Guide to Genetics

In addition to the basic work of cloning, the Geneticist has access to a DNA Modifier. This device can, with enough patience, reward you with superpowers. It can also inflict crippling diseases.

NOTE: GENETICS CODE HAS BEEN RIPPED OUT AND REBUILT RECENTLY. MOST OF THE INFORMATION BELOW IS NOW INCORRECT. STAY TUNED.

The Building Blocks of Life

When a person (or monkey) is put into the DNA Modifier, the modifier's computer will allow the user to:

• View Potential holds the character's possible superpowers and diseases. Unknown potentials can be researched. Mutations can be activated when the correct DNA sequence is entered.
• View Mutations shows the active mutations of the occupant.
• View Research shows the research which is currently taking place, and shows possible research and finished research.
• Change Appearance allows the user to change several features of the occupant, such as their skin colour and hair.

Research is conducted by spending research materials, which are slowly gained over time. Additional research materials can be bought by spending money from the station's research budget.

Cracking the Code

Mutations are composed of a series of paired blocks. Each block contains the values G, A, C, T or is empty. The DNA Modifier allows you to select blocks and modify them. What the geneticist is attempting to accomplish is figuring out what each empty block's value should be, and thus being able to pass that mutation to the occupant. In each pair of blocks, a G block always links to a C block, and a T block always links to an A block. Some values can be figured out immediately, while others need simple guesswork as you go through each possible combination.

Once the correct code is entered, the user can then activate the mutation. It will no longer appear in View Potential, and is now located in the View Mutations section.

Buffer

The buffer allows the geneticist to back-up the current DNA of the subject in the modifier, to load or save a sequence to disc, and to apply a sequence either to the occupant or to an injector. The machine requires a bit of time in between making DNA injectors. Both injectors and applying a sequence from the buffer will give radiation to their target. The DNA injectors are most useful for testing a DNA strand on yourself. If you are running out of room in the buffer, you also begin with a box of discs which can each store a single buffer item.

Testing

To begin testing, you will want a human test subject. The Geneticist begins with several monkeys who are a mere mutation away from being human, and once in this form will not complain about their horrific radioactive death, so they're perfect. Once you have created a human test subject that is free of disease, you should back up their DNA using the buffer, and create an injector of clean DNA. During the course of testing you may give yourself some horrible debilitating mutation, so this injector will allow you to reset yourself back to normal. Wearing a VISOR is an added bit of protection, because once you are rendered fully blind, you won't be able to interact with anything and will be helpless.

Your goal is to isolate and activate a single block at a time, then apply the DNA with the single active block to a test subject-- most Geneticists will test on themselves. One of a few things can happen at this point.

• The test subject is afflicted with a horrible genetic disease. You now know to keep this block inactive in the future.
• The test subject gains an amazing superpower. Congratulations!
• Nothing happens. Either the block has no function, is a power block, or it was a disease block but you didn't properly activate it.

The critical difference between diseases and superpowers is that an activated disease block will give the disease 100% of the time, whereas an activated superpower block will give its power only a limited % of the time. The % depends on the power. If you are doing everything correctly and nothing happened, then it means you hit a power block but just didn't luck out to get the power-- try again once you can, while also trying not to kill yourself from radiation exposure.

There are 14 blocks in the SE sequence, but only 8 of them are of interest to you in the search for powers-- blocks # 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13. In any given round, four of these will be disabilities, and four will be powers. Their composition is randomized each round. You will know right away if you successfully gained a disease or power, because you will receive a little red message corresponding to that particular trait.

Superpowers

The minimum value needed to activate a superpower can randomize each round, but generally speaking, any value above DB* should be sufficient. Probability refers to the chance of you gaining that power with each application of the proper DNA.

Power	Probability	Message	Effect
X-Ray Vision	50%	The walls suddenly disappear.	Can see through walls, as if wearing both thermals and mesons.
Fire Resistance	30%	You feel warm.	You are immune to temperature changes and fire. You have a noticeable glowing aura.
Telekinesis (TK)	15%	You feel smarter.	You can interact with objects and people remotely, picking up things through windows, Lots of fun! Your head will have a noticeable glowing aura.
Hulk	15%	Your muscles ache.	You turn into a green monster capable of punching people with incredible strength and bashing down walls and tables.

Disabilities

Genetics is also host to a dazzling array of debilitating mutations and disabilities. Some of these will crop up outside of genetics testing-- radiation exposure, such as during a blowout or a mining accident, can alter people's SE enough to trigger random blocks.

Disability	Message	Effect
Radiation Poisoning	You feel weak.	Not a mutation per se, but occurs when you have built up too much radiation. In addition to toxic damage, you will occasionally pass out.
Severe Radiation Poisoning	Your whole body hurts.	Occurs at 100%+ radiation.
Blindness	You can't see anything.	Your screen goes black. You can't interact with anything, unless you have a VISOR, and even then you won't get feedback on your actions.
Deaf	It's kinda quiet...	You can't hear anything. Blessed silence may come as a relief once you've gotten sick of the regular radio chatter. To fix this without modifying DNA, you can equip an auditory headset.
Clumsy	You feel lightheaded.	You occasionally fall over or drop things. All cluwnes are afflicted with this.
Epilepsy	You twitch.	You will occasionally have seizures, passing out for the duration. You will shake violently, due to a bug this will persist even after the condition is cured.
Stutter	You feel nervous.	Your speech becomes more difficult to understand.
Tourettes		Your speech will occasionally come out as excited shouts in ALL CAPS!!!!
Cough	You start coughing.	You occasionally cough, dropping anything in your hands.
Near-Sighted		Your vision becomes blurred, and darkened outside a small radius. Can be counteracted with Prescription Glasses.
Mutator Block	You feel strange...	Not a disability in of itself, but when this block is activated, it will activate another block at random.

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