Tralfamadorian (The Sirens of Titan)


 * Not to be confused with an organic species of the same name.

Tralfamadorians are a spacefaring robotic species from the planet Tralfamadore, in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Biology
Tralfamadorians are a race of machines with three spindly legs and no arms. They stand about 1.4 meters in height, and their skin is the same color and texture as a tangerine. Their three eyes can see into the infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray spectra. Their feet consist of three inflatable spheres which, when fully inflated, allow them to walk over water, and when disinflated become suction cups that enable them to walk on vertical surfaces. As a robotic species, they are completely asexual and can live for millions of years.

Unlike the other Tralfamadorians, this robotic species experiences time linearly, like Humans.

Culture and society
The Tralfamadorian government has been described as a "hypnotic anarchy". Their civilization is millions of years old and has access to highly advanced technology. They travel in flying saucers.

History
Although the origins of this species are unknown, legend says that the planet Tralfamadore was originally inhabited by an organic species who was obsessed with the idea of purpose. However, whenever they found something that might be considered a purpose, it never seemed fulfilling enough for them, so they created machines to tend to these ordinary purposes, while the original Tralfamadorians searched for higher purposes.

Seeing how efficient the machines were, the original race ordered the machines to search for the race's ultimate purpose, only to find that there was none. Feeling repulsed with themselves, the original Tralfamadorians started to kill each other, but realized that even in that the machines would be more efficient than them. So they ordered the machines to kill them, which was accomplished quickly and efficiently, thus leaving the machines without masters, free to develop their own society on Tralfamadore.

Appearances

 * The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut (1959)