Report to the Symposium, EY168-BIO-005

[Shyriath]

(OOC: This is sort of an experiment; aside from being a documentation of the Deep Singers and their biology, it's also going to have implications for their history. It's a work in progress, so the sections will be appearing in subsequent posts.)

Note: This document, printed on paper, appears to date from the first century SA. It was discovered in a small Shaper cache found in a hidden chamber near Ezhku in 224.The contents of the cache were taken for evaluation and the chamber demolished. Upon the dating of this document and the other contents of the cache, the order was given by the Illuminating Council to destroy them and to put knowledge of their age under seal for the maintenance of public order, as the Shapers are not supposed to have survived past the time of the Cataclysm.

Despite the destruction order, this document remained in the Council Archives, possibly having been missed during the chaos of the Salkan Disorders. It was rediscovered in 488 SA. The glyphs are not familiar to our linguists, but bear a resemblance to certain Outsider writing systems, suggesting that it may now be possible to translate the document (though the likely requirement of Outsider assistance makes this a risky proposition). Since its rediscovery, the Illuminating Council has consistently failed to reach consensus on whether the document should be destroyed, as originally intended, or translated to determine its contents. Until such a decision is made, this document is to remain under seal, especially from Outsiders.


Report to the Symposium, EY168-BIO-005: Biology of the “singers in the deep”
A non-technical summary of the post-stabilization physical state of the prime subjects


Introduction

Greetings to the Symposium. This document contains a summary of the most recent findings on the biology, physiology, and ecology of the members of the primary genetic lines in our experiment.

As the intended readers are aware, the subjects have been in a state of genetic flux since the introduction of the last rounds of mutations. We anticipated that enforced habitation in a subterranean environment would apply a strong selective pressure in favor of many of those mutations, but until recently we were unable to determine how far that process had gone, or which maladaptive traits would be weeded out in the process.

The upheavals on the surface, sixty-three years ago, erupted sooner than our statisticians had predicted, and of course we are all well aware of the effects on our own organization. Aside from our inability to resume contact with the outside world, many of our most advanced instruments continue to be stubbornly unreliable, or even nonfunctional, due to what seems to be some type of field-effect that imposes localized fluctuations in the laws of physics themselves. Nonetheless, we have used those methods still available to us to reestablish surveillance of the subjects, who have colonized the intact portions of the public headquarters complex, and their complete reliance on a subterranean environment appears to have accelerated the process of adaptation.

We have finished the first studies of the subjects since the upheavals, and we are pleased to report to the Symposium that the surviving subjects already appear to have converged on a stable physical form. The process will take some time to complete; in particular, at least three further generations are projected for the carriers of assorted debilitating genetic conditions to be reduced to less than twenty percent of the gene pool. Nonetheless, in the following sections, we can now begin to make general statements and conclusions about the subjects as a group.

[Shyriath]

Report to the Symposium, EY168-BIO-005-A: Phenotype

The subjects have deviated significantly in appearance from the human baseline. Reductions in size had already begun prior to the last round of mutations in experiment year 98, but individuals now rarely reach more than 120 cm (4 ft) in height; the average is about 110 cm. However, these measurements are only somewhat comparable to baseline humans, because they account for differences in posture; the actual distance between the top of the head and the ground is up to 10% less than the listed heights.

This is because the subjects have developed an exaggerated curvature of the thoracic vertebrae, resulting in a natural stoop. Although it is apparently possible to stand more erect than their habitual posture, the subjects experience considerable discomfort while attempting to do so, and are not capable of achieving the fully upright stance of a baseline human. Although other sections of this report deal more extensively with the other modifications required to compensate for this, one of the most important is in the shape of the chest; the subjects tend to be proportionally shorter and thicker in the thorax than baselines.

The subjects have two arms and two legs that are structurally the same as baseline limbs, but all four are proportionally longer overall, the arms more than the legs. Aside from long, deft fingers, there are few other observations to be made about the arms and hands; but the posterior thigh muscles of the legs are considerably stronger than baseline. This is another modification related to the subjects’ posture.

Virtually all surviving subjects have very low production of melanin. Skin is therefore generally very pale, though occasionally freckled; hair ranges from white to blond, including towheaded, ash-blond, and occasionally a flaxen blond. The eyes are generally blue or gray, but other colors can be found, including green, or (if pigmentation is extremely low) violet or red.

Facial features are difficult to quantify succinctly, but for these purposes it suffices to report the observations of baseline observers, who have described the subjects as having “long and narrow” faces, very large eyes, small noses and “elfin” ears. Facial and cranial hair is typically short and sparse; many individuals of both genders have only eyebrows, though when more is present it may be distributed differently. (see the section “Sexual Dimorphism” for further detail.)

[Shyriath]

Report to the Symposium, EY168-BIO-005-B: Vision

The low-to-zero-light conditions of their environment have applied strong selective pressure on the mutations related to the subjects’ sensory organs and their interfacing with the brain. This has resulted in some impressive deviations from baseline to their senses. Due to its relative importance, we shall be treating vision first, separately from other sensoria.

Several modifications have converged to improve the functioning of the eyes in a low-light environment. Each eye is proportionally larger than baseline, and has a wider pupil; the aperture can be dilated further than in a baseline eye, though it is not able to narrow to quite the same extent. Overall, this increases the number of photons admitted into the eye.

The eye also contains internal modifications; for one, higher densities of the highly light-sensitive rod cells relative to the color- and change-sensitive cone cells. A byproduct of this arrangement is that the subjects have greater difficulty identifying colors or rapid movements that occur outside their direct gaze; the second can be counteracted through practice with one’s peripheral vision, but the first can only be compensated for. The mutations of year 98 introduced a strain with tetrachromatic vision as opposed to the baseline trichromatic: four kinds of cone cells instead of three. Aside from allowing greater color distinction than baselines, even if within a narrower area, it also extends the visible spectrum into the near infrared (down to approximately 900 nm). in Although this mutation is not yet common, it appears to be spreading in an encouraging fashion.

The remaining major modification to the eye is the introduction of a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer on the rear interior of the eye. This iridescent tissue, composed of layers of cells containing highly refractive crystals, acts as a spherical retroreflector, directing more incoming light onto the retina. A visible side-effect is a bright “eyeshine” of a green or yellow color that can appear in the subject’s pupils, depending on the position of the observer and a sufficient light source.

Taken together, these modifications allow the subjects to see under conditions in which baseline humans would be nearly blind. Although they still require some source of light in their visual range, the required illuminance is very low (approx. 2 x10-6 lux). However, their tolerance of light is also relatively low; the subjects are most comfortable in a range between 0.5 and 50 lux. Above this range, the following symptoms may occur after sufficient exposure:

- 50 to 350 lux, minimal eye strain
- 350 to 600 lux, moderate to heavy eye strain, physical discomfort, minor/temporary visual impairment
- 600 to 1000 lux, moderate symptoms such as headaches, major visual impairment, minor physical pain in the eyes
- 1000 to 1500 lux, severe symptoms such as momentary inability to see, burning pain in the eyes, severe headaches, dizziness, possible permanent damage
- 1500 lux onward, various durations of blindness and a significantly higher chance of permanent damage

For reference: The full moon on a clear night is approx. 0.27 lux, civil twilight under a clear sky is approx. 2.4 lux, normal indoor lighting is approx. 50-80 lux, a very dark overcast day is approx. 100 lux, office lighting approx. 320-500 lux, sunrise/sunset on a clear day approx. 400 lux, an overcast day approx. 1000 lux, full daylight beginning at approx. 10,000 lux.

[Shyriath]

Report to the Symposium, EY168-BIO-005-C: Other Sensoria

Auditory: The subjects' outer ears are proportionally larger than baseline, and possess a more concave profile and are more pointed. They are also mobile, a feat occasioned by the redevelopment of the three auricular muscles; the subjects are capable of rotating the outer ears in several dimensions. Although the general purpose of this is to achieve better reception of incoming sound waves, the outer ear may also be folded back and down to protect the middle and inner ear from loud noise, or to be kept away from some other threat. Interestingly, ear position also appears to play a role in facial expression and the resulting communication of emotions, even though the associated facial-recognition instincts were not specifically tampered with during any round of mutation. Research into whether this may be a learned behavior is ongoing.

The subjects have sensitive hearing. Adults are capable of perceiving frequencies between approximately 20 Hz and 80 KHz; although baseline humans have a similar lower threshold, most cannot perceive frequencies above 20 KHz. As with almost all animals, the minimum perceptible volume depends on the frequency one is listening to, but in the range of maximum sensitivity (approximately 3-6 KHz) can approach 0.4 decibels. The threshold of pain in the same frequency range, meanwhile, is approximately 115 dB. Because of their sensitivity to sound, the subjects tend to use a conversational speaking voice of 55-60 dB unless emotionally agitated.

Their ability to pinpoint sound direction makes the subjects capable of echolocation. By themselves, they are incapable of producing the high-frequency sounds required for sharp detail or perception of quick movement; nonetheless, simple detection and navigation are generally possible by clicking of the tongue against the front teeth. If subjects have access to a source of discrete higher-frequency pulses, more detailed perception becomes possible.

Olfactory: Although mostly the same as baseline, the subjects do show increased sensitivity to a few gases, particularly carbon dioxide and some flammable gases such as methane.

Magnetoreception: The subjects, like most humans, have deposits of biological magnetite in the ethmoid bone lying above the nasal cavity. Although in baseline humans these deposits play no known biological role, equivalent structures in other animals play a role in sensing magnetic fields. As a result of mutations in the early years of the experiment, the subjects exhibit much more innervation in the region surrounding the deposits, permitting them to sense magnetic fields. By comparing their orientation to Pelagia's magnetic field, the subjects can maintain a sense of absolute direction without reference to the other senses; nonetheless, this sense is also sensitive to more powerful and localized magnetic phenomena. Although this can cause navigational difficulties for the unaware or unwary, one who is aware of local sources of interference can use them as "landmarks".