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Saturday, August 22, 2009      
strip for August / 22 / 2009
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A Note on the Saturday Sci-fi Story

Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 12:08 AM

- Every time we encounter a new species, we'll also have an accompanying entry from the imperial Enciclopedia Xenobiología (see adjacent blog entry). When and if we reach a book-length story in a few years, those entries will be included as well.

- (I'm just noticing, though, that my blogging engine is having trouble with Spanish characters...so hopefully they're showing up all right for you as you read this.)

- Our true "story-story" should begin in about two weeks, after we're done with this prologue.

[ read/post comments | 13 of 13 comments ]

The Continuum of Makers

Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 12:05 AM

Enciclopedia Xenobiología: The Continuum of Makers

Species: The Continuum of Makers

Homeworld: Unknown

Size: Average 2.10 m tall, 135 kg

Color & Markings: Though comments regarding physical differences have been witnessed in the presence of Makers and pre-Makers, the human eye has immense trouble discerning them. There is, however, a noted tendency towards highly individualized dress, presumably as it is "Spirit-like".

Reproduction & Development: The Continuum reproduces asexually, budding over a two-day term within a semi-buried, silica-based cocoon. (See attached holograph.) Offspring emerge with a surprisingly large racial memory that includes basic language, mathematics, and physical abilities. After division, offspring in the Continuum go through two developmental and sociological stages: Adolescent "pre-Maker" stage, and the adult "Maker" stage. It is theorized that new offspring in the Continuum undergo a roughly 300-to-400 year developmental period before their coming-of-age to "Maker" status. Lack of genetic diversity within the Continuum is considered to be the root cause for their complex animistic religion, which expresses individuality, right-of-passage, and socio-religious heirarchy through one's technological inventiveness: Literally, what machinations ("spirits") you have brought into the world. (See Mackey, Robert L. "Makers and their Spirits", Imprimátur del Imperio, 2388.)

Diet: Unknown.

Lifespan: Unknown. Presumably in the 500-to-600 year range, based on autopsies performed at the Centro Imperial de la Xenobiología.

Language: Highly complex. Translation A.I.'s have postulated that up to 30% of text translated from the Continuum may be incorrect or lack key subtleties.

Social Structure: Hierarchy within the Continuum is based solely on the Spirits one has "birthed." Manual labor, grunt warfare, and menial tasks are left to pre-Makers; while administration and command are left to Makers. References to a third, ruling class known as the "Colegium" (presumably, upper-level Makers) have been recorded on two occassions. However, no member of the Colegium has ever been witnessed by a human being.

Intelligence Rating: Untested. Presumed in the Kilo-Lima range for pre-Makers, and possibly as high as the Victor-Whiskey range for Makers.

Interaction with Humans: With two key exceptions, every interaction with the Continuum has been hostile to the point of violence.

Historical note: (Claims to "Spirit-theft") ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ------------- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- --- -- ---- ------ -- ------- --- --------- --- -- ---- (Redacted: Imperial Censor MJK:29 [Clase "La Familia"])

[ read/post comments | 5 of 5 comments ]


Detailed Strip Info


strip info approved by DaveKellett
Panel Dialogue Location Props
1 NARRATOR: He has never piloted before. But then, he's only been alive for fourteen hours. ...and no others are left to return the spirit.
Maker
  • Box
  • Weapon
2 NARRATOR: And while he understands the ship's controls, he makes no attempt to understand how the ship itself works. How it travels beyond light...yet remains matter. May its maker be blessed, it is beyond him.
Maker
Spaceship
  • Controls
3 NARRATOR: He exits the atmosphere and leaps the ship. But like every leap, it's one not only of space but of faith. And his faith was in a poor path home.
Alien planet
  • Trees
  • Spaceship
4 NARRATOR: In the imperfect vacuum between systems, the ship intersects an errant piece of ore, not 50 mm wide.
Maker
Space
  • Ore
  • Spaceship
5 NARRATOR: In infinitessimal instants, objects meet in an extraordinary dissection: the ore, a bulkhead. The ore, a display. The ore, a forehead. And so on toward the ring. It's a testament to the ship's maker that the damage barely ripples out. But like its pilot, this is now a dead ship, and it immediately begins to slow.
Maker
Spaceship
  • Ore
  • Controls

Character Info

Maker
First Appearance
August 22, 2009
Recent Appearances
August 22, 2009
NARRATOR
First Appearance
November 30, 2001
Recent Appearances
June 01, 2006


 





 
 

 

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