Beta Clones

Odds are you have met at least one Beta clone in your life, wether you know it or not. Either that, or you are one. While populations of some colonies maintain a human majority, the affinity of Betas for interstellar travel leads many to travel far and wide, with visitation of the old systems and Earth in particular a high priority for many a traveler. Betas are now everywhere, wether you know it or not. But who are these people who are so like humans, and yet so different?

Concept

As explained in the general cloning section, mankind needed an army with the strength of the Alpha Clones but with the population potential of humans, which is exactly what we got with the Beta Clones. With partial Alpha abilities, the Betas were stronger that humans. With the ability to use any sample of human DNA to create a Beta group, the potential number of Betas was exponentially higher than the Alpha population; essentially infinite.

Abilities

While the abilities of each Beta Clone population produced can vary, effective combinations commonly fit into one of the following classifications.

Labor Betas- Designed with a predisposition for strength and endurance, these clones are most commonly comissioned for government contracts and tailored for operation specifics. Sub-classes include Strength, Speed, and Resilience. Abilities for Labor Betas are chosen for optimized performance in a given environment.

Sensory Betas- General enhancement of sensory abilities is another commonly comissioned ability set, but less control over specific results limits the reliability of results. Sensory clone productions often find themselves redistributed once full expression of their abilities is realized. Clones of this class often find various specialized positions in fields that benefit from their specific skills. They are further divided into sub-classes such as Perception, Resonant, and Somatic.

Intellectual Betas- With abilities pertaining to increased brain function, these Betas are used in highly specialized fields and exclusively reserved for government issue. Clones of this type are generally assigned to promising fields and tend to continue their career progression beyond their contractual obligations. Intellectual sub-classes include Doctoral, Analytic, Expressive, and Savant.

Social Betas- The widest range of clone production today is in this class, as they are small scale populations provided for publicly comissioned adoptive purposes. For those Betas unable to reproduce or any human incapable of having children as well, these clones are the primary option for starting a family. With a wide variety of clones to choose from and the possibility of special order comissions, even healthy child-bearing couples are known to petition for clone adoption. Even age selection is occasionally provided thanks to trans-jump maturation programs. Sub-classes of Social Betas are abundant, but include Athleteic, Career, Cosmetic, Homogeneous, and Unique.

Variation

The strength of the Beta Clones comes from the variation of Alpha and human abilities that they inherit. In the war it quickly became clear that the effective combination of strengths in a given unit of Betas more than made up for any weaknesses in the group. Legion commanders learned to familiarize themselves with the unique capabilities of each contingent of Betas and actively work to hone those unique specifications. Troops became effective Squads, Squads formed accomplished Units, Units banded together as cohesive Columns, and Centurions were able to unify their Centuries, 100,000 individuals, into one optimized force; a weapon in the Legion's aresnal.

Today the diversity of the Beta Clones expands exponentially, but their immersion in every corner of the United Colonies continues to unify humanity as much as our natural citizens have for generations. While the natural human population still outnumbers Betas, the clones are quickly closing the gap and a relatively new generation of Betas is not only emerging, but also bluring the line between human and clone.

Evolution

Alpha Clones were developed without the ability to reproduce, but it quickly became clear that not all Betas shared that restrictive trait. The retention of natural reproduction in a significant percentage of the Beta population has led some to theorize about the potential evolution of the clone species. What was once a defining characteristic of clones as opposed to humans was suddenly no longer a proper distinction. Natural Betas are now becoming a significant presence in several colonies.

And the line between "Home Grown" and Beta Clone continues to fade every day. The controversial subject of Human-Clone relationships may still be an area of personal concern to some, but the legality of such a union has been universaly affirmed. Though there have been no recorded instances of a mixed couple having offspring as of yet, it's is likely only a matter of time before the final barrier between natural and artificial life is removed.

Contribution

As dependent as mankind has become upon the Beta Clone Program, the program itself remains entirely dependent upon humanity as well. Without natural human DNA contribution, the Beta Clone process would not be possible. Sample reserves remain for production of emergency Beta Clone generations, but the program is always open to and eager for new submissions. If you would like to donate your DNA profile to the Beta Clone Program, adding your genome to the collective of the species to ensure our continued survival throughout the galaxy, please contact your local Legion post and ask to speak to the Duplicaria representative in your region today.