Markab
From The Babylon Project
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The Markab were members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds before they were wiped out by the "Drafa Plague" in 2259.
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[edit] Biology
A bipedal humanoid, Markab can be distinguished from other races by their distinctive patterns of darkened indentations over the top of their heads and their flat, nose-less faces. Like humans Markab have five fingered hands, though their feet feature three toes. Their hairless skin comes in several shades between pink and grey.
Though like humans Markab can breath in an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. Unlike Humans, they do not posses nostrils and instead breath directly through their skin, which also serves as their only means of excreting bodily waste in the form a sweat-like fluid.
Markab originally reproduced like many other species through sexual coupling of males and females. Fertilisation occurs when a female inserts her fingers into various pores in the male flesh during the act copulation which sends a stream of seed into the bloodstream which enters into the male egg sac. Once fertilised, the egg gestates inside the male for approximately months before being passed out of the body and hatched. These eggs could contain just one or several Markab hatchlings. Once fully matured, the average Markab will grow to around 150 to 200cm tall, with the majority tending to wards the shorter end of the spectrum and can weigh anything from 45 to 135kg.
Unfortunately for the Markab, they lost the ability to reproduce naturally shortly before developing space travel when a genetic plague rendered the entire population infertile, forcing them to resort to the use of cloning to perpetuate their species. This process was very slow and methodical and required almost 4 glantii (3 Earth years) to complete, which drastically slowed their birthrate. At the time however, the Markab population was considerably high, mitigated the situation somewhat.
The Markab neural system utilized specialized chemicals produced by the yellow blood cells which would bio-chemically translate electrochemical impulses from neuron to neuron across the synaptic gap, similar in function to the pak'ma'ra's green cells.[1]
[edit] Religion
[edit] Society
The Markab were an intensely religious people with deep-set religious rites and moral concepts, which at times seemed a little fanatical. These rites include high days of fasting which at times led to trouble, due to their people frequently trying to break it and priest catching them.[2] Other rites are the use psychotropic drugs to enhance their religious experience, however these experiences can cause them to lose control.[3] They also have a legendary story of an ancient island (Drafa) whose people were struck down by their excesses and immorality. This story was told to them as children and reminded to them as adults. In reality, this was a deadly plague, named after the island, that wiped out the entire population but the people came to believe that only the "immoral" would die of it.[1] On a lesser note, the Markab had a root like something that they sold which resembled a ginger root. Garibaldi, who bought one on a whim, said the translator translated it as either an aphrodisiac or a floor wax, but its actual use in ritual or otherwise was never fully explored.[4]
[edit] Food & Drink
[edit] History
When Babylon 5 was created in 2257, they were one of the races to contribute to it. They were represented in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and had a permanent seat on the advisory council. Their voice and influence must have been important, since a representative of theirs was shown with a speaker of the League in a meeting with Sinclair in 2258, discussing the cooling of tensions between the League and Earth over the Deathwalker affair,[6] which at the time seemed to be a major diplomatic crisis.
[edit] Extinction
In 2259 the Drafa Plague, after nearly a year of quietly spreading, finally came to a head on their homeworld and abroad. Only on Babylon 5, did the disease come into full focus with the help of Dr. Franklin and the others. Despite their best efforts and no thanks to the local Markabs who refused to even talk about it or do anything about it save for Dr. Lazarenn, a more open-minded Markab doctor, who worked with Dr. Franklin but died in the midst of their research, the plague was allowed to run its course on the Markabs. The plague was prevented from spreading amongst the alien population with a serum developed by Dr. Franklin, with Lazarenn's input, but it was too late for the Markabs on Babylon 5, on their homeworld and their colonies. All Markabs perished everywhere save for some in isolated areas. This effectively ended the species.[1]
In the months following the Markab holocaust, other races began stripping the remains of the Markab civilisation bare. During a secret mission to Zagros VII, Sheridan lured a Shadow Vessel to Sector 47 and used the Markab Jumpgate to destroy it, thus preventing any further looting and plundering of the former homeworld.[7]
[edit] Behind the Scenes
- The word Markab is a real word refering to the following: A Group of stars see [1], a word derived from Arabic see [2] and a name for a space civilization in Scientology see [3], which Straczynski insists was not a referance to in anyway. see [4], [5] and [6]
- There is talk of in-universe and out of universe of the Shadows or one of their allies instigating the death of the Markabs, by purposely disseminating the ancient virus and knowing that it would lead to their deaths. The reason for this was that they had began to suspect their arise again.[8] Another theory is that the Drafa Plague was really a Shadow bioengineered weapon all along. For more information see [7]
[edit] References
[edit] Other Sources
- Babylon 5 Scripts - Other Voices: Vol 3 (Babylon 5 Alien Guide)
- The Official Guide to Babylon 5 (CD ROM)
| Major Races | ||
| Ancient Races: | First Ones • First Born • Vorlon • Shadow • Walkers of Sigma-957 • Thirdspace Aliens • The Hand | |
| Major Races: | Minbari • Centauri • Human • Narn • Dilgar • Drakh | |
| League/Alliance Races: | Drazi • Brakiri • Gaim • pak'ma'ra • Abbai • Yolu • Hyach/Hyach-do • Markab • Llort • Grome • Hurr • Cascor • Balosian • Onteen • Iksha • Vree | |
