Microstory 202: Generations

Genetic manipulation is not easy, but it does start making sense after decades of research. But even when you tamper with a subject’s genes, there are certain things that you cannot do. They will always have at least a hint of what they used to be. Turn a human into a giant fungus-eating aardvark-like creature, but they will always be an aardvark monster who was once a regular human. And so, a system of classifications was put in place in order to logically categorize the race of any given generation. The first generation in a new series is called Generation Alpha. These are subjects whose genes were manipulated directly. They were once one race, but have since been altered. Their scions are referred to as Generation Beta, and known as the first pure generation. They were born with the genetic traits desired by the genetic manipulators, as passed down by their parents. Generation Gammas are all unstable descendants of the new race following the Betas. Depending on the level of sophistication employed by the original scientists, this generational line can last for thousands, or even millions, of years. The thing is, if you want to create a new race, you’re going to have to wait for evolution to start working with you. Evolution already has its own ways of altering genes. Healthy mutations will provide the species with a better means of survival or procreation, and continue to be passed down, no longer as mutations, but as intrinsic qualifications. In order to rid the new species of genetic traits remaining from the original species, evolution has to weed them out naturally. At least, this is the best method. One could theoretically continue to manipulate the species through breeding techniques, but this runs the risk of causing more problems than it solves. The last unstable generation of gammas is actually called Generation Zero. Pinpointing this moment in time is inherently difficult, and is used more for mathematical and modeling purposes, rather than exact designation. Naturally, Generation One is the first genetically stable generation of the new species; the one that makes each individual a member of that species, and not a member of its predecessor. Generation Two is made up of all subsequent generations, and should continue to thrive barring further genetic manipulation, or other threats to propagation. The goal these endeavors is Generation Two, and for the most part, the people who started this process do not live long enough to see its end.