Project Soul Jar
Project Soul Jar was a secret program initiated by Clan Ghost Bear in 3085, which was intended to produce a class of warriors with a potentially infinite life span. It was comprised of Society scientists smuggled from the Homeworlds and bonded scientists originally of the Word of Blake. The Ghost Bear had no idea that both those groups had been integrated in the Wolverine Union. Throughout the project existence, all research was also sent to the Rim Worlds Republic.
It experimented with using chemical manipulations and electronic scans to copy the patterns of pre-existing brains onto new ones. In concept, the intent was to use stem cells, electrical stimulation, and neural mapping to grow younger bodies for aging warriors and allow the older warrior to transfer their consciousness to the new body.
Constant issues
Apart from ethical concerns, the practical issues surrounding the project limited its testing to two individuals: Paul and Shelly Rand, the twin Commanders of Ghost Bear’s Phi Galaxy. It was functional in the first generation, or so it appeared. However, the second generation produced over 100 using the same genetic samples initially drawn from Wilhelm Rand and Aletha Kabrinski in the 31st century and was an abject failure. The copies split into two fetuses as in the previous generation, but with serious complications. All male fetuses attempted to reabsorb their female twins, but were chemically prevented from doing so with the exception of one control pairing, leading to the deaths of every subject.
The control that absorbed its female twin, called Esbern, would be the only survivor, as the majority of the others were missing vital organs and thus died of natural causes. Paul and Shelly Rand intervened when they heard of this, officially declaring the project a failure and commanding its closure with the consent of newly appointed Khan Dalia Bekker. On paper, the scientists of Project Soul Jar followed the commands they were given and decanted Esbern on 1 January 3124, moving him to one of the creches on Balmung II.
Order not followed
Instead, Esbern would be transferred into an extended Iron Womb as per the project’s original wording, which would hold him until he was sixteen years old. While there, electric gel was used to stimulate muscular development, chemicals were used to modify his genetics to protect against degenerative conditions, and his brain’s shape and chemistry were altered. The brain alterations, rather than being focused on making him a direct copy of either Paul or Shelly Rand, were simply modified to make a more effective repository for two generations worth of the twins’ collective memories. The intent being such that as he grew he would at least have the knowledge of his forebears.
The Bitter end
When Paul Rand discovered that his orders had been defied, he initially overlooked the matter. He assumed the scientists had defied him in order to keep Esbern alive, and essentially gave them deadlines on completion to ensure Esbern was released no later than 1 January 3140. When he learned in March of that year they still had not released him, and that further genetic alterations had been introduced to cause him to develop into an Advanced Elemental phenotype, he returned to Balmung from Alshain, and personally saw to the execution of all scientists yet involved in the project.
Advances in the Republic
While most of the Soul Jar system was viewed as too expensive and complex to use, some of the basic premise held a lot of promise to the Wolverine Union. Accelerating the growth of the brain of 3rd generation vatgrown was seen as the priority. While the Rands were not Republic soldiers, their reputation preceded them. Their brainscans were integrated in hypnotraining programs and positronic brain upgrades for 3rd generation units. Their lizard brain were the ones used as a standard on more modern bioroid units, which were 12% more receptive to the control process.
With the recent development of the Advanced Bioroid Commander program, more lessons from Project Soul Jar were integrated in the genetic and cybernetic engineering of the subjects.
