[DISCARDED] The Gene Pool

[Jutsa]

I. Don't. Know.

Draft 1.11

Title: The Gene Pool
The Issue: Evolution started catching up with @@NAME@@ when a horrific, and at times lethal, virus with no known cure started sweeping the younger population. Scientists from down in the citizen production plants have stated that the rather exclusive genetics lab's lack of genome diversity has made a large portion of @@NAME@@ susceptible to diseases, and warn that this could just be the beginning.
Validity: Vat-Grown Citizens (No Sex); Adult

Option 1: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we are currently using," proffers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "We've proven it works with our samples, and now, if we want our youth to survive, we'll need more genetic diversity. And we can do that by allowing people, both citizens and foreigners, to donate some of their genetic fluids. Everyone walks away happy, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."
[effect] ???

Option 2: "That's disgusting. You people disgust me," wheezes fizzy-haired vat technician @@RANDOMNAME@@, wiping snot onto @@HIS@@ greasy lab coat. "We don't need any more human material. We just need to invest in better DNA-altering technology. We can beat evolution if you just gave us the green light to experiment on altering the DNA of fetuses."
[effect] newborns are comprised of mulligans and cocktails

Option 3: "That sounds expensive and complicated," sighs @@RANDOMNAME@@, whose only job is pulling a big baby making lever. "I remember the good old days when making babies didn't take any government maintenance. Remember those days? People would just sort-of come together and breed. I miss those days. I'm not saying you should legalize reproductive sex, I just think, you know, if someone happens to get pregnant, we might as well let her help solve our genetic diversity problem. Just saying."
[effect] reproduction is almost natural again

Option 4: "The problem is too much diversity," suggests your brother, looking rather flushed. "The population doesn't have superior genes. We should be fine-tuning our population to have the perfect genetics, starting with reproducing samples from the most genetically pure of all, our family."
[effect] @@LEADER@@ imposters are popping up everywhere

Title: The Gene Pool
The Issue: Evolution has started catching up with @@NAME@@ when a horrific and at times lethal virus with no known cure started sweeping the younger population. Scientists from down in the citizen production plants have stated that the rather exclusive genetics lab's lack of genome diversity has made a large portion of @@NAME@@ susceptible to diseases, and warn that this could just be the beginning.
Validity: Vat-Grown Citizens (No Sex); Adult

Validity: Immigration
Option 1a: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we are currently using," proffers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "We've proven it works with our samples, and now, if we want our youth to survive, we'll need more genetic diversity. And we can do that by allowing people, both citizens and immigrants, to donate some of their genetic fluids. Everyone walks away happy, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."
[effect] ???

Validity: No Immigration
Option 1b: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we are currently using," proffers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "We've proven it works with our samples, and now, if we want our youth to survive, we'll need more genetic diversity. And we can do that by allowing people, both citizens and, if that's not enough, screened foreigners, to donate some of their genetic fluids. Everyone walks away happy, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."
[effect] ???

Option 2: "That's disgusting. You people disgust me," wheezes fizzy-haired vat technician @@RANDOMNAME@@, wiping snot onto @@HIS@@ lab coat. "We don't need any more human material. We just need to invest in better DNA-altering technology. We can beat evolution if you just gave us the green light to experiment on altering the DNA of fetuses."
[effect] newborns are comprised of mulligans and cocktails

Option 3: "That sounds expensive and complicated," sighs @@RANDOMNAME@@, whose only job is pulling a big baby making lever. "I remember the good old days when making babies didn't take any government maintenance. Remember those days? People would just sort-of come together and breed. I miss those days. I'm not saying you should legalize reproductive sex, I just think, you know, if someone happens to get pregnant, we might as well let her help solve our genetic diversity problem. Just saying."
[effect] reproduction is almost natural again

Option 4: "The problem is too much diversity," suggests your brother, looking rather flushed. "The population doesn't have superior genes. We should be fine-tuning our population to have the perfect genetics, starting with reproducing samples from the most genetically pure of all — our family."
[effect] @@LEADER@@ imposters are popping up everywhere

Title: The Gene Pool
The Issue: Evolution has started catching up with @@NAME@@ when a horrific and at times lethal virus with no known cure started sweeping the younger population. Scientists from down in the citizen production plants have stated that the lack of genetic diversity has made a large portion of @@NAME@@ susceptible to diseases, and warn that this could just be the beginning.
Validity: Vat-Grown Citizens (No Sex); Adult

Validity: No DNA Harvesting
Option 1a: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we have access to," profers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "If we want to ensure the survival, yes the survival, of our youth, we need more genetic diversity. And we can do that through compulsory DNA harvesting of our older citizens. Make it mandatory that everyone donate some of their genetic fluids, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."
[effect] ???

Validity: DNA Harvesting
Option 1b: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we have access to," profers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "If we want to ensure the survival, yes the survival, of our youth, we need more genetic diversity. And we can do that by accessing the police's DNA database and collecting samples from our older citizens. Make it mandatory that those copper cough up some of their genetic fluids, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."
[effect] ???

Option 2: "That's disgusting. You people disgust me," wheezes fizzy-haired vat technician @@RANDOMNAME@@, wiping snot onto @@HIS@@ lab coat. "We don't need any more human material. We just need to invest in better DNA-altering technology. We can beat evolution if you just gave us the green light to experiment on altering the DNA of fetuses."
[effect] newborns are comprised of mulligans and cocktails

Option 3: "That sounds expensive and complicated," sighs @@RANDOMNAME@@, whose only job is pulling a big baby making lever. "I remember the good old days when making babies didn't take any government maintenance. Remember those days? People would just sort-of come together and breed. I miss those days. I'm not saying you should legalize reproductive sex, I just think, you know, if someone happens to get pregnant, we might as well let her help solve our genetic diversity problem. Just saying."
[effect] reproduction is almost natural again

Option 4: "The problem is too much diversity," suggests your brother, looking rather flushed. "The population doesn't have superior genes. We should be fine-tuning our population to have the perfect genetics, starting with reproducing samples from the most genetically pure of all — our family."
[effect] @@LEADER@@ imposters are popping up everywhere

[Trotterdam]

This issue does not involve a literal swimming pool

Option 1a: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we have access to," profers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "If we want to ensure the survival, yes the survival, of our youth, we need more genetic diversity. And we can do that through compulsory DNA harvesting. Make it mandatory that everyone donate some of their genetic fluids, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."

How does that even work? If we're harvesting the DNA of our own vat-grown people, we're not gaining anything we didn't already have.

[Jutsa]

Ah, the idea is that this is only affecting younger people. But good point; I'll specify that it's the older population that you need to get DNA from.

[Jaegan]

Option 1a: "Our vat technology can only do so much with the limited DNA we have access to," profers Boffin @@RANDOMNAME@@, handling a small petri dish. "If we want to ensure the survival, yes the survival, of our youth, we need more genetic diversity. And we can do that through compulsory DNA harvesting. Make it mandatory that everyone donate some of their genetic fluids, and we'll have these vats pumping babies like no tomorrow."

How does that even work? If we're harvesting the DNA of our own vat-grown people, we're not gaining anything we didn't already have.

Yeah, I was wondering about that too... maybe it could be about harvesting DNA from immigrants from nations where they still reproduce naturally?

[Jutsa]

Yeah, I was wondering about that too... maybe it could be about harvesting DNA from immigrants from nations where they still reproduce naturally?

This honestly did come up in my head, another option being "kidnap them for their dna" in nations where immigration is banned,
but... eh, it's kinda hard to work out all those details without making this draft very, very long.

edit:

This issue does not involve a literal swimming pool

Yeah, sorry Trot.

If it's any consolation, it still involves vats which, I mean, they're basically pools for genes, if you think about it.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Why would vat-growing people lead to genetic homogeneity? We're not producing clones, we're just gestating in vitro.

[Trotterdam]

Why would vat-growing people lead to genetic homogeneity? We're not producing clones, we're just gestating in vitro.

Well, the issues for installing vats aren't that clear about how exactly you're obtaining your basic people templates. They do, though, generally portray vat production as the remit of a relatively insular group (a dedicated government department in charge of deciding population growth targets), rather than offering a grow-your-own-baby service to normal citizens.

While artificially recombining DNA to simulate the benefits of sexual reproduction is certainly possible (I daresay nearly trivial for anyone capable of using vat technology to begin with), there's still the question of starting population size. If your starting DNA samples are limited to the people involved in researching the vats, then it would be like trying to establish a colony from a small breeding population - not cloning, no, but it does create a genetic bottleneck.

I'm still not completely convinced the story checks out, but I see where Jutsa is coming from.

Thinking about it, though, I really think that people wouldn't be shy about submitting their genes to begin with. Wanting to procreate is a natural instinct, and while our normal reproductive instincts don't really apply here because they get confused by all this newfangled technology stuff, ensuring the existence of more people similar to yourself (because they have some of your genes) would appeal to many people's ego. People'd probably be fighting to get their genes copied most.

[Jutsa]

That last point is actually a pretty dang good one...
Hmmm. That does throw a wrench into the pipework.

I could possibly have option one "open things up",
Rather than make donating compulsory. Think it'd work?

[USS Monitor]

That last point is actually a pretty dang good one...
Hmmm. That does throw a wrench into the pipework.

I could possibly have option one "open things up",
Rather than make donating compulsory. Think it'd work?

"Open things up" would also be easier to combine with the idea of getting foreign DNA.

[Australian rePublic]

You're missing an obvious solution. Declare a war and harvest the DNA of POWs

[Jutsa]

That last point is actually a pretty dang good one...
Hmmm. That does throw a wrench into the pipework.

I could possibly have option one "open things up",
Rather than make donating compulsory. Think it'd work?

"Open things up" would also be easier to combine with the idea of getting foreign DNA.

Alright, I've opened up to the idea.

You're missing an obvious solution. Declare a war and harvest the DNA of POWs

Naeh, too obvious a solution.

[Jutsa]

Changed option 1. Kinda sad it doesn't riff off of the DNA harvesting policy, but it really wasn't a necessity.

Still have a variant for nations without immigration though.

[Jutsa]

Bump~ Any thoughts?

[Jutsa]

Putting this up for last call.

Decided to go through and change a couple little details, including desplitting option 1.
Still not sure what to put down as an effect line though.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Sorry, I still don't buy the premise. Can't see why genetic homogeneity has resulted from vat use.

If anything, being able to select combinations in a planned fashion allows for deliberate diversification beyond what would occur naturally. For example IRL people often self-select those of their own ethnic group for breeding purposes, whereas in a Vat situation there'd be no such bias.

[USS Monitor]

Sorry, I still don't buy the premise. Can't see why genetic homogeneity has resulted from vat use.

If anything, being able to select combinations in a planned fashion allows for deliberate diversification beyond what would occur naturally. For example IRL people often self-select those of their own ethnic group for breeding purposes, whereas in a Vat situation there'd be no such bias.

Maybe limit it to nations that have low inclusiveness so they wouldn't make the effort to maintain diversity?

[Jutsa]

Yeah... looking through, I realize that aside from the assumptiveness and questionably functionability of this,
it also overlaps with your own issue, #1003, which already assumes that you can teak DNA.

Guess it's goodbye to pulling the big baby making lever...


Still was fun to work on. Feel free to scrap this for parts.

edit: though, it does make me wonder about nations with vat-grown citizens and high primitiveness, which...
I mean, actually is pretty common.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Yeah... looking through, I realize that aside from the assumptiveness and questionably functionability of this,
it also overlaps with your own issue, #1003, which already assumes that you can teak DNA.

Guess it's goodbye to pulling the big baby making lever...


Still was fun to work on. Feel free to scrap this for parts.

edit: though, it does make me wonder about nations with vat-grown citizens and high primitiveness, which...
I mean, actually is pretty common.

It'd be amusing to see an issue about nations who have the vats but aren't sure how to work them. However, while issues for niche groups are becoming more acceptable, this really would be a SUPER niche group, maybe 9 or 10 people getting the issue each month.

[Jutsa]

Oof, I guess my secondary account being one of those nations has seriously made me underestimate how rare that actually is...