Physical Description

The vect are a group of beings from the Vectorus system, originating from different planets but sharing a few notable characteristics. The most notable thing that unifies them is that they are almost entirely flat, the thickest recorded vect being 4 mm wide. Most types of vect have limbs or other body parts that seem to float independently from their body, but can not be separated far from them without causing injury. Vect are brightly colored and luminous, with different planets having a notable usual 'color scheme' associated with its residents.

Personality

Having developed on entirely different planets from one another, vect societies developed very differently, but being within the same system, they were aware enough of each other to form a surprisingly tight-knit community for eight populated worlds. This seems to have translated into a general open doors policy to their system and positive attitude towards other species. Some of the more naturally suspicious groups of the species prevent this from being an absolute disaster of falling into the wiles of less savory types, but they do have a reputation of a certain naivete.

Alongside their love of having new people come to meet them, they also like to visit other planets to do the meeting themselves, and see the other worlds in the universe. It's estimated that up to one fifth of vect are at least roughly knowledgeable in spaceship mechanics, at least in maintenance. They travel their own system like most people travel between different towns, and their single system ships are considered by many to be second to none. Many skilled vect mechanics are happy to bring their unique expertise into improving interstellar spaceships as well.

History

Long, long ago, there were 8 planets in the Vectorus system, until a buildup of energy within the core of one blew the planet apart. This explosion is a popular theory for the spread of bacterial life throughout the rest of the solar system.

The individual histories of the vect's subspecies are varied, based on their environments and uniquely developing cultures, but start to converge upon some of the first steps into telescopic astronomy. The different subspecies debate over who was the first to discover life on the other planets, but by most records the wizards were the first to send communication to other planets. Even when eventually translated, these communications were cryptic at best, but it paved the way for others to attempt to send messages to beings on other planets.

While the technological pace of each species was not equal, communication technology flourished faster on all planets from this point -- those further behind were able to develop their own messaging systems from the instruction of others, and those ahead helped push things ahead for those stuck behind. Within decades the planets had reliable communication networks between each other, and not long after that was this able to spread to not just governments, but individual members of their societies. An interplanetary community formed, members able to communicate ideas with each other, but never being able to interact with each other directly.

The next great system-wide technological innovation, of course, had to be meeting face-to-face. The different societies traded their technological discoveries and many plans, but ultimately, each planet wanted to be the first one to touch down. The Great Space Race was a period of extreme technological innovation, with every culture dedicating great amounts of resources to trying to put their people on the planets of others. Their shared culture of communication also fueled public enthusiasm for the project. People that had been talking to one another for years with no hope of meeting had suddenly had hopes of a seemingly impossible union coming to life.

It was the partikule who first made interplanetary travel, aided by the inhabitants of their moon. Their landing on Zekticon is commemorated to this day all across the system as Contact Day.

Despite efforts to scan the rest of the universe once a true interplanetary community was established, it was the rest of the universe that found them first. Much like upon discovering each other, the vect were eager to discover what other people were out there to meet and exchange cultures with.

Home Planet

The Vectorus system consists of 7 planets with a number of moons, and a purple colored sun. Each of the planets -- Dripp, Magran, Paluma, Iceberg, Storm, Zekticon, and Partika -- are inhabited primarily by a different subspecies of vect, while the moon of Partika -- Lum -- is inhabited by the lumis. The planets of the system are known for their strange shapes, not often conforming to the typical round shape of most planets in the universe.

Subspecies

Dropp: The shortest of the vect, dropps are filled with a great curiosity of things, and nearly fearless attitudes, in no short part due to the dangerous sea-life living on their ocean planet of Dripp. Some regard them as having a childish attitude, but many serious researchers hail from their world. Dropp mechanics tend to specialize in aquatic capability.

Marga: Living on an almost entirely lava covered world hasn't worried the soft and squishy marga much, as its tides and weather are extremely predictable. Because of this, you won't find anybody better in the system to handle dangerous high pressure work -- unless something unexpected happens, as they are notoriously bad at handling sudden change. Marga mechanics, perhaps unsurprisingly, excel in heat shielding.

Paluman: By far the tallest vect, Palumans are also some of the least sociable, at least at first take. Their time is most often spent alone, but they act quite hospitable to visitors regardless. Palumans are most often described as "super chill" and "just vibing," but have been known to grow irritable to visitors outstaying their welcome. Paluman mechanics are rarer than that of other subspecies, but tend towards improving the onboard experience on a ship.

Bergin: The bergin of planet Berg seem irritable on the surface, but simply like getting to the point of things. Their solid frames and surprising balance allowed them to carry supplies more easily, before they had access to inventories. Even now, they're known as diligent workers, acting friendly so long as you don't hold them up. Bergin mechanics are excellent at finding ways to increase ship storage capacity and protection.

Wizard: Wizards from the planet Storm liken themselves as mysterious and cool, and very much want you to know how cool and mysterious they are. They make their homes inside the constant storm clouds of their planet, where they practice control over lightning, and hide themselves, for as long as they think somebody is looking and it will look cool to dramatically emerge. Wizard mechanics specialize in flair, and making sure everybody watches when your ship touches down.

Zektron: The robot-like zektron are entirely unaffiliated with the species of the same name, and in fact are regarded as one of the most welcoming subspecies of all of the vect. They're used to their planet Zekticon's higher CO2 atmosphere than the other Vectorus worlds, and their mechanics have a knack for advanced life support systems as a result for the accommodations they need to make for themselves and others.

Partikule: The partikule are easily excitable, and tireless workers. The gas giant they mostly reside in led to them having very light, scarcely connected bodies, and people interacting with them have been known to slip right through when not careful. This hasn't curbed their eagerness to participate in whatever activity fancies them at the moment, regardless of the steps necessary to do so. Partikule mechanics are known for lightening up craft, as well as enhancing movement in thick atmospheres.

Lumis: Quiet and contemplative, less is known about the lumis than any other vect subspecies, even with them living in such close proximity to Partika, and their numbers are fewer than the other vect as well. They are known to have psychic powers and more apt to listen to others than reach out directly, and when assistance is requested of them, they generally do so without comment. Lumis mechanics, if given any level of freedom, have been known to install a seemingly random upgrade that turn out to be quite specifically useful in the ship's near future.

Special

2 Dimensions: From certain angles, the vect seem to vanish entirely, and more than one person has been fooled into thinking a hiding vect was merely a pattern on a wall. Regardless, they have little trouble interacting with three dimensional objects, maintain balance, or utilize any bodily abilities that one might consider requiring three axes of movement.

Trivia

• While research and collaboration has given biologists much insight and understanding of how the biology of a two dimensional being works, there is still no clear consensus as to what caused this strange evolution in the first place.

• Not all fauna on the vect homeworlds shares the same unique dimensional properties as them, which has led to much more questioning and arguing of the origin of the species.

• A popular new offering many vect have collaborated on is personal sized ships that fit inside larger ships. For some crews, keeping a ship parked in orbit and sending smaller ships out to explore planets is convenient and fuel efficient, and the vect's expertise in short distance travel makes them quite easy to utilize.

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