Pandronian
| Intelligent Lifeform Index |
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| Pandronian | |
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| Four Letter Code | PAND |
| Federation Status | Friendly |
| Planet of Origin | Pandro |
| Encountered | TAS: Bem |
| T/E Rating | T0/E0 |
| Current Tech Level | M |
| List of Named Pandronians | |
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- "We are one, that is enough."
- a Pandronian proverb.
- "We are one, that is enough."
- The Pandronians are one of the most unusual species in the galaxy as they are in reality a plant colony which requires seven individual organisms to combine together to create a single humanoid individual.
Homeworld
Home System
- Quadrant: Beta
- Location: Ski'Vanks Sector (coordinates B27-0005-1300)
- Proper Name: Pandrios system
- Star: It orbits a class F (Yellow/White) star
- Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 37 million km
- Companions: It is the 3rd of 9 planets in the system
- Moons: it has 4 moons.
Home World
- Proper Name: Pandro
- Diameter: 17,637 km (10,959 miles)
- Gravity: 0.93 standard gravity with a density of 3.7
- Axial Tilt: 6.3%, with minimal seasonal changes
- Orbital Period: 379 days
- Rotational Period: 22.8 hours
- Classification: M
- Surface Water: 54%
- Atmosphere: 1.07% is a standard pressure with 71% nitrogen, 26% oxygen, 3% trace chemicals
- Climate: Mainly a temperate planet with swamps and mountain ranges.
- Population: Just over 1 billion Pandronians but there are almost 8 billion individual colony creatures of which 7 billion are needed to create the 1 billion Pandronians on the planet.
Physiology
Biology
As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. However that is where all similarities end.
Pandronians are in reality not a single individual but a colony that requires seven distinct parts assembled together to create a single humanoid. These seven parts are the head, upper torso, lower torso, arms and legs. They are also considered a plant species, because all their bodily functions are based on photosynthesis.
Colonies
The seven "sections" of the Pandronian body, or "colony", are actually five different subspecies which have evolved to depend on each other in a completely symbiotic nature. They started as separate species with different strengths, but as they developed some small intelligence, they began to work together. Through the millennia, this symbiosis became so intertwined that they cannot exist on their own for long.
Each subspecies has a central core nervous system that allows it to function, though its intelligence is limited to basic survival. Covered in a chlorophyll-filled skin membrane, they get their energy from photosynthesis. Light and water is enough to sustain a single portion of the body for a time, but the full body needs food as well. Each section can also produce a limited amount of self-levitation.
The five subspecies are as follows:
- Thinkers: This is the head portion of the body. The thinkers were originally the most intelligent of the species, with the best senses and reasoning. Usually one exists per colony, its role is to be the center of the hive mind and to collect sensory input through eyes, ears and nose. This section has the only full brain of the subspecies, though it cannot provide enough power to use it unless connected to the rest of the body. Also the location of the vocal cords.
- Graspers: These are the arm and hand portions. These creatures developed great dexterity and strength and so they became the workers of the colony. There are usually two per colony, one of each gender.
- Walkers: As their name suggests, these are the leg and feet portions of the body. Built for speed and endurance, they support the rest of the colony, though they provide little in terms of intelligence. Each colony typically has two walkers, usually one of each gender.
- Thumpers: The chest of the Pandronian colony. This is the powerhouse of the body, and also the reproductive section. Rather than blood, the Pandronian colony uses a type of thin sap to transport glucose and carbon to the different extremities. The thumpers house a large heart to pump the sap through the body. Either Male or Female. One per colony.
- Grumblers: This is the abdominal section, and it holds the colony's digestive system. A large mouth sits where a human naval would be, directly connected to the stomach. Sugar and Water are pulled out of the food and turned into sap, which is pumped through the body by the thumper section. Non-gendered section, and there can only be one per colony.
Reproduction
Pandronian reproduction is very strange to most humanoids. The strange mix of genders can be confusing to outsiders and is a very private thing in their society, so it is rarely discussed. It takes two full Pandronian colonies to create a bask, or group of offspring. A typical bask is 15-20 eggs.
Genders
There are technically six Pandronian genders, though only two are necessary for reproduction. Walkers and graspers hatch as either lefts or rights, and thumpers as either male or female. Thinkers exist on a much more fluid gender plane, one without any chromosome difference, and grumblers have no gender.
The thumpers control the reproductive aspect of the Pandronian biology because they are the only section to have sexual contact with another body. The nature of reproduction is very much the same as any sexual reproduction in the galaxy. After conception, the female delivers the tiny fertilized eggs, which are then incubated and cared for by the community. The eggs can hatch into any of the five subspecies with differing degrees of probability. Graspers and walkers are the most common, each at a 30% chance of hatching. Then thumpers and grumpers each have a 12% chance, and thinkers are the rarest at 6%.
Walkers and graspers have a different sort of gender. They require more compatibility than the other sections of the colony, so they are usually a mated pair. The two walkers and the two graspers are connected to each other directly to ensure faster communication.
Joining
Each of the seven sections of the Pandronian colony can exist for a while as a closed system. After the eggs hatch, the very young organisms are kept in creches where they are tended like plants until they are old enough to be joined.
The joining process is a relatively simple matter. The membrane folds at each joint open to allow the tentacle-like connectors to reach out and intertwine with each other. Each tentacle contains a large sap vein and thousands of nerves, which connect to those in the next organism. The membranes then close around the connected joint to seal it closed. These seven distinct parts of the whole can be disassembled and reassembled with other parts over and over again to create a new colony collective each time. This effectively ends the existence of the previous unique Pandronian.
Psychology
As colony creatures, Pandronians existed as cooperative beings made up of discrete organisms. Consequently, the concept of an individual holds a unique meaning for Pandronians, who referred to the colony as "this one" instead of the more expected "I" used by most humanoid species. The separate organisms that constituted a unique Pandronian may have also, over the course of time, "disassembled" and reassembled with other creatures creating a new colony and effectively creating a new unique Pandronian at the cost of the former.
Due to the unusual nature of their collective mental functions not much is known about any mental health issues that they may suffer from. Conflicts in the cohesion of the colony can affect the stability of the hive mind, and attempts to join different combinations of the organisms has unilaterally resulted in mental instability. The thinker can be replaced just like any other part of the organism, but any mental issues tend to exist in the hive as a whole, rather than in just one section.
Abilities
Levitate
Each individual part of the Pandronian collective can assemble and disassemble at will. When doing so each part can levitate in order to move slowly from one location to another. This seems to be a natural mental ability developed with in the primitive functions of each section through evolution. This ability consumes a massive amount of energy and adrenaline, however, and is rarely used.
Pandronian individuals rarely have the complete cohesion of mind necessary to use this ability while joined. Elder Pandronians have been known to master it, though, and there are legends of ancient gurus who can levitate other objects.
Hive Mind
Each separate part of the Pandorian collective has its own central nervous system with minor, fauna-level functioning. To compare them with Terran animals, the thinker has the intelligence of a rat, the graspers that of a monkey, the walkers that of a horse, the thumpers that of a cow, and the grumpers have about the intelligence of a sheep.
However, when they join together into a single individual, the nervous systems all connect to the large brain housed in the thinker, and they become a unique individual, one with a personality, intelligence and knowledge that is an unusual combination of the entire collective. They do not have telepathic abilities, rather the hive mind is formed through neural connections between each organism.
History and Culture
History
There are few records and much speculation among various experts as to how the Pandronians evolved into such an unusual state that when blended together into a single colony of seven unique beings they would create a single individual. Regardless of what factors influenced this bizarre form of evolution the Pandronians were able to progress and learn new technology and skills that allowed them to flourish and master their world.
While their very gradual, almost glacial slow progression from a primitive, pre-industrial species to that of one that had learned to master space flight is considered to be unusual it was not marred by wars, border disputes or any other form of aggressive, anti-social behavior.
Their location far from any shipping lanes and any strategic locations ensured their relatively unmarred history of unintentional isolationism. Even after they mastered space flight their world remains off the beaten path and receives few visitors.
A freighter belonging to the Pandorians approached and received permission to dock at a Federation controlled commercial space station in 2231. This was the first time contact had been established between them.
The Pandronians enjoyed a friendly relationship with the Federation, and a mission was approved to have an exchange program when the Pandronians expressed a wish to observe the workings of Starfleet in the 2260s. Commander Ari bn Bem was allowed to join the crew of the USS Enterprise as an observer.
During the Dominion War they remained strictly neutral and withdrew all of their space craft to their home world and avoided any outside contact until the war had finally drawn to a close.
Since the end of the war they have re-established contact with the Federation and engaged in limited trade but do not seem to be very motivated to extend their sphere of influence or travel very far from their home world.
Government
They have a single unified government and are ruled by a Premier who can make completely objective decisions with the help of an organism called the Tam Paupa.
Description
They are a truly unique species with what appears to be the ability to independently separate sections of their bodies. In reality they are a colony lifeform with seven different individuals combined together to create what appears to be a single humanoid.
When combined together they appear to be a typical humanoid with variable heights ranging between 5’8” and 6’ typically. They have green skin with tufts of red hair, large eyes, and a slightly down-turned mouth. They call their arms and legs, "graspers and walkers."
Religion
They do not seem to have any form of religion or any concepts that might be considered to be a part of some kind of a belief system.
Mythology
They do not seem to have any legends, myths or other forms of semi-historical data. In fact they seem to be completely uninterested in the past. As a result much of their early history is a complete mystery to even them.
Society
They have a very simplistic society with no wars, crime or other antisocial activities. They work well together, care for one another and for the uncombined parts that have not yet reached maturity or have become injured. However there are no truly long lasting family ties, friendships or associations as every time a collective disassembles and then reassembles it becomes a completely new individual.
Their communities are disorganized with no true pattern, simply put together as needed with what appears to be little effort to make them truly effective. They provide the basic needs but lack any identity of their own being merely someplace to live and work.
Culture
Due to the unusual nature of their colony symbiotic synthesis of seven beings into one they do not have any appreciation of most forms of artistic expression. That being said they have traded for and imported instrumental music that has a calming and tranquil affect. Something about the soft melodious tones seems to be enjoyable to the entire colony.
Customs
For an intelligent, sentient species they are unusual as they have never developed anything even closely like customs. Most experts believe this may be due to the unusual nature of their constantly changing physical forms, the constant disassembling and assembling into new unique individuals having robbed them of the ability to develop customs over time.
Technology
For the most part they are content to advance at their own pace. That being said they do on occasion trade for advanced technologies.
Economy
They have the ability to be completely self-sufficient if need be. During the Dominion War they cut off all outside contact. Since that time they have re-established a number of long term trade deals and take an active if limited part in the economic possibilities available to them.
Military
They have a very small military with less than 50 ships. Most of those are merely patrol class frigates designed to escort freighters and patrol their transport lanes. The few true war ships that they have seldom ever leave their system.
Federation Intelligence Files
The Pandronians enjoyed a friendly relationship with the Federation, and a mission was approved to have an exchange program when the Pandronians expressed a wish to observe the workings of Starfleet in the 2260s. Commander Ari bn Bem was allowed to join the crew of the USS Enterprise as an observer.
Sources
Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the following TV episode, TAS: Bem and the Drawn to the Final Frontier - The Making of Star Trek: The Animated Series", TAS DVD
Also used were the following written articles Star Trek Logs Nine and Ten novelization: Bem and The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration, pp. 51 & 52.
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SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee. |
REV 239204.13 | ||
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