Application to Ataraxion
PLAYER INFORMATION
Your Name: Khajidu
OOC Journal: khajidu
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: 30
Email IM: vacaloca119@yahoo.fr, Yahoo Messenger (vacaloca119, compatible with MSN), AIM (email as login)
Characters Played at Ataraxion: none
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Statsraad Lehmkuhl aka Statsraaden aka Stats (will mostly go by Stats)
Canon: Original
Original or Alternate Universe: n/a
Canon Point: Around the time the first novel I'm writing in this universe takes place (this novel involves a whole other lot of characters, though). More precisely, when Stats has come back from the races that took place a while before the novel begins.
Number: 014, alternatively 114
Setting:
*Cosmology and planetary info
Stats lives on an Earthlike planet orbiting Alpha Mensae. The planet itself is slightly smaller than Earth (roughly 9800 km in diameter) and has a longer day (about 27 Earth hours) and a shorter year (about 290 Earth days, or 256 of the planet's days).
*Flora and fauna
The planet's flora and fauna are peculiar: species from the entire Earth natural history can be found. There are dinosaurs on the northernmost continent, placoderms, trilobites, Cenozoic megafauna, etc. Stats's continent is rather conventional, though: only species from modern Earth temperate zones are found.
*Sentient species
Two sentient species live on the planet: humans and sentient tall sailing ships. The ships are believed by most human religions to come from the sky. In a sense it's true: they've been sent by aliens thousands of years ago as a social experiment. The ships are artificial intelligences that can reproduce naturally and repair themselves with nanotechnology. They don't quite know about being an artificial species; they just think they're not from the planet as they're clearly not evolved from anything there.
- The ships
The ships' society is very advanced and liberal, relative to humans'. They have very advanced scientific knowledge mostly relevant to their daily life: mostly fluid mechanics, meteorology, general math and physics as well as many aspects of human biology. The ships transmit their factual knowledge and life experience to their offspring through the seeds they send during conception.
Tall ships start counting their age from the time they're launched and become adults (it can take months or years from conception, although a year is a good average; Stats only took a couple months, for example). In fact they're considered adults when they're able to reason logically and bear some responsibility for their actions which means the equivalent of a 12- to 13-year-old Earth human. Their caretakers feel that waiting much longer before letting their children lead their own lives is only going to alienate them and could cause psychological problems.
When a ship becomes an adult, there's a launching ceremony, usually with some of the ship's relatives and whatever humans are going to be the ship's crew. From them on the ship starts working with the crew. The ship is also given a name by these humans (usually long before the launching itself), but other ships soon find a nickname.
Ships may grow up faster than humans, but they age more slowly. Their life span is on average longer than a human's, but there's much variability. While humans can live as long as 60 to 70 Earth years, ships often reach 80. However, it depends much on how they are maintained and if they get into accidents. Stats is considered to be an exception: he's already there and most people who know him think he'll live for another couple of decades. His sons most likely took after him: they've already reached human lifespans without looking too old.
Ships don't sleep so much as humans: they sleep on average three hours a night.
- Relationships with humans
Ships work with humans a lot and they have roughly the same uses than they have on Earth except for war and piracy This is mostly because they're very pacific and refuse to participate in anything that will kill or harm people of either species. They cannot be moved by arguments relying on patriotism, honor or retribution as it has been their experience that many times in human history these usually made things worse if they didn't start the problem. They also won't transport slaves.
Most tall ships race every summer between ports of different countries and use them as a means to help people from these countries and others get closer together, with the purpose of advancing world peace. Stats and his sons race almost every year, both because they don't want another war and because they find fun in racing.
Ships communicate with their captains by the means of a necklace that scans and influences brain patterns, allowing them to talk to each other and faintly feel each other's emotions and physical states.
Ships cannot do any magic, nor are they affected by it, unlike humans (see further).
- Humans and human societies
Humans on their part have about the same diversity, both in ethnicity and culture, than Earth humans. They're however a little bit different: they have a small magical power. However this power cannot affect ships although it can affect everything else, especially living beings.
One of the most prominent cultures is followed by the people Stats (and many of his relatives) work for. This culture spreads on the north-easternmost continent of the planet and is a rather traditionalist and pious society whose people believe in an unique bird-spirit. According to these beliefs, the Great Bird laid the world as an egg which will someday hatch as the spirit itself and so on. The Great Bird also watches the world and people's actions from the eyes of birds. This society therefore has a religious taboo against eating birds. The culture is also very patriarchal, and in some few places women are regarded as chattel. This is not the case everywhere, although gender equality is far from attained anywhere.
Most people from this culture (especially inland; near the sea they're not so wary) also think ships are set on straying people from following the religion's laws and principles by spreading their liberal ideas. Captains and crews are usually considered as already tainted and this occupation is regarded as a necessary evil, as ships are much needed for many uses. Depending on the exact country, the culture and religion can be more or less restrictive, and in some places ships and crews are able to have a good standing in their local communities, like Stats in his. Stats originated from one of the most repressive parts of the continent, but works now in a much more relaxed place, although not quite as relaxed as in other cultures around the planet.
Another prominent culture believes in a small pantheon of four gods and goddesses who created the world together. This culture is rather liberal and has a democratic government, due to some influence of the ships' culture over it. Another society bears some similarities with Aztecs. Stats has relatives working in both and many others.
History:
Stats is the son of two of the fastest ships of the time. He was named after a local noble whose relatives had already given their names to his older sisters. Even before he was launched, people would often say he was the most beautiful and finest ship of all three siblings. He would soon turn out to be also the liveliest. He would play jokes and drive his parents and sisters crazy by for example trying to escape them to explore the area. One of the most notable incidents happened before he was fully grown. He escaped his family once again to try to figure out exactly how fast he could go. However, he was caught in a storm and one of his sisters went to fetch him (which he took as another challenge). He was lucky to escape uninjured.
Stats grew up fast and was launched shortly after, to become a schoolship. However, he could only sail one cruise before a war started a couple of months afterward. The war spanned the whole continent and lasted several years, during which he couldn't sail, as it was considered too unsafe for him and his crew. After the war, he had to leave his country and was taken first to another place before ending up in his current one. He was then renamed after a former minister who did much for him to come, and resumed his activities as a schoolship there, teaching many young people to sail. He also met new friends, including Tordie, who would soon become more than that. They had a son they nicknamed South, then, years afterward, another, Krisprolls. Just before Krisprolls was launched, Stats lost one of his sisters, the one he was closest to, in an accident. She was on her way to meet her newest nephew.
A couple of years after Krisprolls's launching, Stats's country of origin, which had already taken a turn to the worse and started conquering neighbors, declared war on the whole continent. When they reached his country, Stats was taken back, as well as his whole family. He was repainted, renamed and kept in a harbor for storage during the whole war, without any news from his family. They were later found out to be used similarly, although treated much worse. Stats tried to escape repeatedly, but was caught every time. Finally the war ended and he was freed and taken back home. He was lucky to escape without any serious injury, whereas many other ships weren't so much; his sons were seriously injured (and they both almost died) and took a long time to recover, and Tordie was dead.
Although Stats physically recovered much faster than his sons, due to being hardly injured, his mental recovery took much longer, a couple of years. This is mostly due to the fact he put more effort into helping his sons to recover rather than helping himself. He also couldn't stand seeing them so badly injured and felt he should have been there to prevent it. It was all the worse that he's always been very close to them.
After the war, Stats resumed his activities as a schoolship and, despite a couple adventures, including working for a private owner who very quickly went under, is still sailing as of now. He's so fit for his age most people think he'll be still sailing many decades from now.
Currently, Stats is right back home from this year's race, where he did as well as usual (he even almost won) and is preparing for a well-deserved break.
Personality:
Stats is a lively and curious person. He always tries to understand how things work, people's motivations, etc. He usually won't give up until he has the answer. He craves from new things, new people and new places, although he likes to be free to go back home after exploring the world/universe. Being stranded far from home and/or prevented from seeing the people he loves really isn't his thing. This will be a difficult thing to deal with when he comes to the ship, as it will remind him of the war.
Stats strives for a healthy balance between seriousness and silliness. While on the one hand he is always prepared for everything that could happen, on the other hand, he allows himself times of silliness, especially when his sons are around, provided it's safe for him and everyone around that he does so. He often says he cannot afford to be silly when he's in a storm and has to focus on his sailing. On the other hand, he also thinks being serious all the time is impossible and the attempt would be unhealthy. Actually, he hasn't quite reached the exact balance he's looking for and is a bit too much on the silly side (see further).
Stats is very energetic (and often restless) and motivated and finds fun in many things, among them playing jokes to or with his sons. He likes being around people, whether ships or humans. Although he doesn't mind being alone at sea, he'll prefer to have some company. He also gets bored easily without anything to do, and if he's bored for too long (but it would need quite a while), he could become depressed. But most of the time he'll try to find something to do first.
Stats is very protective towards other people, especially his sons, after what happened to them during the war. He will go to great lengths to avoid anyone be harmed. Stats will even be willing to sacrifice himself if needed to ensure everyone else is safe and sound. He'll extend his protectiveness even to people he dislikes or whom he cannot stand, whatever the reason why. He believes not even that (or worse) makes anyone deserving of any kind of bad treatment and/or death, or undeserving of protection and/or respect. He will say "So-an-so did this or that, but that doesn't mean you have to sink down to his level and then start digging."
Stats is very sensitive and empathic (and quite a bit squeamish) and will feel very strongly for other people, which is a great part of the reason for the behavior described above. He also doesn't try to get better/special treatment from anyone, and strives to be fair towards everyone.
On top of his protectiveness, Stats is very close to his family, especially his sons. He can be considered as a family man, and it was indeed one of his dreams as a young ship to have a family (that he later had). This hasn't helped him cope with having almost his whole family killed in the war.
Stats gets along well with people, and cares deeply about them, especially his family. He is the kind of person who is nice first and treats people well, and will only change his opinion and attitude towards someone if they show him to care way more about their own opinions and beliefs than about anyone they may come across. Most of Stats's beefs towards certain kinds of people (see further) are mostly due to the war, where he had to deal with such people daily.
Stats sometimes plays jokes that aren't always appreciated, but when he really injures or offends someone, he tries to make amends afterward. He tries to take responsibility for his actions, although he often thinks he's not the only one who should do so. Stats also won't let people boss him around or treat him badly, and will ensure it won't happen, although he won't rely on violence or manipulation to get his way, as he doesn't see the usefulness of either in the long term. Stats usually respects other people's boundaries and will most of the time enforce his, but most often not to the point of crossing other people's.
Stats is usually very patient with people, although it's sometimes tested by people who want to get their way with him or people he knows. He's also wary of people who lack respect for others because they think they're above that, and his patience can be thus tested. Other than that, he'll be very patient towards anyone. He also trusts most people easily. Stats also often takes a leading role in many situations, often with his sons, and doesn't like being led without having an occasion to say his word.
Stats isn't easily angered or scared, although he will find some attitudes more than annoying. He will be honest and tell people as much. He will nevertheless try diplomacy first. Stats doesn't give up easily and often gives all his heart into what he cares the most about. He is a joyful person and isn't easily bothered. He often says he's had so many bad things in his life that nothing can get him anymore, although he knows that it just might. Stats will feel his emotions strongly, although he will not express them as much, therefore making him act mild-mannered. On the other hand, he knows it could reach the surface under certain circumstances, as it did quite a few times, especially during the war. This might be a problem during his first weeks or months on the ship, and maybe longer than that.
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:
*Natural human-like abilities
Stats is very smart, much smarter than an average human, and he makes calculations very fast. He has a lot of knowledge in science, especially fluid mechanics, meteorology and general math and physics, as well as human biology, and a lot of experience and skill in sailing. He usually gets along well with people, although it depends on the other person involved. He has above-average agility: as a ship, he could moor on nooks and crannies hardly bigger than himself on his own, whereas most other ships had to be towed. This agility will most likely stay when he turns human, after he's adapted to his new body.
*Non-human abilities
Although Stats used to know the time to the second, he'll have a much lessened time sense once on the ship, due to its nature. He'll only be able to have a rough idea, although less rough than an ordinary human's, of how much time has passed between two events, or how long he's been unconscious. He'll furthermore have to adapt to the time and calendar of the ship. Likewise, whereas before he couldn't get lost anywhere, he'll only be slightly less likely to get lost than a human, and have a slightly more precise idea of the direction he's went/has to go.
Also, as he's aged slowly as a ship, I'd like him to age about twice slower than a human, therefore making him look 50 Earth years old where he's much older.
Stats slept only three hours a night as a ship, and he'll likely still not sleep much as a human.
Most of these abilities will be due to Stats keeping his original brain instead of getting a full human one.
As he's not originally human and kept his original brain, Stats will likely taste odd to whatever kind of vampires (regular vampires, Stargate wraith, whatever) might want to feed on him (it'll be the equivalent of toothpaste mixed with mustard, for example), although they will still be able to. Also, magic will not work as well on him (magic from his own universe plainly doesn't, but it's an exception), although the difference with regular humans will be rather faint.
*Weaknesses
Having lived through two wars, Stats has a few triggers, although it's milder than it has been as the last war happened a long time ago. He'll most likely be triggered by being brought on the ship far away from his home and maybe by the missions themselves, depending on what's involved. For example, he'll be definitely triggered by invasions and fights, especially if the invaders are after him in particular. He'll most likely think they've been sent by his country of origin or something like that.
Stats is also cautious of people who would try to boss him or anyone else around beyond what's reasonable to expect in the situation, or of people who think their own opinion is the truth and who act on this belief. He might get a little snappish at times with them.
Stats is also very empathic and sensitive to pain, his own or others', and to people's emotions. He's also quite a little squeamish. Whenever he sees someone injured, whatever their species, he'll feel their pain rather strongly. Whether he's himself in much pain or someone else is, Stats will feel awful and a bit dizzy and/or sick from it, which will affect his ability to react to the situation. If he's in pain for a while, he will also be in a sour mood until it eases down. He'll most likely try to hide it, but will be bad at it.
Stats has strong emotions, and although he doesn't express them that strongly, he might become more volatile before he learns how to deal with his coming on the ship. This could take a while, most likely months.
Stats, despite being far from naive, will sometimes act like it when he tries to understand other people's motivations when they are vastly different from his own. He's not intolerant of them, far from it, his approach having a goal of better understanding other people, but he has offended quite a few people in the past with this attitude. He's also a bit too curious at times and could sometimes be seen as intrusive. He's also quite stubborn and keeps going when most people would have quit, even if he sometimes wonders why he bothered, especially when he doesn't get any result.
Stats has a very deep sleep and will hardly be woken up by anything, which will make him very vulnerable to any threats.
Stats will also have to adapt to his new body and will be awkward at first.
*Power limitations
As mentioned, Stats will be only faintly less vulnerable to any kind of magic than regular humans. This is not due to any power, however, but to his physiology being a bit off although compatible with humans'. Other than that, he'll be subject to the same restrictions as normal humans, although he'll be a bit more sensitive to pain.
Additionally, as shown in the non-human abilities section, his time sense and navigating abilities will be reduced a lot by his coming to the ship.
Inventory:
A painting of him and his sisters, dating from the time he was just launched, and another of him and his sons during a party at his home port.
Appearance:
I'll most likely use Sean Bean as in Games of Thrones as a PB. More precisely, Stats will be a 6'8''-6'9'' tall blond bearded guy, slightly thinner than average for his size (about 200 pounds/90kg), and he'll have blue eyes. He'll look around 50 and will have a few scars from scratches he got as a ship. Due to the translation device, he'll speak with a generic posh British accent.
Age: 97 local years (about 78 Earth years)
AU Clarification: n/a
SAMPLES
Log Sample:
Stats was happy, if a bit tired. He had a good race, he was back home, his captain and crew were safe and sound, and now back to their families. He could go to sleep knowing he did a good job this year, as usual. Of course, he knew that as soon as he would be awake again he would miss everyone already, and he would itch to go back to the sea. But for now, all he wanted was sleep.
He woke up surrounded by water.
I have sunk? What the...
He extended a rope... arm? just as the tube emptied. He fell down on the floor as it opened.
WHAT? ... what.
Something must have happened. Stats didn't remember what, which in itself was weird. But being sunk and then landing on the floor, within a human building?
In... human form?
Feeling like he was on himself during a storm, and not being able to figure out how to get up?
Something had happened.
And he hurt himself. He would be sore for days.
All right, how do I move... shouldn't be complicated... roll over to the side... fold the limbs... roll back over... There. And... up.
Stats was sitting. Now... He first tried to look around, but couldn't see much. But he could see he was definitely not home. The technology wasn't like anywhere he'd been, but who knew where it was from. Who took him? Why? To get out, he would have to stand up, but... how was he supposed to do it? He extended a leg forward and tried to put his weight on it, but fell down on his back. No wonder humans took a least a whole year to master it. Stats sat back up and tried another couple of times, over and over, in vain. What did he miss? Oh, well, so be it, if he had to use the wall, he would use it. Stats crept to the wall (strangely enough, going on all fours was rather easy to master) and leaned on it to stand up. Much easier that way.
But the most difficult was to come. He would be able to walk along the wall just fine with a little practice, but he would eventually have to do without it. Well, for now... Stats went along the wall, hoping to find an exit sometime. He wouldn't spend the day alone in this huge room. There was his own pod - yes, that was the thing he was sunk in, another empty one, another... a full one? Stats was close enough to see someone inside. He wasn't the only one sunk here? Perhaps someone he knew, or someone able to help?
"Hey!
... Hello? Would you help me?"
The other person didn't react, nor did they when Stats tried tapping against the pod's walls. Making faces at them didn't work either. Almost falling on the pod because he didn't hold himself well enough... still neither. So much for interaction. He went on along the wall, going past a couple of equally unresponsive people in pods, and found the side room with the lockers. Now, he was a bit easier on his legs, but didn't trust himself without walls just yet. Well, there was this one step between him and the lockers... Stats launched himself and half-walked half-fell on the lockers. Then he saw the number on his arm.
Where did I ever get that?
Hum... there could be a link between this number and the ones on the lockers. Better look. Stats searched for his number, which was actually not too far away, and stopped. How did this thing open?
Stats went closer to have a look and... it opened.
What? Oh, well, it solves the problem.
Stats looked inside. There were paintings and a set of dark clothes that looked like a uniform. He first took the paintings to have a look at them. They looked familiar. The first one was... him and his sisters. How long couldn't he see them? They were retired now, and he hadn't had the occasion to see them in... he couldn't remember how long. The second painting was of him and his sons. Krisprolls and South. Wonderful young men. Oh surely they weren't taken as well? He hoped not. He would miss them, but they would be better at home than here. This place looked too creepy to bring the boys. Where was everyone, to begin with?
Stats took the clothes. They were black. He wasn't wearing that! Not after...
Oh, no. They took me back.
They took him back. And they let him keep paintings of his family. As if to make him miss them even more. Another way to try to break him? After making him human, as if it wasn't enough? They were creepier each time. This time, they were taking random people. He didn't remember knowing anyone in the pods, which meant they could have been taken from even further away than him. They were after everyone. Those people were sick.
Moreover, they made him face the choice of wearing black again, making him look like some pawn in whatever war they were fighting, one more time, or else roam the place in underwear, likely making him the laughingstock of whatever poor souls were stuck here with him. Humans could take offence from anything, and he had to be taken seriously, if he wanted to do something about this situation.
Surely he couldn't organise a resistance in underwear?
As Stats reluctantly took the clothes again, he saw a little device. He took it and pushed the button, just to see what it did.
"Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters."
What was that? Another way for them to drive him crazy? This wouldn't work on him.
Stats pushed again, same reaction. Well, this thing was funny in the end, what with the voice that came from nowhere, but not for long. And, indeed, there was a blue door over there, to wherever else. Who made all this? How did they do it?
Well, he still had to get dressed. In black.
Comms Sample:
[Video]
[Stats looks hopeful and eager, although a little bit anxious. What if it didn't work, again?]
Hello, Stats here.
Anyone has any knowledge in very advanced physics? I'd like to know how we came here, so that I might be able to know how to send everybody back home. Would anyone help me? I would be very grateful, and I think everyone else would be as well.
[Stats waits eagerly for any answers.]
Your Name: Khajidu
OOC Journal: khajidu
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: 30
Email IM: vacaloca119@yahoo.fr, Yahoo Messenger (vacaloca119, compatible with MSN), AIM (email as login)
Characters Played at Ataraxion: none
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Statsraad Lehmkuhl aka Statsraaden aka Stats (will mostly go by Stats)
Canon: Original
Original or Alternate Universe: n/a
Canon Point: Around the time the first novel I'm writing in this universe takes place (this novel involves a whole other lot of characters, though). More precisely, when Stats has come back from the races that took place a while before the novel begins.
Number: 014, alternatively 114
Setting:
*Cosmology and planetary info
Stats lives on an Earthlike planet orbiting Alpha Mensae. The planet itself is slightly smaller than Earth (roughly 9800 km in diameter) and has a longer day (about 27 Earth hours) and a shorter year (about 290 Earth days, or 256 of the planet's days).
*Flora and fauna
The planet's flora and fauna are peculiar: species from the entire Earth natural history can be found. There are dinosaurs on the northernmost continent, placoderms, trilobites, Cenozoic megafauna, etc. Stats's continent is rather conventional, though: only species from modern Earth temperate zones are found.
*Sentient species
Two sentient species live on the planet: humans and sentient tall sailing ships. The ships are believed by most human religions to come from the sky. In a sense it's true: they've been sent by aliens thousands of years ago as a social experiment. The ships are artificial intelligences that can reproduce naturally and repair themselves with nanotechnology. They don't quite know about being an artificial species; they just think they're not from the planet as they're clearly not evolved from anything there.
- The ships
The ships' society is very advanced and liberal, relative to humans'. They have very advanced scientific knowledge mostly relevant to their daily life: mostly fluid mechanics, meteorology, general math and physics as well as many aspects of human biology. The ships transmit their factual knowledge and life experience to their offspring through the seeds they send during conception.
Tall ships start counting their age from the time they're launched and become adults (it can take months or years from conception, although a year is a good average; Stats only took a couple months, for example). In fact they're considered adults when they're able to reason logically and bear some responsibility for their actions which means the equivalent of a 12- to 13-year-old Earth human. Their caretakers feel that waiting much longer before letting their children lead their own lives is only going to alienate them and could cause psychological problems.
When a ship becomes an adult, there's a launching ceremony, usually with some of the ship's relatives and whatever humans are going to be the ship's crew. From them on the ship starts working with the crew. The ship is also given a name by these humans (usually long before the launching itself), but other ships soon find a nickname.
Ships may grow up faster than humans, but they age more slowly. Their life span is on average longer than a human's, but there's much variability. While humans can live as long as 60 to 70 Earth years, ships often reach 80. However, it depends much on how they are maintained and if they get into accidents. Stats is considered to be an exception: he's already there and most people who know him think he'll live for another couple of decades. His sons most likely took after him: they've already reached human lifespans without looking too old.
Ships don't sleep so much as humans: they sleep on average three hours a night.
- Relationships with humans
Ships work with humans a lot and they have roughly the same uses than they have on Earth except for war and piracy This is mostly because they're very pacific and refuse to participate in anything that will kill or harm people of either species. They cannot be moved by arguments relying on patriotism, honor or retribution as it has been their experience that many times in human history these usually made things worse if they didn't start the problem. They also won't transport slaves.
Most tall ships race every summer between ports of different countries and use them as a means to help people from these countries and others get closer together, with the purpose of advancing world peace. Stats and his sons race almost every year, both because they don't want another war and because they find fun in racing.
Ships communicate with their captains by the means of a necklace that scans and influences brain patterns, allowing them to talk to each other and faintly feel each other's emotions and physical states.
Ships cannot do any magic, nor are they affected by it, unlike humans (see further).
- Humans and human societies
Humans on their part have about the same diversity, both in ethnicity and culture, than Earth humans. They're however a little bit different: they have a small magical power. However this power cannot affect ships although it can affect everything else, especially living beings.
One of the most prominent cultures is followed by the people Stats (and many of his relatives) work for. This culture spreads on the north-easternmost continent of the planet and is a rather traditionalist and pious society whose people believe in an unique bird-spirit. According to these beliefs, the Great Bird laid the world as an egg which will someday hatch as the spirit itself and so on. The Great Bird also watches the world and people's actions from the eyes of birds. This society therefore has a religious taboo against eating birds. The culture is also very patriarchal, and in some few places women are regarded as chattel. This is not the case everywhere, although gender equality is far from attained anywhere.
Most people from this culture (especially inland; near the sea they're not so wary) also think ships are set on straying people from following the religion's laws and principles by spreading their liberal ideas. Captains and crews are usually considered as already tainted and this occupation is regarded as a necessary evil, as ships are much needed for many uses. Depending on the exact country, the culture and religion can be more or less restrictive, and in some places ships and crews are able to have a good standing in their local communities, like Stats in his. Stats originated from one of the most repressive parts of the continent, but works now in a much more relaxed place, although not quite as relaxed as in other cultures around the planet.
Another prominent culture believes in a small pantheon of four gods and goddesses who created the world together. This culture is rather liberal and has a democratic government, due to some influence of the ships' culture over it. Another society bears some similarities with Aztecs. Stats has relatives working in both and many others.
History:
Stats is the son of two of the fastest ships of the time. He was named after a local noble whose relatives had already given their names to his older sisters. Even before he was launched, people would often say he was the most beautiful and finest ship of all three siblings. He would soon turn out to be also the liveliest. He would play jokes and drive his parents and sisters crazy by for example trying to escape them to explore the area. One of the most notable incidents happened before he was fully grown. He escaped his family once again to try to figure out exactly how fast he could go. However, he was caught in a storm and one of his sisters went to fetch him (which he took as another challenge). He was lucky to escape uninjured.
Stats grew up fast and was launched shortly after, to become a schoolship. However, he could only sail one cruise before a war started a couple of months afterward. The war spanned the whole continent and lasted several years, during which he couldn't sail, as it was considered too unsafe for him and his crew. After the war, he had to leave his country and was taken first to another place before ending up in his current one. He was then renamed after a former minister who did much for him to come, and resumed his activities as a schoolship there, teaching many young people to sail. He also met new friends, including Tordie, who would soon become more than that. They had a son they nicknamed South, then, years afterward, another, Krisprolls. Just before Krisprolls was launched, Stats lost one of his sisters, the one he was closest to, in an accident. She was on her way to meet her newest nephew.
A couple of years after Krisprolls's launching, Stats's country of origin, which had already taken a turn to the worse and started conquering neighbors, declared war on the whole continent. When they reached his country, Stats was taken back, as well as his whole family. He was repainted, renamed and kept in a harbor for storage during the whole war, without any news from his family. They were later found out to be used similarly, although treated much worse. Stats tried to escape repeatedly, but was caught every time. Finally the war ended and he was freed and taken back home. He was lucky to escape without any serious injury, whereas many other ships weren't so much; his sons were seriously injured (and they both almost died) and took a long time to recover, and Tordie was dead.
Although Stats physically recovered much faster than his sons, due to being hardly injured, his mental recovery took much longer, a couple of years. This is mostly due to the fact he put more effort into helping his sons to recover rather than helping himself. He also couldn't stand seeing them so badly injured and felt he should have been there to prevent it. It was all the worse that he's always been very close to them.
After the war, Stats resumed his activities as a schoolship and, despite a couple adventures, including working for a private owner who very quickly went under, is still sailing as of now. He's so fit for his age most people think he'll be still sailing many decades from now.
Currently, Stats is right back home from this year's race, where he did as well as usual (he even almost won) and is preparing for a well-deserved break.
Personality:
Stats is a lively and curious person. He always tries to understand how things work, people's motivations, etc. He usually won't give up until he has the answer. He craves from new things, new people and new places, although he likes to be free to go back home after exploring the world/universe. Being stranded far from home and/or prevented from seeing the people he loves really isn't his thing. This will be a difficult thing to deal with when he comes to the ship, as it will remind him of the war.
Stats strives for a healthy balance between seriousness and silliness. While on the one hand he is always prepared for everything that could happen, on the other hand, he allows himself times of silliness, especially when his sons are around, provided it's safe for him and everyone around that he does so. He often says he cannot afford to be silly when he's in a storm and has to focus on his sailing. On the other hand, he also thinks being serious all the time is impossible and the attempt would be unhealthy. Actually, he hasn't quite reached the exact balance he's looking for and is a bit too much on the silly side (see further).
Stats is very energetic (and often restless) and motivated and finds fun in many things, among them playing jokes to or with his sons. He likes being around people, whether ships or humans. Although he doesn't mind being alone at sea, he'll prefer to have some company. He also gets bored easily without anything to do, and if he's bored for too long (but it would need quite a while), he could become depressed. But most of the time he'll try to find something to do first.
Stats is very protective towards other people, especially his sons, after what happened to them during the war. He will go to great lengths to avoid anyone be harmed. Stats will even be willing to sacrifice himself if needed to ensure everyone else is safe and sound. He'll extend his protectiveness even to people he dislikes or whom he cannot stand, whatever the reason why. He believes not even that (or worse) makes anyone deserving of any kind of bad treatment and/or death, or undeserving of protection and/or respect. He will say "So-an-so did this or that, but that doesn't mean you have to sink down to his level and then start digging."
Stats is very sensitive and empathic (and quite a bit squeamish) and will feel very strongly for other people, which is a great part of the reason for the behavior described above. He also doesn't try to get better/special treatment from anyone, and strives to be fair towards everyone.
On top of his protectiveness, Stats is very close to his family, especially his sons. He can be considered as a family man, and it was indeed one of his dreams as a young ship to have a family (that he later had). This hasn't helped him cope with having almost his whole family killed in the war.
Stats gets along well with people, and cares deeply about them, especially his family. He is the kind of person who is nice first and treats people well, and will only change his opinion and attitude towards someone if they show him to care way more about their own opinions and beliefs than about anyone they may come across. Most of Stats's beefs towards certain kinds of people (see further) are mostly due to the war, where he had to deal with such people daily.
Stats sometimes plays jokes that aren't always appreciated, but when he really injures or offends someone, he tries to make amends afterward. He tries to take responsibility for his actions, although he often thinks he's not the only one who should do so. Stats also won't let people boss him around or treat him badly, and will ensure it won't happen, although he won't rely on violence or manipulation to get his way, as he doesn't see the usefulness of either in the long term. Stats usually respects other people's boundaries and will most of the time enforce his, but most often not to the point of crossing other people's.
Stats is usually very patient with people, although it's sometimes tested by people who want to get their way with him or people he knows. He's also wary of people who lack respect for others because they think they're above that, and his patience can be thus tested. Other than that, he'll be very patient towards anyone. He also trusts most people easily. Stats also often takes a leading role in many situations, often with his sons, and doesn't like being led without having an occasion to say his word.
Stats isn't easily angered or scared, although he will find some attitudes more than annoying. He will be honest and tell people as much. He will nevertheless try diplomacy first. Stats doesn't give up easily and often gives all his heart into what he cares the most about. He is a joyful person and isn't easily bothered. He often says he's had so many bad things in his life that nothing can get him anymore, although he knows that it just might. Stats will feel his emotions strongly, although he will not express them as much, therefore making him act mild-mannered. On the other hand, he knows it could reach the surface under certain circumstances, as it did quite a few times, especially during the war. This might be a problem during his first weeks or months on the ship, and maybe longer than that.
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:
*Natural human-like abilities
Stats is very smart, much smarter than an average human, and he makes calculations very fast. He has a lot of knowledge in science, especially fluid mechanics, meteorology and general math and physics, as well as human biology, and a lot of experience and skill in sailing. He usually gets along well with people, although it depends on the other person involved. He has above-average agility: as a ship, he could moor on nooks and crannies hardly bigger than himself on his own, whereas most other ships had to be towed. This agility will most likely stay when he turns human, after he's adapted to his new body.
*Non-human abilities
Although Stats used to know the time to the second, he'll have a much lessened time sense once on the ship, due to its nature. He'll only be able to have a rough idea, although less rough than an ordinary human's, of how much time has passed between two events, or how long he's been unconscious. He'll furthermore have to adapt to the time and calendar of the ship. Likewise, whereas before he couldn't get lost anywhere, he'll only be slightly less likely to get lost than a human, and have a slightly more precise idea of the direction he's went/has to go.
Also, as he's aged slowly as a ship, I'd like him to age about twice slower than a human, therefore making him look 50 Earth years old where he's much older.
Stats slept only three hours a night as a ship, and he'll likely still not sleep much as a human.
Most of these abilities will be due to Stats keeping his original brain instead of getting a full human one.
As he's not originally human and kept his original brain, Stats will likely taste odd to whatever kind of vampires (regular vampires, Stargate wraith, whatever) might want to feed on him (it'll be the equivalent of toothpaste mixed with mustard, for example), although they will still be able to. Also, magic will not work as well on him (magic from his own universe plainly doesn't, but it's an exception), although the difference with regular humans will be rather faint.
*Weaknesses
Having lived through two wars, Stats has a few triggers, although it's milder than it has been as the last war happened a long time ago. He'll most likely be triggered by being brought on the ship far away from his home and maybe by the missions themselves, depending on what's involved. For example, he'll be definitely triggered by invasions and fights, especially if the invaders are after him in particular. He'll most likely think they've been sent by his country of origin or something like that.
Stats is also cautious of people who would try to boss him or anyone else around beyond what's reasonable to expect in the situation, or of people who think their own opinion is the truth and who act on this belief. He might get a little snappish at times with them.
Stats is also very empathic and sensitive to pain, his own or others', and to people's emotions. He's also quite a little squeamish. Whenever he sees someone injured, whatever their species, he'll feel their pain rather strongly. Whether he's himself in much pain or someone else is, Stats will feel awful and a bit dizzy and/or sick from it, which will affect his ability to react to the situation. If he's in pain for a while, he will also be in a sour mood until it eases down. He'll most likely try to hide it, but will be bad at it.
Stats has strong emotions, and although he doesn't express them that strongly, he might become more volatile before he learns how to deal with his coming on the ship. This could take a while, most likely months.
Stats, despite being far from naive, will sometimes act like it when he tries to understand other people's motivations when they are vastly different from his own. He's not intolerant of them, far from it, his approach having a goal of better understanding other people, but he has offended quite a few people in the past with this attitude. He's also a bit too curious at times and could sometimes be seen as intrusive. He's also quite stubborn and keeps going when most people would have quit, even if he sometimes wonders why he bothered, especially when he doesn't get any result.
Stats has a very deep sleep and will hardly be woken up by anything, which will make him very vulnerable to any threats.
Stats will also have to adapt to his new body and will be awkward at first.
*Power limitations
As mentioned, Stats will be only faintly less vulnerable to any kind of magic than regular humans. This is not due to any power, however, but to his physiology being a bit off although compatible with humans'. Other than that, he'll be subject to the same restrictions as normal humans, although he'll be a bit more sensitive to pain.
Additionally, as shown in the non-human abilities section, his time sense and navigating abilities will be reduced a lot by his coming to the ship.
Inventory:
A painting of him and his sisters, dating from the time he was just launched, and another of him and his sons during a party at his home port.
Appearance:
I'll most likely use Sean Bean as in Games of Thrones as a PB. More precisely, Stats will be a 6'8''-6'9'' tall blond bearded guy, slightly thinner than average for his size (about 200 pounds/90kg), and he'll have blue eyes. He'll look around 50 and will have a few scars from scratches he got as a ship. Due to the translation device, he'll speak with a generic posh British accent.
Age: 97 local years (about 78 Earth years)
AU Clarification: n/a
SAMPLES
Log Sample:
Stats was happy, if a bit tired. He had a good race, he was back home, his captain and crew were safe and sound, and now back to their families. He could go to sleep knowing he did a good job this year, as usual. Of course, he knew that as soon as he would be awake again he would miss everyone already, and he would itch to go back to the sea. But for now, all he wanted was sleep.
He woke up surrounded by water.
I have sunk? What the...
He extended a rope... arm? just as the tube emptied. He fell down on the floor as it opened.
WHAT? ... what.
Something must have happened. Stats didn't remember what, which in itself was weird. But being sunk and then landing on the floor, within a human building?
In... human form?
Feeling like he was on himself during a storm, and not being able to figure out how to get up?
Something had happened.
And he hurt himself. He would be sore for days.
All right, how do I move... shouldn't be complicated... roll over to the side... fold the limbs... roll back over... There. And... up.
Stats was sitting. Now... He first tried to look around, but couldn't see much. But he could see he was definitely not home. The technology wasn't like anywhere he'd been, but who knew where it was from. Who took him? Why? To get out, he would have to stand up, but... how was he supposed to do it? He extended a leg forward and tried to put his weight on it, but fell down on his back. No wonder humans took a least a whole year to master it. Stats sat back up and tried another couple of times, over and over, in vain. What did he miss? Oh, well, so be it, if he had to use the wall, he would use it. Stats crept to the wall (strangely enough, going on all fours was rather easy to master) and leaned on it to stand up. Much easier that way.
But the most difficult was to come. He would be able to walk along the wall just fine with a little practice, but he would eventually have to do without it. Well, for now... Stats went along the wall, hoping to find an exit sometime. He wouldn't spend the day alone in this huge room. There was his own pod - yes, that was the thing he was sunk in, another empty one, another... a full one? Stats was close enough to see someone inside. He wasn't the only one sunk here? Perhaps someone he knew, or someone able to help?
"Hey!
... Hello? Would you help me?"
The other person didn't react, nor did they when Stats tried tapping against the pod's walls. Making faces at them didn't work either. Almost falling on the pod because he didn't hold himself well enough... still neither. So much for interaction. He went on along the wall, going past a couple of equally unresponsive people in pods, and found the side room with the lockers. Now, he was a bit easier on his legs, but didn't trust himself without walls just yet. Well, there was this one step between him and the lockers... Stats launched himself and half-walked half-fell on the lockers. Then he saw the number on his arm.
Where did I ever get that?
Hum... there could be a link between this number and the ones on the lockers. Better look. Stats searched for his number, which was actually not too far away, and stopped. How did this thing open?
Stats went closer to have a look and... it opened.
What? Oh, well, it solves the problem.
Stats looked inside. There were paintings and a set of dark clothes that looked like a uniform. He first took the paintings to have a look at them. They looked familiar. The first one was... him and his sisters. How long couldn't he see them? They were retired now, and he hadn't had the occasion to see them in... he couldn't remember how long. The second painting was of him and his sons. Krisprolls and South. Wonderful young men. Oh surely they weren't taken as well? He hoped not. He would miss them, but they would be better at home than here. This place looked too creepy to bring the boys. Where was everyone, to begin with?
Stats took the clothes. They were black. He wasn't wearing that! Not after...
Oh, no. They took me back.
They took him back. And they let him keep paintings of his family. As if to make him miss them even more. Another way to try to break him? After making him human, as if it wasn't enough? They were creepier each time. This time, they were taking random people. He didn't remember knowing anyone in the pods, which meant they could have been taken from even further away than him. They were after everyone. Those people were sick.
Moreover, they made him face the choice of wearing black again, making him look like some pawn in whatever war they were fighting, one more time, or else roam the place in underwear, likely making him the laughingstock of whatever poor souls were stuck here with him. Humans could take offence from anything, and he had to be taken seriously, if he wanted to do something about this situation.
Surely he couldn't organise a resistance in underwear?
As Stats reluctantly took the clothes again, he saw a little device. He took it and pushed the button, just to see what it did.
"Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters."
What was that? Another way for them to drive him crazy? This wouldn't work on him.
Stats pushed again, same reaction. Well, this thing was funny in the end, what with the voice that came from nowhere, but not for long. And, indeed, there was a blue door over there, to wherever else. Who made all this? How did they do it?
Well, he still had to get dressed. In black.
Comms Sample:
[Video]
[Stats looks hopeful and eager, although a little bit anxious. What if it didn't work, again?]
Hello, Stats here.
Anyone has any knowledge in very advanced physics? I'd like to know how we came here, so that I might be able to know how to send everybody back home. Would anyone help me? I would be very grateful, and I think everyone else would be as well.
[Stats waits eagerly for any answers.]