Korbids

The Korbids are a glassy silicon-based cephalopod race from the planet of Gherdon Beta. Their cells are super-saturated with solute salts and minerals, and so cannot survive in fresh water. They filter-feed minerals and necessary salts from the water, excreting fresh water. Without contact with water, the salts would dry up the body like a slug and salt, and so they must remain in contact with isotonic liquid to be healthy.

In the modern age, Korbids have developed suits to allow them to survive out of water made of clear plastic, and a pump system that gives just the right saturation of water into their body, and safely disposes of the fresh water, re-saturating it with a mineral block within the suit. This suit has joints to allow tentacular movement, and is air-tight, and so also acts as a space-suit.

Korbids have a central "head" which contains the brain and heart, as well as other necessary organs. Radiating from their body in no particular direction are 11 suckered tentacles. On their skin are both color-sensing cells and color-producing cells, giving the ability to see through their skin, triangulating distance automatically via the curves of their skin. They can also change their skin color to communicate, as well as confuse or hypnotize with trippy patterns.

Korbids breathe via two pump/valves into their system, one on each side of the main body-bulb. Saturated Mineral water is drawn into the valve and into the brain, where minerals are diffused into the brain via capillary alveoli. The water leading out of the brain is then led to the rest of the body through the cardiovascular system. Each individual capillary ultimately joins with the others to go out the other valve. The exit-valves are insulated, to ensure neither the leeching of minerals, or the swelling of tissue. Due to the extent to which minerals are given to the brain, Korbids have a unique aptitude for abstract problem-solving, but also flexability in their view of the abstract world.

Korbid culture values independance and rebellion against whatever is at hand, as long as absolute conformity is featured in respect to the paradigm of the age, and the ruling Korbos's wishes. Several sub-species exist: the Korbit (agricultural workers), Korbal (warriors/soldiers), Korben (industrial workers), and Korbos, (scientists, philosophers, and government leaders) which have been selectively bred by the Mind for thousands of years.

Korbid "government" is structured around the Mind, a chosen Korbos that resides within a diamond sphere filled with brine so saturated, it is opaque. Inside here, a Korbid may grow to over 10x its normal size. Tubes lead from the out-put valve out of the sphere, and from a special mineralization apparatus into the sphere. The Korbid's brain is hooked up to a vast super-computer, where it has access to near-infinite knowledge, which it uses to calculate and plan the future of the Korbid empire. From this ancient diamond sphere, the Korbid controls everything, the military, the lower-down governance and hierarchy, the agenda for workers and scientists alike, even the shape and layout of cities can be designed, and then made or converted in a matter of hours by controlled nano-bots. Virtual reality from CCTV everywhere is streamed into its head constantly, as is audio, smells, weather, and news-events. It is said that the current Mind has reigned for over a million years.