Littles Biology

The humanoid organisms known as the littles originated from a lichen-like organism found growing on a meteroid. Upon exposure to the interior of the Cyris, this organism grew rapidly, covering the floor, walls, and ceiling of the storage room its meteroid was kept in. According to Dr. Henderson, the organisms rapid growth was triggered by the presence of moisture within the Cyris. While in deep space, the organism likely grew considerably slower, if at all.

Study revealed that this lichenoid organism was, much like terrestrial lichen, composed of two mutually symbiotic sub-organisms. One sub-organism was similar in form to a terrestrial fungus and the other to a terrestrial amoeba. The fungoid sub-organism made up the super-organism's structure, forming a "skin" to protect the super-organism from the harshness of space and a "mesh" to support the amoeboid sub-organism. The amoeboid sub-organism lived within the fungoid sub-organism, where it converted solar energy into chemical energy for itself and its supporting fungoid mesh.

In addition, the super-organism had several features lacking in terrestrial lichens. Above a certain size, the super-organism would form "veins" of extracellular fluid surrounded by semi-permeable fungal walls. Amoeboid cells used these veins to expedite movement through the super-organism. The super-organism would also form "nerves" of highly elongated fungoid cells. These nerves carried electrical and chemical signals quickly across significant distances to non-nervous cells, fungoid and amoeboid alike.

Interestingly, while the fungoid and amoeboid sub-organisms were genetically distinct, they could share small, plasmid-like sections of genetic material. This genetic sharing is likely what allowed the symbiotic relationship between the fungoid sub-organism and the amoeboid sub-organism to reach such extremities.

With this ability to rapidly share evolutionary developments between its sub-organisms, the super-organism adapted quickly to the environment within the Cyris. However, this genetic looseness ultimately caused the "death" of the super-organism and the development of the littles.

During its study, the super-organism was accidentally contaminated with human biological material. Due to the super-organism's tendency to share genetic material, some amount of human DNA was taken into the fungoid sub-organism's nucleus, where it was replicated along with the fungoid cells. Initially, the fungoid cells would not have been able to read these fragments of human DNA. However, at some point during the Cyris's long voyage, the fungoid cells developed the ability to read this DNA, likely as a result of a mutation.

Based on recordings taken from the cameras within the super-organism storage room, what followed was a haphazard series of irregular development within the super-organism. Had this development taken place on an alien planet or within deep space, the lack of fitness of many of these developments would have lead to the death of the contaminated cells. However, the stable environment within the Cyris allowed the super-organism to evolve wildly without risk.

Eventually, the current littles took form. Like their lichenoid ancestor, the littles are composed of fungoid and amoeboid sub-organisms. However, the littles' fungoid sub-organisms diverge from their ancestor's. Of particular note are the new "bone" and "muscle" fungoid forms. The littles form bones out of tightly woven fungoid cells. These fungoid cells build mineral "shells" around themselves, resulting in a mostly solid bone. The littles form muscles out of tightly twisted fungoid cells. These coils contract when activated by an electric signal, resulting in muscle movement.

Of course, the littles differ from their ancestor in more than just tissue. The sapient gender of little is, rather notably, almost entirely human in appearance.