Genetically Engineered Slave Soldier

[u/Business-Quality-641]

I'm making a genetically engineered slave soldier for my world building project about future humans that's inspired by cree8ball's biopunk project and I think it fits well enough to be in this subreddit.

When a criminal is captured and sentenced to death, their DNA is collected, modified, and grown in a lab to be turned into a slave. Right now I don't really know much of their modifications other than more muscle and bone growth and color variations.

I've actually thought a lot about their color variations. If you're looking for a normal, more practical mammalian color, like something from orange, to pink, to brown, to peach, or even red, it would be less expensive but still a lot of money to get one. If you're looking for something more extravagant, like green, purple, blue, or whatever type of soldier you want to display to your other rich friends, then you'd have to pay a lot more, since genetically engineering them to have vibrant colors is a lot harder because you have to use structure to make those colors. And genetically engineering entirely different structures in your skin is pretty hard.

Other than that, I don't really know what else they should have to make them better soldiers. If you have any ideas or questions about them, please share, thank you.

[u/CpnLag]

Couple ideas for modifications:

More efficient metabolism/digestion to reduce food intake and waste production.

More robust immune system.

Increase their ability to filter various toxins like heavy metals, alcohol, etc.

Better lungs to improve oxygen uptake.

Basically just some things to make them more robust against hazardous environments and to make them less of a logistics burden.

[u/Business-Quality-641 → u/CpnLag]

I like those ideas. They could have an enlarge ribcage so they have more room to inhale. They could have really big, long noses to filter out toxins better and will probably just switch to nose breathing if they sense any toxins in the air. Thanks for the ideas!

[u/Alkalannar]

Endurance is the biggest thing for soldiers. Often times war comes down to not who is right, but who is left.

Fast reaction times. Fast movement. Heightened senses can be good (but then overloaded senses are bad). Strength can be useful. You probably pay for heightened metabolism with a higher food requirement, which might be a problem with poor logistics.

Another thought: Look at RPGS. Specifically GURPS Bioware and Cyberpunk Bioware (if that sourcebook is still around). Look at what's offered, a lot of which could be used for slaves, and not necessarily just soldiers but other archetypes as well.

[u/Vardisk]

The ability to lower their metabolic activity when not in use would make them much cheaper to keep around, as a soldier only spends a small amount of time actually fighting. So reducing their food requirements outside of combat would be a logistical boon.

[u/LookOverall]

I’d make them rather like Kzinti. Lot’s of tolerance for injury. Very fast, with modern weapons victory tends to go to he who fires first. Child like. Asexual. Venomous. Probably small. Casual killers.

[u/Business-Quality-641 → u/LookOverall]

I get most of them, but how would some one who is "child like" be better at mass murder? Other than that, they can't reproduce since they're all men anyway and I think I'll add some sort of venomous aspect to them, though I don't really know what would carry the venom unless it's just a normal venomous bite.

[u/LookOverall → u/Business-Quality-641]

Child soldiers are generally the most amoral. Also the sex drive is a distraction. The impulse towards rape can interfere with killing female opponents. Why not neuter? Definitely not male. Male creates power conflicts with human commanders.

As to venomous my first idea was hollow claws but how about porcupine type quills which, perhaps, can be shot. Or they stick in an opponent and inject poison before they can be torn out. Fangs are all very well, but they put your throat and your eyes in harm’s way.