Mongminzu

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Mongminzu
Four Letter Code	MONG
Federation Status	Neutral
Planet of Origin	Mong
Encountered	USS ??
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	J
List of Named Mongminzu
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"Listen closely. Can you not hear the voice of the Universe. Be patient. Maybe someday you will."

a Mongminzu proverb.

The Mongminzu are a nomadic species. One that believe the Universe has a special destiny in store for them. In the mean time they do their best to survive in order that they will be ready when the Universe calls.

They are also called the Children of the Voice and sometimes the Mongminze.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: ??? Sector (coordinates A27-0002-1300??)
• Proper Name: Mong system, now destroyed was located in the Ithassa Region
• Star: destroyed
• Distance from Star: destroyed
• Companions: It was the only planet in the system
• Moons: It has 3 moons

Home World

• Proper Name: Mong
• Diameter: destroyed
• Gravity: destroyed
• Axial Tilt: destroyed
• Orbital Period: destroyed
• Rotational Period: destroyed
• Classification: destroyed
• Surface Water: destroyed
• Atmosphere: destroyed
• Climate: destroyed
• Terrain: destroyed
• Population: 9 ½ million saved out of almost 250 million.

History

In the beginning they lived on a world apart, one that was the only object in their system other than their star which was slowly dying. It had been dying for a long time, since before they evolved into the dominant species on the planet. Its slow death had an adverse effect on their world. It was slowly transformed from a semi-tropical paradise into a harsh, desolate, desert world. One where the elements were now their enemies and the planet itself seemed determined to destroy them.

Due to the adverse conditions of their world and their need to work as a united people in order to survive, they never suffered from many of the anti-social tendencies that resulted in wars, civil unrest or revolutions. They enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence, one where co-operation and adversity bound them together.

In time they achieved a relatively advanced state with underground cities, power, water and plants all contained within vast systems of tunnels equipped with high speed monorails. However they knew that they needed to alter their research, to move in new directions. All the indications seemed to be that conditions would only continue to get progressively worse on their world.

By the time they had mastered the skills and technology needed to produce space craft capable of interstellar travel they had to rush to produce as many as possible. They started by producing craft capable of transporting whole tribes and then after 5 years started to produce even larger vessels capable of transporting as many as 3 or 4 tribes at the same time.

Unfortunately by this time they had to evacuate all but the deepest tunnels and city complexes. All construction was done in orbit of the planet but a stationary orbit. One that was permanently in the dark as the planet slowly turned beneath it, blocking out the sun which was behaving in an ever increasing erratic manner.

All other activities other than those required for survival were abandoned as more and more people and resources were funneled into ship construction. As soon as ships were completed, manned and ready to go they were sent on their way.

In 2247 their sun escalated its erratic behavior, producing solar flares of such magnitude that they easily dwarfed anything it had produced before. Ship production and performance was seriously affected. 5 of their large vessels called Hmunzuyi, that were fully manned were destroyed before they could escape from the system and over 60,000 workers were killed due to solar radiation while working on ship construction.

It came as no surprise when later that year their star exploded, vaporizing everything in its path. Now the different ships wander aimless through space, seeking new worlds to colonize. They tend to seek out planets with harsher conditions often deemed less habitable by most species, especially those that are distant from other powers.

In the years since the destruction of their homeworld they have established a number of colonies but there are still numerous ships searching for worlds to call their own.

In many ways what they achieved can be best described as astounding. In 28 years they managed to build and launch successfully 311 Minzao class vessels and 243 Hmunzuyi class vessels for a total of about 9,467,000 people saved.

Government

They live and travel in their massive ships or live in their small colonies in large extended families. These are always presided over by a Matriarch, called a Myanzu ("The Elder Voice"), who is almost always the oldest-living female in the family. She rules and is obeyed in all things. The Myanzu picks and trains a cadre of 6 older females. These act as her advisors and act on her behalf. When the Myanzu passes on normally it is one of these women who replaces her.

Description

They are all short in size with most being between 3'2" to 3'8". They have short silvery fur over their entire bodies and only wear belts and straps to hold equipment or other tools and devices they may need. They have long black hair but only on their heads and their eyes are red. They see in the infrared spectrum rather than the Terran's "visible light" spectrum. Their ears are long and pointed being on average about 3' to 5' and stick straight up. They have excellent hearing and can hear both high and low decibel sounds.

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.

Due to the unusual conditions caused by their suns gradual deterioration they have evolved to see only in the infrared spectrum and can survive in a fairly low oxygen pressure. In fact they tend to prefer levels between 0.82% and 0.71% but can survive in levels as low as 0.63%.

Twinning is extremely common among the Mongminzu and most twins are identical with only about 3% of births being single births. While family relationships are close, the relationship between twins is incredibly close. While not measurably telepathic, twins frequently experience low-grade empathy, even when separated by major distances.

Psychology

They tend to be isolationists and try to avoid other species whenever possible. This does not mean they will not treat or deal with other species but that they just prefer not to. Other than that they seem to have an average mental health but with a better than average ability to deal with crowded conditions and extended periods of confinement within their large colony ships.

Religion

The Mongminzu, get their name, the "Children of the Voice" from the fact that in every generation there is born a couple females who with great age slowly develop the ability to hear the whispered words of the universe around them.

As a result they were forewarned about the eventual destruction of their sun and they were warned that they needed to go underground and build their homes there generations before it happened. The “Voice” always gave them ample warning to prepare and develop the technology needed to survive each step of their suns eventual decay and destruction.

The “Voice” has also warned them that they need to scatter to the farthest reaches of the universe if they are to ensure the survival of their species. Why they need to do this has never been made clear but this is the main reason that they have founded numerous small colonies and still have numerous colony ships searching for new worlds to colonize.

Mythology

The "Children of the Voice" have a deep-seeded oral tradition. Their history is not written but told, and only to their own kind. No outsider has been told of it unless they have also been joined to the community for the rest of their lives, leaving their own people. They believe that spoken words are to be solemnized. Nothing is said without profound contemplation, even if a slow answer means death.

Society

Family is of utmost importance to the Mongminzu. On the colony ships or in their colonies they live and travel in their large extended families presided over by a Matriarch, called a Myanzu ("The Elder Voice). Added to this is the fact that they have adapted to survival in harsh conditions, with little in the way of creature comforts and crime is almost unheard of among them.

Culture

Due to their limited vision in the infrared range of the spectrum they have never developed any interest in or appreciation for any form of visual arts. What they have developed is a love of the epic poem and the verbal passing of historical knowledge. Groups will gather and sit enthralled as one of the elders stands and recites any of the many different historical histories. Most of these have some form of either racial or clan importance.

Customs

Since they are a matriarchal society when a man gets married he becomes part of his wife's clan. However females seldom select their mates from within their own clans. It is not technically a tradition but it has all most become one. Most clans try to establish contact with other clans at least once a year so that they can arrange meetings between the single members of marriageable age of their individual clans.

Technology

Other than warp-drive, they have few major technologies. They have small vessels, comparable to Starfleet shuttlecraft, for small scale transport and large ships for moving whole tribes (Minzao) and colonies (Hmunzuyi) (usually 3-4 tribes). Their large ships have a max warp of 9.2 but can sustain it for over a year. At that time then need to power down their engines and perform a system wide maintenance on it. This can take as long as 4 weeks but should usually take about half that amount of time.

The Minzao class are capable of transporting just slightly more than 7,000 people and have greenhouses, basic recreational facilities, schools, and everything needed for them to live and survive for extended periods of time. The Hmunzuyi class is even bigger and is estimated to be capable of holding approximately 30,000 people for extended periods of time.

Their ships have hull plates similar to Starfleet's ablative armor and a plasma based beam-weapon technology comparable to Starfleet's Type X phasers. They have no transporters and they use maintenance robots (Zuyana) for menial tasks and exterior repairs.

Economy

Their economy is based on bartering. When possible, they prefer to trade within their own race, but for necessary items they will barter with outside cultures.

Military

They do not have any true military however every single colony ship regardless of size has weapons systems intended to defend them from most threats and while they will fight fiercely if cornered, the Mongminzu prefer to flee if the option is viable. Above all they will resist assimilation of any kind.

Federation Intelligence Files

Since the loss of their homeworld they have become a semi-nomadic race seeking a home where they'll be "left alone" to thrive in their own culture. As such, they often seek out planets with harsher conditions (deemed less habitable by most standards) that are distant from other powers.

Sources

This is an original Starbase 118 species created as part of the Ithassa Region. It was created by the crew of the USS ???

		SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee.		REV 240104.10
		Please add any new information discovered during the course of a mission or shore leave.
SB118-SDC