Spacer

This emergent race is used to refer to those humans who have been born and spend their entire lives in space. The term carries a strong contraction of 0g environments and statelessness, and so the settlers of an Asteroid belt O'Neill cylinder will typically just refer to themselves as from that colony. On Earth, spacer is used as a semi-dergatory term to refer to anyone not born on Earth, but this term is used neutrally thoughout the rest of the solar system to refer to the people that live solely in open space, aboard spaceships or in small colonies. On Mars, it is sometimes used by more extreme factions to deliberately exclude those not living on the surface of Mars, but that is a minority view.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

A spacer will typically speak two or three languages fluently, typically those commonly found at their trading points. However, inside every ship and 0g station will be an independent and sometimes remarkably different fusion of languages spoken internally. In addition, spacers will learn whatever the dominant language of the people they are trading with, and incorporate that into their shiptongue.

Shared customary codes and values

A spacer is typically both incredibly conservative, as well as very generous and sharing. The culture that evolved aboard ships was mostly based around a strong favor economy within, but a distrust and distance from those without. This causes spacer culture to be entirely based around small groups that travel together, often with a standard distrust for even other spacers, but especially of gpeople, what they call people that live in gravity wells.

Common Etiquette rules

Spacers feel very strongly about ensuring the life support access for all, and will provide it freely even to their worst enemy. However, they take very unkindly to people entering their ship without invitation, and are well known for leaving their doors closed while in port.

Common Dress code

Spacers typically wear clothes with lots and lots of pockets, as well as numerous Velcro strips. However, beyond that, dress codes vary wildly. A pretty common one is just a jumpsuit, which provide protection from spills and drops in 0g, a messy affair. However, some wear things from nothing at all bar a bandoleer, while others dress heavily and warmly, even with a full MCP suit at all times.

Art & Architecture

Spacers tend to decorate their places aboard a ship heavily, making it truly their own. They are entirely divorced from floors and ceilings, and their art tend to follow that, with no top or bottom. What few spacer stations there are, are typically a absolute 3D maze of tunnels and small rooms, incomprehensible by outsiders. In addition, their spaces tend to be quite freely accessible once inside, but with few doors and heavy walls to the outside.
All spacers areas are typically filled with wires and meshes, typically no more than 2 m apart, to allow for easy movement. However, spacers pride themselves on their ability to jump to a target, and so between corridors are wide pathways for rapid transit.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Spacers will always double and triple check a door before going through, and are absolutely terrified of wind. They never wear headphones or other ear blocking instruments, and will always keep one appendage on a wall at all times. A spacer marriage is performed privately, with only the crew of their ship, by the matriarch of the ship

Birth & Baptismal Rites

A spacer child is typically born on a station or even on a planet. Humans perform best if they spend their first few months under gravity. However, as soon as it is safe, they will be taken out of the gravity well, and typically will not return for years, if ever. The moment a baby leaves the gravity well is typically defined as birth for a child, as it is when they become a spacer.

Coming of Age Rites

Once a spacer reaches around 12-13, they will apprentice with one of the crew of the ship they live on. However, upon reaching 20, they will leave that ship, and join a new one, and are thereafter seen as an adult.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Spacers are buried in space, inside small asteroids owned by a crew. However, the remains may have to be carried by the ship for some time before that. The body is left whole, not recycled like on some stations, to signify that the person gave much to the community, and so they are giving them a gift of the resources.

Common Taboos

Spacers typically do not like those that turn their backs on the spacer lifestyle. However, the biggest taboos in spacer culture, which will often get one excommunicated from their vessel are wasting resources or harming a member of the crew. This includes not trying to save someone, or just not checking before doing something. Judgement is done by the community, and if found guilty, the defendant will be dropped of at the next station, never to come back.
In addition, running a ship like a military ship is often seen as a taboo, and can get a ship excluded from many convoys or other gathering. Spacers tend to act democratically, at least within a crew, and dislike being controlled.

Historical figures

Gagarin and Collins from the early days of spaceflight.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The typical spacer is far taller and lankier than a typical human, stretching out to up to 3 m for men with the same average mass. However, they typically have excellent hand eye coordination, as well as semi-prehensile feet. They have underdeveloped leg muscles, and tend to shave their hair to avoid pinching and it getting in the way. They will typically keep it at less than 3 cm for their entire lives.
Spacers are incredibly genetically diverse, with representation genetically form most major groups, but they tend to be very pale due to a lack of natural sun.

Gender Ideals

Spacers are extremely androgynous, with both sexes being skinny and tall.
The ideals of male spacer are mostly based strength and endurance, with being able to stand under 1 g being a major accomplishment.
The ideals of a female spacer are more about dexterity and what is known as space sense, essentially common sense extended to space.

Courtship Ideals

A spacer courtship is typically a long, drawn out affair. Because of the frequent time-lag and long trips taken by many spacers, a couple could be "dating" for a fair few years before becoming serious. In these time periods, they typically have more than one partner, but will settle down to one after a selection process. At this point, the couple will typically work on missions together, even alone.

Relationship Ideals

Spacer couples are quite bipolar, often spending months together at a time, followed by months apart. As such, those that dont work out typically fail quickly, and those that last are incredibly strong. A spacer couple will typically join a small group of other couples and travel the planets in a small convoy, trading and exploring on the way.
One or two divorces are seen as healthy for a spacer, but common wisdom is that the longer it takes to divorce, the weaker the person.
Marriages in spacer culture is a temporary arrangement however, lasting around 25 earth years. While many will renew their marriages, this is seen as a convenient time to get out without appearing weak.

Related Locations

• Solar System