Gene Stabilization

Gene Stabilization is a technology that was developed during the Jred Scourge that prevents the genetic abnormalities caused by exposure to Jred spores. During early period of contact with the Jred, a Jred Spore Infection would not only cause a severe, often life threatening infection, it would also cause mutation of the gametes found in sex cells to create Jred Hybrids. The infection could be found in almost any organism that produced sexually, many that produced asexually. This mutation was particularly severe as these hybrids would be linked to the nearest Jred worldmind, and could very well be hostile to non-Jred lifeforms. Additionally, they could breed with the Jred and over multiple generations would eventually produce fully Jred organisms. Overtime, the Jredification of a planet's life forms could cause massive disruptions to its biosphere to the point of eventually replacing it entirely with a Jred optimized ecosystem that would ultimately be lethal to all other forms of life.   As this became an increasingly common phenomenon, efforts to understand this process bore fruit. Thus was developed the Gene Stabilization technology. Gene Stabilization, a procedure available at any hospital of a sufficient technology level (TL-15 or better), and similarly equipped veterinary or agrichemical plants cannot cure a spore infection. However, they do stabilize the sex gametes of a treated organism. This means that offspring of the creature do not exhibit most features of Jredification. This includes offspring being cut off from the Jred collective consciousness, being reproductively incompatible with pure-blooded Jred life forms, and preventing most behavioral alterations. However, other traits, such as increased likelihood of red pigmentation and heightened psionic potential cannot be prevented. Indeed, most Psions are descended from humans which received gene stabilization treatments after being exposed to Jred spores.