Gambian
The Gambians are a warp civilization of nomads within the core of the Free Trade Union worlds, bi-pedal and Terran-like in appearance. They are by and large couriers, a race that has dominated the export transportation of goods and services for various FTU ships and worlds when called for, but not limited to them. A typical Gambian will have several established routes of which it travels, and for a fee, transports anything from small personal packages, letters, to small shipments and on rare occasion, will allow themselves to be contracted for major shipments, or act as mediators, although their preference is to act as a messenger service.
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- Proper Name: Gambian
- Pronounciation: (Gam-bee-an)
- Catelog / Common Name: Gambian Couriers
Status
They are members in good standing, if not somewhat respected, with the FTU acting as agents of various types of physical communication between both ships and various races. They have just made contact with Starfleet facilities.
Physical Characteristics
Easily recognizable from their 2.5 to 3 meter height, black-skinned without hair with a lower jaw bone structure to support a lower jaw set of fangs, which tend to protrude up over the upper lip. The nose is less prominent and more in-set. One pair of eyes, usually black, or black with gold ringlets. The body is asexual, having no distinguishable male or female parts to separate males and females, which is why they do not wear, nor do they understand the concept of, wearing cloth over their bodies, which are a lean, muscled and toned leather.
- Senses: Very much identical to a Terran, from touch, taste, scent, sight and sound. They possess no enhanced ability with their senses.
- Resistances: A high-yeild resistance to variable climates, due to the toughness and molecular structure of their skin, which is their outer wear. Not scaly, to the Terran snake-counterpart, but similar in principle as to the prominent corners of their bone structure, which is visible through their hides.
Physiology & Physiological Requirements
- Breathing Conditions: Their preferred atmosphere is a slightly higher nitrogen-enriched biosphere and methane, but a series of gill-like holes on either side of the neck support filtration of the vital gases needed as long as there are quantities of both nitrogen and methane within. If not, they require a breathing apparatus.
- Gravity Conditions: Due to their space-faring culture, they’ve overcome various gravitational conditions, but they wouldn’t be able to stay long on any given planet as its atmosphere would eventually offset their balance. They are a race that works much better in the conditions of space than on the ground.
- Telling the Difference Between a Male and Female Gambian: As the Gambian outward physiology is asexual, there are no physical indicators to the sex of a Gambian. It is tonal, as female Gambians will have a higher pitched voice than a male, and will be more prone to demonstrate a motherly affection toward her clients. Their sexual organs are internal, located at the base of their necks where mating contact is initiated. Two Gambians with the back of their necks locked together is their mating ritual, which cycles every 10 Standard years.
Growth Period
A Gambian endures 10 cycles (or 10 Standard Years) before reaching adulthood, of which is spent with one of its parents on their established routes learning of the Creed and the nature of the Gambian Courier. Youngsters are encouraged, from the onset, to reach out and explore as much as they want in linguistics and exposure to various cultures as education, as those are the clients the Gambian society serves. Once in the 10th Cycle, the Gambian will either procure a ship from an elder who has passed on, or if feeling ambitious, can assemble one. They will also go through their first mating cycle at this point, but are unable to produce offspring
20 Year Cycle
The most important cycle, as it serves to continue the generations of Gambian. This is where the next generation will be created, and will be determined which parent the offspring will go with. For the next 10 cycles, the parent will teach the offspring until the 30 Cycle mark for them to go off and continue the growth.
30 Year Cycle
Not as many mate in the 30 Year Cycle, although it does occur. At this point, the parent generation is well established in their respective courier routes and is generally free to decide avenues to pursue. Most Gambians tend to branch out, as they have lived over half a life, and feel an incessant need to try and reach more cultures, discover more courier routes for the next generations to follow.
40 Year Cycle
What is known as the Transitory Cycle, where advancing toward the end of their term, the Gambian will bring their offspring into their established courier routes as to keep the needs of their clients. For the first five years, it is nothing but reuniting with the offspring and assigning routes.
The remainder of the last five years of the Gambian is freedom, freedom to explore, seek out, learn, meet, greet, and hopefully establish new contacts for the next generation to come, and forward along their discoveries back to their people. Often times a Gambian will take on an Ambassadorial type assignment that allows them to travel… they love traveling… it’s inherent in the race.
50 Year Cycle
Known as the End Year.
Culture
- Social
Gambians are highly sociable, both among themselves as well as the various races which compromise the Free Trade Union. Often times they’re referred to as the ‘talkative’ ones, with a highly refined language and prone to seek out people to converse with, which is what makes them highly valued. Extremely friendly with a preferred view of customer service, if one wills, that serves the basis of their entire culture collectively.
- Government
To date, the Gambian have no planet of which they’ve declared as their home and reside within their spacefaring technology (ships). A Gambian knows, from its tenure in its growth period to its adulthood, the rules and regulations that governs its kind, which is this:
To serve, in the capacity of the messenger, for whomever requires of its services.
In human terms, they would be hospitality managers and representatives. It is with this canon their governmental structure is founded. How it came about has been lost through the several thousand generations, but every Gambian adheres to this creed, and prices accordingly without comparable rate. There is a set table price for what they deliver, with few notable exceptions as will be addressed.
- Ethics
Without doubt, the Gambian is one of the most ethical races due to its capacity of which the culture flourishes, which is the customer they serve in the capacity of transporting. Almost early 20th Century Swiss within its nature, to protect its clients in manner of service. However, those same ethics prohibit the Gambian to engage in messenger services which would harm. They will not engage in the transportation of weapons, or items designed to hurt a potential client, as they view offensive technology and violence detrimental to their creed. This view has, over time, allowed the Gambian to acquire a vast clientele with their pacifist nature, desire to protect their clients’ interests, as well as communicate well with all various cultures. They are excellent communications facilitators, and have, historically, been called on occasion to serve as mediators with trade disputes.
Technology
The current level of Gambian technology is post-warp, not quite at an N level but not far behind, as they live in their starships. Gambians have two distinct types of craft:
- Assemble Craft: the largest of their two craft types, much larger than Federation Starfleet vessels as they serve as homes for the Gambian culture. These warp ships are not easily found, as they tend to move around a lot.
- Courier Craft: These, which are the main body of the ship types most common to see, are single-pilot crafts with the capacity and capability of supporting up to small cargo.
Gambians are much more advanced with defensive technology, specifically shield technology, and have virtually no offensive technology. Communications comes second, but on par with, if not slightly below, Federation standards. Their medical technology is nearly non-existant, as its an area they’ve never had to develop.
Economy
Trade-based, entirely on service and courier assignments where they have established rates for the type of work being contracted. Unlike the Ferengi, however, they do not bargain, or encourage inflation. They are a market-based economy that does not support capitalism, which is the backbone and what allows the culture to thrive.
Military
None
Politics
As stated, the Gambian are primarily Pacifists, which shapes their political views. There is no such thing as a President, or a governmental body. That is not to say a Gambian is apolitical, just extremely polite, or blunt when the situation calls for it. They would classify their Political beliefs as Ambassadorial. They tend to view Ferengi as opposites, and more often than not attempt to teach Ferengi a more principle means to steer them away from monopoly. They do retain one of the seats in the Confederacy of Core Worlds Senate.
History
As an exceptionally long-lived culture, the Gambians have lost a large portion of their history, including where they originated from. Although they are excellent record keepers, they did not pay so much attention to their own cultural identity and rather, focus on the establishment of the Creed, of which the culture bases itself on.
It’s speculated, when they talk about themselves, they may have been at one point a warrior-like race due to their lower-fanged jaw, but as it serves a part of their chewing process, they see no savagery within their nature, causing speculation they most likely evolved out of that state, but didn’t lose the physical characteristic.
The oldest Gambian lives approximately 50 Standard years, which may provide a reason as to why they know so little of their own history and origin. They have existed within the FTU Core Worlds for as long as they can remember, always within the capacity of the service and when gathered, in their Assemble Crafts.
Gambians are more commonly seen within the Core Worlds, but have within the past five years been expanding outward as more cultures are discovered. They are a great people culture, despite their somewhat scary appearance, and are always courteous to those of whom they provide courier services as well as new cultures they discover along the way.
The Gambian prizes their routes, and maintaining the ethics of their Creed. They are one of the primary member races of the FTU, and one of the biggest supporters of free trade among the member societies. But they also value the trust of the members, and will not divulge any client related services out of both respect and business, since it is predominantly a trade-service oriented culture. They welcome all, which has allowed them to garnish a reputation as an incredibly fair, trustworthy culture.
Interstellar Location
Free Trade Union Core Worlds and surrounding Ithassa Region, although they are working on expansion into other regions.
First Contact
The first Gambian made contact with DS17 after delivering a package to the starbase for RAdm. Jessa Anassasi and Lt. Danny Wilde, originally planning its End of Cycle at the FTU Base Inxepid where it met former Starfleet officer and ex-SFI officer Jack Kelray briefly. It joyously took on the delivery for its final opportunity to meet new people before its End of Cycle claimed it in Twilight's Edge.
Another Gambian was present within the system where Asteropolis lies, instrumental mediating a conference between the FTU and LtCmdr David Cody, while commanding the USS Independence-A after the devastation wrecked by the USS Phoenix-C under the command of the Ixvapyan Warlord, Hadrian.