Nietzschean (Star Trek)

The Nietzscheans (Homo sapiens invictus) are a genetically engineered subspecies of humanity created by a scientist committed to social Darwinism and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. They evolved through cloning and gene splicing on an isolated space colony to be a major force in the galaxy. Nietzscheans have made genetic engineering a way of life, using extensive gene modifications and selective breeding in their ultimate goal of perfecting themselves and their descendants.

History
In 2010 Dr. Paul Museveni, a human geneticist, left Earth and headed out to deep space with about 3,000 followers. Dr. Museveni and his followers use three DY-200 spaceships. These warp ships were developed under top secret conditions using technology reverse-engineered from the Ferengi ship that crashed at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Dr. Museveni and his followers left Earth because, in the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars, genetic alterations were considered taboo, and as such, Museveni could not gain funding for his experiments, which he considered to be essential to the evolution of the human race. Museveni's views were not considered proper, and he was shut out of proper scientific society.

Four years later the Museveni Fleet arrived in the Beta Sirrius Omega System. A Class M world was found orbiting Beta Sirrius Omega. Museveni and his followers named the world Fountainhead, and declared it the home world of the new Nietzschean subspecies. Ayn Rand Station was built in orbit around Fountainhead. The station was completed in 2016. It was built by converting one of the DY-200's into the station. The political capital was located at Ayn Rand Station. The settlements on Fountainhead continued to grow. The people willingly embraced the philosophy of Dr. Museveni, which was based on elements of Nietzsche, Rand, Darwin, and Dawkin.

Drago Museveni, the clone/son of Dr. Paul Museveni, was born in 2017. Drago was the first true Nietzschean born, the result of genetic modifications. Because of his birth the first Pride was formed: Pride Museveni. Drago had a physiology all future Nietzscheans would have. Due to the modifications of his genetic codes, Drago developed three bony spikes called "bone blades" on each forearm.

Through gene splicing and the use of artificial wombs, the Nietzschean population was able to expand at an exponential rate. Within four years, nearly 36,000 more Nietzschean children were born, these children were the first members of Homo sapiens invictus (The Wise Unconquerable Man). They were the first generation of Dr. Paul Museveni's genetic manipulations.

In 2036, Paul Museveni died under mysterious circumstances, by a rare strain of arsenic poison. His son Drago, at age 19, took the mantle of leadership of the Nietzschean people. It was suspected by some that Drago removed his father, but it was never proven. In 2037 the Drago-Katzov Pride was formed, the second pride in Nietzschean society, after Drago broke ties with Pride Museveni, and formed an alliance with the Katzov clan. A year later, the Kodiak, Jaguar and finally the Three Rivers prides were formed.

Drago Museveni died of natural causes in 2070. The Kodiak Pride becomes the caretakers of the remains of Drago Museveni at about the same time, much to the anger of the Drago-Katzov Pride. Rheged Mossadim, of the Three Rivers Pride was chosen as the new leader. Thirty-one years later in 2101, the Nietzscheans perfected warp drive, which allowed them to spread out. The Nietzscheans established Zarahustra, their first colony in 2116. Enga's Redoubt followed near the end of the year. Midden was established in 2119 and then Dawkinstown and Victoria in 2125. Barbarossa was established a year later and Hawking the year after that. Kagame's World was established in 2134 and Cestus Mortialis in 2139. The Nietzscheans established the colony of Enkindu in the year 2148. Four years later, the newly formed Nietzschean Alliance established the Bedford Forest Colony. The last of the Nietzschean Colonies was established at Hephaistos IV in 2156.

The Nietzschean Alliance continued to govern themselves by the strongest and most able of their men were the leaders, with the alphas of the major prides competing against each other in combat to determine who the next Alliance Leader would be.

The Nietzscheans went on to develop transporter technology in 2254. In the year 2312 the Nietzscheans encountered a Tzenkethi police ship. Brief Hostilities ensued, but the Tzenkethi for the most part left the Nietzschean Alliance alone, and the Nietzschean Alliance stayed out of Tzenkethi space. In 2329 the Talarian warship Kamra entered Nietzschean space, thinking that it was unclaimed, and found a Nietzschean settlement around the world of Zarahustra, along with a Nietzschean battleship in orbit. The Talarians attempted to make a claim on the space, until they realized that the Nietzschean vessel was slightly more powerful than their ship, and also that the colony had been on Zarahustra for over 100 years already. They left peacefully, and established guarded diplomatic relations with the Alliance.

First Contact between the Nietzschean Alliance and the Cardassian Union in 2338 ended in the destruction of two Cardassian warships, and one Nietzschean cruiser. After four months of minor skirmishes, the Cardassians turned their eyes towards Bajoran space, and made peace with the Alliance. The Nietzscheans met the Klingon Empire in 2365, being that they were both great warrior races, they got along. Basically the Nitzscheans saw that in order to survive they would not go to war with the Klingons. Formal first contact with the United Federation of Planets was made in 2368. A quick, but cautious, alliance formed, the Nietzscheans happy to find their long lost cousins returned to them. They would not join the Federation though, preferring to keep their independence. They became loose allies instead, sharing culture, technology and other interests. In 2372 the Nietzscheans formalized their alliance with the Federation, during the Dominion War, siding with the Federation and its allies, because they considered the Jem'Hadar to be 'weak' since they didn't rise up and destroy the Founders and Vorta, whom they were stronger and more powerful than.

Physiology
Nietzscheans are a direct relative of Homo sapiens sapiens, that has been modified at the genetic level using Eugenic techniques that were developed in the late 20th Century, and have since been improved upon. In addition to being ten percent stronger and faster than an average human of their size and gender, Nietzscheans are immune to some poisons (aconite, ammonia, antipyrine, arsenic, atropine, camphor, hydrocyanic acid, iodine, lead, picrotoxin, and strychnine) and diseases (diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, lyme disease, measels, meningococcal disease, mumps, pertussis, pneumococcal disease, polio, rabies, rubella, tetanus and varicella). Nietzscheans are only immune to the Earth-based diseases and poisons that were developed and/or discovered prior to their leaving Earth in 2010. Nietzscheans, even with their strong immunological systems, are still susceptible to modern poisons and diseases.

Nietzscheans are able to survive in harsher environments easier than a normal human can, and pride themselves on thriving where normal humans wouldn't dare to tread. It should be remembered though that Nietzscheans are not indestructible, and most environments that are inhospitable to Homo sapiens sapiens are also inhospitable to Homo sapiens invictus. They are able to breathe chlorine gas for short periods of time, although long-term exposure (longer than 30 minutes) will cause permanent harm, just as if they were a "normal" human.

Their bone blades are a natural outgrowth, and are fully developed by mid-puberty. The part of the forearm where the skin covers the three bone blades looks similar to a fin on top of a fish. The bone blades can be either perpendicular to a forearm or can lay on a forearm with blade tips pointed toward the arm elbow. The bone blades are made of a bone-like substance, and can be used as a natural weapon in personal combat when blades are perpendicular to forearm to stave an opponent. The removal of one of these can cause a Nietzschean great physical pain.

Reproductive method
To a Nietzschean, reproduction is the single-most important event in their lives. They choose their mates with care, only reproducing with those who have genes that will strengthen the clan, the Pride, and the Nietzschean species as a whole.

To become married and reproduce, a Nietzschean must present their potential mate to their clan's (or pride's) Matriarch, who will do a genetic scan and determine if the genes of the potential mate are strong. If approved, the couple becomes married in a private ceremony, involving only the two of them. The male and female exchange bracers that signify that they are one. Nietzscheans are very, very choosy about their mates. The point is not just to get people pregnant. It's to make sure your children reach breeding age themselves. In Nietzschean society, women definitely have full control of their reproductive options. Which means they chose the men, not the other way around.

It is normal for a high status Nietzschean male to have many wives, and have children with each, with some families as large as one male with 10+ wives, and 30+ children.

Society
In the end, for all their genetic engineering and superhuman strength, Nietzscheans are still human, with human emotions, human is the operative word. Nietzscheans are humans, with severe manifestations from time to time. Nietzscheans will switch sides if necessary, to what ever side seems to be winning or will bring them the most honor in the eyes of their fellow Nietzscheans.

The human philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed that strife and conflict would inevitably reshape men into something better and stronger than what they once were. As a human subspecies, Nietzscheans took his words to heart and used genetic engineering and nanotechnology to reshape themselves into the ultimate survivors.

Nietzscheans have built their culture on the twin pillars of social Darwinism and Dawkinite genetic competitiveness. Their single-minded devotion to self-improvement and the propagation of their own genes can strike other species (even their non-Nietzschean human cousins) as selfish and arrogant, yet in practice the Nietzscheans' boundless energy and willpower will make them valued contributors to their neighbors in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Naming
A Nietzschean is born into a clan (family). Numerous clans sometimes form a pride, or they join with already established prides. Prides consist of various clans who are related genetically to each other. They are usually named after powerful mythological or historical figures or creatures from ancient Earth.

It is the duty of the parents to name their child. Nietzscheans have long full names. Thier names include their primary name, their clan name, where they were born, and the world that their parents came from immediately before the child was born, and finily, the pride affiliation. The following is an example of a Nietzschean name:

Example of a Full Nietzschean Names: (Primary Name, Clan Name, Place of Birth, Next closest World, Pride's name [if asked for])

Primary names for Nietzscheans have evolved somewhat from their Earth origins. Some names however, have stayed pretty close to the original versions. Nietzscheans may also use normal, human names for their children if they so choose. In the end, it is the pride that they belong to that is important when announcing themselves to another Nietzschean.

Family organization
Similar to a wolf pack, the organization of prides is dominated by an alpha male. The alpha male will usually listen to the advice of the other males in his pride, along with the stronger females. He will also listen to the advice of the pride's matriarch.

The alpha male is the leader of a pride/clan. He is the strongest, smartest, quickest Nietzschean of a pride/clan, or one who has learned to survive while all of his comrades have been removed.

The pride/clan matriarch is the strongest female of the pride/clan. She is not necessarily the wife of the pride/clan's alpha male, but can be a mother, sister, cousin, or even daughter. One of the primary duties of the matriarch is to assure that the genes of a prospective mate (either male or female) are good ones, and that those genes will benefit the pride by reproduction. Another duty is to make sure thet weak genes are removed, so that they do not contribute to the pride/clan. This is accomplished by preventing weak genes from entering the pride/clan in the first place, but, it also means that the matriarch may need to remove weak members of her own pride/clan, in order to assure the survival of the rest of the pride/clan.

A Nietzschean becomes an adult when they reach reproductive age, which can be anywhere from 10-14 years, with an average of 11.8 years of age. When they become adults, they are expected to maintain their pride/clan's superiority, and to fight for the pride/clan when necessary. All Nietzscheans, male and female, are brought up with these teachings. In addition, females have the additional responsibility to produce strong alpha-personality males to lead the pride/clan and keep it strong.

New prides can be formed if a male and at least one female break off from their pride. The stronger a pride is, the better a chance it has of lasting and becoming more powerful, and defeating its enemy prides.

Nietzschean Defense Force
The Nietzchean Defense Force is divided into two branches, the Argosy, and the Lancer Corp. The Argosy is responsible for starship operations, starship combat, space travel, and such. The Lancer Corp is responsible for planetary combat, starship security duties, military prison forces, military police, and atmospheric airborne combat situations. Both the Argosy and the Lancer Corp wear the same uniforms, but their rank pips are different.

The Argosy tend to use weapons that are smaller in size than their Lancer counterparts, called Force-Lances, as their standard side-arm. These Force-Lances can extend into a quarterstaff almost two meters long for melee combat, and at close range can shock anyone into unconsciousness with an electrical charge.

The Force-Lance is a versatile weapon, able to also fire a disruptor beam, act as a cutting tool, and provide a light source. Also, each Force-Lance is keyed to it's owner's particular DNA sequence, and as such, can't be used by anyone else without reprogramming it. It will issue an electrical shock to whomever attempts to use it that is not its owner, rendering that person unconscious for approximately half an hour.