Original story

SatWeb 11.01.2017

Feral cybermoles cause of flooding in Athens metro tunnels

Investigations by Athens City Council into the recent flooding that caused chaos in the metro tunnels under the Greek capital have revealed a surprising culprit. The holes found in tunnel walls were caused by cybermoles. A preliminary report on the incident was handed in today by Chief Engineer Paulos Kristianos.

Cybermoles have been used with great success in cases of tunnel collapse, and in the wake of mining accidents. On this occasion, however, it seems as though some escaped cybermoles used during the renovation of the metro system had unexpectedly survived and gone feral, boring several shafts between the metro tunnels and the capital’s principal water mains. Metro traffic in Athens was at a standstill for several hours, as the damaged trains had to be individually towed to the depot before the lines could be pumped out and re-opened for passenger traffic.

Since transport in the Athens is nowadays greatly dependent upon the newly expanded and modernised metro network, huge crowds built up at several downtown stations, and moving the people took until well into the night. Almost incredibly, the disaster produced only a few minor injuries, all through commuters being crushed in the crowds. Only eight people had to be admitted to hospital.

Similar cybermole vandalism in Italy

According to unconfirmed reports received by SatWeb, this was by no means the first case of cybermoles running riot and causing damage. In San Gimignano, Italy these biomechanical animals have been blamed for digging up four old olive groves some three months ago.

The cybermoles were developed and raised by BioMechanics of St Louis. The BioMechanics Research President Doug Downe still remains confident, however , that the cybermole is a useful tool. He feels there is still every reason to invest in biomechanical applications. “The moles in the Athens incident were clearly too young and undertrained, and I also suspect the Greek contractors may have been negligent in the way they used them. Cybermoles are actually only designed for use in locations where radio contact is not possible, and where conditions might be so difficult that computer-driven diggers could not cope. The cybermoles do a great job, if they are kept busy and don’t get bored.”

Gene splicing overcomes artificial skin problems

A great step forward in the development of cybermoles and other biomechanical animals came when the problem of their artificial skin was resolved through gene splicing. Until this point, there had been serious difficulties in the development of mechanical limbs in particular. The earlier electrochemical neural connections were prone to inflammations, and there were difficulties in production as a result. Given the land-based nature of the cybermoles, the answer came from a curious direction, in the shape of the Nile bichir, an African fish of the Polypterus genus. These cylindrical ray-finned fish show many primitive features that have led some scientists to believe they may be “living fossils” related to lungfish and coelecanths, but in this instance the interest focused on the electrosensory aspects contained in the creature’s genome. Now these and certain electrical pulse characteristics derived from the bichir DNA have helped to connect the sensory and directional signals to the surface of the artificial skin, from where they can be carried forward by grafted neural networks.

Nowadays, of course, the vast majority of mechanical limb applications are directed to the needs of the medicare industries, but the development of technologies and resulting cost reductions have meant that work-animals such as the cybermoles have become an important branch of production for companies such as BioMechanics.

Animal or robot?

The potential for using cybercreatures is currently the subject of research in numerous companies around the world. Possible applications in the future could include guide dogs for the blind, earthmoving and landscaping operations, tree-felling and transportation in difficult conditions, the opening up of blocked drainage or sewer systems, vacuum cleaners, or even as an inexpensive and easily-maintained pony or other pet for children.

One problem that must still be addressed is that of their status in law. Legislators in some countries refer both to animals and to robots in statutes and laws, but cyberanimals cannot be defined in either category. The answer will probably be supplied by the UN, if and when that body can reach agreement on the vexed issue of what constitutes a human - in other words how many artificial limbs or organs can be in a human frame before the protection afforded by the 1948 Universal Charter on Human Rights is either reduced or withdrawn. The opinions expressed on this topic thus far have shown no signs of compromise or agreement.

Toteuma-arvio 2026

Toteuma lyhyesti

  • Ilmiön toteuma: 2/5
  • Toteuma viiden vuoden tarkkuudella: ei; arviointi-ikkuna on 2012–2022
  • Toteuma väljemmällä aikahorisontilla: vain riskiperiaatteena
  • Ilmiön ydin: autonomiset infrastruktuurirobotit voivat poistua hallinnasta ja aiheuttaa fyysistä vahinkoa ympäristölle, jota niiden piti korjata.

Kaivos-, putki-, tunneli- ja pelastusrobotteja käytetään vaarallisissa ympäristöissä, ja autonomisten koneiden hallintavirheet ovat tunnistettu turvallisuusriski. Villiytyneitä kaivajarobotteja tai vastaavaa infrastruktuurivahinkoa ei ole esiintynyt.

Johtopäätös: ennuste tavoitti kyberfyysisen hallinnan riskin, mutta kuvattu ydinilmiö jäi toteutumatta.