Human

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Ashby Santoso by Isabel Brothers

**Humans** are a species that originated on the planet Earth in the Sol System. They left their planet when it became uninhabitable due to overpopulation and catastrophic climate change. Humans are a part of the Galactic Commons, but are a relatively new addition and not particularly notable or powerful. Their main language is Ensk, though this is not spoken by all Humans.

## Appearance and biology

Over the centuries since Humans departed Earth, racial traits have become less geographically specific. Exodans in particular are described as having a "nationless" appearance. While there are still some pale Humans around, most have a relatively dark skin tone as well as dark, curly hair.

Many other species, including Aeluons, Aandrisks and Grum, consider Humans smelly.

## Culture and history

### The Solar System

Relatively early in Humans' departure from Earth, wealthy settlers started moving to Mars. As Mars is not a terraformed planet, settlements are covered by domes. Historically, a cause of tension between Martians and other Humans in the diaspora - Exodans in particular - is that the settlers shipped livestock through space while people back on Earth went hungry.

Reclamation efforts have made parts of Earth habitable again, and some Gaiists and Survivalists live in designated areas. Humans also live on the orbital ring around Earth that houses the Samsara Project.

Humans are present in other places throughout the Solar system, such as the orbiters around Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons. There is also a prison asteroid in the Kuiper Belt, called Tartarus.

### The Exodus Fleet

Most of the Humans who left Earth did so on the Exodus Fleet. When they made contact with the GC, after wandering the galaxy for hundreds of years, they were given a star to orbit. Exodan society is tightly-knit, egalitarian, traditional, and frugal. They are known for being pacifists, having left their species' bloody ways behind when they left Earth.

### The Independent Colonies

Since Humans became a member species of the Galactic Commons, many inhabitants of the Fleet have started to move planetside; in some cases, they have started or joined predominantly Human-inhabited colonies such as Seed, Cricket and Mudskip Notch. These Humans tend to be less traditional than their ancestors in the Fleet, with a good many of them modders.

### Outside of the Galactic Commons

Not all Humans live in GC space. There are Human colonies outside of the Galactic Commons, although these places tend to be controversial. Examples are Enhancement colonies such as Aganon, where Pepper and Blue are from, are cut off from the GC and the Diaspora; and Stitch, a modder fringe colony where Marcus Corbin had himself cloned.

## Notable Humans

The Wayfarers series features many notable Human characters, such as Rosemary, Ashby, Kizzy, and Jenks, who are among the main characters of *The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet*; Pepper and Blue in *A Closed and Common Orbit*; and Isabel, Kip, Eyas, and Tessa in *Record of a Spaceborn Few*.

The fourth book in the main series, *The Galaxy, and the Ground Within*, is the only novel that does not feature Humans.