The Ferrets

The Chirrokune, or Ferrets, as they are affectionately nicknamed, are Humanity's oldest allies and trading partners. In fact, the ties are so close that Ferrets and Humans frequently share the same planets and cities. Even the xenophobic often make an exception for Ferrets, partly because of their long association with Humans and partly because — unlikely as it seems — the Ferrets seem genetically related to humans.

Ferrets have two legs and four arms, all with retractable claws. They average about 1.3 metres in height and about .6 metres in diameter. They are completely covered in fur, which is white in winter and gray, black, or russet the rest of the year when left undyed. These fur colours run in families, but do not indicate sub-species. Their broad heads feature deep-set eyes and taper to long snouts, which are constantly darting about to catch scents. Their movements are quick and extremely agile, both on land and in the water.

The species is mostly carnivorous, existing on small prey, insects, fish, and mollusc. At least some of this prey is lured by the Ferrets' outstanding ability as mimics. This same ability makes many Ferrets learn spoken languages with relative ease, but they prefer to speak their own language, which to the unaided Human ear sounds like a series of chitterings and squeals punctuated by stretches of silence as it dips above and below the Human hearing range.

Biology and ecology

The origin of the Ferrets is one of the greatest mysteries in galactic biology. On the one hand, their six limbs suggest an alien biology. On the other hand, Ferrets not only share a DNA-based genetic structure with Humans, but dissection and shared information proves that they are genetically similar to humans to a degree that is exceeded only by the great apes.

How or why Ferrets diverged from terrestial biology is the subject of intense speculation complicated by a complete lack of records on every side. Some scholars suggest that the species' home worlds were seeded from a common source long before either was capable of space travel, and are met with questions about why a larger degree of genetic drift has not occurred. Yet those who hold that the species must have diverged more recently have to explain how the event could have occurred in the absence of spaceflight, and why neither species has any myths or legends about the event.

The least contradictory theory about the origin of the Ferrets is that humans or primates were abducted by an alien species, genetically altered, and set loose upon a modified terrestial world as a biological or social experiment. But this theory, like the others, remains entirely speculative. Some biologists hope that the race responsible for the Ferrets will one day be found — and some Ferret scientists joke that they would like to talk to this race about a few chronic complaints that their species suffer from, such as a tendency to indigestion when eating heavily, and a lack of teeth suitable to carnivores.

What is known is that the Ferrets occupied their original home world of Tzchirreel for a minimum of twenty millennia. It is also clear from the Ferrets' own records of Tzchirreel that the planet had two unrelated kingdoms of both flora and fauna. One, like the Ferrets, is clearly terrestial. It includes species that appear to have evolved from such well-known species as mice, grasshoppers, and blackflies, many of which — but not all — have six limbs like the Ferrets. The other, just as clearly, is not terrestial, with a genetic structure not based upon DNA but a series of overlapping platelets, and insect-like species divided into blood-drinkers and their prey. Members of the two kingdoms cannot consume one another, and originally inhabited different ecosystems, with terrestial species clustering in the arctic and cooler temperate zones and the non-terrestial occupying the equatorial and warmer temperate zones.

This division may be responsible for the speed and agility of Ferrets. The non-terrestial kingdom of Tzchirreel animals included a number of near-sentients who, while unable to feed on Ferrets, seem to consider them vermin or rivals and would kill them whenever possible. These species were hunted to extinction shortly before the Ferret's industrial revolution, but some biologists suggest that, without modifications, the original population of Ferrets could not have survived on Tzchirreel. Possibly, too, the hostile non-terrestial fauna explains why the Ferrets developed in the less inviting parts of the planet.

Unsurprisingly, this division was a great handicap to Ferret biology, preventing the acceptance of evolutionary theory until the Ferrets had explored several life-bearing planets and understood that their home world was anomalous.

Whatever the reasons, the Ferrets are adapted to the boreal river deltas in the southern hemisphere of Tzchirreel. Equally at home on land or in the water, they can also use their nimbleness and claws to scramble over ice-floes in search of prey. Their thick, white, winter coats provided both warm and hunting camouflage in temperatures of -70 degrees. Similarly, their thinner, coloured, summer coats provided increased agility, protection from insects and hunting camouflage for the brief summer season. Today, their adaptations to such an environment help the Ferrets to co-exist with humans on the same planet by allowing them to concentrate in areas that most humans prefer to avoid.

Unsurprisingly, given the Ferret's apparent terrestial origins, the species has two sexes, and bears and suckles live young. Perhaps because of the harsh climate to which they adapted (or were modified), sexual dimorphism is minimal, and Ferrets gain their full size — but not mental capacity or sexual maturity — in less than a year. The alternative, in such an environment, might well be too high a mortality rate among fertile females and the young.

Similarly, sexual maturity comes at about 8-10 years, increasing the chances to reproduce. Once mature, Ferrets retain their speed and agility well into their seventh or eighth decades, generally dying somewhere in their ninth or tenth. Some biologists suggest that their faster metabolisms account for lifespans that are shorter than Humans'.

Whatever the details of their origins, these adaptations have greatly shaped Ferret society. A lack of sub-species or major sexual differences means that the Ferrets never had to confront the problems of prejudice that so many human cultures had to face, but what to do with young that are physically mature yet still mentally developing is a major problem.

History and culture

On their home world, Ferrets were slow to develop conventional agriculture. Apart from the short growing seasons in the Arctic reasons and the lack of suitable crops, they had little need to. Living between the rivers and the tundras, the early Ferrets were so strongly supplied with natural resources that they developed a sophisticated bronze age culture long before they developed agriculture.

Even then, agriculture was an extension of the kelp and mollusc beds that the Ferrets tended for millennia before planting their first crops — a vegetable that has been genetically linked to the potato, which for years was valued chiefly as a source of something that Humans describe as tasting very much like vodka steeped in mushrooms. From an early culture in which this drink served as a currency (as well as a major problem among adolescents), the Ferrets steadily extended their sphere of influence and started weeding out the non-terrestial flora and fauna. This effort lead to cooperation among separate bands of Ferrets, and eventually to a planetary republic with a minimum of conflict.

Records are not consistent, but the Ferrets apparently began colonizing neighboring planets at roughly the same time that Humans did, give or take a millenium or two. Despite the social upheaval caused by their discovery of their anomalous position on their home world, they quickly extended their sphere of influence.

Early in their colonization efforts, the Ferrets received and decoded human transmissions that had been broadcast into space centuries ago. Given their hunting mind-sets, the Ferrets decided against responding to the transmissions. However, their curiosity did lead them to concentrate their expansion in the direction of the transmissions.

This decision proved momentous to Ferret history — and, in many ways, disastrous. While following the transmissions, the Ferrets encountered the Crucians, and soon found themselves under attack so ferocious that they could barely conceive of its existence. Although many Ferrets insisted angrily that they were hunters, not prey, at least half a dozen colonies fell before the Ferrets began to mount an effective resistance. Even then, the Ferrets' leaders were aware that they were fighting a desperate rearguard action, buying time while their home world was hastily fortified against the numerically superior enemy.

When the colony of Reeltrill fell to the Crucian attack, Chief Hunter Purnnip escaped with a fleet of six cruisers a few arcseconds off the line of the transmissions discovered years before. Cut off from the main Ferret concentrations by systems held by the Crucians, Prunnip's fleet was beginning to run out of supplies when it detected a detachment of what later proved to be Spacer Clan scouts under the command of Admiral Zheng Red Cloud. Suspicion ran high on both sides, but a meeting between Purnnip and Red Cloud (that their aides said was conspicuous for its drunkeness) soon resulted in an alliance that allowed Purnnip to refuel at Red Cloud's home base. Eventually Prunnip, accompanied by representatives of the Spacers and the Spartans, managed to return to Ferret space, and a treaty between the two species was rapidly concluded.

For nearly two millennia, the Ferrets fought a hit and run war against the Crucian advance on the Human flank. Yet, despite the loan of human ships, the Ferrets continued to be driven back. The end came in the 39 year siege of Tzchirreel, ending with the total irradiation of the planet and the fleeing of the few survivors in every direction.

To the humans, who had come to appreciate the Ferrets' high spirits and support, the destruction of Tzchirreel was a major blow. Spontaneously, dozens of colonies began sweep patrols for Ferret ships and offered them permanent refuge on their planets.

At this stage, Human leaders expected the Ferrets to withdraw from the fighting in their grief, and to focus on the search for a new home world. However, over the next few centuries, the Human high command realized that their expectations were not being met. Chirrokune colonies were fighting on instead of being abandoned. Moreover, with very few exceptions, the refugee Ferrets were returning to the fight, sometimes serving on Human ships and sometimes in their own crews. Everywhere, they soon gained a reputation as skilled ambushers, both in space and on planets, and as the possessors of a bravery that might be called suicidal if it were not so often successful. Not only that, but, their determination and loyalty was proving to be a morale booster of unsuspected proportions among the Humans with whom they mingled. In many human colonies, fads for fur and Chirrokune masks lasted for centuries, and the enthusiasm has never entirely died since.

Meanwhile, behind the lines, the Ferrets continued to spread — not to their own colonies, but to other human worlds willing to accept them. By the founding of the empire, they had become integrated into the social structure of dozens of human worlds.

Yet, even with this widespread acceptance, many of the Chirrokune continued to mourn their lost home world. For millenia, technical missions returned and attempted to rebuild, without success. Finally, Emperor Abdullah I ceded them a world in what is now Ancient Space that bore a strong resemblance to Tzchirreel. This deed was part of the new emperor's attempts to pacify his domains after his ascension to the throne after the First Schism.

Naming the world Chirrokunekreel (in English, "Ferret Den"), a number of the Chirrokune set about transforming it as closely as possible to the terrestial areas of their original home. Declaring itself a republic under the auspices of the Empire, Chirrokunekreel soon flourished, colonizing dozens of worlds, all of which are open to both Ferret and Human settlement. The government of Chirrokunekreel also declared itself the official successor to Tzchirreel, declaring that the ruined homeworld will be held in trust until it can be made habitable again. A government department dedicated to realizing that moment regularly engages in fund-raising on Chirrokunekreel streets, as it has done for millennia. This claim does not go undisputed by some of the larger colonies that survived the Great War, but the majority of Ferrets today accept it.

Generally speaking, during the Disappearance, Ferrets fared the same as the Humans with whom they share their worlds. However, Chirrokunekreel and its colonies suffered serious power vacuums. Soon after the Disappearance, the inhabitants of Chirrokunekreel, after generations of presenting themselves as the center of their species' culture, found themselves in the humiliating position of having to accept aid from those living on other worlds. In fact, many on Chirrokunekreel fled to escape a despotism that had emerged in the aftermath. But in recent years, the republic has been re-established, the government has announced that new colonization efforts will begin shortly.

The Ferrets today

Modern Ferrets are divided into two main groups: The Exiles, or those who live on Human-governed worlds, and the Homecomers, or those who live on Ferret-governed worlds. On Human-governed worlds, Ferrets occupy much the same position as an ethnic or Clan minority, adapting to the dominant culture while keeping some of their own cultural traits. By contrast, on Ferret-governed worlds, life falls into the same patterns as it traditionally has. Those on Human worlds accuse those on Ferret worlds of being hopelessly conservative and those on Ferret worlds see those on Human worlds as being vulgar, rootless, and inferior.

Exiles tend to dress in clothes that are as closely modelled on Human styles as four arms and a garish love of colour can make them. By contrast, Homecomers show a preference for traditional ways, dying their furs in complex patterns of colour determined by their status, age, and moods.

Still, for all such low-level animosity, strong economic, emotional, and cultural ties continue to unite Ferrets throughout the known galaxy. One of the strongest of these ties is the anniversary of the destruction of Tzchirreel, which is observed as a day of mourning. Both also give special reverence to those whose ancestors escaped the destruction of Tzchirreel, although the Homecomers tend to give them greater respect than the Exiles.

All Chirrokune, too, share similar cultural references, many of which are difficult for humans to understand. Chief among these references is a culture based heavily on the dare and the practical joke. Even the most sober Ferret is prone to challenge those around him to some brave or foolhardy act, and some of the closest ties in Ferret society are so-called "joke feuds," in which generations of the same families seek to outdo each other in deceit and humiliation.

In human cultures, such relations would soon escalate out of control. Yet, in Ferret societies, these relations are regulated by a complex series of rules that few humans can understand, but which tend to restrain events to what is socially manageable. Some of these rules include the exclusion of the pregnant, senile, and others who might be easily harmed — including, in some uncertain cases, some humans. Yet, at the same time, these rules often encourage ingenuity, as Ferrets try to see how close they can come to breaking the rules without actually doing so. And, strangely, joke feuds frequently result in a kind of wry respect between the parties involved, even while each continues to verbally abuse the other.

Just as baffling to Humans are the Chirrokune scent concerts, in which performers, generally working alone, manage to tell a story and suggest scents from the barest minimum of sources. Humans simply lack the sense of smell to appreciate these cultural benefits, and diplomats forced to sit through them generally find them excruciatingly boring. Yet to the Ferrets, the performers in these concerts are celebrities, and attendance at their performances are major social events.

Ferrets are also notorious for their love of food and alcohol. Feasts are a major part of Ferret diplomacy, and elected officials are charged with debating every point brought before them twice — once while sober and hungry, and again when drunk and sated. In addition, a complex code of what is appropriate to serve on given days exists. Most human scholars also believe that the feasts, for all their frequent excesses, help to curb the consequences of the dare and joke cultures.

As throughout history, the largest problem facing Ferrets today is the problem of what to do with large numbers of youth who are physically mature yet mentally unequipped to become citizens. The problem lasts not only until puberty, but for several years afterwards, the irresponsibility of the first decade of life being temporarily compounded by the hormonal surge of sexual awakening.

Traditionally, one answer has been either plural marriages or groups of monogamous couples sharing a household, both of which have ancient roots in Ferret culture. This arrangement has helped to keep groups of youths under the constant supervision of several adults. In the past, youths were kept busy with hunting and foraging,but this solution is impractical in increasingly urbanized societies. Public works and extended schooling are the most common solutions for younger Ferrets today.

As they near puberty, growing Ferrets often form entourages for prominent adults, in the hopes that a mature example will help to steady them as well as giving them a start on their career. This solution has mixed results, but is another custom that humans often find exasperating as they try to ignore rowdy groups of youngsters while conducting business with their elders.

Still, for the most part, Humans tend to regard Ferrets with an amused tolerance. Many feel that the species' loyalty and losses has earned its members the right to behavior that is eccentric by Human standards. Others seem to regard the Ferrets as noble savages, living a life unfettered by convention — an outlook that the Ferrets themselves find hilariously wrong, but of which they are quick to take advantage, especially when they run afoul of local law enforcement.

Ferret-Human relations are so close that, on some worlds, many Humans have adapted Ferret customs. Yet, even on worlds where the cultural exchange is not so two-way, the relations between Ferrets and Humans are regularly regarded as an example of what relations between two sentient species should be.