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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ralts Bloodthorne" data-source="post: 1803045" data-attributes="member: 6390">Aging of aTerran Homo SapeinsNova Wars EraIn the late 20th Century, several highly advanced (for their time) nations pooled their resources on a project known as the Human Genome Project, a mapping of the Terran Human genome sequence. While much of it was not understood, it provided the basis of genetic engineering knowledge advancements that allowed the Terran Humans to outstrip even the Obelisk's knowledge within a few short decades.Not only had cloning been discovered already, but research had been quietly continuing in the laboratories of powerful nations military and corporate entities. From stem cell research to cloning human beings, it was all done, some with a thin veneer of "for medical science" but others outright warfare applications.Before mankind had even left The Cradle, genetic engineering had not only "Jacked Up" several species to sentience, but humans had used genetic engineering upon themselves.With genetic engineering technology allowing DNA strand manipulation, the Terrans want from a single helix to triple interlocked helix in order to reduce aging effects as well as chromosonal and genetic damage. This also ensured that fewer birth defects occurred, since the mating chromosonal strands would take the two out of three matches, rather than having only a single set of DNA to take from.In eutero: Before birth, nanite surgery is used to correct severe birth defects, the occassional recessive gene that pops up, any fetal damage, as well as make any adjustments requested by the parents. By law, any adjustments done to enhance or degrade a fetus' eventual abilities, mental or physical, immediately places the child in the "gene-jack" category, and the mother/father and physician will be sentenced to no less than 4 life sentences upon a Hellworld. The harsh laws agains in eutero genetic engineering goes even so far as to allow only the selection of eye or hair color, features, or anything else by the parents, with sex, speed, strength, intellect being left up to nature.Birth Defects are defined as any mutation or recessive gene that will signifigantly retard the fetus's growth, intellectual or physical development. [This creates a new basic stat block of: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 rather than the old one.] These are adjusted, often by "the soup" or by capable physicians.0-9: Childhood9-12: Age or Reason. Recongised as able to make thier own decisions and use reasoning, as well as basic logic techniques. While not considered a child, they are responsible for deciding what they are interested in as far as career paths.12-21: Age of Education. This is where cybernetic, nanite, and cerebral transfer education takes place, as well as socialization skills are refined.21-250: Adulthood. Advances in medical sciences as well as genetic therapy and nanotechnological has allowed maturity to be extended nearly 200 years beyond normal. The long life has given the human race some extent of patience beyond what thier normally very limited life span had previously allowed them.250-350: Late Adulthood: Far past where ancient Terrans die, late adulthood is where replication errors in the DNA strands appear. Only cosmetic surgery can stave off the apparent effects of aging, but without expensive and highly invasive genetic therapy, they still suffer the effects of aging. Many Confederate citizens choose to undergo digital conversion, clinical immortality or full bionic conversion later in this stage of life. This is retirement age for most Terran Humans.350-375: Old Age: Progressive damage to the DNA replication instructions begins resulting in cancer, while brain cells are no longer as effective as they once were. Advanced eugenic therapy and cybernetics are all that can stave off the physical and mental effects of aging at this point. Most Confederacy citizens choose clinical immortality or digital conversion. Rich and powerful or highly influential citizens may choose clone bodies, but with this advanced age, roughly 25% of the individuals memories, knowlegde is lost in the transfer due to overlapping memories and memory damage. Cloning to a younger body requires expensive and difficult to aquire liscenses.375-400: Advanced Old Age: Gene therapy, nanite repair and DNA reconstruction no longer cuts the cake. Cybernetic conversion, Digital Conversion and "Clinical Immortality" are all that remain, as the body rapidly succumbs to age effects.400: Age of Transition: At this age, a citizen is legally required to undergo either full cybernetic conversion, clinical immortality, or digital conversion. Even with clones, transmission to a new body is illegal. All stored clones are freed, but exhiled to the Biological Artificial Systems for 50 years, so that they may gain thier own experiences.Those who refuse to undergo "Transition" are hunted down by bounty hunters, and their intellect is slaved to such things as forced data-mining within VR-Space, vast Terran databases, running scoutships or long range explorer's.Clinical ImmortalityClinical immortality is fairly simple in concept, but difficult to actually produce. Simply, it involves removing a citizens brain, several inches of spinal cord, thier eyes (for creepiness factor) and instilling it within a modified cerebral chassis, making them, basically, a brain floating in a bottle.Those who undergo CI maintain thier full rights as a citizen, and interact with the rest of the world via holo-projectors, nanite constructs and VR-Space. While so far the CI population is only around six billion, there are over 12 billion sentients that are scheduled for CI, digitization or full cybernetic conversion within the next 25 years.</blockquote>

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