HOME | DD

Description

ACCESSSING FILE: D-05

Intel Database: Alphahumans - Evolution of Mankind

Written by Noelle Gunstone,
UNTD Lab 2 Chief Scientist

While the subject of EXA normally falls under the jurisdiction of Professor Lancaster, I feel that today’s subject on Alphahumans, and the ties certain Alpha’s have with magical artifacts requires an individual of greater tact to elaborate on, something my colleague would clearly overlook. That is why today I’ll be your guide down this rabbit hole of intrigue.

Possibly the most interesting class of EXA in modern times, Alphahumans, much like Mythics are deeply ingrained in the genealogy of mankind, and have served to change that very course of history for our species.

Alphahuman Definition

To begin, what is an Alphahuman? First coined in 1985 by the International Security and Intelligence Agency (ISIA), an Alphahuman (or Alpha for short) refers to an individual who has powers that exceed the realm of possibility of an average person. Said powers are not just limited to the realm of physical or mental, but can even defy the laws of physics or even logic itself. An Alphahuman can gain these powers either naturally through inherited genetics, or by forced induction through a mana artifact. As such UNITE categorizes Alphas into two classes: Natural and Artificial, both of which we will go over today.

Natural Alphahuman

As the name suggests, a Natural Alphahuman is denoted as a human being whose powers are acquired naturally from birth. If you recall from my report on the Science of Mana, it is believed that once upon a time all humans were capable of using magic like it were second nature. But the genetics required to sustain mana within the human body eventually died out over the course of generations. While modern humans can still produce mana, we lack a large enough capacity (often referred to as Mana Potential) necessary for the casting of magic.

However on rare occasions, a genetic anomaly may surface in an individual (usually at a young age) which causes a significant increase to their mana potential. The amount, while varying, may result in one of two scenarios for the individual.

1) Minor Increase

The most common scenario to occur. This usually results in the individual receiving a 2-9% increase in mana potential. In this scenario, an individual would be able to activate certain basic abilities unique to their skill tree. For example a person with pyrokinetic talent may find themselves able to manipulate small flames, or create embers on command.. but nothing more. With enough practice, these individuals could improve their abilities (which could make for an interesting party trick, admittedly). But unfortunately without additional mana to channel, the power of their abilities will never exceed a certain threshold.

Minor Alphas contribute to a large percentage of known Alphahumans worldwide. It is believed that 1 in every 100,000 children born is gifted with a mana potential that is just high enough for certain abilities to manifest. In fact, it's not a stretch to assume that certain self-proclaimed fortune tellers and psychics could very well be Alphas as well. Of course, do take this information with a grain of salt as most of them have been discovered to be nothing more than frauds capitalizing on the gullibility of the common folk.

Thankfully the power these minor Alphas possess usually aren't dangerous enough to require UNITE intervention. Though in the wrong hands, they could still be used for illicit activities.

2) Major Increase

The rarer of the two scenarios, those lucky enough to possess this major increase will be able to fully grow and evolve their powers without limit, often with devastating effect. Over the centuries, there have been stories and folktales surrounding such individuals whose powers have shaped the very course of history. With this revelation in mind, there may be some truth surrounding the many myths and legends of these folk.

Much like with Shadow Beasts, our advancements in sensor technology has made it easier to track the activities of such Alphahumans as the activation of spells releases a noticeably unique energy reading much like a Shadow Beast portal. Large spells and powers are easily detected with Electromagnetic Region Imaging Spectrograph Satellite, while smaller abilities can be picked up by a Mobile Sensor Array unit, granted, it occurs within its operation radius.

Despite our best efforts however, these individuals have become adept at concealing their powers; only using it when needed and disappearing before UNITE Enforcers arrive on the scene. Thankfully, many of them have taken to using their powers for the benefit of mankind, often serving as what could be described as ‘Vigilantes’ or ‘Super Heroes’ of popular fiction. And much like heroes, for every individual who uses their powers for good, there will also be one who does so for malicious intents. It’s these kinds of Alphahumans which UNITE is on the watch for as they could potentially be a threat to national security depending on the type of power they possess. In any case, UNITE’s stand on this is strict, and individuals who display such a great deal of power are to be brought in, regardless if they use their abilities for good or bad.

Artificial Alphahuman

So, what about artificial Alphahumans? Just like with the former, an Artificial Alphahuman are individuals who started out without powers, but later garner it through artificial means. From my research, there are two ways a human can also gain new powers.

1) Through contact with a Magical Artifact

A human being can sometimes gain new powers, or unlock existing ones by coming into contact with magical artifacts. Without the required capacity, a person will not be able to hold a large amount of mana. However with a mana capacitor, a person can temporarily channel the mana from within the artifact to activate their own dormant powers. Granted, of course, that the individual has already unlocked said abilities in the first place. This method has its limitations as once the mana from within the capacitor is drained, the individual will no longer be able to use any of his powers until the capacitor has been recharged, or a new one presents itself.

Much like a mana capacitor, some artifacts can also bestow individuals with additional powers on top of an increase in mana potential. There have been documented cases of such artifacts granting powers, but at a cost (usually sanity). For example EXA-221, also known as the Seed of Riziah at the time, is a purple, palm-sized gem which was capable of bonding and controlling any human it came in contact with.

Discovered in 1943 by special research team from Nazi Germany during the Second World War, EXA-221 was excavated from an archaeological dig site in Guatemala before being shipped back to Germany for testing. It was heavily experimented with before being procured by ISIA at the end of World War 2 during Operation Paperclip.

Details surrounding the artifact are mostly classified, but what I can reveal is that EXA-221 was believed to be sentient, and had the ability to merge with a victim of its choosing. Once this occurs, it would channel its powers of illusions, telekinesis, and necromancy (just to name a few) into said person. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? But as always, there is a catch to it. All who bonded with EXA-221 fell under its control, essentially using their bodies as a puppet for its nefarious will.

It took several years and countless test subjects (and many more personnel who had the misfortune of documenting its powers) before EXA-221 bonded with a host capable of resisting its killer instinct whilst still retaining a sense of its original humanity. The resulting merger created an entity that was recognized as one of the first artificial Alphahumans in the world. EXA-221 has clearly shown the incredible potential, and danger that mana artifacts have in the creation of Alphahumans.

2) Through genetic tinkering

That being said, it’s probably a perfect time to explain another aspect of artificial Alphahumans, which is through the use of scientific experimentation. I bring this up as there has been a recent interest in the creation of these kinds of Alphas in recent years; with many organisations, both legal and not, dabbling into a myriad of forbidden sciences to create the perfect lifeforms. No doubt you are already aware of the terrifying experiments conducted on the child subjects of Prospect Nomad, or the rumored advanced super soldiers developed by Lauren Machina Industries. In both cases, these organizations were able to create their own artificial Alphahumans from scratch, sometimes with the use of genetic enhancements, cybernetic augmentations, or even a combination of both.

But why create such powerful beings in the first place? While ambitions may vary, I believe it primarily boils down to one thing: money. As you can imagine, profit is what drives these organizations to commit such heinous actions. Believe it or not, there is indeed a black market for such Alphas with many militaries, hyper-wealthy individuals, or even terrorist groups willing to pay top dollar for their personal one man army of destruction.

Despite the taboo surrounding such experiments, not all organizations do so with an ulterior motive in mind. Take for example the folks at Eon Corporation. While it is a company that operates in a large number of industrial sectors, Eon has recently caught the attention of UNITE with their own Alphahuman development programme (dubbed Project Pantheon) which has shown potential in not only aiding our war against the Shadow Beasts, but for other military applications. As quoted by the programme's chief researcher, Doctor Elizabeth Riley:

"Alphahumans are the next step as humans reach their full potential. They are the very best of us, the ones who will surpass humanity’s limits and beyond into the bright future. Eon International plays a small, but crucial role in this process with our involvement in project Pantheon, and I'm exceedingly proud to be the head genetic scientist. As we proceed, there will be challenges and setbacks. But we have a great goal in mind: the evolution of the human race. We must succeed."
There is no denying that the Alphas from Eon Corporation could very well supersede our own Enforcer programme in the long run, given the unbridled power some of these individuals possess. The downside however is that cultivating and growing these Alphas from birth is a time consuming process, not to mention the cost needed for training and maintenance of such individuals. On the flip side, while Enforcers are not as powerful compared to Alphahumans, their low cost to train and equip is still the main go-to reason UNITE employs their services. Despite that, I do foresee potential team ups by Enforcer squads led by elite Alphas in battle.

This insight to the Eon Alphahuman programme shows a trend that might start to grow as the science behind mana starts to become more well understood. But is it even ethical to create Alphahumans? Should we even do it? Us humans are going to start asking ourselves these questions in the next hundred years as genetics become ever more increasingly relevant in our society.

Conclusion

Now that you know the definition of an Alphahuman, the question is: are they a danger to us all? The answer is unfortunately not as simple as it seems. If left unbridled, Alphahumans could potentially become a danger greater than the Shadow Beast threat. Personally, I feel that Alphahumans are the next stage in human evolution, and under the right guidance and incentive, such individuals could be useful allies in a multitude of situations, more so now than ever before. Whether or not Alphahumans will one day truly become the future of mankind, is ultimately determined by our decisions today.

- End of Report -

RETURN TO DATA HUB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

Another entry done and dusted! Featured above is Merida Neu going up against an unknown, masked, Alphahuman . But what could this all mean? Thats right, I'm pleased to announce that there will be a certain degree of crossovers between The Neu House and the Ironshadows webcomic series, Eclipse Adventures!

I guess that this a good time to announce that he and Ultimate-showtime are also planning another spinoff series called The Alphahumans! You can find out more on the details in the link here .

Anyway these are exciting we are living in as TNH series continues to progress forward!

Merida Neu, In the Neu House (c) BRSstarJV
Haley Winters, The Alphahumans, Eclipse Adventures © Ironshadows

Description

ACCESSSING FILE: D-05

Intel Database: Alphahumans - Evolution of Mankind

Written by Noelle Gunstone,
UNTD Lab 2 Chief Scientist

While the subject of EXA normally falls under the jurisdiction of Professor Lancaster, I feel that today’s subject on Alphahumans, and the ties certain Alpha’s have with magical artifacts requires an individual of greater tact to elaborate on, something my colleague would clearly overlook. That is why today I’ll be your guide down this rabbit hole of intrigue.

Possibly the most interesting class of EXA in modern times, Alphahumans, much like Mythics are deeply ingrained in the genealogy of mankind, and have served to change that very course of history for our species.

Alphahuman Definition

To begin, what is an Alphahuman? First coined in 1985 by the International Security and Intelligence Agency (ISIA), an Alphahuman (or Alpha for short) refers to an individual who has powers that exceed the realm of possibility of an average person. Said powers are not just limited to the realm of physical or mental, but can even defy the laws of physics or even logic itself. An Alphahuman can gain these powers either naturally through inherited genetics, or by forced induction through a mana artifact. As such UNITE categorizes Alphas into two classes: Natural and Artificial, both of which we will go over today.

Natural Alphahuman

As the name suggests, a Natural Alphahuman is denoted as a human being whose powers are acquired naturally from birth. If you recall from my report on the Science of Mana, it is believed that once upon a time all humans were capable of using magic like it were second nature. But the genetics required to sustain mana within the human body eventually died out over the course of generations. While modern humans can still produce mana, we lack a large enough capacity (often referred to as Mana Potential) necessary for the casting of magic.

However on rare occasions, a genetic anomaly may surface in an individual (usually at a young age) which causes a significant increase to their mana potential. The amount, while varying, may result in one of two scenarios for the individual.

1) Minor Increase

The most common scenario to occur. This usually results in the individual receiving a 2-9% increase in mana potential. In this scenario, an individual would be able to activate certain basic abilities unique to their skill tree. For example a person with pyrokinetic talent may find themselves able to manipulate small flames, or create embers on command.. but nothing more. With enough practice, these individuals could improve their abilities (which could make for an interesting party trick, admittedly). But unfortunately without additional mana to channel, the power of their abilities will never exceed a certain threshold.

Minor Alphas contribute to a large percentage of known Alphahumans worldwide. It is believed that 1 in every 100,000 children born is gifted with a mana potential that is just high enough for certain abilities to manifest. In fact, it's not a stretch to assume that certain self-proclaimed fortune tellers and psychics could very well be Alphas as well. Of course, do take this information with a grain of salt as most of them have been discovered to be nothing more than frauds capitalizing on the gullibility of the common folk.

Thankfully the power these minor Alphas possess usually aren't dangerous enough to require UNITE intervention. Though in the wrong hands, they could still be used for illicit activities.

2) Major Increase

The rarer of the two scenarios, those lucky enough to possess this major increase will be able to fully grow and evolve their powers without limit, often with devastating effect. Over the centuries, there have been stories and folktales surrounding such individuals whose powers have shaped the very course of history. With this revelation in mind, there may be some truth surrounding the many myths and legends of these folk.

Much like with Shadow Beasts, our advancements in sensor technology has made it easier to track the activities of such Alphahumans as the activation of spells releases a noticeably unique energy reading much like a Shadow Beast portal. Large spells and powers are easily detected with Electromagnetic Region Imaging Spectrograph Satellite, while smaller abilities can be picked up by a Mobile Sensor Array unit, granted, it occurs within its operation radius.

Despite our best efforts however, these individuals have become adept at concealing their powers; only using it when needed and disappearing before UNITE Enforcers arrive on the scene. Thankfully, many of them have taken to using their powers for the benefit of mankind, often serving as what could be described as ‘Vigilantes’ or ‘Super Heroes’ of popular fiction. And much like heroes, for every individual who uses their powers for good, there will also be one who does so for malicious intents. It’s these kinds of Alphahumans which UNITE is on the watch for as they could potentially be a threat to national security depending on the type of power they possess. In any case, UNITE’s stand on this is strict, and individuals who display such a great deal of power are to be brought in, regardless if they use their abilities for good or bad.

Artificial Alphahuman

So, what about artificial Alphahumans? Just like with the former, an Artificial Alphahuman are individuals who started out without powers, but later garner it through artificial means. From my research, there are two ways a human can also gain new powers.

1) Through contact with a Magical Artifact

A human being can sometimes gain new powers, or unlock existing ones by coming into contact with magical artifacts. Without the required capacity, a person will not be able to hold a large amount of mana. However with a mana capacitor, a person can temporarily channel the mana from within the artifact to activate their own dormant powers. Granted, of course, that the individual has already unlocked said abilities in the first place. This method has its limitations as once the mana from within the capacitor is drained, the individual will no longer be able to use any of his powers until the capacitor has been recharged, or a new one presents itself.

Much like a mana capacitor, some artifacts can also bestow individuals with additional powers on top of an increase in mana potential. There have been documented cases of such artifacts granting powers, but at a cost (usually sanity). For example EXA-221, also known as the Seed of Riziah at the time, is a purple, palm-sized gem which was capable of bonding and controlling any human it came in contact with.

Discovered in 1943 by special research team from Nazi Germany during the Second World War, EXA-221 was excavated from an archaeological dig site in Guatemala before being shipped back to Germany for testing. It was heavily experimented with before being procured by ISIA at the end of World War 2 during Operation Paperclip.

Details surrounding the artifact are mostly classified, but what I can reveal is that EXA-221 was believed to be sentient, and had the ability to merge with a victim of its choosing. Once this occurs, it would channel its powers of illusions, telekinesis, and necromancy (just to name a few) into said person. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? But as always, there is a catch to it. All who bonded with EXA-221 fell under its control, essentially using their bodies as a puppet for its nefarious will.

It took several years and countless test subjects (and many more personnel who had the misfortune of documenting its powers) before EXA-221 bonded with a host capable of resisting its killer instinct whilst still retaining a sense of its original humanity. The resulting merger created an entity that was recognized as one of the first artificial Alphahumans in the world. EXA-221 has clearly shown the incredible potential, and danger that mana artifacts have in the creation of Alphahumans.

2) Through genetic tinkering

That being said, it’s probably a perfect time to explain another aspect of artificial Alphahumans, which is through the use of scientific experimentation. I bring this up as there has been a recent interest in the creation of these kinds of Alphas in recent years; with many organisations, both legal and not, dabbling into a myriad of forbidden sciences to create the perfect lifeforms. No doubt you are already aware of the terrifying experiments conducted on the child subjects of Prospect Nomad, or the rumored advanced super soldiers developed by Lauren Machina Industries. In both cases, these organizations were able to create their own artificial Alphahumans from scratch, sometimes with the use of genetic enhancements, cybernetic augmentations, or even a combination of both.

But why create such powerful beings in the first place? While ambitions may vary, I believe it primarily boils down to one thing: money. As you can imagine, profit is what drives these organizations to commit such heinous actions. Believe it or not, there is indeed a black market for such Alphas with many militaries, hyper-wealthy individuals, or even terrorist groups willing to pay top dollar for their personal one man army of destruction.

Despite the taboo surrounding such experiments, not all organizations do so with an ulterior motive in mind. Take for example the folks at Eon Corporation. While it is a company that operates in a large number of industrial sectors, Eon has recently caught the attention of UNITE with their own Alphahuman development programme (dubbed Project Pantheon) which has shown potential in not only aiding our war against the Shadow Beasts, but for other military applications. As quoted by the programme's chief researcher, Doctor Elizabeth Riley:

"Alphahumans are the next step as humans reach their full potential. They are the very best of us, the ones who will surpass humanity’s limits and beyond into the bright future. Eon International plays a small, but crucial role in this process with our involvement in project Pantheon, and I'm exceedingly proud to be the head genetic scientist. As we proceed, there will be challenges and setbacks. But we have a great goal in mind: the evolution of the human race. We must succeed."
There is no denying that the Alphas from Eon Corporation could very well supersede our own Enforcer programme in the long run, given the unbridled power some of these individuals possess. The downside however is that cultivating and growing these Alphas from birth is a time consuming process, not to mention the cost needed for training and maintenance of such individuals. On the flip side, while Enforcers are not as powerful compared to Alphahumans, their low cost to train and equip is still the main go-to reason UNITE employs their services. Despite that, I do foresee potential team ups by Enforcer squads led by elite Alphas in battle.

This insight to the Eon Alphahuman programme shows a trend that might start to grow as the science behind mana starts to become more well understood. But is it even ethical to create Alphahumans? Should we even do it? Us humans are going to start asking ourselves these questions in the next hundred years as genetics become ever more increasingly relevant in our society.

Conclusion

Now that you know the definition of an Alphahuman, the question is: are they a danger to us all? The answer is unfortunately not as simple as it seems. If left unbridled, Alphahumans could potentially become a danger greater than the Shadow Beast threat. Personally, I feel that Alphahumans are the next stage in human evolution, and under the right guidance and incentive, such individuals could be useful allies in a multitude of situations, more so now than ever before. Whether or not Alphahumans will one day truly become the future of mankind, is ultimately determined by our decisions today.

- End of Report -

RETURN TO DATA HUB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

Another entry done and dusted! Featured above is Merida Neu going up against an unknown, masked, Alphahuman . But what could this all mean? Thats right, I'm pleased to announce that there will be a certain degree of crossovers between The Neu House and the Ironshadows webcomic series, Eclipse Adventures!

I guess that this a good time to announce that he and Ultimate-showtime are also planning another spinoff series called The Alphahumans! You can find out more on the details in the link here .

Anyway these are exciting we are living in as TNH series continues to progress forward!

Merida Neu, In the Neu House (c) BRSstarJV
Haley Winters, The Alphahumans, Eclipse Adventures © Ironshadows