 January 18, 2014 - 9:46am | This is not in SF, but it is a sci-fi idea worth consideration: (I've only read a couple of these books but they present an interesting idea and society). In some novels by Anne McCaffrey she presents an interesting yet disturbing idea. Children who are handicap become wards of the state or a corporation (parents are encouraged at birth to hand them over... the parents who are told the can never give the child a good life, an education, a career, a purpose in society, or pay for the medical bills). These children are then put into a sort of cyborg program, they are totally encased into a machine designed for them which is modified as they grow, they are educated and trained to the highest degree, they are sheltered, guarded and socialized for one goal to be the loyal brains that operate Space Ship fleets. They are very human these Shell People, and so the Captain of the ship is always the opposite sex as the folks in charge thinks that helps with bonding. The Shell Person must pay off their debt to society/corporation, and should they ever succeed the contract they are under gives them their "freedom", but understand this also means paying off for the ship they inhabit, all medical care, any modifications they have made to the ship and so on... basically most Shell People are indentured slaves till they can no longer function and go into retirement. Most have no idea about how to make extra money outside of what they are paid to do, which of course goes towards their debt, maintenance of their ship and retirement package. The Shell People themselves have sort of their own society however that most normal people are ignorant of (much what you see with the deaf or blind community). There is an advocate group that is concerned about the well being of these humans but it is sort of like the Humane Society for Shell People. If a Shell Person is disconnected from their ship for too long insanity or coma can occur because of a complete lack of stimuli. One Shell Person in the books however was put into the program not at birth and had a high IQ and knowledge of her family (it was her choice rather then live her life in a hospital) so that child had other socialization and training outside of the program. So as an idea this might be a top secret program as the next step in ship design, or even the PCs might make contact with a new race or old colony that is doing this... "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 January 18, 2014 - 10:17am | Not sure if the concept is from Anne McCaffrey or not but this is actually pretty common idea in Sci-Fi totalirian societies. In the movie Fortress (Christopher Lambert) the elite guards and the warden are cyborgs made from children taken away from female prisoners. In the game Warhammer 40,000 the Servitors are condemned prisoners who have half their brains removed and cyborg parts installed. Of course Star Trek's Borg just take everybody and make them cyborgs. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
January 18, 2014 - 12:08pm | Sure but they don't loose their human traits, and they basically live in a box, that takes care of all their needs. Sort of like the brain in the jar but the body is still there. So they are still very human, emotions, quirks, and so on it is just the ship becomes their body through which the experience and interact with the universe. But how creepy you want to go would depend. Cyborg fun "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 January 18, 2014 - 12:33pm | I read "The Ship Who Sang" it was ok for McAffery but not her best. IIRC the next book was suppose to be "The City Who Fought". Whats important to remember here is these are not cybernetic automitoms but real human being so disadvantaged with physical deformity or shortened life expectancy that they have had their brains removed and their autonomic nervous functions are hooked up to the life support and or similar systems in say a ship or city. Thus they still breathe but its just the air recyclers and purifiers. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 21, 2014 - 12:43am | Yes, I have read those books, and I enjoyed them. I've often considered putting that concept into one of my games. It could easily be done in Star Frontiers. |
January 21, 2014 - 5:38am | I dont see any reason to exclude shell people from the setting. Someone steeped in the books could do a write up and submit it to the zine. Sfman had a write up of the alien xenomorphs for use in the setting this would be a good option for referees looking for something a little different or for fans of her writing. EDIT: I had not realized she was dead, or if I had heard I've since forgotten. Either way it would be a good tribute to a pioneer sci fi author- first woman to win a Hugo and to win a Nebula. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 21, 2014 - 11:09am | Aren't Cybot's supposed to be illegal? However, I could see a megacorp being able to get away with this at least in a small scale. ----------------------------------------------- |
January 22, 2014 - 10:58am | Well after the Sathar brain in the jar get's discovered someone could decide to develop a black project, and even decide they are not Cybot's because they are people on "life support". Could be a good jeepers creepers plot for PCs to uncover. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
