Introduction
Welcome to the fascinating
world of the Human-Rrakith alliance. This paper is intended to
give a thorough overview of the Rrakith, their world, people and
customs, as well as their relationship with Earth and humanity.
The Rrakith are a truly
alien species. While they have a general humanoid appearance,
there are two major differences between our races: First, they
have an overall feline appearance, albeit an anthropomorphized
one; and second, they are hermaphrodites, combining the male and
female sexes together in the same body. These differences, while
seeming big at first, were able to be overcome, with both our
races learning more about each other. They are a loving and proud
species and it is hoped that this paper will help promote a better
understanding of them, as well as furthering the alliance between
our two worlds.
First Contact
The Rrakith were the first,
and so far the only, alien race that we have encountered in our
explorations of the galaxy. First contact occurred around the
middle of the 23rd century, when a deep-space research team came
across a rrakith ship, also on an exploration mission.
Communications were facilitated
by a prototype universal translator, developed by us for use by
our exploration team, which had rudimentary telepathic inputs.
This technology had been developed in the hopes of contacting
an alien species during our journeys, although they had not anticipated
being met part way. The Rrakith were the first true test of translator's
capabilities; it was a rather large and cumbersome device by today's
standards, but was successful in rapidly bridging the language
gap. From then on, we each learned many surprising facts about
each other.
Technology
Both our races have a
high degree of technology, but the Rrakith are more concentrated
in the life sciences, though their other areas of technology are
well-developed too. They have done a lot of work with genetic
research, such as with regenerative tissue growth, which is more
advanced than human technology in that arena.
Humanity has made many
advances in the last two hundred years, making things a lot better
for people: getting rid of hunger and poverty, keeping the population
at a reasonable number, cleaning up the environment, and so on.
We have done more with the hard technology areas, such as advancing
the fields of computer science and space-travel. In fact we discovered
faster-than-light (FTL) space travel before the Rrakith did.
A Brief Time Line: First-Contact
to Present
A deep-space exploration
team aboard the United Earth Starship, UES Stargazer, first met
up with the Rrakith in the year 2265. The crew, commanded by captain
Daniel Simpson, came across a rrakith survey ship, while both
races were just beginning to explore the vast reaches of the galaxy.
At that point, the Rrakith had developed near-light travel, so
they were about one and a half light-years from their homeworld.
After a period of excited
discovery, where both our races learned much about one another,
the rrakith ship, the Star-Runner, commanded by Mkkarr Pak Sserral,
was escorted to Rramatharr, the rrakith homeworld, by its terran
counterpart. Using the benefit of FTL drive, they were able to
reach their destination a great deal quicker than normally possible,
much to the joy of the crew of the Star-Runner, who had been away
from home for quite some time.
The show of good faith
on our part, that we were willing to share our technology with
friendly acquaintances, made quite an impression on the Rrakith.
Then there were also the heroic actions of Joan Chen, the doctor
from the Stargazer. Putting herself at great risk to come to the
aid of both humans and rrakith caught in a freak accident aboard
the Star-Runner, Chen was severely injured in her successful attempt
to save others from a powerful energy discharge from a damaged
piece of equipment. It is likely she would have died if not for
the intervention of the Rrakith and their advanced medical skills.
Here, one human's daring heroics, as well as the sharing of technologies
from both sides, had a great impact on our early relationship
with the Rrakith, laying the diplomatic groundwork and cementing
an alliance which continues to grow and prosper.
The next ten to fifteen
years saw a lot of exploration and diplomatic work between our
two worlds. Things took time because of the distances, and more
ships capable of FTL travel had to be built. The alliance between
Rramatharr and Earth was based mainly on scientific and cultural
exchange, though there was an obvious commercial component to
the trading too. They were interested in our hard sciences, especially
our FTL technology, and we wanted to find out more about their
work in the medical fields. Additionally, both our races found
each other's culture fascinating, and there was a great deal of
social and diplomatic interaction.
From 2280 onwards, a good
number of scientists, diplomats, and cultural envoys, as well
as entrepreneurs and other businessmen from each race had emigrated
to one another's planet. The general populace of humans living
on Rramatharr is low, but is slowly growing. By 2290, twenty-five
years after first contact, the number of humans on Rramatharr
has reached about 90,000. However, a lot of humans tend to live
in the heavier-populated districts, so in some areas they can
account for 1-2% of the population. The present population on
Rramatharr is about 2.5 billion.
The Rrakith Homeworld
Rramatharr is located roughly 65 light
years from Earth, which at the current level of technology, using
FTL drive, takes about six weeks of travel time to make a direct
journey between our two worlds. Rramatharr is the fourth planet
from its sun, which is hotter than the star which warms our world.
Their solar system consists of eight planets, of which only Rramatharr
is habitable.
Rramatharr has two moons orbiting it.
The large, primary one, about one and a half times the size of
our terran moon, is a pale white, with a cycle of twenty-five
days. The smaller moon, is about a third the size of the larger
one, and is slightly orange in hue. This secondary satellite is
also at a higher orbit, so it has a slower cycle of thirty-seven
days. The two moons not only create a beautiful nocturnal display
with their different cycles, but their differing orbits also create
complex and interesting tidal patterns.
Rramatharr is slightly smaller than
Terra, having a gravity of 0.94g, but with an atmosphere slightly
higher in oxygen and 15% higher in pressure. Because
Rramatharr
is farther from its sun than Terra, it has a longer period of
stellar revolution, giving it
a year which is roughly 13% longer than on Terra. Their year works
out to 385.1 R-days, divided into 48 weeks of 8 days each. Every
day in turn, is divided into 16 R-hours, each consisting of 64
R-minutes and each of these is further divided into 64 R-seconds.
A rramatharr day is approximately 7% longer than a terran day,
with a rramatharr hour roughly equal to 1.6 terran hours.
Their names for these
time units are, day: lek, hour: dallek ("part-day"),
minute: wekdal ("small-part"), and second: trewekdal
("very-small-part"), the literal meanings of these terms
coming from one of their old languages. The rrakith method of
measuring time dates back to when days were considered to begin
at sunrise and end at sunset. The modern clock was standardized
to sunrise at an equinox, therefore midday is at the 4th hour
and midnight is at the 12th hour. The calendar day is considered
to start at sunrise, rather than midnight like on Earth.
The Rrakith don't use months for their
calendar, but they do mark seasons as determined by solstices
and equinoxes. Looking at the math, 48 weeks of 8 days each only
equals 384 days; the extra day is accounted for at the end of
each year with a day referred to as simply Year's End. An interesting
result of this is the way the Rrakith's calendar is set up. Unlike
human calendars, the days do not move around, changing from year
to year. For the Rrakith, a certain date will always fall on the
same day of the week, year after year. Their calendar works out
this way because the Year's End day is not considered to be a
normal day of the week, it is a special day for them, and is set
aside as a global holiday for both celebrating the past year's
accomplishments and looking ahead towards the future.
Every ten years, they need an extra
day, the same as with Leap Year in the terran calendar. This extra
day is added after Year's End day, and is considered a very special
day, marking the close of a period and providing even more reason
for reflections and celebration. For on one of these years, the
celebrations are spread out over the two days, with a deeper significance,
and are more than
twice as festive as the other years.
Their seasons are named
using an ancient language, similar to our use of Latin. They are
Grathekmollar (Spring), Grathekmakkis (Summer), Grathekrammak
(Autumn) and Grathekpallak (Winter). The prefix "Grath.ek"
means "Season.of," "Mollar" means "Rain,"
"Makkis" means "Growth," "Rammak"
means "Harvest" and "Pallak" means "Rest."
Instead of the whole word, the seasons are generally referred
to by the suffix only. (Note: many rrakith words share this structure
and are often shortened in general usage.)
The first five days of
the week are working days, the final three are for rest and recreation.
The days are named (1) Rennek, (2) Kroll, (3) Milluk, (4) Mrakem,
(5) Lerrolak, (6) Perrik, (7) Makkalok, and (8) Dullap. Official
dates are noted as the nth day of the season of the year. For
example, the present date is 76 Makkis 3627. General forward planning
may be referred to by a certain week in a season, such as "my
holidays start week nine of Rammak." Weekdays are for regular
occurrences, like "art class is held every Rennek at 3 o'clock."
Rramatharr is more tropical
than earth. The polar caps are very small, with
the tropics extending further north and south than on Terra. Land
masses also don't generally fall into the low rainfall zones where
deserts form, so there are few of those. Rramatharr features large
tracts of undisturbed forest. The Rrakith have traditionally been
more nature-based than us, and the way they utilized their forests,
and other natural resources has reflected that. We have cleaned
up our act over the years and taken better care of the Earth,
but the differences in our races' methodologies towards nature
are still apparent.
The Rrakith tend to be more integrated
with nature, with the design of their cities reflecting this.
Rrakith cities are not as densely populated as human ones, and
are more spread out, sprawling over the landscape, but also melding
in with it. The cityscape of a rrakith city consists of large
tracts of parklands dotted with buildings of glass towers. These
buildings are impressive, but not as tall as their terran counterparts.
Cities on Earth have been cleaned up
significantly, removing the problems of urban decay, but aside
from trees planted here and there, along the streets, the parks
still appear as oases amidst the concrete sea. The amount of park
areas have definitely increased, and the cities are much better
places to live in than what they used to be. However, the approach
of the rrakith cities gives the feeling of the countryside surrounding
the buildings, instead of the other way around. The Rrakith also
prefer to design things such that all machinery and services for
the city are tucked underground, so as not to spoil the above-ground
environment.
Rrakith Society
Rrakith society is more homogenous than
on Earth, with less racial diversity. There is of course some
cultural diversity varying with geographical location, but as
on Earth, there is a greater feeling of a global community as
communication technology has linked people closer together. The
Rrakith may be more homogeneous than us, but that does not mean
by any stretch of the imagination that they are stifled in their
arts, society or creativity, all of which differ greatly from
ours, but are beautiful and impressive in their own right.
Much of their culture
is based on their rich history. While we remember the past too,
the Rrakith do this so much more. While they do not get lost in
it, they do hold the past in great reverence, and much of their
art and society is based on this. Lots of their contemporary movies,
stories, and music call on old historical events or stories, re-telling
the familiar tales or using them in new and different ways. These
ties to their roots are woven firmly into their society, allowing
them to look back in remembrance while also looking ahead to the
future.
The Rrakith were once
carnivores, but like us, became omnivores to survive, and have
mostly divorced themselves from their instincts. However, like
us, they do occasionally hunt for sport, but even then only hunting
animals which can be used for food. Although this practice has
waned over the years, it is still enjoyed by enough individuals
to be seen with some degree of regularity. They usually prefer
using only simple weapons, or even just their claws when hunting,
as they feel this way keeps them closer to nature. They also participate
in survival courses that sharpen their wits and skills as a popular
form of recreation that borders on the ritualistic.
Their society is less competitive than
with ours, and therefore a more tightly-integrated one. A great
amount of pride in accomplishments offsets their lack of competitive
edge in trading with us, but also means that their society won't
slip into decay through apathy. Human society has come along way
over the years, fixing many of our mistakes and foibles, but we
have kept our sense of competition. This can be a good thing though,
as it has led to some great discoveries and advances on Earth.
Human creativity is different from that
of the Rrakith, not better, but different; both our races have
their good and bad points. For example, one bad point with the
Rrakith is that the same elevated sense of pride that enables
them to maintain parity with us, was also a stumbling block in
the relationships between our races.
Tact is an important skill here. One
case in point was very early on in the negotiations when a rrakith
team was demonstrating one of their latest technological achievements.
With terran technology being more advanced, the humans present
viewed it as quaint and lightly put it down. Without meaning to,
they offended the Rrakith and the discussions were a little bumpy
for a short time after that. Again, this was one of the many areas
where we had to learn to understand each other.
Religion
On Earth, with the growing world-consciousness
and cultures expanding and interacting globally, religion has
changed some with the passage of time, along with society. Religion
does still exists, as it is a fundamental part of human culture.
There are still prominent atheists and agnostics, but religion
has not waned with the rise of technology. Technology didn't kill
God, in fact the exploring of our universe opened up a wider world
of possibilities for some people, pondering the old, basic questions
once again.
There are still the same mixes of religions,
but things have blended over the years. Not only are people more
willing to accept differences in opinions, but there has been
a cross-cultivation of sorts in the religious, as well as social
and cultural arenas. There still are, of course, the different
religions, but an interesting and positive effect of the expanding
world-consciousness and global community has spawned new types
of theologies.
While the familiar sects of the larger
religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and the Eastern religions
are still thriving, there have sprung up many new forms of religion
which are a curious and fresh take on both philosophy and theology.
These new religions are a mixture of several doctrines, heavy
in new age ideals, and are also more personalized, allowing for
each individual's interpretation, as well as group discussions;
though these new churches tend to be smaller than those of traditional
theologies. Of course, even in this day and age, there still are
differences in opinions, but they are not as zealous as they have
historically been, and for the most part, people allow others
to worship in the way they choose.
For the Rrakith, their religion, like
their culture is more homogeneous. It does share common threads
with many human religions, which doesn't come as much of a surprise.
They have their own Goddess, and while they do not have a Savior
or Messiah like in Christianity or Judaism, there are other similarities,
as well as those to the Eastern Religions. The Rrakith tend to
have a more mystical bent
to their religion, which also ties in with their closeness to
nature, as they deeply respect their planet and all the life on
it.
For their Goddess, She is a hermaphrodite
like them, or to put it correctly, they believe they were created
in Her image. This did cause some misunderstandings at first,
as they wondered why She would've created us as such limited creatures,
which is how they originally perceived us with our separate genders.
There was also some mumbling on our part over the differences
in the religions, but we eventually reached an understanding.
The Rrakith actually had a more difficult
time than we did, as we were already used to trying to cope with
differing world views, but in the end, we were both able to look
more at the similarities between us, than our differences. The
fact that many humans see God as containing both the mother and
the father aspects, an all-encompassing joining of the two genders,
was a key fact that helped our two races see things eye to eye.
Being a hermaphrodite, the Rrakith Goddess
not only definitely has both genders, but She takes on the roles
of father and mother more literally. For them, the story of creation
is similar to many Human religions, but it is also more closely
tied to their physical modes of thinking. Indeed, in the beginning,
when the Goddess was alone in the void and She decided to create
the vast universe, She did it not with the sheer power of Her
will, but by fertilizing Herself and actually giving birth to
all of creation, with all life springing forth from Her loins.
As for the ideas of sins and an afterlife,
the Rrakith believe that every soul, having come from the Goddess,
has great worth and is redeemable. Therefore, they do not have
a notion of Hell, and their afterlife simply consists of joining
the Goddess and the other souls in an eternal communion. However,
before one can progress to this higher plane, when passing from
this life, they must resolve all unfinished business, putting
it behind them. Part of this resolution process is the atoning
for the sins of the past life which have not yet been repented
for.
While the soul is going through this
transition process, it resides in a state of limbo, but there
is no suffering, save for the realization of any sins that may
have hurt others or themselves. This cleansing process is healthy
and cathartic though, and there is no unnecessary guilt. This
does not mean that the Rrakith take a careless view of life though,
simply thinking that it doesn't matter what they do, since they
know they will eventually get into Heaven no matter what.
They know that they ultimately will
be responsible for their actions and have to answer for them,
and they realize that their actions affect the lives of other
people too, and as they have a high value for life, they would
not wish to hurt anyone unnecessarily. Pride also comes into play
here, as they want to been seen of being worthy of meeting the
Goddess. Of course this doesn't make the Rrakith perfect, like
all creatures with free will, they have temptations, can be ruled
by the heat of the moment and rash emotions, and they can make
mistakes, but then again, like sentient creatures, they also try
to strive for the best, even if they don't always achieve it.
Human-Rrakith Interaction
Humans and Rrakith are both curious
about each other, while at the same time thinking the other is
a bit strange. There were some minor misunderstandings near in
the beginning, when our two races were finding more out about
one another, but that is perfectly understandable.
Both our races have been peaceful for
some time now, as the availability, use and conservation of natural
resources were expanded with the aid of technology. Like us, the
Rrakith did have their periods of fighting, mostly over the use
of natural resources, since their culture is more homogenous and
there were less differences to fight over, but both worlds have
moved beyond that, and now the alliance between our two races
is very strong and friendly.
Shortly after first contact, there were
a few cases of xenophobia, on both sides of the fence, but for
everyone's sake this was the exception, not the rule. Of course
there are those who feel very uneasy about the aliens, but they
keep their distance and don't make trouble. The humans living
on Rramatharr are obviously willing to learn the ways of the new
culture, and their hosts are very hospitable. Of course with the
small amount of humans living there, they still are occasionally
viewed as a curiosity; most times that manifests itself with interested
rrakith asking them many questions, but in a friendly way, while
trying not to overwhelm them.
Again, because of their homogenous background,
the Rrakith had a slightly harder time getting used to us than
we did with them. We were already used to learning and living
with diversity, while the many differences in our races both confused
and intrigued them.
As for our sexualities, that's another
issue that is a bit strange for both races to get used to the
other. Of course we find the idea of both sexes in a single body
quite weird, while the Rrakith find it equally bizarre that the
sexes could be separated like that. The reactions are mixed, especially
at first, but we both are inquisitive; these differences provoked
many interesting questions and each race is intrigued with the
other, at least on an intellectual level.
There have been a few adverse reactions
on our part, with a few individuals, but again, it was mostly
just misunderstandings. Most heterosexuals do have a problem with
comprehending the Rrakith's combined genders and sexuality, but
don't necessarily think it's wrong, just very different and hard
to imagine. Those living alternative lifestyles, or who are just
more open-minded are able to understand it a little better. The
percentages of people with alternative lifestyles is about the
same as in the latter-part of the 20th century, perhaps a little
higher, but now are more widely accepted by the general public.
For the most part, it is no longer an issue, once again, people
tend to let others live the way they choose to.
Of course the Rrakith are just as confused over human sexuality, but they tend to be more inquisitive, and also a little more playful and physically expressive in general, so they are more interested. This doesn't mean that a lot of rrakith try to initiate physical relationships with humans. Human-Rrakith relationships can happen, but they are still rare, and many times are platonic, reaching the level of very close friends, but not lovers.
Government and Legal
System
The basic building block of the rrakith
government system is formed by communities, with issues worked
out in a manner similar to town meetings in the smaller human
cities and towns. These meetings involve everyone, including the
young, as they are valued for their fresh and unbiased ideas.
Instead of the equivalent position of a mayor, they have an elected
moderator. This isn't a paid job, but is a position of great respect
and their pride drives them to do the best for the community.
Of course there are civic offices, whose
employees run the community on a daily basis, but all of the important
matters are handled by the community
meetings.
These meetings are held at the end of each season, and afterwards,
with all of the business matters resolved, things turn into a
bit of a celebration, a social
event with singing, dancing and other entertainment, with lots
of food laid out as well.
Smaller cities and towns work as a single
unit, while larger cities are divided up into sectors, each of
these working as its own community within the city and having
their own planning meetings. Each community would be run as a
separate district, with heads of each district coming together
to meet and discuss matters on a city-wide level.
From the city level, the next step is
larger districts which are similar to states or provinces, with
things moving onto the global level after that. They have fewer
levels of bureaucracy than with human governments, handling a
lot of the decisions at the community and district levels, with
the upper levels just to oversee operations and to work out details
between districts. They still have nations, set up mostly along
geological boundaries, but they aren't as meaningful as they were
in the past. Rramatharr too has had its shares of wars in the
past, mainly over resource usage, but with a smaller, and more
homogenous population than Earth, the Rrakith had an easier time
of setting up a solid global government.
There are crimes on Rramatharr, just
like on Earth, though both worlds have seen a general decline
as technology has been used to push the overall global well-being
further along. Of course no society is perfect, and there are
those, whom for whatever reasons, will break the rules. Their
penal system is designed for rehabilitation, showing people the
errors of their ways, more than just for punishment. There is
also a great deal of counseling and treatment of any mental or
emotional problems which may have led the individual to commit
their crimes. This set-up does not mean that criminals are just
given a slap on the wrist, they are put to work for the state,
as part of their rehabilitation, but doing meaningful labor, not
in a chain-gang fashion breaking rocks all day.
Their legal system does not impose set
sentences either. Instead the criminal virtually sets their own
length of punishment, by their willingness to conform to the communities
standards within the penance imposed on them. Of course they are
very careful to make sure someone is sincere and has been rehabilitated,
with careful observation and counseling; their penal system is
very effective, and there is an extremely low rate of repeat offenders.
Then there is murder, it is extremely
rare due to their respect for life, but it does occasionally happen.
The Rrakith have capital punishment for this ultimate of transgressions,
however, they have an interesting twist to it. Instead of executing
the criminal, she is left alone in her cell with a poison tablet,
which when swallowed, cause a quick and painless death. She is
expected to atone for her sins and prepare for the afterlife,
then at her choosing, she will take the poison, ending her life
under her own volition.
This method of punishment not only allows
the people handing out the judgment to be free from the guilt
of ending a life, but it also allows the criminal to work towards
the cleansing of her soul, shortening her time in limbo and allowing
her to meet with the Goddess in a quicker fashion. There are the
extremely rare cases where an individual shows no remorse and
has no intentions of ending her life. After several counseling
sessions, if she is still adamant, they will have no choice but
to end her life for her, knowing that it must be done and wishing
her soul luck with the atonement process.
Family Life
A rrakith family differs significantly
from a human family because of the differences in our two species
genders. While human families most often consist of a mother,
a father, and their children, due to the normal male-female pairing
for producing offspring, the Rrakith, being hermaphrodites, have
a less-rigid setting. For them extended families are common, even
with the situation of several parents in the family with children
from different combinations of matings.
Being hermaphrodites, the Rrakith also
do not have the typical gender references that we are used to.
For convenience, we refer to them in the female gender, given
their overall feminine appearance, and for the simple fact that
any individual capable of giving birth is considered female, irrespective
of the fact that she can sire a child also.
For the Rrakith, learning the human
terms for masculine and feminine for referring to us proved a
little tricky, but they have adapted well to working with that
mode of thinking. There is the occasional slip up, which may prove
embarrassing, but usually is humorous, and for humans interacting
with them for long periods of time, it's just accepted as a language
difficulty and is not a big deal.
Even though they do not have specific
gender terms, the Rrakith do have special terms for their parents,
based on who gave birth to and who sired them. The rrakith word
for parent is "rral," which is modified to "aarmekrral"
meaning "caring parent," and applies to the non-biological
parents of the child, the other adults in the extended family
who help to take care of them. "Kremmekrral" means "birthing
parent" and is their nearest equivalent to 'mother.' "Rrammekrral"
means "siring parent" and is their equivalent to 'father.'
Given the tendency for their families
to involve more than two parents, having a child simply call out
for their mother or father could be very confusing, and not very
effective. Instead the cubs will actually refer to their parents
by their first name to alleviate this potential confusion. For
example a child might say something like "Is Rral-Ssarrabi
coming home soon?"
For the addressing of adults, the word
"Kith," is used in similar instances for the human equivalent
of Mister, Master, Madam, Ms or Miss. In keeping with the way
they address their parents, children will often address adults
by their first name too, especially with familiar figures, like
teachers. For less-well-known adults, the full name is used; this
is also used in formal business settings.
Rrakith have surnames which are used
in formal occasions for introductions and other similar situations.
The Rrakith's surnames are similar to those in human societies,
but given their extended families, refer to a clan name, rather
than a single family name. A rrakith's full name is created by
using a modifier similar to the Scottish "Mac." This
modifier, "Pak," literally means "clan-child."
For example a rrakith named Ssamara Pak Trekkar would mean "Ssamara,
clan-child of the Trekkar."
Clans consist of more than one family,
in fact they could have quite a large population. Some clans can
even consist of the population of a small township. Saying that
you are from Pak Grammur for example, could state that not only
are you of the Grammur clan, but also from the township of Grammur;
this would be enough to distinguish between families on a global
basis. Of course, for larger towns and cities, the population
will be made up of multiple clans. Also, there is mixing between
members of different clans, especially in this modern age where
global travel is readily accessible. However the Rrakith's respect
for history and tradition play a part in their associating themselves
with a particular historical area and keeping their clan ties.
Since the clans can be very large, there
might be some thought as to how individuals' names are kept straight,
as in a given area there might only be a small number of clan
names to designate people by. In large cities there will, of course,
be many different clan names to help tell individuals apart, but
even in the smaller townships with one clan name there is not
a problem with duplicate names. While we have a predilection for
using the same names or naming children after relatives, the Rrakith
have a preference for using unique names, or at least infrequently-used
ones. They also feel it inappropriate to use the name of a living
relative or clan-member, therefore they do not have the problem
of mistaken identity.
Being hermaphrodites, the Rrakith cannot
base their lineage on either their father or mother's family like
we can. Instead lineage is traced through the clans. When there
is interbreeding between clans, when someone from one clan joins
a family of a different clan, their clan name needs to reflect
this. Given the territorial nature of the clan name, it is usually
the individual who moves location to the other's family who would
change their clan name. This of course isn't a hard and fast rule,
like all rules it has its exceptions. Sometimes the individual
may keep their own clan name, this could be for status if one
clan has more historical or social significance than the other,
or like some human women who keep their maiden name after marriage.
Clothing
Given that Rramatharr has a larger warm
climate area than Earth and with the Rrakith's fur covering, they
do not need a lot of clothing to keep them warm. Rrakith clothing
is light and comfortable and is typical of human summer fashions,
with shorts or short skirts and light shirts or halter-tops.
Clothing is worn for public politeness
too, as they have general mores against public nudity. Their public
dress codes are not uptight though, it's just something everyone
follows to get along. There are also situations where these codes
are more lax than at other times, for example in recreational
settings. Most beaches on Rramatharr are clothing-optional, for
the simple reason that wearing clothing in the water seems a bit
silly to them and they enjoy the natural feel of the sun and surf
against their bare fur.
Clothing for them also evolved for decorative
purposes, so they do have dress uniforms for certain positions,
such as public officials and people working in the business professions.
Of course then there's clothing worn for parties and celebration,
which tend to be more flashy and colorful.
Rrakith footwear also varies depending
on the situation. They can and do go barefoot quite frequently,
again they like the natural feel of it on the grass or sand. However,
there are many times when their feet need to be protected, so
in these situations they wear a type of sandals. For situations
where a more-formal mode of dress is required, boots made of a
very soft, leathery material are used. Of course harder, sturdier
boots are used in dangerous situations, like a factory setting,
in order to protect their feet from injury.
Rrakith Language and Writing
Any humans interacting on a long-term
basis with the Rrakith will need to learn to both read and write
as well as speak their language, which is a little difficult at
first, but we are good at adapting and
can use pocket computers
to aid us. The language uses words built
from letters, rather than a character-based one. The rrakith alphabet
consists of forty-one letters:
sixteen vowels and twenty-five consonants. The different vowel
sounds are split into separate letters instead of the many ways
a single vowel can be pronounced in many human languages.
Many words in the rrakith language have
the English equivalent of placing two consonants together, such
as "rr" or "ss," which gives the language
a fluid, almost purring kind of sound. This of course isn't an
absolute, like all languages, the rule has its exceptions, but
the double-consonant arrangement does happen quite often. Words
also tend to be limited to two or three syllables, again there
are exceptions, but this is the general rule. Some examples of
rrakith names are: Mkkarr, Rrynnak, Krillarr, Ssarrabi and Ssamara.
Rrakith writing still vaguely resembles
the claw scratchings it has evolved from, but as with our writing,
their letters have become more stylized over time, and many different
font sets have been developed. Their letters consist of many straight
lines, there are some arcs in there too, but they still are more
angular than the Arabic character set.
Centuries ago, the people
of Rramatharr decided to rationalize all their languages into
one main tongue spoken all over the planet. In the process, they
also refined their alphabet to eliminate inconsistent pronunciations
and superfluous letters. Therefore, any word is pronounced exactly
as written. The student of the rrakith language needs only to
learn what syllable(s) to put emphasis on. The grammatical structure
is also very precise, and will be discussed after the alphabet.
Their letters do not have
upper and lower cases, only one form applies. The exception is
calligraphy where old forms are used for mostly ornamental or
historical purposes. The following consonants are pronounced exactly
the same way as in modern English:
B, D, F, G, H, J, K, L,
M, N, P, R, S, T, V, W, Z,
and Y (as in "Yes,"
not "skY") Y is not used as a vowel.
There are also the following
combination-letter sounds which have their own one character consonants,
but are shown as lower case letters, or special characters, due
to the limitations of the Roman character set:
c (CHair), n (loNG), r
(rolled r as in Rrakith), s (SHip), t (THere),
# (THin), and z (meaSure).
Finally there are the
vowels and once again, combination-letter sounds are represented
by a single letter:
A (mate), a (far), @ (cat)
E (meet), e (get), * (term)
I (fine), i (hit)
O (note), o (hot), % (mOOn)
U (cute), u (but)
X (prOW), Q (pOUr), &
(bOY or cOIn)
Although the Rrakith can
pronounce some other variations, they are not taught, except for
archaic language studies. Obviously, for the benefit of the reader,
any words from the rrakith language used in this paper will be
spelled phonetically in English .
At the same time as they
were rationalizing their alphabet, the Rrakith were constructing
a common language. This wasn't as difficult as one might think,
as there was already a wide-spread trade tongue, which had an
easy grammatical structure. A multiplicity of dialects still exist
on Rramatharr
,
but everyone learns the common tongue also. The Rrakith's name
for their language is "Gardokka" and literally means
"Single Word." Many rrakith words consist of a number
of smaller words joined together like this.
Only a general overview
will be given here for the benefit of the people who might get
confused by some rrakith's way of speaking our language. However,
due to the fact that they have eliminated all the odd exceptions
to the rules of grammar, their speech is easily learned, although
one must still get their tongue around the pronunciation of some
words.
Firstly, all nouns have
only one version. There aren't singular and plural forms, but
the nouns are preceded by a quantifier for this purpose. An English
equivalent to this would be the word "sheep," as you
can say one sheep or ten sheep without changing the spelling for
the plural form. The quantifiers include all definite or indeterminate
forms, such as the Rrakith's versions of the words "the,"
"a," "several," "one," or any other
specific number. All adjectives come after the noun.
Verbs too have the simple,
single spelling. All tenses are indicated by a modifier that precedes
the verb and often implies a pronoun. The verb is always spelled
the same despite being first, second or third person, past, present
or future, singular or plural. For example, the verb "to
run" is "lepeth." "I am running" is written
as "bu lepeth," "they will run" is "lak
lepeth," and "Ssarrabi ran" is "Ssarrabi tek
lepeth." The negative is indicated by putting the suffix
"-ma" onto the modifier. For example "they will
not run" is written as "lak-ma lepeth." Adverbs
always follow the verb.
Conjunctions, prepositions,
and many other parts of speech will follow the familiar usage
of Modern English. The written word is never abbreviated as with
contractions in English, but in common spoken usage this does
occur sometimes, as do local accents. Although there are a few
other things to learn, these rules will enable the reader to learn
the basic tongue very quickly.
Number System
Given that their mathematics evolved
from the humble beginnings of counting on their digits, it is
not surprising that the Rrakith use a base-8 number system. Dealing
with octal numbers is just another difference humans interacting
with the Rrakith need to get used to.
Money
As would be expected, the rrakith monetary
system is based on their octal numbering scheme, with their version
of the dollar (Femma)
broken up into 64 smaller units (Jal). While we have gone exc
lusively
with electronic cash transactions, the Rrakith still hold on to
physical money, using both bills of differing denominations, and
coins for their fractional monetary units.
Of course with their level of technology
they do use electronic transactions a great deal, but given their
mindset with strong ties to their past, they still have a fondness
for tangible currency. Large transactions are done with electronic
payments, while smaller ones would usually be carried out with
physical currency. Also, presents of small sums of money at important
occasions are of more significance when tendered as real cash
rather than an impersonal transaction slip.
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
With the Rrakith's advance medical sciences,
they obviously have many synthetic pharmaceuticals, however, given
their ties to nature, they also rely on many naturally-occurring
substances, and use medicines that are taken from these herbal
remedies. Agriculture for pharmaceuticals is a big industry on
Rramatharr. Along with the trading of scientific knowledge, many
new rrakith medicines promised to be very useful to Earth.
Along with their medicines, the Rrakith
have also taken a few recreational drugs from nature. Like us,
they discovered the effects of fermenting long ago and have several
varieties of wines. There are also certain types of leaves which
act as mild, natural stimulants, these are often used in their
unprocessed forms as a gentle pick me up, similar to how we
might use coffee or tea. A very popular variety of this is called
"drekassar" and the 'kassar shop is even more ubiquitous
and popular than the terran coffee shop. These are often the favorite
meeting places of many social groups.
There are also several kinds of incense
that, when burned, not only smell pleasing but have some physical
effects. The incense comes in different forms and strengths, so
its potency can vary from having no effect at all, up the strongest
levels which produces results similar to marijuana, though more
just the mellowing properties, and not as much of the psycho-active
effects.
Both their wines and the incense are
used in ceremonial settings too, though for the incense, the weaker
grades are employed. The incense is also used in the households,
such as burning a lower-concentrated blend at a holiday or a special
meal, for a pleasant-smelling environment. All of their drugs
are safe and do not have any physical dependencies to them; they
handle them responsibly and safely, teaching their children to
do so too. There are however, as with any culture, the occasional
excesses, but these too are generally handled in a safe manner.
Their drugs have similar effects on
humans, especially for the natural stimulants and fermented beverages.
Some of their wines are stronger than their terran equivalents,
and sometimes more bitter, definitely a required taste, but it
seems to fit the rrakith palate well. For the incense, while it
smells agreeable to us, the effects are lesser than on the Rrakith.
Higher concentrations of the formula would be needed to give a
human the mellowing properties that a rrakith would feel at lower
dosages.
On Earth, we still use manufactured
drugs for recreational purposes, though over the years we have
outgrown the need for a lot of them and have abandoned a lot of
the nasty, so called, "designer drugs" for safer alternatives.
Alcohol, stimulants, and depressants for mellowing out are still
used, but attitudes towards their use have gotten better and more
responsible.
The new drugs are a lot better to use,
with a lot of side effects and addictive properties having been
removed. There are still, stronger, more-dangerous, illegal drugs
around, and they are still used, but their use has declined considerably,
with people favoring the safer, and legal alternatives. We still
have our occasional vices, but the situation is a lot better than
in the past.
Trading with the Rrakith has been across
the board, so this also includes the legal terran drugs. The Rrakith
are amused at the idea of using manufactured drugs when natural
ones work just fine for them, though they do try some of our lower-potency
ones for an interesting diversion. The Rrakith's natural drugs,
especially the stimulants, are widely accepted on Earth and seen
as boon to help counteract what some see as an over-dependence
on manufactured drugs.
Physical Description
of the Rrakith
The Rrakith are bipedal, anthropomorphic
felines, with a skeletal structure which has overall similarities
to that of Humans, differing the most at the lower legs, and digitigrade
feet. Another noticeable difference is their tails, which are
nearly as long as their legs, about the thickness of an arm, and
very mobile and expressive.
Their heads are another obvious difference
from us, showing feline characteristics. Rrakith facial features
are very much like that of a cat, but with anthropomorphic touches.
Their heads are covered by a long, flowing mane, which is tamed
into hairstyles in ways similar to ours. Their ears are a little
larger and more pointed than with the proportions of terran felines,
and located higher up on their heads than our ears are, pushing
through the mane to rise above it. These ears are very flexible
and they play a large role in expressing emotions and body language,
as well as giving the Rrakith a good sense of hearing.
Rrakith eyes are oval-shaped, but tilted
slightly in towards their muzzles. The pupils are wider than cats,
but do have a definite elliptical shape, and aren't as wide as
ours. Eye color generally tends to be a greenish-yellow, with
some variations in light amber or hazel hues. Their irises are
much larger than in Humans, covering more area and leaving less
whites to their eyes.
Their muzzles are slightly shorter than
for a terran cat of the same size. Ending at a large pink, feline
nose, and the thin, black, expressive lips of their mouth, the
shorter muzzles fit their face well and add to the overall anthropomorphic
look of the Rrakith. However, the presence of whiskers, and the
predatory look of their sharp, pointed teeth serve as obvious
reminders that even with their similarities to us, the Rrakith
are indeed aliens.
As to the senses, the Rrakith have a
better sense of smell and hearing than us. This is more noticeable
with smell than sight, while the rrakith olfactory senses are
easily better than ours, their sense of hearing is only slightly
better. One advantage the Rrakith do have over us in terms of
hearing though, is their ability to swivel their ears, giving
them a higher-degree of directional hearing, and allowing them
to pinpoint sounds more easily; of course we can always turn our
heads, so this is only a slight advantage.
Rrakith vision is about the same as
ours, although they do have better night vision. As a result of
the way their eyes are designed for excelling in low-light conditions,
their vision has a trade-off in color acuity, which is less than
ours. They are by no means color blind, but they don't perceive
colors as deeply
as we do. They can still see a wide range of colors, but it is
washed out, compared to what
a human would see. Also, because of the elliptical shape of their
pupils, their vision is slightly more acute along the vertical
axis. This accentuates vertical edges a tad more than horizontal
ones.
The average height of
the Rrakith is slightly shorter than that of Humans, while deviations
from the average height are less for them than for us. Overall
muscle strength is about the same, on the average, for the Rrakith
as it is for us. However, the Rrakith are faster, especially at
running, but as a trade-off, they have a lower endurance, and
when working alongside humans, they would need a bit more rest
at times.
The Rrakith's hands are similar to ours,
but only in overall construction, upon closer examination several
differences are apparent. The first of these
differences
(and the most obvious) is that their hands only have four digits:
three fingers and an opposable
thumb. Pads of soft skin cover their fingertips and palm, where
their fur is absent, giving them very good tactile senses. They
have small, vestigial claws in place of fingernails, which can
be extended for use as tools or weapons.
The fingers of each hand are not all
the same length, but they are closer in size to each other than
with our fingers. Their fingers are also a little shorter than
ours, which gives their hands a bit of an blunter look, but though
we may have better dexterity, rrakith fingers are still able to
handle fine manipulation of objects. Their arts, industry and
sciences have not suffered from this slight shortcoming.
Rrakith have digitigrade feet, making
them longer and narrower than ours, save for the end near their
toes which makes contact with the ground. Their feet widen out
at the toes, which are more squat than their human counterparts,
giving them more surface area to walk on. All four of their toes
are almost all the same size, but the middle two are just a little
bigger, and a touch more forward, much like in a cat's foot. As
with their fingers, they also have small claws at the ends of
their toes. The soles of the their feet, which come in contact
with the ground, also have pads on them, and are devoid of fur.
Through evolution, the design of their
feet gives the Rrakith enough surface area to support their weight.
The bending of the lower legs, and their tail act as an effective
counter balance, keeping their center of gravity stable and allowing
them to walk with ease.
Even with their anthropomorphic features,
the Rrakith still have an overall feline appearance. Along with
the differences of their feet, their facial features and their
tail, they also have a coat of fur covering their bodies. Their
fur is not as thick as with terran felines though. It is not thin
enough to see the skin beneath it, without parting it for a closer
examination, but this lighter coat does allow them to have quite
good sensory perceptions, even on areas of their body fully covered
by fur. As previously stated, the bottoms of their hands and feet
are furless. The fur also thins out to expose the bare skin of
their nipples and the extremities of their genital regions.
Their thinner fur also makes way for
dissipation of heat through sweating. They don't have as many
sweat glands as we do, nor do they sweat as heavily, but this
does allow them to keep cool during periods of exercise without
the need to be constantly panting.
They
will of course pant some during periods of high exertion, but
we are also known to breathe heavily
in similar circumstances.
Rrakith fur colorations tend to be in
the golden-brown of cougars and the tawny yellows of lions, but
with variations into the darker browns, or an occasional auburn
tint in some individuals. They also have lighter patches of fur
along the muzzle and chest areas, tapering down the front of their
bodies to the crotch. Fur patterns appear mostly in variations
of color, such as a blending of a darker shade of coloring into
the coat. Interbreeding has washed out the stronger patterning,
although the throwback of an interesting pattern does occasionally
emerge.
Rrakith Body Language
The Rrakith are very fluid and physically
expressive, with their ears, facial features and tail playing
very strong roles in their body language. With their ears being
mobile, they, along with the eyes, are used to convey a lot of
emotions. Their tails, which are very supple and a natural extension
to their roughly-humanoid form, also give away a lot of what a
rrakith might be thinking.
Their tails will swish happily when
they are in a pleasant mood, moving with more animation when they
are excited. Alternatively, when a rrakith is either angry or
scared, their tails will tend to stiffen up, along with the rest
of their body and twitch nervously. Also when angry or afraid,
the Rrakith's short fur will stand on end, with the classic "fight
or flight" response.
For their facial features, more detail
is used in describing the Rrakith. When they are in a happy or
pleasant mood, their ears will flex slightly up and down, with
their eyes sparkling with their emotions. Their lips will twitch
slightly into a subtle smirk, but there is no version of a large
grin, like we have, as for them showing teeth is seen as an expression
of anger or challenge. Some rrakith, after being around humans
for awhile and observing us, do pick up our habit of a smile,
but it is still not as obvious, again not a full grin, just a
light smirk, which can look quite attractive on their muzzles.
Like a cat, the Rrakith can and do purr
when they are happy. This purring is usually very slight, and
might be just barely audible. However, under the right circumstances,
usually involving tactile stimuli, such as a relaxing massage,
their purrs become deeper and more powerful. They also have their
version of laughter, which is usually a throaty, chuckling sound,
with just a hint of a purr to it. When laughing, their mouth will
open, usually just slightly, but their lips aren't pulled back
to expose their teeth.
If a rrakith is ever extremely amused,
and caught in a laughing fit, like us, their mouths will open
even wider, showing an unavoidable glimpse of a tooth or two.
What is very interesting about their stronger laughter is that,
to the untrained human ear, how much like roaring it can sound.
In fact, this is something that we had to get used to upon spending
long periods of time living with the Rrakith. There is also, of
course, the cultural differences for humor, with many jokes not
surviving the translation between our species. A lot of Rrakith
comedy tends to be very physical, similar to slapstick, so that
is at least one spot of common ground between us.
For sadness, the Rrakith have similar
modes of expression to those of ours, but with the added feature
of their ears and tail. When in a gloomy mood, their ears will
droop, as well as their tail slackening. The general mood of sadness
is also cast on their face, showing easily in their eyes. Also,
like us, the Rrakith do cry. No matter how alien they may look,
seeing a rrakith with watery eyes shows, that, without a doubt,
even with their differing thought patterns, we still share some
things in common with them.
For fear and anger, along with their
body stiffening up, there are obvious signs in their facial expressions.
For fear, their eyes are wide open, their pupils dilating, with
their ears alert, up at attention and drawn slightly back. When
angry, their eyes will again be wide open, but with their ears
now flattened back against their head. When angry they will open
their mouths and show some teeth in a snarl. They are more restrained
than a wild cat, but the sight is undeniably feral, especially
when an individual is highly enraged; it can be quite a convincing
and terrifying sight, especially to those new to dealing with
the Rrakith. As mentioned earlier, their tail will be moving with
agitated motions at this time.
When excited or interested in something,
their eyes will open wider, but not as wide as when angry or scared.
Their ears will also pick up to partial attention, with their
tail swishing behind them absent-mindedly as they stare with rapt
attention at whatever it is that has captured their interest.
Their versions of conveying affirmative
or negative communications are similar to ours, but with their
own differences. A negative response is very similar, a simple
head shaking, almost exactly like how we would express it. For
conveying understanding or affirmative though, they do not nod
their heads like we do. Instead they slightly tilt their heads
to the side briefly, and then back up again.
Like us, their greeting gestures no
doubt evolved from how strangers in primitive times would try
and appear non-threatening when meeting one another. For the Rrakith,
they offer both hands to each other, with their arms partially
extended and their palms face up. The reasoning behind this is
most likely that it makes trying to claw someone more difficult.
During greeting, they will also cock their heads back, as to expose
the nick just slightly, most likely left over from their ancestors
as baring necks is a sign of submission. Like us, these greeting
gestures are reserved for meeting people for the first time, or
for business settings. Amongst friends, family members and lovers,
their greetings are more personal, which brings the discussion
to how they show affection.
For showing affection to one another,
they will embrace, very much like us, also nuzzling each other's
necks and rubbing their cheeks together. They will also lick at
each other's muzzles, sometimes giving little love nips to the
neck. The touching of noses is very common. They will sometimes
lick at each other's lips, but this is not the same as a human
kiss, though once again, this is something that a few rrakith
might pick up from their interactions with humans.
The Rrakith tend to be very tactile
in showing affection, hugging and stroking each other, sometimes
resulting in contented purrs. They are more physically expressive
than us, even with friends and family members, but this physical
contact is obviously not always in a romantic or sexual way. They
realize you can be close and intimate in platonic ways as well,
and though the boundary between friends and lovers is distinct,
it does also blend, for they view lovers to be the ultimate closeness
in a friendship and see those interactions as a natural progression.
Reproductive System Anatomy
Now for the really interesting part
of the discussion: the rrakith reproductive system. As already
mentioned, the Rrakith are hermaphrodites, which means of course,
that they have both sets of complete male and female reproductive
organs. Physically this results in an overall feminine appearance,
with the Rrakith having two breasts and a body design with proportions
and structure that we associate with the female form.
On closer inspection, however, the Rrakith's
true nature comes out: their genitalia is a mixture of both sexes.
This was an evolutionary choice made somewhere along the lines
in the development of life on Rramatharr, for most of the animals
there are also hermaphrodites. There are a few animals resulting
from a split in the
evolutionary-tree somewhere, that are divided into the two sexes
like life on Earth, but they are very rare.
When we first discovered the Rrakith
were hermaphrodites, we were obviously very surprised. Scientifically
it was a breakthrough biological discovery, and it sparked a lot
of discussion over our differing evolutionary paths. At the same
time though, it was still very hard for us to comprehend the melding
of the two sexes into one. In fact many found the idea somewhat
revolting and offensive at first.
The Rrakith were as equally taken aback
by the fact that we could live like we do, with our two halves
separated apart. While they had seen it in a few animals on their
world, it was still very hard for them to conceptualize what it
would be like for us, feeling that we were somehow limited by
our separate genders. They also had revulsion of their own to
deal with, as for them, the thought of their mating aspect ripped
in two like that was something akin to the human male castration
complex.
Fortunately for both our races, scientific
curiosity and open-mindedness did prevail, and while to the general
populace of both worlds, the differences in our reproductive construction
is a big mystery or curiosity, both races have been able to accept
the other's differences, and learn to get along together. Obviously
the genetic differences between Rrakith and Humans are much too
great to allow interbreeding, and for the most part, we are both
still too nervous about each other to have romantic relationships
occur. However, as an inevitable outcome from any long-term mixing
of people from different cultures, there is bound to be some experimentation
sooner or later.
An examination of the genitalia shows
that the Rrakith have a full set of functioning male and female
reproductive organs, with some differences from ours. One obvious
difference is, that for the life on Rramatharr, the situation
requiring that sperm be produced at a temperature slightly lower
than that of the core body temperature never occurred. Therefore,
for the Rrakith, and the other hermaphroditic life on Rramatharr,
there is no scrotum, as the testes are internal to the body.
The penis lies above the
top of the vagina in the Rrakith, and is sheathed when not erect.
The skin of the protective sheath is flexible, allowing for good
freedom of movement of the penis during erection, permitting it
to point forwards from the abdomen, and allowing for copulation
in as many ways as we can. Another quirk of the Rrakith's development
is that they have separate seminal and urinary tracks, with the
urethra located near the top of the vagina, as in human females,
which then leaves the penis as a purely copulatory organ.
Mating Habits
Like human females, the Rrakith have
an ovulation cycle over which the concentration of hormones varies.
The interesting thing about the Rrakith's cycle though, is that
it fluctuates between male and female hormones. The cycle is twenty-six
days long. For two or three days out of this cycle, she is fertile
and can be impregnated. At this time her female hormones are at
a maximum level, with her male hormones at the lowest, so at this
time she acts more feminine than at other points along her cycle.
Thirteen days later, her
hormone levels are fully reversed, with the male hormones being
at their maximum levels and the female hormones tapering off.
At this point she exhibits more masculine traits and is the most
potent for siring offspring. The Rrakith have a unique organ which
produces and regulates both male and female hormones and prevents
complications due to their ever-changing balance.
Throughout a rrakith's
cycle, her hormone levels are changing, along with their effects
on her attitudes and personality. At and near the peak of the
female side of the cycle, she would be more likely to engage in
sex as a female, paying more attention to her female anatomy.
The opposite is true at the other end of the cycle, with her focusing
more attention on her male genitalia, and acting more masculine.
Between the peaks of her cycle, the individual's interests and
mindset shift gradually between the two extremes.
However, the Rrakith don't always mate
according to where they are in their cycles.
As
a sentient species, they can choose to mate however and whenever
they choose. Their cycles do
play a part in their mating habits, but their minds are not ruled
by their hormones, only the ability to produce offspring is an
absolute. Also if two lovers have similar cycles, there is a natural
mechanism which increases the chances for the couple producing
offspring. When any two rrakith are living together for a long
enough period of time, their cycles will naturally drift apart,
allowing them to eventually diverge and be at opposite ends of
the cycle compared to each other, so when one is near estrus,
the other will be near full male potency.
Pregnancy, Birth and Caring for Cubs
The gestation period for
rrakith offspring is between thirty-two and thirty-three rramatharr
weeks, which is just slightly longer than in humans. They have
the usual ratio of number of breasts to number of children, i.e.:
1 pair to 1 child. However, although single births are normal,
the Rrakith do have a significantly higher incidence of twins
than we do, occurring at a rate of about 4.5% as opposed to 1.15%
for us. The numbers for triplets and quads falls off logarithmically,
so they are almost as rare for the Rrakith as for us. Although
twins occur more often than in humans, they are still rare enough
to be seen as special, and couples with twins born to them are
considered to be very lucky.
Another interesting aspect of the Rrakith's
combined genders is that both parents are able to lactate and
nurse their cubs, not just the one who gave birth to them. Lactation
in the Rrakith is very easy to stimulate, and in most cases occurs
naturally in the non-birthing parent from being close to their
mate during the period of pregnancy, and at birth, with subtle
hormonal and olfactory messages triggering the lactation reflex.
The sharing of the nursing of the cubs
produces strong bonds between the young and both of their parents
from early on, and as with us, sharing the joy of their offspring
brings mates closer together. In some cases, if the non-birthing
parent has trouble starting lactation, a simple herbal lactation
inducement can be used to solve the problem. Also, in some cases,
other adult members of the extended family will help out with
the nursing of the young, which produces a very tight-knit family
unit.
Life-span and Adolescence
The rrakith life-span
is quite long, over two-hundred terran years, thanks to their
advanced medical sciences. Human life-spans have been increasing
too over the years, but are still less than those of the Rrakith,
coming up to about one-hundred-forty. The trading of scientific
knowledge with the Rrakith promises to help to extend our life-spans.
The Rrakith enter puberty
just slightly later than we do, starting between the age of eleven
and twelve rramatharr years. Puberty and adolescence
lasts longer for the Rrakith too, but most rrakith are able to
both sire and conceive a child sometime in the early part of their
thirteenth year. Rrakith are considered to be adults at the age
of fourteen, which is roughly equivalent to sixteen terran years,
though they stay in school for another two to six years, some
even longer if they choose an academically-intensive route.
The Rrakith do not celebrate
their birthdays every year as we do. Instead they mark certain
key stages in their lives with rites of passage. Although not
universal, the common custom is to celebrate the following events:
Allowing for the long
Rramatharr year, it can be seen that these milestones have much
in common with the steps in our own lives. After entering adulthood,
rites of passage aren't scheduled as they are for children and
adolescents. Instead significant events, such as a couple giving
birth to a cub, or an individual reaching an important step in
their career, are celebrated when appropriate.
Given that the Rrakith are very physically
expressive of their feelings for one another, this comes into
play with their developing sexuality during adolescence. Friendships
are always expressed with playful and close bonds, and with the
onset of puberty, these expressions between close friends
can
gradually grow into the romantic domain.
This sexual experimentation is expected
and considered a normal and healthy part of growing up. Parents,
teachers and doctors are all very open about sexuality to adolescents,
and there is a thorough teaching of it throughout
the
teenage years. In fact teaching sexual relationships are considered
a very important part of parenting, with open discussions on it,
and the importance of birth control. Sexuality is considered a
normal and important part of life and is
not shied away from. Of course adult topics are not discussed
in front of young cubs, but at the same time parents are not flustered
when a child asks questions like where babies come from.
Sex play amongst teenagers is common
and expected, and through their adolescent years, the Rrakith
gradually learn about sex through this experimentation, coming
to better understandings of their bodies and inter-personal relationships
from it. For the Rrakith, adolescence is not a period of confusion
as it can be for us, but seen more as a wonderful time of growth
and learning. Many a rrakith looks back on their adolescence with
fond memories, especially when recalling their first loves.
Because of their highly-advanced medical
sciences, the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases is virtually
nil. However, there still is a chance of accidental pregnancy,
not only with an unprotected couple, but, because the Rrakith
are hermaphrodites, there is a very small chance of self-fertilization
via a "splash pregnancy" while masturbating. So for
that reason and the fact that the Rrakith do readily participate
in sexual relations, there is a need for contraceptives.
Birth control is achieved through means
of long-lasting shots or a small implant, similar to Norplant.
These contraceptives are not only extremely
effective,
but without any nasty side effects, leaving the Rrakith's hormonal
cycle functional, but egg fertilization inhibited. Birth control
is taught along with the rest
of the sex education so that everyone is informed on it. It is
a voluntary measure, but as there is no stigma against it, its
use is very widespread. Contraceptive usage is seen as part of
keeping oneself healthy and safe, with it being a routine procedure
that can be done as part of a routine physical check-up during
a visit to the doctor's office.
Attitudes Towards Sex
Of course even with the
best contraceptives, there is a very slight chance for an accidental
pregnancy. There are also some individuals who might get too careless;
even adults could occasionally forget the routine maintenance
required and let the effectiveness of their contraceptive fall
too low. There is no stigma attached to accidental pregnancies,
they are just viewed as a situation which must be dealt with.
Dealing with an accidental
pregnancy requires the input of all those involved, being the
couple if they're adults, or also the family members if she is
an adolescent. If the individual is too young, they may decide
to abort. They value the choice of the people involved, but also
consider the fact that they are terminating a life. As with most
decisions, there is a balance that must be reached, and usually
they will opt for adopting the cub into the extended family, where
the adults would help bring up the young, sort of like surrogate
parents.
For those who choose to
get themselves pregnant without a formal mate, it will be accepted
as there is no single-parent stigma, though it is assumed that
a single parent will still have close relatives help her out.
Generally, nobody lives alone, as the Rrakith are very social.
A self-pregnancy would be a lifestyle choice within a family group,
but an aberration for a loner. Because of the Rrakith's strong
sense of family, loners are very rare, and are seen as having
some emotional or personality problems; in extreme cases they
are often urged to seek counseling for help.
Just because the Rrakith
are open sexually, it doesn't mean that it's free love all the
time and you have people copulating in the streets. They are a
very open people, but they don't sleep with anything that moves.
They reserve sex for people very close to them. Also, while teenagers
do experiment with sex play, that doesn't mean they go out and
immediately lose their virginity at the onset of puberty, it is
a slow process for them to gradually explore their sexuality with
their first loves.
Although they are more
physical with expressing their feelings, they also have public
decency mores, such as no public nudity outside of previously
mentioned clothing-optional venues. Public displays of affection
are okay, such as hugging, cuddling, and even light kissing, but
it is considered rude to engage in more intimate behavior in public.
If a couple were to get too heavily involved they would be suggested
to "rent a room." Not that sex is ever thought to be
naughty or dirty, it's just that sex is meant to be a private
and intimate sharing, and it's considered polite not to force
others into feeling that they are intruding.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the Rrakith
are a similar but also very different race, and interacting with
them has advantages for both of our worlds. This interaction has
only just begun and it holds many interesting lessons in store
for us. There are things we have only just begun to learn from
one another, and our friendship promises many new and wonderful
discoveries in the coming years.
Copyright 1996, Will A.
Sanborn - was1@shore.net
The Rrakith copyright
1996, Will A. Sanborn and Bernard Doove