From:	Scott Wheelock iscottw@*****.nb.ca
Subject:	Cloning SOTA
Date:	Wed, 10 Feb 1999 07:47:49 -0400

"And now, a Channel 6 editorial reply to Starrngr@***.com."
]We all know that cloning is possible, and is infact commonplace in 206x. We
]also know that with simsense it is possible to experiance and record
everthing
]a person sees hears and feels. Putting these two things together what is the
]general consensus on this list of the possiblity of these being used to
]provide certain people with a virtual immortality? IE being able to record a
]persons memeories and knowlege, and pump it into the brain of a clone, so
that
]the clone wakes up knowing everything the person does?

If possible, it's something people might try. I could see the same
people falling
for that who are presently "cryogenically" freezing their bodies. I agree
with
everyone else who said it was impossible, but I think it would make a great
scam...definite adventure hook. Some small group is bilking old folks out of
their money by promising them everlasting life in a new, young body. All they
have to do is just go to a number of easy sessions to "download" their
memories,
and soon their life will be on chip. Then, they're assured that after they
die,
they'll live on. And of course, the whole thing is hogwash. The runners
can be
hired by some interested party...

]Heck, I just realised another thing, I think I recall it was being bandied
]about when I first came up on the Itribe list. However, I dont remember what
]the consensus on it was. What would happen if say a street sammie, (cybered
]to within a tenth of his life, obviously) had his brain transplanted into an
]all new clone body with no cyber? He would go back to having 6 essance,
]right?
]And before you all jump on me saying even in 206x brain transplants arnt
]possible, I have two words for you: CYBER SKULL. Shure seems to me that the
]sort of work that needs to be done to give someone one of those, or a cyber
]torso, could be used to transplant a brain with no problem.

No siree. The brain is nervous tissue. The spinal column, handily attached
to the brain, is nervous tissue. These things cannot be healed in Shadowrun,
I'm sure. I forget where I've read it, but two places that give hints are
the SR
Companion, p. 27 (Paraplegic Flaw, Quadreplegic Flaw; these flaws cannot
be cured by cybertechnology or magic), and the Critters sourcebook p. 13 (a
creature with the Regeneration power cannot be killed by any damage except
that which injures the spine or brain). Granted, these are special
circumstances,
but I believe the rule applies to all of the SR universe.
Anyway, the cyberskull, could, as Gurth(?) mentioned, be implanted
sectionally around the intact nervous system.
But, to flog what's probably a dead horse, if a character with a cyberarm
gets
it removed, and gets a clonal replacement, does he get the point of essense
back?

Scott
-----------------------------------------------------
"Fragile, timid, with natural good manners,
he was, however, better suited for war than
for government."
_One Hundred Years Of Solitude_
Gabriel Garcia Marquez