Interstellar Handbook Entry: Husks

From the Interstellar Handbook, the universal compendium

"Husks" is the term given to the majority of human settlers who took refuge on the new planet following the interstellar exodus aboard the Astraeus Pioneer. These individuals fall into two broad categories: those who have come into contact with the local life forms and suffered severe neurophysiological alterations, and those who remain unexposed, living in guarded seclusion to avoid such a fate.

Lifestyle and Communities

Husk communities are typically small, secluded, and hermit-like, spread across the desolate regions of the new planet. They are heavily dependent on a network of trains for their survival. These trains, commandeered by Wraiths and built primarily from salvaged sections of the Astraeus Pioneer, form the lifeline of the Husk villages, providing essential supplies and enabling limited mobility.

While these humans are free to leave the safety of their villages, the looming threat of transformation into an affected Husk keeps most within their guarded boundaries. Fear and awe of the Wraiths vary across generations, with children viewing them as mystical, fearsome beings, while older individuals often regard them with a mix of jealousy and contempt.

Affected Husks

When a human comes into contact with the local life forms, they undergo a profound and irreversible transformation. The exact process is not fully understood but is suspected to be linked to a neurophysiological response. The local life form's biochemistry, when introduced to the human nervous system, appears to trigger a synaptic overload, akin to an electrical surge, that "fries" the neural circuits. This essentially burns out the personality and cognitive functions of the affected individual, leaving behind a living shell - hence the term "Husk".

Affected Husks retain basic motor functions and can follow simple instructions without question, but they lack volition, purpose, and the ability to engage in complex tasks. Exploitation of these individuals varies between communities. Some villages, exploiting their docile nature, employ them for menial labor, while others, seeing the transformation as a form of death, hold symbolic funerals and guide the affected Husks to walk off a cliff, a stark testament to the tragic cost of survival on the new world.

See also

1. Astraeus Pioneer
2. Wraiths
3. Interstellar Travel Consequences

This entry was last edited on 13 May 2023, at 00:00 (Interstellar Time).

References

[1] Singh, R. & Kim, S. "Husks: The Unintended Consequence of Interstellar Travel." Interstellar Medicine Review, Tau.2.2603.14. [InterstellarNet]

[2] "Life Among the Husks: A Glimpse into the Secluded Villages." Cosmic Chronicle, Sol.5.2604.15. [InterstellarNet]

[3] Chen, L. "Neurophysiological Impact of Alien Life Form Exposure: The Husk Syndrome." Interstellar Neuroscience Journal, Vega.2.2605.3. [InterstellarNet]

[4] "Wraiths and Husks: The Dichotomy of Humanity in a New World." Interstellar Anthropology Quarterly, Vega.1.2604.6. [InterstellarNet]