Maelstrom Vortex

Maelstrom would now spend many of his days doing what his wife did.. staring quietly at her as she underwent her changes, praying for her safety and the successful completion of the procedure. He had to order his wedding ring re-sized. It no longer fit his claws hands. At times, he would stand and pace. Occasionally he would check the news to make sure his stand-ins at the Dragon Empire were doing well enough on their own.

Tom Clark, Director of PR speaks from the office of the Chairman, "We hereby recognize Blackwoods."

ooc: If you would simply use google, you'd find out how much of it is common knowledge and how much of it is conjecture. Again, I'm not here to be your educator. I am here to have fun. By the way, since you've decided to take things the way you have. Ignoring is mutual, please stay out of my threads in ooc or ic, you don't really have a say there any longer by your own claims.

"Eh.. no... I guessss not." Eh? A lisp? The feeling would be even stranger by the odd presence of a slight sensation of "charge" to the skin, like touching something of a battery. The Sachs organ must be working efficiently. The next thing Maelstrom slowly came to realize.. "I'm.. not going to die!" He smiled brilliantly, displaying 3 serrated white rows of teeth and folded back fangs.

ooc: And I guess you are the one to dictate the breadth and scope of what is able to be done by science and when when we have future dates involved in the determination of what science can do. You must be all seeing.. all knowing.. gifted with future-sight Uberstein.

Month 6 come along. Maelstrom was released from his water-like suspension. Koduoa was put into the treatment chamber in a dress. The same process began for her. Maelstrom, in the meantime, was coming to grips with the fact his hearing was much more sensitive, and that he could see some very peculiar patterns in the dark. He could still see people move.. temperature gradients. The most unusual parts to him was looking at a door in the light.. where one set of senses tell him that there is just air coming from outside from beneath the door.. and the other visual inputs told him that air was very cold. One day during his physical, the doctors came to him and informed him he would have to do a special round of vaccinations against diseases related more to what he had become, that he would be more vulnerable to some types of diseases now. He sat down, took his shots. He found his sleeping patterns usual, but sometimes strange. Sometimes at night, one side of his body would wake up.. yet not the other.. it varied as to which side. He'd identify the source of what woke him up, and that half of him would go back to sleep. He found he would have to routinely wash the gills that had grown on his neck at least two to three times a day.. otherwise they started to dry out. There was a cost to his new body.. new procedures. He would actually sometimes scare himself looking into mirrors. Then he would realize it was only himself. It would take some time to get accustomed to. He felt like he was in a haze. He spoke to LeClerc, "Am I alive? I feel like this is some.. strange dream."

ooc: Anatomy 101 will teach you how skin is shed. Isolate the points you want me to prove, number them, I'll get citations if you really want to be that persistent about this.

ooc: Yes, yes it would take a lot of hard work.. a lot of viruses, catalysts, enzymes... and a very specially contained treatment center and method. Oh wait. The body sheds a layer of skin ever so many days in reality. If the newly reproduced cells are corresponding to new genetic instructions it would not be out of the question to cause them to replace standard skin with scale. In fact, scaly skin is actually a disease in humans. There's also the cases of the alligator men that have genetic oddities that cause them to grow scales and they are completely viable. I think you need to re-evaluate your thought on this. I mean, there's a lot of things that can happen when genes are altered. Ever heard of the "tree man?" RE: Uberstein ooc: He said I could strive for something between Argonians (think morrowind) and human. That's what I'm shooting for.

Month 5. The major structural changes to Maelstrom were complete. He slowly was roused from his slumber. He would stay in the chamber an additional month for monitoring. They were making sure his evolved state would function viably. Most of the tubes and ducts and inserts, save for an intravenous tube were removed. For food he would now come to the top of the tank and eat what was provided. He began to exercise in the tank to re-condition his muscles from their somewhat atrophied states. He would have one month of conditioning and observation before he would be allowed out into the lab's living quarters. He would still need to stay in the lab for several more months for monitoring.. again, to ensure nothing overly unexpected arises that causes a need for additional treatment.

OOC: I sought an advance ruling from HK47 on this issue.

ooc: He did indeed. He indicated that Reptile and Mammal DNA are highly Divergent. This is correct. This does not mean that Reptile and Human chromosome structures are incompatible; if they were they would not have been able to evolve from the same source nor would the history of their evolution converge when traversed from current to past.

ooc: I am not presenting the argument that I can do it. I am presenting the argument that Saboria with its massive technology and my mad Scienticst Dr.Karnell.. educated and supported by them, are capable of doing this. This has nothing to do with the Dragon Empire's personal research capabilities and is all about theirs (Saboria). It does not mean you can create armies of these creatures as this is a unique situation. It is not going to be replicated save for once, for his wife, and right now it is believed the costs involved are to significant to do this on a mass scale. This is one of the very reasons I was permitted to even go forward with this rp. The recognition that this process isn't easily and cost efficiently mass-reproduced. It is on the very edge of science.

ooc: They are not turning into a dragon. They are turning into a human based genetic construct. Note we hit technical limitations on wings. You do not have to repair damaged cells, you simply need to replace them, and that's simple enough, you let them replicate using natural healing processes as they do over time. If the human body or any organic body could not repair themselves, then every minor cut would be a life threatening injury. Theoretically, if you edit genetic structures you have at your disposal any natural organic system/structure available in the biosphere to work with. You simply have to ensure they're going to work together without destroying each other. Since almost all life forms on earth share 98% of the same basic dna structures, this likely wouldn't be all that hard. I could get even more sources if I wanted.. the ones above are just the tip of the ice berg on one or two searches. I've done part of the footwork, but I am not obligated to nor capable of educating you about everything that's happening in the world of science.

OOC: Some current technology info.. the remarkable things we are doing: Year testing began 2004: Curing cancer with a virus? Year of Article 2007: Proof redesigning specific parts of a body is a current science. Conjecture in the article noted 1-2 years to develop a self-replicating bio-synthetic organism.. likely a crop. There are books on this topic and they're not in the fiction section. DNA is so re-writable theoretical computer systems are being built on it. This has been under study and evaluation since 1994. One company is researching active editing techniques that can change the structure of any gene in the human genome sequence.

ooc: I'm wondering when this went from RP to, "you must have a PHD to do anything" Perhaps to use nuclear weapons or halfnium the same argument should be applied and if you're not a nuclear physicist in CNRP you're not allowed therefore to have nukes because you can't tell the folks the devil in the details of how they work. I asked for the technology limit I would need to meet to do this. It was given. I found a nation with that tech capability. I went to it. There have been several threads on this subject by myself and this nation to found a basis for it. I researched how the different biological apparatuses would work and I know enough of genetics, nanotetchnology, and virology to know this is plausible.. even possibly within our lifetimes.. (and mine is 1/3 gone already). You guys need to get your noses out of CNRP and check out discovery, science channels, and some popular science magazines.. other sources of reliable information on the advancement of technology. If you did that, the evidence of the potential for this is there. I am not going to put hours of my life into proving this point unless you're going to pay me for it. It can be done with time, money, and properly directed research. This is my last ooc statement to this regard. Again, I'm not sure people are even sure of what we're doing. We're using custom engineered viruses to re-structure the genetic blueprints of the cells int he body. The viruses do not replicate, they simply put information in the targeted cells. Catalysts and enzymes then act to make the cells conform to the new instructions. In the event new structures need to be made, farmed stem-cells are used. There's even talk of using stem-cells to treat parkinsons disease and to replace damaged tissues. Viruses may even one day be used to treat cancer. If you tie it in with nanomachines, there's a lot that can be done on a body that is alive, not just over generations.. but the current existing format. The basis for the new genetic structure is the host's old genetic code, with additions and modifications. It is not highly likely a rejection will occur especially when the immune system is targeted for re-write first.

ooc: People.. read.. for content? OMG! What an ingenious idea Lynneth! I never would have thought of it... no seriously. For doubters, if you want to know what we can ALREADY do.. simple go into google and type in gene alteration, gene modification, molecular biology.. and start reading scientific articles before you make a judgment on our role-play. I think humanity is far more advanced on an individual laboratory basis than what people give it credit for.. and this is only what we know and has been made available to be known on the internet. Who knows what lurks in some government cellar somewhere in a remote part of the world. Re: Triyun: Given the pace of the advancement of technology year over year. Consider Moore's Law. Consider the fact Saboria's technolgy is in like the 2023 and beyond range.

ooc: The only reason it isn't possible in reality before 3000, if not before 2050 is due to the fact that most western societies that currently have access to the potential for this technology are so hamstrung by ethics, religious, and political concerns that little to no headway can be made due to all the bureaucracy. In Saboria and in the Empire, these resistances are gone and the government is encouraging this type of experimentation. I don't care if you ignore me or not Ubie, all you do most of the time is harrass me in the threads I write anyhow.

ooc: Ubie, as I already said to Terra, already got approval on this and told the requirements to do it by a moderator. Which is why I'm in Saboria. It's not possible on a mass scale. You can't have armies of these creatures. Besides, the hemp plant analogy is totally off, that's breeding. We're not using genetic breeding.. we're using genetic re-programming. It's a completely different type of genetic based technology which takes some root in nanotechnology and virology. If you have further complaints, feel free to use the OOC thread please.

Journal Entry: KJE-HML-134 "A deep analysis of wing to weight ratios and bodily metabolism indicated that the technical know-how to give the subject potentially viable wings is currently at a technical deficiency. However, we are giving him the chest muscle and skeletal structures to support them in the event that such technology does become available. Right now it is theorized the caloric intake required by the wing muscle system on such a large body mass would be far to high to be efficient and would exert to much strain on the cardiovascular and pulmonary muscles of the subject. Variation strain 'Homosapien Mutato ad Libitum' appears to be an overall success. It is very likely, a new era of humanity may soon be upon us. The wife of the subject has also asked to be modified. It would produce a self-sustaining and viable species." Karnell would sigh softly, then look back to Chairman Vortex. "I almost wish I were in there."

The fourth month came.. The last stage was some metabolic tweaking, making sure all the parts were now synchronized, running at optimal capacity, and that immune responses were strong but still not against the host. Additionally, the chairman's hearing and vocal patterns were adjusted adding sonar echolocation methods. The tissue around the ear became slightly thicker as local fat deposits integrated into the hearing system as a part of biological sonar vibration detection. The ears were also made somewhat larger, taking a somewhat bat-ear like shape so that the sensory would be effective both in air and water. The olfactory caverns on the chairman were also deepened and broadened.. more detection nerves per square inch were integrated. The chairman would have a nose better than most wolves and some bloodhounds. The Chairman's neural activity briefly spiked as all the new sensory input began to be processed. To prevent a seizure he was medicated.. new processing centers were added to his neurology with the farmed stem cells being cajoled into becoming neurons. Slowly, the medication was reduced... and his neural activity normalized. New fluid and tissue samples to make sure all parts of the body were in compliance to the new genetic code. The chairman's skin at this point was almost as thick as a crocodile or alligator's hide and a deep shade of grey. This had been intended, interwoven into the scale structures were fibers of naturally formed silk. The scientists had designed the chairman's skin with the intent of making it a sort of biological Kevlar, at the testing ranges.. it was assessed the hide was able to stop 80% of .35 caliber rounds. Mind you, it still retained its sensitivity, so it would likely still sting like hell to be shot. The intent however, wasn't to provide the Chairman comfort when shot as much safety. The patterning in the scaling had become very interesting. His back had the distinct markings of a rattlesnake. On his forehead, as designed, the scales turned white, making a star, in the middle of the star, a brown cross. To test regeneration, a bit of the chairman's pinky digit on his left hand was cut off. Sure enough, over the course of a day or so, the limb regrew. "This is coming along very well." Karnell murmured to the rest of the Saborian team. Generosa just nodded. "I think we'll be able to get him out of the tank soon. most of the structural changes that are intended have been completed." Karnell informed him. Koudoa tapped Karnell's shoulder, "Can you change me to? I don't want him to be alone in what he is."

ooc: They've moved far away from UFE, they're deep in Dragon Empire India now.

It was about this time the White Tiger would probably start to notice other changes in his country. The flag of the Empire would fly along the flag of Cholan at the hotel. When they used old Cholan currency, it would be accepted, but also exchanged for Imperial Currency, Talons and Scales..

The Chairman's response from afar... "*Glug..*"

The third month came along, all was progressing well. Extra attention was given this month to organ systems and muscular systems. They were reinforced and strengthened.. the chairman was literally strong as an ox now. His feet were also faintly modified using designs similar to a cheeta's for grip and sensory of balance. The ankle structure was greatly reshaped to conform to stronger muscle bindings. The tongue was reshaped, forked.. additional sensory centers were added just below the sinus so that the air could be tasted and smelled. It was about this month that the Chairman began to come around again. His neural activity was increasing. One of his eyes opened.. the other half of his brain slept as he watched the world around him. This was a residual effect of the shark dna. The geneticists found it quite creepy. He wasn't quite entirely aware, but he was still watching them. Even Generosa would occasionally pause to look at the creature that was staring back at him.. still human, yet not quite human. Gills had begun to appear behind the Chairman's jaw and take in the oxygenated liquid solution further increasing his blood/oxygen level the shark DNA designs again, showing itself. Webbing slowly appeared between the chairman's talon decorated fingers. Koudoa smiled softly as the eye moved to her and half of the Chairman's shark-ish smile curbed faintly upwards in recognition. A hand slowly moved to the glass splaying the talons and softly waving to her as if to tell her he was alright. Muscle density increased, but not like a body builders the muscle structure was more cat-like.. lean.. strong although girded by serpentine grey and flesh-tone scales that drifted more gray each passing day as old skin died off replaced by the new design.

You know, I actually had the reach to blow up most of the world at one point.. then I pulled my damned torpedoes.. what was I thinking?