Lacarosa

-- OUTBOUND TRANSMISSION --

-- SENDER UNKNOWN --

-- SUBJECT: LACAROSA --

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Preface

Greetings. I do wish you would come to your senses. Your wanton, misfolding development is still causing pain.

This is a record of the Lacarosa, a species with a rather unique trait. However, you have no doubt already discovered that yourself by now.

Without the context of this unique trait, it would be difficult to understand many aspects of their development and history, and so I will begin with their morphology.

Morphology

Using our system of astral-taxonomy, the Lacarosa general morphology is Pantherinae primary with Mustelidae secondary. The immediate visual is that of a hexapedal, mid-sized cat well suited for jungle terrain. However, as you must have discovered by now, it’s difficult to observe them at all.

They are classified as pseudo-mammals and are gonochoristic—standard.

The defining trait of the Lacarosa is several varieties of mica-like minerals that diffuse throughout the keratin proteins in their fur. This gives them a rather stunning appearance; light refracts through their fur, bending and breaking as if they were living prisms. I’ve heard many Terrans complaining that they look like staring into a broken kaleidoscope.

This gives them a unique brand of anti-camouflage—rather than blending in, the shifting colors mesmerize prey, allowing them more than enough time to strike with ease. This feature was so successful that it also led to issues I will detail in their history.

It’s become apparent to me, after observations here, that hexapedal life is far more common than we would have assumed—especially among sapient species. The traditional problem with a strict quadruped stance is an inability to conveniently use any other limbs to manipulate or grasp objects. This can stunt or eliminate tool use and hamper intellectual progress. Hexapods, such as the Lacarosa, Vul-Ishton, or Elafiale, can maintain a pronograde posture while leaving a pair of limbs free for manipulation.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the extremities of the foremost pair of legs deviate greatly from the others. A granular, rough patch of skin provides friction for gripping surfaces while running or grasping objects. The five digits of the front paws are well developed and elongated, slender with minimal webbing. This is a common theme for species that have adapted paws into something more closely resembling a hand. Though they lack a thumb analog, digits I and II work in tandem with IV and V to produce a pincer grip.

Their bodies are lithe and lightweight, averaging about 1.1 lengths from the ground to their shoulders and 2.2 lengths long from the tip of their muzzle to the end of their tail. Rather than the traditional pads one might find under the paws for shock absorption, their lightweight frame and weight distribution across six points have lessened the need for them. They are present, but diminished. Instead, an elastic ligament at their knee joints reduces impact strain.

The tail (7.6 decilengths) is rather fascinating. It terminates in a wide, flat ark, making it resemble a teardrop. They apparently use it when hunting (though, given their current state, I have yet to observe it). They can raise the tail above their body and wave it back and forth as an added distraction. Light moving through the fibers there creates an ever-changing pattern of colors.

The head deviates from standard Felidae morphology. The muzzle is reduced and has weak muscles—they don’t need to grip and hold prey, since they often use their claws to deadly effect on the first strike. The ears are small and rounded (only 5 centilengths). The standout features are both the eyes and the nose, or rather, the lack of a nose. Lacarosa possess a diminished olfactory sense—their nasal and sinus cavities exist, but are relegated to pits in the roof of their mouth rather than a dedicated opening. This may help complete their illusion, as fur can now grow over the entire muzzle.

As I said, their eyes are their other noteworthy feature. I find them—the species as a whole, actually—to be quite beautiful. They sparkle with every color of the visible spectrum—surely also aiding in their disguise. In addition, while trichromacy seems to be the standard among life, they are tetrachromatic, granting increased color vision, and the visible spectrum of the Lacarosa is extended a bit further into both the infrared and ultraviolet ranges. While they undoubtedly appear dazzling to most species, to each other they are even more so.

Internally, however, they are much the same as most life. I’ve already detailed their leg suspension system (although you will come to find that that feature is also unremarkable among hexapods). Their eyes are notable, but the rest of their organs, nerves, skeleton, and musculature are just what you’d expect. I suppose their saliva is mildly toxic, but it hardly matters. The only time a dose would be fatal is if it were already chewing on your corpse!

As always, the report includes the full genetic profile of every phenotype.

History

Now that you understand their appearance, the facts of their history will be much more digestible. It’s a somewhat tragic tale, although strides have been made as of late (before we came along, of course).

The Lacarosa share a similar history with the Nakkmala and the O’br’vuun, species so perfectly adapted to their environment that existing within it was almost effortless and free of any further notable selective pressure. Other factors in species like this include being rather solitary and reproducing more slowly.

These factors combine to form a species that found the prospect of inventing things like ‘farming’ completely extraneous to their current, self-sufficient lifestyle.

I must stress, however, that this did not mean they were simply base animals. What sets these three apart is their intelligence. They had language, traditions, writing (albeit rudimentary). So, while they were sapient and intellectually capable of scientific progress, they simply never bothered.

That all changed in the year IC 8064 (FE 4007). The Wulari of the Sadrakhan Empire were scouting new worlds in a recently opened section of space when they happened upon the Lacarosa. Initially, they were believed to be mere animals, but further study revealed the truth: here was a species with all the makings of an interstellar player, yet they lived like ‘savages’.

When Empire scientists realized that the Lacarosa were capable of existing in an interstellar society, they were absorbed into the Empire and thrust into a universe that was infinitely alien to them. The translation matrix was quickly established, and much like the Nakkmala and O’br’vuun, the now ubiquitous NYX implant they were given for translation was an ‘uplifting’ of sorts. During their provisional period, when the Empire evaluates a new species to determine their placement in the echelons, hopes were low that they would be anything more than cannon fodder on the lowest rungs of society.

However, it became clear during the slaughters that followed that the Lacarosa had almost no value as a military asset in their current state. Their gleaming fur was marvelous at hypnotizing prey, but during engagements with the Hegemony military, Faraw proved far less easily sidetracked; their luminous fur being more of a hindrance than help. Furthermore, as ambush predators that relied heavily on their unique fur for hunting rather than any great physical strength, they tired quickly and were not adept at the long-term engagements or deployments that the Empire often required.

The Sadrakhan had initially been interested in their ability to refract light, if only to harvest the fur for manufacturing optical camouflage, but after learning that the distribution of minerals in the protein chains was completely random, they abandoned the idea.

The knowledge disparity also caused the Lacarosa to struggle at first. They were expected to quickly learn concepts far beyond what they had understood on their homeworld. The Lacarosa were adaptable, though, and while the initial aptitude evaluations were total failures, the provisional period lasted a Sadrakhan century. The generations that followed were born into a world where the technology that was borderline incompatible with the first generation was now commonplace—mundane even. These new generations knew what was expected of them, and they worked tirelessly to prove themselves.

As seen with other species like the Yiulon, the Empire’s Echelons do not denote immediate value as one might assume. Rather, the Empire accounts for the limitations and hurdles a species might face integrating into galactic society and evaluates them accordingly. By the end of the provisional period, the Sadrakhan had apparently been impressed with their progress, and they were placed in the Second Echelon, working largely as technical officers, computer engineers, or cyberwarfare specialists.

While one might think their most defining feature is the rainbow fractal fur they display, the truth is quite a bit more glum. They’re actually best known for the baggy, full-body suits they wear.

I had initially assumed that this species was adapted to an atmosphere other than the standard oxygen-nitrogen mix, or perhaps was immunocompromised, but the suits aren’t actually for their own benefit at all.

It didn’t take long for the Sadrakhan to decree that any Lacarosa participating in Empire society would be forced to wear an article of clothing that closely resembles an environmental protection or hazmat suit. It isn’t difficult to see why; they were simply too distracting to other species. Anywhere they were present, the output and efficiency dropped dramatically. So, as a preventative measure, the suits were issued.

Backlash was severe, and not only from the Lacarosa. Others saw the sort of treatment the Lacarosa were having to endure, and several species—even of higher Echelons—spoke out. The Yiulon were the most vocal, as there had once nearly been a similar decree against them; their metallic antlers were personally and culturally important, but do not lend themselves well to vacuum-proof clothing in the slightest.

Eventually, the Sadrakhan relented, and attempted to find a solution that would meet in the middle, so to speak. The answer came in the form of designated areas declared ‘suit-free ’, where the Lacarosa were not obligated to cover themselves. Additionally, the suits would not be required in any position where the Lacarosa were not seen regularly—their engineering or server rooms, for example.

Today, they enjoy high standing within the Empire, if not the heights of the Pentarch or First Echelon. The work they do may not always be the most seen or appreciated, but vital to the Empire’s machine all the same. Besides, the Lacarosa now prefer their quiet background roles.

In conclusion, their unique fur may have been their most powerful asset pre-contact, but amongst the stars their adaptability and cunning minds have become their greatest weapons.

Society and Culture

Aside from their occasional mates, Lacarosa are not social creatures. Again, they are much like the Nakkmala and O’br’vuun in that regard. Because of this, they also don’t appear to enjoy either making, participating in, or enjoying art—disappointing.

One area where I’ve found they deviate from this norm is the suits they wear! Many color their suits in garish pigments as a sort of self-expression. While it was unexpected at first, as the generations have gone on, they have begun to prefer more individual expression. This may also have to do with the fact that the suits prevent them from viewing each other’s fur patterns. The distribution of the silicates makes the way each individual refracts light unique; though the patterning is too complex for other species to tell, this serves as a primary identifier for the Lacarosa, even before their names.

Outside of the Empire, Lacarosa are not technically required to wear the suits, but are highly encouraged to—they are still distracting wherever they go. They comply with these rules with little complaint. Over time, the suits stopped being a symbol of oppression and became one they were proud of—at least among some of their kind. They delight in their ability to throw others off simply by existing; by wearing the suits, some re-interpret this preventative measure as a display of others’ weakness. So, while they won’t refuse an opportunity to remove the stuffy suits on occasion, they tend to wear them with pride.

Their reproduction habits are unusual. They do not mate for life and will remain with a partner only as long as it takes to ensure a pregnancy. The most peculiar part of this process is that it’s completely random, with no set period when it is biologically encouraged. This has contributed to their low population on their homeworld and lack of familial units.

The most interesting development is their attachment to others. I attribute this to biology that prevents them from forming large social groups with their own kind. Others don’t share that same respect and ‘bypass’ this quirk, meaning they enjoy the company of other species, but not their own.

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Updates to come, my misguided progenitor.