(Lore Garbo) Oldest someone can be?

[JackHax]

While it's well established that the wealthier inhabitants of the galaxy can become neigh immortal through various medical treatments I'm always wondering... how long has this technology existed?

Odiously it's existed for over 2 centuries due to good ol' Papa Vik, with it being implied that he died (comparatively) young due to his taint interfering with his medical treatments. Would similar technology have existed long enough for Steele to meet someone double, or even triple Victor's age?

Imo it would be realy interesting to have a character like that to give insight into various aspects of the galaxy that's evolved over the centuries, could open up some nice writing opportunities. Though personally I think that anything above 600 years borders on lunacy, don't wanna get all goofy with some "1000 year old wise man" to guide Steele through their galaxy-spanning quest.

...Personally I've been cooking up something with a old man cyborg dude relating to the split between Cybernetics and gene mods. But I can't decide on just how old he should be. Figured I may as well ask for people's opinions before I write something toooo stupid

 

[Crablord]

as old as lore-ly possible
who doesn't want a wise space grandpa

 

[BoyHowdy000]

*Looks at how many kids I had with Frosty*
*Looks at age for the first time*
Yeah, either everyone's immortal or my character's entire story since Uveto has been happening in his head after the crippling metal breakdown he had from returning to his ship to find everyone in his crew (aside from maybe the two Goo characters) long dead and the universe completely changed.

 

[Evil]

You've made a couple of mistakes, one is assuming that longevity was done using human technology or chemistry. We don't which race cracked the code and found the fountain of youth, so to speak. The Ausar might have discovered something, or the Anatae could have made the breakthrough.

The other is thinking that Victor was comparatively young when he died. Granted, Victor was two centuries old when he died, and his voyages in his own Rush certainly contributed to the genetic breakdown that caused his death, but keep in mind something. Victor Steele was two centuries old at his passing, using his vast wealth to keep him allow and to keep himself from becoming genetic soup. He had access to more money, doctors, treatments and therapies than the vast majority of humans in the TiTSverse; he's the outlier, not the standard. I would imagine most people hitting a century would still be a rare occurrence.

Bear in mind as well that there is a theory that the brain couldn't handle centuries of information and memories, that eventually something would begin to break down. The real challenge would not be keep the body alive, after all, cloned organs are a thing in the TiTSverse and missing limbs fixed with an injection, but to keep the brain from breaking down or going insane.

 

[Preacher]

You've made a couple of mistakes, one is assuming that longevity was done using human technology or chemistry. We don't which race cracked the code and found the fountain of youth, so to speak. The Ausar might have discovered something, or the Anatae could have made the breakthrough.

The other is thinking that Victor was comparatively young when he died. Granted, Victor was two centuries old when he died, and his voyages in his own Rush certainly contributed to the genetic breakdown that caused his death, but keep in mind something. Victor Steele was two centuries old at his passing, using his vast wealth to keep him allow and to keep himself from becoming genetic soup. He had access to more money, doctors, treatments and therapies than the vast majority of humans in the TiTSverse; he's the outlier, not the standard. I would imagine most people hitting a century would still be a rare occurrence.

Bear in mind as well that there is a theory that the brain couldn't handle centuries of information and memories, that eventually something would begin to break down. The real challenge would not be keep the body alive, after all, cloned organs are a thing in the TiTSverse and missing limbs fixed with an injection, but to keep the brain from breaking down or going insane.

There's always the mind-upload to an android brain and body thing. They'll go on as long as parts or repairs and power is available. But then you run into the "is it really you" problem and a whole slew of other philosophical issues. This problem pops up with teleportation as well but instant transportation is not the subject of this forum.

 

[coldmonkey]

I was reading this part of Dr. Lessau's dialogue seconds ago:
“The real goal, however, was in a concept I had spent decades drafting and refining, but lacked the funding to develop until Victor’s intervention. With his aid I produced my masterwork: microsurgeons that do more than just protect against known diseases, they adapt, they innovate when faced with the unknown. More importantly, they house within them a full transcript of your original genome from birth. No matter how you alter yourself, no matter what mutations you undergo, you will always be able to return to what you once were.”

If the new nanotech that Captain Steele has houses a perfect record of his genome and is able to restore his DNA to its original human state, then it suggests it can reverse the effects of physical aging, which is largely caused by the DNA sequence being damaged through various means. This nanotech is much more recent than the stuff Victor had crawling through his body:
“[...] he reached out to me twenty years ago, when it became clear his health was in decline. He wanted a new head of the biotechnology division of Steele Tech, and wanted me to head it.”

He also says, “And, of course, you went and found one of the only things in the galaxy beyond their ability to repair. I suppose I should have expected as much from a Steele.” I'm not sure what that refers to. The Treatment, perhaps, since it's as-of-yet irrevocable. Which might mean that the genetic alterations caused by the Treatment are subject to aging, while the rest of the genome isn't.

 

[Evil]

He also says, “And, of course, you went and found one of the only things in the galaxy beyond their ability to repair. I suppose I should have expected as much from a Steele.”

Lessau was talking about the Grey Goo on Tarkus. Whereas the microsurgeons in Steele's body will preserve their genome and genetic integrity, the nanomachines that make up the Grey Goo are comparatively primitive but they've managed to preserve the consciousness of the colonists they.....goo'd. And they're to do so much more.

 

[coldmonkey]

Lessau was talking about the Grey Goo on Tarkus. Whereas the microsurgeons in Steele's body will preserve their genome and genetic integrity, the nanomachines that make up the Grey Goo are comparatively primitive but they've managed to preserve the consciousness of the colonists they.....goo'd. And they're to do so much more.

Is that some sweet sweet foreshadowing?

 

[Evil]

Who knows. Though, if I remember correctly, Anno tells you it could be years before any meaningful research comes out of the Grey Goo.

I think Lessau was just saying that the nanomachines, despite being centuries behind in terms of technology, far outclass his microsurgeons in several ways.

And sometimes a spade is just a spade and there's no reason to keep digging into this.

 

[Dragonice]

In the codex it said that galotains don't age. That or they simply can't tell by looks alone, galotains have no life expectancy. Technically they could end up being ancient creatures on their own home planet but it's simply unrecorded.

 

[sumgai]

Brain uploads have been a thing in the past. I think...

Its only for the rich. Anno mentions an Ausar princess being kidnapped by extremists because she swapped out into an cyborg body versus her ailing body. I don't know if it was a brain transplant or an actual upload though...

Galotians are thought to be near ageless. Gryvain and Suula also have high natural lifespans.

Then there's that one race on Uveto that is lucky to make it a DECADE.

 

[Nonesuch]

Jarvis has sat through 3 planet rushes, which makes him more than 600 years old. He's fantastically rich and mentions that most humans don't make it to his age because they can't take life anymore, or at least stop caring enough to watch their health.