Spline (alien beings)
Encyclopedia
The Spline are a fictional race of sentient space-faring creatures that appear in several of British author Stephen Baxter
's Xeelee Sequence
novels and short stories. They are typically described as fleshy spheres, encrusted with a variety of pods and orifices. The various pods contain sensory organs, weapons emplacements and other equipment, while the orifices allow for the ingress and egress of smaller ships.
In the internal timeline of Baxter's work, the Spline evolved on a watery planet as giant, whale-like creatures. Spline technology advanced to the point where they were able to plate their organic hides with materials capable of withstanding outer space. The Spline then moved into the galaxy as living ships for hire.
Humanity first encountered the Spline during the Qax
occupation of the solar system
, as Spline vessels were the primary mode of Qax transport. Following the collapse of the Qax occupation, humans entered into the same sort of arrangement as the Qax had with the Spline. As the human war with the Xeelee wore on, humans employed techniques to seize control of the Spline, suppressing the conscious control heretofore exercised by the creatures.
Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :...
's Xeelee Sequence
Xeelee Sequence
The Xeelee Sequence is a series of novels and short stories by British science fiction author Stephen Baxter. The novels span several billions of years, describing the future expansion of Mankind, its war with its arch-nemesis , and the Xeelee's own war with dark matter entities called photino birds...
novels and short stories. They are typically described as fleshy spheres, encrusted with a variety of pods and orifices. The various pods contain sensory organs, weapons emplacements and other equipment, while the orifices allow for the ingress and egress of smaller ships.
In the internal timeline of Baxter's work, the Spline evolved on a watery planet as giant, whale-like creatures. Spline technology advanced to the point where they were able to plate their organic hides with materials capable of withstanding outer space. The Spline then moved into the galaxy as living ships for hire.
Humanity first encountered the Spline during the Qax
Qax (species)
In the Xeelee Sequence of future history created by Stephen Baxter, the Qax are an alien species created from chaotic forces...
occupation of the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, as Spline vessels were the primary mode of Qax transport. Following the collapse of the Qax occupation, humans entered into the same sort of arrangement as the Qax had with the Spline. As the human war with the Xeelee wore on, humans employed techniques to seize control of the Spline, suppressing the conscious control heretofore exercised by the creatures.