Bit of Discourse- Transhumanism

[Ahriman238]

I have admittedly thought more than I likely should on what a decent Akashic-singularity story would look like.

[Ahriman238]

Then we have the Adeptus Astartes, such a blend of technique. I always feel like we're only hearing half the process, but it gets lost in the details because so much of what we hear is insanely detailed.

First an aspirant is selected form a group based on genetic compatibility and some variation on toughness or ruthlessness. The trials to select these are as many and varied as their are chapters.

The aspirant goes through some training, more candidates are weeded out. Then they're implanted with a gene-seed. I've heard both the gene-seed causes extra organs to grow, that it makes them more genetically like their Primarch and able to receive implanted organs, or just 'gene-seed goes in, then organs.' About the only consensus I know of it that gene-seed is crucial to the process.

The budding space marine is fed a special diet, undergoes rigorous training as organs are added, nineteen new organs as they grow and bulk out. They also are injected with regular chemical batches and undergo hypnotic-training and indoctrination to cram a lot of training in a short time, increased their loyalty and teach them to use their new capabilities.

They get an extra heart and lung, both for redundancy and to increase bloodflow and the range of gases they can breathe. No one can seem to agree whether Space Marines can breathe underwater or not, I've seen both from different authors. Likewise another kidney and a cast-iron small pre-stomach for coping with poisons. Lots of growth hormone producers, the skeletal growth one makes their bones a ton denser and tougher too. The blood is filled with agents to make it more effective at carrying oxygen and really rapidly clotting. The skin can darken to resist radiation, or sweat slime to protect from heat. Plus a carapace underneath the skin that acts as a power-armor interface once some holes get drilled in.

The head though, contains all the exotic stuff. Acid spit, suspended animation, chop off the ears to replace them with a pair that never gets dizzy or motion sick and grants perfect balance always. Then we have an organ that lets them perform detailed chemical analysis on anything they taste, and absorb memories by eating brains. Oh, the tweaked brain can go for two weeks without sleep, and normally only needs half as much anyways. Plus enhanced scent and eyes that see a far wider spectra of light and better in the dark.

Put it all together you have something of a giant, whose is incredibly strong and fast, more so with power armor. And they still go down like mooks to some of the xenos out there.

The scary thing is both Corax and Bile tinker with and tweak things, though Corax was looking more at lowering the rejection rates. One last puzzle, one of Bile's early projects was a nictating eye membrane, so Astartes would not be blinded by sudden changes of light. I though Space Marines already weren't vulnerable that way, or at least so Salamander made me think.