The Qu

The Qu (pronounced: Koo) were an ancient, nomadic, highly advanced alien species that split Humanity as it was known into various new species with varying levels of sapience and physical ability.

Biology

The Qu were four-winged insectoid creatures, bearing a slight resemblance to Brine shrimp in terms of body shape, with a single tail-like tentacle for grabbing and manipulating objects. Their heads bore two eye stalks, one protruding from each side, and two long mandibles. While their main torso appears to be similar in size to a Human torso, their prehensile tentacle makes their full body length five or more times that of a Human’s. Their life cycle is known to have involved an aquatic larval stage, in the manner of some earth insects, although their overall lifespan is unknown. Other elements of their native environment and physiology, such as what gases they could and could not breathe, their native gravity, and their preferred diet, are also unknown. It is likely that their known form is not the true appearance of the Qu, but rather the result of centuries of careful genetic alteration of their species, akin to the alterations that turned baseline Humans and Martians into the Star People. They flew in a manner similar to hummingbirds, with wings that looked like cetacean fins.

They seem to possess no skeletal system, making them possibly invertebrates.

Culture and society

The mysterious pyramids erected by the Qu

The Qu follow the agenda of an enigmatic higher force that opposes the existence of all sapient life, with the majority of their population believing it to be a a plague that would inevitably eradicate the natural order of the universe. [1] To serve their purposes, they acted as intergalactic nomads; stopping in galactic spiral arms for millions of years at a time before moving on. They remorselessly alter sapient beings within their proximity in proportion to their “crimes” against the Qu's mission, starting with the mere act of sapience, and increasing in severity for crimes such as having caused the extinctions of other species or fervently resisting the Qu. These other sapient species are seen as mere objects to be rebuilt into "practical" or entertaining forms. Greater criminals against the Qu are made into a form that gives them a tortured existence, as seen with the Colonials. Like the Gravital, the Qu are not truly evil nor full of hate toward all other lifeforms; instead, they are far too indoctrinated by their own religion and extremist beliefs, so much so that they simply do not believe they are doing anything amoral.

Qu architecture, as seen in monuments that are left on worlds they alter and colonize, consists of massive, featureless pyramids, which served an unknown function, and are not torn down or otherwise removed once the Qu leave for another system or galaxy, leading some to believe that the structures possess preternatural characteristics which prevent them from being fully demolished.

Technology

The Qu possessed incredibly advanced technologies, giving them the ability to cross galaxies and alter organic life at a whim. While their exact weapon capabilities are unknown, they were able to overpower almost every Star Person colony with a single, swift attack, meaning their weapons surpassed those of even the advanced and enlightened Star People, who had weaponry that could cause stars to prematurely collapse and shatter planet. Their most notable and advanced technology is their capabilities for genetic manipulation, which they demonstrate often by altering existing lifeforms into an array of different forms, even removing sapience if it suits their purposes. The exact method of doing this is unknown, but it is possible that it is done utilizing nanotechnological drones.

Qu ships are apparently like larger versions of themselves, with kilometer spanning "wings".[2]

History

At the time of the first contact between Qu and Star People, the Qu were almost a billion years old, constantly travelling the galaxy from one spiral arm to the next, in giant, epoch-spanning mass-migrations. As masters of genetic and nanotech manipulations, they constantly improved themselves and remade the worlds they visited. They were most likely the ones who created Panderavis from Earth Therizinosaurs.

Their religion demanded them to remake the universe as they saw fit and they saw themselves as gods. This dogma was rooted in what had been a benevolent attempt to protect the race from its own power, but was eventually blindly followed by them without any question.

Humanity was only a small obstacle to them. The Qu were offended that there was another species that remade the worlds they visited, and they remade the Star People into many different creatures.

One day, the Qu left the spiral arm that was once populated by the Star People, leaving behind hundreds of worlds inhabited by the remade descendants of humanity.

Many millions of years later, the human descendants in the form of the Asteromorphs, the Terrestrials, the New Machines, and the Subjects formed a vast empire spanning the Milky Way, united with other galaxies such as the Amphicephali's, and finally avenged their ancestors by subduing the Qu in a conflict of incomprehensible scale, possibly rendering the Qu extinct, subjugated, enslaved, or brought to some stranger fate.

Appearances

• All Tomorrows, by C. M. Koseman (2006)

Notes

• In the illustration of the Qu, the Qu is holding a gun-like device in its tentacle. It is unknown if this is an example of Qu technology, or a gun taken from the fallen Humans. With the fact that the gun appears to be built for a humanoid due to the design of its handle, the latter seems more likely.

• The Qu have a strong resemblance to Brine shrimp (artemia salina) along with the wings of dragon-flies
  
  “The first contact was bound to happen. The galaxy, let alone the universe was simply too big for just a singular species to develop intelligence in. Any delay in contact only meant a heightening of the eventual culture shock. In humanity's case, this "culture shock" meant the complete extinction of mankind as it had come to be known.„~ The Author first describing the Qu.
  

  The Qu is the main antagonist of the speculative evolution book All Tomorrows, written by Nemo Ramjet.
  

  It is a sapient hive mind of extraterrestrial insectoid of advanced technology it possesses, who perceives itself as the rightful master of the universe and sought to remake it in its own images by warping other sapient species they considered unworthy into freakish, bizarre beasts wherever they went.

  It was responsible for mutating humanity beyond any recognition and cruelly enslaving them before departing, only to eventually be defeated and subjugated by the very races they experimented on.
  
  Appearance

  The Qu is a four-winged insectoid creature, bearing a slight resemblance to Brine shrimp in terms of body shape, with a single tail-like tentacle for grabbing and manipulating objects. Its head bore two eye stalks, one protruding from each side, and two long mandibles. While the main torso appears to be similar in size to a Human torso, the prehensile tentacle makes its full body length five or more times that of a Human’s. Its life cycle is known to have involved an aquatic larval stage, in the manner of some earth insects, although the overall lifespan is unknown. Other elements of its native environment and physiology, such as what gases they could and could not breathe, Its native gravity, and preferred diet, are also unknown. It is likely that its known form is not the true appearance, but rather the result of centuries of careful genetic alteration of itself, akin to the alterations that turned baseline Humans and Martians into Star People.
  
  Culture and Society

  The Qu follow the agenda of an enigmatic higher force that opposes the existence of all sapient life, with the majority of the population working has a Hive mind. To serve its purposes, its act has a intergalactic nomad; stopping in galactic spiral arms for millions of years at a time before moving on. It remorselessly alters sapient beings within its proximity in proportion to their “crimes” against the Qu mission, starting with the mere act of sapience, and increasing in severity for crimes such as having caused the extinctions of other species or fervently resisting the Qu. These other sapient species are seen as mere objects to be rebuilt into "practical" or entertaining forms. Greater criminals against the Qu are made into a form that gives them a tortured existence, as seen with the Colonials. Unlike the Gravital, the Qu has the belief that its goals is for the a greater purpose.

  Qu architecture, as seen in monuments that are left on worlds they alter and colonize, consists of massive, featureless pyramids, which served an unknown function, and are not torn down or otherwise removed once the Qu leave for another system or galaxy, leading some to believe that the structures possess preternatural characteristics which prevent them from being fully demolished.

  Technology

  The Qu possessed incredibly advanced technologies, giving them the ability to cross galaxies and alter organic life at a whim. While their exact weapon capabilities are unknown, it was able to overpower almost every Star Person colony with a single, swift attack, meaning their weapons surpassed those of even the advanced and enlightened Star People, who had weaponry that could cause stars to prematurely collapse and shatter planet. The most notable and advanced technology is their capabilities for genetic manipulation, which it is demonstrate often by altering existing lifeforms into an array of different forms, even removing sapience if it suits their purposes. The exact method of doing this is unknown, but it is possible that it is done utilizing nanotechnological drones.

  Qu ships are apparently like larger versions of themselves, with kilometer spanning "wings".

  History

  Little is known about the species' past or evolutionary ancestry (except that it is a Hive mind), but it was well known across the galaxy that it was intergalactic, highly-advanced conqueror who sought to create a great empire under the perception that it was the only rightful ruler of the universe and other species were not worthy of sapience. They also possessed such developed technology in genetic engineering; they constantly kept self-modifying and transformed other sentient beings into devolved monstrosities they enslaved.

  In their first contact with mankind, the Qu triumphed in their invasion, colonized every habitable world, and transformed humans into a multitude of strange forms as a display of their power. They dominated the galaxy for forty million years, then moved on to follow their dogma of tailoring ecosystems as they saw fit. After about five hundred million years, The Asteromorphs, along with other extragalactic species, re-discovered the Qu and successfully defeated them, putting a definite end to their monstrous campaign. While it isn't specified if the Qu were defeated, driven to extinction or simply subjugated, the author makes it clear their reign of terror has finally ended for good.