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Message no. 1
From: R Andrew Hayden <rahayden@*****.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU>
Subject: Re: ... [ Innovative Topic--trumpets sound and peasants cheer ]
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 93 00:42:26 CET
On Mon, 8 Feb 1993, Doctor Doom wrote:

>
> 1) Replicants cannot be made magical, at least not unless they are
> cloned directly from another magician [and even then I find the possibility
> quite unpleasant]. Further, there would be considerable legal problems with
> cloning a magician's (or anyone's) tissue and giving that new life.
> [ Alternatively, when have the MegaCorporations ever concerned themselves with
> anything so mundane as legality? ] The reason for this is that in ShadowTech
> it relays how geneticists still disagree about what composes the so-called
> "Magus Factor". A fully-genetically engineered Replicant, or one whose
> genetic code was altered from a mage's DNA would have very little possibility
> of wielding magical powers, as I see it.

I still see a lot of argument about whether magical ability is genetic or
some kind of random event. If it is genetic, then eventually it will be
genetically mapped and could be applied of clonal material. If it is
random (perhaps devine?) event, then I suppose in some warped sense there
is a POSSIBILITY that a sentient replicant could become magically endowed,
but that is, I think beyond the scope of this thread because even FASA
hasn't defined what genetic or magical attribute influence the endowing of
magical ability.

>
> 2) The problem I foresee is the instilling of knowledge and skills
> into the new Replicant body. There is no method of 'programming' knowledge or
> skills as of yet in ShadowRun. Of course, there are always Skill Wires, but
> should a new being be tied to a mechanical apparatus for all his abilities,
his
> or her repertoire would be considerably restricted. Please understand that I
> do not mean to indicate that I feel it is impossible, rather that this issue
> must be dealt with before one should sanction their existence.

Actually, there is a good way to do it.

I read in a magazine a couple years ago (Omni I think) about the theory
that you could use the DNA structures of genes to transmit information
(after all, basically DNA is simply a series of protein bits). So what if
as you design the replicant, you also "program" it. you give it an
identity, knowledge, a mission? SR already implies manipulations onf the
DNA-bit level in order to produce bioware, so you could extrapolate into
the concept of programming too.

Now, if you remember in Blade Runner, Tyrell Corp didn't program emotions
into their replicants. What happen was that after a few years, the lack
of emotions made the replicant unable to deal with the world and they went
insane. The replicant that worked for Tyrell and fell in love with
Deckard (I forget her name . . . damn damn damn) was given the benefit of
a past life experiences, in an attempt to to try to cushion her life from
the lack of emotions.

In any case, to safeguard the replicants from going nuts, they built into
the DNA programming a four-year life span, at which time the replicant's
DNA would break apart and they would die. Nice and cheap way to deal with
replicants eventually going nuts.


>
> 3) Obviously, Replicants can, and probably would, be more powerful and
> faster than stock humans. In game terms, that means their attributes would
> generally be much higher from the moment it started, POSSIBLY even higher than
> 'normal' human maximums via what could be considered, for all intents and
> purposes, 'natural' bioware. However, any such genetic-engineering, or
> altering (dare I say, 'tampering') of a original code would make the odds for
> magical ability almost nil, as I stated before.

Since you a building the replicant from the ground up (using a DNA
template), you can assume that they would have the best organs and best
abilities. This means that normal replicants would have bioware-like
organs, but would not really know it. They would simply be better,
stronger faster. Able to leap tall buildings in a single . . . THWAP!!!


> 4) Another problem, as Roberson mentioned, is how he/she/it interacts
> and reacts to others. A general description of the Replicants, as depicted in
> the film, could be that they were rather (even if superficially) charming
> sociopaths, lacking guilt or remorse for their actions. Guidelines of social
> conduct and behavior did not seem foremost in their minds. There were few
> things they could not do, and even fewer they WOULD not do, accordingly.
> Replicants would have, as I see it, quite different reactions from so-called
> 'normal' humans.

Once again, this is because Tyrell Corp gave them no emotions, no ability
to empathize. See response to #2.

>
> 5) As to the question of Soul or essence of life, I am not willing to
> start what will, in all likelihood, become quite a debate that would center on
> philosophy, religion, and personal ideology--all topics ill-suited to the
> matter at hand and more appropriately conducted elsewhere, as they are beyond
> the scope of this mailserver (and I get into enough of protracted discussion
> over similar topics with a friend and associate of mine: the one known as
Flare
> to the members of this list). All I shall say there are those who do not
> believe in such things, although I am not one of them, and shall logically
> discount this conundrum.

Ok, the question of a soul is a theological question that I would also
like to try to avoid.

>
> 6) Final point. The glowing red eyes were, as I understand it, a
> purely cinematic effect, and thus should not be considered (pending GM
> approval--considering how potentially DANGEROUS these individuals could be)
> a fool-proof method by which one may distinguish Replicants from 'natural'
> humans.

Yes, the red-eyes would supposed to be only seen by the viewing audience.
Remember the trouble that eckard had to go through to determine if
whats-her-name was a replicant? Endless questions.

If it was as easy as looking at her eyeballs, then all the charm and
danger of the replicant is gone. the fact that they are advanced
genetically engineered conscructs that look, act, and are (for all intents
and purposes) human. The ultimate camoflage. The ultimate danger.



[> Robert Hayden <] [> ____ Come out, Come out <]
[> <] [> \ /__ Wherever you are! <]
[> rahayden@*****.weeg.uiowa.edu <] [> \/ /
[> aq650@****.INS.CWRU.Edu <] [> \/

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