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ATC2 - A Galaxy Full of Stars: 

Twenty-Four Syndrome and Mutation
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Sometime in the 2050s or so, a gene in the human genotype flipped on. It was a
gene on Chromosome 1, a gene known as AL080286, in position 1p32.3-p34.3. It's
an ancient gene, there through all the mutations and permutations from
parameciums on up to homo sapiens. But its purpose is very singular - the
mutation of a species. 

No geneticist is truly sure how chromosomes are added - they have ideas about
diploid and triploid chromosomatic species interbreeding, ideas that require
huge amounts of stillborns and failed mutations. Some of them look at the
ideas and think that Mother Nature has to have come up with a better way.
AL080286 is that better way. 

Discovered while looking at the parents of known mutants, AL080286 (better known
as "Borenstein's Gene", or JBg, as it was discovered by Dr. Johann Borenstein of
Andressen Tofu Corp in the year 2070) acts with a singular and swift purpose.
It causes all gametes (sex cells) in a person with the gene turned on to have an
extra chromosome, a 24th. If the gamete merges with a foreign gamete, also
carrying 24 chromosomes, the child is hale, healthy, and a "sufferer" of what is
being called Spontaneous Chromosome Addition (SCA), popularly known as
Twenty-Four Syndrome, or "Ups Syndrome" among the crueler people. If the foreign
gamete does not have 24 chromosomes, then the child is automatically aborted,
dead almost seconds after it is conceived. 

The 24th chromosome is not the only mutation of a Twenty-Four. It also appears
to turn on and off genes in the entire genotype almost at random, but never
doing harm.

Scientists theorize that Borenstein's Gene must have become active in almost an
entire generation at once. The recorded number of miscarriages has remained
under 1% of the total births, though the difficulty in detecting the miscarriage
means this number is in all probability higher. In addition, the number of
non-Twenty-Four children born began at about 15% and has dropped rapidly to 8%.
The only explanation for these numbers is a large-scale, near- simultaneous
activation in the parents whose children suffer from Twenty-Four syndrome. This
percentage also includes Borenstein carriers, who are not considered "normals".
Thus, anyone who is a normal is considered to have a stubborn or damaged
Borenstein gene.

Twenty-Four syndrome is not limited to one planet. Mars, Earth, Venus, and the
asteroid colonies, almost none were excluded. It is also not a discriminant
syndrome - both sexes and all races were affected. The apparent equality of
Twenty-Four syndrome is unexplained, but undeniable.

There ARE pockets of humanity showing low, if any, Twenty-Four birth rates. The
NeoAmish and the Space Mormons, both nearly total isolationist cultures, either
have no Twenty-Four births at all, or refuse to admit the numbers if they do.
Other less extreme cultures have reported low Twenty-Four numbers and will allow
geneticists in to prove these findings. They are often close in their estimates,
if not always 100% correct.

The effects of Twenty-Four syndrome are vast, varied, and almost inexplicable.
Twenty-Fours, as they are politely called, or just mutants (people in
particularly hateful or vicious moods refer to them as "Uppers"), suffer effects
ranging from physical deformity to the development of ESP or similar powers. The
abilities are vast, and almost no two are exactly alike in implementation,
though there have been many documented cases of similar effects.  

Apart from what would seem to be logical, less than half the Twenty-Four
mutations are rather unimpressive. The medical name for this is "SCA Minor",
though it's often referred to as "nominal mutation". Examples of nominal
mutation are extra digits, duplication of internal organs with no effect, sixth
sense, and other minor effects.

The alternative to SCA Minor is "SCA Major", or "severe mutation". Examples
include extra limbs, telekinesis, telepathy, locomotion alteration, and even
teleportation. It is a fairly poor classification system - whatever is not
considered severe mutation by the doctor attending to the Twenty-Four ends up in
the nominal mutation category. Still, there are quite a few cases that are
undeniably severe.

As an aside on the physics of SCA; a large number of Twenty-Four powers seem to
rely on a fundamental power that is not one of the basic four - a precise
application of a force, the origins of which are unknown and apparently
untraceable.

The actual causes of the Twenty-Four effects can be as obvious as the addition
of gills or as inobvious as the total duplication of every neuron in the brain,
or even not detectable at all. The only real constant is that once the
twenty-fourth chromosome is there, it is there to stay - the children of
Twenty-Fours have, with very little variation, the same powers as one of their
parents. As a side note, if a Twenty-Four breeds with a normal, the child is
aborted, the same as a Borenstein/normal pairing. However, if a Twenty-Four
breeds with a Borenstein carrier, the child is a healthy Twenty-Four, recieving
an exact copy of his Twenty-Four parent's mutations. If two Twenty-Fours breed,
one power may be dominant over another, or the powers might blend, depending on
gene location on the 24th chromosome and dominance issues.

There is also no set time when the effects of the 24th gene will manifest
themselves. Physical mutations, obvious or not, are usually from birth, though a
few "rapid growth" cases have been noted. Mutations of the mind or neural
pathways, generally referred to as just "psychic" mutations, can manifest at any
time. Most, however, occur during formative stages of growth, such as within
months after birth, or puberty.  Please note that these data are inaccurate, as
far as a complete sampling of age groups goes - the oldest known Twenty-Four is,
quite appropriately, 24.

As Twenty-Four syndrome began with a birth rate of 85% of all children, and only
increased, normal children became a minority very quickly. Child psychology has
leapt in to assuage the children, who often feel very left out, and certainly
not at all "special". Parents of normal children hold support groups, and the
general feeling is one of being cheated somehow. It is a bizarre reversal from
what one might expect of a mutation of a species. However, there is still a gulf
between the two groups, and even if it is rarely breached in anger, it is barely
ever breached at all. Normals keep to themselves in school, staying out of the
way, and almost always ignoring overtures of friendship from Twenty-Fours.

The general populace response to Twenty-Four syndrome has been relatively tame.
This would seem off if you did not take into consideration that over the past
thirty-odd years, they have seen rebellion, a supression of that rebellion,
first contact with an alien species, first contact with a hostile alien species,
the first interstellar war, the winning of that war, and finally the wholesale
mutation of the human species. Twenty-Four syndrome came into an era already
desensitized to the extraordinary, and it has aided Twenty-Fours in becoming
part of society without anyone noticing too much.

A good example of this is the use of Twenty-Four effects, usually called
"powers" by everyone except doctors, governments, and the media. Governing laws
on the use of powers vary from city to city - or more accurately, from
corporation to corporation. WatsoCorp, the instigator of the corporate arms race
so long ago, has banned public use of Twenty-Four powers. WWJD Corp has done the
same, also instituting a registration program. DunnoCorp is undecided. 

ATC has taken a proactive stance on Twenty-Four powers - you are not required to
register as a Twenty-Four, but you must if you want to obtain a license to use
your powers. Twenty-Four powers are not classified, but the methods of
application are: Volatile, Destructive, Mind-Altering, and Constructive. They
have labeled zones of their cities with what powers one can use there. They also
tend to attempt to recruit Destructives into their security forces, which helps
to prevent the Twenty-Four based crime gangs found in places like Twilight City.

But for the most part, cities are a blend between action and inaction. They make
shows of "Twenty-Four Restricted" areas, and then rarely enforce them. It is
indicative of most corp's fading power in the light of the rapid growth of ATC.