| Type | Genetically Engineered Organism |
| Operators | Human operators via neural links |
| Geographic use | Submarine tunnels • urban metro systems |
| Variant sports | Mole racing |
| Ethical concerns | Environmental impacts • Animal rights |
| Operational since | Late 20th century |
| Operational capacity | Tunneling and navigation |
Giant mole tunneling is an unusual and innovative method of tunneling that has become a standard mode of underground construction in the 21st century in an alternate timeline. These specially bred, genetically engineered moles reshape the earth with their massive size, making the process not just quicker and cheaper, but also significantly safer.
Giant mole tunneling has its roots in the mid-20th century, as scientists increasingly looked for new ways to bore through the ground and underwater using them as submarine tunnels. Early experiments in methods included the use of lasers, plasma, and magnetic fields, but none of these yielded widely applicable and affordable solutions.
In the 1980s, a breakthrough came when scientists began to genetically engineer moles to scale them up in size and improve their digging speed, endurance, and adaptability to different soil conditions. Research was further accelerated in the 1990s when the technology for neural links with human operators became mature enough to allow for the employment of live intelligent animals as tunnel engineers.
By the early 21st century, full-scale giant mole tunneling projects had begun. They have since completely revolutionized the process of subterranean infrastructure construction.
Giant mole genetic engineering involves significant work to create creatures of the necessary size, strength, and general hardiness. In the alternate timeline, scientific advances in the late 20th century produced several specially bred lineages of giant moles that became the basis for further improvements.
Important features of giant moles include significantly increased size and musculature, with moles large enough to dig out tunnels much wider than those created by conventional boring machines. Giant moles are also endowed with specialized adaptations allowing them to negotiate difficult terrain, including sand dunes, solid rocks, and even compacted soil layers. Oxygen for moles digging underwater is provided by gills that are engineered onto the animal.
Breeding for improved digging performance created moles capable of burrowing at high speeds, carving ground at a continuous rate and at superior depths to those accomplished by prior tunneling methods.
Systems that grant humans the ability to control giant moles using neural links are a crucial component of this mode of tunneling. Engineers operate moles through remote systems linked directly to their brains, providing real-time responses to subterranean challenges.
This system allows moles to work in environments ranging from the widest of open fields to narrow urban spaces, providing a level of flexibility that traditional tunneling machinery cannot match. Additionally, the system enables humans to work in tandem with giant moles, improving the speed and efficiency of all tunnel construction projects.
In the alternate timeline, giant mole tunneling became the primary means of engaging in large-scale infrastructure projects, with numerous examples of such endeavors coming to fruition around the world.
Some notable projects include the construction of submarine tunnels for such purposes as the English Channel tunnel between England and France, Seikan Tunnel linking Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan, and Bohai Tunnel connecting the Shandong Peninsula and Liaoning Province in China.
Urban projects also began forming around the principle of giant mole tunneling, like the Gardermoen Line, linking central Oslo to Gardermoen airport in Norway, the Narita Rapper, connecting Narita Airport to Tokyo in Japan, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and Paris, and also large scale metro projects such as the London Underground, New York City Subway, and Tokyo Metro.
The use of giant moles in tunneling has extended beyond large-scale infrastructure projects and into the realm of sports. The high speeds at which giant moles can dig have led to a cult following that indulges in breeding and racing different lineages of moles, betting on their times and performances.
Though began purely as entertainment, racing has since evolved as a popular sport where viewers follow the moles’ progress digitally via a live video feed from the mole-mounted camera and view information on their speed and oxygen levels via wearables.
While giant mole tunneling improves speed and flexibility for projects, there have been growing concerns regarding the environmental impacts of the technological developments. Due to the extent of ground being loosened and moved, erosion and sinkhole formation have increased in recent years, affecting ecosystems near mining areas.
Furthermore, ethical opposition has developed to the genetic engineering and artificial breeding programs for moles. Some opponents contend that the technology infringes upon animal rights, and, though examined in numerous regulatory committees, protests continue to magnify the debate over the use of giant mole technology.
