cranium from which it is derived, and several 'blemishes' stand out, along with many grooves for cooling purposes. There are a great many variances between designs, of course.

• A set of sockets exists to place the maxilla-zygomatic 'face' onto the braincase, as well as the mandible. These socket connections double as sensory connections for sight, smell, and taste, in a human design.
• Two connectors can be seen on either side, one for the ear, the other for a jack, which allows for a direct data connection to the brain.
• At the bottom rear, where the cranium attaches to the spine, is a complex socket for just that purpose. Unlike a normal braincase, it is completely sealed.
• Three pairs of strips that act as radio antennas and transmitters.
• A slot, in the back of the case, in which optical discs may be inserted.
• Several strips and other streamlined features can be seen, which provide chemical and electromagnetic analysis of surroundings - typically to monitor the body or whatever vessel it is in.

Both socket systems are capable of supplying nutrients and draining waste from the braincase in a secured fashion. In addition, the structure contains a small deuterium fusion reactor, allowing the brain to function completely independently. This reactor is exceedingly weak - the maximum draw is typically about 500 watts for the largest models.

The brain structure is supplemented by a trio of encephalons - supplemental computer processors for the brain. These perform most of the basic processing and interface work, leaving more of the neural network to focus on tasks more suited to such. It is most pronounced in homo excelsior models, while very basic in homo supernus.

Although the brain is more spherical, the normal hemispheres of the brain are slightly smaller, and the cerebellum significantly so. This makes way for a third, 'lower' hemisphere. In addition to serving as a venue for hypersapience, it allows one 'hemisphere' to sleep while the other two are active, with all three coming awake only in 'emergency' situations.

Consequences

One result of the fully-independent feature is the design of ships that are piloted not by a human body, but merely the braincase itself, saving on mass and allowing for far more drastic maneuvering in space in the case of emergencies, and extreme maneuvers in atmospheres.

Sleep no longer being a necessity for such entities relegates beds to mainly recreational and medical devices, rather than serving as an actual need. Likewise, the body is a vehicle, and often treated as such. A broken bone or other physical injury is treated more like a car accident than a serious trauma. It is quite difficult to destroy a braincase, and even harder to do so without getting noticed. Assault is therefor not considered as serious, but murder more so.