Posthuman

Posthumans, colloquially known as posters, are humans possessed of extraordinary inborn powers and abilities. In the United States, all children are tested for posthuman genetic markers at birth, and again before they are allowed to attend public schools. Powers do not manifest uniformly: posters have been known to exhibit abilities in vitro, while others' powers will not become apparent for years.
Powers are classified by type into seven color-coded categories, and Alphas are required to wear identifying color bands. Each poster is also given a strength rating relating to the usefulness and limitations of their abilities. The system is not a perfect one, as not all posters fall neatly into any one category, and the classification of an individual's powers may be influenced by prejudice, political motivations, the desire to push a posterchild's development in a particular direction, and other biases.
Training academies for posthumans exist worldwide. In the US, academy training is mandatory for Alphas, and Alphas who fail to graduate may be required to undergo power suppression. Those who do graduate become fully licensed public heroes, with a number of career options open to them, including law enforcement and the Bureau of Posthuman Affairs.
==History==
Posthumans have existed for centuries, but their existence has not always been widely recognised. In earlier ages, posters tended to be careful to conceal their powers from baseliners; and if their abilities were discovered, they were more likely to be mistaken for gods or avatars of higher powers.
The posthuman population has exploded since the early 1930s. There are conflicting opinions as to why this has occurred.quipquipquip: "Is there any traditional arcane magic in the Poster 'verse? Are posters a relatively recent phenomenon?"
==Classification system==
===Color bands===
The color band classification system is used to categorize posthuman abilities. The seven color bands are
*Red (Element Kinesis): The ability to control the basic elements available in nature.
*Orange (Body Control): The ability to manipulate aspects of your physicality.
*Yellow (Transport): The ability to move rapidly from one point to another.
*Green (Energy Control): The ability to gather, convert, or generate different forms of energy.
*Blue (Reality Manipulation): The ability to warp the fabric of reality.
*Purple (Psionics): The ability to mentally manipulate the world around oneself.
*Pink (Support/Passive): The ability to affect the powers of others. This classification is reserved largely for powers that are not consciously controlled by the poster.
===Strength tiers===
In addition to the color band system, posters are ranked according to the strength and usefulness of their skills. The four strength tiers are
*Alpha: Powers are either self-generating or not limited by their environment. Only 2% of posters have this ranking. For Alpha-level posters, Academy training is mandatory and subsidized by the government. They are the only posters cleared by the BPHA to lead multi-member teams.
*Beta: The posthuman’s abilities are limited by the body, or by the presence/absence of elements in the environment. The power is usually only offensive or defensive; it is rarely both. To be considered for admittance to Maillardet's (and, by extension, participation on a BPHA-approved hero team) a posthuman must be classified as Beta or higher. 6% of all posters have Beta-level powers.
*Gamma: One-trick ponies. Gammas usually have a physical-based power with limited applications. They comprise 12% of the posthuman population.
*Delta: These make up the remaining 80% of all posters. Delta-level powers are mostly useless, or extremely limited in their scope and effectiveness.
===Power classification===
In the US, testing for posthuman genetic markers is mandatory at birth, and again before they are allowed to enter public schools.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Academy Training Structure Many abilities are limited by what the poster believes they can do, and for this reason the pre-Academy year of training at Maillardet's is essential to the growth of most posterchildren. During this time, they are given guidance in exploring the extent of their abilities and experimenting with what they might be able to do. As a result of this testing, children are sorted into their perceived strength levels and color band classifications.
When it is not clear which band color best fits a posterchild's abilities, a Foundation professional will help them choose a classification most useful for a future career.quipquipquip: "Things To Know About Color Band Classification" As all capstone teams are required to have a gold-band member as dedicated transport, any power with transportation-related applications is likely to be classified as gold-band, even where another category might be more technically accurate: "If a power can be classified as a gold-band if you tilt your head and squint, it usually is."
The strength tiers serve not only as a means of ranking posters' strength, but also as a threat level indicator. Posthumans whose powers have deadly applications are likely to receive a higher ranking, and those who have used their abilities to harm others may be re-evaluated and reclassified at a higher level.October 19 live stream, 22:34
====Misclassification====
Misclassification of posthuman powers is rare, but it does happen. Usually, it is a conscious decision on the part of the Maillardet Foundation with the intent on guiding potential 'problem posters' in a productive direction. For instance, a power with lethal applications that aren't readily apparent is more likely to be mislabeled as weaker, and the poster taught to use their skills in a nonlethal manner.quipquipquip: "How often, if ever, would you say a posterchild's power/level gets misidentified?" This is not always ideal, as evidenced by the case of Cindy Dunn, whose documented issues with authority led the Foundation to mislabel her Alpha-level power of oxygen manipulation as a Beta-level power over wind. As a result, Cindy only learned the extent of her powers when she accidentally pulled the oxygen from a man's lungs, almost suffocating him.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Cindy 'Tinker Bell' Dunn
The strength classification system tends to be biased towards males, and as a result male Alphas far outnumber female Alphas. Testers work on the logic that Alphas are expected to be team leaders, so if a child's strength level is ambiguous, testers will assess their leadership potential. This involves observing the child's interactions with others, usually during outdoor play; more aggressive and physically active children are considered leadership material. As boys tend to be socialized to be more assertive and physical at play, the system is skewed towards males.quipquipquip: "What factors make a posterchild an Alpha?"
Having been designed by humans, the system is also biased against posters who look or act differently to baseliners. Physical differences are still broadly considered to be "deformities" and are counted as a disadvantage. For instance, Ofelia D's power of hydrokinesis is almost always considered an Alpha power, however she is considered a Beta due to her sea lion physiology which prevents her from passing as human.quipquipquip: "Things To Know About Ofelia D"
===Non-posthuman powers===
Powers that are not posthuman in nature, but are still superhuman, are prevalent in pop culture but extremely rare in reality. The slang term for non-posters who have powers is "fauxster".quipquipquip: "Do humans who aren't born with powers but gain them through one means or another classify as post human?"
Traditional magic does exist, but only a select few can use it, and fewer still believe in it in the first place. Magic can be wielded by both posters and baseliners.
==Posthuman biology==
===Power manifestation===
In America, posthuman genetic markers are identified at birth or before children are admitted to school, however it is impossible to tell when powers will begin to manifest. Some will develop their powers in vitro (as in the case of Bice Cortadino), while others require very specific triggers. Some powers take decades to present themselves. There is no upper age limit to power manifestation, although many begin to show signs of posthuman abilities by age five and Alpha abilities typically manifest early.
Abilities that are identified early usually increase with age, and most will increase through continued exercising of the powers.
===Heredity===
Not all poster couples have posterchildren, but the vast majority do, and female posthumans have a higher ratio of bearing multiples than baseline humans. Couples in the higher strength tiers are more likely to have posterchildren, and as a result there has been an unspoken push for Alphas to have children with Alphas or Betas. Alpha-Gamma, Alpha-Delta, and Alpha-baseliner relationships are generally frowned upon.quipquipquip: "Are all children of posters also posters themselves?"
Almost every posterchild with two posthuman parents inherits abilities that are in the same band color as one of their parents. In many cases, a posterchild will inherit the type of power from one parent, and its specific expression from the other. For example, Rosario Galán-Grant possesses a passive pink-band power like that of her sperm donor, but its expression is reminiscent of her green-band mother's power: Sofia can create an armor of light around her body, while Rosario's "armor" takes the form of a power nullification field.quipquipquip: "Is posterism genetic?" It is almost completely unheard of for siblings and parents to share identical powers.quipquipquip: "Ernest and John have the same powers?"
Identical postertwins usually have similar power levels and band colors, as well as related powers, like the blue-band Alphas Clay and Herb Dillinger, both of whom have abilities related to light manipulation. On the other hand, fraternal twins may be classified under different band colors and/or strength tiers and have completely dissimilar powers, like the green- and red-bands Manuel and Tomas Galán.quipquipquip: "How often does it happen for siblings of multiple births to have different band colors/classifications?"quipquipquip: "Follow-up: identical twins’s powers tend to mirror each other..."
==Training==
Maillardet's is the premiere training academy for posthumans in the US, although it is by no means the only one.quipquipquip: "How do they stop bad guy posters from attacking the school?" Academy training is mandatory for Alphas and is government-subsidized. Betas may also attend, either as fee-paying students or under a mandatory court order. Graduates may become licensed public heroes, with the possibility of going into law enforcement (as long as they have a score of at least 67%)Origins, Issue #1, p. 36, freelancing, gaining employment with the BPHA or gaining funding through companies or private sponsors.Origins, Issue #7, p. 322
Alphas who receive a failing end-of-block score are given the choice of power suppression (generally through some combination of surgery and medication) or repeating the block. If an Alpha fails to graduate by the age of eighteen, they must undergo mandatory power suppression. A failing Beta with a reputation as a "problem poster" may also be made to undergo suppression, or be involuntarily committed; a Beta with a clean history may simply be dismissed without incident.quipquipquip: "What happens when someone gets a failing score?"
==Discrimination==
Posthumans are not a protected class, in part because powers and capabilities vary so widely from person to person that drafting legislation has been a challenge.October 19 live stream, 19:00
While a diploma from Maillardet's can open doors in law enforcement, the BPHA and the hero business, for posters seeking employment in the baseliner workforce, a Maillardet's education can work against them as it advertises their posthuman genetics to all potential employers. Most baseliners avoid hiring posters, citing the many risks associated with taking on a superpowered employee.Gunsmoke, p. 3
Posthumans are not allowed to participate in organized sports or the Olympic Games, where their abilities are regarded as "cheating".October 19 live stream, 4:25 Similarly, posters are not well-regarded in the circus world, where their superhuman abilities render their feats less impressive in the eyes of audiences and fellow performers alike. Regardless of whether the person even uses their powers in their act, "if you're a poster, you're a cheater."Grinder
==References==
Category:Posthumans