Abort (Term)

The sudden disruption or complete termination of selyn flow during transfer.  The reactions to this disruption in either the Sime or the Gen range from nothing to real physical, emotional, and/or psychological pain.
A renSime who is either in midst of the Kill or taking transfer can not induce a transfer abort.  A channel can induce a transfer abort while in the midst of a Kill, or while giving or receiving transfer.  It can be accomplished as an act of will, or as a reflex triggered by conditioning, or both simultaneously.  The conditioned reflex can be triggered by a simple act of will, or by psychological fear or phobia.  Transfer abort is an experience tantamont to suicide.
Householdings have developed special training and conditioning for channels. First Year channels learn to handle both normal and abrupt transfer termination transient effects. The Householdings also implant conditioning in channels to prevent them from Killing by reflexive abort. Companions, likewise, are trained for a wide range of contingencies to treat a channel who has taken an abort either when merely collecting selyn from a donor or when taking personal transfer.   
See: First Year (Term)
By Unity (year 0),  Householding Zeor (one of the leading specialists in transfer pathology) has developed a method of instilling in channels, during their 4th transfer, the reflex that can force the channel to abort rather than Kill.  Thus, the Tecton can guarantee the out-Territory Gen government that the Tecton channels will never Kill, and the Tecton channels keep that promise faithfully.  Many channels die as a result, but it is considered a price worth paying to end the Territory Wars.
Thus, abort conditioning becomes a key factor in the realization of Unity. 
Quote from first use of the term Abort – in relation to Transfer Abort - “The famous lateral scar” said Digen wryly. He was the only Sime who had ever survived such a deep cut through the vital selyn transport nerves of a lateral tentacle. “It takes a very special Donor to get a transfer into me through that scar without a series of transfer aborts.”
(See: Shen)
Category:Terms