The Xumu

Under "Digital Art," but really a mixture of graphite, ink, digital drawing, and photomanipulation.

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First manufactured by Genetisis as an introductory tool, the Expectant Mother Unit, or Xumu, rose to unanticipated popularity as the coinciding bio-culture boom provided low-cost cultured organs.

No longer merely a brand identity, the Xumu and its countless replicas enjoyed brief but profound international success as low-cost "living toy" trinkets.

Key features included real, culture-grown bodies with fully-functioning organs, and infant-approximated low-level sentience acquired from brain imaging. A digistructing facial display and connectivity to online markets provided access to countless avatars and behaviors.

Because its low-level sentience fell below the threshold for legal protection as set forth by the IBE, and the Xumu had neither organic brains nor traditional genetics, they were generally not considered to truly be alive despite their need for physical nourishment (fed through the base of the spine), and tendency towards emotional dependence.

Eventually, much more extravagant biotoys emerged, and the Xumu fell out of favor, though many have been "jailbroken" to perform higher-capacity tasks in factories throughout the developing world. Here we see a common sight--a display model Xumu aged considerably beyond infancy and at a stage of advanced biological decay, no longer maintained by even the vendor.