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Fran

Homokalaran frani

Hybrid clade between sapient chimps and space adapted humans

Fran
Image from Bernd Helfert

Introduction

The Fran are descended from a community of Chimp Provolves (Pan sapiens), rianths and space adapted humans who migrated away from Sol during the Age of Establishment. Upon arriving at YTS 5072-0540192, a resource poor system in the inner Vulpecula quadrant of what is now MPA space, about 715 LY from Sol, they developed a hybrid clade template and existed in orbital habitats (attempts to terraform the small local Mars-type world being unsuccessful at first). Later the space people migrated still further out, and the rianths developed their own culture.

The Neochimps that hybridised their clade template with some rianths and spacers became the Fran, and they have the largest presence in the system, mainly in a number of orbital habitats and converted hollowed-out asteroids, and on the planet, which at length became marginally habitable, and is known as Fran Prime. The largest habitat is Wondaran, with a diameter of twenty-five kilometers.

Physiology

The Fran themselves are predominantly neochimp-rianth in form, although some sub-clades show a pronounced micrograv tweak (H. sapiens cosmoi) tendencies, depending on local genetic make up and environmental habitat conditions. The rate of evolution on some habitats is quite rapid, due to genetic drift of the isolated populations

The Fran are omnivores, though much of their diet is vegetarian based. The Mars- to Earth-standard gravity Homokalaran frani stands approximately two metres high (taller and thinner in the case of the lower gravity populations), with a slight to medium build and an overall golden tan skin. The microgravity-adapted Homokalaran spatialis is much smaller. The average female or male Fran lives for about 200 years.

Psychology

Over the history of the original Fran culture (the only notable home of the clade) adjustments to the template's baseline neuropsychology have been dominated by the traumatic experiences they suffered during the foreign War occupation by a number of armies, fleets, and colonial powers.

During and in the period leading up to the Second Empires war they were enslaved by the Geminga Orthodoxy, who annexed the system as a Conver Ambi colony and destroyed their culture with religious zeal. Next came the Solar Dominion, the local governor of which seemed to insist they convert to Borde Worship. When the system was ceded to Cygexpa following a treaty exchange, the Cygexpans forced their corporate franchises on them in the hope of opening up new markets. The destruction of the local stargates during the Version War, in a pitched battle between Cygexpa and NoCoZo forces, also caused massive destruction of a number of Fran habitats. Later in the war an MPA biont expeditionary force, cut off from their command and behind enemy lines, treated them particularly badly. Although no further atrocities have been committed since the end of the Version War, these unfortunate historical experiences have become deeply ingrained in the Fran culture. Due to this through a series of measures a significantly higher than average us/them threat response has been engineered into the clade. Culturally this manifests as anxiety and hostility regardining wider the Galactic Culture, next to which they are technologically inferior (they have some biotech, minimal nanotech but no transapienttech other than what they can purchase from other empires). The response has been political isolationism and maintenance of an unusually large military swarm.

Perhaps the most confusing to the outsider is the way in which the Fran themselves have approached the subject and foreign aggression. The standard clade template has no suitable modifications for serious combat and yet a firm tradition of institutionalised military service has arisen. Only 5% of the total population choose not to serve with a full third of the Fran noted to be "on active duty" at any one time. It is theorised that the Fran are aware that this action is far more symbolic than it is practical (against even handicapped warbots they would have no chance) yet it serves to further strengthen the social bonds amongst the Fran to the exclusion of others. An unwillingness to demonstrate these protective values results in a loss of social status and respect. Bonds formed during service seem to form a basis for later social relationships. These long term relationships often last centuries. Overall, the Fran have a strong sense of individual identity and group loyalty and they are prepared to defend these things to the death. They are hostile to outsiders but not imminently violent.

Political Relations

The Fran system is not within the main part of the Utopia Sphere, as they are located in MPA space. Nevertheless the only two powers they retain remotely positive links to are the Utopia and Caretaker God worlds. Independent travellers are advised to show caution in Fran territory and ensure proper behavioural protocols are installed to avoid appearing hostile.

 
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Development Notes
Text by Grant Thomas and M. Alan Kazlev
Graphics by Bernd Helfert
Initially published on 09 March 2001.

 
 
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