Species - Humanity

Introduction

Being human is given, but keeping our humanity is a choice. -Unattributed

Humanity: truly one of the most diverse forms of intelligent life in the Galaxy. Despite their comparatively young age on the Galactic scale, humans may have undergone more change than any other contemporary species. From attaining sapience, to their explosive arrival on the Galactic stage, humans have expanded rapidly and with great momentum. They have only recently begun to find common ethical ground with the majority of their kin.

Biology

Physicality:

"A Human is a member of the species Homo Sapiens, which in their ancient tongue of Latin means 'Wise Man'. Humans are a member of the mammalian order of primates, and a type of hominid related to other Earth Primates like Chimpanzees, Gorillas, and Orangutans. They are social creatures and usually live in communities they call 'cities'. They help and protect each other and care for their children until normally a quarter of the average lifespan has passed. They are incredibly diverse and adaptable, able to live through some of the harshest conditions exposed to them. In many of these harsh environments, the Humans can even thrive. They have a very complex brain which is much larger then their closest ape relatives. They utilize a diverse array of languages, form complex and abstract ideas, naturally develop and invent, and exhibit an incredible spectrum of emotions." -Quar 'Keeluk's Lecture: 'On Human Biology and Culture', first presented shortly after Human First Contact with the Vikaran Federation.

The human body has four limbs (two arms and two legs), a head, and a neck that connect to a central structure (the torso). The body's shape is determined by a strong skeleton made of bone and cartilage, surrounded by fat, muscle, connective tissue, organs, and other tertiary structures. The spine which runs posterior to the thoracic and abdominal cavities contains the flexible vertebral column, which serves as the primary support structure and which also surrounds the spinal cord - a collection of nerve fibers connecting the brain to the rest of the body. All major bones, muscles, and nerves in the body are named, with the exception of anatomical variations such as sesamoid bones and accessory muscles.

Arteries and capillaries carry blood throughout the circulatory system. Utilizing the beating of the heart - the human's primary circulatory organ - to transport blood cells to every other portion of the Human body. Venules and veins collect depleted blood from tissues throughout the body. These collect in progressively larger veins until they reach the body's two largest veins, the superior and inferior vena cava, which deliver the depleted blood into the right side of the heart. From here, the blood is pumped into the lungs where it receives oxygen and drains back into the left side of the heart. From here, it is pumped into the body's largest artery, the aorta, and then progressively smaller arteries and arterioles until it reaches tissue. Here, blood passes from small arteries into capillaries, then small veins and the process begins again. Blood carries oxygen, waste products, and hormones and more from one place in the body to another. Blood is filtered of waste by the kidneys and liver.

The body consists of a number of body cavities - separated areas that house different organ systems. The brain and central nervous system reside in an area protected from the rest of the body by the blood-brain barrier. The lungs sit in the pleural cavity. The intestines, liver, and spleen, meanwhile, are located in the abdominal cavity.

Height, weight, shape, and other body proportions vary individually, and also largely depend on age and sex. Human body shape is influenced primarily by intrinsic hormonal development undergone during the species' youth, the resulting distribution of muscle and fat tissue, and personal habits and lifestyle choices.

Mentality:

We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools... -Martin Luther King Jr, American Minister during the Civil Rights movement in the former United States of America.

The Human individual is complex, and may exhibit vast differences in ideology from their close relatives, let alone their peers. However, in recent years most of humanity have rallied behind Egalitarianism and championed the pursuit for true equality for all. The modern human tends to have a deeply rooted belief in equality of opportunity and individual liberty. For most of their modern history, Humanity has worked to stamp out oppression, authoritarianism, and corruption in their society, with a fair degree of success. A strong affinity for Democracy and 'fairness', coupled with their adaptive genius and insatiable curiosity, seems to drive them far beyond what one would think is possible. Humans make incredible mediators and skilled diplomats, but they are also cunning warriors and brilliant scientists. On approach, Humanity often attempts to achieve neutrality as a bare minimum, often with the goal of eventual friendship. Naturally, Humanity avoids exhibiting hostility without cause, and will attempt to deescalate a situation. This initially lead the Galactic community to assume Humans could be easily taken advantage of. These notions were quickly corrected, as Humanity's peaceful nature stems from their natural pragmatism and a powerful drive for self-preservation.

Genemodding:

Humans have this upsetting notion of doing things just because they can, and not because they should. Manipulating their genetic code...nothing good can come from that. But, humans never live long enough to contemplate those consequences, do they? - Recorded statement from Xerr'qura, Chief Medical Officer aboard the NDV Marksman, 2564.

The practice of 'genemodding' has been a custom of humanity, ever since the technology was commercialized late into the 23rd century. Whether used as a form of cultural expression, a necessary adaptation to one's environment, or purely for combat enhancement, humans are one of a relative handful of species who've mastered the technology, and lack much of any reservations regarding it's use. Over the centuries, it has spawned a number of unique variants: still genetically human, but modified to varying degrees from the base-line. Some notable usages of genemodding technology include:

Vat-Born: A deliberate degeneration, vat-born (or 'clones', a moniker gifted to them by the media) are simply humans made faster, cheaper, and with many genetic shortcuts. Vat-born are typically fitted with cybernetic augmentations to alleviate genetic burdens: underdeveloped brains are finished with cybernetic grafts, weak bones are strengthened with steel rods and plating, and ocular and olfactory senses can be restored with specialized implants. The legality of vat-born humans is questionable across the galaxy: the Orion Confederation outright banned the development of vat-born humans in 2284, yet the technology continued on, existing in corporate blacksites and rogue medical complexes. Nevertheless, vat-born are granted official citizenship in the Orion Confederation, and automatically assigned to an assisted living program known as 'Golmi Assisted Living and Genetic Therapy'

Vanities: A catch-all term for various genetically modified sub-groups, with the only defining feature being that their enhancements are purely cosmetic. This doesn't include those who decide to change their hair or eye coloration: this is for the people who see their bodies as entirely malleable, and worthy of expressing themselves to the fullest. The most common modifications are full covers, with extensive surgery and genetic therapy needed to assume a desired form. These individuals may look like elves, or felines, or insects, or things even stranger, but the differences are only skin (or scale) deep: beneath the alterations, they're still human. Thematic groups of Vanities have been known to proliferate throughout Orion Confederation space.

History

Origin System:

The Solar system can support a trillion humans, and then we would have a thousand Mozarts, and a thousand Einsteins -Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon inc.

The Sol system is the origin system of Humanity. It is composed of one G-Type Main Sequence Star that is known informally as the "Sun", and formally as "Sol". The Sol System is about 4.6 billion years old and was formed naturally by gravity in a large molecular cloud. Most of this matter gathered in the center, and the rest flattened into an orbiting disk that became the Sol System. As is common for these systems, the Sun accounts for 99.9% of the Sol System's total mass. The other celestial objects in the Sol system orbit Sol in an organized and predictable fashion.

There are eight planets in the Sol System. From closest to farthest from Sun, they are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The first four are terrestrial planets, with Earth being the homeworld of the Human Race. These planets are mostly made of rock and metal, and are mostly solid. The last four planets are Gas Giants, and as the name suggests, are composed mostly of gas.

The Sol System contains other notable celestial features. An asteroid belt divides the space between Mars and Jupiter. Further out, beyond Neptune, lie the Kuiper belt and the scattered disc. These zones contain dwarf planets, including Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, Ceres, and Eris. There are further thousands of small objects to be found in these areas. There are also comets, Centaurs, and standard interplanetary dust. Six of the planets and three of the dwarf planets are orbited by moons. Furthermore, planetary dust orbits the gas giants, leading in some cases to pronounced planetary rings.

More information about the Sol system can be found here.

Homeworld:

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children -Anceint Native American proverb

The Human homeworld, informally known as "Earth" and formally as "Terra", is the third planet from System's star - the Sun. Earth rests in the middle of the Sol System's "Habitable Zone". It is an Ecumenopolis, or "City-World", with roughly two-thirds of the planets land surface area now covered in a sprawling mega-city. The last third, however, is dotted with natural areas devoid of permanent human habitation, which serve as preservation sites for the planet's diverse natural biospheres. Water covers nearly 79% of the planet's surface. Following pronounced ecological upheaval in its past, mega-structural dams and canals were built to divert the water flow of the once-rising oceans from flooding most of the Human coastal societies.

History:

History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there. -George Santayana

It is hard to determine exactly when Human history begins, and the topic is still hotly debated by interested parties to this day. Most humans trace their lineage back into 'Prehistory', beginning with the Palaeolithic Era ("Old Stone Age"), followed by the Neolithic Era ("New Stone Age"). The Neolithic saw the Agricultural Revolution begin between 10,000 and 5000 BCE, in the Near East's Fertile Crescent. During this period, humans began the systematic husbandry of plants and animals. As agriculture advanced, most humans transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes into a settled, agrarian lifestyle in permanent settlements. The relative security and increased productivity provided by farming allowed communities to expand into increasingly larger units, fostered by advances in transportation and husbandry.

Whether in prehistoric or historic times, people always needed to be near reliable sources of potable water. Settlements developed as early as 4,000 BCE in Iran, in Mesopotamia, in the Indus River valley, on the banks of Egypt's Nile River, and along China's rivers. As farming developed, grain agriculture became more sophisticated and prompted a division of labor to store food between growing seasons. Labour divisions led to the rise of an enriched upper class and the development of cities, which provided the foundation for civilization. The growing complexity of human societies necessitated systems of accounting and writing.

With civilizations flourishing, ancient history ("Antiquity," including the Classical Age, up to about 500 CE) saw the rise and fall of empires. Post-classical history (the "Middle Ages," c. 500–1500 CE,) witnessed the rise of Christianity and, concurrently, the Islamic Golden Age (c. 750 CE – c. 1258 CE). These ancient religions, so prevalent in human culture, cling to life even to this day - but only barely. The Timurid and Italian Renaissance (from around 1300 CE) saw a bloom in artistic and mechanical innovation. The mid-15th-century introduction of movable-type printing in Europe revolutionized communication and facilitated ever wider dissemination of information, hastening the end of the Middle Ages and ushering in the Scientific Revolution. The Early Modern Period, sometimes referred to as the "European Age and Age of the Islamic Gunpowders", from about 1500 to 1800, included the Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Exploration. By the 18th century, the accumulation of knowledge and technology had reached a critical mass that brought about the Industrial Revolution and began the Late Modern Period, which started around 1800 and has continued through the early 21st century.

The latter half of the 21st century saw many large cultural shifts, such as the period of great secularization, in which most of the human population abandoned religion in favor of empiricism and logical thought. However, the centuries of technological improvement and the expansion paved the way for the greatest crisis mankind would face; climate change. Drastic changes in the climate and rising water levels were lead to a shrinking landmass inversely related to the exponential growth of the Human population. As resources dwindled and conditions worsened, Humanity turned their eyes up. Mass migrations and haphazard colonizations became common toward the end of the century. Millions of humans abandoned the Earth for, first, its moon Luna, and then distant Mars.

In 2083, less than a decade after the Timingala disaster, the Earth's remaining Nations engaged in the planet's third global-scale conflict, known colloquially as "World War 3". Sparked by the increasingly untenable shortage of vital resources, this war engulfed the planet. Ending just after the turn of the century in 2105, this great catastrophe saw the destruction of many powerful and influential Nations, such as The Peoples Republic of China, The Russian Federation and The United State of America.

In the War's devastating wake, however, came the birth of great Nation-States that exist upon Earth to this very day. Among the surviving Nation-States are the Republic of Cascadia, The Greater Canadian Federation, and The United States of Central America. Nuclear devastation seen during the latter days of the conflict led to the ruin of many of the already dwindling habitable zones on Earth. Large portions of the Earth's surface, including large swathes of "The American South", "European Russia" and "Manchuria", were rendered nearly uninhabitable until the late 2200s. During the conflict, the newly founded colonies on Luna and Mars could no longer rely on their Earth-borne patrons for much support. Already nearly self-sufficient, the colonies declared independence with virtually no resistance, as the Nations of Earth were too embroiled in their final battle to handle these fresh revolutions.

The 22nd Century was centered largely around reshaping human culture and history, and symbolically rebuilding and assisting in the Earth's recovery. During the time of human civilization's greatest crisis, strong bonds of unity and egalitarianism, alongside a deep respect for nature and the preservation of natural environments, formed that largely persist to this day.

The 22nd Century saw massive explosions in population across all human-inhabited areas, and a resulting golden age of human colonization efforts across the Orion spur. During this time, known as the "Early Interstellar" period, the first slower-than-light colony ships were constructed and sent on their long journeys towards nearby stars utilizing only just newly developed cryogenic storage technologies. Amusingly, this technique was abandoned almost immediately, as one of the initial interstellar arkships was detected by the Vikaran Federation. Tracing the colony ship back to its origin point, the Skrell established First Contact with Humanity, and quickly established a friendly relationship. This vital relationship advanced Human spacefaring technology by generations, removing the need to cryogenically store settlers in transit. The original Early colony ships were allowed to remain on their planned courses, and the colonies spawned by these first efforts can still be found to this day in areas such as Alpha Centauri and Epsilon Eridani.

Intent on establishing a formal government, Humanity's colonies across the stars held a conclave to discuss how best the race as a whole should be represented amongst the stars. From this first conclave came The Orion Confederation. Functioning as a Government body possessing nominal power over both colonies and planets, The Orion Confederation's power in the early days of expansion ensured the presentation of a unified human front.

23rd Century WIP

24th Century WIP

25th Century WIP

Current Racial Status/Government:

In the 26th Century, Humanity thrives from its unification under the Orion Confederation and few enemies on the galactic stage. Widespread, relatively peaceful, and technologically advanced, Humans have quickly become a galactic power. Most humans enjoy comfortable, profitable, and/or fulfilling lives in a thriving and competitive galactic economy. The Confederation has become a focal point in galactic trade and diplomacy, and humanity enjoys what is arguably the most prosperous times in its history.

Culture

The Human Diaspora

The Human Diaspora, often simply referred to as "The Diaspora", is an archaic term referring to the period in time during the lead-up and outbreak of the Last War where human cultures departed from Earth as largely insulated cultural blocks. Colonization missions funded by several of the major world powers at the time departed from the planet on the very cusp of global annihilation. These missions would establish colonies and communities on Luna and Mars which retained pre-War cultural identities as they spread out to the rest of the Sol System. Countries such as the United States of America, Russia, India, Australia, etc. no longer exist as formal cultural bodies on Earth, in much the same way that ancient Rome or Egypt have been relegated to history. Many remnants of these cultures now exist among the stars as the inheritors of the Diaspora.

Language:

Humans speak a wide array of minor dialects and languages, but two are most prevalent throughout modern human culture: Sol-Common, which is almost entirely spoken by residents of the Sol System. Sol Common is also used throughout The Orion Confederation, largely in a diplomatic context. It is a merge of the old Earth languages Latin, British English, French, and German. Galactic Common, the more prevalent of the two, is the lingua franca of the Confederation. Galactic Common is a bastardization of American-English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani, with loanwords and influences that have been assimilated from other languages - even Alien languages - over time. In some highly isolated communities, archaic human languages such as Chinese, Russian, and German are spoken still.

Religion:

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. -Friedrich Nietzsche, Philisopher

The concept of religion as a whole is largely lost to present-day humans. However, some sects of humans still practice various religions, the most prevalent of which are Christianity - and its two main denominations, The Roman-Catholic Church and The Fifth Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ (Better known as Mormons), Islam and its only surviving denomination - Sunni, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Combined religious worshippers represent around 7% of the Sol population with 80% declared Non-Religious and 13% classifying themselves as "Undecided".

Relationships With Other Species:

Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate." -John F Kennedy, Former President of The United State of America.

Humanity has excellent diplomatic relations with most of the galaxy, barring a few outlying exceptions. They are most commonly known as the "Mediators of the Galactic Stage", and often times large diplomatic meetings between other galactic parties are hosted by The Orion Confederation. They are however known to provoke conflict on occasion, preaching democracy, liberty, freedom, and equality across the galaxy - even in areas where the message is unwelcome. The War of Abolition was instigated by humans against the Unathi in an attempt to force the Empire of Moghes to Abandon Slavery. Another Famous example of human interventionism would be Operation Peacemaker, where The Orion Confederation and The Vikaran Federation worked hand in hand to put an end to the Tajaran Civil war, even going as far as occupying Adhomai with peacekeeping forces and creating a Demilitarized Zone. More in-depth human/xeno relations are laid out below.

The Vikaran Federation (Skrell, Teshari, Akula, Vulpkanin): Humanity's first and longest standing friend on the Galactic stage, the Vikaran Federation remains a close ally of Humanity, with free trade and cultural exchange between Humanity and the Vikaran member races flourishing to this day.

The Diona: Humans are entirely neutral in regards to the Diona, seemingly indifferent with them until recently. The Diona weren't understood to be sapient life by Humans until the Skrell convinced them otherwise.

The Alarune: Humans are suspicious of the Alarune, simply because they have only just met and need to work out exactly how to interact, but initial results have been regarded as promising by both parties.

The Vox: First contact between the Vox and Humanity was an attempted Vox raid of a frontier world, which ended poorly for the raiders, who thought the other planets in the area wouldn't come to their aid. Since then, Humans and Vox share a puzzling and shaky trade relationship that is, ostensibly, mutually beneficial.

The Shade-Kin: As Humanity's Second Contact in the galaxy, the Shade-Kin are loved by humans. The two races get along famously, sharing a love of democracy and equality. Although they are friendly with each other, the Shade-Kin's nature has left Humanity with an incomplete understanding of the race's culture and biology.

The Unathi: Humans openly despise traditional Unathi, as their culture supports subjugation, sexism, and slavery. As most humans regard this as "A disgusting and archaic practice that simply cannot be allowed to continue", Humans have a current and long-standing embargo the Unathi - barring any and all Unathi goods from entering Confederation space. Smugglers are punished as if their actions are equivalent to participating in galactic slavery. The Empire of Moghes dislikes humanity for harboring political dissidents of the empire, pro-democracy activists, and equality activists. Regardless, the Confederation provides asylum to any and all who seek refuge from the Empire.

Tajara: Liked by humanity, a longtime affiliation with Terran felines and humans dating back tens of thousands of years fostered quick and warm relations between Tajara and Humans.

Auril and Dremachir: Because of their appearance, humans are instinctively suspicious of both Daedalites. Although it is accepted that their resemblance to creatures in Earth mythology is nothing but a coincidence, relationships between the species is strained, and layered with superstition. Galactic records confirm that neither have ever interacted with humans prior to their arrival on the Galactic stage, and the resemblance is entirely coincidental. To those unaffected by the superstition, this is an amusing, but statistically inevitable reality.

Species Relationship Quick Reference Chart

Species	Standing
Akula	Friendly
Auril	Suspicious
Alarune	Neutral
Diona	Neutral
Dremachir	Suspicious
Phoronids	Neutral
Shade-Kin	Friendly
Skrell	Friendly
Tajaran	Positive
Teshari	Friendly
Unathi	Hostile
Vox	Suspicious

OOC Notes

Etiquette Guide for Human Players:

Generally playing as a human supremacist will not go off well in the community and could lead you into trouble later down the line. We recommend highly against this as it also runs counter to our primary human lore.

Important Racial Terminology:

• Solarian: A Term used to describe someone from the Sol System.
• Terran: A Term used to describe someone from Earth.
• Duster: A Term used to describe someone from Mars.
• Spacer: A Term used to describe someone who doesn't have a home "World". This also applies to those born on Unity depending on who is asked.
• Fed: A Term used to describe someone who is a part of the government of the Orion Confederation.
• Lunarian: A Term used to describe someone who is from Luna, Earth's moon.

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Author: Harlichan (KodiakJackson)
Revision: APMK

Galactic Species
Common Species	Humans, Synthetics, Skrell, Tajara, Teshari, Unathi
Uncommon Species	Akula, Alraune, Auril, Dremachir, Naramadi, Zaddat, Dnin-Nepids
Whitelisted Species	Adherent, Dionea, Phoronids, Proteans, Shadekin, Vox, Xenochimera, Xenohybrids
Misc Species & Data	Minor Races, Scori, Changelings