Nullvox (Lit. 'No Voice')
Public sentientologic record
Property of the Royal Atheneum of Hövnís, Eörpe
A bioborg labor species engineered by the lusoyans to survive in low to no gravity, low pressure, and extreme temperature environments. In order to handle unexpected, sometimes very dangerous situations, manage advanced mathematic calculations, and perform complex tasks autonomously they were fitted with higher-than-normal intelligence.
What their inventor hadn’t anticipated was that their creations would eventually develop true sapience, which seems to have happened spontaneously in later iterations of the species.
Their highly effective digestive system makes nullvox able to break down and extract nutrients from sources that’d be non-digestible or even poisonous to other species. They’ve been known to ingest even mildly radioactive substances with minimal effect on their health. As a side-effect their excrements can be highly acidic, toxic, or even combustible – the latter especially in oxygenized environments.
All nullvox come preprogrammed with a preference for sweet flavors which has made it easier to make them favor their primary fuel robksu over other alternatives. It was later decided, as an extra safeguard, to also incorporate an additive purposefully made to be highly addictive for them.
Etymology and Definition
The name ‘nullvox’ is a simplification of the lusoyan ‘naahlvus’, which translates to ‘no voice’. Lacking both a respiratory system and the anatomical features required to form sounds the species are incapable of natural, auditory speech.History
Origin
The nullvox were invented by gengineer Miruasi’nahymir at the Miruasi Biotronic Systems & Development Center on Trirth. Similar to the rejinat they were designed for carrying out labor with complex requirements in dangerous environments. It was estimated that replacing normal workers with biotrons specialized for the environment wouldn’t only increase efficiency and reduce costs, but also reduce the frequency of serious workplace-related accidents.Recent History
A recent rebellion, concluded with one of the bloodiest conflicts in modern Ascendant history, led to the secession of a large portion of the current nullvox workforces. The group that initiated the rebellion, Three Tails, have raised demands for them to be recognized as an independent, sapient species and to no longer be eligible to be owned as property.The Modern Nullvox
Their lingering classification as biotron synthids of at most sentient level has led to a persisting, high degree of speciesism against the nullvox, despite several galactic governments have declared – or are in the process of declaring – them as sapients. The Twin Sun Alliance and Hextlan Accord where the first to do so, and the latter even saw a significant wave of immigration in the wake of the recent rebellion. The Rin Sovereignty, Lukariat and United Worlds have a pending re-classification of the species as sapient neolives which would include them in the Sapient Rights & Equality Act. The Ascendancy still refuses to acknowledge them as sapient lifeforms and it’s yet unknown whether the Three Tails demands will be met or not. Most believe the best the nullvox can hope for is the Ascendancy acceding them same status of sub-citizenry as many other non-lusoyans.Habitat & Population
Geographic Origin
The nullvox were originally created on Trirth and the first factory of mass production was located on the same world. Today, the Miruasi-run factory has been closed and the manufacturing of new nullvox is licensed to two different companies. One is owned by the Qipoku family with factories located on Krasoy, and the second is owned by the Rshanhi family with factories located on Svujn.Galactic Distribution
The nullvox manufacture is restricted by licensing and may only be sold to lusoyan customers within the Ascendancy. Reselling a second-hand nullvox is illegal and owners are instead obligated to return any synthids they no longer have use of to their original seller. Any defective or deceased synthids are similarly to be returned to the original seller. Most nullvox are found primarily in space, as they were developed to function as labor workers in environments with low/no gravity and/or pressure. They were used for locus construction and maintenance, maintaining and/or guarding riftgates, ships and stations, deep space exploration, and deep space search and rescue. Those that managed to break free from ownership during the recent rebellion either gathered under the Three Tails to support the resistance and fight for their rights and for the freedom of the rest of their species, or – if they wanted to avoid further conflict – immigrated to the Twin Suns Alliance.Biology
Morphology
The nullvox are tall and slim hominins developed to stand upright and walk on two legs, with all three variations averaging at 190-230cm in height and 60-95kg in weight. Their bodies given agile impression with wiry musculature and minimal fat deposits, featuring a head, a neck, a torso, two to four arms with a five-digit hand each, two legs with a five-digit foot each, and one to two prehensile tails ending in four digits. Their faces are lightly oval and feature the prominent eyebrow ridges typical to lusoyans but have otherwise been modified to remove the nasal orifices, add quadocular vision, and significantly enlarge the auriculas. The species lack biological sexes and also feature no intentional sexual dimorphism. Many other sapient species, especially the hominin-morphemic ones, have shown tendency to perceive their external appearance as androgynous with mixed masculine/feminine traits. Most nullvox have either expressed confusion or reluctance/declination to these classifiers.Anatomy & Physiology
The nullvox’s hands and feet feature distinctively more lemurin than hominin construction. Each hand was developed to have five digits each, of which two are opposable and symmetrically located at either side of the hand. The feet also feature five digits each, with a pair of halluxes developed to be opposable and are similarly symmetrically located on either side of the foot, slightly farther up compared to the other three digits. The spinal column has one or two caudal vertebrae added past the sacrum in order to support long and prehensile tails. The tails end in a hand-like grip organ with two pairs of opposable digits. The face features two pairs of oval eyes, though only a single pair is used at a time and the other is kept closed. All four eyes feature a horizontally closing nictitating membrane in addition to the normal eyelid, which protects the eye and moistens it. This replaces the need for tear ducts. They also have a pair of very large ears reminiscent in shape and mobility to some chiropteran species, which provide them with sensitive hearing and aid in absorbing electromagnetic light necessary to support their biochemistry and regulating body heat. The mouths are wider than typical for hominin species but has additional supportive musculature to allow it to be shut airtight if necessary. This avoids unnecessary moist sublimation in the mouth cavity and throat. The enlarged mouth was primarily designed to support their circular digestive system: in order to minimize the number of physical openings into their bodies, the nullvoxes utilize their throat and mouth for both ingesting nutrients and expelling waste products.Physiology
Nullvoxes are composed of a mix of artificial organic materials capable of remaining in their natural state even in low pressure or in a vacuum, while still mostly mimicking a bionid biochemistry. When visiting normal to high pressure environments they typically need to wear pressurized suits to not suffer ill effects. Shifts in gravity, even hastily applied ones, affects them less and they appear to be able to comfortably live in areas with up to normal levels of gravity.Skeleton
The nullvox were implemented with a skeleton made from a synthetic material created to resemble the bone composition of the Tjaetsiimaj species native to Biegjun. It’s close to graphene in structure which makes them lightweight but extremely durable, with a higher than normal electric and thermal conductivity.Neurology
The most likely reasoning behind lusoyans using their own species as a template for both the rejinat and nullvox was to have them inherit their neurological make-up, specifically the enlarged neocortex and improved pathways that’s the grounds for their legendary memorization skills. A nullvox can typically be taught everything they need to know within a month of manufacture and is ready to be employed shortly after.Anaerobic Respiration
The need for aerobic respiration was early on replaced with a combination of higher efficiency processing of nutrients and certain biological processes becoming triggered by the presence of electromagnetic light. All resulting waste products from these biological processes are collectively directed to the thick column to be expelled alongside regular excrement.Metabolic Recovery
At the expense of metabolic energy, the nullvox can accelerate their cell and DNA repair, a function that normally only subconsciously activates in order to combat the presence of radioactivity. It can be activated on a conscious basis as well, but due to the high energy consumption of these regenerative abilities a nullvox will use it very sparingly. Usually only if they either have ready access to fuel, or if it’s required for survival and conventional methods of repair are unavailable. Running out of metabolic energy to feed the process can be dangerous as its not automatically stopped and will instead find other sources to burn energy from, resulting in possible biological breakdown.Extreme Temperature Adaptations
To survive freezing temperatures, their circulatory system was modified with an anti-freeze agent that keeps the blood from solidifying below zero degrees. As a side effect, the blood’s coagulative efficiency is very low and unless open wounds are either wrapped or the nullvox initiates accelerated cell repair, they run the risk of bleeding out. They have a slick and rubbery skin with a faint reflective sheen that aids in deflecting excessive heat. The large ears also aid with heat-regulation, with the inside having a webbed mesh of thin and superficial blood vessels. By turning the ears to a heat source, the blood is warmed up and transported to other regions of the body.Vacuum Adaptations
The consistency and texture if their skin also helps to preserve internal pressure and exudes minimal moisture. Increased cell-regeneration speed on the outer skin layer also makes it renew at a quicker rate than sublimation in vacuum affects it.Sensory Capabilities
Eyesight
Nullvox come with two pairs of large, oval eyes of which they typically only keep one set opened at a time in order to avoid sensory overload. The lower pair function nearly identically to that of normal lusoyans, providing a visual range from the near-ultraviolet (~300nm) through the normal visual spectrum and into the near-infrared (~2500nm). This also make them similarly susceptible to being blinded by sudden flashes and strong light sources. The upper pair are specialized for thermal scanning, detecting radioactivity, and utilizes improved tapetum lucidum that allow them to see even with a very minimal light source available.Scent
While lacking nasal orifices, the nullvoxes have a limited olfactory capability using a vomeronasal organ reminiscent of what certain serpentan and lacertilian species have.Dietary Needs & Habits
A lack of dentals limits the nullvox to a diet consisting of either soft foods or foods that they are able to swallow whole. Indigestion is rare but due to risk of choking, most are recommended to only feed them their designated fuel or if that’s not an option, liquids.
Genetics
Life Cycle
They are grown within vats filled with nutrient paste until of adult stature, a process that takes roughly five years. During this time, they are kept in an induced comatose state and it’s standard procedure to dispose of specimens that unexpectedly awaken prior to being completely grown. A non-defective nullvox that’s properly cared for and receives adequate fuel is expected to remain in working order for up to 4 lifespans, which would equal to roughly 240 years, before starting to degrade. Both current manufactures only provide warranty for one lifespan, or 60 years, however.Reproduction
The nullvox are incapable of natural reproduction, and new specimens can only be made through a special manufacturing process currently licensed to two different companies within the Ascendancy, one owned by the Qipoku and the other by the Rshanhi.Biological Variation
The nullvox come in three biological variations, categorized based on their morphology: The baseline nullvox (nullvoxix) feature the basic hominin morphology and are the by far still the most prevalent in manufacture. The tauric nullvox (nullvoxix quaulna) were made with a lengthening of the torso to support an additional pectoral girdle. In order to properly balance the lengthened torso and extra pair of arms, their feet were changed to being digitigrade and their posture was made semi-erect. The tauric nullvox have shown a higher tendency toward utilizing their tail for stabilization and balance while within environments that have a gravity. The caudric nullvox (nullvoxix duocauda) were made with an alteration to the pelvic girdle and vertebra in order to support an additional prehensile tail. In order for the extra appendage to not become more of a hindrance than a boon, both tails were edited to be slimmer but longer overall.
Speed Concept Sketch by Nimin N.
Taxological Data
Sapient
Nullvoxix Duocauda
Biological Data
Walking
Low/No Pressure
Open Space
The Rosepetal Galaxy
Sociological Data
Ikaric
Comments
Author's Notes
This will be expanded in the future, but for now, I just had to stop myself so I can get other prompts done.