The Cubic are a species from the planet Jõgeva in the Vanamees star system.
Biology[]
The Cubic claims to be evolved humans, progenitors of the human race. Over millennia in space, the Cubic having settled on many other planet, developed features that better adapted them to their environment. Some evolved so that they had prehensile toes. Others developed small forehead antennas for improved communication. Or even superior intelligence. There are other small differences, all useful traits, by not so severe.
History[]
For some time the Cubic have engaged in a war against the Space-Spiders for control of the habitable planets in the galaxy. The Spider War was waged over many star systems that both species discovered. Due to the fierceness of the war, the Cubic Empire put in play a strategy to disperse their population across the stars in case a planet was lost to the enemy.
At one point, the Cubic sent settlers to settle on Earth, who flourished and was deemed a refugee for humanity. However due to the war, the Cubic Empire had to diver their attentions to the war. The colony on Earth was self-sufficient for a time, until the settlers descendants lost all knowledge of their origins and lapsed into a primitive state.
The Cubic Empire continued to exist and were still aware of Earth as a part of their territory. They behaved as absent landlords of Earth, allowing the humans to redevelop civilization and pursue their petty wars and vanities. There was a brief crisis when humans developed nuclear power. It passed and the Cubic continued to maintain observation on Earth, from their development of spaceflight, which did not seem to progress that much.
Unfortunately the war turned in favor for the Space-Spiders, which led to their conquest of Earth. After wiping out most of humanity and its modern infrastructure, the Space-Spiders converted the planet to produce a rich resource: human meat, creating vast human ranches to supply food to the war effort.
After centuries of occupation, there was only one free human civilization left on the planet, which only existed out of the grace of the Space-Spiders, who intended to use it as a reserve human herd in case of any plagues that may affect their human herds. The Homeland as the civilization was called were ruled by the High Lords was a feudal society that at first aimed at resisting the alien encroachment of the Space-Spiders alien drones which were sent to discourage the free humans from mixing with their barely sentient livestock in the Borderlands.
The situation changed when the Homeland discovered the human ranches under the control of the aliens. Having deduced their purpose and why the Space-Spiders had refrained from wiping out their rebuilt civilization, the High Lords decided to not retaliate against the invaders in fear of destruction. Though the High Lords launched secret raids into the Borderlands to extract resources from the human ranches, human resources...babies and young women to bolster the Homeland population. The feral humans that were born from these women were used as a new slave caste to advance the Homeland development.
Earth was then in a tenuous coexistence with the invaders, but it ended decades later when a Cubic attacked the ranches of the Space-Spiders when they arrived to harvest the human herds. The battle resulted in the destruction of the Space-Spider and Cubic ship. The damage to the ranches were eventually repaired by alien drones, however Earth was now in dispute between the two races. The Space-Spiders were forced to confront the Cubic, causing them to lose hold of Earth.
The Cubic Empire was swift to claim Earth as part of their territory. To get an understanding of the situation on Earth, they "borrowed" a human soldier of the Homeland, and converted him to their cause. A decade o so later due to time dilation of travel between planets, the man was sent back to the Homeland to negotiate with the High Lords on the behalf of the Cubic Empire.
The representative informed the High Lords of the situation on Earth, that there were several compounds raising millions humans to be harvested by the absent Space-Spiders, with a few few feral humans in the wild. The Homeland was the only civilized body on Earth. The Empire was pleased with their descendants in salvaging the humans from the compounds citing their "compassion" and "courage". As for the fate of what should be done with the remaining poor souls in the compounds, as the Homeland could not absorb them all and they were far too off to be animals to be rehabilitated.
The Empire offered the protection for the Earth, though they only had one stipulation. Due to the casualties that the Empire suffered, they desire to restore their numbers. The Cubic wanted the humans to manage the compounds to produce not human meat but people.
The message from the aliens was unexpected, Aside from the compulsory breeding, the High Lords were still suspicious of the Cubic, having never met them save for the representative. They feared that once they handed their people over to the Cubic they would be brainwashed and that they had merely replaced one master for another. Especially when the aliens made it clear that they wanted to remove the best and brightest to serve the Cubic Empire and fight in the Spider War.
There was fear that the Cubic actions would dumb down the humans on Earth, leaving the newly educated feral and people from the Homeland to be indistinguishable. The High Lords were wary about their people being turned into expendable soldiers. The High Lords so no benefit for them only for them to be ruled by a foreign power even with benefits of protection.
The High Lords then reconvened from their musing and addressed the representative, demanding more information on the Cubic and its culture. When the representative gave a bias depiction of the Empire, the High Lords questioned their position in the Empire, and if they would be just be used as canon fodder. The ambassador answered their questions but the humans still felt that they were being manipulated into joining the Empire as glorified slaves. That combined with the arrogant nature of the ambassador only convinced them that the aliens had ulterior motives.
The High Lords needed a better assessment on what to decide and so they demanded to have a in person meeting with a member of the so-called evolved humans. The proposal was rejected as the ambassador believed that they could resolve the matter through him alone. The High Lords pushed the issue citing that the plan for Earth predicated on their participation.
It was then the ambassador warned that the Cubic Empire would merely destroy the homeland and restart from scratch. Even so the High Lords pointed out that there could still be issues in wiping the Homeland. In the end it was finally agreed to have a meeting with one of the Cubic.
But sadly the meeting did not go smoothly as the High Lords refused to bow to the Cubic demands. What proceeded afterwards was the Cubic Empire sending a fleet to raze the human breeding compounds, releasing many feral humans and also targeting the Homeland. Though due to the Homeland having dwelling underground they were able to wait out the bombardment.
The Cubic fleet however faced an obstacle when a Space-Spider fleet sensing weakness launched a sneak attack on their enemies. Both sides would eventually destroy one another, in the ensuing war. This left Earth alone, however the Cubic fleet carried a bio-weapon that was released, causing a plague that wiped humanity nearly to extinction.
For the Cubic, only a few survivors were left, regressed to a pre-spaceflight society with only records of their glory.
Culture[]
The Cubic Empire is a multi-cultural society, containing humans and evolved humans. It claims to be tolerant of difference and is liberal.
They are said to be an open society, and those with superior intelligence gravitated to positions of responsibility.
It is said that there is a place for everyone in the Empore. And those of lesser intelligence are relegated to do less demanding work, but are no labelled or excluded like slaves.
The species appeared to have a arrogant sense of self-importance, seeing themselves as the originators of humanity, hence all their descendant races should adhere to their will.
The species besides capable of spaceflight, also possessed a technique for converting others to their way of thinking. Similar to religious conversion, it brainwashes victims to convincing them that the Cubic were in the right.
Source[]
- They Came Again: A Story of Survival in a Post-Alien World by Nurmi Simm (2018)