Expanded World-Building

Timeline:

  • Year: 2167 – Ecological collapse has become an undeniable reality on Earth. Rising sea levels, deforestation and loss of biodiversity have made large parts of the planet uninhabitable. Famine, disease and resource wars have pushed humanity to the brink.
  • Year: 2175 – The New Human Project is launched as part of a global survival initiative comprising the world’s remaining governments and corporate powers. The project aims to ensure the survival of humanity beyond Earth by creating genetically engineered beings capable of adapting to harsh environments.
  • Year: 2182 – The first New Humans depart on purpose-built spaceships for carefully selected exoplanets to colonise. The project is launched amid much hope, but also scepticism and controversy.

Planet selection:

Each planet in the New Human Project was carefully selected for its unique and extreme conditions, designed to test the New Humans‘ ability to adapt and evolve quickly. These planets not only challenged biological adaptability, but also the philosophical definition of humanity.

  1. Planet 1 (high gravity world):
    • Conditions: With twice the gravity of Earth, it was difficult for ordinary humans to adapt.
    • Purpose: To test the evolution of the New Humans’ bones and muscles.
    • Results: The New Humans’ bones became denser and stronger, while also becoming extremely agile.
  2. Planet 2 (harsh environment):
    • Conditions: high levels of methane and sulphur dioxide in the air.
    • Purpose: to force the new humans to evolve a respiratory system capable of dealing with the toxic gases.
    • Result: the new humans developed external structures similar to gills, but lost the ability to communicate vocally.
  3. Planet 7 (extreme climate differences):
    • Conditions: Extreme temperature changes – bitter cold at night, scorching heat during the day.
    • Purpose: To test the ability to adapt to rapid environmental changes.
    • Result: The new humans evolved as parasites, depending on their hosts for survival, redefining the boundaries of self-sufficiency.
  4. Planet 10 (permanent darkness):
    • Conditions: Complete lack of sunlight.
    • Purpose: To test the ability to adapt in an environment without visual cues.
    • Result: The new humans completely abandoned sight and relied on echolocation and advanced hearing to navigate.

Ethical debate:

The public on Earth is deeply divided over the New Human project, sparking intense philosophical and political debate:

  1. Supporters‘ view:
    • The New Humans are heralded as the next step in human evolution, ensuring the survival of the human race in a hostile universe.
    • Supporters see the project as a reflection of human adaptability, resilience and the ultimate triumph of science over adversity.
    • Many see the New Humans as a reflection of humanity’s ability to create beings in its own image, an ability adapted for the future.
  2. Critics’ view:
    • Critics argue that the programme sacrifices ethics for survival, and that the new humans are treated as ‘soulless experiments’ or ‘tools’ rather than beings with inherent dignity.
    • There is concern that once the new humans become fully autonomous, they may consider humans obsolete or a threat.

Potential for sabotage and conflict:

  1. Internal sabotage:
    • Scientists or engineers unhappy with the project may deliberately alter mission parameters, thereby introducing flaws in the new humans’ development or the spacecraft systems.
    • Subtle acts of sabotage could result in serious delays, communication breakdowns or unexpected mutations.
  2. New Human Rebellion:
    • Aware of the purpose for which they were designed, the New Humans could rebel against their creators, refusing to play the role of ‘instruments of survival’ and sparking philosophical and physical conflict in the sequel.

Impact on future expansions or sequels:

  1. A divided planet:
    • As the project progresses, the planet becomes increasingly polarised, leading to civil unrest and even open warfare between factions supporting and opposing the New Humans.
  2. Autonomy for the new humans:
    • Future expansions will explore the new humans’ struggle for identity and independence, leading to conflict with their human creators.
  3. Planet Expansion:
    • A sequel could introduce more planets with more severe challenges, exploring new forms of evolution for the New Humans and humanity’s reaction to these transformations.
  4. Moral Reckoning:
    • The success of the project forces humanity to confront its identity, asking the question: if survival means sacrificing our identity as humans, is it worth it?