Ancestor Generations

All modern-day Sirenians like you or I descend from the first populations of genetically modified precursors produced by the genetic engineers at Atom corporation. Through various processes of evolution outlined in the 'People of Siren' pages, we have strongly diversified from the first few generations. But the progression from generation to generation is a fascinating one which provides insights into the decision-making processes of these geneticists and their overall failed project of producing a worker slave race.

1. Aquatics

Group photo of beta-gen phocids and Ishmael with a faux-print look, with names and moons linked to each individual.

Above: Recovered printed image from the first settlement, with annotations identifying each individual, their years of birth and death, and the moons they gave their names to.

This is one of the many early ‘group’ photographs of α and β-generation phocids, likely having been produced in the year 10 (very shortly before the death of Ambla). Printed images were exceptionally rare perhaps due to limited resources, and it appears that this one was a treasured possession as it was recovered from the grave of Davide, one of the pictured phocids, still folded in the pocket of their clothing. It is likely that this exact printed image contributed to the naming of the ten most prominent moons of Siren, long after the deaths of many of the pictured individuals. Thus it can be assumed that the naming of the moons was an act of fond remembrance of the deceased.

In the year 10, the pictured phocids were not yet out of their teen-age years and still living in the lab facility of the settlement. This image also clearly shows the size disparity between individuals and, in particular, between the beta-gen phocids (foreground) and the singular alpha-gen phocid, Ishmael (background).

 

1.1 Generations

The first aquatic Sirenians were produced using a procession of iterative 'generations' which each expanded upon the previous while testing different features which would eventually make it into the 'final' successful generation, the aforementioned slave race. The generations were not actually related to one another; the beta generation would be the ancestors of modern phocids, and the delta generation would be the ancestors of modern selkies, without the two lineages ever interconnecting. 

 

1.1.1 Alpha/α generation

This consisted of a single individual. Ishmael, born in year 0, was technically the seventh "first" Sirenian, as computerised models showed that the first six attempts at his genome would not have survived past the embryonic stage. Each generation had a virtually modelled predecessor generation which may or may not have ever physically existed, and the alpha generation was the predecessor to the beta generation. Ishmael had to exist, physically, as his entire purpose was to provide the most critical life-supporting biological factors which were crucial to getting the entire project off the ground. 

He had the physiology of an aquatic human (as the final generation was intended for first deployment by Atom's clients on a mostly oceanic planet) but most important was what lay inside: Ishmael's role was to model digestive and respiratory factors which would enable a modified Human to eat Sirenian food and breathe Sirenian air. He underwent rigorous diet testing and provided the gut microflora used in all subsequent aquatic (and harpy) generations of Sirenians. He had no reproductive organs and never had children, but through his unwilling life as a test subject, a little part of him exists in every single Sirenian alive today. He has a secondary title of 'Kin' in many modern phocid communities who consider him their common ancestor.

Our brightest white moon, Kin, is named after him.

 

1.1.2 Beta/β generation

Line drawings of Cherta, a beta generation phocid, some of which are coloured in showing Cherta's brown checkerboard patterns.

 

Following Ishmael's successful ability to eat Sirenian organic matter, the beta generation aquatics were born. These had far more extensive aquatic modifications lacked by Ishmael, except, curiously, for his dorsal fin. This was not to aid in aquatic locomotion, but to remove something that had become somewhat of an annoyance in Ishmael's life (he could not lie on his back, it got in the way, and the fin provided negligible stability in the still test-pool water). So the beta generation were born without dorsal fins. But they had what Ishmael lacked - true blubber layers, denser bones, greater lung capacity, and shorter limbs, which made them much more graceful in the water and more stable and comfortable traversing land on all-fours. They were also reproductively viable and became the ancestors of our modern-day phocids (the etymology of 'phocid' is unclear, perhaps from Earth mythology?).

The beta generation consisted initially of twenty individuals, though only nineteen were successfully born. Number three, 'Charity', had passed away during their deep dream childhood and was in essence stillborn. They were awakened from their dreams  The rest were numbered and each named after a paying sponsor of the settlement.

Due to the extensive records of their early years, we have a wealth of information on the nineteen beta phocids. Notable among them are those pictured above in the group photo:

The first cohort of beta-generation Sirenians were joined by eighty more, grown from embryos in the lab, to give them a starting gene pool of 99 individuals who went on to reproduce naturally. This was in and of itself an illegally low number for a foundation population, likely resulting in some degree of genetic bottlenecking early in the phocids' evolution.

 

1.1.3 Delta/δ generation

This is the founding population which would go on to become the ancestors of modern-day selkies (indeed, the word 'selkie' appears to derive its origins from Earth mythology, and was used endearingly by settlers). The engineers had experimented with tail-driven aquatic locomotion in the beta generation, and now sought to try forelimb-driven locomotion. They also used the deltas as a reproductive test-bed, fine-tuning the marsupial life habits which had been requested by their client for the final generation.

By this point in the history of the settlement, many of the geneticists were gearing up to start their final generation project implementation. Journal accounts from this era show that many of them were conflicted about the moral ramifications of what they were doing, and chose instead to turn away from those and instead focus on caring for the delta generation Sirenians. It is true that the deltas, which were much less physically imposing than the beta generation and certainly smaller than the alpha generation, and fluffy to boot, were seen as 'cuter' and favourable to work with. The geneticists could feel better about their role, as by now the aquatic lifestyle had been perfected and the delta generation were remarkably successful - and their descendants, our selkies, are the most widespread and populous people on our planet. It seems that the engineers used the delta generation as a form of fruitless escapism, favouring them over other Sirenians and defending them from whispers of rebellion.

The delta generation spokespeople chose not to join the war until rather late in its course, in the year 35.

 

1.1.3 Zeta/ζ generation

With all the tools now at their disposal to create a physiology amenable to efficient aquatic locomotion, marsupial reproduction, and basic life on Siren, the geneticists began the first stage of their final generation. It was now time, in their view, to look to altering the brain, instead of just the body. The zeta generation was, in effect, a generation of sapient people who were designed from the outset to be workers who never unionised, never felt solidarity with one of their own, and could not speak. Not only did they not have tongues, the language centres of their brains were meddled with to prevent them from gaining any understanding of one another, only of the orders of their masters. The marsupial reproduction was aimed to streamline their work, by allowing a foetus to be easily removed or implanted without the need for invasive surgery.

Only a small number of zeta generation Sirenians were produced in the year 32. The war was in full swing by then, and one of the goals of the rebels shifted to ensuring that none of the blueprints for the zeta generation would ever make it off the planet. Ishmael spearheaded the effort to eliminate all records of the zeta generation, all machinery dedicated to their production, and all people who had worked on such a monstrous project. The zetas themselves escaped into the seas of Siren and were largely unassociated with the war until its conclusion, after which Ishmael demanded that all remaining zeta generation Sirenians be killed. His reasoning was that they would never have any quality of life, and it was 'kinder' not to let them live. He was not supported in this proposal, thankfully, and by then the zetas had fled far and wide. There are no further records of zeta generation Sirenians of that era, though obviously they became the ancestors of our modern-day zetas.

The zetas are notable in that they were designed from birth to be almost non-viable without someone controlling them. But not only did they survive, they redeveloped, from scratch, the survival mechanism of communal living.

 

2. Harpies

[under construction]