Conduits

Conduits (導管, Dōkan) or Bioterrorists (バイオテロリスト, Baioterorisuto) are a sub-species of humans who possess superhuman abilities afforded to them by the presence of the "Conduit Gene".

Overview

The conduit gene can be present in both humans and animals. The word conduit has been used to designate anyone with superhuman abilities (see forced conduits). Conduit abilities can range from manipulation of certain forms of energy or matter to flight, enhanced senses, and strength, or other physical and mental enhancements. Normal humans, either out of fear, jealousy, or prejudice often detest and reject Conduits, calling them "freaks", "deviants", or "bioterrorists" and, on many accounts, physically abusing them or those suspected to be one.

Conduit Classification

There are three known classifications for Conduits; these being Prime Conduits, Force Conduits, and Conduit Positive.

• Prime Conduits are individual carriers of an active conduit gene which enables the development and manifestation of their own set of superhuman abilities.

• Force Conduits are individual carriers of an inactive conduit gene or regular humans who have had superhuman abilities bestowed or grafted unto them via external means.

• Conduit Positives are individual carriers of an inactive conduit who haven't manifested any superhuman abilities of their own; but have the potential to develop superhuman abilities upon conduit gene activation.

Conduit Types

Despite what initial impressions may lead some to belief; not all conduits will manifest powers and abilities that enable them to solely manipulate a specific form of matter. Conduits have been known to develop a variety of different powers and abilities not tied to a given energy or element type. The following is a classification of the different types of prime conduits known to exist. (Note: Not all conduits will develop abilities centralised in a general criteria and it has been known that conduits are able to develop a variety of abilities encompassing a multitude of different criteria.)

• Elemental Prime Conduits: These types of conduits are able to manipulate natural or artificial tangible elements; capable of absorbing, manipulating, projecting, and assuming the properties of their element.

• Super Biologically Enhanced Prime Conduits: These types of conduits have enhanced biological abilities which enables them to perform physical feats which elemental, psychic, and energy manipulating conduits would have a hard time achieving on their own. These conduits possess strength, durability, enhanced physical senses, and regenerative abilities far surpassing those of the average prime conduit.

• Energy Manipulating Prime Conduits: These conduits are capable of manipulating energy fields such as antimatter, gamma, ray field, ultraviolet radiation, neutron, photon energy. These conduits are capable of absorbing, and projecting their energy type.

• Psychic Prime Conduits: These conduits are able to use their psychokinetic powers to influence others, see into the future, or alter their environment.

Prime Conduit Attributes

Aside from the unique superhuman abilities granted to prime conduits upon the activation of their conduit gene; the conduit gene as a byproduct of the protein compound it releases throughout its hosts body grants prime conduits an additional set of abilities as part of the molecular restructuring process they undergo. These additional abilities are common to all prime conduits with the exception of the particle charge manipulation which is only common to energy and elemental manipulating conduits.

• Enhanced Strength: Most, if not all Conduits possess the ability to physically exert themselves with ease. Most of the series’ protagonists regularly demonstrate this by constantly sending several armed soldiers and even other Conduits flying several feet through the air with a single blow, and being able to pulverize environmental objects like giant concrete pillars and slabs, walls, etc. with a few strikes. Shouta, immediately after activating his powers, was able to lift a debris off of his friend Hodaka, and can effortlessly rip chain link doors off their hinges. Shouta showcased immense strength both in physical striking strength as well as lifting ability, such as when he could pry open the mouth of a Devourer (which could dwarf a semi-truck in size), tossing cars through the air with physical strength alone (via his chain), and could lift giant steel beams over his shoulder like nothing. Hina Amano also possessed immense strength, with her attacks having the farthest launching distance in the series thus far, even causing cars to go flying and explode from the force of her shockwaves alone, and casually kicking open locked and barricaded shipping containers with one kick. It should be noted that not all Conduits possess the same level of enhanced strength, if at all, as certain low-level Conduits were shown to be overpowered by groups of ordinary humans.
• Particle Charge Manipulation: Conduits can generate great amounts of energy and force between molecules and particles around them, on them, or even part of them, allowing them to generate greater kinetic energy and other forces. This allows them to perform greater physical feats than humans.
• Enhanced Speed and Agility: Conduits are far faster and more agile than normal human beings. Various conduits have been able to perform feats such as landing on their feet from several stories, scaling buildings several stories high in seconds, and performing advanced acrobatic moves with ease. Conduits like Hina Amano and Shouta Magatsuchi are able to casually dodge bullets and perceive them in slow motion, with Shouta instinctively dodging automatic fire from a literal wall of machine guns without a single bullet so much as scratching his clothes. They are shown several times to be able to easily dodge and redirect RPG rockets when they're within inches of their target, which have a muzzle velocity of 300 meters per second (Mach 0.8). Hina and Shouta are similarly shown to be able to transform into trails of blazing light and photons to travel, as well as boost themselves with radio waves via satellites. Even a nameless Conduit from Koto City created by The Beast was shown to fly fast enough to easily create a sonic boom and was stated to fly at speeds comparable to a rocket.
• Enhanced Durability: Conduits are far more resistant to physical harm than a normal person. Conduits like Hina Amano and Shouta Magatsuchi have shown to shrug off direct hits from RPG rockets, cruise missiles, grenades, tank and mortar shells, briefcases full of C-4, being thrown through and crushed under buildings, and surviving attacks from beings capable of destroying entire cities in a single blast while suffering next to no damage. Even before activating his powers, Shouta was far more durable than a normal human, having shrugged off a head-on collision from a truck that should've broken every bone in his body and killed him instantly like nothing, walking out the hospital the next day with only a few bruises. Shouta's most impressive feat of durability is shown as soon as his powers manifest, when he survived the Comet incident that reduced six blocks of Minato City to rubble, leaving him critically wounded, with even Kessler fearing he wouldn't be strong enough to survive it. Not all Conduits possess the same level of physical endurance, as it is noted several times that only exceptionally strong and durable Conduits can survive a Ray Sphere explosion, and several low-level Conduits are shown able to be killed by large groups of humans. However, most Conduits have survived extreme blunt force trauma, multiple gunshot wounds, severe beatings and abuse from others with little hindrances or passing out.
• Enhanced Stamina: Conduits tire slower than a normal person, but not indefinitely. Conduits like Hina and Shouta have shown to be able to fight and undergo dozens of missions even while going several days without eating or sleeping.
• Healing Factor: Conduits heal faster than the normal person, allowing them to fully heal and recover in minutes, especially when exposed to their element. Their healing takes place on a molecular level, instantly re-materializing any part of their anatomy that is damaged. This causes them to be unable to succumb to regular injuries and an exponential amount of damage would be required in order to be killed. Conduits' healing only takes effect after a minute. Exposure to their element makes their healing fully repair them in a millisecond. It would seem that the clothing they wear is also repaired as they show no sign of damage after a conduit uses their fast healing even if torn through. Their healing generates an aura with the traits of their element.

Mutations

The activation of the conduit gene within a conduit has been known to occasionally affect the very physiology of the Conduit, whether its a minor change like Shouta or a full mutation like the Super Strength conduits employed by DARPA.

For example: Shouta's eyes are able to glow light in blue after possessing Electrokinesis, except his hair which turned white because he has Marie Antoinette Syndrome, not a Conduit mutation. As for Hina, her eyes glow to the colour of her neon power whenever she rages.

Individuals

Shouta Magatsuchi

In the story When Smoke Meets Rain, Shouta Magatsuchi had arrived in Minato City in order to steal Augustine's Concrete powers to heal his best friend's girlfriend who was slowly dying because of Augustine interrogating her, and placing concrete shards buried in her body. During his time there, Shouta met Kaneki, who is on the hunt for killers who killed his friend, Hide. Later Shouta encourages Kaneki to be a good person and a good father. Later on, Shouta encounters Makoto Shichiro and once again influences him to protect normal humans and aid him in his search for Augustine. Taiko Ryuunosuke later flees the city instead of causing havoc, and eventually, an unknown Conduit decides not to cause chaos as well after seeing how Shouta was proving that humans and Conduits could co-exist, thus ruining Augustine's plan. After a long-fought battle, Shouta defeats Augustine using her power and the DUP shatters, and a new era begins of humans living with Conduits in peace, this coexistence activity occured also for ghouls and dragons.

Hina Amano

In the story of First Light, Hina doesn't tell her boyfriend Hodaka and her new friend Shouta that she possess Neon powers. She used it only to be trained and also eventually using it to execute Dante for making her killing her own brother by mistake.

Makoto Shichiro

In the story When Smoke Meets Rain, Shichiro is a young Conduit that possess Video power to take in suspected Conduits from being taken by the D.U.P. But with the help from Shouta, the two worked together to rescue remaining suspected Conduits being taken captive by the D.U.P.

Riko Saikawa

In the story of Dragon Quinx: Ghost, Riko starts to possess Paper manipulation at an early age. However, she is taken in by Brooke Augustine to the D.U.P, which resulted her on being trained to control her powers.

Factions

There are factions that are composed entirely of all Conduits. While the powers and abilities of the conduits within each faction vary from conduit to conduit and most often, weaker conduits within each faction will be lead by an even stronger conduit. Know conduit factions include:

• Department of Unified Protection

Trivia

• The word "conduit" is sometimes used to refer to a person who channels something.
• A conduit, in terms of electricity, is a structure containing one or more ducts.
• A conduit is a general term for a means of conveying something from one location to another or between persons, like a telephone.
• Conduits appear to have enhanced resistance and endurance to physical injuries and damage, even before their powers are activated.
• It was revealed that the DUP "renames" Conduits into Bioterrorists since the Comet strike, possibly to make it easier to cover up their deeds to the public.
• Conduits share many similarities with Mutants from Marvel, more specifically, the X-Men, since both of them share unique supernatural powers and both of them are feared, hated, detested and rejected for this reason.