Learned Hand is a Voidborne pirate, arms dealer, and politician. He is the captain of the Sundial, a solar sail-propelled trading vessel. As a Voidborne, Learned Hand is able to survive in incredibly low-pressure environments, including the vacuum of space for a short period of time, with minimal life support. This life support is located in the sphere on his right shoulder, which was installed after he lost his arm.
The Voidborne are an ancient, spacefaring people adapted to a human colony ship found drifting near the edge of the galaxy. The origin of the ship is speculative, although there are theories abound. Over the course of tens of millennia of selective pressure, as their life support waned to almost nothing, they found themselves changed into something entirely different.
The most noticeable trait of a Voidborne is their skin; it reflects no light. With almost no source of warmth left, they adapted to absorb every scrap of sunlight they could through their ship’s windows and bays. As such, they appear as featureless silhouettes, save for their nearly pure white eyes.
Less noticeable are a slew of other adaptations: large ears for catching sound in a low-pressure environment, resistance to the lack of pressure in said environment, and the ability to tolerate incredible cold. Due to their low-pressure adaptation, a Voidborne would immediately perish under the relatively intense pressure of the Earth’s surface. Even in the rigid suits they use to walk on planetary surfaces, they must employ exoskeletal muscles in order to move despite their atrophied strength.
Learned Hand began his career as an interstellar merchant speculating on the goods he hauled. Soon after, came upon the realization that most modern scanners detected heat from engine exhausts and the electrical currents within.
By sailing with a skeleton crew of Voidborne, the Sundial is able to operate at temperatures far below what base humans can survive while coasting from its warp drive and maneuvering off of sunlight with its vast solar sails. As such, it is almost undetectable except to the naked eye and Learned Hand is able to transport illicit goods with little to no scrutiny.
With his ill-gotten gains, and a lack of evidence to convict, Learned Hand has been able to leverage several minor roles within planetary governments, which he has used almost solely to loosen interstellar trade laws.
This entry was made by Moe Neus.