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I don't care.

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I don't care.

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Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am

[19_EgarAlnis]

What's our next course of action? I'd like to rest a little longer before taking the field again, but I'm not averse to training or studying. Or paperwork.

[ZBridges]

How about looking into looming? We should have access to the cube and we can ask Cephie's AI if necessary.

[19_EgarAlnis]

You rise, heading toward's Cephie's ship. The pad bay is plenty busy, as Crusaders work to load supplies and fuel into ships that fly out into the early evening sky. A few of them bow when they see you, but you give a lift of your hand, making your way to the conspicuous Noble vessel that sits on a pad. You approach the doors and hesitate, unsure.

They slide open for you, and you enter in on Cephie. Gone is the various outfits of her disguises, gone are the clothes of SEED and the outlander. She stands in a tight set of black armor. It's touched with gleaming things you can only truly comprehend as being like stones. It shifts up her torso, covering her completely just as you walk in. Plates start to emerge, covering vital areas of her body. "Oh, hey Pheobe."

"Hey...Cephie. What's that?"

"Oh? This is my mark seventy-eight."

"A-armor?"

"Yes! It's designed for my particular powers. I can shape it into anything I need-- and it stores some of my calories."

"Have you ever heard of a mark fifteen?" You question.

Cephie looks a little embarrassed. "They made those near the end of the Reclamation Wars, millennia ago...its...its an antique, to be honest."

"Ah."

"I mean, its better than nothing! But this one has a built in shield generator,...a bunch of neat tricks."

"Sounds pretty...useful." You give her a smile, "I was wondering, could I have access to the your AI to research some things?"

"Sure!" Leaning over, Cephie snatches up the datapad and tosses it your way. "Keep it. It's got a wireless connection -- it should work in most, if not all of the levels of the Fortress--"

"I...are you sure?"

"I'll print a new one when I get back."

[ZBridges]

"Thanks, and good luck on your mission. Does your armor have a name? Mine is Lucille."

[19_EgarAlnis]

"...No? I mean, I guess I'm not that sentimental to name mine. It's just seventy-eight." Cephie grins, brushing off a speck of dust from the material. "Anyway, I'll see you when I get back."

You nod, leaving with her, turning the datapad on as you make your way to the Thornton Library that was brought with the Thorton Family Refugees. Emma set it up as a curated Library of SEED, one of the only ones in the fortress. You drift in, taking a seat at a hidden alcove, illuminated by a dim lamp.

What am I looking for?

[ZBridges]

Historically, what were the results when loomed humans were introduced and integrated into the populations of normal humans?

[19_EgarAlnis]

The AI, at your prompt, coalesces thousands of academic papers into a few more easily readable ones. You skim through these, lounging back in the chair as you do. The user interface of this device is amazing, providing auto-translate and simplifying concepts that you had limited understanding of into ones you can easily parse.

[13]...When in structured roles with clear definitions, humans augmented past Homo Fundamentum levels will generally be accepted by most, if not all cultures. However, those without a diverse background for interacting with non-Fundamentum humans will generally have issues accepting a variety of above or below baseline level humans...inferiority or superiority complexes will be brought to a head, resulting in civil strife... It lists a number of planets where such strife had detrimental effects. Mixed societies usually have been brought about as a slow process, or with peoples who have an understanding of diversity and different cultures. Most societies usually rely on one or the other, either using Looming for all reproductive needs, or all-natural approaches. Slow integration of Non-Fundamemtum Humans usually results in a more robust, healthy population.

[ZBridges]

What are the different positions on the ethicality of loomed humans?

[19_EgarAlnis]

Too many to list. Some say its the only ethical way to reproduce. Others claim its abomination against the Gods. Others claim that Loomed Humans if treated the same as regular humans, are perfectly ethical. Others say that Loomed humans should only be used as slaves or soldiers. A thousand different justifications for a thousand different positions.

All in all, it seems that no one has any idea about how ethically correct such creations are. This complicated matter is exacerbated by the fact that all the humans in the known galaxy were descended from Loomed Homo Fundamentums. No trace of Homo Sapiens exists, except in old genetic records and in the oldest rim pirate fleets.

[ZBridges]

Are there any negative side effects associated with the looming process, such as loss of free will or forced subservience to a particular role?

[19_EgarAlnis]

Usually in the Looming process, the loomed individual is rapidly grown to a physical age, and then mentally conditioned to complete maturity. Usually, any indoctrination or further training for specific roles also occur at this stage of the process. Looming can also produce children, but these have to be tended to with care. Once again, indoctrination or further training can be impressed. As these children do not have memories of a maternal or paternal figure, unless they are assigned, said children will generally tend to subservience if treated well. However, attachments can form, as it seems seeking parental figures is an innate trait of human nature. It goes on to list several experiments where these tendencies were removed, but it generally doesn't seem to end well. However, if assigned to parents, Loomed children generally follow normal childhood paths -- if they are baseline. Introducing other traits complicates these matters, and creates alienation, superiority complexes, or inferiority complexes, depending on the culture and society. If non-baseline humans are loomed, it is in the Loomers best interests to create a role and mythos for said individuals.

[ZBridges]

It looks like a slow introduction of loomed humans would help avoid hostile reactions from our population. Indoctrination is not necessary to the process, and perhaps we could give such individuals a choice of roles. If we can create a religious mythos surrounding each loomed individual for each particular role, the public will tolerate them better. It appears that this can be done ethically.

Ask Zero to send a missive to Armssmith labeling the technology as ethical as long as indoctrination is not forced and the resulting humans are introduced to our population slowly.

[19_EgarAlnis]

Why? Why are we doing this? What is the plan for them? These people are not old enough to have a genetic drift -- and cybernetics can modify strength, agility and endurance?

[ZBridges]

If cybernetics can accomplish everything that looming humans can, then I suppose there is no reason to pursue looming. If loomed humans have unique benefits, however, they could be useful against the plague. I could also see them being useful as engineers and researchers to advance our technology.

[19_EgarAlnis]

I mean, it can and it can't. But I'm just curious as to the intention behind our program. Is it to create soldiers or just to add to our population?