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Planet Log SNE-0661521
Name: Vlemos
Sector: XN-125
System: Grel
Vlemos is a rocky planet orbiting the star Grel. With an average radius of approximately 3210 kilometers, Vlemos is a relatively small planet. Despite this, Vlemos has a surface gravity of approximately 3.7 times that of Earth (roughly 4.1 times that of standard public gravity), indicating an incredibly high density. Due to the remoteness of the Grel system, Vlemos and its inhabitants, particularly the Vleminiccia, remained undiscovered by the Interplanetary Alliance until recently.
Vlemos has generally rocky and rough terrain, with little plant life to be found. An intricate network of subterranean caverns lies beneath the surface. The average temperature on the surface is 97 degrees Celsius, while the average temperature underground is 39 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere of Vlemos is rather thick, with an average atmospheric pressure of approximately 212,110 pascals. The composition of the air on Vlemos consists primarily of arsenic, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide.
Most life on Vlemos lives underground in order to avoid the intense heat on the surface. Some species spend time both above and below ground, but there are no recorded species that live on the surface.
The only known sapient species that has emerged from Vlemos is the Vleminiccium. Vleminiccia have a true democratic neo-communist planetary government, which is currently in the process of integrating into the Interplanetary Alliance.
Species Log GHJDN-465367853-S
Name: Vleminiccium
Mental Status: Sapient
Government Status: Integration In Progress
Home Planet: Vlemos
Biology
Vleminiccia are single celled organisms originating from the remote planet Vlemos. Vleminiccia are remarkably long lived for microbial organisms, having a maximum recorded age of 12 Earthen years. Unfortunately, due to their culture, nothing is currently known about the anatomy and internal biology of Vleminiccia.
Vleminiccia are, outside of extenuating circumstances such as critical emergencies, never alone. They congregate and live in slime-like “bodies” that are, according to what little information has been provided by them, composed of cytoplasm. A single colony of Vleminiccia might have anywhere from 20 trillion to 50 trillion individuals living in it. Vleminiccia communicate with each other via electrochemical signals that are passed through the cytoplasmic slime that connects them. Because of this natural electricity, universal translators created for Vleminiccia have lower energy requirements, with the electric signals coursing through the cytoplasm granting a low level of charge. When two or more colonies of Vleminiccia meet, they will merge their cytoplasmic bodies in order to allow communication between the individual members of each group.
Vleminiccia do not respirate, and thus do not require any form of air or liquid. They prefer temperatures in the range of 40 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius and prefer atmospheric pressures in the range of 200,000 pascals to 300,000 pascals. However, when in colonies, they are capable of tolerating any combination of temperature and pressure that allows liquid water to exist. It is unknown what conditions they are able to survive when alone, and for how long.
Vleminiccia are blind and deaf, but are able to sense the world via the detection of chemicals. When in colonies, this chemical sense is powerful enough to create a rough three dimensional map of the colony’s surroundings based on chemicals in the air. When one Vleminiccium is alone, however, these senses are much less powerful, only allowing standard microscopic navigation.
Vleminiccium colonies traverse by sliding around in a manner visually similar to Earthen slugs. It is not currently understood by what mechanism colonies of Vleminiccia are able to move as a singular unit. However, it is known that Vleminiccium colonies are able to stick to surfaces, presumably due to some as of yet unknown property of their cytoplasm. They use this ability to better grip onto objects as well as to cling to and traverse across walls and ceilings. How they are able to choose when to stick to surfaces and when not to is not currently known, but is suspected to be the result of on-command chemical processes that alter the structure of the cytoplasm. Another leading theory is that Vleminiccium colonies are able to adhere to objects due to an unknown physical property of the individual bodies of the Vleminiccia that make the colony up.
Vleminiccia feed off of other microbes. They do this by engulfing prey in their cytoplasm, which breaks up the biological material of the microbes. This material is then distributed to the various Vleminiccia in the colony. Because of this feeding behavior, Vleminiccia have developed “filth farms,” industrial stores of rotten matter and waste material that are breeding grounds for various bacteria.
Due to the increased gravity of Vlemos in comparison to standard public gravity, Vleminiccium Colonies are capable of several feats when in standard public gravity that they are not capable of achieving on their home planet. They are capable of “standing” taller and with larger “frame”, and are able to lift heavier objects. They are also able to stick to surfaces such as walls and ceilings more easily than they are able to on Vlemos. This has resulted in an overwhelming preference among Vleminiccia for areas with lower gravity than Vlemos, and an increased demand for anti-gravity generators on Vlemos. Low gravity has so far shown no adverse effects on Vleminiccia.
Reproduction
Vleminiccia are genderless and reproduce asexually, like most microbial organisms. When a Vleminiccium makes a conscious decision to reproduce, they will split into two distinct individuals via mitosis. One of these will have the original Vleminiccium’s personality and memories, and is considered to be the original specimen. The other will have a basic set of knowledge (language, culture, current events, etc), and a personality similar to but different then the original. However, they will not have any personal memories of the original Vleminiccium. Vleminiccia have no concept of parenthood, family, or lineage. However, they will often become socially close with their offspring simply due to the similarities between their personalities.
Psychology
It is important to note that Vleminiccia do not share a hivemind. Each microbe is its own individual person, and while they communicate with each other nonverbally they are not telepathic. Some researchers consider them to be a rare example of a reverse hivemind. That is, a being with multiple minds contributing and controlling a singular shared body. Vleminiccia broadly reject this notion, stating that if they are a reverse hivemind, then so is every other social species.
In all known sapient species there is a limit to the amount of meaningful social connections that any one individual can maintain. This is called Dunbar’s Number, named after the human Robin Dunbar. Vleminiccia possess the highest Dunbar’s Number on record, reported to be approximately 1 quadrillion.
Despite their incredibly social nature with each other, Vleminiccia tend to have trouble interacting socially with those outside their species. While they are quite effective at professional matters such as diplomacy, personal relationships between Vleminiccia and other species have yet to be recorded. This seems to be due to the fact that other species have no way to communicate one on one with individual Vleminiccia, and are effectively only able to communicate with an entire city at once.
Habitat
Vlemian settlements on the planet Vlemos are constructed underground in order to avoid the heat of the surface. These are constructed using naturally formed caverns and tunnels and artificially created spaces using Lutumiccia.
Culture
Vleminiccia are incredibly opposed to any dissections or explorations of internal anatomy, whether invasive or not. This includes being viewed under a microscope, and extends to their domesticated livestock and pets. However, this does not extend to the cytoplasm that makes up their shared body, which is considered acceptable to study when removed from the colony.
Vleminiccia have a strong sense of community, and view the concept of leaving even one person behind or forgotten as abhorrent and unacceptable. This has resulted in a neo-communist society and government.
Government
Vleminiccia work together remarkably well in both intra and inter colony decisions and issues. Because of this, they are the fastest recorded species to achieve a planetary government (measured from inception of the species to formal establishment of the government). Much like how individual colonies make decisions, the Vlemian government is a pure democracy; every citizen votes on every governmental issue, with the simple majority decision being taken. This kind of system is usually considered unfeasible with larger populations, with most democratic societies adopting a representative democratic approach. However, this system works for Vleminiccia due to their unique way of communicating combined with their technology. Each Vleminiccium will vote by sending an electrochemical signal to their colony’s communicator, which will tally all the votes and send the total to a central database. This database then tallies the votes from every colony and outputs the winning action or law.
The Vlemian government is neo-communist, a modified and updated variation on an ancient Earthen political system emphasizing cooperation and shared resources. This philosophy is present at the individual, social, and societal level. The planetary government will distribute supplies and resources to settlements that are most in need of them, and no Vleminiccia are left behind or forced to work to survive.
Technology
Due to their microscopic size, Vleminiccia are the leading pioneers in the field of nanotechnology. Despite their government not being fully integrated, they have been happy to share their technology with the rest of the galaxy. Some of the advancements that Vleminiccia have either contributed outright or contributed to include the following:
Hyper-efficient data storage
Hyper-efficient data transfer
Nanobot-assisted medical technology
More effective and efficient nanomaterials
More efficient aerogel production
Nanobot-fueled shape shifting materials
Vleminiccium cytoplasm has also been reverse engineered in order to make more efficient electric conductors, and antibacterial cleaning agents.
Interaction Guidelines
Keep in mind that you’re never talking to an individual, you’re effectively talking to a whole city.
Do not mention or discuss any kind of surgery, operation or biological examination unless it is necessary to do so.
Be patient, it will take some time for them to deliberate with each other before responding.
Species Log GHJDN-515645489-D
Name: Lutumiccium
Mental Status: Domesticated
Home Planet: Vlemos
Biology
Lutumiccia, colloquially known as acid dogs, are single celled organisms originating from the remote planet Vlemos. Unfortunately, due to Vlemian culture, nothing is currently known about the anatomy of Lutumiccia. Lutumiccia can survive for up to a single Earthen week.
Lutumiccia are able to produce a powerful acid. According to the limited information provided by Vleminiccia, this acid seems to be the Lutumiccia’s own cytoplasm. Lutumiccia are able to use this acid in order to feed off of minerals. They do this by emitting the acidic cytoplasm and making contact with dirt or stone. Once the acid has dissolved the material, the Lutumiccium will reabsorb it, along with the nutrients and minerals that are now held within the cytoplasm.
Lutumiccia are immune to most antibacterial sanitizers, including Vleminiccium cytoplasm. This is a trait that was selected for via controlled mutation and breeding by Vlemian scientists in order to make them better able to act as pets.
Lutumiccia are able to communicate simple emotions through electrochemical signals in the same manner as Vleminiccia. It is through this mechanism that Vleminiccia command them. Lutumiccia are unable to sense the world around them in any independent way, and rely on instruction in order to move and to feed.
Reproduction
Lutumiccia reproduce asexually via mitosis.
Psychology
Lutumiccia are decently intelligent creatures, with intelligence roughly comparable to Earthen cattle. They are described as being docile, loving, and loyal in temperament by Vleminiccia.
Habitat
Lutumiccia live in Vleminiccium colonies. They do not naturally exist in the wild, and are not able to survive on their own due to their lack of senses.
Domestication
Lutumiccia are utilized by Vleminiccia for companionship and for terraforming. Vleminiccia are able to command Lutumiccia to navigate to the surface of the colony and emit their acidic cytoplasm. This can be used to dissolve rock and dirt quickly and efficiently, allowing for the quick creation of new tunnels and caverns for structures and dwellings to be built within.
Interaction Guidelines
See Vleminiccium
News: IA Struggles to Update Central Citizen Database for New Species
Publisher: Terran Times
Galactic Date: 4302548.46
The planetary government of Vlemos, a recently discovered planet, has agreed to integrate into the Interplanetary Alliance. However, due to the massive population of Vlemos, combined with their cultural practices, progress on this front has been slow and marred with obstacles.
It’s well known that the Central Citizen Database has been straining to hold the information for the many citizens of the galaxy, but it was thought that current technology would be enough to upgrade the database in the event of a new planetary discovery. No one anticipated that a single species could prove this assumption wrong. The lone sapient species of Vlemos, Vleminiccia, are microbes, and number at approximately 1.5e+23 individuals, more than any other species on record. It is unknown how the IA is going to accommodate these new citizens in the CCD, but the Vlemian population have stated that they have technological advances in data storage that they are willing to contribute.
News: Vlemos Takes Legal Action Against the ISI
Publisher: Planetary Periodical
Galactic Date: 4302549.63
The government of Vlemos has started legal proceedings against the Interplanetary Science Institute, claiming descrimination against its people. Vlemos claims that the ISI has been harassing Vleminiccia with targeted, intrusive, and culturally insensitive requests for information. The ISI denies that these requests for information are anything other than standard surveys.
The ISI’s public database has been known to offer optional surveys to citizens who access it in order to gather data for scientific experiments. These surveys include traditional questionnaires, as well as body or genome scans. For the most part, these surveys have caused no public outcry, given that any privacy concerns are offset by the optional nature and the fact that there are neither rewards for participating nor penalties for not participating. However, recently Vleminiccium colonies who accessed the service were consistently asked to provide information about Vleminiccium biology every time they logged in with no way to permanently opt out. In addition, Vlemian culture treats internal biology and anatomy as incredibly taboo, and not something to be shared under any circumstances. Because of this, the ISI is being accused of incredible cultural insensitivity.
The ISI claims that these surveys are standard for any integrated species that does not have bioscans on record. The ISI has also stated that given the nature of Vleminiccium colonies and how any individual microbe might change colonies several times over their life, there is no effective way to keep track of which individual Vleminiccium has or has not had an opportunity to complete the survey. In addition, the ISI argues that just because a certain value is in the predominant culture, that does not mean that every member of the culture is going to have that specific value. An ISI spokesperson gave the following statement:
“We have been nothing but tolerant of Vlemian culture, but we will not allow it to force scientific discovery to take a back seat. So much could be learned from Vleminiccium anatomy that could advance so many different fields if we were just allowed to receive bioscans. In addition, if some kind of natural threat emerged that threatened the lives of Vleminiccia, we would have our appendages tied in regards to helping them without knowing more about their biology. Your culture has a body count.”
Initial legal hearings are scheduled to take place on galactic date 4302550.01.
News: Fears Rise as Mysterious Disappearances Continue
Publisher: Galactic Gazette
Galactic Date: 4302549.79
Fourteen more colonies of Vleminiccia have been confirmed missing in the last three weeks, for a total of 26 colonies and 910 trillion individuals (not including Lutumiccia) since 4302549.65. Twenty of the missing colonies were last seen on Pril V. No criminal organizations are known to operate on Pril V, nor are there any known examples native wildlife that could explain such an occurrence. Tensions are high as citizens demand an explanation. A Vlemian ambassadorial colony had the following to say:
“We are offended and horrified by the galaxy’s lack of concern for our people. If even a single settlement of Dissossians or Jellens went missing, there would be public outcry and an immediate full scale galactic investigation. But because the settlements are composed solely of Vleminiccia, no one seems to be giving this problem the attention, concern, and resources that it deserves and needs. This is an absolute disgrace, and the AGJ should be ashamed of themselves.”
In response, a representative of the Association for Galactic Justice gave the following statement:
“We are taking every reasonable action that we can to get to the bottom of this. Every REASONABLE action. While Vleminiccium colonies might technically be made up of many individuals, the simple truth is that it takes the same amount of effort or bad luck for a VleminiccIum colony to go missing as it does for a single member of just about any other species. This is not some kind of planetary level ecological threat or hostile action by a rogue government, it is a loose animal or a lone kidnapper. We cannot expend all of our resources on such a small threat.”
This statement was met with outcry, with citizens across the galaxy accusing the AGJ of racism and minimizing the importance of Vlemian life. The AGJ has declined to comment on the matter.