Vessels

From Gothpoodle

Revision as of 20:37, 20 July 2012

Human

• Baseline Human: Common in Third Wave and not uncommon in Fourth Wave nations. In Fifth Wave nations, “baselines” are usually either immigrants from poorer countries or elderly.
  • Complication: Floater (2028): Baseline humans raised in zero-G or microgravity who lacked compensatory genemods. Most grew up in poorer orbital or L5 communities. They can also represent early Duncanites. They tend to be tall and fragile and suffer in normal gravity.
• Genefixed Human: At a minimum, most parents screen unborn children for any genetic “flaws” and, if they exist, have them fixed. A genefixed human is someone who has gone through this screening, even if no gengineering was needed.
  • First-Generation (2020): Screened for genetic defects.
  • Second-Generation (2035): Screened for physical features which would cause someone to be considered unattractive.
  • Third-Generation (2050): Screened for mental instability.

Human Genetic-Upgrade

Genetic upgrades are the product of eugenic genetic engineering. A genetic upgrade is completely human, but his genes were selected to emphasize particular traits. Couples usually donate their own eggs and sperm, which are tweaked by the gengineers and fertilized in vitro. Single, infertile, or gay parents can clone themselves or acquire needed eggs or sperm from gene banks. A child’s sex can be specified or left to chance. Once the upgraded, fertilized egg is ready, it can be implanted into a mother’s womb or raised in an exowomb. Two people sharing the same upgrade sequence are not twins: their gene donors determine unspecified traits such as facial structure and hair, eye, and skin color. However, the process is delicate enough that if upgrades of different types mate with normal humans or each other, they’ll probably end up with a baseline human child.

• Alpha Upgrade (2050): The Alpha was the first commercially successful genetic upgrade certified to be error-free. It has been widely licensed and pirated. Careful eugeneering ensures an attractive, athletic, healthy individual. There are 40 million living Alphas.
  • Olympian (2065): The second-generation Alpha possesses metabolic and glandular modifications to burn off excess fat and optimize crisis response.
• Ishtar Upgrade (2064): General-purpose upgrades such as the Alpha are common, but more specific packages are designed for parents who want particular types of offspring. The Ishtar gene sequence is one example, created to produce children optimized for professions such as dancer, gymnast, pop star, or model. Biotech Euphrates eugeneers selected a light, elfin build and a facial bone structure to produce distinctive but attractive looks. An extra feature was an augmented liver. In a controversial move, Biotech Euphrates modified the Ishtar neurochemistry with gene sequences thought to enhance ego and competitiveness. Some believe that they went a bit too far . . . There are 150,000 Ishtars alive.
  • Siduri (2079): A second-generation Ishtar that increases lifespan and reduces the ego issues.
• Metanoia-Series Upgrade (2065): Genetically enhanced intelligence remains controversial, due to the subtlety of gengineering required and the difficulty of measuring results. Radical attempts at redesigning the brain often result in insanity. More modest successes have been achieved: GenTech Pacifica’s Metanoia made careful use of gene sequences known to correlate with enhanced memory and concentration, and “Metas” now consistently score 10-20 points higher than baseline humans on the ASIT. The upgrade is increasingly popular, with 1.3 million alive today.

Parahuman

Parahumans are products of species gengineering, and incorporate nonhuman DNA sequences.

• Aquamorph (2075): GenTech Pacifica’s Aquamorph is one of the more visible econiche parahumans. Aquamorphs store oxygen in the myoglobin of their muscles, much like cetaceans. Thousands live on Earth, many near the Elandra sea habitat.
• Tennin (2058): Duncanite gengineering optimized the Tennin metabolism for life in zero-G and microgravity environments without bone and muscle wasting. Now Tennin make up a majority of the Duncanite population. They tend to be tall and thin, with good looks and unusually long toes usable as grasping fingers. There are about 160,000 Tennin. Avatar licenses the genes; many non-Duncanite spacers pick it for their children.
• Wu Tsao (2084): Gengineered by the Wimmin’s Pantropic Collective of Margaret Station, these parahumans are a fusion of Tennin and Metanoia. They are exclusively lesbian females who can give birth to clones of themselves.
• Yousheng (2068): Xiao Chu created this pantropic parahuman design for Mars settlement. They’re similar to an Alpha-series upgrade, but have modified lungs and biochemistry for surviving on the surface with minimal protection, as well as radical hormonal and reproductive cell genemods. The latter reflect Rust China’s desire to increase its population, but have also led to accusations that Xiao Chu is “turning humans into bioroids.” Rust China offers economic subsidies to colonists who choose to have Yousheng children.
  • Viking (2080): Since 2080, Colonial Genetics has offered a licensed version without the hormonal and reproductive modifications.
• Ziusudra (2073): This Biotech Euphrates “ideal” parahuman is designed for high intelligence and lengthened lifespan. The Ziusudra looks fully human. Its many transgenic genemods include a redesigned heart, arteries, spleen, and gastrointestinal tract, plus alterations to cellular repair systems to aid longevity. Currently, 11 million exist. There are many licensed or reverse-engineered variations.
  • Nyx (2084): Genehackers Inc. reverse-engineered the Ziusudra and made radical modifications to sleep-regulating structures in the brain, but seem to have compromised some of the parent design’s attributes. They need less sleep but don't have the increased lifespan.

Bioroid

Bioroids are living beings created fully formed through biogenesis.

• Incubus (2084): A pleasure bioroid based on a discontinued Biotech Euphrates design. Polykeratin tissue and hormonal nanofactories let the Incubus switch its apparent and functional gender, or be both at once. It boasts exceptional voluntary control of certain muscles and responses to heighten its partner’s experience.
• Sea Shepherd (2080): This GenTech bioroid is a skinnier and more streamlined version of the Aquamorph parahumans with sharp teeth.
• ZR-3 (2070): An early Xiao Chu Mars-operation bioroid, used both as workers and soldiers
• ZR-5 (2075): These Xiao Chu space-operations bioroids have light-gray skin, blue hair, and small suckers (derived from tree-frog genetics) on their fingers and toes.
• ZR-7 Tianyi (2072): The ZR-7 Tianyi is a popular “social interface” bioroid biofactured by Xiao Chu, often employed in jobs such as butler, front-desk secretary, flight attendant, host/hostess, etc. Since the 2080s, the Martian Triads and other syndicates have sold illegal knockoffs of the Tianyi as pleasure bioroids – Tianyi look like fashion models.

Cybershell

Cybershells consist of a computer brain and peripherals (at minimum, sensors and communication systems).

• Bush Robot (2097): One of the few bush robots to see commercial sales is the Exogenesis Bushmaster. It is a stickframe bush robot with three manipulator arms equipped with multi-branching, ultra-dexterous fractal manipulators. Its arms double as legs; thrusters mounted beneath its body provide zero-G maneuverability. Its computer brain is distributed through its body rather than centralized in any one place. Only 326 Bushmasters were made before Exogenesis was sold, but Nanodynamics will likely resume production. A few dozen were acquired by the European Space Control Agency and presently serve aboard E.U. spacecraft. Several Bushmasters hosting SAIs and ghosts are among the orphaned Exogenesis cybershells resisting the Nanodynamics takeover. 80 lbs., 5’ tall.
• Buzzbot (2075): Small aerial cybershells are used on Earth, Mars, and Titan for everything from aerial surveys to photojournalism to package delivery. Israel Robotics’ IRI-4 Malachi is typical: a miniature helicopter with two shrouded counter-rotating rotors, a cluster of simple sensors, and one manipulator arm. 5 lbs., 1’ tall.
• Computer: This cybershell is a static computer: It has external sensors and communication systems, but cannot directly manipulate objects or move under its own power, although it can surf the Web. If an infomorph’s computer is in a spacecraft or other large vehicle, it does not count as a cybershell: only count the actual computer (which can be removed).
• Cryobot (2073): Cryobots are built for ice-penetrating amphibious operations, and have been used beneath Antarctica, Europa, and Callisto. Vosper-Babbage’s Vostok is a typical cryobot, usually used for research and engineering, but it can carry hand-held weapons. It is a 2’-wide hemisphere housing a radiothermal generator and hydrojet propulsion unit. Behind the hemisphere is a cylindrical post 1’ wide and 3’ high, atop which is a spherical brainsensor housing. Halfway up the post are three folded manipulators that can act as arms or legs. The Vostok is designed to melt its way through ice, then explore underwater. It can walk tripod-fashion on its limbs, or balance on two of them and use the last as an arm. 400 lbs., 5’ tall.
• Cyberdoc (2070): System Technologies’ Hippocrates is a typical highend medical cybershell. It looks a bit like a mechanical starfish. Its limbs are studded with pressure, sonic, and microvisual sensors. Three of its “legs” do double duty as arms, and these are tipped with claws that are able to perform ordinary operations or microsurgery, or inject drugs. It can manufacture its own drugs. In extreme cases, it can even enfold a patient, placing him into life support or filtering his blood. 150 lbs., 5’ wide.
• Cyberdoll (2080): Cyberdolls are androids designed to look like people. The Clockwork Souls Android/Gynoid range are typical: beautiful, anatomically correct, and fully functional. Their lack of a pulse and inability to sweat, breathe, tan, bleed, or bruise can reveal their true nature, as will any medical or X-ray scan.
  • Infiltration Android (2090): Deep Indigo is a secret combat model developed by Nanodynamics for the CIA and SIA.
• Polypede (2078): Tenzan Heavy Industry’s Polypede is typical of multifunctional engineering polybots. It consists of multiple chains of intersecting modules, each with its own small manipulators, sensors, and power supply. Its default form is a 6’-wide “spider” with six legs and two arm-legs, but by removing and locking modules, it can reconfigure itself into a 20’-long burrowing worm, a 20’-long robotic arm (which must clamp one end to a larger object such as a vehicle or spacecraft), or even a high-speed rolling hoop! It can also plug other heavy equipment into itself, allowing its use in many engineering tasks such as grading, loading, mining, and heavy-equipment assembly. 800 lbs.
• RATS (2070): Robotic Armored Tactical Systems (RATS) are stealthy ground-combat cybershells intended to supplement or replace human infantry. The Darwin-Sogo Type 100 Yamaneko (“mountain cat”) is typical: an ovoid fourlegged body, with two short manipulator arms, retractable sensor booms, and a protruding gun tube. The spines studding its torso detect air vibrations, while its clawed legs enable it to burrow through sand or soil easily. 6’ long, 250 lbs.
• Snakebot (2067): Various snakebots have been popular since the early 21st century. The Naga, from Dhanmondi Dataflex of Bangladesh, is a typical example: a multi-segmented serpentine cybershell designed for search and rescue, maintenance, and scouting. It can easily navigate complex terrain: burrowing through loose soil; crawling down fissures, ducts, or sewers; and slithering up scaffolds or trees. The Naga can also transform its entire body into a robot arm by clamping one end to a heavier object, or become a hoop for rapid rolling movement. The “head” of the Naga incorporates two short tentacle manipulators and a multifunctional sensor and communications suite. 7’ long, 60 lbs. Combat models exist with stealth technology and weaponry.
• UCAV (2090): Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) are robot fighter aircraft. Strix is a typical example: a hyper-agile close air support fighter from Eurospatiale, built for the French Armée de l’Air and the submarine carriers of the Marine Nationale, and widely exported. Strix is a tailless aircraft, 8’ long, with a blended wing-body configuration. The airframe is a reactive smart-matter nanocomposite cyberframe stressed to 30 Gs, which has an integrated ECM defense system. The airframe can dynamically alter its shape in flight for increased lift or maneuverability. Strix’s vectored-thrust turbofan has sea-level supercruise in excess of 1,100 mph. Weaponry is a 15mm emag cannon with 400 rounds, plus an internal bay that can house up to 200 lbs. of bombs or smart missiles. 800 lbs.
• Virtual Interface Implant (2047): Many infomorphs live inside people! This cybershell is a virtual interface implant: a tiny computer brain and communicator, seated in someone’s skull or distributed through his body, and connected to the host’s nervous system. It sees and hears using its host’s senses, can communicate both with him and the outside world (including the Web), and monitor his health and mental state.
• Volkspider (2070): Volksrobots are cheap but reliable cybershells designed for a wide range of activities, from acting as personal gofers to repairing and cleaning buildings. The System Technologies V-100 Volkspider is typical: a six-legged, two-armed machine with minimal accessories. Fifth Wave kids often knock together machines like this from kits, teleoperating them around the neighborhood or loading in their companions. Suction cups let it climb walls. 2’ across, 25 lbs.
  • Tech-Spider: Space-tech cybershells such as the Tenzan Heavy Industries THI-200 Suchi-Rukara (steel-collar worker) are common.
• Wearable Virtual Interface: A wearable virtual interface could be virtual interface glasses or a distributed virtual interface (DVI) consisting of a monocle, ear piece, and belt computer. It sees and hears using the sensors built into it, and can speak to its wearer directly, or anyone else via radio. A Printed DVI has some of its circuits tattooed on the user’s body or clothing.

Bioshell

Bioshells are living bodies whose higher brain functions have been subsumed by an implanted bioshell interface computer. Most are clones or bioroids whose organic brain was gengineered to never develop in the first place. It is possible to transform a living body into a bioshell, but its mind will be destroyed in the process.

• Necromorph Bioshell: It is possible to use a combination of cellular regeneration and tissue engineered transplants to repair a corpse and reanimate it as a bioshell.