Ref the c-17, individuals need to remember that the jet was designed for a non permissive environment, the jet has 14 hydraulic pumps for example! You can maintain some very basic control with just one of those pumps.
The wires don't physically connect to controls, they simply control a shuttle valve in the hydraulic control units.
Great jet to fly though. Went back to non fbw and it's worse than the c-17 reversionary mode!