Solar Trek: Troublesome Tribbles

In 2262, Federation authorities became aware of a potentially invasive synthetic organism known as the tribble. The origin of tribbles is unknown. They contain no bio-engineering markers that betray their origins. They appeared among the wares of a trader, Cyrano Jones, on Deep Space Station K-7 (located at 10 Hygiea). All known specimens were obtained from Jones's stock or are their descendants.

Jones sold his tribbles as exotic pets, a role they were perhaps designed for, given that their mild vibration, soft purring, and warmth are considered pleasing by many. Despite their superficial mammalian characteristics, tribbles are invertebrates, perhaps derived from echinoderm genetic stock. They are, however, endothermic with a high metabolic rate and frequent parthenogenesis, leading to tribbles consuming large amounts of food. All tribbles are able to adhere to surfaces and tribble newborns small size allow them to spread virtually everywhere not environmental sealed.

The tribble infestation on K-7 consumed food stores and cultures destined for outer colonies in a surprisingly short period of time. Luckily this revealed tampering by Klingon agents that might have lead to deaths and certainly food shortages otherwise. It is ironic that tribbles seem to become agitated with proximity to genetic Klingons.

The Klingons are rumored to have engineered a tribble predator called a glomer, but local authorities are strongly cautioned against viewing a second synthetic organism as an easy solution to any tribble infestation.

Cyrano Jones with a tribble in 2262

Solar Trek: Underside of the Clouds

In the middle of the the 23rd Century, a cluster of aerostat colonies floating over 50 km above Venus were known for their achievements in the arts and sciences. What was not known until the Disrupter revolt of 2263 was that the innovation and productivity of the self-styled creative class depended on  workers who lived in relatively poor conditions in the industrial areas of the cities' underside.

 Analysis by the Medical staff of the Federation vessel, Enterprise, revealed that the chemical exposure among the workers and their families led to impaired cognitive function and, in some cases, propensity for violence. Popular theories among the upper class of the cities, particularly in the unofficial capital of Stratos, attributed these impairments to genetic rather than environmental issues. Citing safety concerns, the undersiders' movements were restricted on visits to the upper level, and they were often under surveillance by security personnel.

Pressure from the Federation after details of Enterprise's report were made public, ultimately led to increased freedom for the people of the under city and environmental clean-up.

Capt. Kirk of Enterprise observed the torture of a captured Disrupter insurgent by Stratos security forces 

Abhumans: Kobold [ICONS]

Art by Agus Calcagno

This is a continuation of this post.

KOBOLD

Abilities:

Prowess: 5

Coordination: 4

Strength: 7

Intellect: 3

Awareness: 4

Willpower: 5

Stamina: 12

Determination: 2

Specialties: Wrestling

Qualities:

The only giant gnome
Steadfast as rock

Powers:  

Blend into Rock (Transformation Rock, Disguise Only) 7
Rocky Integument (Damage Resistance) 7
Rock Phasing (Burrowing, Rock Only) 6


History:
Kobold is unusual among his kind (the Abhuman subrace known as gnomes) for his large size. He is a staunch supporter of the royal family in exile and an opponent of the Abhumans supporting the Frozen Führer.

Tholian Web

This is a follow-up to this post.

The Tholians are a group claiming much of the orbit of Mercury with bases on Mercury itself. The beings have offered no name nor communicated more than their willingness to defend what they view as their territory. Their Federation designation is derived from tholos, the Ancient Greek world for "dome," due to the appearance of their clustered structures observed in the rim-shadow of North Polar craters.

The Tholians came to Federation attention in 2263, due to their construction of solar energy collector arrays in the orbit of Mercury. Defiant was sent to investigate and either by accident or Tholian aggression became tangled in the semi-elastic diamondoid filaments the Tholians use to string the arrays together. Her distress call was answered by Enterprise, who was warned off by the Tholians, then attacked by what appeared to be autonomous vehicles that "spun" the filaments in an attempt to form a web around the vessel. Enterprise was able to escape before the web was completed, and Federation vessels have been advised to avoid the region since.

It is unclear if the Tholians are biological beings or robots of some sort. As individuals they appear crystalline and vaguely mantid in form. They are either able to withstand Mercurian conditions unsupported or these bodies are environmental suits. A paper from the Martian Science Academy has put forward the theory that the Tholians are actually either non-sophont or (more intriguingly) post-sophont. The paper points out that their observed movements on Mercury's surface resemble the probabilistic movement of ants. Their communications with Enterprise are not necessarily indicative of any more intelligence than the expert systems frequently used as digital assistants.

Abhumans [ICONS]

Art by Agus Calcagno

ABHUMANS
First Appearance: FANTASTIC TALES #56

History:
The Abhumans are a hidden human subspecies created around two hundred thousand years ago as a result of exposure to an accidental dumping of Otherworldly toxic waste. An archaic human tribe was genetically altered by the wastes, developing superhuman abilities and extended lifespans.  Certain traits common among them—such as severe allergies to iron and silver and sunlight sensitivity—led them to a more nocturnal and subterranean lifestyle, further separating them from the rest of humanity. Brief encounters with these hidden folk gave rise to legends of fairies, trolls, dwarfs and the like among primitive humans.

By the end of the European Middle Ages, a group of Abhumans decided to withdraw as far as possible from human civilization. They trekked into the Arctic where they discovered an abandoned city that appeared to be made of ice. This was the former domain of another offshoot of humanity, the Hyperboreans, whose civilization had fallen into decadence, then died out. The Abhumans took refuge in the abandoned city and made it their own.

In 1950, the Abhumans discovered young Arno Kaltmann (see Frozen Führer) in the Arctic after his escape from the custody of the United States government. Kaltmann had been genetically modified through use of Hyperborean technology and was adapted to extreme cold. Curious, the Abhumans took him back to their city and nursed him back to health.

When Kaltmann’s link to the Hyperboreans was discovered, a group of disaffected Abhumans (who believed they were heirs to the Hyperboreans and destined to plunge the world into a new Ice Age) came to view him as a messiah-like figure. Aided by power-hungry members of the Abhuman elite, the cultists staged a coup and installed Kaltmann as their ruler, though in fact, he was mostly a figurehead.

The previous monarchs, King Oberon and Queen Titania were forced to flee with their close allies the trickster Hobgoblin, the dwarf engineer Brokk, and the lumbering gnome, Kobold. Later, with the help of the Kingdom of Sub-Atlan the exiles were able to establish an underground community beneath the British Isles with other Abhuman refugees. Though Kaltmann, as the Frozen Führer, has been defeated and imprisoned at various times, his adherents still maintain power over the Hyperborean Abhumans.

KING OBERON

Abilities:

Prowess: 3

Coordination: 4

Strength: 4

Intellect: 6

Awareness: 7

Willpower: 7

Stamina: 11

Determination: 1

Specialties: Leadership, Occult Expert, Magic Expert

Qualities:

Abhuman Leader in Exile

More Scholar than Warrior

Powers:

Magic (Extras: Blast, Force Field, Illusions, Phasing): 7
Telepathy: 6
Nullification (Magic Only): 7

Wednesday Comics: Martian Manhunter #2

The first thing you might notice  about Martian Manhunter #2 (in a 12 issue maxi-series, a name I have not heard in a long time) is the word balloons on the cover. This bit of retro contrasts with the art itself that is slightly cartoon and tinged with some photoshoppy sort of effects. I don't know how this relates to the books contents other than it suggests you ought to expect something different.

The first issue intrigued me with its imagining of Mars as a place familiar enough, but very alien. Though it synthesized elements of J'onn Jonzz Silver Age origin, the 1988 DeMatteis/Badger "most everything you know is a lie" limited series, and the Ostrander/Mandrake ongoing from 1998, it add new stuff to it, and looked it the old continuity from a new angle. It also revealed that J'onn J'onzz on Mars was a dirty cop.

I am happy to report the first issue was not a fluke. The second continues to be just as interesting with its parallel stories on a murder investigation on Earth and J'onzz's life on a doomed Mars. As life continues mostly as normal for the "manhunter" and is family, tension has begun to creep in. The deadly Curse of H'ronmeer is spreading. Rossmo's art really adds to the alien sequences, but is adequate in the more True Detective Earth-bound portion of the story. The coloring style seems to shift a bit between the two sections as well.

It gets bonus points for providing an explanation for J'onzz's bettlebrow: a brief Martian Neanderthal-mania.

Solar Trek: The Orion Syndicate

This is an expansion of this post.

The Orion Syndicate is transnational criminal organization involved cybercrime, money laundering, piracy, drug and weapons trafficking, and the slave trade. It originated in the Orion Colonies of the Belt (a loose association of libertarian ultra-capitalists of unclear origins), but the current center of its operations, to the extent such a diffuse organization has one, is believed to be in the Jovian Trojans.

The Syndicate are perhaps most infamous for their traffic in artificial humanoids. Their "Greens" (named for their green skin-tones) came to the attention of Federation authorities in 2250. Greens are promoted as having heightened sexual appetites and intoxicating pheromones. What is not mentioned by the Syndicate is that the conditions of their accelerated growth and training often lead to violent responses and animalistic behavior.

Despite the remoteness of their base of operation, operatives and associates of the Syndicate are involved in smuggling, hijacking, and hostage taking in the high traffic regions of Earth orbit. Syndicate associated hackers are all concentrated in this region.

While the Orion Colonies are officially neutral, the Syndicate's haven is likely protected by the Klingon Empire who may employ in them cyber-espionage against the Federation.