Selkie

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Selkie
Four Letter Code	SELK
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Pacifica
Encountered	USS Lovell
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Selkies
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"May this world welcome, nurture, sheltered and revitalize you as it once did us."

a Selkie greeting.

The Selkies are a species of amphibious humanoids that were evidently transplanted to their current world under unusual circumstances. As they get older they slowly lose the ability to leave the water without the aid of specialised breathing gear.

They are also sometimes called Pacificans.

Home System

• Quadrant: Alpha
• Location: Gamma Abrin Sector (coordinates A25-0001-1296)
• Proper Name: Pacifica system
• Star: It orbits a class G (Yellow) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 42 million km
• Companions: It is the 4th of 12 planets in the system
• Moons: it has 3 moons

Home World

• Proper Name: Pacifica
• Diameter: 23,709 km (14,732 miles)
• Gravity: 1.05 standard gravity with a density of 3.1
• Axial Tilt: 12.1%, with normal seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 381 days
• Rotational Period: 24.8 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 84%
• Atmosphere: 0.96% is a standard pressure with 73% nitrogen, 26% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
• Climate: Mainly a semi-tropical water planet with a few large islands.
• Terrain: It has rain forests, forests, jungles scattered over rough hilly islands.
• Population: Just over 15 million

History

The history of the Selkies is a bit muddled but according to their early records the planet Pacifica was not their native home world. They are descended from slaves that had been kidnapped from their home world by Orion slavers and somehow managed to escape from them sometime in the early 22nd century and escape to the uninhabited water planet now called Pacifica.

What has made it hard for Federation experts to confirm is that the Orions deny having had anything to do with such an occurrence and the Selkies not having any information available to identify or help locate the system from which they were taken.

It is believed that this may be due to the fact that the original captive Selkies probably did not have the technological abilities or knowledge available to them prior to their capture that would allowed them to know where their home system was.

If this is true then it would also explain why so much of their early technology was completely useless underwater and what little remains as historical artifacts would seem to be of alien origin to the planet Pacifica. On top of that some of it does have technological markers that would seem to indicate that it was of Orion manufacture.

Added to this is the total and complete lack of any archeological evidence of any intelligent lifeforms living or developing on the planet of Pacifica. This more than anything else seems to be the main point on which most experts agree that their claims are most likely valid.

Most experts also agree that if as it would seem their claim is true then they must have been able to control the flight of the space ship they used to land on the planet. This would indicate that even if the escaped Selkies were not capable of designing such advanced technology they were able to understand it and use it.

This further supports the claims of most experts that they would then have been able to reverse engineer enough of the surviving technology to give them a sudden and enormous technological advantage.

What still puzzles most of the experts is how many Selkies were among the original escaped captives and what size of ship brought them to the planet of Pacifica. Federation Intelligence may have the answer to this question in some old records that show that the Orions designed and constructed nine massive vessels. What makes these ships so unusual was that they were basically one massive cargo chamber with a tiny control room and 4 engines attached around the outside of it.

To date no records have been discovered to explain why these ships were built or what happened to them. However if these were the vessels used to transport the captive Selkies from their original home world then the mystery of how the Selkies managed to use them to escape still remains.

In 2257 the planet was examined by a survey team from the Federation research vessel the Odyssey. They determined that the few islands would make an excellent location for the founding of a colony.

In 2262 the Federation settled a colony of 5,000 individuals on one of the islands and in 2266, the USS Lovell was assigned to Pacifica to help set up its civil infrastructure. At this time the capitol of the colony was the city of Jannita.

In the early 24th century Pacifica was the subject of an oceanographic study headed by Doctor Gillian Taylor. The project was based on a drift-station on the ocean surface dubbed Madrigal. Among the projects members was a humpback whale named Harpo.

Circa 2310, Pacifica was selected as a test bed for a modified Genesis Device created by Dr. Carol Marcus. These tests were halted when the existence of the intelligent sentient species now known as the Selkies was discovered living hidden in the depths of the planets oceans.

In 2365, the USS Enterprise-D ferried two Antedean dignitaries to Pacifica when the planet was hosting a conference to discuss the admission of the Antedeans into the Federation.

In 2376, a Council of Governors meeting was held on Pacifica; Nanietta Bacco had been in attendance, and met with Admiral William Ross, who was the guest speaker.

In 2378 they became full members of the Federation.

Pacifica hosted the Federation Trade Council's annual meeting in 2377, 2378, or 2379.

During her eventually successful campaign for the office of Federation President, Bacco made her last campaign stop on Pacifica.

During the Borg Invasion of 2381, numerous evacuation ships from around the Federation fled for Pacifica. Several thousand evacuees who had lost their homes were forced to take refuge on Pacifica, many of them on the island of iy'Dewra'ni.

Government

Located in their capitol, the vast underwater city of hi'Leyi'a is the site of their unified central government. In fact the city seems to have grown up around the central plaza which surrounds the government buildings.

Description

Selkies are an amphibious species that eventually become completely aquatic. They are completely hairless with webbed fingers and toes. Their skin is a mottled mix of greens and blues. The pattern is completely different between each and every single individual and can be used to identify each one something like a fingerprint on a human. They have a mane or series of fin like membranes that start at the top of their heads and run in a thin line down to the base of their back. They have thin slits for nostrils and ears and their black eyes are twice the size of most humanoids and allow them to see even in deep water where light may be almost totally absent.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. They are typical humanoids with most of the physical, mental and biological medical problems that seem to plague most humanoids.

Selkies spend the early part of their lives (thirty-five years on average) as amphibians, able to breath air through a lung, or in water through a pair of gill crests on top of their heads. At some point in childhood, young Selkies begin to develop spiny fins. This is also their fertile period, when they bear and raise children.

At the end of this amphibious stage, the lung atrophies and becomes a simple air sac, incapable of sustaining the body's needed oxygen levels. At this time, the Selkie becomes fully aquatic, living underwater and able only to visit the surface for brief periods without the aid of a hydration suit or other breathing apparatus. At this same time, the individual Selkie will lose much of its body fat, and the female's four breasts will become flattened, proving greater ease in swimming.

Selkies are polygamous, taking numerous sexual partners to conceive children with. The mother raises all her children, while the male will remain part of the family unit for only a limited period before moving on. In their fertile years, Selkie are expected only to mate for reproductive purposes, and recreational sex is frowned upon. Because of this cultural taboo, some amphibious Selkie seek out sexual partners in the off-world enclaves of Pacifica, with partners who are unaware of these social strictures.

Psychology

As a species they seem to be fairly well adjusted mentally with fewer recorded instances of mental health problems than one would expect. However they do maintain one very large facility just outside of the city of hi'Leyi'a that is dedicated to the care and treatment of anyone suffering from any kind of mental health issue.

Religion

Currently the vast majority of Selkies do not seem to believe or follow any form of religious beliefs. However since they joined the Federation this seems to be slowly changing as more and more of them slowly return to the old beliefs that they brought with them from their original home world.

Mythology

They have an unusual collection of tales and myths, the most popular of which revolve around their capture and eventual escape from the Orions. They also include stories about their trip to and arrival on Pacifica.

Society

They have a very peaceful society with relatively no crime and no real social issues. As a people they tend to work well together and they look after their own. The vast underwater city of hi'Leyi'a is a modern marvel, a mix of advanced technology, stunning structures and modern conveniences.

Culture

Since becoming members of the Federation they have developed an interest in many different types of artistic expression that they had never dreamed of before. The best of this is used to enhance their tourist facilities and make them more appealing to visitors.

As for their artistic expression in their underwater cities, it continues to be mostly in the form of sculptures which can be found just about everywhere. One of the most impressive is that to be found in the center of the city hi'Leyi'a which is considered to be not only the one of the largest on the planet but one of the best as well.

Customs

The Selkies have a number of unique customs, most of which seem to revolve around their unusual amphibian nature.

Technology

While they are considered to be fairly advanced the fact that all of their own cities are underwater has seriously impacted on their technological ability to compete in certain technologies. However since becoming a member of the Federation they have sought out opportunities to collaborate in many different disciplines, which has resulted in a major boost to all of their research and development projects.

Economy

Since becoming a member of the Federation, their homeworld of Pacifica has become a popular vacation spot and is considered by many to on a par with Risa for tropical beauty. This influx of visitors sparked numerous changes in their economy and workforce, and an significant segment of their society is now devoted to service and tourist industries.

Their expertise with underwater construction and service industries has been applied on other worlds, including Deluvia IV where they have worked with the Federation to create a rest and rehabilitation destination, welcoming both tourists seeking to holiday and individuals requiring short and long term recovery from trauma.

Military

Prior to their joining the Federation they never had any military. Instead they relied on their ability to survive deep under the water as a means of keeping their existence a secret. It worked as the Federation established a colony on one of their islands and it was 48 years before their presence was revealed.

Since becoming members of the Federation some Selkie have taken the opportunity to serve in Starfleet.

Federation Intelligence Files

Miana Lavena

Miana Lavena was a Selkie and the sister of Aili Lavena. When Aili was still young, Miana was out swimming with her mother and father when she was taken by a predator in the Pacifican sea. Aili blamed her mother for Miana's death.

Yyeta'a

Yyeta'a was a female Selkie from the planet Pacifica. In 2381, in the wake of the Borg Invasion and the refugee crisis at iy'Dewra'ni, Yyeta'a was called up as a member of the Pacifica Security reserves to work as a crew supervisor during the construction of a safety barrier around the iy'Dewra'ni camp. Prior to this assignment, she had never met an off-worlder before. As of 2381, Yteta'a had mothered sixteen children.

Osseo Bemidji

Osseo Bemidji was a male Selkie politician, born on Pacifica circa the 2270s. By 2381, he had become Pacifica's Secretary of Interplanetary Affairs, and as such, confronted Doctor Beverly Crusher and her team from the Federation Displaced Persons Agency over the problems with the refugee camp at iy'Dewra'ni, housing survivors of the Borg Invasion earlier that year. As part of his role, he also assumed responsibility for relieving Pacifica Security Commandant Thwa Minha from duty following an altercation with the refugees at the camp.

Uthdel Evelth

Uthdel Evelth was a male Selkie who, as of 2381, served as the personal assistant to Osseo Bemidji, Pacifica's Secretary of Interplanetary Affairs. Evelth met Beverly Crusher, Miranda Kadohata and Paul Dillingham when they visited hi'Leyi'a in that year, prior to their investigation of the iy'Dewra'ni refugee camp.

Thwa Minha

Thwa Minha was a male Selkie security officer born in the 2350s on Pacifica. As of 2381, he held the rank of Commandant, and headed Pacifica Security's iy'Dewra'ni Division. In the aftermath of the Borg Invasion of 2381, Minha's primary concern was with the off worlder refugee camp being established on iy'Dewra'ni, and with its impact on the Pacificans living and raising their young nearby. Minha insisted on building a barrier at the edge of the camp, and following the injuring of a Human refugee and a Selkie worker near the barrier, nearly instigated an armed confrontation between his security troops and the camp residents. He was relieved of his position by Secretary Osseo Bemidji -- though this was largely an empty gesture, given that Minha would soon come to the end of the amphibious stage of the Selkie life cycle, when he would have been forced to resign.

Aili Lavena

Aili Lavena was a female Selkie who served in Starfleet in the late 24th century.

In the late 2350s, Lavena had an affair with her future Captain, William T. Riker, while during her amphibious stage.

In 2379, Ensign Lavena signed aboard the USS Titan, which was under the command of her former lover, Captain Riker, although he didn't recognize her at first. She served as the chief flight controller on the alpha shift. Due to her unique biology, her quarters were specially adapted and filled with ocean water from Pacifica so that she could be comfortable during her off hours.

In 2380 aboard Titan, she had a sexual encounter with Xin Ra-Havreii.

During the Borg's invasion in 2381, Lavena was on duty at the Bridge helm station when former Earth Starfleet Captain Erika Hernandez escaped the clutches of the Caeliar on New Erigol and promised to aid the Titan in departing as well. As Hernandez adjusted their deflector, she ordered Lavena to stand by at their best nonwarp speed. Erika allowed Captain Riker to give the word to depart, and as soon as he did, Lavena pressed the panel to fire the impulse engines at full power, taking the ship into the aperture of the subspace tunnel leading to the Azure Nebula. After the events on Droplet, Aili was promoted to lieutenant junior grade in 2381.

Iy'Dewra'ni

iy'Dewra'ni was one of the largest landmasses on the planet Pacifica, comparable in size to Greenland on Earth. The resort town of Eden Beach existed on the shore of iy'Dewra'ni, with several hotels, including the Eden Beach Hotel. The interior of the island, though, was the habitat for many young Selkie children and families, and thus was restricted to off-world visitors.

In 2381, in the wake of the Borg Invasion early that year, close to 80,000 individuals who had evacuated their worlds were temporarily placed at a refugee camp on iy'Dewra'ni, causing a great deal of concern and friction between the Pacifican government and the Federation.

Pacifica

Pacifica is an ocean planet in the Taurus Reach region, in the Alpha Quadrant. It is the homeworld of the Selkie species and the location of a Federation colony. It also became a member of the Federation in 2378.

Pacifica was famed for its warm blue waters and fine beaches, considered to be a "jewel in the galaxy", and making it a popular tourist destination. Other attractions on Pacifica, include the vast underwater city of hi'Leyi'a.

Pacifica was first colonized by the Federation in the 2260s. In 2266, the USS Lovell was assigned to Pacifica to help set up its civil infrastructure.

In early 2268, Cervantes Quinn had heard about some easy-money jobs hauling gray-market cargo to Pacifica. Quinn also wanted to spend some time on Pacifica for a tropical vacation.

In 2310, Captain John Harriman and Amina Sasine vacationed on Pacifica, in the city of Jannita where they danced throughout the night.

In the early 24th century Pacifica was the subject of an oceanographic study headed by Doctor Gillian Taylor. The project was based on a drift-station on the ocean surface dubbed Madrigal. Among the projects members was a humpback whale named Harpo.

Circa 2310, Pacifica was selected as a test bed for a modified Genesis Device created by Dr. Carol Marcus. These tests were halted when a race of sentient beings were discovered hidden in the depths of the ocean.

In 2364, the USS Enterprise-D was scheduled to conduct at scientific mission on Pacifica but was diverted to Dytallix B before the start of the mission. A year later the Enterprise ferried two Antedean dignitaries to Pacifica when the planet was hosting a conference to discuss the admission of the Antedeans into the Federation.

In 2376, Carol Abramowitz spent part of her leave time on Pacifica, following her mission to Vrinda. Also in 2376, a Council of Governors meeting was held on Pacifica; Nanietta Bacco had been in attendance, and met Admiral William Ross, who was the guest speaker.

Pacifica hosted the Federation Trade Council's annual meeting in 2377, 2378, or 2379.

During her eventually successful campaign for the office of Federation President, Bacco made her last campaign stop on Pacifica.

During the Borg Invasion of 2381, numerous evacuation ships from around the Federation fled for Pacifica, including one from Cestus III carrying the family of Miranda Kadohata. Several thousand evacuees who had lost their homes were forced to take refuge on Pacifica, many of them on the island of iy'Dewra'ni.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the following TV episodes, TNG: Conspiracy and TNG: Manhunt.

Also used as reference material are the following written works, TOS short story: The Hero of My Own Life, TNG novel: A Time for War, A Time for Peace, TNG novel: Losing the Peace, ST novel: Articles of the Federation, ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals, ST - Destiny novel: Lost Souls, TTN novel: Over a Torrent Sea, TTN novel: Orion's Hounds; TTN novel: Taking Wing, VAN novel: Reap the Whirlwind, VAN - Declassified novella: The Stars Look Down, TLE novel: Serpents Among the Ruins, TLE novel: One Constant Star, SCE eBooks: Age of Unreason, SCE eBooks: Breakdowns and the ST reference: Star Charts.

Content from this article may have
come partially, or entirely from
 Memory Alpha

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