Collegium Medicos


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Within the Eight Empires, there is no unrestricted market for medical products or information. The Collegium controls the production and distribution of medical devices and learning. Keep in mind that some of the information below is not commonly available outside the Collegium.

 

 

Anagathics

 

Demon-inspired scientists, at the height of the Federated Empire, sought to escape the Wheel of Fire. Medicines and machines were developed to extend human life into dangerously long terms. The human spark of these deluded fools was quickly diminished; their physical forms crept along in a hideous travesty of life long after their spark was diminished. These blasphemous deceits only exist now in dangerous old databases, not yet cleansed by the Order of the Seeking Flame, or among a few small sects of devil-worshippers soon to be destroyed. The Amaranthine Treatment, and the drug Senex, are two examples of these heretical scientific discoveries. For guidance, read Ahmilahk's First Sermon to the Scientists, Book I.

 


The Library Data entry on Anagathics, from a typical Karsan League example.

 

 

Restricted Machinery

 

In theory, all of this stuff requires the user to be a member of the Collegium to operate. They are labelled with deliberately obscure terms and odd symbols; the bigger ones (over 50 kg) will require you to enter some kind of code, or give your name, or some other "I'm a member of the Collegium" ritual.

 

 

Prosthetics/Cybernetics

 

Medicines

 

Regeneration

 

An Index 1 process for regrowing body parts. Being pretty similar to cloning, it's frowned on by the Church -- but not forbidden, probably because it's the preferred method of fixing ugly wounds by the Pilotry. Regeneration requires the patient to carry or be attached to special medical devices; except for the smallest regenerative projects, the patient will be bedridden the entire time. The equipment needed is available at any well-equipped Index 2+ hospital (it's beyond the capabilities of a medical field hospital or a ship's sick bay, though), or some Index 1 hospitals. The time to regenerate tissue is about 1 week + 1 week per 0.5 kg of tissue mass. It costs 1,000 Σ plus 1,000 Σ per week.    

 

An Index 7 regeneration process exists, using nanotechnology, very fast and useful; it uses something more or less like Foam. It's vastly expensive, however, and really only available to royalty (or in a few places where remnants of ancient technology remain active, like the Shining Slate).

 

Cloning

 

Using a geneering lab and an artificial womb to create a simple clone of a human being (or other Terran mammal) is an Index 1 technology. After 9 months of gestation, the result is a physical twin of the donor -- but only an infant, of course. At Index 4, geneering vats can be used to force development and aging of the clone to occur at a 50:1 ratio. At Index 6, a basic personality can be implanted into a developing clone -- not that of any fully-socialized adult, and certainly not that of any specific person, but the clone can gain speech, basic skills, and a simple set of emotions when it emerges from the vat. At Index 7, impression of the donor's memories, personality, skills, and thought patterns on the clone can be accomplished.

 

On a purely technical level, simple clones would cost 260 Σ to procure, and forced-aging can create an adult clone for about 1,000 Σ. A clone with a complete personality imprint from a donor might cost several thousand Standards ... there is no fixed price, since the market is so rarefied. And of course all cloning is banned by the Church; the doctors performing such sinful deeds are declared anathema, and the clones destroyed without remorse.  Really, seeking out the Vaylen for this sort of thing would be easier.

 

Genetic Engineering and Androids

 

Verboten, very naughty, etc. ... and of course the fact that the Vaylen use genetic engineering quite freely doesn't make the process any more beloved by the human public. Various geneering processes exist, from Index 1 to Index 8. Creation of a new type of organism on about the human level of complexity would require Index 5 technology, and cost you about 50,000 Σ, if you went to the Vaylen. In addition, the process is something of an art form, not an exact science -- the Vaylen have been tweaking and refining their geneering life-forms for centuries. Further copies would be much cheaper, since they could probably be created with standard geneering vats and artificial wombs. Even the Vaylen have been unable to create creatures capable of using Psychological powers -- so obviously medical science is below the Index 7 level within Vaylen space.