C'thur in the Federation

Overview

Vaurca are still a recent arrival to the Federation, and while they have begun to branch out towards the Inner systems, the truth is there is still a lot of skepticism to trust them as full citizens of the Federation, particularly by the older Skrell generations. This weariness, however, is in contrast with fascination towards the species. Unlike humanity, who sees the species as a nuisance and grotesque, Skrell as a whole see the Vaurca as an ancient civilization worthy of their appraisal.

Unbound can be seen as citizens and, like the Dionae of the Federation, may face hardships but ultimately have available career paths, going as far as to become scientists. As all other Vaurca, this is determined prior to birth by the Breeders. However, unlike the Vaurcae from elsewhere in the Spur, their social credit is often monitored and required to remain up in order to continue with what they are destined to become. This can cause some issues, as the social credit system disfavors non-Skrell, particularly Vaurcae, and the concessions made to accommodate for Dionae have not been sufficient for the new species.

Bound, on the other hand, are seen as a synthetic analogue, causing bound forms to be seen as highly controversial by the Federation and monitored closely. Efforts have been made by the Federation for the Hive as a whole to reduce their Bound workforce, and Xetl in particular, mostly due to the pressure of her mother and sisters, has now begun to produce plenty of Unbound.

Vaurcae and Loyalty

Education of Federation values is a problematic issue. Due to how Vaurcae are raised and schooled in Virtual Reality, Jargon has little to no control when it comes to the actual contents of the teachings and must trust what is reported by the Hive officials. A new system has been introduced in some colonies where periodical evaluations are held, often by surprise to the hive-cell as a whole. While most hive-cells are successful during these inspections, this can be seen as unfair if a single individual of the hive-cell is deemed too problematic, lowering the score of every other member of the cell.

The Bound Vaurcae are not considered citizens and do not count for social credit, however, it is believed that hive-cells may receive a lower score if they have Bound forms within their cell.

Living Conditions

Outside of C’thur dominated population centres, hive-cells might have trouble adapting to the Jargon lifestyle. Unlike in Republic of Biesel or in Tret, the C’thur are not limited to ghettos and while their living conditions are often poorer than many of the Skrell, they are not comparable to the chaotic Flagsdale.

Life in Diulszi, in particular, is often regarded as of the highest quality for Vaurcae across all the Spur, with New Sedantis coming to a close second. Those that have been sent to remote areas for work, however, are not as fortunate. Many hive-cells have been separated due to differing demands of the workforce, especially when it comes to infrastructure or mining. A Vaurca may even lose much of its contact with its Hive if shipped alone to a strange system, with Skrell less eager to interact with the alien. While Virtual Reality and Hivenet are never cut for Unbound, it can still be traumatic for a Vaurca to live on its own, especially if they are unfortunate enough to not have a high-quality voice modulator to allow for proper conversation in Nral’Malic.

C’thur in the Military

Vaurcae, especially those from Vytel’s brood, are no strangers to serving in the Federation military. The former Lukala subdivision of the Federation Navy was dominated by C’thuric Warriors, and current events have led to even more warriors filling the ranks of the Qukala. These Warriors are loyalty chipped, ensuring that orders given by Federation superiors and those given by their queens are considered equal, forcing the Vaurca to go into hibernation in the event of conflicting orders.

Now full members of the Qukala, the veteran C’thur Warriors who formerly served in the Lukala have shown eagerness to prove themselves in their new station, and are adjusting well to the hierarchical change.

Government Interactions

Citizenship

Unlike Zo’rane and K’laxian Vaurcae that have been accepted universally as citizens in exchange for the workforce of the States they are subservient to, C’thuric Vaurcae require to pass an interview in order to acquire Jargon citizenship. This is attained similar to Dionae, with new Vaurcae being given basic residency until they leave Virtual Reality fully and are ready to begin their careers in the real world. Once out of VR, they are given a brief interview where their views on the Federation are evaluated, with those who pass being given citizenship and a social credit rating based on their answers.

The interview process is fairly straightforward, with the questions being specifically designed to invoke a response in the Vaurca, and their reaction being what is analyzed. For example, a Vaurca that responds aggressively to the suggestion that they may need to accept orders from someone who is not from their own Hive would be immediately rejected. The aim is not to have a Vaurca who shows more loyalty to the Federation than their own Hive, but to gauge their responsiveness to working within Federation space. Vaurca who fail this process are returned to VR, and Federation officials provide a list of issues to the Broods teachers that need to be addressed before they are able to re-take the test. If a Vaurca subsequently fails the interview they will no longer be considered candidates and are returned to the Hive. While the Jargon Federation officially condemns culling of Vaurcae, they turn a blind eye when these undesirable Vaurcae are removed from the populations, with their organs and augmentations recycled.

Older Vaurcae that were already alive when arriving at Glorashi required a similar education in Virtual Reality. However, many personal opinions of the Federation may vary within them, since they are not as malleable as new-born Unbound. The process of interviewing every Unbound has been slow due to their sheer numbers, with some still waiting to be able to apply. These Workers or Warriors basically have a citizenship visa, however they are not allowed to leave Federation space. Some older Vaurcae may resent the younger ones as the process is more straight-forward, or may romanticize their pre-Federation lifestyle.

Unbound Vaurcae were able to vote in the 2463 elections to the controversy of some. Regarded as much as a vote as that of a Skrell, they may have played a role in boosting the vote count of Weashbi Jrugl, because the C’thur Hive was supportive of him. The questions of how the Federation should deal with the Vaurca vote, as well how much influence of their Breeders is acceptable in the process is currently a debated topic in Jargon politics.

Due to the uniqueness of Viax, they are not considered citizens, nor do they interact with the social credit system.

Vaurca within the Social Credit System

Since their arrival to the Federation, Vaurca have been subjected to the same Social Credit System as Skrell, rather than be placed in an alternate system with its own processes. This is due to the critique made by officials regarding the way that the Dionae Social Credit System operated before their full integration in 2240; being noted as inefficient and unneeded. The population difference between the C’thur Hive and the initial Diona population was also a factor in skipping the secondary system, foreseeing the large number of Vaurcae having to migrate to the main system later on as a bureaucratic nightmare.

Vaurca as a whole tend to be in the mid-secondary numerical range, and their social credit score is almost entirely based on the hive-cell’s performance. A hive-cell with its members performing well or above average will find all of its members holding a respectable social credit score, while cells with under-performing or problematic members will find its members having significantly lower social credit scores than what would be expected.

This system is unique in that credit score is more dependent on who you associate with as a Vaurca, compared to other species in the Federation. While a Skrell may find their social credit score lowered slightly for associating with particular individuals, a Vaurca may lose a significant amount of their social credit score based on the performance of another member of their hive-cell.

Vaurca crime is often prevented in the Federation with close monitoring of their numbers. Like those Skrell with a low credit, the Vaurcae under 3.0 are in observation. However, unlike the Skrell, Vaurcae rarely have a chance to run away or hide from the Federation enforcement, thus keeping their offense rate low. There are, of course, exceptions to this, especially in poorly connected colonies.

Vaurca Idols and Queens in the Social Credit System

This is not true, however, for the few experimental Vaurca idols, as well as some that may be too far-away from their hive-cell to be evaluated alongside them. Similarly, some Vaurca in the Traverse may find their cell’s performance unreviewed due to distance from Federation Officials.

The highest social credit registered in a Vaurca is 9.2 and belongs to Queen Vytel, with her sister Mouv coming close at a 9.15. Reporting conflicts set High Queen C’thur between 9.12 and 9.14, while Queen Xetl’s social credit is undisclosed. The most successful Vaurca idol, for example, is an Aliose scientist called Ka’Akaix’Nonetz C’thur who is working to use the techniques that promote fertility and egg production with Breeders in Skrell. Nonetz’s score, however, is 8.1 despite its contributions. The other few that have elevated to idol status may be anywhere between 7.2 and 8.1.

Vaurca and Employment

Vaurca are hyper specialised in their role, and are utilised extensively by the Federation in many industries. Viax tend to be used for simple labour such as mining and agriculture, or working in factories, while Akaix may find themselves in almost any industry, with some even found in low-ranking managerial roles in workplaces dominated by the species.

Certain rules have been established regarding Viax; there are limits to how many Bound can be working the same shift together, and their Hivenet connection is jammed so that only local, close orders can be sent. Bound and Unbound are also prohibited from interacting with each other while at work using the Hivenet.

The two most lucrative career paths for a Federation Vaurca are in law enforcement and scientific research. Like elsewhere, Vaurcae are not rewarded the same pay for their work, but there is a considerable ‘loophole’ when it comes to science, as grants do not discriminate between species. However, the more their salary the more they have to pay their brood, and whatever may be won in a grant is usually returned to Queen Mouv.

Broods and Support from the State

The Federation Government provides resources to each brood based on need and their ability to contribute to the State. Assistance can come in the form of monetary aid, housing, or any other request the Queens make.

Broods such as Vytel’s or Mouv’s are overall treated better by the Government thanks to the contributions they are able to make. In Mouv’s case, the creation of the Bulwark caste has ensured that the Federation is more amicable in providing her brood with what it needs. Vytel’s brood, similarly, has always had a unique relationship thanks to her contribution to the military, with most warriors in the Qukala being from her brood in particular.

Conversely, Xetl’s brood has mostly been given the minimum amount of assistance it requires from the State, with her brood being seen as a necessary burden by officials thanks in part to their general disposition towards hedonism.

Skrell Caretakers

In late 2463, Qrra’Myaq-Kaax or “Caretakers” were announced for the C’thur Hive. These five-hundred officers of Skrell origin serve as liaisons between the Vaurca and the Jargon Federation, divided regionally across the Federation territory.

Some have raised concerns about their implementation. The divisions between the Caretakers are geographical and a single officer may supervise hive-cells of different broods. Their welfare checks are also considered too spontaneous, as their general surveillance of the hive-cells and their activities. While this is all said to be in good faith, as to ensure their safety, the measure to prevent crime may be considered too drastic by the public.

Virtual Reality and the Federation

Virtual Reality is often seen as a barrier for the Federation, with their progress to crack it being slow and tedious. The VR logs are often regarded as junk data, but the Sromkala, which has taken over to investigate Virtual Reality affairs, thinks there may be something valuable in those records. Currently, no brood has assisted in the aid as much as they have had with the Hivenet logging.

The biggest relay tower is in Diulszi, which has much more capability than the Flagsdale or New Gibson relays. Unlike the ones placed by the Republic of Biesel, the Diulszi relay tower uses the infrastructure of the Nlom relays to reach everywhere across the Federation. While the Virtual Reality logs themselves might say nothing, the data they leave behind has proven to not be as random as originally thought. In early 2463, the Nlom relay of Qerr’Malic received information that can be interpreted as the limited understanding Skrell have of the C’thur Realm.

While an important topic, the advances of Virtual Reality deciphering are undisclosed with the Queens and Hive representatives, as it may sour their relationships. It is unknown how the C’thur Hive may react if more progress is achieved.

Skrell, as humans, have a limited understanding of Virtual Reality, and are only aware of what either the Hive’s wish to share or have formed an idea of these Realms through Hivenet conversations. Mouv’s Realm is one of the least understood, as her data flow is interpreted quite differently by those that have read the logs. No Vaurca has been able, or even willing, to properly explain what happens there. If discovered, however, the Federation most likely may disapprove of her methods, with the Federations reaction being speculative.

C'thur and Government

The Queens Views on the Federation

All C’thuric Queens generally have a positive attitude toward the Jargon Federation, although how positive differs depending on which Queen is in question.

Mouv and Vytel are, by far, the most in support of the Jargon Federation. Mouv benefits greatly from the technological expertise of the Federation’s Scientists, and works with them to produce new wonders regularly, including the recently created Bulwark caste. Vytel on the other hand admires the Federation’s strict rules and laws, seeing them as a just order of things, highly valued by Vytel herself as well as her brood.

C’thur’s brood has an attitude more bordering on Neutral towards the Federation. They admire all the Federation has done for them since they arrived, as well as their relatively good position in comparison to the other hives, but still feel the pressure from the predicament of their High Queen at all times, with some viewing her as a hostage of Jargon, although they would never publicly claim as such.

Xetl’s brood varies vastly in how they see the Federation. Some have great admiration, while others may be indifferent to it and only see it as a contractor. It mostly depends on which areas they are specializing and how much the Federation loyalty impacted them. While some of her Unbound are too strange and hedonistic to put overtime in a Skrellian project without proper incentive, it is in the Xetl brood where Skrell idol culture has impacted the most, and many may be motivated by their favorite idols alone.

Unbound and the Federation

Unbound Vaurcae typically hold similar views to the Federation as their Brood Queens, with most being pragmatic to the relationship; the Federation provides security and stability for the Hive in exchange for labour and typically stays out of Hive politics and affairs unless it involves the Federation.

Some Unbound, on the other hand, find the relationship to be unacceptable and see the Federation as an oppressive force preventing the C’thur Hive from being able to achieve its potential in the Spur. Unbound that hold this belief tend to be the more under-performing individuals of a hive-cell, and are typically responsible for delinquent behaviour such as what can be seen on Qerr'Malic. Despite the low-level disobedience, however, these Unbound will still follow orders from their Queens and by extension, the Federation.

The Queens Views on Loyalty Implants

The Queens as a whole have an odd fascination with the concept of Loyalty implants. Since Vaurcae have biological loyalty hardcoded into their psyche, the concept of reinforcing that same loyalty with an implant is a keen interest.

However, this interest is much more varied when it comes to the actual usage of the implant. The ethics of which are often debated between scientists of different broods. The general consensus is that they can be a good thing, a tool to disrupt unwanted behaviours without the use of culling. On the other hand, they are regarded as inferior technology, and some have raised concerns of what may happen in the long term when paired with the neural sockets, fearing it might disrupt them as the loyalty implants are not as ‘pure’ as their Vaurcesian augmentations are.

Breeders and their Interactions with the Government

Despite the particular respect a Skrell may have to a Worker or a Warrior, they are not seen as their equals. They are much more accepting of Tas, however, despite their monstrous size, mainly due to their intelligence and longevity. A regular Breeder may live much longer than a Skrell, and some Tas that supervise hive-cells have been doing so even before their Exodus of Sedantis. The Tas of the C’thur Hive coordinate with the Government for any bureaucratic process their hive-cell might require, and they often have good relationships with the Federation.

Because of their nature, there are no attempts for Vaurca of any kind, especially Breeders, to become involved in local politics, and a Vaurca candidate would be unthinkable. Nevertheless, Breeders may often give speeches in universities or to address politicians, especially to raise concerns the common Vaurca may have.

Ta Consulars

Ta who find themselves representing the C’thur Hive abroad have been tasked with assisting Jargon Federation Citizens as well, albeit in a small capacity. Although unable to authorise paperwork specific to the Federation, they have been given the authority to act as a liaison for Federation affairs. Faxing and receiving paperwork necessary for applications, providing consultations, and assisting Jargon citizens abroad are all common duties given to Ta Consulars.