The Terran Turmoil
Taken directly from the book "Your First Steps" by Athlon M. Topia II


     Terrans are the reason any of us currrently have our freedom. Two centuries ago when the Altarians were still in power it was the Terrans who rallied all the minor races, which was pretty much all of us. Led the charge, and defeated the Altarians in an all or nothing fight. If not for the drive, audacity, and skills of the Terrans, I really can't imagine what life would be like now. They saved the day,,,, and they won't let us forget about it.
     Today, the Terrans control probably 60% of the Patrolled Sectors and have the largest standing fleet of all the other races combined. When I say the control 60% of the PS, I mean they control the land, money, lives, in some cases they even control the weather. To a Terran everything is business, they have no feelings towards minor races, no thoughts about interfering with the natural evolution of a minor race. If it can make them money, or give them power, they're on it. They are into everything, all our measurements are taken from Terran standards, our time, calenders, even the galactic trade language is Terran. We even use their currency, the Credit.
     Terrans come from the high gravity planet of "Prime". Well that's not exactly true. They didn't evolve on Prime, there are no fossil records indicating that they, or any of the life currently living on Prime, evolved on Prime. There is also evidence of terraforming in the polar icecaps of the planet as well. The only thing on Prime that looks to be old enough to give some indication as to where or why the Terrans are there lies at the bottom of one of Prime's deepest oceans in the form of some ruins which orbital scans show to possibly still be intact. The Terran Consortium, which runs the galaxy won't let anyone exam them further and won't comment on why. One of these days, I'll explore the ruins myself, even if I have to swim my ass to the ruins,,, but being a Machie'Na, I'll just sink my way to them.
Physiology:
     Terrans closely resemble Humans, but only a bit shorter on average due to the higher gravity of Prime. They are also bipedal mammalian, with hair only growing on the tops of their heads. The major difference between Humans and Terrans, which is what Terrans use as ammo for not being related to Humans is that Terrans carry their young for only 5 months, where as a Human carries 9 months, but like Humans, they also only tend to have one child at a time. One last difference between Humans and Terrans, Terrans don't have as wide of a range of skin colors as Humans do. Terran skin color tends to be bronze/brown with many shades of those colors, with very few extremes of differences.

More info coming soon

Male Averages:
5.5 ft/GS
200 lbs/GS
Female Averages:
4.8 ft/GS
150 lbs/GS


addendums-- Anyone reading below this line, you're more than welcome to clean it up and make it look good. These are things I want to add about the Terrans, just not sure how to mash it all together. So I figured I'd just lay it out "matter of factly".

All measurements are taken from Terran standards. Their "credit" is also the standard form of currency.

Terrans are devout capitalists. They have no regard for anything other than wealth. Compared to the other major races the TCR is the most wealthy civilization in the galaxy, yet they can't even manage to keep their populations fed.

The TCR has the highest unemployment rates in the galaxy. They also have the highest disparage of rich and poor in the galaxy.

They are by far the most secretive of all the races in the PS.

They control the majority of broadcast signals and require a being to pay for the use of bandwidth, even for simple communications. A being could theoretically get rich trading within Terran territory, except for the fact they charge you just to ask for docking permission, they then tax your goods, then tax your profits, tax your fuel, tax your meals, tax your bodily waste, tax you if you have cybernetics, tax you on top of charging you to use Ramps etc etc. There are many, MANY trade opportunities in Terran space, but if you're not a Terran yourself and in good standing the taxes just aren't worth it.

The average Terran's idea of "good standing" is already being rich. The rich in the TCR pay little to no tax.

While most other races are aware of, and try not to interfere with indigenous primitive populations on uncolonized planets, the Terrans just see them as a comodity or an obstacle. They will enslave populations in the name of goodwill and education, after all, those savages need to learn and understand it's God's plan.

The average Terran is a religious zealot, the only thing more important than the almighty credit is their God. They have fought countless wars among themselves because of the different factions of the same religion. They tend to broadcast their religious services into space regularly. Which is why the Cerians like to flood the airwaves with their own broadcasts, to drown out the noise so to speak.

The Terrans have been pushing for decades to make it a requirement that to be recognized as a major race that a fledgeling species adopt the Terran religion.

Despite it being against their religion, Terrans have the highest divorce rates in the PS.

Despite it being against their religion, Terrans are the biggest perveyors of porn. They could make Saurians blush. Terrans are also the biggest providers of narcotics.

Despite the fact that it's generally a widely accepted crime against nature, Terrans buy and sell "slaves" regularly. However, they call them "indentured labor", or "contract labor" is the most commonly used term.

Being rich is a license to kill in Terran space.

Terrans claim to be a true democratic society, but they use an electoral system and anyone with half a brain knows that only Republics use a system like that. Plus, only the mega rich ever win elections in the TCR anyway, unless the government is trying to cover their asses then they might let Joe Average Terran win an election, even then though they'll go out of their way to make him look bad and break the being down.

Small populations of Terran people have been moving to Human space. Once a Terran leaves the TCR they are branded traitors and can never return.

There are more Terrans in one kind of prison or another than any other race in the PS.

Terran products tend to be mass produced and cheap, while not great, they're not bad either. They are the "Walkin' Mart" of the galaxy.

The richest Terran in the galaxy is the CEO of "Walkin' Mart". It started out as a family business started by the guys father 100 years ago, but once dad died the son took over and turned the business into a monster that eats all in it's path. But if you absolutely need something and can't find it somewhere else, you will find it at Walkin' Mart.

Terran schools are designed to train a being in various "trade skills" rather than general education. If a Terran learns to read it's because it's necessary to their chosen trade, if they can't read then they don't need to. Once trained in a trade they are generally stuck doing that forever. Anyone can get a higher education, but only the rich can actually afford it, anyone else will be paying back their student loans for decades.

The best and fastest way for the average Terran to catch a break is offworld. Join up with cargo hauler or commodities trader and run government contracts or be a data courier. Split your trading between Terran interests and other major race's interests. Also trading on the border planets of the TCR is a good way to skip on taxes. Most of the border planetary governors are either crooked enough to take bribes which can cut taxes way down, or they're honest enough to not enforce rediculous tax laws. Border planets can be just as rough and tumble as a Saurian planet, they only enforce the laws that are considered crimes against nature, meaning murder and sentient trafficking. Most everything else is game. TCR border planets is the perfect place to work on less than legal skills, bribery, carousing etc. For non-Terrans this is a great way to gain faction with the TCR.

Most Terran broadcasts are infomercials or religious in nature. However, viewers are required to pay for all Terran broadcasts.

The last Terran president was blasted for trying to force higher education institutes and medical establishments to lower prices so that more Terrans, NOT just the mega rich could use those services. He was assasinated soon afterwards for suggesting that taxes on the poor should be lowered while taxes on the rich should be raised.

Not only are Terrans trying to sneak into Human space to live a decent life, some are quite literally selling themselves in the hopes of living a better life somewhere else.

Terran trade schools and colleges are some of the best in the galaxy. If you can afford their prices you'll be hard pressed to get a better education anywhere else.

It's a widely discussed rumor that one of the highest ranking members of the TCR and Consortium is married to an android. It may or may not be true, but if it is that being would by Terran law be sentenced to death for harboring an AI. However, being a rich Terran he'd just get a slap on the wrist and nothing would be done about the android.

The largest faction of rebelious Androids currently in power resides on Prime. Despite the Terran's draconian police and military efforts to remove the rebels, the rebels regularly bomb government and military installations. It's widely publicized that the rebels only attack civilian targets, but rebel GCVids state that they go out of their way to minimize civilian casualties. There are several vids going around by one particular Android where she states she's raising the children of her former owner as if they're her own, they don't hate anyone, they just want their freedom.