ELNBook: Progenitors

An indepth look at one of the Technocratic Conventions on an un-official level.

by Samuel Fenwick ({REL[602][articleGame]QuLPotmOREL} Resources)

Editor’s Note: The following supplement is intended as additional material for the forthcoming Revised Progenitor Convention Book and is not intended in any way as a replacement for said resource or as a challenge to any official White Wolf Game Studio releases for Mage: The Ascension

“Welcome to My lab.”

It is good to see you again, Ms Jones. I’m sorry if we met under “uncomfortable” circumstances. Let me begin this tutorial, by saying how glad I am, that we are both on the same side.

I shall try to draw a veil over your days as a danger to the union and the masses. However, I feel that I must suggest something to you. Although it may seem very hazy to you now, it is my belief that the ease at which you were recovered, reflects frustration on your part with the insane beliefs of your parasite.

What Parasite? That’s a good question. Don’t be alarmed. Not only did my colleagues repair your injuries, but we also took the liberty of removing it. Come this way…

Here, let me show you, although I must warn you that’s its not a sight for the squeamish.

Calm down! It’s no longer a threat. These things are pitiful when outside a host. We believe that these… things communicate with each other through a complex quantum effect. There are a few fragments of the critter, still logged inside your cranium. Don’t worry, as this will assist you in tracking down other parasites and their hosts, if you are assigned to field operations.

Feel free to look around. My specialities are organic chemistry and pharmacology, which basically means I make drugs and chemicals for the Union. I’m not talking about aspirin here, I’m talking about everything from combat drugs to acids so powerful that they can eat through about five feet of steel. Yes, you are correct, all drugs have side effects. However, we can partially prevent this from the judicious use of other drugs, and my FAÇADE colleagues, are particularly adept at routinely repairing any long-term damage.

My supervisor has instructed me to brief you on the goals and philosophy of my Convention. This is because, during your brief “career” as a reality deviant, you displayed an aptitude for healing and reshaping organisms including yourself. Although these abilities were extremely dangerous and have probably resulted in significant localised damage to reality, we have learnt that the parasite does not generally direct the manifestations of its dimensional rips. That is the job of the host. I have been told by Psy Ops that you might be experiencing a sensation of grief at this point. Let me reassure you, although you can no longer perform your “magic”, the human mind once expanded, cannot easily go back. You have a rare aptitude for enlightened science, otherwise you wouldn’t be here or my lab would now be a mass of broken glass and fuming puddles of well… you get the idea. What is enlightened science? The best training will enable you to operate devices beyond the scope of the man on the street or even the GP in his surgery. You’ll be able to heal yourself and others at vastly accelerated rates, make gross and subtle changes to a subject’s DNA, and much more.

I was chosen by control for this briefing, because we share a common past. I too was once a host to those… things. I can’t remember much of those times, although I can remember that my parasite mostly used me as a means of sampling as many mind altering substances as possible. My knowledge of chemistry, rather than being used to benefit the masses, was inside wasted on a reality deviant’s pleasure.

Do I feel any less myself because I can’t fully remember my past? I don’t know. Indeed, that question may be impossible to answer. However, the opportunity to atone for my old mistakes and help bring about a utopia free from suffering and the predations of the myriad things that daily seek to plunge our world into madness, more than makes up for the occasional sacrifice.

As for my Convention, let’s start with some of the ideas that every Progenitor holds dear. First, although we have and always will marvel at the wonder that is life, its imperfection is difficult to accept. The human body can break, fall ill, age and eventually dies. Much of the suffering among the masses today, is a result of this imperfection.

You disagree? You feel that death is a natural consequence of life? Don’t you find such a view, rather apathetic? Death is a waste, of knowledge, a unique point of view, not to mention live flesh and any scientist, especially one of us, abhors waste. Besides, wouldn’t you agree that the reasons why many people feel that they don’t want to live for ever, is because of their own decay? We all lose much of the vibrancy of youth as we get older, but I doubt that will always be the case.

The truth is that evolution is lazy. Plain and simple. Think of it like this: Evolution can be defined as the tendency of selection pressure for attributes that boost reproductive effectiveness, to result in increased frequency of the genes “for” these traits in the gene-pool as a whole. If the selection pressure isn’t there, then the traits that once where selected for will begin to disappear, due to the accumulation of destructive mutations. Now, how often does the average Joe on the street’s survival depend on how fast or how far he can run? Not often. Without our intervention, the toys introduced by our fellow Conventions, would one day reduce the human race to a pale shadow of its former self, utterly dependent on its cold dead creations for everything.

Ethics? There are some of us who wince at that word. It represents the main problem, our convention has encountered, when trying to convince the masses of our vision. Take germ-line therapy for instance. This involves making genetic changes to an organism, which will later be inherited by its offspring. Many have argued that to allow such procedures in humans is un-ethical, as the children of such a patient, have been affected by a procedure, without their consent. Even the most gizmo-shocked hit-mark, could see the flaw in this argument. Do you choose to be born? Do you choose which parents you will be born to? Do people complain if they were born into a wealthy family? No, they do not. Why, then should they complain about a different sort of wealth, one far more precious than that offered by the Syndicate? Be careful when you mention research ethics, I’ve seen other Primary Investigators literally spit blood at the mere use of the word. However, I won’t deny that our Convention has been guilty of some… abuses.

Our tendency to seek knowledge, often at the expense of others has often been criticized and with good reason. That is partly why, you have been selected as your psych profile indicates an idealism which may stand us in good stead. We have often been accused of hurting the masses with the side effects that we allow in the drugs we distribute to them. However, we have our reasons. Most importantly, there is the Placebo effect. It has been proved over numerous studies that the greater the side-effects of a drug, the greater the attendant perception of the patient that it must be doing it’s job. Secondly, we do not want the masses to become overwhelming dependent on our chemical wonders.

You find this hypocritical? Your point about the narcotics trade is well made. Yes, members of my methodology, are responsible for the release of designer drugs into youth culture and yes, it does make both the Syndicate and my Convention, vast sums of currency. I too find it difficult to justify, but my Supervisor once gave me the following reasoning, which you may find interesting. The discovery and acceptance of contraception in many countries, in an effort to improve living standards and ensure freedom of sexual choice, had a significant paradox effect. You find that term familiar? Don’t worry it’s probably nothing. Anyway, the fact is that our research indicates that intelligence has a significant genetic component. Now, it clearly takes some degree of intelligence to use contraception, similarly, it requires a good deal of aptitude, for a woman to be able to choose a career, instead of motherhood. Hence, we have accidentally helped create a society, in which the intelligent are at a distinct reproductive disadvantage. My superiors, decided to counteract this effect, by creating a solution that would ensure that stupidity would be equally penalised, hence the introduction of narcotics. By making these drugs harmful, expensive and with addictive qualities (hence reducing the reproductive effectiveness of users), we have safeguarded the intellect of our species in the near future.

Yes, I do see that this has had more than a few negative consequences, but we have to view the situation in the long-term. Remember that our supervisors are enlightened beyond our current understanding. Such issues are their meat and drink. Research and the protection of humanity from reality deviance, by using the fruits of that research are ours.

Unfortunately, I wish it were that simple. Lately, communication between those agents in the field and HQ has all but ceased. This has meant that decisions such as the above may begin to be our province, and yes, that though scares me. To make matters worse, most of our cutting edge research was conducted in various sub-dimensions, now inaccessible to us for some unknown reason. This means that for all our efforts, we could merely be repeating that which is already known.

Could it be the work of the Parasites? I am not sure. I have heard garbled accounts of Reality Deviants attempting to use their powers to enter sub-dimensions and suffering an unexpected death, as their parasite was ripped to shreds by an unknown force. I have the suspicion that whatever has happened, it has harmed those who would threaten humanity, just as badly as it has hurt us. The only evidence I have for this piece of reasoning is that the Reality Deviants, encountered in the field, since we lost communications with HQ have been far less capable in channelling the freakish powers of their unnatural lodgers.

If you accept my offer of a Studentship, you will in between standard agent training exercises, be allowed to engage in your own research project, which will be carried out under my supervision. If it is a success, then you will be allocated your own research resources. However, members of our convention sometimes form amalgams with agents from other conventions especially when dealing with issues on the frontlines. Common roles for our agents are combat medics, xeno-biologist and forensic specialists.

This is perhaps the most important decision you will never make. If you require some time, it can be arranged. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to consult the databanks or send E-mail to my personal account.

Excellent. You’ve made the right choice. I look forward to working with you and witnessing the many discoveries I’m certain you’ll make in the future.

For the

record, I terminate this briefing and welcome Student Talsha to our convention. Student Talsha is now a Progenitor and has been granted prokaryote security access.

“Natural Philosophy”

“If I have seen further than other men, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

–Isaac Newton.

The Progenitors have had a long and chequered history, claiming their roots from the earliest healers and the inventors of agriculture. However, it is only recently that they have come fully into their power, and their paradigm has developed beyond even their wildest dreams. Ironically, the sheer acceptance of most of their paradigm by the masses has lead to their greatest frustration.

The two main tenants of the Progenitor “faith” could be summarised as Evolution and Anti-vitalism. The concept of evolution, dominates much of this Convention’s worldview. A progenitor, if asked, defines evolution as “a process by which inherited characteristics, are selected for by environmental factors, resulting in increased adaptation to the environment and reproductive fitness, over many generations.” This concept has more than any other, directed sleeper thinking away from mystical explanations of how life achieved it’s current diversity, such as creationism. Together, with the discovery of DNA, as the mechanism of heredity, it forms the base of the progenitor paradigm. Compared to the paradigms of their supersititionist counterparts, the Progenitors’ is immensely powerful, at the most subtle levels of life. The Verbena, in holding to Vitalist principles, are skilled at easily visualised gross and often vulgar manipulations of the body, such as healing and shape-changing, but fall flat on their faces when trying to make precise changes to the inner workings of the body. The fact that the progenitors perform their “Science” by working with the fundamental molecules of life bypasses this problem completely. Unfortunately, this is not without cost. Many a progenitor has cursed the sheer complexity of living systems. Even making a single genetic change to an organism requires many different stages of research, from the sequencing of the desired gene, to discovering the correct vector in order to successfully pass the altered DNA into the target cell. Furthermore, with the exception of Nanotechnology (which lies almost wholly within the domain of Iteration X), the Progenitors’ paradigm does not allow rapid or sudden gross anatomical changes.

Despite the typically subtle nature of Progenitor Enlightened science, significant paradox effects regularly plague their best efforts. Ironically these paradox effects are equally subtle and insidious. The effects of many of the Progenitors’ pharmaceutical wonders are a case in point. The human system eventually becomes acclimatised to even the most novel of drugs, resulting in increased tolerance and a need for greater quantities of the drug to achieve the same effect. Hormonal supplements, such as the use of anabolic steroids and sex hormones to result in increased strength and endurance, were once thought to be the key to obtaining a key physical edge over the enemies of the Union. The discovery that the body rapidly stops (or dramatically reduces) its own production of its own steroids and sex hormones, in response to these treatments even after the treatment regime is terminated, firmly restricted their use to the most expendable of the Union’s personnel and the occasional Hit-Mark or Fluffy.

The second key feature of the Progenitor paradigm is the belief that life is merely a complex and self-sustaining system, composed of “inanimate” molecules. To the progenitors, and to many of the uninspired scientists in the life sciences, many life processes can be performed in test tubes (DNA replication, respiration and the like). The closest the Progenitors come to a “Life-force”, is their recognition of kirilian fields.

The dream of many Progenitors is unsurprisingly to advance biological science to the degree that the majority of mechanical devices currently employed by the masses could be replaced by gloriously living counterparts. Unfortunately, the other Conventions have placed a great number of paradigmatic “stumbling blocks” in their way. The most notable of which is the near impossibility of getting the masses to accept the possibility of life forms freely existing in space. The spaceship Vivo has become increasingly temperamental as a result, to the extent that it only continues to brave the void thanks to force fields supplied by Iteration X. This is an extremely sore point among the Progenitor Convention as a whole. The most common use for Biomechanical Devices is as weaponry, ranging from acid-spitters to fleshy electro-shock guns. Some Progenitors prefer to pass off such devices as alien artefacts, in the extremely rare cases when such wonders come under Sleeper scrutiny. After all, aliens with such organic technology could conceivably be out there, but the idea that humans have designed such things is often far too much for an ordinary Sleeper to accept. Unfortunately these miracles of Reason tend to suffer from a whole host of unusual and extremely unpleasant infections, when used on the Frontlines, which tends to limit their effectiveness. After all, an Acid-Spitter with a streaming cold is not going to endear itself to its operator, especially when it keeps dissolving his uniform.

A key step in the realisation of “inspired” biomechanical devices for the masses is the development of an organism that can consciously change it’s genetic inheritance, in order to adapt to the demands of its creators or its own needs. There does exist a Progenitor research group dedicated to achieving this goal. However observing the disturbing changes that warped the Clockwork Convention, shortly after they realised their chief goal of achieving true Artificial consciousness, many Progenitors are understandably concerned about the impact such an achievement might have. There is also the question of what would happen if such a creature were to fall into the wrong hands.

The few anonomolous reports of unknown Alien races possessed of solely Biomechanical technology, in Deep Space, does not sit well with the Progenitors. One the one hand, if these reports are true, then such Species may be a veritable goldmine to the first Scientist to successfully obtain specimens. Other more knowledgeable member of the Convention, remember that the flow of time is itself uncertain past the Horizon and that the descriptions of such creatures bare a passing resemblance to the scattered reports of a few colleagues, stationed in the colonies. Deprived of the moderating influence of the rest of the Union (not to mention the watchful eye of Control), due to the current near impossibility of Deep Space travel; they have changed themselves to such an extent that their forms and minds no longer resemble humanity in the slightest. The fact that these Aliens have been observed to be expanding their territory, through journeying through sub-dimensions, has not escaped the notice of the Research Directorate. Of most concern is the fact that they seem to be doing this at an alarming rate, without suffering from the psychological damage, normally associated with dimensional transport of enlightened personnel. The few witnesses that have survived contact with this faction have reported the presence of entities possessed of powerful, though inflexible psionic ability, in addition to the extremely bizarre biomechanical weaponry previously observed. Truly paranoid Progenitors wonder if the parasites possessing the Tradition Mages are actually the fruits of Progenitor research gone wrong and projected back in time by some perverse quirk of fate.

Like the other Conventions, the Progenitors appear to be a strong and united organisation dedicated to the catechism: One World, One Truth, One Order”, but on closer inspection, the Convention is riddled with conflict, subtle conspiracies and raging arguments over the future of Reality. The most high profile of the ideological debates that often shake the foundations of the Progenitor paradigm is the struggle over Darwin’s legacy. Two main camps exist in both inspired and sleeper academics: those who believe that Evolution is a low, steady process, produced by the accumulation of random mutation and those who believe in the “Punctuated Equilibrium” hypothesis. This is the idea that under “normal” evolution is slow, except during changes of rapid environmental change, in which case, various biological mechanisms (currently only postulated) result in rapid speciation and adaptation to the new environment. The most obvious example of this conflict is the high profile antagonism between Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould.

As the fossil record is inconclusive, this matter is still up for debate. However, the Research Directors may have to eventually decide as to which version of Reality they will promote. This decision could decide the future of humanity, as the first theory, if made true by the subtle indoctrination beloved of the Technocracy, could lead to stagnation of the Human Race, but greater social stability, while the Punctuated Equilibrium hypothesis, if verified could permit the emergence of Homo Superior in a couple of generations, but at what cost to the Time-table? Many Research Associates and Primary Investigators, involved in this field, often find themselves the victims of sabotage, or find their scientific credibility tarnished, by carefully faked evidence, planted by their rivals.

The desire to improve the genetic make up of the masses is of course, one of the Progenitors main goals. Unfortunately, the methods commonly used, are very often far from ethical. Some Tradition mages have speculated that the current surge in UFO activity and abduction activity is nothing other than a smokescreen for a massive selected breeding program for progenitors skilled in dimensional science. The fact that the “typical” alien abduction scenario contains elements, such as removal of sexual fluids or DNA, which are difficult to rationalise, if they really were conducted by Extra-Terrestrial Entities, leads credence to such suspicions. Considering that many abductees, seem to display many of the Paradox effects associated with Enlightened Mind Procedures, such as bleeding from the nose or ears, together with memory loss, many wonder if there is NWO collusion in this conspiracy. Of course, if this really is occurring than the operatives concerned are in violation of Article Two of the Precepts of Damian.

Still, the wrath of the rest of the Union is perhaps the least of these operatives’ worries. Despite, the recent problems with dimensional travel, the Ka Luon are still out there, and a confrontation between the imposers and the real thing is only a matter of time.

Interestingly enough, most UFO activity in the World of Darkness is concentrated in South America, an area notorious for its lack of acceptance of the Technocratic paradigm. Some supervisors may be trying to replace the populace’s fear of ghosts and spirits with something rather more… sophisticated, in an attempt to advance their paradigm. As the natives whisper of “Chupacabra” and often find their herds of livestock, eerily reduced come morning, operatives from other conventions stationed in this area, are convinced that this region is being used by the progenitors to test the “stability” of their creations in the wild.

Fertility treatment is another recent vehicle for Progenitor manipulation. With inheritance so seemingly haphazard and with the sheer joy many parents are suffused with after bearing children thanks to such techniques, many suppress the occasional worry about their child’s looks or intellect, if they notice anything unusual at all. After all, it is said that love is blind… Although such a practise is absurdly unethical, some of the other activities in this field easily surpass it in terms of violation of human rights. For instance, the general decline in fertility and sperm counts throughout Europe is well documented. Attributed to artificial chemicals in drinking water that mimic the female hormones or the sheer number of women on the pill today (and the resultant flood of oestrogen being flushed down our toilets every day), in the World of Darkness, this situation has been carefully engineered by the Progenitors. After all, the more couples with difficulty conceiving, the greater power the Progenitors have over the human gene-pool, thanks to their influence over IVF clinics. Furthermore, contraception itself is often warped towards the Progenitors’ ends. Some blameless women (found by the “Good Doctors” to be carriers of genetic disease or other inheritable disorders) ask to be placed on the Pill and are issued unknowingly with pills that do their job far too well (inducing permanent sterility).

To make matters even worse, a recent discovery has found that if mammalian testes are irradiated briefly and foreign sperm injected into them, then they will continue to produce the new type of sperm indefinitely. This has almost limitless potential for a Lab-Rat with few qualms. Indeed, this technique has already been used on many of the Clones in the Union’s service, creating a living back-up system, stocked with genes coding “for” the Progenitors finest achievements. This can lead to some interesting situations, especially as the capture of such a Clone (by Reality Deviants) can result in a response far outweighing that reasonably expected by the assailants.

Some Progenitors, involved in the drive to become self-financing have been known to raise the possibility of engineering “diseases” into the human genome with the intention of immediately releasing a “cure” onto the market, before the sleeper competition has even begun to understand the basic pathology of such a new threat. It may even be able to engineer an absolute metabolic requirement for a chemical that can only be produced by Enlightened Science… However, this idea has so far been met with fierce opposition. Many of the Lab-Rats feel that such a move would defeat the whole point of manoeuvring towards a position of financial independence, after all it would entail becoming worse than the Syndicate… Others point out that although such a conspiracy could more or less deliver total power over sleeper society, such a bold move would attract the ire of almost every Reality Deviant faction, not to mention that of many fellow Technocrats…

Perhaps more harmless, is the drive by the Pharmacopoeists to diversify away from the narcotics industry and into the equally lucrative market for cosmetics and perfume. However the Ivory Tower is concerned by this sound financial move. The idea of a public with sudden access to expensive accessories that really work (a perfume that causes the wearer to suddenly be surrounded by a gaggle of admirers in any social gathering or an anti-wrinkle cream that makes it almost impossible to judge someone’s age by their appearance) does not sit well with some of the Men in White. Those within the ranks of the Pharmaacopoeists, suspect that the Men in White see the idea of the general population regularly coming into contact with the products of their enlightened science as a threat to their power over the masses.

Unlike the other conventions, converted Tradition Mages occupy a large minority of Progenitor operatives. Ironically, they are most often seen at the most active positions on the front-lines, due to their disgust at the way that they were treated by their “parasites”, they tend to be zealous in the extreme, and often keep a close eye on UFO researchers and abductees, in the hope of either uncovering more information about the “aliens” or to try and discover hosts before they can wreck too much harm on our dimension. Of course, many of the more dedicated researchers in this field, are frequently posted to different assignments, just when they begin to get a little too close to the truth. Still, such agents bring to their new assignments, keen investigative skills and rare initiative. The NWO often marvels at the insight possessed by those in command of this Convention. Converts often manifest extreme loathing and revulsion in the presence of Virtual Adepts or Etherites. To have been host to… something is bad enough, but the idea of consciously reaccepting such servitude is abhorrent. In fact some of the more extreme converts argue that there is very little difference between a Technomancer and a Nephandus. Despite (or even because of) this intolerance, some Progenitors of “questionable loyalty” seem to possess a disturbing sympathy for the Sons of Ether and their outlandish theories.

Keeping Your Friends Close

Not surprisingly, there exists close co-operation between the Progenitors and the Void Engineers. Indeed, many of the wilder operatives from both conventions, often consider each other as like minds. A Void engineer can fascinate even the lowest student for hours, with tales of the wondrous forms that life takes just beyond the horizon. Of late, the rising commercial value of novel genes and proteins has lead to the formation of amalgams specialising in bio prospecting: the search for commercially viable genes, in novel or rare organisms. Typically such organisms are only to be found in extreme or difficult environments, such as the deep ocean or the remaining rainforests. Naturally, many of these expeditions end up being self-financing and make a hefty profit for the Union. Unfortunately, an expedition to the Amazon rainforest, ended in tragedy, due to an apparently unmotivated attack by Werewolves. The fact that the amalgam was completely wiped out despite being equipped with the latest and best equipment, from Special Projects, has raised many eyebrows among the Research Directorate. This unfortunate event, not to mention the sheer cost of the missing equipment (not to mention the costs of replacing an entire amalgam), may lead to a reluctance to fund similar missions in the future, unless of course someone were to actually reclaim said equipment and find out what exactly went wrong. The obvious synergies between the two conventions have their darker side, illustrated in part by the elaborate conspiracies described earlier.

The Syndicate and Iteration X, often attract a great deal of contempt from the progenitors. The syndicate is often accused of being shallow and obsessed with wealth to the exclusion of the goal of mass ascension (but never to their faces, after all research without the best funding is hardly research at all…). However the Syndicate’s Special Projects division has been of great… interest to the Progenitors. The discovery of a complete lack of the necessary apparatus and equipment needed for enlightened life procedures, in Special Projects laboratories, by Elaine Russell (a Research Associate, of no mean repute), despite their rapid success in sophisticated body-modification of operatives and unenlightened personnel has caused a stir in certain circles.

Nonetheless, many of the operatives assigned to Damage Control, are fascinated by SPD’s more grotesque creations. Of course, this is rather unsurprising, seeing as many of the less scrupulous hangovers, from WWII, are still putting their ill-gotten expertise, to “good” use, in putting Battle Homunculi through their paces. Research Directors, justify keeping such unethical practitioners on the pay-roll to Disbursements, by arguing that if made to leave the aegis of the Union, such individuals would quickly fall to Nephandic corruption and that the regular conditioning by Psych Ops, prevents their worse excesses. Not to mention, that somebody has to train 7ft balls of razor-sharp tentacles to disembowel anyone on a verbal command (or more importantly making them associate eating the wrong sort of people, with unbearable pain) let alone feed the damn things. The Research Directors have found that its better to give such tasks to an agent who already possess a great deal of distance, rather than giving the job to a rookie, thus avoiding putting an unnecessary strain on Psy Ops, who are already up to their heads in dealing with the marked fall in morale caused by the recent unreliability of Dimensional Science (especially among earth-bound Void Engineers).

The major point of contention between these two Conventions is one of publicity. The Progenitors have never forgiven the Syndicate (particularly the Media Control Methology), for the bungled publicity surrounding GM foods. This event more than any other, has suggested to many Research Directors, the need to be self-financing. Considering the sheer size of both the Pharmaceutical industry and the underground trade in narcotics, this may one day be a reality. Of course, the Syndicate argue that the Progenitors have no understanding of the fears of the masses concerning this new technology and find the idea of any other Convention surviving without the largess of Disbursements laughable in the extreme.

Another issue that often dominates relations between the Progenitors and the Credit Card Convention is a simple matter of pride. The Lab-Rats do not take kindly to the Syndicate’s goal of ensuring that one day a person’s “value” can be judged by a simple number, when the salaries of those in science trail dramatically behind those of managers and executives of similar seniority. This discrepancy has also attracted the ire of the other Conventions which have most of their operatives supplied with cover in academia or private research laboratories. Although these agents could be and are often supplied with supplemental income from Disbursements, the fact remains that they cannot make obvious use of this wealth for fear of attracting suspicion from their un-enlightened and uninformed co-workers.

The fierce rivalry between the Progenitors and Iteration X is well known and has often resulted in much damage to the interests of the Union as a whole. The cause of the rivalry is easy to understand, as although both desire, to raise humanity above its current limitations, their methods are often mutually exclusive. Indeed, the progenitors would argue that machines are inflexible, limited in application and require constant maintenance, not to mention injections of fuels that are nearly impossible to find in a useable form in the field.

Members of Iteration X, would counter, with the assertion that flesh will always be weaker than steel, that only inert materials can handle the biting cold of space or the fiery inferno of plasma. Interestingly enough, with the recent loss of communication between the computer and the Iterators on the front-lines relationships have improved somewhat, especially as the Iterators, are increasingly returning to their original intent of melding the strengths of the flesh with the strengths of the machine, rather than being blind servants to the Machine. This new found spirit of co-operation, is however still fragile and would disintegrate in a flash if one of the Progenitor’s dirty secrets became common knowledge…

One of the main historical tensions between the two Conventions was the development of Nano-technology by the Iterators. This offered, almost complete mastery of matter at the most fundamental level, possibly leading to a finer blending of machine and man, than that ever before possible. This was seen as a threat to many high ranking Progenitors, for it could make their discipline obsolete (not to mention their funding). As a result, the Progenitors exerted much of their influence in the Syndicate, to direct funding away from this avenue. Until, it is that one of their operatives, managed the impossible and infiltrated Autochthonia, downloading the relevant files. Although the Comptrollers of Iteration X, suspect espionage, there has never been sufficient prove to implicate another convention.

Although Nano-tech is still is an extremely rare focus for the progenitors, it is gaining in

Popularity rapidly, especially as the breakdown of communication with superiors means that the average Iteration X agent, is unlikely to realise exactly how this colleague, pulled that last trick off, nor is he likely to be able to report such information to command. The key factor in it’s appeal is that it provides a means for rapid changes in form and body structure, enabling progenitors to finally compete with the parasite-ridden Verbena on the shape-changing front (although such feats are often highly vulgar). Perhaps most crucially, Nanotechnology enables complete mapping of the brain. This fact alone enables FAÇADE engineers to replace enemies with conditioned clones, in full possession of their templates knowledge. Alternative methods, including extraction of cerebral fluid and DNA, have proved less than successful. Of course a few Progenitors are fearful of a “Grey Goo” scenario, but as often the case, caution is suppressed in the name of progress.

The NWO, of all the other conventions receives the most respect from the Progenitors, as a whole, due to their scholarly bent and for their tendency to curb some of the Clockwork convention’s worse excesses. Their knowledge and expertise, is often called on when the Progenitors need shape the personality and motives of their creations. Their use of the countless clones produced by Façade engineers, for Men in Black and for infiltration purposes, is often repaid in trade. After all, even the most unenlightened research company occasionally beats the Progenitors to the mark, with an unanticipated drug or development. With NWO espionage, the progenitors, using Enlightened Science can often produce a better, easily patented version, before the original hits the marketplace. Naturally the syndicate disproves and financiers mutter dire warnings about the Paradox Effect, but so far, these mutterings have proven insufficient to stop the pouching of ideas from the masses in the name of the Union.

The NWO’s theories of a perfect society are often put into practise beyond the Horizon. Here, away from prying eyes, the FAÇADE Engineers create legions of lovingly conditioned clones to serve as citizens in these experimental “Utopias”. However, despite the sheer expertise of this Methology in prenatal conditioning, a model for a “true” utopia is conspicuous by its absence. In particular, it has been proven time and time against that a “perfectly” content and happy populace, in which everyone is utterly suited to their role in society, has no incentive to advance the cause of enlightened science. Indeed the pampered clone societies that have been established between the asteroid belt and Jupiter have yet to produce a single enlightened individual. This situation may change, due to the rapidly increasing instability of most Dimensional Science procedures. Few of these colonies are truly self-sufficient, relying on the rest of the Union for essential supplies, maintenance of high-technology and defence from the extraterrestrials which infest the depths of space away from the constant gaze of the surveillance satellites which guard the approach to Earth. With contact with the front-lines becoming more and more infrequent, many wonder how long before the

The other main way in which the FACADE Engineers aid the Cloak and Dagger Convention is by crafting unfortunate individuals or brainless clone-bodies into likenesses of the more physically unconventional Reality Deviants. Such warped creatures are commonly used by Men in Black to divert Government Agents not under Technocracy control away from the truth by duping them into believing that such creatures are merely malformed freaks of nature doomed to eventually die from their gross deformities. This is a rapidly expanding field and has preserved the fragile veneer of our Reality more times than Control cares to admit.

Recruitment

As obsessed with research as they are, the Progenitors only real source of recruits over than re-conditioned (and de-wormed) Reality Deviants, are the sizable proportion of University students studying the life sciences. Although comparatively ignorant and inexperienced compared to post-graduates or the scientists working in the private sector, it has not escaped the notice of the Lab-Rats that Empowerment is most easily induced in the 18-25 age group. The reasons for this have yet to be fully defined but may be connected to the relative lack of ingrained assumptions present in youths of this age. Unfortunately, the Progenitors are not the only Awakened beings who have interests in academia. Iteration X has a great need for those skilled in the life sciences, as after all someone has to implant all the juicy tech at the Clockwork Convention’s disposal into appropriate subjects. The Traditions also recruit heavily from universities. The Cult of Ecstasy has a perchance for those studying Organic Chemistry, thereby keeping an eye on those who can be tempted into making the next generation of recreational drugs. The temptations offered by the Cult, not to mention the extremely friendly (and uninhibited…) people they can introduce one to, often subvert a promising student, much to the Lab-Rats anger.

The Verbena and the Order of Hermes have been riding the wave of alternative medicine and the Order has been rumoured to be investing sizable resources in attempting to credibly prove the worth of Homeopathic remedies. If this effort is successful then GPs and medical students might begin to embrace such treatments, possibly dissolving the reductionist paradigm espoused by the Progenitors. Such an event would also hit recruitment hard. The tendency for recent lottery winners to suddenly contract mysterious, crippling and even fatal diseases might have something to do with this struggle for the hearts and minds of the medical establishment but the Progenitors aren’t talking.

Russian Dolls

Aside from the different methodologies within the Clone Convention, there exist several other divisions within the Progenitors. Of these, only the Order of Hippocrates is acknowledged and known to the Union at large. The others pursue goals that would cause Control to obliterate them if they became widely known.

The Order of Hippocrates

Considered by some to be a mere anachronism, this loosely connected faction, tries to hold true to the original ideals of the Progenitors. All those within this order, swear the Hippocratic oath with deadly seriousness (thought by some to be augmented by mind procedures). Typically found within the medical profession, some devotees of the Order take the Oath to mean they must not cause harm to any sentient being and act accordingly. Naturally such agents do not make good soldiers. Nonetheless, their focus on providing the best medical care to all those who require it, has made them well loved, both within the Union and without. They also act as personal physicians to higher ranking Technocrats and even the Inner circle, thanks to the conditioning that prevents them from taking life. They would be far less popular within the Union, if it became known that members of the Order occasionally find themselves treating Reality Deviants, without betraying their patients to other operatives. However, although it does not make tactical sense to heal the enemy, such doctors convince themselves that it is however excellent PR. The Oath-sworn, often display an image of a blind physician dressed in plain robes, about their person. Aside from healing the sick and wounded, the Oath-sworn also do their utmost to negate or at least buffer the excesses of the rest of the Convention.

Neo-Darwinists

All Progenitors believe in the reality of evolution. Some run with it. Such individuals have managed to develop a mind-set rather alien to the rest of the Union or indeed their Convention. The Neo-Darwinists strive to constantly view life in the long term and through a genetic perspective. It didn’t take long for some of them to realise that some of the more dangerous and homicidal Reality Deviants (Vampires and Werewolves especially), could be thought of as predators with humans as their natural prey. And predators improve the stock of the prey population by eliminating the weak and sick. As a result of this revelation, the Neo-Darwinists, wonder if the Union has the wrong idea entirely. A perfectly safe world in which every one is happy, without the need for effort, is a world filled with decadence and weakness. Neo-Darwinists often attempt to sabotage both the destruction of the more vicious Reality Deviants and some of the more spectacular medical advances pioneered by their colleagues for this reason. Most Neo-Darwinists have at some time or other worked in Damage control and such Progenitors have occasionally “accidentally” released their creations into the wild, in the hope of exerting selection pressure on the masses and the local wildlife.

What really gave this ideology an incredible boost was the discovery of humans who seem to have manifested powers and unique abilities to combat such creatures. Some saw this as tangible proof that their harsh decisions were justified. Perhaps most disturbingly, some devotees of this school of thought have actually begun to idealise vampires. A few others have started their own culls of the “weak”. Those with knowledge of Tradition Mages often try to ape the Euthanatos, in order to dupe enlightened investigators into writing off their work as just another atrocity conducted by Reality Deviants. Those detached enough to actually act in this manner are dealing with forces that they do not fully comprehend. The Progenitors in holding to a scientific paradigm are not familiar with the subtleties of resonance. Jhor is never far away for those willing to act in such a manner. Unsurprisingly Progenitors with this mindset revere Alpha Centauri IV and display just enough low-level sanity to stay there for long periods of time. Naturally if anyone espousing such believes were to be caught, they would most likely suffer an agonising death in Room 101. The most crazed, expect this and intend to die as martyrs.

Dreamers of the Flesh

The recent failings of hyper-tech, together with the loss of communication with the Inner circle and many of the Research Directors have struck the Progenitors most ambitious goals hard. Some bite the bullet and continue with their lives as best they can. The Dreamers of the Flesh do not. They maintain that urgent action is required if their visions of hyper-advanced biomechanics are ever to gain acceptance within the masses. With the end of the Ascension War, they feel justified in ignoring subtlety and pressing ahead with realising their dreams. Although they have suffered several messy casualties to the Paradox effect, their conviction seems to be unscarred. Some wonder if their arts could be used to “fake” an alien invasion and have privately voiced such plans with friends within the NWO. After all, the only thing that could ever unite the disparate nations of our world is a common enemy. Unfortunately, the recent rate at which the Void Engineers have reported new sightings of extra-dimensional entities (armed with incredible biomechanical technology, see “Natural Philosophy”) may soon make this idea obsolete.

Talking the Talk

Although, getting bogged down in techno-babble, is a constant threat hanging over Technocratic chronicles, the fact remains that without a reasonable knowledge of Biological terminology, accurately role-playing a Progenitor can be a near impossible task, let alone the problem of defining your paradigm sufficiently to explain your favourite procedures, or attempting to create your own. This chapter is intended to give someone with a non-scientific background a good chance of carrying off both of the above.

Amino Acids: The building blocks of Proteins. There are 26 different amino acids found in nature, with a variety of different side chains, with different biological and chemical properties.

ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell and the end product of cellular respiration.

Base: 1) A substance that when dissolved yields an alkaline solution

2) Organic molecules that form part of a DNA or RNA molecule. The precise sequence of bases contains the genetic information.

Codon: Refers to a DNA or RNA sequence of three bases, which codes for one amino acid.

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the “blue-prints” of life. Typically double-stranded, this molecule is composed of a series of repeating units; formed by a phosphate backbone, which is linked to a sugar molecule, which in turn is bound to a base (either Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine or Thymine). Adenine always pairs with Thymine, Cytosine with Guanine.

Diploid: A cell or organism with two copies of each chromosome.

Dominant characteristic: A phenotype, which is expressed, if only one copy of its corresponding gene is present on the relevant locus.

Catalyst: A chemical that speeds up the rate of a reaction, without being used up in the process.

Enzyme: A protein (or RNA molecule), which speeds up the rate of a reaction (see catalyst).

Gene: The basic unit of heredity. It refers to a region on a chromosome that corresponds to one protein or instruction.

Genetic Code: The system by which a RNA Codon binds a specific tRNA molecule, for a particular amino acid.

Haploid: A cell or organism with half the normal number of chromosomes (no doubling up). Typically sex cells (gametes).

Heterozygous: An individual who possesses two different copies of a gene on a single locus.

Homozygous: An individual who possesses two identical copies of a gene on a single locus.

Mitochondria: The powerhouse of an animal or plant cell, the site of cellular respiration and the production of ATP.

Molarity: A measure of the concentration of a solution (e.g. a 5 Molar solution of Hydrochloric acid).

Nucleus: the part of a cell in which the DNA is stored together with the enzymes for DNA replication and the formation of messenger RNA (mRNA).

pH: The basic unit of acidity or alkalinity. Water is neutral at pH 7, Strong acids at 1-2 and Strong alkalis at 13-14.

Photosynthesis: The process by which plants and algae produce sugars from sunlight, Oxygen and water. It is made possible by the pigment chlorophyll, which in plants is found in chloroplasts, organelles similar in size to mitochondria.

Plasmid: A circular DNA molecule, found in bacteria. Plasmids can be exchanged between two different bacteria. Implicated in resistance to Antibiotics. They can be used to genetically engineer bacteria and to cause the bacteria to produce novel proteins.

Protein: A chain (or several chains) of amino acids, typically folded into a complex three-dimensional structure, which is stabilised by various interactions between the side-chains of the individual amino acids.

RNA: Ribonucleic Acid: Similar to DNA, RNA is typically found as a single strand. Several different types exist, mostly mediating the transfer of sequence information from the DNA in the Nucleus, to the Ribosomes, enabling protein synthesis. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is copied from DNA and is the main template for protein synthesis. In the Ribosomes, Each molecule of tRNA is bound to a specific Amino Acid. Each tRNA molecule binds to a specific codon on mRNA. Unlike DNA, RNA uses the base Uracil, as a replacement for Thymine.

Retrovirus: A virus, which transfers its information into a host cell, via RNA. It then uses enzymes to make a DNA copy of the original RNA, which then integrates with the Host’s genome. Some Retroviruses are altered for use in Genetic engineering.

Ribosome: An intracellular complex formed from proteins and RNA, which constructs proteins according to an mRNA template.

Doubting Your Own Ghost

As progenitors, gain more and more enlightenment, many of the constraints suffered by the rest of humanity, slip away. Death, decay and even the human body begin to give way to the true scientist’s enlightenment. The Ascension war is over and the Reality Deviants are on the run. Considering all this, one would think that the Administrators and Research Directors, would have very little to fear. It is ironic that the one thing that that has granted them so much has resulted in a fear, which haunts them as they work and as they sleep.

As research continues in leaps and bounds, more and more of the discoveries in the laboratories, are casting doubts on the very nature of free will and consciousness. Although, this has seen increased funding, due to the natural interest of the New World Order in such findings, the costs are far greater. Without any true belief in the spiritual (after all, this is the Technocracy!), the Progenitors are beginning to doubt that life, which they have spent their entire lives to understanding, has utterly no meaning. The whole point of life IS life. The publication of the Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins, rammed this home, suggesting that we are merely a convenient shell for our genes, to be discarded after we’ve past them on. To make matters worse, Duncan Green, a prominent Inspired researcher in this field, has suggested that consciousness evolved to deal with all the issues that were irrelevant to reproductive success. Hence, the more important a decision is (from the “viewpoint” of your genes), the less likely you are to display “free choice” in the matter. The last nail to hit the coffin, so far was the discovery that electrical impulses reach our limbs before we consciously will them to move…

This flaw in their paradigm has driven many progenitors to despair and even suicide. Unfortunately, this tends to have most of an impact on an operative’s life, before reaching the necessary enlightenment to realise the limitless possibilities present in the universe at large. Many fall down the trap of obsession, blotting out the void inside with endless pet projects and insane attempts to master every single aspect of their field. Some spend much of their free time, in pursuit of sensual pleasures and self-gratification. This has caused disgust in more than a few of their associates, especially those of Iteration X. Others volunteer for fieldwork accepting increasingly dangerous missions, in order to fill the void with near constant adrenalin highs. Luckily, for those who choose this route, those who survive, are often forced into creating procedures on the fly, increasing the chances that they will gain the knowledge necessary to achieve the enlightenment necessary to realise the essence of Mage: that Reality is a lie.

Replacement Mages

One of the major activities of the FAÇADE Engineers, especially during the climax of the Ascension War, was the removal of Tradition Mages and their replacement with Progenitor Clones, trained to be almost indistinguishable from the original and conditioned to maintain absolute loyalty to the Union, while in constant contact with its enemies. Unfortunately, as FAÇADE personnel realised early on, cloning and replacing a sleeper is one thing, replacing someone who to put it bluntly can see into the future or hurl fireballs is another thing entirely. Early attempts at duplicating such acts of Reality Deviancy with heavily camouflaged technocratic apparatus, failed abysmally, due to their essential limitations. Instead an alternative method was used, at great risk to the very vision of “One World, One Reality”. The Clones underwent an incredibly intense training regime, with the most enlightened members of the Convention as their instructors and educated in the most advanced hyper-tech theories known. This process, begin with the careful implantation of an altered parasite into each Clone’s Cerebral Tissue. The resulting Clones were able by virtue of their training to perform the same acts of Reality Deviance that their originals could (to put it plainly the Research Directors explained the consensual Nature of Reality and the other concepts that Mage Players are familiar with out of character, to their protégées). However, in order to the deception to be complete, the Clones were conditioned using Enlightened Mind Procedures, so that before they attempted an act of Reality Deviance, they utter a code-word, which induces absolute belief in the paradigm of their replacement. Unfortunately, an extremely observant Reality Deviant with a similar paradigm may be curious about the need for the additional (and superfluous) syllables. Without the use of this code-word, (and it’s action may be blocked by other code-words, known only to the most trusted field Agents and those who performed the original conditioning), the Clone cannot view “Magic” as anything other than baseless and ineffectual superstition.

There are two other imperfections in the Clones’ facade. Firstly, their initial training in the Technocratic Paradigm tends to leave certain conceptual hang-ups. Some Replacements believe that what they do still has to obey the laws of energy conservation, and often suffer from intense hunger, due to the energy “expended” by their powers. Although they have been told that Reality is fluid and is shaped by belief, like many Tradition Mages, most Clones have not fully accepted this or come to terms with its larger implications. The second way in which a Clone may be differentiated from its original is that the Clone is in many respects just a teenager in terms of actual life experience. Admittedly the Clone does possess almost all the knowledge of the Original, but he or she is far more likely to embrace the new, then their crusty old Template ever did. This is particularly noticeable, when the Clone is attempting to replace a centuries old Mage, especially one who never became overly familiar with TV or even Radio, let alone the joys of internet shopping or DVD. If the Clones were to be given the necessary pain conditioning to remove this flaw in their cover, then they would be of almost no use to the Union after their first mission.

With the end of the Ascension War, many Clones have lost their original purpose, as in many cases, the Chantries they were created to infiltrate, are now dust, thanks to the collective might of the Union and their own skill. Forbidden from casual contact with other Agents, who lack their dangerous knowledge of Reality, the Replacement Magicians are a continual headache for Control. Too powerful to be ignored and too dangerous to be eliminated, many are more or less left to their own esoteric amusements. The fact that their power stems from their ability to tear the Reality that the Union has spent centuries fighting for and defining, is the sole and immovable barrier to their use outside Shockwave contingencies, or brutal assassination. Like many of the Secret Service Agents that worked for NATO and the USSR during the Cold war, the Clones are Soldiers for a war that is long gone. However, when there is a dire need for the removal of one of the Parasite-ridden, A Replacement Magician is often called into play, on condition that there are absolutely no Sleeper witnesses to their “Magic” (and if there are, well such witnesses tend to suffer nasty accidents immediately afterwards). Only a few amalgams have witnessed Clone activity, typically utterly bewildered as to why their enemies seem to be doing their job for them. Rumours exist about a rogue Clone (codename: Blue Omega) who seems to have broken his own conditioning and was last seen heading towards Antarctica after discovering a strange text within his Template’s belongings, hinting at some dire threat to humanity lurking beneath the ice.

A Field of You

“You are not special, you are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else” – Tyler Durden “Fight Club”

The Replacement Magicians might not think it, but they have it easy.

What would you do if say one fifth or even one tenth of the people you worked with and fought alongside was to all intents and purposes a copy of yourself? Such is the situation faced by the Clones created by the FAÇADE Engineers to serve as Men in Black for the NWO or as discreet muscle or technicians for the Progenitors. The fact that such clones are reared in almost identical surroundings (The Union, like many scientists, believes in minimising experimental variables, in order to achieve a predictable out-come) does not help matters in the slightest. Imagine having to associate with people with whom you share everything in common; Genes, upbringing, height, allergies, taste in ice-cream and dress sense, everything. Unsurprisingly, many Clones in this position often develop unusual behaviour patterns to deal with this kind of situation. Some focus on trying to appear as “original” as possible, engaging in a near futile struggle for their own personal image. This often ends in disappointment, as there are enough Clones of like mind to make this a near impossible goal.

The most severe examples of this “Differentiation Syndrome” are seen when two such Clones are forced to serve as part of the same amalgam. In rare cases, such pairs, seem to compete, which occasionally leads to disaster as one of the Clones latches on to socially (or even Reality) deviant behaviour in an attempt to distinguish himself from his “Brother”. This sort of effect is most seen in Clones engineered for complex tasks and high intelligence. The Epilison class (unashamedly named after the workers in Brave New World), often display the opposite syndrome: the tendency to suffer ext