S.A.G.E was developed to eliminate genetic disease within non-infant humans, something CRISPR couldn't do. However, as the technology and methodology were stolen, S.A.G.E's capabilities were tested and expanded.
It started with curing genetic/chronic illnesses, preventing all cancer types, and disease immunity.
"Designer babies" were already prevalent amongst the rich. Using advanced CRISPR technology, babies in the womb had their genes permanently changed. Boosted immunity, genius-level intelligence, beauty aligning nature's golden ratio, and increased lifespan. However, this was limited to babies within the first trimester, and once past, permanent changes were nigh impossible.
S.A.G.E bypassed that. Regardless of age, anyone can alter their genetics, and the effects took a maximum of a few days to show.
As SAGE improved, so did the thousands of researchers working on it. They upgraded their cognitive abilities, increased the efficiency of their bodies, and elevated their intelligence beyond that of computers, and in turn, SAGE also improved.
Growth was exponential, to say the least.
Suddenly, utilizing SAGE, humans could modify themselves to gain the abilities of any living thing.
Muscles could be compressed a hundred-fold, like a mammalian aquatic creature, a single breath could last human hours, days even.
The Paratarsotomus macropalpis, an insect capable of moving 322 body lengths in a second, for a human, would be 2,092 kilometers per hour.
The Dung Beetle is capable of carrying loads 1,141 times its body weight. For a human, this would be equivalent to lifting 80 tonnes of weight.
S.A.G.E granted access to all of that. No, it went further.
Soon enough, humans were able to perceive the unperceivable and interpret the uninterpretable.
As humans, we already understand that two pears represent "2" in numerical terms. The most basic intuition is counting, something even small children grasp: 1 pear + 1 pear = 2 pears. This is the foundation of arithmetic.
But then, they started fundamentally knowing its geometry, the angle of curvature, the Euclidean space they occupy, and the distance between them and the perceived. Above that, its topography and fractals on the skin of the pears were seen through. They saw the physics of the pears, and their potential energy, seeing the pears as solutions to differential equations that describe the physical laws governing the universe.
And then, they saw the information within the mere two pears. Their past and future states, how they came to be, and what led to their current place in space and time. They could see the pears not as mere objects but as elements in a vast network of relationships and transformations.
Instead of seeing between 700nm and 400nm, they say the WHOLE wavelength of light (Radio and Micro Wavelength). And they could understand it. Their minds surpassed computers, they became quantum computers. Decoding encrypted information sent through Wi-Fi signals.
How was this possible? A human could not compute quadrillions of calculation in a second, so what gives?
We all know Einstein's famous equation, E=MC^2.
It implies that mass IS energy. Think of how nuclear reactors generate tremendous amounts of energy relative to the atomic particles catalyzed.
And energy becomes mass. With enough energy, the "creation" of atomic structures became possible.
Around the interpretation of quantum mechanics and Quantum field theory, "humans" were able to sense atomic and fundamental particles.
They saw, they FELT, the God Particle
It is a fundamental force which imparts/generates mass
Imagine the God Particle as a kind of "cosmic glue" spread across the universe. As particles move through this field, they interact with it. The more strongly a particle interacts with the God Particles, the more mass it acquires.
And manipulate it they did.
"Magic" they called it.
The essence of "Magic" is creation. It defies all laws of nature, of thermodynamics.
The manipulation of the God Particle didn't create energy, it repurposed it.
The nuclear fusion of 2 protons generates approximately 13.7 MeV (13.7 Million volts)
With this energy, humans were able to wield "Magic", stuff only seen in fantasy.
Now you ask, doesn't this make humans with access to S.A.G.E basically gods?
Well, yes, and no.
Utilizing Magic (The manipulation of the God Particle) required tremendous amounts of calculations, similar to that of a quantum supercomputer.
But they weren't gods.
The state of calculation, or rather "The Spirit Zone", could only be maintained for fractions of a second. Any more, and they would go brain-dead.
To the magic user in the "Spirit Zone", those fractions of seconds felt like hours
As SAGE improved, the limit to the use of the "Spirit Zone" became closer and closer to 1 second. But much like an inverse equation, passing the threshold was impossible.
SAGE's development came to a halt. Or rather, from the speed of light, down to the crawl of a snail.
Even as humans reached closer and closer to becoming gods, it simply was not possible. They could only reach 99.99% of the speed of light, anymore, and time distortion annihilated them. Muscle density and strength could only reach 1/100 of a neutron star, as any more would render the user immobile.
Maintaining such states required massive, massive amounts of energy, which manipulating the God Particle provided, but was also limited by the time restraint of the "Spirit Zone".
So then came the age of magicians.
Humanity could not become gods, but they so clung to the hope that if a master of the Spirit Zone was able to transcend the time limit, they could become gods.
The population grew and soon colonized the Solar System.
Magicians, those who could access the "Spirit Zone" created artificial planets that could sustain life, and travel structures that reached 99.99% the speed of light.
Across the Solar System, Academies were built, hoping to nurture talents that could harness the God Particle (Magic), and further advance human civilization.
Effectively, Everyone had a chance. They simply needed to be able to harness magic, and they would be set for their entire lives.
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7:38 Am, March 13, 2264
Exnil Had spent the last hour and a half cursing and crying in utter despair.
He could not handle it. For the last… 2… no… 112 years, he had the same everyday routine.
Wake up, take drugs, pass out, order food, and repeat.
The death, or assassination of his family, he didn't know. Ever since their passing, he had divulged into hedonism, and that had lasted him the last century or so. The decades of suppressed memories and emotions mercilessly assaulted him.
No amount of torture was as painful as a century of suppressed emotional anguish.
His face was scrunched in the permanence of anger and despair, tears incessantly flowing from his eyes.
Exnil made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a knife
Thunk
The knife slammed into his rib cage, and his heart was spared.
Squelch
Raising the knife again, he stabbed with all his might, and the knife pierced his heart.
Pain? What pain? All he felt was anger and anguish.
His face was still scrunched with anger, with tears following.
His body slowly gave way.
Thump
His legs gave and he fell to the ground
Exnil could only think of one thing in his final moment.
The infinite rage at himself, for escaping, for doing nothing.
He passed without a shred of peace, eyes wide open.
7:48: Am, March 13, 2264