Galotian
Basic Information
Anatomy
Galotians are near the top of the list of the weirdest alien species in the galaxy. They lack a physically definitive form, being classified under the species umbrella of transmographical xenomorphs (i.e. shapeshifters). They do indeed have a "true" form, if you wish to call it that. They appear for all intense and purposes as an amorphous and boneless puddle of acidic slime. However, if they are large enough, they are able to compact and contract certain cells in their bodies to create a fake skeletal structure that will support them in an environment with a specific gravity range (they cannot do this if there is no gravity, or if the gravitational pull of the body they are on is too high). They are far more flexible than any other creature having almost complete control of every system in their bodies. They are covered in an acidic mucus layer that is described as smelling faintly of honey and having a faint sweet and sour taste. There are separate subspecies with varying ranges of color although they are able to change their color as part of their shapeshifting ability.
Biological Traits
Genetics and Reproduction
Modern galotians reproduce asexually. They technically don't reproduce, but rather create a clone of themselves after they have reached a certain amount of biomass. A galotian will use the the material that it digests to to form what is essentially a copy of itself inside of its body, should the biomass be enough, a fully formed clone of the progenitor is created right down to the memories of the original. However, most galotians don't get the chance to take on that much mass before they "give birth" if you want to call it that. When a galotian has reached approximately 15-22% above its average full grown biomass, they are capable of "giving birth." The galotian clone created this way has roughly 20% of the mothers original biomass and it is considered to be in a spawn state. They will share their progenitors memories, but they won't have the processing power to comprehend that they are a duplicate of their progenitor. The spawn will then attempt to seek out a source rich in nutrients and proteins that it will use to build its own body. Depending on where the spawn is created, how old the progenitor is, and how much of its own body it must burn for calories before consuming anything; a galotian can reach 60% of the originals biomass (what they consider to be maturity) in as little as a 2 weeks. Although if the galotian is unable to feed within a week after being born or its biomass drops below 12.37% of the progenitors, it enters into a state of hibernation that will shut down all nonvital functions to preserve as many calories as possible. This will slow down its metabolism, and prevent it from dyeing for a short span of time (roughly 6 months). Once its biomass drops below 9% of the progenitor's, it will be unable to support its own vital functions and it will die.
Galotian's typically enter a state of reproduction once every 2-3 Earth years. Galotians on the home planet have a different cycle of reproduction than those that are found among other societies do, with the latter being a lot more dangerous (although they themselves are aware of the danger they pose and take preventative measures to try and ensure others safety). When a galotian from the home planet feels their time approaching, they begin to congregate around their original progenitor, or the leader of their people. The leader is the only one allowed to create new galotians. As such, when their people gather, they [the leader] release a pheromone that will prevent the others from entering the state of reproduction. The leader then begins designating their followers with the purpose of finding food. So long as the workers provide food in sufficient quantities over the course of the next week, then up to three new galotians can be born. Those galotians outside of this system, must rely on self isolation as a means of protection, mostly for others. This is where we discuss exactly what happens when a galotian enters "heat" if you will. It begins with a release of hormones for hunger, over the course of three days. During this time, a galotian will get more irritable, and by day three will feel like no matter how much they eat, they can't feel full. The reason behind this is simple. Their body is preparing for the rapid generation and growth of new cells, as old cells begin to die in mass. These new cells, will contain different genes from the original ones, as the galotians replace their inferior genes with newer ones necessary for their survival and adaptation. As the old cells die, the body produces a hormone called Lusicailiene which prompts their bodies to enter a state of high activity cell germination (germination is not cell growth but rather the production of brand new cells). This leads to old cells that are still usable being slowly digested by the body, and a drive to take in a truly staggering food intake. Should the galotian take in more food than necessary, they create excess systems in the body. These excess systems take to much energy to maintain, so the body expels them, and they become new galotians. This process does not always lead to galotians being born; as sometimes the amount of excess biomass does not have the ability to support a new organism.
To those who read the above paragraph, you may be confused as to why I spoke of galotians having "new genes." This is a property of galotians that makes them incredibly unique; they are able to take and repurpose genetic information from their prey. How they do this is not widely understood, but it is assumed that their bodies have some method for analyzing and rewriting genetic code. This little understood process allows them to hyper evolve themselves over the course of a short span of time. Because of this, they are considered by many species supremacists as a plague.
Growth Rate & Stages
The growth rate of a galotian, as mentioned above, is based on the biomass it has obtained rather than some arbitrary span of time. How this works is actually connected to their digestive track. When building its body in the early stages, it is unable to incorporate the genetics of other creatures into its own genetic code. The spawn stage, as it is called, is really only capable of building cells it already has from the materials it has consumed and is incapable of improving the function of those cells.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Galotians are not picky eaters. Entirely omnivorous, with the ability to incorporate genetic information from other creatures into their own bodies; they will eat just about anything, so long as what they are eating is truly edible. While they are incredibly hardy, whatever they are eating must be able to be worked into their cells.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Galotians mimic some of the common social structures of humans. This does make sense, as the traits for their intelligence initially came from humans in the first place. Their are human patterns of behavior that they do not emulate. For example, they do not form familial units.
Average Intelligence
It is difficult to measure a galotians intelligence. Many galactic slavers and flesh-traders believe galotians to be no more intelligent than your average dog. But since that narrative suites their business interests, they probably wouldn't appreciate further investigation on the subject. Galotians are subjugated under the assumption that they are below average intelligence and are little more than animals capable of mimicry. But anyone who has ever had a long discussion with Clöe, an escort working out of The Orethea, will sing a different tune. In galotians, much like in humans, intelligence is rather complicated.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Galotians have the ability to create organelle structures in their body that can mimic the organs of other creatures they have "seen (eaten)." However, many of theses organelles don't actually function. For example, if a galotian turns into a human, they may form eyes and ears, however those organs would be for show only and don't actually function. The main method by which a galotian comes to understand the world, is touch. They have a unique ability like echolocation able, but far more encompassing as even the slightest vibration through the air or ground is enough to allow a galotian to form a mental picture of their surroundings up to 100 meters away. They don't see color as we do either. To get a sense of an objects color, they have to dissolve and analyze the chemical composition of the object and that is how they recognize color. They also have an incredible sense of taste that would allow them to distinguish things that very few other species could such as the knowing how old the thing that they are eating is purely by the taste of it.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
This species I might describe as symbiotic parasites. Now that in and of itself seems to be a contradiction, but please hear me out. On the surface, those galotians who are not slaves tend to be able to fully integrate themselves into the societies of other creatures. This allows them to work and live alongside those others for the benefit of the collective group. However, the catch is this, galotians are still very much predators, despite their sapience. They actually use the species they interact with to their advantage, even if the way in which they use those individual members of a species is not good for their well being. Galotians prey upon other creatures to take their genetic information, analyze it, then incorporate it into their own cells as means of rapid evolution. They are like a virus, they sneak in, take what they want, and care very little for the consequences. This makes them dangerous, especially if they find a trait that they see as particularly desirable. If they want the genetic trait you possess they will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means consuming you whole.
Civilization and Culture
History
Galotian reproduction was originally never going to be a thing. Unlike other alien races, galotians were made, and did not naturally evolve from some other lifeform. They were made to be a bioweapon for their progenitors, the nym. In essence, they are a biologically engineered creatures that were meant to be used as undercover agents and assassins. However, their progenitor's found them to be too feral and not intelligent enough to control. They tried several different types, attempting to find a sweet spot between the creatures aggressive predatory behavior, and obedience. Unfortunately they failed to find the sweet spot. If they decreased aggression to much and heightened obedience, the galotian prototypes would literally wait around passively until given basic directions or commands and couldn't or wouldn't do things of its own initiative unless ordered otherwise. For example, if the order given was "kill target," they would savagely attack and devour the target. But once the target was dead, they would wait passively until another order was given even if there were other hostile enemies nearby. If aggression was increased to much, they became savage and uncontrollable, they would not follow orders and would attack any and all living things in the vicinity (even at the cost of their own life). So the nym geneticists abandoned the project on the planet GeL-3747 and left the still living galotian prototypes to die off. However about a week after they departed, the prototypes broke free from captivity. The prototypes began eating the local fauna and flora, and undenounced to the nym, some of the species there were capable of asexual reproduction. Galotians were designed to incorporate the genetics of other creatures they would eat into their own genetic code so long as it did not conflict with the preprogrammed exceptions installed into them by the nym. The proto-galotians began consuming lifeforms and reproducing at alarming rates. They weren't however, intelligent. Not until a human crew of scientists visited the planet 48 years later to research life that
