Xeno-Psych: Floaters

[Thirdfain]

For those of you who have been in the STGOD for a while, you have probably already gotten a pretty good idea of how Floaters think.

Basically, Floater society is extremely hedonistic and free-spirited, with very few laws. There is only one crime, in floater eyes- "Theft of Freedom." Murder, theivery, rape, enslavement, and kidnapping are some of the few things against which Floater society has rules.

Individual Clusters respond to these crimes in different ways. The Clusters of Zarathrustra and Kharam both have courts, where criminals are tried and punishment is decided. Punishment is usually aimed to remove the criminal from society- execution and imprisonment are the penalties for the worst types of "Theft of Freedom." Mohaim subjects criminals to a general vote over the Mohaimese Datanet, where private citizens will debate with eachother for two days before a general poll is taken. Xanadu has no written laws, but Floaters often take matters into their own hands. Slavers had best watch their back in the Taiga system- If captured, they can expect little quarter from the Xanadu Militia.

Floaters will occaisonally give up their complete freedom for the betterment of Floater society and the cause of freedom for all sentients. These Floaters revoke their status as "Freemen" or "Freewomen" and become "Bondmen" or "Bondwomen." Public servants, elected officials, Clergy, and military personelle are all Bonded, giving up their complete freedom and making themselves accept responsibility. No Floater may force another in Bonding themselves, but a Floater may Bind him of herself to anything, from a bet with a friend to an oath to serve their Cluster's military.

Floater society is extremely sexually open, with an "anything goes" attitude. As long as no one objects to what is being done, pretty much anyhting is allowed. Pedophilia, and other acts which exploit others, are regarded as disgusting by Floater society as a whole- not because of any cultural stigmata, but because such actions betray sexual freedom. There is no marriage in Floater society: Instead, any number of floaters of any gender may "Lovebind" themselves to each other. Many Floaters have themselves artificially enhanced, and many Heavy spacers assert that "It's better with Floater women!" (and men.)

A Floater's name tells their status, and may change over the course of their life. Every floater is born a "Freeman" or "Freewoman," but may change that at any time.

Drug use is quite common among Floaters. The advanced Biosciences which allow Floaters to thrive in zero-G and hard radiation also allow the Floaters to tailor plants and microbes to filter their air and water, and produce narcotics. Since physcial addiction is a destroyer of Freedom, Floaters will not use, make, or traffic in drugs which are not engineered to be non-physically addicting.

Roughly 60% of all Floaters live on the large Clusters. The remaining 40% live in small, 5-6 thousand Floater communities, or in slow-moving prospecting/mining vessels. Comet mining is vital to the expansion of Floater society, as they provide the chemicals needed to manufacture air, water, and hydrogen reactor fuel. Asteroid and Ring mining provides raw materials for Floater Zero-G industry. Floaters make a number of advanced ceramics and metals: Foamed Steel, the ulralite, ultrastrong building material, is manufactured almost exclusively in Floater Zero-G foundries.

Floater Gene-modding allows Floaters to shape their body almost at will. The majority elect for the basic Floater body type- 6-7 feet tall, slim, with the matte-black skin that is part of their defense against stellar radiation. Floaters are all double jointed, and very agile in their zero-G environment. Floater marines are compotent and dangerous in high-G combat, they are unstoppable masters of zero-G combat. Some Floaters have only very basic genemodding, and are recognizable from Heavies only by their skin tone. These Floaters, who are built much like heavies, live in grav-wheel stations in Clusters, and act as soldiers and ambassadors planetside. Most Floaters spend at least part of their lives like that, feeling the world as Heavies do.

Well, I hope this gives you an idea of what Floater society is all about.