<USS Avalon> "R'ish'tka"

"R'ish'tka"
 
The barren planet was bathed in the glow of it's three moons. This light  
made the planet appear to be in a constant state of daylight. There were large  
underground tunnels that allowed the inhabitants to move from dwelling to  
dwelling without having to go above ground and face the light.
 
The tunnels were quite large with a width of Forty to Fifty feet,  thereby 
allowing two of the inhabitants to pass each other without the fear of  
touching. Each tunnel led to a different dwelling with the biggest dwelling  
being the 
home of Ne'ris'tkia, queen of the R'ish'tk. 
 
Along the sides of the tunnel walls were what appeared to be small caves,  
which were actually the holding cells of future generations. Ne'ris'tkia would  
lay her eggs in these caves, where other members of the R'ish'tk society would 
 nurture and stand watch over these eggs. At any one time there could be a  
thousand such eggs.
 
The R'ish'tk were a caste society, consisting of workers, hunter's,  
military, religious and scientific castes. The workers were the ones  who built 
the 
tunnels and the dwellings. The hunter's would forage for food  both below and 
above ground. The military caste was responsible for protecting  Ne'ris'tkia, 
and the others of R'ish'tk. The religious caste was responsible for  nurturing 
the next generation and teaching them the ways of the R'ish'tk society  while 
the scientific caste worked to find ways to improve the life of the  R'ish'tk.
 
The caste were ranked according to importance. First came the Religious  
caste, then the Military caste. They were followed by the Scientific caste as  
well as the hunter's and the workers.
 
The R'ish'tk were a society of arachnoid-like creatures, who were  
inquisitive yet maintained a healthy paranoia of strangers. Their appearance 
was  in 
general as follows. They were on average 5 FT tall, had three eyes that  
rotated 
in different directions, allowing for observation and protection. When  
standing they had a leg span of 8 Ft and when out stretched they had a span  of 
16 
ft. Their bodies were covered in coarse hair with the hair on their  legs being 
quite sharp. They secreted a substances that was not poisonous to  most 
things, but was there to provide protection against the harsh landscape in  
which 
they lived. Their mouths were pincher like, with no visible teeth. The  
language they spoke amongst themselves was basically clicks and taps.
 
They were a matriarchal society with the males doing the bidding of the  
females. It had been this way for centuries. The Queen had the final say and 
was  
protected by the best of the military, which were made up of the best female  
fighters. Males were regulated to the working caste and the lowliest of the  
military. The males were not allowed to hold position's of power or any 
position  that required them to think. They were designed to simply follow 
orders.
 
They were just becoming space faring and had launched their first vessel  
into space. It had taken them several hundred years to develop this  ability.
 
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Exiting her dwelling and venturing through the tunnels Ne'ris'tkia was  
followed by two of her best fighters. She moved through the tunnels reverently  
stopping to check over her hatchlings. She then moved top side to scan the  
surface of rock and dirt. There were few patches of vegetation. It was in this  
vegetation that the hunter's would find the food needed to supply the  colony.
 
While on the surface a third eyelid would cover her eyes to protect them  
from the light of the moons. Since she was prone to living underground, as was  
much of her kind, this third eyelid was a necessity. As she walked along,  
standing her full height, the hairs on her legs would stand on end, serving to  
protect her from strange creatures that might dwell on the surface and to serve 
 
as a warning sense.
 
Her eyes were constantly in motion, always looking at her surroundings. She  
looked skyward briefly knowing that out there some where was the first ship to 
 be launched from her home world. She was eager to learn more about what was  
beyond her planet. She was eager to meet and explore the universe. She would 
not  do it all at once, as she was very protective of her people. She was wise 
enough  to know that they were not the only living beings in the universe. It 
was to  this end that she had ordered the scientists to build a ship. A ship 
that would  propel them into the future, a future filled with new and 
different beliefs. New  beings and societies.
 
This is the story of Ne'ris'tkia and her home of R'ish'tka.
 
TBC....

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