Space travel changed what it meant to be human, in more ways than one. In the 21st century if a definition of the word human included the word Earth it only did so to tell you what planet one could be found on. Space travel for normal humans wasn’t a problem, however setting up colonies did turn out be more complicated than previously expected. The first colony was inside our solar system. When humans began living off world regular and more efficient space travel was developed. Due to the fact that few people lived off world for more than a few short years, the problem wasn’t discovered at first. The problem of off world living wasn’t even discovered when humans settled the first outer colonies, not at first at least. The very first outer colony was settled in 2312. The first reported instance of colony colaps disorder wasn’t reported until 2335. The scientist were puzzled, when large groups of first generation off worlders started hitting adulthood the colonies they lived in would start suffering serious health issues. There wasn’t a single rectifiable disease or pathogen causing the colonies to collapse, but the end result was obvious. When the first generation born off planet became adults the vast majority of them started suffering conditions that ultimately lead to organ and system failure.

The fact that Colony Collapse disorder didn’t harm earth born settlers actually delayed identifying the cause rather than speeding up the process. The problem was that humans were meant to live on earth. Some would argue that it was design and others said it was evolutionary. Either way though it eventually became clear that with out being born and raised with Earths unique combination of gravity, magnetic fields, solar year, levels of radiation and earth raised produce human beings for the most part were not capable of living long healthy lives. Attempts at moving adult age of planters back to Earth meet with universal failure and the results at settling back on earth for younger individuals meet with mixed success.

For economic and political reasons it wasn’t reasonable for all humans to be born on Earth and then settle other planets after becoming adults. The empire needed to grow and if individuals were not able to born of world there would be very finite limits to the area of the galaxy tht could be settled. The only acceptable option was that what it meant to be human would have to be changed. Research into genetic engineering was being funded by the Earth governments and all the chartered corporations. It would take two decades and unimaginable resources to build new humans capable of living off world. Unfortunately with the positive results came negative consequences. The science of humanity expanded more rapidly than it had ever done before but with it came the expansion of the science of inhumanity, the science of war and death. The discoveries that would allow for the great and bountiful human empire would also be the discoveries that would usher in its demise and the creation of the great generation ships.

Tags: Generation Ship, NaBloPoMo '08, Sci Fi, Science