Caelan

A posthuman species adapted for life in free-fall habitats

Biology

Resembling humans with slightly shorter legs and feet transformed into hands, caelans feature numerous adaptations for life without gravity. They retain bone and muscle mass, are more resistant to radiation, and genes taken from cephalopods make them better at three-dimensional thinking. In what may be whimsically called a partial reversal of evolution, caelan feet were remade into a second pair of hands. Stronger but not as dextrous as regular hands, they are most often used for clutching handholds, moving heavy objects, or pushing off of walls. Caelans are bald, with virtually no hair as an adaptation to reduce ventilation system contamination.

Psychology

Preferring to live in space in large stations or ships, most caelans only rarely visit planetary bodies or rotating habitats with significant gravity. When they do, they have trouble walking at first and find the two-dimensional surface environment restrictive to sight and motion.

History

Created sometime after the First Terran Collapse, caelans became a common sight aboard ships and free-fall habitats during the Second Interstellar Period. Their role lessened somewhat when the invention of torchships reduced the need for long travel times, though caelan societies still remain major players in many systems throughout Starweb space.

Culture

Keenly aware of the dangers of spaceborne existence, caelan cultures tend to value community, education, and strong rule of law. Their dwellings are laid out without regard for up and down, and when operating ships they prefer to keep acceleration at low levels.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Human

Scientific Name

Homo inanis

Average Height

5-6 feet