Breed: Constructs

Dossier

The term: Construct, is the official Earth Federation designation for a mechanically or genetically enhanced human. These designer humans—including both designations: Cyborgs and Gene Engineered humans—all have one thing in common, they were created as a response to the problem of human “de-evolution” that rose up during the late 22nd century. As humans began to explore the solar system, solar radiation began to leave its mark on the genetic structure of humanity. For the most part this led to a decreased stability of the human genome resulting in the problem that the average person simply could not procreate sexually and produce healthy “True Human children” any longer. Indeed, the majority of the population began producing Mutants, children born with horrible and often life-threatening deformities (not to mention strange and dangerous super-human powers). The scientific solution was clear, for those who could not bear or sire children normally, they could custom craft their progeny and grow them to term in an artificial womb. No uncomfortable pregnancies, no messy birth complications, no undesirable mutated children. For those people who did carelessly produce Mutant children, those birth defects could be corrected with surgery (beginning before birth) and cybernetic enhancements (machine body parts designed to correct mutated deformities). Human life would go on, and science was the key to its survival!
On the planet Earth, the race of human Constructs dominates the landscape. Current estimates figure that 90% of the Earth’s surface population is genetically or cybernetically enhanced. Off planet, that number significantly drops to about 20-25%. The reason for this is that Cybernetic and Genetic Enhancements are expensive, requiring the construction of special medical facilities and a near constant inflow of raw materials and monetary resources to keep those facilities operational. Few deep space colonies can afford to keep such institutions operational, so folks with Cybernetics and Gene Enhancements tend to be located near the largest human settlements on the most prosperous moons and asteroids.
The extreme cost of creating and maintaining a human Construct is at the core of a Construct’s identity. The extremely wealthy families that can afford to gene engineer their offspring or fit their mutated children with cybernetics without financial assistance fall into the upper 1% of the solar system’s population. Such family units often tout their “enhanced and debt free” children around as a mark of status. More commonly, government agencies and successful corporations provide the bulk of the demand for human Constructs. These groups see the value in custom crafting their workforce from conception to adulthood and offer a wide variety of scholarship and debt options for families looking to rear children. The most common agreement is that a company will pay for a child’s Gene Engineering or Cybernetic upgrades in exchange for the child paying off their debt by working for the company as an adult. This system of indenturing children (and sometimes whole families) is currently the status quo on Earth and some of the more prosperous moons and settlements around the solar system.

Racial Traits:

Since companies and government agencies are the most likely to invest in the creation a human Constructs, they often demand that their human investments receive an education that will prepare them for a lifetime of work and service. The average Construct is stringently tested as a child and trained to specialize in a particular field. It is not uncommon for a Construct to possess four dots or more in multiple abilities (the equivalent of a doctorate degree) in order that they may serve their masters more efficiently. This process shapes a Construct socially and financially for life. Often, a construct will work for a single company or government agency for the bulk of their working career. Some do it out of a sense of loyalty and gratitude, others out of a sense of debt and cold pragmatism. Because of this systematic process of creation and indentureship, most human Constructs have a slave mentality. They have trouble envisioning a future where they are financially free to do as they please, and they are often conditioned to react negatively to the rhetoric of freedom and autonomy.

I-Ratings

All construct characters have a complex relationship with debt. Cybernetics and Bio-Modifications are expensive, and that bill is often passed on to the recipient in the form of debt and formal indentureship. The United Earth Federation assesses the debt of each Construct and assigns a numeric rating from I-Zero through I-Four. This Indentureship Rating communicates different things to different parties. For the Constructs themselves, the I-Rating indicates how much debt they have remaining and the number of years it will take to pay their obligation off. For governments and corporations who generate the highest demand for human Constructs, the I-Rating serves as a benchmark for how altered the human is and how useful (or dangerous) their enhancements might be. For law enforcement agencies, the I-Rating indicates which rights and privileges are denied to the Construct until they are released from their servitude. For freedom fighters who buck the status quo, the I-Rating signifies the amount of oppression and enslavement a Construct has endured. Such rebel groups often refer to the I-Rating as an E-Rating (enslavement rating) to indicate their disdain for the practice of holding people in bondage with crippling debt.

At character creation, a Cyborg character may take levels of the background trait Cybernetics while Gene-Engineered Humans may take the background trait Bio-Modifications. This trait grants a set number of points that the player may spend on enhancements for their character. Each enhancement has an I-Rating attached to it. These enhancements are not cumulative, as only the highest I-Rating is tabulated. For example, a Cyborg character with the following enhancements: Self-Contained Space Suit (I-Three), Heightened Vision Ocular Implants (I-One), and Deep-Space Propulsion System (I-Two) has a total I-Rating of I-Three.

• I-Zero Rating:

  The rarest I-Rating is the Zero rating. Any Construct who achieves an I-Zero rating is acknowledged to be debt free by the Earth Federation Government. Most Corporations and Governments strategically plan a Construct’s enhancement program to correspond with their projected income to insure such debts are rarely paid off before they reach retirement age (85 years old). Characters under the age of 85 who are fully debt free usually owe their freedom to some miraculous happenstance (such as winning the lottery or saving the life of a high ranking official), or because their parents were so uncommonly wealthy that they could personally fit the bill for customized children. Current estimates place the total number of I-Zero Constructs in the solar system at less than 1%. To have an I-Zero rating at character creation, the player will need to take the Merit: I-Zero, and fully flesh out their backstory with their Storyteller.

• I-One Rating:

  Most “menial” constructs end up with an I-One rating. Often their Cybernetics and Bio-Modifications are life sustaining or purely cosmetic. Such characters often need their enhancements to survive and thrive, but they don’t add much in the way of functionality. An I-One rating is also relatively rare because few government agencies or corporations stop the enhancement process at this level. Essentially, there is not a lot of money to be made from I-One rated constructs, so relatively few are made. As such, only about 10% of the solar system’s constructs maintain an I-One rating.
  
  Constructs with an I-One Rating frequently owe about 400,000 Credits (Ȼ) for their enhancements and usually end up making a minimum payment of Ȼ500 per month to cover their debt (The equivalent of rent on a one-bedroom apartment). Characters with an income equaling Resources: 2 (Approximately Ȼ5,000 a month) would be able to pay off their entire debt by the age of 85 (retirement age) and still live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Characters who earn considerably more or who make more robust payments on their enhancements could reasonably be out of debt by age 40.
  
  Since I-One Constructs are seldom equipped with expensive or dangerous modifications they experience relatively few legal restrictions to their mobility or mandatory garnishment of their wages. Indeed, most I-One Constructs are free to pursue any job they like so long as they keep up to date on their payments.

• I-Two Rating:

  The vast bulk of Constructs alive and active in the 2840 world fall into this category. Their Bio-Modifications and Cybernetics are generally sophisticated enough to grant their users interesting powers and skills while harmless enough to not require strict government regulation. I-Two Rated Constructs frequently carry their debt until retirement age, and generally work for a single company or government agency for the entirety of their working years. Nearly 40% of the solar system’s Constructs fall into this indentureship category.
  
  Constructs with an I-Two Rating owe between 1 and 1.5 Million Credits (Ȼ) for their enhancements and usually end up making a minimum payment of Ȼ1200 per month to cover their debt (The equivalent of rent on a three-bedroom apartment). Characters with an income equaling Resources: 3 (Approximately Ȼ10,000 a month) would be able to pay off their entire debt by the age of 85 and still live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle.
  
  Because I-Two Constructs owe significantly more for their enhancements, they suffer larger restraints on their liberties. Once a year they must submit to an audit which generally prohibits them from making long-range travel plans without the assistance of their “parent company” or government agency.

• I-Three Rating:

  The second most common indentureship rating among Constructs, the I-Three Rating is almost always a permeant and fixed agreement between a Construct and their employer. These individuals are frequently fitted with specialized Cybernetics and Bio-Mods that allow them to perform a specific task with extreme efficiency. The largest corporations and government agencies aim for this level of indentureship in order to maximize the return on their investment. Nearly all I-Three Constructs sign lifetime contracts with their “parent corporation” or government agency. These contracts offer incentivized additional enhancements, or vacation time, as opposed to raises that would result in a premature end of the indentureship. Current estimates place nearly 35% of the Constructs around the solar system at this level of indentureship.
  
  Constructs with an I-Three Rating owe between 3 and 4 Million Credits (Ȼ) for their enhancements and usually end up making a minimum payment of Ȼ4000 per month to cover their debt. Characters with an income equaling Resources: 4 (Approximately Ȼ20,000 a month) would be able to pay off their entire debt by the age of 85 and still live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Most companies refuse to pay their I-Three employ that much, however, so it is rare for such a Construct to ever really reach retirement. Instead, most I-Three Rated Constructs sign a lifetime contract where routine payment on their cybernetics and company or communal housing are part of their benefits package.
  
  At this level of indentureship, an I-Three Construct faces many restrictions on their mobility and personal freedom. Frequently they will not be allowed to leave their city of employment without supervisor permission and may find themselves changing occupations against their will if their contract is purchased by another company or government agency. I-Three Rated Constructs can be difficult to work into a 2840 storyline as a player character unless the Construct’s parent corporation or government agency who owns their contract is also deeply intertwined in the current story’s plot. Make sure to work with your Storyteller to create a backstory that will allow such a character to regularly interact with other player characters in the campaign.

• I-Four Rating:

  This level of indentureship is only practiced by the largest and most powerful corporations and the Earth Federation Government. When such companies create prototype, deadly, or outrageously expensive enhancements, they can seldom afford for their investment to become disgruntled and walk off the job. To insure the compliance of such employees, these companies utilize a wide array of conditioning and brainwashing techniques to instill life-long loyalty and minimize erratic behavior. Constructs who buy into this lifestyle often enjoy being “company men” and appreciate the status of having access to the latest and greatest enhancements their company has to offer. The Constructs who do not take well to the conditioning find themselves in all manner of danger as their high value enhancements often come equipped with deactivation countermeasures (such as a kill switch) to prevent them from absconding with their wet-wear.
  
  Constructs with an I-Four Rating will usually never become debt free regardless of how hard they work or how many credits they amass over their lifetime. If you play a character with an I-Four Rating that has gone AWOL from their employer, be prepared to spend the majority of your character’s time and resources battling company agents seeking to reclaim their property, government agents looking to collect on your bounty, and competing companies looking to gain the secrets of your technology for themselves. In short, a character’s desire to leave or remain loyal to their parent company will drive an I-Four Rated Construct’s story arc.

Construct Stereotypes of Other Breeds:

Klact’Bakta—The alien “Plants” are certainly fascinating how they have developed such an interesting culture under the frozen seas of the moon Europa. They have mastered technology that will take us centuries to comprehend and they seem willing to ally with the rest of humanity so long as we keep our distance. I wonder what else they know that they are not sharing?

Monstrosities—These poor creatures are the primary reason why you never conduct post-birth gene hacking experiments. Still, you have to admire their resolve to make something of the bad hand they were dealt. Never underestimate their innate physical strength which makes them more than a match for those of us who have physical genetic alterations.

Mutants—The “De-gene-erates” are particularly sad and pathetic. They continue to try their luck with sexual reproduction and every new generation of Mutants becomes more and more genetically volatile than the last. They claim to be the next step in human evolution, but we who can do the math, know the odds are much more likely they will be extinct in a few centuries.

Snydeads—The alien “Moles” of Mars are certainly adorable at a distance, but frivolous and annoying when you get to know them. Still, their basic physiology makes them capable builders and their desire to work means they will get some of the menial jobs we were designed to do. Good for us that they are largely confined to dwelling on the planet Mars.

True Humans—Ever notice how some pretty boy or girl with a full pair of 23 chromosomes always ends up at the top of the food chain calling all the shots? Yeah, that will end soon enough. Like the Mutants, the True Humans can’t seem to process the data that the Sun is trying to fry us all into something different. Sooner or later, all humans will be Constructs.

Sub-Classes

Constructs come in 4 different sub-classes, of which only 3 are currently in production.
(1) Cyborgs were originally born as mutated humans and had their mutated bio-mass surgically removed and replaced by machinery. Any Mutants born on the earth's surface are forcibly made into cyborgs by universal mandate of the Earth Federation. Off world colonies attempt to correct mutants with cybernetics, but the cost prohibits all but the most affluent colonies from turning all of their mutated population into cyborgs. Cyborgs may take points in the Cybernetic background to explain the increased functionality achieved by their cybernetic implants.
(2) Gene-Engineered Humans were originally born from the genetic remnants of several aborted humans. Their genes have been purposefully selected to give them a substantial boost in one Attribute category (Physical, Social, or Mental) while the remaining two attribute categories are designed to become stunted. Gene-Engineered Humans may take points in the Bio-Modification background to explain how non-human DNA has been added to their genome to give them increased functionality or powers.
(3) Gene-Engineered Mechanical Soldiers are Gene-Engineered humans who were also given cybernetics. The cybernetic enhancements were made to increase performance, not correct mutation. As such, Gene-Engineered Mechanical Soldiers (AKA: G.E.M.S.) can only be legally constructed by the Earth Federation Government, though many large companies and crime syndicates make G.E.M.S. anyway. G.E.M.S. may take up to 5 total points in the backgrounds of Bio-Modification and Cybernetics.
(4) Übermensch are Gene-Engineered Humans that were designed to be paragons of physical, social, and mental perfection. Lacking sub-optimization on their attributes they tend to be stronger, smarter, and more social capable than any normal human. The first group of Übermensch attempted a coup d'etat to take over control of the United Earth Federation during the early 2200's and they only failed due to internal squabbling amongst themselves. Since the original batch of Übermensch were disposed of, no one (Government, Company, or Crime Syndicate) has been careless enough to try to make more of them.

Sample Concepts:

Constructs tend to be specialists. Either they have unique Cybernetic tools or superior attributes that make them easily qualified to do particular jobs well. Construct characters should be built with this eye to specialization in mind. Physical Constructs tend to be ideal soldiers or athletes. Social Constructs lean towards media and diplomacy-based professions. Mental Constructs often work as scientists and teachers. Cyborgs tend to gravitate towards jobs that complement their Cybernetic enhancements.

Preferred Educations:

Because governments and corporations produce the largest demand for human Constructs, and because such organizations tend to provide education to go along with their genetic and cybernetic packages, most Constructs end up with Military, Professional, and Technologist, educational backgrounds. Spacer and Gangsta backgrounds are less common but do occur occasionally when a Mafia family or deep-space colony becomes successful enough to start placing orders for custom people. Constructs with Administrative, Arcane, and Liberal Arts educational backgrounds tend to be rare and expertly trained to be a world-class exemplar in their field.