Chigs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chigs are a fictional alien species from the science fiction television series Space: Above and Beyond. The term "chig" is not the real name of the species but rather a nickname given to them by humans, referring to the earth animal known as the chigoe.
The Chig are also a species in Timothy Zahn's Conquerors Trilogy.
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[edit] Biology
Life on the Chig homeworld began when a meteorite containing bacteria ejected from Earth by a meteor impact 65 million years ago hit the planet (See: panspermia). Accelerated evolution caused the evolution of a humanoid race that is slightly more advanced than humans. Reproduction apparently relies on a breeding caste.
Chigs are humanoid, with clammy pink skin and a vaguely human shaped head. They have small, black eyes in recessed eye sockets, with gills on the sides of their head and large, jutting chins. They breathe a methane-rich atmosphere, and seem to communicate in a series of cetacean-like whistles and clicks. Chigs die and disintegrate upon contact with oxygen-atmospheres, so their true appearance was rarely seen by humans (e.g. the Chig ambassador that appears in the final episode). Water, something that every living organism on Earth requires, is a poison to their systems and causes immediate death if ingested. Human ground soldiers never saw them when they weren't wearing their faceless, fully-encapsulating armor (which contained methane-atmosphere life-support). The appearance of their armored environment suits is what made humans nickname them "Chigs".
[edit] Culture
Prior to contact with humans, the Chigs had no concept of an afterlife of any kind. Thus, they believe that fallen human soldiers are capable of being resurrected in some way. For this reason, they have taken to unearthing buried soldiers and mutilating their bodies so as to prevent them from joining an "army of zombies".
They hate being called "Chigs", "Chigoes", or aliens. They refer to humans as the aliens and a racial slur that roughly translates to "red stink creature", which refers to the offensive color and odor that human blood has for them.
[edit] History
Chig history is almost completely unknown to humans. However, in the second part of "Tell Our Moms We Did Our Best", the Chig ambassador reveals that his race believes their origins were based, not on their homeworld (designated Celestial Body 2064Y), but in fact originated on Earth. Apparently, the chig species evolved before humanity and left Earth, probabaly as the atmosphere was becoming hostile to their physiology. Having achieved interstellar travel they spread out through space, setting up colony worlds as they went.
Aware of Earth, they had been silently observing the human race, recognising it as a formidable opponent. One theory is that the Chigs were complacent as long as the human race was confined to Earth, and its expansion into space and other star systems frightened them into action. Another is that Aerotech probes and explorer missions trespassed on their territory, specifically celestial body 2064K (later designated Anvil during Operation Roundhammer), their sacred moon and birthplace.
In early 2063, the Chigs declared war on humanity, destroying the Vesta and Tellus colonies and killing many colonists. The survivors were taken prisoner. The Chig space forces began a push straight towards Earth, devastating the unprepared Earth militaries. Only the actions of the 58th Squadron at the Battle of the Belt prevented Earth itself from falling.
Though the element of surprise, superior numbers and their advanced technology gave the Chigs the advantage in early battles, the adaptability and ferocity of the humans caught them off guard. The Chigs, who favor large direct military strategies, were unprepared for the guerilla tactics used by the human forces. Special ops missions, infiltrations, assassinations, snipers, sabotage all proved effective against the Chig attackers. Despite their best efforts, humankind pushed closer and closer to the Chig homeworld.
The Chigs entered into an alliance with the remnants of the Silicates (androids) that fled to space after losing the AI Wars on Earth. The exact nature of this alliance is vague: it is unknown if they allied before or after the war with Earth began in 2063. It is thought to be more of an alliance of convenience against a common enemy. Evidence suggests that the Silicates are actually used more as mercenaries.
In late 2063, intelligence and surveillance missions in Chig territory located the Chig homeworld, confirming it was the 4th planet of the Helios system.
By 2064, after 18 months of heavy fighting, the Earth forces were preparing to invade Anvil, and then the Chig homeworld itself.
[edit] Technology
Chigs have faster-than-light spacefaring technology and advanced weapon systems. Analysis of captured Chig fightercraft has shown that compared to their Earth Force counterpart, the Hammerhead fighter, Chig fighters are faster and have a greater rate of climb. However, Earth Force fighters are more maneuverable than Chig fightercraft, and have a heavier weapons loadout.
[edit] Chigs of importance
- "Chiggy von Richthofen" – named after Manfred von Richthofen, "Chiggy von Richthofen" flew an advanced Chig stealth fighter, with the words "Abandon All Hope" written in English on its hull, that was a superior vessel to Earth fighters and destroyed dozens of them. "Chiggy von Richthofen" was killed in a dogfight with Colonel T.C. McQueen.
- Chig Ambassador – A Chig envoy sent alone and unarmed to the USS Saratoga to negotiate an end to hostilities between humans and Chigs. It was equipped with a translation device capable of producing English. The Chig attempted to explain the circumstances of the Vesta and Tellus colony massacres, blaming Aerotech CEO E. Allen Wayne for desecrating the sacred moon of their homeworld with an unmanned probe. When Wayne refused to admit to the act the Chig attacked him, and apparently detonated a hidden bomb (a point of debate) that killed itself, Wayne, and several top Earth military officers. Colonel T.C. McQueen was severely wounded in the explosion.
