Transapient

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Transapients, in the fictional Orion's Arm universe, are post-Singularity sophonts that have totally surpassed the human or equivalent sapient condition. They represent an intermediate ranking between ordinary sophont and archailect.

Their origins are diverse; they include posthumans or other ascended biological beings, ascended cyborgs, ascended vecs (sophont robots), aliens, AIs, or other beings, remotes or agents of archailects, offspring of other transapients, or any combination of any of these or more. They may be human-like, or so alien as to be beyond human understanding. Some interact directly or through proxies in the affairs of ordinary sophonts, others choose to ascend to the rank of, or be incorporated in, higher toposophic beings.

[edit] Influences

The concept of Transapient presented here is directly based on transhumanist ideas regarding posthumans, and what it might mean to be posthuman and ascend past the singularity to the posthuman condition. The term "transapient" was chosen because it is more generic than "posthuman", and more precise than the alternative term of "powers" coined by Vernor Vinge.