Human

Human is a bit of an odd term. Hum- comes from the same root as Earth, which essentially means ground or soil. The names of most sapient species across the galaxy have effectively this same meaning - 'people of the ground' or 'people of the soil'.

Such pedantics aside, the linear, verbal term humans express to identify themselves is not repeated in cognates elsewhere, so the word is still enough to uniquely identify them. However, given their extensive delving into artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and cybernetics, there is significant debate on who is human, who became human, who never was, and who has drifted. Not everyone even considers the exiles human, since according to many, they rejected the defining trait that separated them from the remaining life on Earth.

It is important to realize that many of the following are incapable of reproducing with eachother, or previous variants, normally. This isn't about the scientific definition of human, but the cultural one.

A list of alterations that some consider human:

• The root strain, should they still exist, are the exiles who chose to reject the alpha strain, the arcologies, and technology altogether. They were not eliminated in the Purge, so there is a chance they may still exist.
• The alpha strain, the basic version of which is called homo panacea, is no longer present amongst diasporic humanity, though some did choose to exile themselves from civilization after they received the virus, so they may still exist on Earth.
• Homo supernus is the pinnacle version of the alpha strain. The only version of scatterred humanity capable of true reproduction, they make up the overwhelmingly vast majority of the human race.
• The beta strain is the name given to the project that culminated in homo excelsior. This is essentially a body constructed via exomatter, with no concern for most organic needs like reproduction or regeneration like homo superior. Thus, although physically and mentally significantly more capable, it is not considered a truely superior solution.
• Androids and gynoids differ from homo excelsior in origin only - live-born humans who underwent the beta process are called homo excelsior, while AIs who chose to take an artificial human body are called androids or gynoids, depending on gender chosen. Many simply call these excelsiors, dispensing with the difference in origin.
• Biogenerates, or biogens, are artificial sapient entities who chose to assume an organic human form - typically out of a desire to sire or bear children. As with their more mechanical relatives, many simply call them supernii.
• The Gamma Project, largely halted after the Purge, now works dilligently on the development of Astrum Parvulus. Some choose to assume the fragile experimental form, currently dubbed Natas Astrum.
• The infested are the collective term for the wracked, corrupted, and possessed. Very few remain, though, if Earth still harbors the exiles, some wraiths have no doubt continued to seek hosts.
• The term 'degenerate' covers an extremely wide variety of cosmetic and deeper modifications, ranging from altered ears and shaped irises, to full-body conversions to what could not even be described as mammalian. The worst of these are sometimes termed abominations, which used to refer to sapiated animals.
• Chimerae refer to human/animal hybrids and their descendants. Some consider them to be a subgrouping of degenerates. Those that are chimerae by birth are generally more tolerated than those who chose change their forms.
• The cerevates are the 'twin-soulled'. They are the striatvari, angels, and pyrrhans. Triate refers to cerevates amongst humankind specifically, excluding those among the First or Shadow.