The Role of Genetics in Recom Reproduction

The Problem

If we're to preserve the "hard SF" flavor of the muck, are we going to allow a cat recom and a rabbit recom to mate and "accidentally" produce cabbit recoms? Or, are we going to take the more reasonable (and likely) approach that genetic counseling is not only needed, but required, in order to ensure viable fetus(es), prevent spontaneous abortion as mismatched egg and sperm meet up and then do nothing because of something as simple as chromosomes not pairing up, and eliminate the risks of mutations that result in deformities, mental retardation, etc…

The Solutions

Option One (less expensive): If two players of disparate backgrounds want to have children together, they seek out a genetic counselor. They will then discover that, in order to have children, they will have to decide if they want children that express traits from one parent or the other, since (using my example of the cat and rabbit above), each parent has a different number of chromosome pairs, and each pair of chromosomes expresses different traits. They can opt to mix and match embryos, so that they give birth to a litter of baby rabbits and kittens, with mixed genders (and the difference being made up by stock gametes taken from donors), or they can have a bunch of mini-moms or -dads, with each one being a genetic clone of the parent.

Option Two (more expensive): If two players of disparate backgrounds want to have children together, they seek out a genetic counselor. They then have a custom-designed egg, combining genes from both parents on a generic recom DNA 'scaffold', implanted in the womb. Note that this method costs much more, involves specialized gene mapping, and generally only produces a single child, who will, in turn, require genetic counseling if he or she wants to reproduce.

In either case, genetic counseling would ensure that genetic diseases, such as Down's Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sickle-cell Anemia, would not be expressed in the offspring.