 March 6, 2011 - 6:37am | It seems that the consensus on vrusk reproduction, from other threads, is that the trade houses replaced the hive system and thus took over "organized reproduction" and the raising of vrusk young. I'd like to elaborate of that: How do individual trade houses choose the genetic donors to produce the next generation? 1. some trade houses almost exclusively used the genetic material of its upper eschelons of leadership. 2. Some used reproduction as a way to recognize good performance. A vrusk with multiple offspring within the trade house had a tangible measure of the trade house's value of him and the work he's done 3. Some houses simply made it a benefit of membership and everyone got their genetic material used to create the next generation. However when pathogens struck (plagues, viruses, etc.) the above trade houses did not fair equally. Trade houses that had been built on only the genes of its founders, CEO or the elite cadre were often decimated. Trade houses that had a broad base of genetic diversity faired much better. Thus in the modern Frontier, while all three of the above reproduction strategies still exist all vrusk recognize the need for maintaining genetic diversity for the good of the species. This has led to new strategies in reproduction: 4. Allied trade houses exchanging eggs 5. Exchange of egg to seal business deals 6. Government regulation, on certain worlds, to ensure the broadest possible genetic diversity in population. This means that businesses and trade houses must submit all eggs to the government agency which by computer models redistributes them to all parties concerned. 7. The Genetic Exchange: A trade house has arisen that operates like a sperm bank; companies can puruse profiles of donors and purchase the genetic material egg or sperm that they desire. For example trade house Kixx has projected that they will need to invest heavily in R&D to stay competative so they specifically are looking for donor material from genius level scientists and other inventive types. Trade House kl'xxx is looking for loyal, diligent, order following types and is willing to pay for it. The above does not deal with the odd vrusk that leaves the hive like structure of the trade houses and conglomerates and seeks regular employment like your average human. Nor does it deal with criminal organizations run by vrusk. I have little doubt that since some vrusk leave the hive like business systems and launch out as individual that eventually a few came together and decided to have offspring- perhaps the close association with human families made them philosophical about their place in the universe and they decided that they should leave something behind. The problem is that they were incredibly ill equipped for forming a family. The hive and the trade houses had been tightly organized and the proverb that it takes a community is even more true of the vrusk. Where individuals of vrusk tried to create a small family unit using borrowed models form other species they had very shaky results with a high % of the offspring breaking away from the parents or being "problem offspring". Vrusk that organized criminal organizations like a pirate band or the Zenk (see: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4563 ) eventually decided that they needed "reliable" recruits and resorted to what they knew: the Hive/ trade house model; Criminal vrusk organizations have been very successful with producing and education the next generation for their enterprizes. The criminal vrusk have also been very successful in recruiting the "problem offspring" of failled family experiments by individual vursk. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 March 6, 2011 - 6:51pm | This is a much deeper look than I have ever taken. I have always thought of the individual corporate employees pairing off and the child is raised by the mother's corporation. Mates are typically chosen from within the corporation. I see Vrusk mating for life as this is a natural direction from the queen/king hive structure. The Vrusk reproduction is heterosexual, ovoviviparous which means that the eggs are retained in the mother's body until they develop enough to be born live. I see larva being born. So, eggs are not exchanged but rather larva. Trading larva is a new thought for me. I'll have to ponder on it. But I do see the ancient Vrusk raiding hives for the larva to boost their numbers. Then again they might kill all the larva to cripple a hive's future. Thus the nursery would be a major investment for a hive and later for a corporation. I don't see many Vrusk trusting independent nurseries. I don't think we ever answered or questioned how many larva are born at a time. This will greatly effect corporate and society structure. I have always imagined one larva born at a time with a shorter gestation (maybe four months) and a dozen or more births per female. Last thought, you have made the phrase, "born into a life of crime" a very true Vrusk statement. This causes me to ponder on the moral thoughts of Vrusk. How much does society influence and how much is trained my the nursery? Are Vrusk more neutral than us? What happens to the Vrusk born to the life of crime that doesn't fit in nursery? Are there rejects that get beaten to death by their school mates after they molt? A crime organization that practically farms it's people like the Vrusk might find non-loyal, goody two shoes types, a liability that need to be silenced to keep the syndicate's source of personal a secret. Remember my comment above about ancient Vrusk targeting the nursery as a means to power. -iggy |
March 6, 2011 - 7:32pm | thanks for the comments iggy particularly about the birth being live- I was caught up in thinking about hives on earth. but if we smooth out my ideas with your comments then I think we can have something that works. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 6, 2011 - 8:53pm | I like how you have put out many different organization types. i see the Vrusk as into organization and trying many different ways to make the most efficient group. what you have is some of the thematic forms. The referee can work in about any system that a group of Vrusk might use to be successful. -iggy |
