User:Kermit/DeepSpace
Life in the Spur
Ever since the Spur’s sophont species turned their eyes to the cosmos, the same questions came to mind – ‘are we alone?’, ‘is there anyone out there?’. The galaxy – let alone the universe – is far too large for it to be statistically impossible for solely humans, or solely skrell, or solely tajara to exist. And, so it would be, as each spacefaring species began its voyage across the stars, alien life would be identified: microbes lifting in the nooks, crannies and waters of otherwise uninhabited world; simple voidborne creatures, so sparse in the immense void they went unseen before; later, first-contact with other sapient species.
Classifying Life
It would be in 2387, a short while after the Solarian Alliance and Nralakk Federation’s first contacts, that the two states’ scientific communities would agree upon and impose the approach of taxonomy which the Spur now uses today: a quadrinomial naming scheme that includes the planet of origin, and cladistic taxonomy:
- Cladistics classifies species into groups – ‘clades’ – based on their last common ancestor, using phylogenetics to identify ancestry through empirical means, as opposed to Linnaean classification that often forgoes ancestry (eg. Reptilia, that excludes birds despite evolving from archosaurs). This is important, as it necessitated the next part of the quadrinomial naming scheme.
- The quadrinomial naming scheme now, in addition to including the species name, also includes the locational origin (typically, the planet for terrestrial life; ) of the lifeform – eg. Earth homo sapiens – as each instance of life around the Spur would have evolved from separate first common ancestors.
- The final addition to the quadrinomial naming scheme was introduced by the Nralakk Federation, and includes the chemical or physical basis of a lifeform’s source of life, such as whether it is carbon-based or silicon-based in the case of biochemical life, or plasma-based in the case of physics-based life – eg. carbon Earth homo sapiens. Typically, this part is forgone, as few instances of non-carbon-based life have been identified – Adhomian plasmageists being one of the few such instances, being plasma-based.
Unfortunately, due to the sparsity of interstellar life, particularly voidbound life, investigating and classifying life where the origin planet is unknown is incredibly difficult. As a result, most voidbound life sit on very small phylogenetic trees, with clades often only having one or two species.
Spacecarp and other Kenosoids
The Kenosoid clade is a large group of spacebound lifeforms, including spacecarp and reavers, that are believed to have originated from outside of the Orion Spur, all sharing common characteristics, biochemistry, and genes that lead scientists to believe they have evolved from the same common ancestor. The Kenosoid clade is superficially defined by their purple colourations, but also their biochemical processes and their micro-scale, nuclear thrust mechanism which permits them traversal through the void.
The Kenosoid clade can be broken down into other clades, and include some of the Spur’s favourite creatures:
- Kenoichthus, a family of Kenosoids primarily identifiable by their more fish-like appearances:
- Spacecarp, or carbon unknown Kenoichthus platos are the most widespread form of alien life in the Spur, and includes spacesharks and spacewhales which are colloquial misnomers for larger sized spacecarp. As spacecarp grow, the strength of their nuclear propulsion grows, and so it is typical for smaller spacecarp to remain in one location in groups, while the larger ‘spacewhales’ migrate alone to begin schools in other systems. Being such an uncontrolled population of hostile lifeforms, these spacewhales therefore have large bounties on their heads in an attempt to control the spread of spacecarp. Spacecarp are also unique in that they biosynthesise a complex, organoboron compound known as ‘ithitoxin’, a deadly neurotoxin utilised to paralyse prey, but also has interesting applications in the synthesis of the advanced pharmaceutical rezadone.
- Bloaters, initially believed to be a separate species that evolved from spacecarp, are spacecarp whose internal micro-fission reactions are highly unstable, often resulting in their spontaneous detonation. This condition has been found to be caused by boron deficiencies during early life, and is often present in spacecarp raised in mineral-deficient environments.
- Spectral eels, or carbon unknown Kenomakros apex are the largest creatures of the Kenosoid clade and the most deserving of a miner’s fear, their faint bioluminescent eyes being the only warning of an imminent charge towards prey.
- Reavers, or carbon unknown Kenomelos onex, dwarf even spectral eels in ferocity, sporting several taloned appendages made out of a metallocarborane capable of piercing weaker metals.
- Gnats, or carbon unknown Kenoeuthraestos mikros, dwarf other Kenosoids, with spine-like appendages used to pierce potential predators that would attempt to hunt it, as well as being used to spear its own prey. Gnats operate in hordes and, unlike other Kenosoids, have been observed to primarily source their nutrition from other Kenosoids, as opposed to consuming rich minerals.
Defining Features
All kenosoids have hard shells and bones that are rich in boronic compounds. This boron serves to moderate uranium, micro-fission reactions occurring within their bodies that generate the heat within them to sustain biochemical processes, as well as fuel their means of nuclear thrust that slowly propel them through space. Consequently, kenosoids are unable to live within atmospheric or heated environments, as they would internally cook themselves without the ability to disperse heat into the void, and must source boron and uranium-rich minerals to sustain these internal reactions with a lithovorous and cannibalistic diet.
They are often encountered both in deep space and the edges of star systems, shying away from large gravity wells, atmospheric conditions, and hot environments, and are attracted to the inverse. Due to their lithovorous nature, they are primarily encountered on mineral-rich asteroids, where they often source their nutrition – be it mineral, other kenosoids, or trespassing miners – and nest, however they often fall into gravitational wells, such as those generated by passing ships.
Ancestry
Due to the extra-Spur origin of kenosoids, xenoarchaeologists and void xenobiologists have had a tricky time locating and identifying the remains of historic kenosoids that would have evolved into the variety the Spur knows today. However, the age of skeletal remains grows heading from the Lemurian Sea and into the Spur, leading xenoarchaeologists and xenobiologists to believe Kenosoids originated from the heading of the Perseus Arm, with ancestral species expected to be found in unexplored spaces in that direction. It is theorised that Kenosoid life originated from a life-harbouring planet that, perhaps due to solar winds, eventually lost its atmosphere, with Kenosoids evolved from a lifeform that survived and developed voidfaring capabilities.
Spaceworms and other Vermisoids
The Vemisoid clade is a small group of lithovorous space fauna, superficially worm-like, with few known ancestors to trace the lineage of, though with biochemistry and genetic elements that leave them wholly distinct from Kenosoids. Of particular note are the combination solar and magnetic sails which Vermisoids deploy to traverse space when not nesting within a mineral-rich celestial object. Vermisoids are otherwise incredibly rare, with only a small number believed to have migrated into the Orion Spur from outside, and with the few that are hidden deep within asteroids or exoplanets. Younger, smaller worms are sometimes seen soaring through space with their solar-magnetic sails expanded when attempting to find a mate or new asteroid to nest in, which is often described as a beautiful sight for those who get close, owing to the metallic sheen of their sails.
The two known species of Vermisoid are:
- Great worms, carbon unknown Vermisoid vermis, the typical space worm infrequently encountered by those exploring asteroids in which a space worm has taken lodging.
- Phoron worms, carbon unknown Vermis phoronid, have recently surged to the forefront of the Spur’s scientific community, believed to be a successor of Vermisoid vermis. Phoron worms are one of the few creatures in the Spur known to incorporate phoron into their diet, allowing them to reap great rewards. Not only do phoron worms grow to significantly greater sizes in their adulthood, to the point of being able to nestle within entire exoplanets as opposed to asteroids, phoron worms have evolved their solar sails into what have been named ‘bluespace sails’, which permit younger phoron worms to outstretch and shape their phoron-laden sails to create a tunnel in bluespace that they can cross large distances with. As a result, they have been the source of great interest in bluespace research, but - since the beginning of the phoron scarcity - have become regarded as pests for frequently preying upon phoron shipments which they are known to attack – particularly black trident worms, a subspecies of phoron worms known for their hyper-aggressiveness in their pursuit for phoron.
Greimorians
Greimorians sit on their ownsome,
Categorising Deep Space Threats
The Interstellar Biohazard Level Index (IBLI) is a measure of the danger posed by biological entities, both in scale and severity. It was initially developed by Professor Charles Holt, a Lunarian xenobiologist, in 2410. By 2420, It was adopted by most corporations, as well as the main powers of the Spur, and is now considered the norm when measuring the severity of biohazards across the Orion Spur.
The IBLI is a logarithmic scale. Thus, each level is not twice, but ten times larger than the previous ones. These levels are found by calculating the base size and energy of a biohazard once it is found, the rate at which it expands, and its immediate danger (as in how harmful/deadly it is to the people around it.) To this is subtracted the limits of its environment (a room, a ship, a planet, and so on), how hard it is for the hazard to pass through these limits if it even can, as well as how resilient to the hazard the potential victims can prove (for instance, slimes prove more dangerous to a human population than a Skrell one.)
Contrary to non-biohazardous threats, like a solar flare or an asteroid, biohazards have the ability to develop and grow if left unattended, and the threat they pose is often based on projections, were these not to be dealt with quickly enough. This is where the true danger lies, thus a low-scale biohazard can still prove just as dangerous as a higher-level one if not dealt with for too long. While some seemingly powerful threats can be initially impressive, they may be hampered by a lack of potential in their ability to expand, and vice-versa. For instance, a Lii’dra invasion force is counted as Level 9 Biohazard (Stellar-Level Threat) and not a Level 10 (Interstellar-Level Threat), for while it is initially powerful, this invasion force lacks the ability to expand in scale and energy, and replace eventual losses fast enough to reach this scale. The ten levels are as follows:
| Magnitude | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | Lifeless Environment. This not only denotes the absence of life but also the absence of any kind of environment compatible with most forms of life, reducing the chances of a Biohazard even appearing on its own to near-0. | - Vacuum |
| 1 | Life-Compatible Environment. This denotes the absence of life, but not the inability of the local environment to bear it. It is counted as a Biohazard level, as low and inconsequential as it may be, for its ability to bear life has a small chance of bearing biohazardous forms of life | - Life-compatible atmosphere |
| 2 | Ambient-Life. This does not denote the presence of an actual Biohazard, though the presence of life makes it much more likely for a Biohazard to appear than on level 1, where life has yet to develop. | Life-bearing worlds |
| 3-4 | Common Biohazards. These Biohazards are common (and in truth, normal) in any life-bearing world. Some can prove much more dangerous than others, hence why this category encompasses two levels. These may also prove much more dangerous in different environments, for instance, a common benign disease in one population has the potential to be quite deadly in a totally alien one. Level 3 is often found on worlds where the local climate makes it generally harder for life to develop, examples being Adhomai or Modern Moroz. Level 4 is instead found on worlds brimming with life, such as Earth, or Pre-Contact War Moghes. | - Common diseases
- Toxins from biological sources |
| 5 | Threats. From this level, the IBLI becomes truly relevant. These Biohazards are not overwhelmingly dangerous in their own right, but if left unchecked for too long, can cause disastrous damage to populations and materials alike. From this level on, Biohazards can no longer be ignored. | - “Wallrot” fungi
- Virulent/lethal diseases - Some recorded anomalies |
| 6 | Major Threats. Level 6 Biohazards are recorded regularly across the entire spur but are generally not a source of worries for people on a local, planetary scale, and who live far from the possible source of some of these Biohazards (A xenobiological laboratory for instance.) | - Uncontained slimes (among a non-Skrellian population)
- Highly-virulent/lethal epidemic diseases |
| 7 | Critical Threats. Level 7 Biohazards, just like level 6 Biohazards, can be common depending on the location. Biohazard-rich areas thus often require professionals like trained engineers, scientists and the like to deal with these as swiftly as possible, for Critical Threats can not only prove incredibly deadly if left unattended, but exponentially harder to deal with as well if allowed to grow for too long. | - Blobs
- Shipbound vine sprouts |
| 8 | Planetary Threats. Level 8 Biohazards, also called “Bio-extinction events” in some circles, are apocalyptic events that can destroy all or almost all forms of life in an inhabited world. | - Chemical weapons of mass Destructions
- Black k’ois |
| 9 | Stellar Threats. Level 9 Biohazards are extremely rare but have been recorded on multiple occasions. These can compromise an entire solar system if not dealt with immediately, and if left unchecked for too long, have the potential to expand to other stars as well. No non-sentient Biohazard has ever been recorded on this level and the level of intelligence of these entities plays a large role in the immediate danger they pose. | - Lii’dra invasion force
- (Hostile) Cetus diona form |
| 10 | Interstellar Threats. No level 10 Biohazard has ever been recorded, the scale still exists purely for theory’s sake. A level 10 Biohazard would have the power to destroy or take over entire worlds, and its ability to expand would make it night unstoppable considering modern technological levels. The only way to stop a level 10 Biohazard would be immediate response and the use of overwhelming means. What makes them most dangerous, however, is that due to their sheer scale, it’s quite possible that level 10 Biohazards would achieve some kind of singularity, depending on their level of intelligence. | - Titan diona form (theorized) |
There is also theorising of an 11th biohazard level in some circles. A Level 11 Biohazard would be a Galactic Threat, able to encompass an entire galaxy the size of the Milky Way if not dealt with immediately. The entire Spur would not be able to deal with a level 11 Biohazard if it were to appear, but thankfully most scientists assume that it never will. Indeed, not only would a level 11 biohazard require impossible amounts of initial mass and energy, but the expansion rate to fit within this category would be literally physics-breaking. Not only that, but a biohazard of this scale, one that can cover up and outgrow an entire galaxy, should be visible all the way from the Milky Way. Yet, none have ever witnessed anything of this sort in known history.
The IBLI has been adopted by all companies within the SCC and is used as a scale for its alerts. Its workers are expected to have at least a rough idea of the level of threat each level describes; especially those that are most often in contact with biohazards such as scientists and medical workers.