Astrian

[ Races ]

A near-human race the Astrians started about 85 standard years ago changing their own anatomy with cybernetics and genetic modification. The technology quickly swept their homeplanet and in less than 5 standard years over 60% of the Astrian people were using cybernetic implants. Genetic modification was researched to make the cybernetic-organic interfaces better and more efficient. In the sixty years that followed almost the entire Astrian race was fitted with cybernetics and due to the genetic modification interfacing went smoothly. But there was a drawback they had not foreseen, the modifications and extremely wide use had made the Astrians incapable of living without cybernetics and the genetic modifications had become irreversible.

Now levels of cybernetics range from minor to extreme. But most are somewhere in between the two sporting everything from sensory implants to artificial limbs and more. A slightly racist joke about the Astrians is: 'How many Astrians does it take to screw in a light bulb?' answer: 'Non, because they just adjust the sensitivity of their ocular implant.' but no one ever says that joke near an Astrian for their high tissue density makes them stronger than most.

Astrians normally communicate via a wireless network and since their voices are rarely used there vocal cords have degraded to a point where Astrians, that want to go off-world, are required to have a vocal implant or they will not be able to communicate with other species. Each Astrian has a brain implant that serves to translate brain signals to electronic signals, as a connection point for the artificial spinalcollumn, help store memories and assist in everyday life.

Average length is between 2,00 and 2,20 meters for males and 1,80 to 2,00 meters for females. Average weight is 150 to 200 kilograms for males and 130 to 160 kilograms for females but can be influenced by implants.

The Travellers are a subgroup of Astrians. Currently there are less than 50 Travellers.

When an Astrian child displays certain behavioural patterns and the correct mindset an offer will be made to him/her on the sixteenth birthday to become a Traveller. If they accept a two year process starts to prepare them for the transition to a Traveller. This time is necessary because there are fundamental differences between the way a Travellers brain interacts with his/her body and a regular Astrian full cyborg. One of those differences is life support system. A regular Astrian usually has a semi-natural method that is very similar to that of other human-like species, a Traveller's brain draws energy directly from a reactor via a specialized system.

There is no size or shape standard for Travellers.

Astrians originally evolved from reptiles. The earliest reptilian Astrians where cold blooded creatures that most likely hibernated during Stellaria's summers. Mammals evolved very late on Stellaria, early Astrian ancestors being some of the first. These where also the first ancestor to show indications of higher intelligence. The next step in their evolution was a split in the species. One part became warm blooded, while the other remained cold blooded. However do to a climate change neither of these two had a good chance of survival and became extinct in a relatively short time. It would have meant the end of the species if it hadn't been for streak of luck. That being that the two species had interbred resulting in a new species. This species was technically a cold blooded race, but they had several very distinct warm blooded traits. Living in caves during the summers, they used very little energy as they weren't able to go outside to gather food. In the colder periods their metabolism barely decreased. A conclusion based on fossils found in the colder pole regions where temperatures drop as low as 15 degrees Celsius. Eventually this race also became extinct after the appearance of a larger and stronger competitor, the direct ancestor of the modern Astrian race.

Recently there has been a debate on whether or not the current cybernetics using Astrians should be classified as a different species.

Astrian physiology is very well adapted to Stellaria's environment. When the ambient temperature drops below 38 degrees their body starts consuming energy to produce heat, as a result Astrians need to consume significantly more nutrients in colder environments. When above 38 degrees their body is practically cold blooded. Most Astrians can handle temperatures up to around 45 degrees before the need to cool down becomes a factor. The 40 degrees, that is kept in the covered denser populated areas on Stellaria, results in Astrians having to take in very little nutrients. Most Astrians on Stellaria eat once a week, while Astrians living on Unity or places with a similar environment eat about once a day.

Astrians sport a wide range of cybernetic implants. While the amounts of cybernetics vary from person to person, generally most have at least artificial lungs, a cardiopump, cortical implant and an artificial spine. There are rare cases where a child does not require a cardiopump and even more rare is needing no artificial lungs. However a cortical implant and an artificial spine are always implanted, due to the fact these are needed to effectively function in society and for additional cybernetics.

Unless no other possibility is available, organs related to energy production are not tampered with. This is because Astrian cybernetics can't provide their brain with the required nutrients and neither can they to regular biological tissue. Generating the electrical energy cybernetics require can be done. For full cyborgs an additional implant is required for this in addition to an internal fat layer to store nutrients. Full cyborgs that need to be able to withstand longer periods without food also have a set of batteries to power their cybernetics allowing them to lengthen the time before they need food. In a warm environment with oxygen in the atmosphere this can be up to three weeks. Full cyborgs have heating and cooling systems to keep their metabolism at an optimal rate no matter the environment resulting in eating habits similar to that of Astrians on Stellaria. Astrians with vacuum rated artificial skin or specialised implants also have this ability.

While originally developed for the survival of their species, Astrians also use cybernetics for convenience purposes. Examples are built in scanning equipment, monitoring devices, safety equipment, tools and more. Usually a persons occupation decides whether someone has such implants.