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Universe: Known SpaceHomeworld: Jinx
Dimensions: Extremely Large.
Mass: approx. 30 tons
Diet: Herbivore. They feed on a kind of fungi, which is found in the very shallow ocean of their world.
Habitat: Jinx, the natural environment for the Bandersnatchi, is the moon of Binary (also known as Primary), the third planet from the blue-white star of Sirius-A. Binary is a large, orange gas giant, significantly larger and heavier than Jupiter, but with a ring similar to Saturn's.
Jinx itself orbits Binary, and is 6 times as large as Earth with a gravity 1.78 times that of Earth. Due to its long rotation period, one day on Jinx equals more than 4 days on Earth. The moon lacks heavy radioactive elements. It is covered with a ring-shaped ocean of extremely salty water, and is barely 1 foot deep at most places. There are usually extremely dense cloud formations above the ocean, as the temperature in the equatorial areas of the moon can go almost up to the boiling point of water.
Jinx is significantly less circular than Earth, having an oval shape due to its close proximity to Binary's powerful gravitational tides in ancient times. One of the edges points directly to Binary, while the other directly away from it. Both edges go to a height of about 960 kilometers above sea level, and since the atmosphere is circular and not oval like the planet itself, these edges protrude above the atmosphere and are uninhabitable.
The Bandersnatchi themselves live close to the equator, where the intense temperature and air pressure guarantee the death of any human being unprotected by an environmental suit.
Bandersnatch
The Bandersnatchi resemble gargantuan slugs, with smooth white skin. Their front end has a conical neck which ends with a featurless bulge (which is not a head), that has two spots of bristles.
Despite their slug-like apperance, they have several very un-sluglike characteristics. Firstly, they have an endoskeleton. They also have soft, wave-shaped 'legs' hidden below their hulking body, which allow them to move blindingly fast - an amazing sight, considering their size and mass.
Anatomy - As mentioned above, the Bandersnatchi have a very tough endoskeleton. Unlike the endoskeletons of most terrestrial life forms, however, it (understandably) doesn't have any joints. The Banderstnatchi have no less than
six (6) hearts, each massing at 5 kg (11 lb.). Their brain is narrow and oblong in shape, located in the cone-shaped 'neck', and is, like the rest of Bandersnatchi organs, very massive. The nerve system of the Bandersnatchi is not unlike that of terrestrial mammals.
According to experts, the Bandersnatchi body is not cellular in structure. Instead, it appears that it functions like one giant cell.
Among other notable details about these species are their chromosomes, which are as thick as a human finger (!), granting them virtual immunity to radiation and guaranteeing they remain untouched by evolution (since they are incapable of mutating). They are also immune to telepathy.
The flesh of the Bandesnatchi is edible to humans. The reason for this fact (which can be interpreted either as very surprising or very predictable) is explained later in this article.
These creatures are actually sentient, but don't build or use any tools. This fact should not be interpreted as weak intelligence - since during the first few contacts with humans, the Bandersnatchi have demonstrated at least man-like intelligence, and tactics worthy of modern armies. Their lack of tools is actually the fault of their anatomy - they don't have any appendages with which they can manipulate their environment.
They apparently live in tight communities, and are very communicative. They even have a crude form of writing, which is actually derived from the Tnuctipun ancient alphabet. They constantly wander the coast of the ocean, and never stop feeding.
The Bandersnatchi actually did not evolve naturally, but were genetically engineered by the Tnuctipun over a billion years ago, to be an important source of food to the telepathic Thrintun race, known today as the Slavers.
The Tnuctipun, plotting to overthrow the Thrintun, made the Bandersnathci sentient, and used them as spies. The Thrintun never realized they were anything more than stock animals. That was because they were designed to be immune to telepathy by the Tnuctipun, and the Thrintun's mind control powers could not influence non-sentient beings, so the Thrintun could not see any difference.
This telepathic immunity was also the reason for the Bandersnatchi survival of Suicide Time, a Thrint-induced telepathic order on a galactic scale for all races to commit suicide.
Overall, these large, strange beings strike fear into the hearts of humans who manage to glimpse them. The combination of mass, speed, and cunning intelligence make the Bandersnatchi dangerous foes on land. It can only be guessed what they could achieve if they had hands or other maniplulatory structures to build technology with.
Record 253 - creature - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:13:35
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