Novakid

Novakids are a unique species of plasma-based humanoids. Their biology is mysterious in many ways, making it rather obscure and not yet fully understood.

Novakids tend to be rather forgetful and always searching for stimuli. It seems to be a ‘biologically’ imposed feature on them. It is not a trait shared by all Novakids, however. They’ll typically have a much better memory when it comes to subjects they like.

A Novakid’s natural glow will brighten and dim or adjust their plasma saturation based on their current mood. They can make a conscious effort to control this, but most of the time they will do so without even realising it.

Novakids will find themselves oddly obsessed over by members of the Floran and Saturnian species. Said species tend to gravitate around Novakid when one is present, which causes some Novakids to prefer avoiding them whenever possible.

Novakids do have a requirement to eat, in order to replace some of the elements within their bodies that are burned up. Although they do get a bit from the air surrounding them, eating is still a requirement. Novakids may still become unconscious like any other organic being, barring anything like choking. Exhaustion and toxins can be the culprit behind this. It should also be noted that Novakids still require sleep, in order to sort and organize information.

Although Novakids are affected by toxins, they sometimes react to them in different ways. Some toxins, for example, may cause a Novakid’s body to drop in temperature instead of their usual effect. It should be noted that alcohol has the same impact on Novakids as other species.

Lifespan & Age
The longest documented lifespan for a Novakid is 902GSY. On average, most Novakids live up to 700 GSY. Any age past 600GSY is considered old for a Novakid. Visible signs of age will appear around this age. The defining characteristics of an aging Novakid are the widening out of the body and colour shifts towards the red colour spectrum. The slang term “Red Giant” refers to one of these old Novakids.

An estimate of a Nova’s lifespan can be gauged based on the color of light they emit. Novakids who emit light closer to the blue end of the light spectrum typically have shorter lifespans, while Novakids who emit lights near the red end of the spectrum tend to live longer lives. This method of estimation is not an exact science, however. While a consistent pattern does exist to support this theory, outliers do exist.

The symptoms of aging for a Novakid include brand stability problems, physical fatigue, problems creating Protokids, severe cognitive issues, and the delay of the plasma membrane stitching up wounds. These are just some of the symptoms. As a definitive rule, the symptoms of age for a Novakid are similar to what organic species experience.

Protokids
Any Novakid under the age of 14 is refered to as a Protokid. Protokids go through a series of notable life stages.

Up until a Protokid reaches the age of a year old, it remains in a mostly outwardly inactive state, appearing as a ball of plasma with the brand visible. This early stage is sometimes known as a “Sleeper”, so called as all they do is sleep. Sleepers typically float a few feet over the ground. Never less than one, never greater than five.

Despite what it seems, a Sleeper is still conscious of its surroundings. Behaviors such as drifting near their parents or nearby Novakids if they reincarnated are often observed, as well as the ability to avoid potential dangers via movement. A Sleeper will also start to learn the language spoken around it, learn of dangers, and start to trust those who protect it. It has been observed many times that Novakids are fearful of things perceived as dangerous they only had experiences with as a sleeper, despite lacking memories of what happened.

When coming close to their transition to their next stage, a Sleeper will start to slowly lose their floaty properties and become much more physically active. Behavior such as active wandering, sudden movements, and noticeable response to stimuli are observed.

From 1 to 5 years old, the protokid’s form enters a period of transition. Their body will start to gain a more humanoid form to it. The first formation of this is small legs and arms on the plasma ball, as well as the cessation of any hovering. During this stage, a Protokid becomes very active, mostly through running around and touching unfamiliar objects. A Protokid will then proceed to gain a humanoid form over the years gradually.

In about 2.5 years, full legs will have properly formed on the Protokid, with its arms still attached to the plasma ball. At the end of the five year period, the Protokid will have gained a humanoid form resembling that of a toddler, the ability to speak (though not without issue), and will continue to grow in a way similar to most other species.

It should be noted that all Protokids are quite hot, with the sleeper stage being hot enough to cause second degree burns. Protokids that are younger than five years old can cause first degree burns easily, while older ones may still cause burns but only with prolonged contact. This is due to the fast rate a Protokid’s body is developing at, creating a lot of heat energy. Generally, the younger the protokid, the warmer they will be.

Birth
Novakids can be naturally “born” without parents under certain circumstances. When a Novakid dies, the brand goes inert. A brand will absorb ambient cosmic energy until it becomes active, forming a new Novakid. This process may take from decades to centuries to finish.

It is typical for these reincarnating brands to absorb enough cosmic energy to reform, and then activate when another Novakid comes within proximity. Although cases of brands reincarnating alone have been reported, they are exceptionally rare. It is theorized these only come in extreme circumstances when a brand has not been activated either by a pair of Novakids or by the proximity of a Novakid for an extraordinarily long period of time. The Novakid will have no memory of any past lives, and they may not even share any similarities in characteristics. The only constant between these lives is the brand itself.

A brand finishing the process of re-energizing, beginning from the end of a Novakid’s life, is unlikely to happen in any organic species’ lifetime. It takes centuries for the process to happen on its own.

The majority of Novakids are born by two Novakids of opposite polarities combining their own plasma on a brand. This will activate the brand’s reincarnation mechanism, causing it to activate and start to create a new Novakid.

The way plasma is placed on a brand is by those Novakids of opposite polarities touching the brand at the same time, with both Novakids wanting to create a Protokid. If both Novakids are willing, their brands will resonate with each other and the brand they are targeting. Plasma from each Novakid will then carefully be released from their membrane, being caught in the new forming one around the inactive brand. The two Novakids then must move away from the brand, let it form on its own for an hour or two, and then it will have transformed into a Protokid.

Creating a Protokid does require losing a measure of plasma from both parties. A Novakid with a moderately low level of plasma is unable to create a Protokid, as their bodies prevent themselves from doing it in the first place. Doing so could result in serious repercussions or even death depending on the absent amount, and thus it makes sense their bodies protectively do not allow it to happen in the first place. Once their levels return to a safe amount, they will be able to create a Protokid as normal.

Gender
It has been noted that the gender of a Novakid correlates directly to their magnetic polarity. A female Novakid will produce a negative polarity, whereas males will produce a positive one. As a consequence of this, theoretically if a Novakid’s polarity switched, they would change genders.

No occurrences of this have been recorded, however, because the sheer amount of force needed to switch polarities would be more powerful than the Novakid’s own brand could handle. However, it is said that certain Novakids could achieve this change. Any methods to do so are unknown by the public at large.

Brand
The brand of a Novakid is the most vital part of their body. It is the strongest magnetic field membrane producing node on their body, and it is what gives Novakids their humanoid form. In short, a brand is often considered the “brain” of a Novakid.

The form of a Novakid cannot be consciously controlled. It happens automatically, depending on such factors as diet, exercise, and base factors that cannot be controlled.

Because of the brand’s vital importance for keeping a Novakid stable, it is dangerous for it to move a lot. Although certain Novakids may have their brand move under varying circumstances, a brand moving an amount more than 90° in a short period of time is very dangerous and has been known to result in serious injury. It may even be fatal in extreme cases. Injuries occur due to the fact that the sudden rotation interferes with the magnetic membrane of a Novakid, resulting in plasma loss and deformities.

On occasion, a Novakid’s brand may be ingrown, semi or completely. A completely ingrown brand will give the illusion of a brand being absent altogether, while a semi ingrown brand will appear as though it is not all connected together (for example, a brand in the shape of a question mark). This phenomenon seems to be completely random and has no negative effects.

Although magnetic fields could affect Novakids in theory, the magnetic field on a Novakid’s body is so powerful that only the strongest and most concentrated magnetic fields could drastically harm them. Such devices are very rare, generally consume absurd amounts of power, extremely bulky, and so powerful that they are imparticale. Any device able to damage a Novakid through magnetism can really only cause a small local disruption of their magnetic field, similar to a leak within a boat. Typically, damage is not permanent, as the magnetic membrane will quickly seal them back up once free of the source. The only known source in the galaxy capable of producing a magnetic field strong enough to completely disrupt a Novakid’s magnetic membrane is a black hole.

Because it is so strong, it is impossible to pull a brand out of the face of a living Novakid. It is also difficult to turn the brand, although with some pressure it may be shifted a few degrees.

The material that comprises of a Novakid’s brand may vary, but in typical cases it is an amalgamate of iron and/or previous transition metals. The temperature threshold of a brand before it starts to melt is approximately 1400° C (2552° F). The presence of a strange metallic material has also been noted. It has many similarities to iron, and yet something about it is off.

If a brand is melted down, it still will retain its previous properties once cooled enough to become solid. It’s possible to reshape a brand into a different shape this way, though a Novakid that regenerates from such a brand may have the potential for deformities and other unknown side effects.

The tensile strength of a brand is unknown, as it cannot be measured properly due to the risks involved in doing so on a living Novakid. The properties of an active brand differs greatly from that of an inert brand. The results gained experimenting on an inert brand vary from one that is active.

Upon death by aging, Novakids typically leave behind a shaped piece of metal alongside their brand. This metal shape is actually a new brand. Although it is typically smaller than the brand of the Novakid that created it, it still nonetheless functions.This new brand will not leave behind any metal on its first reincarnation, instead using the metal in order to mold itself into a more proper working form. Novakid brands that have been damaged will also use fused metal to repair their brands while they are alive, though this is a gradual process that takes a few years to occur. Novakids who are older (usually older than 550) and die of non natural causes will still leave behind this piece of iron.

Plasma & Membrane
The plasma of a novakid functions very similarly to the blood of any other species. If too much leaves their bodies over a short enough period of time, a Novakid will end up perishing in the aftermath.

Injury & Regeneration
Although the membrane of a Novakid is much more sturdy compared to skin, it still can be “cut” in some circumstances, letting plasma leak out. It takes a while for these wounds to cover over completely, typically close to the amount of time it takes for an organic species to stop bleeding. Once they do, it’s like the wound was never there in the first place. Novakids never develop scars due to how their healing mechanism works.

Due to how Novakids heal, the most important thing for any medic dealing with their injuries is to stop the plasma from leaking out with something that can handle high temperatures. Most medics who are expecting to assist with Novakids will bring along specialized heat retardant “bandages”, made out of a flexible material. These Novakid bandages last for quite a few uses, until the heat from multiple uses misshapes or damages them too critically.

When the plasma of a Novakid leaves their body, it quickly converts into gas in a few seconds. Novakids typically end up in a state of weakness when a good portion of their plasma has been lost, feeling symptoms similar to how an organic being suffering from blood lost would.

If some amount of plasma is lost leaving their membrane not completely full, the fusion process eventually refills the lost plasma.

Limb Loss
If any of the limbs of a Novakid leak a significant amount of plasma, their body will react by sealing off their membrane at the base of their limbs, effectively amputating it. Essentially, their body loosens the stress of losing plasma by reducing the amount of membrane they must fill with plasma.

Lost limbs will eventually regenerate on most Novakids. It depends on their age.

For any Novakid younger than 25GSY, it takes about 6GSM to regain a limb.

Novakids 26-250 need 8GSM - 1GSY for a limb to regrow.

Novakids 261-600 need 1GSY - 1.5GSY for a limb to regrow.

Novakids nearing the end of their natural lifespan are unable to regrow limbs altogether and their bodies have trouble taking off their limbs in the first place.

If the regeneration of a limb reaches into an age threshold, it will still regenerate based on the time it would take on how old the Novakid was when they lost their limb.

Plasma Ejection
Some Novakids have the ability to eject plasma at will, making for a powerful but self harming defense mechanism. It is a very dangerous ability with a high risk involved, however, making it awesome but impractical in most circumstances. Those who are not careful with this ability can and often do end up draining their own plasma reserves to the point where they die.

Membrane Warmth
The surface of a Novakid is relatively warm on average. Most have a mildly warm exterior that is not hazardous, but comparatively warmer than skin.

Some Novakid reincarnations may have a strange quirk where they have a much warmer than average exterior. This can vary to slightly warmer to so warm that it can set nearby flammable objects on fire. An exterior hot enough to set things on fire is a very rare occurrence, but cases of it are known. Novakids with an exterior this extreme often find themselves inhibited in their choice of lifestyle. They are often forced to make use of thermal suits in order to avoid burning anything flammable that grazes their bodies.

Death
How a Novakid acts upon death depends on the circumstances at which they died.

Upon death, Novakids explode violently. There are a few warning signs of this happening, such as the membrane of a Novakid losing stability thus causing body morphs, small bits of plasma flying out of the body, and rotation of the brand. There is typically a few seconds of this, unless damage to the brand is the cause of degradation, in which case it will be an instant explosion. For Novakids reaching the end of their natural lifespan, the results are far more tame. In addition, these signs typically happen during a more drawn out period of time, appearing a few days before they die.

If a Novakid dies of old age, there will be an explosion of bright light, but no critical damage will result from this, except for some scorch marks on nearby objects. An old age explosion is still very hot, but considerably less so than other causes of death.

If a Novakid’s brand is damaged and thus causes death, the result is very hazardous for everyone involved, resulting in a big explosion that will typically harm anyone not at least five meters away from the Novakid. The size of a plasma wound explosion can vary, from one metre to four metres depending on the size of the wound.

Temperatures measured from the explosion of a Novakid reach rather high, into the several thousands of degrees celsius for the first few split seconds of the explosion. The temperature will eventually fall to regular amounts, but not rapidly, typically leaving the area where they exploded hot for a few hours.

Heat & Cold Resistance
Although more resistant to hot temperatures when compared to other species, heat at a high enough temperature will eventually interfere with the workings of their brand and plasma membrane. This typically results in magnetic instability, plasma leaks, and instant death should the source be overwhelmingly hot. The violent explosion of another Novakid reaches a dangerous enough temperature to kill a Novakid outright if they’re too close. Far enough, it is survivable, so long as one runs, but damage is unavoidable.

Novakids do have a slightly better time in the cold compared to most other species, but they still can get extremely cold. Temperatures that are too low end up interfering with their brand. Novakids exposed to the extreme cold display symptoms of instability, such as having a brand that twitches randomly and having a weaker plasma membrane. They could also die if it gets too extreme, typically because their membrane just stops holding them together properly. These symptoms typically take a few years to go away if a Novakid finds themselves nearly freezing to death.

Culture
The culture of Novakids takes on a Wild West-esque theme to it, similar to the depiction of frontiersmen in old 20th century American media. Many Novakids adapt the lifestyle of ranchers and rowdy cowboys/cowgirls.

Importance of Alchohol
Alcohol is a very central piece in Novakid culture. Most Novakid settlements, no matter how small, will have a group of them dedicated to the fine art of brewing various alcohols. Much of the alcohol seen around a Novakid settlement is brewed in that settlement.

Novakid bars in their native settlements typically lack an age restriction on them, due to the fact that Novakid bars are basically a meeting ground for their entire settlement. Kicking out young ones would result in forcefully isolating them. Novakids will typically refuse to serve members of an organic species who look underage, however, as they understand that underage drinking for organics can cause damage to the development of their brain.

Life Outlook
Novakids tend to view life in a more playful light when compared to most other species. To many Novakids, be it on the good or bad side of the law, catching criminals is viewed as a fun game. It is often see it as good fun too in order to play the villain. These “villains” typically do not commit any crimes past thievery.

Although these antics typically annoy local law enforcement, Novakids do play their heroic parts as bounty hunters, officers, and investigators well. Furthermore, some Novakid “outlaws” are not that big of a threat and rarely do any real damage. However, at the same time, the biggest outlaws in the entire galaxy have been members of the Novakid species. Efforts have been made by some Novakid groups to curb out these ideals on life, but it still remains a dominant cultural feature.

Typically, Novakids tend to be difficult to take seriously, due to their attitudes being viewed as rather outdated. However, most people have learned that despite seeming to always be in the state of pulling jokes, Novakids are not to be laughed at, lest one wishes for bullets to fly at them unprepared.

Brand Distribution
In each Novakid settlement, one person is typically assigned to handle the brands of deceased Novakids as well as the new brands produced alongside old dead Novakids. This person will give the brands out to Novakids seeking to have children. For Novakids who do not live in predominantly Novakid settlements, intergalactical agencies exist that collect and handle brands, giving them out to couples of Novakids.

Depending on the settlement, the Novakid who handles the brands may refuse to give one to a couple they think would be awful parents. However, in most cases, those who do this are met with scrutiny, unless everyone else in the settlement knows how awful an idea a couple having a kid would be.

Exaggeration of Emotion
Because of the notable lack of a face, Novakids emote more so using physical cues as expressions. They typically are much more physically expressive, using exaggerated movements and gestures to convey how they are feeling. They do have a large degree of control over this, however, making it much more difficult to figure out the true feelings of a Novakid if they are hiding them intentionally.

History
Due to the lack of historical documents written by Novakids, the history of the species has been lost to the tides of time. The location of their home planet has been lost, too. What only remains are a series of speculations and candidate planets.

Novakids were the earliest species to gain access to FTL travel, before even the Hylotl. However, Novakids never sought out the company of other species, and instead focused on settlements across the galaxy. Novakids were merely already spread out among the cosmos when the majority of sapient species entered into space.