Ballatayans are a species from the planet Ballata, a planet located 4 million light-years from Earth.
Biology[]
Ballatayans resemble humans physically with their genomes being strikingly similar as well as possess diverse racial diversity with various skin tones and hair colors. Although internally they are much more different, such as their blood being brighter red. Their blood apparently contains special properties which enables them to handle extreme cold and heat.
History[]
At one point in the Ballatayans history, after achieving space travel, the species managed to colonize two more planets that orbited their world nearby. One and a half centuries ago the Ballatayans were testing out the weapon systems of their vessels when the automatic systems malfunctioned triggering a deadly release of weapons onto two the worlds. In on tenth of a day life on the planets were wiped out. Due to the trauma of their own making the Ballatayans swore off on developing weaponry even to defend themselves.
One of the Ballatayans' exploration asteroid whilst cruising through the void of space, discovered the Pioneer 10. On the probe they found a disc encoded with images and sounds from Earth. Though what interested the aliens was the image of the naked man and woman. Thinking that they discovered a species of similar biology and culture to them the Ballatayans wished to make contact with humanity.
They eventually located Earth using the probe, however there was difficulty in establishing communication due to humanity's technology not being compatible. However they managed to succeed in contacting a special team led by a man named Samuel Williams that was searching for signals in space. Communications was then established and the language barrier was eliminated through the exchanges. The Ballatayans were disappointed that the humans were not precisely like them but still wished o have continued peaceful relations with their evolutionary neighbors.
Sam after learning about the Ballatayans being naturist, acquired a beach house in the nudist community of Freedom Beach in preparation to accommodate the extraterrestrials when they visited Earth. And the Ballatayans provided specs on how to build their matter displacement terminals which were built inside the house. During the course of their interaction, Sam befriended Derlan and Kalinni the defacto leaders of the Ballatayans that were sent to establish contact with humanity.
While the Ballatayans only wished to share their scientific discoveries and technology, Sam's government saw the aliens as a hostile threat. None of the peaceful advancements interested the government as they only had eyes on the Ballatayans potential weapon systems. Sam already wary on his paranoid government and their increasing demands for results coached the Ballatayans on human behavior warning them that his kind were not to be trusted. A year later Sam died of an illness, at least officially, though it was hinted that his own government may have been involved. The Ballatayans while being able to cure the man were unable to intervene as it was against their protocol.
The ownership of the beach house was passed to Sam niece, Hannah Murphy and her family: Henry Murphy, her husband and their two children Mark and Suzy. Unknown to them Sam's last will had a secret in which he left them as the mediators between the aliens and the government. The government wanting the dialogue with the aliens to resume concocted a gas explosion that destroyed the neighborhood where the Murphys live, not only destroy their home but also causing many deaths and property damage. It was a ploy to force the family to inhabit the beach house so that the government's nefarious plans to acquire advanced technology could resume.
The family upon arriving at Freedom Beach were initially shocked by the naturist culture, but were eventually won over by the community and the benefits of a clothes free existence. Just as they family were starting to enjoy their new life in Freedom Beach, Hannah was contacted by Derlan who informed her of her uncle's relationship with his people. The housewife at first kept this knowledge to herself, but when her husband Henry came in unexpectedly finding her naked with Derlan, he became a believer after being taken to their ship Narla, that was submerged underwater.
No sooner did they make contact with the Ballatayans, Agents Derek Smith soon arrived and not so subtly make threats against Henry and Hannah to speed up the negotiations and gain the aliens weaponry. No amount of reasoning could be made with the man as the couple learned that the aliens had no weapons of any kind, but the paranoid government man only wished to hear what he wanted to hear insistent that the aliens were the enemy and that they were lying.
Hostility towards the Ballatayans continued when Derlan and Kalinni took a shuttle to the surface to get some fresh air. Kalinni was hurt by a drone that was in the area controlled by the government. A bullet in her leg, the Ballatayans were unfamiliar with the wound and brought her to the Murphy family for aid. At the same time the Ballatayans existence was exposed to Mark, Suzy and their nudist friend Becky Mulligan. Becky having some medical training managed to remove the bullet, saving Kalinni's life.
The children were then introduced to the Narla and its crew. Henry and Hannah still were being harassed by the government agents especially Smith, who demanded results. In the ensuing dialogue between the Ballatayans were made aware of the harassment by the government official. They expected this and gifted the older Murphys devices that would allow them to keep track of them if they were kidnapped. Henry was convinced to quit his job as an air traffic controllerallowing him to spend more time at Freedom Beach and committed to be a liaison to the aliens.
The aliens offered the Murphy family a serum that would grant them similar biochemistry as them, being comfortable in extreme heat and cold. The Murphys already embracing the nudist lifestyle accepted. On another meeting with Agent Smith, where the agent still demanded Henry give him the alien's weapon system, the former ATC accidentally let it out about the serum. Upon hearing the serum, Smith demanded a sample as he envisioned using it to create supersoldiers that would be able to operate in any environment. The Ballatayans while disappointed that the human government did not accept any of their food production advances agreed to the agent's request. Five soldiers were given dosages of the serum.
However the soldiers did not account for the side-effects despite warning by the Murphys. The serum while giving them immunity to the weather and elements, made those who accepted the serum, unable to wear clothes without irritation. While the Murphys had no issue with the side-effects, a cure for the serum was demanded by Smith infuriated that advancement did not meet his expectation.
Henry then delivered the cure, but shortly entering the military base, he was arrested by Smith without explanation, save being it for "nation security". Hannah seeing her husband had not come home, then informed her children who reached out to the Ballatayans for help. Derlan assisted the Murphys in locating Henry, using his technology to nullify the military personnel's weapons and rescuing Henry. They subsequently returned to the beach house, though found that the government agents were about to storm it, forcing the alien and Murphys to use the matter transporters to flee to the Narla.
Seeing how that the beach house was no longer an option, and the Ballatayans still wishing to advance humanity with their technology, the Murphys decided to reach out to private scientists who might be interested and disseminate the advances on the aliens behalf.
The Murphys then began contacting scientists for arranged discrete meetings. Unfortunately on the first meeting with a scientist, who's call was intercepted by the government, they were ambushed, leading to the capture of Hannah and Derlan, who were then taken to a isolated military base. Henry and Kalinni managed to pilot their shuttle and the second which had carried Hannah and Derlan, and now containing three captured soldiers that attempted to hijack it. One of the soldiers died after being shot accidentally by one of his peers. After negating the two soldiers and learning the location of his wife, Henry and Suzy used the corpse of a dead solider to acquire a image of his clothes to project his uniform on their bodies so they could infiltrate the military facility.
Father and daughter succeeded in bypassing the security, freeing Derlan and Hannah. At that point Agent Smith came and declared his intentions to just seize everything the aliens possessed, having no care for the ramifications. This led to a shoot-out, injuring Henry. The aliens and human family managed to escape back to Narla. However after experiencing the brutality and injustice by their own kind, they could never call Earth home. Now regarded as fugitives and traitors by their own government, the Murphys had no place to return to. That in mind, and in gratitude to them and their uncle, Derlan invited the family asylum on Ballata.
Culture[]
Ballatayans are a spacefaring people that are highly advanced, possessing space travel capabilities to cross huge distances in space. Additionally their sciences include matter transportation, weapon nullification devices, realistic holography and living vessels. Their living vessels are able to link with members of the crew through a form of telepathy, though it develops gradually the longer they stay in contact with the vessel.
Ballatayans are a highly pacifistic people unwilling to create weapons or even react in violence if to protect themselves. One of their more interesting traits is their inability to understand the point of clothing due to never conceiving of the concept on their homeworld.
Their starships are all maintained by the crew, with none being idle each serving the community through chores and tasks. Among the crew are the pilots and navigators. Pilots are unique among the Ballatayans, as they are composed of men and women who do not develop an independent consciousness and serve only a group mind, which make them suited for long voyages in space. While the navigators are beings who connected directly to the living vessels and relay instructions to the pilots, due to their bodies being mutilated they require assistance maintaining their bodies.
Ballatayans are monogamous taking one partner in marriage. Age is hardly a factor in relationships, and thus so long as two people love each other their society accepts any age gap.
A Ballatayan handshake is compose of stroking a person's arm.
Source[]
- Pioneer: Murphys In Space by P.Z. Walker