Post by Alain Vircyn on Aug 11, 2007 16:13:04 GMT -5
There is technically only one race - Homo sapiens, but there have been a few offshoots over the years.
Homo sapiens
Humans. Humans in the 28th century are much like humans in this one, but have followed the trend of getting taller and larger, with the average height of a male Terran being about 6'5". Other than that, there is little to be said about them that you wouldn't already know. Standard humans are not able to use many mind-enhancing nanomachines because of mental problems. Normal humans can have low level psionic abilities. An average human lives to be around 250 years old, depending on the level of their age-compensation treatments.
Homo sapiens parabellum
A far less numerous offshoot of the standard species, these are the humans who are far more compatible with nanomodification, and many of which have demonstratable psionic ability. All of the most powerful psionics come from this subtly different race. Other than these facts, the only notable differences between the two kinds of human are that -parabellum humans almost always have brighter eye colors, and a slightly faster metabolism. The downside to the slight mutations is a certain resistance to the age extension procedure, and many -parabellum humans live about 50 years fewer on the same treatment level ((they have the same natural lifespan, however))
Homo sapiens phasmatis
The term given to sentient AI - as they are considered part of the human race, simply enclosed in a computer - since all architecture for their structure is created using a human brain (For instance Kali, the AI overseer of New Avalon, was created using the brain of Alain's mother). While they often behave similarly to their 'donor', a sentient AI is his or her own person, and retains none of the memories of the original human.
Sentient AI are supercomputers in their own rights, with almost limitless processing power and the ability to appear holographically in many places at once, as they can section off parts of themselves to do many things at once, including holding many different conversations. Sentient AI can control machines and many other things remotely, and are in control of the hologram generators all across their city or ship, as well as targeting weapons and controlling all complex mechanical activities. They work very closely with engineering teams, the military, and scientists, and at the same time many AI find time to help children with homework and other applications.
Sentient AI are almost like gods within their domains, but are entirely powerless outside them or without a machine nearby to take command of - for that, they can only watch and give support verbally.
While they are afforded almost all the same rights as a biological human, sentient AI are required to follow lawful orders, preserve human life where possible, and cannot fire weapons to kill without authorization from a military officer, a failsafe against hacking or catastrophic malfunction. AI can disobey orders if the issuing human displays signs of insanity, or if it goes against their better judgement, so many of these hard-coded laws can be bent or sometimes broken, though the weapons failsafe is built into the weapons themselves rather than the AI core, and so cannot be avoided.
Sentient AI assign themselves a name and generate their own unique appearance when they are first activated, and many have chosen names and appearances from ancient pantheons of gods and goddesses, whether because they simply enjoy the comparison or what the reason for this is has never been fully explained.
Sentient AI do not become obsolete unlike standard AI because of their ability - like the human mind - to expand their own "programming". They have frequent nanoprocessor upgrades, however, but these do not affect their personality core, so throughout the upgrades, an AI remains the same "person", as it were. No AI has ever been decommissioned or removes from its host systems, and such is theorized to be impossible because of the sheer extent to which sentient AI propagate themselves through the systems to which they are incorporated, almost like a plant spreading through the rocks.
So far, no sentient AI has crashed from old age, so their lifespan is unknown. The oldest is currently Uranus, the AI of the original Paradise settlement in Antarctica. He is about 500 years old.
Homo ayeri
The Ayeri, or Bluebloods as they are sometimes called (occasionally in an insulting manner), are even further from normal humans than the AI, but are still considered similar enough to be placed in the same genus. Ayeri are synthetic humans, created using advanced nanomachines in place of cells, and copied (though slightly altered) human genetic code.
Physically, Ayeri resemble slightly taller and usually paler humans - their skin cannot be burned by the sun and so melanin is unecessary - with eyes that often change according to their mood, and often have brightly colored hair to set them apart. Since many humans use prismatic contacts and hair dyes, however, the one sure way to tell an Ayeri is that, as their nickname suggests, their blood is blue as opposed to red, because of the chemical difference in how their nanomachiens carry oxygen.
Ayeri have most of the same requirements as humans for food, water, and air, though they can often go much longer without any of these than humans can, thanks to the increased efficiency of their body processes. They can also tolerate much colder temperatures, but because their metabolism is more efficient and therefore their body temperatures are lower, they handle extreme heat somewhat more poorly.
Ayeri have greatly increased strength, agility, speed, and stamina over humans, and many can do math and concrete abstract thought in their heads far faster than your average human - thanks to the almost AI-like way in which their minds function. They have somewhat more trouble with creativity and other 'human' thought types, though this is not to say they are not sentient - it is more a factor of the way they are raised in labs, after being born already at near mature size in culture tubes. As such, they often tend towards some immaturity in interactions with others, though like AI they are made for a certain task, and are extraordinarily competent at it almost as a rule. Several Ayeri are 'adopted' by human familes, and interact perfectly well with humans, though again they tend to act somewhat like children no matter their age and appearance, since no Ayeri has a true childhood.
The first Ayeri were created to manage the Grand Spire beneath Atlantis, since the atmosphere and energy levels within it were hazardous to humans. This system functioned perfectly until the Ayeri, for no apparent reason, sealed all entrances and exits to the Spire, and have remained down there - it is assumed - ever since. The Spire continues to have maintenence done on it, presumably by the Ayeri within, though contact has been lost with them for nearly seventy years. Because of this, no Ayeri was created for 50 years afterwards, though the combat model Arya was created in 2750, making her the eldest Ayeri in society at 25.
Like the AI, no Ayeri has ever died of old age, though the originals would be about 75, assuming they still live...
Homo sapiens
Humans. Humans in the 28th century are much like humans in this one, but have followed the trend of getting taller and larger, with the average height of a male Terran being about 6'5". Other than that, there is little to be said about them that you wouldn't already know. Standard humans are not able to use many mind-enhancing nanomachines because of mental problems. Normal humans can have low level psionic abilities. An average human lives to be around 250 years old, depending on the level of their age-compensation treatments.
Homo sapiens parabellum
A far less numerous offshoot of the standard species, these are the humans who are far more compatible with nanomodification, and many of which have demonstratable psionic ability. All of the most powerful psionics come from this subtly different race. Other than these facts, the only notable differences between the two kinds of human are that -parabellum humans almost always have brighter eye colors, and a slightly faster metabolism. The downside to the slight mutations is a certain resistance to the age extension procedure, and many -parabellum humans live about 50 years fewer on the same treatment level ((they have the same natural lifespan, however))
Homo sapiens phasmatis
The term given to sentient AI - as they are considered part of the human race, simply enclosed in a computer - since all architecture for their structure is created using a human brain (For instance Kali, the AI overseer of New Avalon, was created using the brain of Alain's mother). While they often behave similarly to their 'donor', a sentient AI is his or her own person, and retains none of the memories of the original human.
Sentient AI are supercomputers in their own rights, with almost limitless processing power and the ability to appear holographically in many places at once, as they can section off parts of themselves to do many things at once, including holding many different conversations. Sentient AI can control machines and many other things remotely, and are in control of the hologram generators all across their city or ship, as well as targeting weapons and controlling all complex mechanical activities. They work very closely with engineering teams, the military, and scientists, and at the same time many AI find time to help children with homework and other applications.
Sentient AI are almost like gods within their domains, but are entirely powerless outside them or without a machine nearby to take command of - for that, they can only watch and give support verbally.
While they are afforded almost all the same rights as a biological human, sentient AI are required to follow lawful orders, preserve human life where possible, and cannot fire weapons to kill without authorization from a military officer, a failsafe against hacking or catastrophic malfunction. AI can disobey orders if the issuing human displays signs of insanity, or if it goes against their better judgement, so many of these hard-coded laws can be bent or sometimes broken, though the weapons failsafe is built into the weapons themselves rather than the AI core, and so cannot be avoided.
Sentient AI assign themselves a name and generate their own unique appearance when they are first activated, and many have chosen names and appearances from ancient pantheons of gods and goddesses, whether because they simply enjoy the comparison or what the reason for this is has never been fully explained.
Sentient AI do not become obsolete unlike standard AI because of their ability - like the human mind - to expand their own "programming". They have frequent nanoprocessor upgrades, however, but these do not affect their personality core, so throughout the upgrades, an AI remains the same "person", as it were. No AI has ever been decommissioned or removes from its host systems, and such is theorized to be impossible because of the sheer extent to which sentient AI propagate themselves through the systems to which they are incorporated, almost like a plant spreading through the rocks.
So far, no sentient AI has crashed from old age, so their lifespan is unknown. The oldest is currently Uranus, the AI of the original Paradise settlement in Antarctica. He is about 500 years old.
Homo ayeri
The Ayeri, or Bluebloods as they are sometimes called (occasionally in an insulting manner), are even further from normal humans than the AI, but are still considered similar enough to be placed in the same genus. Ayeri are synthetic humans, created using advanced nanomachines in place of cells, and copied (though slightly altered) human genetic code.
Physically, Ayeri resemble slightly taller and usually paler humans - their skin cannot be burned by the sun and so melanin is unecessary - with eyes that often change according to their mood, and often have brightly colored hair to set them apart. Since many humans use prismatic contacts and hair dyes, however, the one sure way to tell an Ayeri is that, as their nickname suggests, their blood is blue as opposed to red, because of the chemical difference in how their nanomachiens carry oxygen.
Ayeri have most of the same requirements as humans for food, water, and air, though they can often go much longer without any of these than humans can, thanks to the increased efficiency of their body processes. They can also tolerate much colder temperatures, but because their metabolism is more efficient and therefore their body temperatures are lower, they handle extreme heat somewhat more poorly.
Ayeri have greatly increased strength, agility, speed, and stamina over humans, and many can do math and concrete abstract thought in their heads far faster than your average human - thanks to the almost AI-like way in which their minds function. They have somewhat more trouble with creativity and other 'human' thought types, though this is not to say they are not sentient - it is more a factor of the way they are raised in labs, after being born already at near mature size in culture tubes. As such, they often tend towards some immaturity in interactions with others, though like AI they are made for a certain task, and are extraordinarily competent at it almost as a rule. Several Ayeri are 'adopted' by human familes, and interact perfectly well with humans, though again they tend to act somewhat like children no matter their age and appearance, since no Ayeri has a true childhood.
The first Ayeri were created to manage the Grand Spire beneath Atlantis, since the atmosphere and energy levels within it were hazardous to humans. This system functioned perfectly until the Ayeri, for no apparent reason, sealed all entrances and exits to the Spire, and have remained down there - it is assumed - ever since. The Spire continues to have maintenence done on it, presumably by the Ayeri within, though contact has been lost with them for nearly seventy years. Because of this, no Ayeri was created for 50 years afterwards, though the combat model Arya was created in 2750, making her the eldest Ayeri in society at 25.
Like the AI, no Ayeri has ever died of old age, though the originals would be about 75, assuming they still live...
