Unlike their near-baseline cousins, the development of the Superior
clade has historically followed a much more organized and planned
process, with market forces and random genetic intermixing playing a
far smaller role. Superiors were derived from a much more deliberate
attempt to enhance human genetic potential and this tradition has
continued throughout their history. This has resulted in a much more
consistent set of genetic modifications across the Superior clade, with
local variations and preferences playing a much smaller part. While
they share a number of traits with the near-baseline clades such as
enhanced immune systems, Superiors have a number of differences, both
as a general rule and in terms of distinct qualities that set them far
apart from the near-baseline norm.
The following should be seen as a general list and not a total
description of every characteristic of every Superior. Over time
different Su groups and societies have tended to prefer some traits
over others and have engineered themselves to enhance or reduce those
traits accordingly.
Note: many augmented species, including various cyborgs,
also call themselves superiors (for instance su-chimps, su-dogs and so
on); but the Homo superior
species has retained and developed the same genome since the
Interplanetary age; this essay relates specifically to them.
Superior physical traits and genemods:
Slightly larger size, longer lifespan:
Superiors tend to be about 5 cm taller then near-baselines (185cm on
average) with an unaugmented lifespan averaging about 800 years versus
the neb average of 180cm and 500 years.
Enhanced respiratory efficiency:
Superior blood and muscle tissue captures and uses oxygen much more
efficiently then the baseline norm. In addition their lungs have
been redesigned to operate in a manner similar to that of some species
of Terran bird, utilizing a counter-current exchange system that
permits them to operate at very low partial pressures. This
allows su to operate in either low pressure or high altitude habitats
in comfort. On average, under conditions of standard temperature
and pressure, a su can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes of low
activity or 3 minutes of intense activity.
Anti-freeze blood proteins:
Superior blood contains a series of protein structures that prevents
their blood and tissue from freezing in all but the most extreme
conditions. Superiors can survive (albeit not necessarily comfortably)
at temperatures down to 0 deg C indefinitely and temperatures as low as
-1.6C for periods of several hours without ill effects although this
will normally result in a slowing of their metabolism, rate of
movement, etc if maintained for more then a few minutes. The original
purpose of this adaptation was to allow Superiors to more
easily be placed into cryogenic stasis. The later development of
nanostasis has made this adaptation somewhat superfluous, but most su
clades have retained it. Whether this is for sentimental reasons,
or as a ‘just in case’ fallback in case the technology of
nanostasis becomes unavailable, or for some other reason depends on
which su clade one asks.
High-efficiency digestion and
metabolism:
Superior digestive systems process food with a much higher level of
efficiency and discrimination then the baseline norm. A su
metabolism will only absorb the optimum amount of nutrients, proteins,
amino acids, and minerals to meet the environmental demands that their
body is undergoing at the time. Excess or toxic levels of these
substances are rejected and removed from the body in the normal course
of digestion. Superior bodies also store energy with greater
efficiency. This allows them to both go for longer periods (usually of
low physical activity) without eating and to compensate for the demands
of their enhanced bodies and minds without having to eat significantly
more then the baseline norm. Like near-baselines their bodies can also
process cellulose. As a result of these modifications superior
digestive systems produce a much smaller amount of waste with
defecation taking place much less frequently. In extreme cases,
superiors have been known to go as long as 10
standard weeks without food and survive the experience, although
extensive rehabilitative therapy was required afterwards. During these
periods, bodily waste production drops to nearly zero.
Hibernation:
If desired, a Superior can alter their metabolism to entire a deep
hibernative state similar to that experienced by some types of Terran
mammals and other lifeforms. Achieving this state requires both
training and practice and it is normally desirable to precede it with a
significant period of both fluid and food intake to build up the bodies
reserves. Properly trained and prepared, a su can maintain a state of
deep
hibernation for periods of up to half a standard year without ill
effects.
Enhanced musculature:
Superior musculature is constructed somewhat differently from the
baseline average, allowing their muscle fibers to work together more
readily, and with greater efficiency. As such, the average su is around
2-3 times as strong as a nearbaseline of equal size.
Su can use their right or left hands with equal skill and have no
preference. They will use whichever limb is more readily available.
Superior feet and toes are also very limber and can (with some
training) be used as additional manipulators for limited tasks
comparable to those achieved by some humans who have lost the use of
their arms or hands.
Redesigned inner ear and sense of
balance, enhanced judgment of angles and distances:
Superiors do not get dizzy or disoriented as a result of rapid changes
in direction or spinning motions. A su can quite comfortably be
spun on multiple axes simultaneously while catching objects thrown at
them from different directions. If they choose to throw the
objects back they will likely never miss.
Biologic optimization:
Superior bodies are designed to rapidly adapt to changing environmental
conditions. Placing a su in a given environment (high temperature, low
temperature, humid, dry, high, low, or microgravity conditions, etc.)
for a significant length of time will trigger (generally over a period
of some weeks, but in extreme cases some changes can happen in a matter
of hours) a series of physiological and biochemical changes that will
result in the su being adapted to survive comfortably in the
environment they are in. This may result in
alteration of the physical features, darkening or lightening of the
skin, growth or loss of insulating hair and fat layers, addition or
loss of bone and cartilage, and so on. In more extreme cases even
changes in hair type (straight to curly for example, or vice-versa),
height, body proportion, or even gender may be achieved. This ability
also leads to su being able to gain rapid immunity to a
wide range of allergens, poisons, and other organic and inorganic
toxins. In addition, with some training and practice most su can
activate and control their adaptive abilities through conscious effort
allowing them to both accelerate the adaptive process and make limited
alterations to their appearance fairly quickly. Minor changes
such as alterations in eye or skin color may take a few days while more
extensive changes to the musculature or bone structure may take weeks
to months of effort. A side benefit of this ability is that superiors
respond very rapidly
and effectively to physiological stressors such as exercise. Even the
least active su typically maintains a level of fitness comparable to a
baseline medium level amateur decathlete, just from normal day-to-day
activities and their other biological modifications. However, if a su
begins to engage in a pattern of specific additional exercise and diet,
their body will rapidly optimize itself to take maximum advantage of
the new conditions. A superior who takes up running (for example) will
rapidly adapt to a level of cardiovascular fitness rivaling that of the
best marathoner. If weightlifting and exercising for general fitness,
the superior will soon match the best results of a dedicated fitness
professional. If a dedicated program more geared to bodybuilding or
power lifting is undertaken the same rapid and enhanced results will be
seen. If a more 'skilled' sport is undertaken, such as martial arts or
gymnastics, the necessary reflexes and speed will all develop, usually
at a rate and level at least twice that of the best baseline
athlete. In essence a su is a 'natural' at any type of physical
activity they choose to undertake. Combined with an increased endorphin
response from exercise, most su
are dedicated amateurs in at least one or two sports at any given time.
Vision:
Su vision is extremely acute matching the best of the near-baseline
genemods in terms of acuity, color sense, and night vision (felinoid
vertical pupils are the norm among su). In addition, su have limited
perception of both the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.
Hearing:
The Superior audio range extends beyond that normally developed in the
near-baseline human, but not as far as is found in many animal
species. Superiors can hear both higher and lower frequencies
then near-baselines as well as being able to establish the direction of
a sound with a high degree of accuracy. Virtually all Su have
perfect pitch.
Mental enhancements:
Minimal Sleep:
Superior brains perform the various restorative functions normally
carried out during sleep much more rapidly then the near-baseline norm.
As such they have no need for more then 3-4 hours of sleep out of every
24 under most circumstances. Only after periods of extreme physical
activity do su have a need for extended rest.
If engaged in mostly mental activities and supplied with sufficient
nutrients, a su can also go without sleeping at all for several days at
a time. However, such a feat will require a very extended sleep
period later.
Multi-tasking:
Superior brains are much better at dividing up their resources
efficiently and handling multiple inputs or trains of thought
simultaneously. A Superior can easily handle up to four separate tasks
simultaneously, and as many as six with some effort. For example, a su
could easily watch four separate data feeds on four different subjects
at the same time and gain full information from all of them. Or (if
sufficiently motivated) watch one data feed, listen to another, carry
on a simultaneous conversation with a person or people, and write two
separate papers (one with each hand) on two different topics. Although
if kept up for more then a few hours this
requires some amount of rest. As a result of this, superior languages
tend to carry much more
information than near-baseline communication methods. A 'high' superior
language may employ a combination of voice (using the maximum number of
voice sounds possible), hand signs, and coded blinking all taking place
simultaneously and transmitting either multiple levels of meaning on
the same subject or information on three entirely different subjects at
the same time.
Enhanced focus:
Along with the ability to divide their attention in multiple directions
simultaneously, most Superiors also have some ability to devote their
entire attention to a single task above all others. When the need
arises, a su can focus their mind on a single task to the exclusion of
all else, becoming neither discouraged nor bored regardless of how
repetitious or unrewarding the task may be. This ability permits
su to avoid boredom on long journeys, work on repetitious tasks for
hours or days on end without frustration, and keep their attention
focused on a task in the face of numerous and even violent
distractions. It should be noted that after some well-publicized
problems with this
adaptations in the early years of su development, the ability was
redesigned so that the need for food, water, and sleep will eventually
override any degree of focus that a Superior may be employing. While
nearly all Superiors have both enhanced multi-tasking and
focusing abilities to one degree or another, different sub-clades have
tended to prefer one ability over the other for various reasons, either
aesthetic or societal. As such, it is rare for a superior to have
both abilities in equal measure.
Memory and observation:
Su possess both a redesigned and more efficient brain structure. Su
enjoy both virtually perfect short-term memories and the ability to
either ‘fix’ or erase memories at will. In addition,
they observe the world around them with a level of acuity generally
ascribed only to such fictional characters as Sherlock Holmes. When a
superior chooses to, they may remember something at such a level of
'fidelity' as to virtually re-experience it but with the added ability
to speed up, slow down, or 'freeze' the pace of events in the memory so
that they may examine it at leisure. This ability makes superiors
almost unimpeachable witnesses. An additional side-effect of this
ability is that su have a virtually perfect sense of direction, and are
able to find their way back to their starting point (or anywhere along
the journey) after even the most convoluted trip involving turns,
switchbacks, dead-ends and so on.
Pattern recognition:
Superiors have extremely enhanced pattern recognition abilities,
allowing them to (for example) pick meaningful information out of even
highly complex or ‘busy’ backgrounds or see the connections
between seemingly disparate events (although transapients vastly exceed
them in this regard). As a result, su are able to detect most
camouflaged objects or lifeforms that rely on visual mimicry, can pick
out ‘hidden’ words or pictures from a jumble of letters or
images with ease, and see the connections between or consequences of
events much more readily then their near-baseline cousins.
Slearning:
All Superiors possess this genemod as a core part of their design. Su
can learn virtually any task or information comprehensible to a
sub-transapient mind. Their enhanced neural plasticity allows
them to gain new knowledge and skills very rapidly, with their brains
literally adding to their complexity and structure as new abilities are
added. Furthermore they are able to achieve virtually total
comprehension in a given field and then both extend that field to more
general or unique cases or combine it with other information or
skill-sets they may have learned. This gives the average su a
level of ability previously only seen in ancient Terran ‘idiot
savants’ although in the case of a Superior their talents can
encompass multiple fields simultaneously and result in no loss of
mental function in other areas. For this reason, it is common for
most su to have at least three, if not more, separate occupations,
which they will work to bring together in various harmonious ways
(often in a manner not at all obvious to the average baseline or neb).
Elimination of phobias, ‘panic
reactions’, and ‘shock’:
Superior mental structures have been redesigned to eliminate such
things as fear of heights, darkness, enclosed spaces and so on.
While they retain those reflexive reactions necessary to maintain the
safety of the body (touch something hot, jerk away, think about it
later, etc.), they cannot succumb to ‘panic’ or the
overwhelming of rational thought by emotional stress. In a
disaster or catastrophic situation, a su will always ‘keep their
wits about them’. Superiors do not go into
‘shock’, either physical or mental, regardless of the
degree of stress they may be undergoing.
