Longevity Augmentations

Longevity augmentations, introduced by Urum Kankal in the year 4034 CC, dramatically reduced the rate of aging in living organisms. The average human is now capable of living for 90,000 years. Although these genetic treatments were controversial when first introduced, the whole of human society has since been reshaped to accomodate enhanced lifespans. The last "unaltered" humans went extinct around the year 5400 CC.

Although it feels like augmentations have been around forever, only four full enhanced lifetimes have passed since the introduction of the perfected treatments.

Origins
Eshduri was in a renaissance period after the conclusion of the hierarchy's first major conflict, and advanced spaceflight became a top priority for scientists.

Urum Kankal wished to launch the first manned mission to another star system, but the round trip would take a total of forty years to complete. There was a chance that conventional astronauts - already entering middle-age by the time they finished training - would be incapable of completing the full journey.

Numerous ideas were tossed around - including plans for cryosleep modules and generation ships - but all were dismissed. Cryosleep would leave the majority of the crew unable to quickly respond to emergency situations, and generation ships would result in a loss of both knowledge and motivation with each passing generation.

Kankal scientists, considering the long-term implications of future space travel, concluded that the most logical solution was to extend the human lifespan with genetic augmentations. Geneticists had been experimenting with anti-aging treatments in small mammals for centuries and considerable progress was being made to "stop or greatly reduce the biological aging process."

Twenty human embryos were augmented by Kankal geneticists. Their projected natural lifespan was 200 years - more than enough time to make an interstellar voyage.

Six embryos were grown in artifical wombs and 'born' after nine full months of gestation. These children would be raised to become the first interstellar astronauts. The remaining embryos were used for research purposes.

The First Interstellar Voyagers
The children aged slowly, as expected, and were mentored by the very best Kankal scientists and astronauts. It took them 40 years to reach the biological age of 15. Although in physical adolescence, they had been given all necessary training to complete their monumental voyage. Their mission was launched in the year 4075 CC.

The engineered crew performed admirably, capturing a plethora of data and recordings of the neighboring star system. They returned in the year 4115 CC - appearing no older than 30.

They became instant celebrities, earning the respect and awe of the entire world. They were kept under observation for a time, and scientists discovered that their rate of aging continued to decrease as they reached physical maturity. They were dispatched on a second interstellar voyage, winning them even more fame. Afterwards, they spent the rest of their adult lives assisting researchers with longevity treatments.

Their lives came to a natural end 425 years after their birth - twice as long as projected.

Civilian Augmentations
The immense popularity of the first interstellar crew caused a sensation with the public. Demand for longevity augmentations skyrocketed. Many Kankals saw these treatments as the first step in controlled evolution. Geneticists begin to offer the service to the public for a costly fee. An entire generation of Kankals was born with extended longevity.

By the year 4700 CC, nearly all Kankals were augmented - all living for at least 450 years.

Fearing that this would give Urum Kankal an unfair edge over the rest of the hierarchy, the other urums purchased or engineered their own augmentation technology. Before long, almost all humans were choosing to give birth to augmented children. Various protests occurred in opposition to the fast-spreading alterations, as many considered extended longevity to be a sin against the natural order. These protests did little to stop the movement.

Natural Human Extinction
The last holdouts against longevity augmentations were chiefly from Urum Iduz. The "original" human population slowly declined to unsustainable levels. The few remaining members of the unaltered human race - then living on protected reserves - went extinct in the year 5400 CC.

Social Upheavals
Advances in genetics allowed scientists to expand the human lifespan further - from 450 years to 10,000 years. Augmentations were further tweaked to ensure that humans remained 'in their prime' for the majority of their lives. Most adults appear no older than 30 after reaching maturity ,and they only descend into physical old age during their last few cycles.

Traveling the stars became commonplace for both civilians and scientists, and genetic augmentations made it possible to survive the long voyages.

Augmentations reached their maximum anti-aging potential in 7 GSC, as various obstacles prevented the complete halt of biological aging. The human lifespan was expanded to 90,000 years (30 cycles). After the introduction of these augmentations, further longevity treatments became unnecessary, as augmented parents would naturally give birth to children with comparable lifespans. With humans living for so long, a new calendar was created to reflect the changing social norms.

The human mind was also reshaped by the anti-aging treatments. Although still fundamentally the same, people now demonstrate greater patience and find ways to busy themselves during periods of inactivity. As technology grew more advanced, and as greater funding became necessary simply to live, expanded lifespans were seen as a necessary change.

Side Effects
As only four complete lifetimes have passed since the introduction of longevity augmentations, medical professionals are still gathering data on the long-term consequences of extending the human lifespan. Known side effects are as follows:

Mental Instabilities
Although rare, individuals may experience mental illness as they grow older. The problem is not biological, as the brain is shown to retain good physical health until extreme old age. Augment-related madness appears to stem from outside stressors -- a combination of boredom, mental fatigue, and accumulated stress. As humans rarely lived more than a century prior to augmentations, some brains theoretically have trouble compensating for the cumulative memories and stress of an enhanced lifespan.

Individuals who frequently travel on board interstellar vessels are more prone to develop this condition, as their activities may be limited. Most vessels, however, are large enough to make passengers feel like they are planetside, and daily life on a vessel is not altogether different from life on a colony.

The condition is less common in younger generations, indicating that it may be caused by a minor error in augmentation treatments that were developed before scientists achieved modern genetic stability.

Organ Decay
Although all parts of the body are meant to age at the same slow rate, organs may occasionally wear down and cease to function in otherwise healthy individuals. A failing organ must be replaced. This has become a routine medical practice, and a suitable replacement organ is cloned from existing tissue. The liver and kidneys are most likely to fail. An individual can expect to replace at least one organ in their lifetime.

Rather than fault the augmented genetic code, the overall medical community largely blames poor dietary and lifestyle choices for premature organ failure.

Preservation of the Original Human Genome
Although original humans have since gone extinct, scientists were careful to preserve the original human genome prior to the widespread popularity of longevity augmentations. The genome can be freely accessed by anyone for research purposes.

Each urum owns copies of several thousand unique DNA strands -- which would allow scientists to quickly bring a viable population of unaltered humans to life. DNA was taken from humanity's best and brightest during the dawn of the interstellar age. This included members from every human ethnic group. These strands are kept in secure medical facilities.

These measures were done as a safety precaution, should any crippling problems arise from the augmentations.