From:	mneideng@****.caltech.edu (Mark L. Neidengard)
Subject:	Re: New plot
Date:	Tue, 19 Mar 1996 11:54:35 -0800 (PST)

According to Evan Hughes:
>
> I don't think the bod is a problem so much as the brain (etc). If
> you're talking about fertilizing a transplanted egg and letting it grow,
> then no problem. the trouble starts when you start trying to _BUILD_ a
> genome. It's big. Really damn big. The Human Genome project is supposed to
> be complete sometime in 2020 -> 2040, but thats ignoring all of the
> introns (I'm probably wrong here. I usually am. =). And since in Srun,
> most metagenes are contained in introns, you have to be careful about all
> that detritus... *pause*

Well, I don't think Justin is talking about building a new genome from scratch.
It's more like starting with the human genome and then making tweaks. No
different than trying to eradicate certain hereditary disorders, but potentially
a lot more involved, especially as the degree of change increases.

> Of course, if you were to try _adapting_ an existing genome very
> carefully, then you would get much less dramatic results, but they would
> probably work.

Yup. =) At least, depending on what adaptation you were trying for...

> In Srun, characters also have "spirits". Could one of the problems
> with creating 'life' be that the spirit is an external entity (ie, derived
> from the maternal parent? Paternal? Both? A rabbit? =) and is not simply
> created by the genes? (OF course, if this is true, 98% of my plots are
> fuqued)

I don't see any reason to insist on this, since the canon doesn't say and
everyone's metaphysical views (both in game and out) are probably different.
--
/!\/!ark /!\!eidengard, CS Major, VLSI. http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~mneideng
"Fairy of sleep, controller of illusions" Operator/Jack-of-all-Trades, CACR
"Control the person for my own purpose." "Don't mess with the Dark
Elves!"
-Pirotess, _Record_of_Lodoss_War_ Shadowrunner and Anime Addict