From:	Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Re[2]: Maxim, again?!
Date:	Thu, 27 Mar 1997 16:52:52 -0800

Jeffrey Mach wrote:
>On Thu, 27 Mar 1997, Michael Broadwater wrote:

>> Maybe this was mentioned once and I missed it, but anyone else notice that
>> our time can make viable clones, but SR, they can't? Think the mana sphere
>> has something to do with that? ;)

>Nani? Never said anything about not making viable clones.

It's *force-growing* a viable clone, the same way replacement organs and
bioware are force-grown, that's impossible in SR. Without the usual
tank-growth methods, you need to use someone's uterus and you have to wait
the usual ~18 years for the clone to reach adulthood. Unless, that is, you
had some *other* way to accelerate the growth of a human child...

>Then again, there is the rather extreme possibility of genetically
>engineering the parts into the person, and raising them from there. Eh,
>Justin (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)?

Funny you should mention that (still waiting for your response to that last
email, BTW.) It's important to note that as is implied in Shadowtech, you
can't just toss the genes for bioware parts into your prospective person's
genome and hope it all works, because bioware designers rarely bother to
check how well the genetic "programs" that produce bioware get along with
other genes. You'd have to do a whole bunch of tweaking and patching.

>So, IMHO, clones can exist (in fact I thought that that's what Tunda Mk.I
>who was diced by Easy, was).

IIRC, Thunda #1 was a remote-controlled non-viable force-grown clone body: a
brainless flesh puppet, product of a few months in a tank and lots of money.

>are uneconomical. As for mana problems, I still haven't heard the full
>reasoning behind why biowear had "Body cost" but no essence cost for
>non-mages, but mages have to deduct from their magic rating just like they
>would for cyberwear, other than just for game balance considerations.

It's supposed to interfere with the astral pattern necessary for magic use
or something like that, which means "game balance".

--
Justin Fang (justinf@****.caltech.edu)
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