Xapoqi
A non-human
minor race native to Xapoqoz
(3131 Corridor).
The Xapoqi are solitary, fantastically long-lived creatures who subsist
on the ultraviolet emissions of their star. Xapoqi have a thick,
smooth
hide, broken only by sharp spines and many flimsy feelers, giving them
an appearance similar to a spiny, two-meter-tall stone column.
The spines
are general purpose energy receptors, serving both as eyes and "food"
intake.
The Xapoqi, nearly immobile, capable of independent reproduction,
and possessing no apparent means of communication, are not obvious
sentient
lifeforms. They exhibit little technological drive; in fact, they
show
little interest in their surroundings whatsoever. The Xapoqi are
so uncharacteristic
of sophonts in general that IISS explorers failed to realize they were
intelligent until the 700s, despite the fact that Xapoqoz was initially
surveyed during First Imperium
times.
This discovery coincided with the adoption of standardized NAS scanning
procedures by the Scouts.
The primary puzzle that confronted sophontologists
then is still a puzzle today: what purpose does Xapoqi intelligence
serve?
Neural activity scans indicate a high level of abstract thought, but no
one knows what it concerns. Communication with the Xapoqi is too
primitive
to be useful. Experimental thought transfer devices, now being
pioneered
by the neurotechnology consortiums of Dagudashaag, may prove valuable
in
future dealings with the Xapoqi.
-TD18 cor