Sirens of Belisarius

Can you imagine this people? The representatives of conglomerates of nations, sitting in that auditorium, at the most important event that ever happened. To make what probably will always be the most important decision Humanity ever will make. Determinant to our future, for millions and possibly trillions of years to come. All sitting there, in Egypt, North East of Africa, on Planet Earth. The most important place in the Universe, in the most important moment of Human existence.

There was stablished for some time, as self-evident truth, that Expansion Age would have to start soon. The exact time was defined there. A day, 100 years from there.

Most people in that room were 500 years old, or older than that. They decided, “by consensus” legends ask us to believe, that human life would be limited to 300 years. No human would live longer than that. However, that decision did not applies to them. The limit would not apply to any human yet to be born, for the following 75 years. They stablished that future “**** Line”, a day in the yead 25 Before Expansion, people born after that moment would have their longevity limited by law. Any human born before that day was free to keep biological immortality and continue calling themselves “humans”.

Also, of course, they decided who would elaborate the list of “Human DNA”, and by which criteria. It had to be a finite list, first and foremost. Had to be a finite list, unchangeable. Final. Because the reason to make that list was to guarantee the unity of Human Race. Also, it should include as much variation as reasonably possible. No human ethnic group alive should be excluded. All anthropoid groups know by archaeology that we reasonably idea about, and believed they probably could use language, had their DNA included too. Even some speculative variations earned a place in that list. Not uplifted non-human humanoids, such as cats, dogs or gorillas, of course. Lines needed to be draw, somewhere.

The Consensus of Alexandria placed the High AIs that were about to be born, in the recently build and still secret (for the rest of Humanity) Hearth of Humanity, the mission to be the eternal guardians of Alexandrine Law. And of this code that determinates who is human, and who isn’t.

And here we are, exploring the galaxy, at increasingly pace. Speeding up, as more systems reach the populational parameters necessary to start sending it’s own Seeding Fleets. In the middle of the year 4.321 of Expansion. Still following Alexandria.

Oh, I was alive when that reunion happened. I was not present in that room.

Back them I was travelling between underground cities of Mercury. Working as supervisor of a project to develop an aquatic fauna and flora tailored to work in cleaning and maintenance of sewers. Mercury, Venus, and Mars had already consolidated their position as the poorest and ugliest places in Solar System. The closer you go to the Sun, worse thing became. Earth being the bright exception to that rule, but I don’t need to tell you that. There is hardly any Alexandrine Human who don’t know that.

Nevertheless, underground cities need their sewers, and recycling systems. And regulations there, like in most other parts, demand human supervisors to the work of AIs.

I was already interested in applications of genetic engineering to aquatic environments. And got my first chance to experiment in produce species with human levels of intelligence, or close to that. By my own, without being following orders.

Was interesting, taught me a lot. Not just the work.

The places where I had to live, and the people I saw, talked to. Poverty and misery are very different concepts, but in concrete manifestation they usually sleep close to each other.

Of course, what we are about to start here, is far more ambitions than my projects in those underground cities. The genetic engineering as advanced immensely.

Alexandrine Law created a solid ground for economic exploration of subhumans as slaves, for private companies and governs, in any nation that chooses to dig that gold mine. The scale of engineer keeps expanding. The demand for new and more interesting ephemeral subhumans for thematic parks grows just as fast. If not faster.

Human genetic is carved on stone. We can improve the human body with cyborg implants, but not with genetic engineering. Outside the definition of “human”, the field for experimentation goes as far as the eyes of any human mind can see.

We came here to make merfolk. Sirens and tritons. Not just one specie, that would be irrational from economic point of view. I have a large number of projects, following parameters suggested by specialists in the market for new subhuman variants. For the moment, we must start somewhere. So, I have cherry picked a handful of favourites.

We have three bases, and our teams in all three will mix people who came in our work team from Solar, most of them descendants of those fellows who left the Fringes of Solar with me, with scientists born in this system. Who have been studding the Belisarius IV oceans for over a century. We must consider cultural shock and attract are likely to happen, and be prepared for it.

Here in New Halime we have access to variated gravity levels, due to it being an orbital station. However, there some incidents involving industrial spying are under investigation, and that raises concerns. I am using our installations here only to conduce training, and administrative business not directly connected to sensible information. Most the initial work will take place on our headquarters on the continent.

That’s a 6G planet, those of you who declined cyborg implants cannot work down there comfortably.

Our last installation is inside a stone wall, 50 meters bellow the surface of the sea. We have a decent piece of ground around that stronghold. It is currently being used for undersea farming, and waiting for our arrival. It will serve us as training grounds, when time comes to show the world to our first creations.

Those who came with me in the Alpaca from Solar System know this next point by hearth, but perhaps being here finally will give the words a new and necessary weight. While is still time.

We are in a different nation. Pay attention to the local laws! Study them. Here in New Halime the legal system is not the same we will find on the surface. Our two bases there are in the same nation, but different provinces. And, that’s one of those Federations with large degree of autonomy for each Regional Govern. Our project has juridic consultants, and we will need them, sooner or later. I am under no illusions about that. However, the longer we can go without play that card, the better. So, see that you do not antagonise the local authorities for any stupid reason.

Work in this project is a rare opportunity. I trust you will appreciate that an act accordingly.

We enjoy some degree of extra-territoriality. However, that is a privilege that may cost us the entire project, if we exceed the reasonable limits. Which is “reasonable” to you, may not be for the local governs. So, be sure to make your mistakes to the side of excessive precaution, not to the other side!

Specially during our first half decade here.

Above all, follow our protocols in regard to information security.

That is all, for today.

We are all very tired, and also very anxious to see what that space-station has to offer. After those two months living in those tiny cabins, limited by the restricted options of distraction available in that ferry between the Fringes of Hammer and here. Is natural that you want some rest, and some time to enjoy your families.

The period of free time will variate between two weeks and three months, according to your position in the project. I recommend you all make effort to invest part of that time in became acquainted with our colleges from this system.

We may not have another presencial reunion like that for a very long time.

As for the locals. I thank you for your welcome. I know many of you will find some difficulty in working with us, Earthlings. We are, as you know, a sort of tribe. You see people of all ages among us, this people have know each other all their lives. Generations of their ancestors have worked with me, during our travel between Solar System and the Fringes of your system.

Patience and perseverance are essential ingredients to make a project like ours work. Patience from both sides.

This is a project for many thousands of years. Many generations of scientists, administrative teams, lawyers, accounting scientists, AI specialists, support teams, and so on. I hope we can stay together in this project, and some of your descendants also choose to continue with us.

The reunion is over, but I will stay here to answer any questions you may have, that you prefer to raise in person. And, no. That invitation is not open for Earthlings too. Get out of my sight, people!! We had too much of each other in those last months, already!

I love you all, but: good-bye! I see you later.

I was glad when things finally ended, the last person decided to let additional questions rest, since the urgent matters had been addressed. I was exhausted.

This morning, I had had another of those panic attacks. First one since that one I had in that orbital station of Saturn, day before the morning when I left to Neptune, to have the cyborg surgery. Usually is pretty obvious to me what triggered the crisis. I have been living with myself for a while, after all, and that has been in the package all the way. I have learned from experience more that I could have learned from reading medical text, or listening to doctors.

Nevertheless, this time, I am in the dark. Everything is going well in my life. A lot of new experiences, some surprises and unexpected problems. No serious threat in sight.

Being a cyborg is far better than what I imagined it could be, in my most optimistic fantasies. The travel of almost 3 thousand years in the freighter Iris gave me a lot of time to get used to my new skeleton, muscles, and organs. Although, it was not the most favourable environment to make experiments with cyborg enhancements.

My working routine never left much time for working out anyway. I am a lab-rat, not a frontline soldier. Some small part of my mind hoped my emotional weaknesses would go away just by my brain knowing it is now protected by armour capable to put to shame most war tanks still in use. I am not irresponsible enough to let that part of me sign any contracts, of course. Rationally I knew that would hardly make any difference.