Pak'ma'ra
Encyclopedia
The pak'ma'ra are a fictional race of aliens in the Babylon 5
universe. They do not feature heavily in any storylines, partly on the pretext that other species avoid them because they are, for religious reasons, dedicated carrion
eaters.
Humanoid
in form, the pak'ma'ra have tentacles around a mouth cavity containing an inflexible beak. Michael Garibaldi
describes them as resembling "an octopus that got run over by a truck." They rely on machine translation
for interspecies communication. However, Durhan commented once that they refuse to learn any language other than their own. They are capable of singing what is considered extremely beautiful music, but only do so on religious holidays.
Until its dissolution, the pak'ma'ra were members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds
, with an ambassador on Babylon 5. They then became members of the Interstellar Alliance
. The pak'ma'ra took on the role as couriers for the ISA Rangers because of the distaste other species had for them, and their tendency to be on every major world in numbers but be ignored.
The pak'ma'ra were one of the few other races to be susceptible to the Drafa Plague, though, unlike the Markab, their numbers were not threatened by Second Outbreak in 2259 as a vaccine was developed before the population was seriously threatened.
The most commonly referenced aspect of the pak'ma'ra in the series is their diet of carrion, which all other major species consider repugnant. They are fond of eating the corpses of sentient species, and it has been insinuated they will steal bodies in order to do so (although this might just be a rumor based on other species' xenophobia). Due to their eating habits, the pak'ma'ra have shown themselves incredibly resistant to food poisoning and disease from rotten meat. However, they are easily nauseated by things outside their preferred diet - to the point of projectile vomiting.
This last was seen in the opening segment episode "Secrets of the Soul
". When Doctor Stephen Franklin was examining a pak'ma'ra as part of the ISA medical program. The pak'ma'ra confided to him that according to their beliefs, "Pak'ma'ra are chosen of God. Very special, we can eat of all the creatures who walk and fly and crawl, but not of the fish in the sea." After this Stephen let the pak'ma'ra swallow an inorganic contrast medium
to explore its digestive system, but it was forcefully regurgitated. This may indicate that their diet is not solely a matter of religious preference.
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
universe. They do not feature heavily in any storylines, partly on the pretext that other species avoid them because they are, for religious reasons, dedicated carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
eaters.
Humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
in form, the pak'ma'ra have tentacles around a mouth cavity containing an inflexible beak. Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi is a lead fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Jerry Doyle.-Overview:...
describes them as resembling "an octopus that got run over by a truck." They rely on machine translation
Machine translation
Machine translation, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation MT is a sub-field of computational linguistics that investigates the use of computer software to translate text or speech from one natural language to another.On a basic...
for interspecies communication. However, Durhan commented once that they refuse to learn any language other than their own. They are capable of singing what is considered extremely beautiful music, but only do so on religious holidays.
Until its dissolution, the pak'ma'ra were members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds
League of Non-Aligned Worlds
The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a fictional collection of races in the Babylon 5 universe.The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a loose confederation of independent worlds and minor species, most of whom had endured subjugation under the Centauri Republic at its height...
, with an ambassador on Babylon 5. They then became members of the Interstellar Alliance
Interstellar Alliance (Babylon 5)
The Interstellar Alliance is a fictional interstellar government of civilizations in the Babylon 5 universe.Formed in 2261 AD in the aftermath of the liberation of Earth and the Shadow War, the Interstellar Alliance was formed between the Minbari, Narn, Centauri, the Earth Alliance and the...
. The pak'ma'ra took on the role as couriers for the ISA Rangers because of the distaste other species had for them, and their tendency to be on every major world in numbers but be ignored.
The pak'ma'ra were one of the few other races to be susceptible to the Drafa Plague, though, unlike the Markab, their numbers were not threatened by Second Outbreak in 2259 as a vaccine was developed before the population was seriously threatened.
Diet
The pak'ma'ra believe themselves a chosen and superior people, and their ability to consume any other of the sentient species is a sign of this.The most commonly referenced aspect of the pak'ma'ra in the series is their diet of carrion, which all other major species consider repugnant. They are fond of eating the corpses of sentient species, and it has been insinuated they will steal bodies in order to do so (although this might just be a rumor based on other species' xenophobia). Due to their eating habits, the pak'ma'ra have shown themselves incredibly resistant to food poisoning and disease from rotten meat. However, they are easily nauseated by things outside their preferred diet - to the point of projectile vomiting.
This last was seen in the opening segment episode "Secrets of the Soul
Secrets of the Soul
"Secrets of the Soul" is an episode from the fifth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Dr. Franklin discovers a secret hidden by the Hyach. Lyta and Byron become closer, eventually having sex...
". When Doctor Stephen Franklin was examining a pak'ma'ra as part of the ISA medical program. The pak'ma'ra confided to him that according to their beliefs, "Pak'ma'ra are chosen of God. Very special, we can eat of all the creatures who walk and fly and crawl, but not of the fish in the sea." After this Stephen let the pak'ma'ra swallow an inorganic contrast medium
Contrast medium
A medical contrast medium is a substance used to enhance the contrast of structures or fluids within the body in medical imaging...
to explore its digestive system, but it was forcefully regurgitated. This may indicate that their diet is not solely a matter of religious preference.