Eastern Human

## Late Series: Homo Aeternus

Much similar to their ancestors from Old Earth, **Eastern Humans** are bipedal mammals who have come to populate many nations across the Galaxy, being themselves responsible for the foundation of the Ortus Council of Nations and, later on, the Commonwealth. Eastern humans are direct descendants from the earthly *Homo Sapiens* species, deriving due to several traits and alterations to their genome that have been made either naturally, with the passage of time, or artificially, with the addition of genetic augmentations or a near total cybernetic replacement seen in current times. The species has, as a result, changed and adapted to its newer environments countless times throughout galactic history, making it the most numerous in the cluster, if added with its Western Human species found in the Eternal Empire.

*Humans of Second Chance are the core element in the story of the series. The focus of the narrative begins with their escape from Earth, due to the threat of the planetoid and the subsequent exodus, and continues to fixate on the evolving human nation as it encounters life on other worlds, species it can coexist with and threats it is forced to overcome. It is due to this reason that most characters in the story are humans, and as such the story is narrated forward under their vision, making the existence of humans a core aspect of the Second Chance universe.*

The species has undergone several changes worthy of note since it first took to the stars, in the 23rd. Century. Due to its struggle to adapt to the freezing conditions in Ortus - Along with its symbiotic relationship with the Ortan Microbe -, the species had evolved to become the *Homo Scius*, or ‘*Knowing Man*’, a name which would be kept despite the numerous genetic enhancements conducted throughout the century. Later on, with the advent of synthetic technologies, bodies, and brains, humanity evolved to become the *Homo Aeternus*, or ‘*Eternal Man*’. With so many differences to appearance, biology and behaviours, it can be said that the Eastern humans share almost no similarities with their Western counterparts, if not for their past and near-constant rivalry seen to this day.

## **The Homo Sapiens**

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Originated in Old Earth, common humans are not present in the Galactic East and evolved into the humans known today. Since the exodus from the blue planet, humanity initially struggled to live in the harsh conditions of Ortus, but came to adapt to it as it came into contact with the Ortus symbiotic microbe; A first step to the evolution present in a homoscius from the 23rd. Century.

The original human species has since been compared to when observing a modern human. Homosapiens are adaptive, but not enough to survive the conditions of Ortus without the assistance of the microbe. Another important feature is the human ability to communicate and cooperate, as well as its capacity to rely on violent means to achieve their goals. They are weak, not as logical and not as long lasting as their descendants, a matter proven all too obvious when taking into account their primitive technology from the 21st. Century and before. As such, it is no wonder that the common humans have since been replaced with their far more durable counterparts; Far more logical and durable, the modern humans of today have consolidated themselves in the galaxy thanks to those traits acquired by technology. When faced with the extreme conditions of Ortus, along with a wave of famine and uncertainty, humanity was forced to live underground, in a decision which conflicted with its natural upbringing in open environments, as well as colourful ambients.

Despite the homosapiens' reach never surviving until the arrival of space exploration in the Ortus Council of Nations, the humans closely resembling their ancient ancestors are instead far easier to identify in the West, as their tampering with biology has only begun experimenting with artificial evolution. It is for that reason, for the time being, that the humans of the cluster most resembling the biology and behaviours of old humans are almost entirely found in the Eternal Empire, a nation which prides itself in purity of the body and its origins, above all.

## **The Homo Scius**

Though debates over when the Eastern Human became the Homoscius continues, this article speaks of the Homoscius as a species which emerged / was created very shortly after the Exodus. More specifically whenever the Eastern Human entered the symbiotic relationship with the Ortus Fungal Microbe.

### **Intellectual**

The Homo Scuis species are famed for their scientists, builders, and exceptional natural longevity even without any genetic modifications; while their longer life spans (compared to that of the Pre-Exodus and Western 'Homo Sapiens' Human) are attributed to the fungal symbiote their renown for intellectual ability originates cannot be solely linked to their Human or Fungal makeup. Though markedly more intellectual as a species when compared to the Homosapien this difference likely lies in the two different societies their species come from or perhaps the more cooperative nature that resulted from the Symbiote.

### **Cold Adaptation**

The Homoscuis are, for a mammalian species, very well adapted for cold climates which runs *polar* opposite to the Homosapien body which evolved in hot climates and is much more suited to surviving in.

While their adaptation to sub-thermal climates aided their initial survival on the planet Ortus the changes irrevocably damaged the Human adaptability that enabled their ancestors to settle across a landmass so diverse as Earth. The loss of the ability to sweat would have been a catastrophic evolutionary back-leap in any other environment and even in the Ortus climate was nothing short of 'Species-Wide-Darwin-Award' as the loss of the ability to lose heat rapidly would limit their ability for physical activity. A drawback that could be built around and was not endangering to the initial post exodus population in the cold world of Ortus, but would come to severely impact the capability of their army in the wars that would occur after the Exodus; this would come to be another driving factor behind the future use of Clone Soldiers and later military reformation to a robotic based armed force.

### **Slow Breeders**

The Homoscius as a result of the Symbiote also had a significantly longer pregnancy period to the Homosapien counterpart (Homoscius Pregnancy lasted 12-14 months;) the fungal based lifeform that altered the Human genome was suspected to have 'damaged' the genome due its extremely rapid alteration of the Human DNA sequence, causing an extended pregnancy as the otherwise improved Human body (Discussed in the Greater Lifespan section below) provided less support to the new life and thus required an extended period to receive what a typical Human infant did in the average 9 month period of pregnancy. Though to say the genome was 'damaged' would be a gross misinterpretation and simplification of the complexities of biology, genetics, and the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic life and their symbiotic relationships.

The Eastern Humans had one of the lowest birth rates of the galaxy until advances in genome mapping and sequence alteration / manipulation saw this deficient 'trait' of the Homoscius removed in the late 2200s.

### **Greater Lifespan**

If the Homosapien could be expected in prime and favourable conditions to live to the average age of 100 then the Homoscius sized up to an average expectancy of 120. Obviously this was in the most ideal scenario which was not a realistic expectation to hold to the entire species, but the Homoscius still enjoyed a prolonged lifespan against their ancestral lineage.

The Ortus Symbiote was of course responsible for this, the fungal based 'alien' lifeform was greatly superior to the 'Terran-based' micro-life that has previously occupied the Human body; bodily functions such as metabolism, regeneration, energy conservation, and sleeping, were broadly improved by an insignificant amount when measured in daily life but over decades these many small improvements created a much more enduring and long lived Human host. While a general decline in body functions would inevitably occur the Homoscius enjoyed a resistance to the worst degenerative effects of aging well into their 80's and 90's though after this their functions would more rapidly deteriorate as if their Symbiote had experienced a burnout.

### Genetic Engineering & Late Commonwealth developments

Technological advancements and a shift to synthetic based life would cut out the shortcomings of the Symbiote; with vastly affordable and accessible gene therapy, and the widespread practice of mechanical replacements, the Homoscius would overcome many shortcomings on the genetic level and could live well into the future millennia. 3000 years after their arrival to this galaxy there are still some Humans alive today who once walked on the surface of that bright blue planet Earth.

## **The Homo Aeternus**

*This section is a stub and under development*

Evolving from the developed works of the *homoscius*, the ‘*Eternal Man*’ is another step in human evolution found in the Commonwealth. Developed under the works of the nation’s Physics Division, this human subspecies is formed from synthetic skin, metallic structures and cybernetic brains which allows for a near-immortal lifespan and durability. Coupled with the capacity to upload previous consciousness of individuals, the *homoaeternus* are today the final frontier in the evolutionary ladder of humans, far more advanced than any predecessors and extremely versatile when compared to other species encountered in the cluster. Being originated in the Commonwealth, these individuals reside mostly in their native nation, but some minorities have chosen to live abroad in the Entente or simply decided not to associate with their home state, preferring to settle in disputed territories or in isolated systems altogether.

#### **Final Addendum: Scientific Community**

Humans of the Commonwealth were for centuries still known as the *Homosapien*, it was only after the discovery of the Western Human and their unchanged genome that the scientific community would re-identify the Eastern Human as a related but distinct species.

The Eastern Human would thus become known as the Homo Scius, Knowing Man. [Homoscia / Homoscium / Homoscius]

The Western Human, a direct and unchanged ancestor of the Earth Human, remained known as the Homo Sapiens, Wise Man. [Homosapien]

Within the scientific community others would jokingly refer to the Eastern Human as the Homo Lucifugus, Light-Shunning Man, on account of their phobia of the outdoors.

### **Would You Like To Know More?**

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