The Sigmites are a race of essentially 1-2 metre long gasbags. Evolved to live in the upper atmosphere of their home planetoid, Sigma XCIIR/-54-IIII, they consist of a thin layer, extremely dense with blood vessels, around a series of Helium-filled gasbags, which provide the lift needed to sustain this delicate species. Gaseous exchange from the dorsal and ventral gills allows fine control of the buoyancy of the Sigmites, which under gravity allows them slow vertical travel, albeit at varying rates depending on local gravity.
Sigmites move slowly, by fluttering the frills across their body, or twisting them self from side to side, as if a fish. They possess a mouth which extends outward elastically into a scoop, naturally used for catching food. They have six ventral short grasping appendages, each with a circular 'palm' surrounded by 8 bijointed 'fingers', capable of fine manipulation. The eyes are evenly spread along the centre of the underside, in two rows of 6, with an additional 4 compound eyes spaced roughly around the nose, allowing forward and limited vertical vision.
The culture of Sigmites varies vastly depending on where the colony in question is located. On the home world a wide net of ranging sky-clans co-exist, largely spurning technology, whilst those more trade-minded dwell deeper in the atmosphere, where merchants from the colonies below come to trade & invent, while on newer and more far afield worlds, either civilisation recedes completely, incomprehensible direct democracy sub-clans form, or brutal dictators seize control. Interstellar Sigmites, however, tend to preach solace and peace, can often be found in intermediary positions, and assume no great parts in the world, drifting quietly and working carefully, always saving constantly. Many resent them for their placidity, and tendency to quietly, without fanfare, obtain valued jobs, buy up consortiums, invariably remaining polite, and being submissive to any form of physical violence, whether it endangers them or requires them to drop a hotly-contested debate.
When the Interstellar Sigma Group, one major group of companies largely owned or staffed or run by Sigmites,announced that they were forwarding a candidate for the Dark Star mission, there was mild confusion in why a placid group of assorted companies run by quiet beings was participating in what was widely considered one of the most expensive suicides ever.
Sound-Glorious-And-Bring-New-Life-Unto-Creation
Sound-Glorious-And-Bring-New-Life-Unto-Creation, or Life Unto Creation to anyone who will ever have to write or speak his name, is a mid-sized Sigmite, around 1.3 meters in length, and just under half that across at his widest. His compound front eyes are rounded and glint, always swivelling and angling in their recesses, as if to get a better look at the viewee. His ventral eyes are cyan, whilst his body is swirled with a light green and blue color pattern. His gills are constantly waving gently, giving him the appearance of movement even when standing still. His voice is whistling and high-pitched, occasionally difficult to make out when speaking rapidly or in a noisy environment.
Life-Unto-Creation, or Bringer to people who know him better than 'Paperwork annoyance', is a general-purpose subsystems specialist. He is trained in basic use of all minor controls and tasks, from Air Support Operation to correctly managing and overseeing takeoffs and landings in the hangars. He specialises in maintaining electrical connections and calibrating navigational equipment.
Bringer is space-born and raised, and exemplifies an Interstellar Sigmite, willing to discuss, and even argue many topics, almost endlessly debating, both with friends and the grudgers, and yet instantly submitting at physical aggression. He whistles in Sigmite cloud-speech as he slowly wafts his way along corridors, unhurriedly manoeuvring to a broken terminal, failed light, or anywhere, all at the same drifting, patient pace,
Character not included yet because I am PFP and terrified of losing what I've written so far.