Plasmaman
| PLASMAMEN | |
 Plasmamen |
Genus: Ossis Pyrus Homeworld: Centration Central Authority: Scattered collectives Restricted Job Roles: Command Roles, Security roles, Amusement roles. Guides: No external guides |
Not to be confused with the men of plasma.
Sometimes derogatorily referred to as "hot heads," or "plasmemes," Plasmamen are sentient non-humans hired by Nanotrasen to fill in gaps in their Human workforce. Plasmamen are barred from most authority roles on Nanotrasen stations and are not protected by Asimov's laws of robotics.
History
Plasmamen are only a recently discovered species, operating out of large enclaves in the asteroid belts around Centration. Their biology allows them to subsist off the pure plasmic crystals found in the rock where they make their homes. In 2532 first contact was made, and shaky trade deals were worked out. Recently, several asteroid enclaves under the "Rightful Nanotrasen Land Claims Act" have voluntarily joined Nanotrasen's work crews as a source of income. Now, a select few have been allowed to staff the special Space Station 13 research hub, due to their experiences handling and working with plasma.
Plasmamen, before Nanotrasen intervention, existed in complex societal structures, grouped into clans of convoluted hierarchies near-impossible for most humans to understand or care about. These clans appear to have co-existed peacefully for as long as most Plasmamen can remember, through continuous negotiations around fair resource allocation both between and within their clans. Some elder specimens interviewed do recall brutal conflict in the distant past, but the destructive nature of violent death caused far too much collateral damage to continue. Eventually, physical intervention was replaced by complicated hierarchical structures intended to prevent as much conflict and offence as possible. These attitudes towards careful respect remain evident in the majority of Plasmamen crew will encounter on station.
Gameplay
Plasmamen are a optional playable race. You can make a plasmaman character in the character panel. They do not have unique aspects that can be customized.
Due to their Plasmic based biology, they spontaneously burst into flame in the presence of an oxidizer. They have special sealed suits to prevent this, made up of a jumpsuit and a spaceworthy helmet. Plasmamen helmets are also flash-proof so this lets the average plasmaman do welding without risking eye injury.
Plasmamen breathe plasma, and carry their own plasma gas tanks; unlike standard plasma tanks, these can be carried on their waist. Plasmamen don't release plasma into their environment.
Plasmamen do not have blood. Chemicals can be injected into their bodies through their jumpsuits.
A plasmaman's chances of being brought back to life are smaller than the average crew member. Cloning a plasmaman will fail, because the developing body will suffocate from a lack of plasma in the air. Surgery can be performed to remove a plasmaman's brain from their burning body; fortunately the brain won't burst into flames and can be used like any other brain. Since plasmamen lack blood they cannot be turned into a Podman.
Note that as a plasmaman, the AI does not consider you human and is not obligated to listen to you. Also, certain crew members will show you depths of racism previously reserved for the clown. Centcom also maintains a strict "Human-Only" policy for Command Staff appointments. But hey, flaming skeletons!
Lore
Plasmamen have evolved from a new type of Plasma based life, where Plasma substitutes for the Carbon in a normal human biology. This life developed in and on the surface of asteroids in the Centration belts, until eventually Plasmamen emerged. After spreading from rock to rock, Plasmamen did not form a unified society, and instead formed their own small societies of 10-100 people, living in carved out spaces inside the asteroids. Occasionally they attach engines to convert their homes into ships. They excel in gas works, and have minor skill in cloaking technology (their love of cloaked helmets comes to mind, though Nanotrasen has banned this aboard stations). However, the species has not created hyper-spacial travel, and operates on very outdated computer technology.
Notes
Plasmamen start with their sealed clothing, a plasma tank in hand and a breath mask in addition to their job's equipment. You'll need to switch on your internals soon after joining so that you don't suffocate from a lack of plasma.
