A/N: If you think you have seen this file before, that is correct. However, it was really bad, especially compared to the Oyariah file which actually had some effort put into it. So I rewrote the original Vitakarian file, with only the beginning part preserved. The rest is all new.
Vitakara: Races
Vitakarians
"Let's just say that the statement that Vitakarians are similar to humans is…misleading."
- Zar'nartha'intha
CODEX File ****
Subject: Vitakarian Experiments and Theories
Location: Blacksite ***
Author: Geneticist Revelean
The Vitakarians are key to the project, this I have determined without a doubt. The Faceless creatures are useful, but they lack the link the Vitakarians have to the species entirely. They are remarkably adaptable, even among Vitakara and their benign appearance and lack of any major distinguishing features is extremely telling.
Vitakara affectionately, or perhaps maliciously, refer to the Vitakarians as the "Template Race" due to their unremarkable attributes in comparison to the other races. Yet I believe there is much truth to this secondhand remark, truth enough that I suspect the Aui'Vitakar and their scientific groups know as well, yet for some reason don't want to say.
I had wondered why they had named their species after one specific race, and then named their planet after the same one. Those who truly believe it was due to the Vitakarian "assistance" and "because they were the ones who revealed it" lack a critical understanding of the psychology of the various races.
The Sar'Manda would not accept it without a more factual reason, neither would the Oyariah. And the emphasis that is placed on the Vitakarians during this time is false. The Dath'Haram and Cobrarians were just as essential in preventing the collapse of their society, yet they are often barely mentioned. Thus, what is the explanation?
The explanation is that the Vitakarians are indeed the original Vitakara.
How this actually started can only be speculated, but this theory lines up with the pre-Republic Vitakarians who were nomads wandering their planet. They never stayed in one place for very long, and left when conditions became difficult. Thus, they never developed any kind of specific environmental attributes as they refused to settle down.
Every race has clearly adapted to their environment of origin and suffers when outside it. The Sar'Manda cannot breath above water, Dath'Haram are flexible and can maneuver through jungles and enjoy humid temperatures, Oyariah cannot see above ground without modifications, have far better senses and can see in pitch darkness, Borelians have fur to keep their bodies insulated from the winter storms, and Cobrarians are clearly only comfortable in scorching temperatures, and can burrow under the sand if it gets too hot even for them.
Yet the Vitakarians lack such features, but instead have an adaptability over their body that is not present in the other species. Given time, and the long-term experiments have already shown this, a Vitakarian could eventually morph into a completely different race over the course of several hundred years.
Such genetic divergence and malleability is…suspicious. I cannot help but wonder if this was yet another engineered species in a galaxy where that seems oddly common. Is such evolution truly random? Or are there civilizations and powers beyond even our comprehension that have or are manipulating the inhabitants of this galaxy for specific ends?
The Imperator is right to be wary of the Sovereign Ones. Beings of that power are not to be trusted, and that they have led us to such a species through the Voice clearly indicate they know more than they are aware of.
Yet if they insist on directing us towards useful tools to destroy the Synthesized, I have no qualms perfecting the species they present to us. It shall be thus, and I am amused at the poetic conclusion that will be gifted upon the Vitakara.
The Vitakarians were the beginning of the races, and they will also be the end.
XCOM File V271
Subject: The Vitakarians
Author: Nartha
Note: Addendums have been added by Aegis in specific portions of this document – Patricia
Vitakarians as a race are one of the most peaceful overall, at least when compared to the Borelians, Oyariah, and Sar'Manda. This is one of the first distinctions when compared to Humans, as I am certain you have already done. Humans are extremely diverse, not superficially, but in the spectrum of beliefs and emotions. Thousands of Humans hold widely different opinions and values, and this is seen as completely normal.
Vitakarians do hold differing views, but not nearly to the extent I have seen on Earth. A controversial topic for a Vitakarian is if new colony plans should include citizens from three cities, or two. As you can likely tell, we are not faced with the same social concerns as Humans are. Most Vitakarians live very quiet and peaceful lives, with the exception of those who join the Zararch, Runianarch, or Lurainian.
We prefer diplomacy to conflict, and this is reflected in our history. Before the formation of the United Vitakarian Republic, and then the Aui'Vitakar, we were divided into differing tribes that wandered the land. The exact number is unknown, but it was at least fifteen major ones, and during our entire history, there was never one instance of conflict.
Vitakarians see combat as a last resort, and an ultimate failure on the part of both parties to come to a reasonable agreement. At the same time, we are not helpless and the reason Vitakarians still maintain fighting forces is largely as a contingency, and honestly because the benefits are superior to civilian work, such as access to top of the line equipment, better housing, access to more restricted areas, access to the Vitakara database, and the general respect from Vitakara as a whole. Most Vitakarians do not actually believe they will see combat, or at least this was the case before the discovery of your species.
To be blunt, Commander, Vitakarians are not good soldiers. We can adapt to many things, but the psychological toll of actual combat is one I fear the Vitakarians in the Runianarch are ill-prepared for. Violence is not in our history, nor is it something we encourage, and this will eventually become a problem for those in the military.
However, one area where Vitakarians do excel is in the more administrative aspects of the military. There are, and will be, Vitakarian officers who will be able to formulate strategies and tactics against you. With that being said, they will also not be able to withstand the psychological toll of large numbers of their soldiers under them dying in combat, no matter how natural that is in war.
Vitakarians are not good soldiers, as I said.
With that understood, we can be trained to overcome our inherent peacefulness. The Zararch and Lurainian have programs for all Vitakarian recruits that change our mindset over the course of several years. The Lurainian train with the Borelians, who eventually remove all inherent mental constraints holding the potential soldier back, and the Zararch simply have their Vitakarian agents undergo a procedure that alters the chemical composition, adrenal, and hormone levels of our bodies.
Do not inquire as to how this works, as the details are only known to the Zar'Chon and a small team of scientists.
I can personally attest to that it does work, and as far as I am aware, my personality at the time was not overly affected, but I was able to perform an interrogation of a Nulorian terrorist and not completely hate myself. Ironically, because of this procedure, Vitakarian Zararch agents are considered the most lethal and ruthless of the entire organization.
This is not without its consequences. Vitakarians, and Vitakarian Zararch agents are treated very differently. It is not racism as you understand it, but we are almost treated as a different race entirely, even by our own kind. It is very easy to tell the difference between a Vitakara who is a Zararch, and one who is not. While the procedure does not remove our emotions, we are far more solemn, we take subjects seriously, and we hold opinions that no unaltered Vitakarian would even consider.
We have never faced a true war, and I do not believe that we would emerge unscathed if one were to arrive at our doorstep. But the Vitakarians must grow beyond our pacifism; our capability for it exists, yet is continually shunned, and once the Ethereals truly invade your world, we will begin to truly experience war, and that is when the Vitakarians will either adapt, or we will break.
Addendum: Aegis's notes: I will confess to being unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Vitakarians, but the sentiment that Vitakarians are not good soldiers has been raised by the Battlemaster, and there has been discussion with Revelean about how to handle it. Revelean believes that the Vitakarians would eventually adapt to the stresses of combat, but the issue is how long it would take. Natural psychological changes are something that Revelean has not actually observed, even though physical changes are possible, and the Borelians seemingly have methods of inducing these results in Vitakarians over a period of years, which is not currently feasible.
At the moment, I suspect Revelean will want to observe how the initial Vitakarians react to facing combat, and then the Battlemaster will make his decision. Knowing the Battlemaster, if the Vitakarians react as poorly as Nartha insinuates, then he will likely mandate all Vitakarian Runianarch soldiers undergo the procedure that the Vitakarian Zararch agents undergo.
I can also attest to the fact that most Vitakarians do not join the military out of a desire to protect their people or what would be considered patriotism to you. The reasons are typically related to a higher compensation, exploring the galaxy, interacting with other races; like Nartha said, most have never expected to actually fight, and do not join expecting such. This also extends to those who wish to join the Lurainian and Zararch, although those motivations eventually change once their distaste for violence is removed.
I will also be curious to see how they hold up in combat. In the early stages of the war, I would recommend giving Runianarch units with a heavy Vitakarian presence an opportunity to surrender. I suspect that their loyalty to the Collective will not compel them to fight to the death. I also expect that they would be shaken by acts of brutality and mercilessness, as well as additional methods designed to intimidate and terrify them.
I suggest you talk with your Vitakarian captives as to how feasible an idea this is. They have not undergone the procedure Nartha has, and they might provide some insight that Nartha does not have. If there is any part of the Collective that could be convinced to stand down, it is the Vitakarians.
[Additional material – Provided by Sala'voriah'melonda, Vitakarian scientist and alien assistant to XCOM]
Quite typical of a Zararch Vitakarian to give such a scathing report on what our race is capable of. I am aware of this procedure, and the chemicals that would be needed to even create the accepted response are ones that would be lethal if combined. This is clearly not lethal, since there are millions of Zararch, so either they have discovered a way around this, or are using some other kind of drug. Either possibility is concerning. The odd notion he has that his personality wouldn't have been altered by such a procedure is patently false by all rules of modern chemistry, and I suspect that is his way of coping with sudden personality shifts without psionic therapy.
However, it is ultimately irrelevant because he is largely correct.
The idea of death is not one we are comfortable with as a species, this is likely common sense to you, but in the face of it, I have observed Humans retain their defiance and fight to the death all the same, sometimes for some greater purpose, other times not. We simply do not think that way naturally.
In that respect, we are one of the weak links in the Collective, because if we feel that our current course of action will lead to our death, or the death of the ones around us, we will do what we can to avoid that fate. Even if it means surrendering to an alien army. This was why Baranth surrendered to you when it was clear we weren't going to stop you.
Vitakarians value life. This does not, generally speaking, extend to defending it with violent force. We are explorers and scientists by nature, and it is often difficult to fully understand why there are so many that choose conflict over peaceful resolution. Logically, it can be explained to me, but I will not truly know or feel it without changing myself.
This Nartha is optimistic if he believes we will be able to change so easily, and I question this method by which Vitakarian Lurainian undergo these Borelian trainings and achieve similar results. My own research has indicated that we are physically adaptable, but psychologically stagnant. Our own history and evolution confirms this. All natural predators on Vitakar are in the extreme environments. The jungles; the Borelian Wastes; the Manda; the Underground. As a race, we were never threatened by predators and conflict was never something we considered.
Our psychology is the result of millennia, and to think that it could be naturally changed in just a few years is strange. It can be altered unnaturally, but I fear that my race may indeed not be prepared for a long war. The Vitakarians will not change without being forced, and I do not like the implications of such. Either we will break, we will be forcibly altered, or we surrender.
I do not know which of those is the preferable option.
Transcript of an alleged conversation between Miridian and an unidentified figure. Recovered by the Andromedon Federation
[Miridian]: "The Vitakarians will be preserved. We will need them in the future."
[Unidentified Figure 1]: "They are not suited for combat."
[M]: "The fact that a Vitakarian is leading the Zararch indicates otherwise."
[UF1]: Unintelligible
[M]: "Of course he is not representative of all Vitakarians, but do not also forget the Vitakarian Zararch and Lurainian as well. Their adaptability will be needed, and no other race has their capability."
[UF1]: "Then they must be changed."
[M]: "Of course. They are pacifists by nature, but unlike the Dath'Haram, they have a biological purpose for preservation."
[UF1]: "I hope you have a better plan than simply subjecting all Vitakarians to this drug they force on the Vitakarian Zararch agents."
[M]: "You will…" Unintelligible
[UF1]: Unintelligible
[M]: "Incorrect. They are the largest weakness in the Collective. Even the Dath'Haram in the military, the few that exist, have at least committed themselves to the reality of combat."
[UF1]: "So if sufficiently broken, that would take out a large portion of the Runianarch."
[M]: "Correct."
[UF1]: Unintelligible
[M]: "Quite. Not that I have any plans to let the Runianarch live, but if they break, they will be easier to execute."
[UF1]: "This relies on everything being executed to perfection. The timetable is still decades off."
[M]: "That is not a concern. I have waited decades, I can wait for as long as it takes."
[UF1]: "Unfortunate that we must wait so long. A distraction could drastically speed up the timetable."
[M]: "It could, but the Collective will not move on the inner Galaxy for decades. I do not foresee a war brewing in that period, unless the Andromedons get ideas."
[UF1]: "They will not. Not yet."
[M]: "Then we proceed as planned."
[UF1]: Unintelligible
[M]: "And the same to you."
REPORT 000000001101
ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE UNITED VITAKARIAN REPUBLIC
SPECIES: VITAKARA
CLASSIFICATION: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LEADER: VIT'YARRA'VITIARY
CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY
VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: HIGH
VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: HIGH
VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: LOW
INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGH GENETIC MALLEABILITY
INFORMATION OF NOTE: SMALL STANDING ARMY
INFORMATION OF NOTE: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
INFORMATION OF NOTE: LARGELY PACIFISTIC SOCIETY
THREAT LEVEL: LOW
ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Of all the local governments of the Vitakara, the United Vitakarian Republic is perhaps the most 'basic' with the possible exception of the Council of Dath'Haram. It is largely predictable, vulnerable, and exploitable. This is due in large part to their own culture, which is both extremely trusting and values diplomacy above all else.
What is interesting then is that there is a not-insignificant number of Vitakarians who are employed in the Collective Military. Vitakarians make up nearly a third of the Runianarch, a fourth of the Lurainian, and over half of the Zararch. This, it seems, is down to propaganda and the excellent recruiters within the branches.
What has been observed is that the recruitment exploits typical Vitakarian psychology, and what is extremely interesting is that all recruiters are Zararch, regardless of branch. Whatever front they put up is very likely a lie. The tactics depend on the branch. Recruiters for the Runianarch will emphasize the benefits of the branch, the travel, and whatever else can be gleaned from their conversation. The recruiters are very good at what they do.
Recruitment for the Lurainian and Zararch is exceptionally different. The Collective as a whole does not generally consider the Vitakarians reliable soldiers, so the ones they target for the latter branches are targeted and approached using the psychological profile of the Vitakarian in question. This is dangerously effective, and there is a ninety-seven percent success rate from recruitment numbers we've recovered.
Vitakarians are then altered when they join these branches. With the Zararch it's a simple medical procedure, and with the Lurainian, it's a combination of drugs and mental conditioning that turns them into stoic killing machines. Altered Vitakarians are exceptionally dangerous, ruthless, and logical. It is no surprise that one leads the Zararch, and that Vitakarian Lurainian are nearly equal to Borelians in lethality.
It is fortunate that the entire race is not like this.
Their military recruitment aside, there is the matter of the Republic. As their name suggests, they are a democratic republic, and have what largely functions as a mini-Aui'Vitakar, and in fact the Aui'Vitakar was based on the Republic. A set number of representatives are elected from the various cities, and serve their time there enacting legislation that only affects their Republic.
Government service is also not something that is heavily regulated. It is considered a boring, but necessary job by Vitakarians, and thus the only ones who ever try to get elected are the ones that truly want it. There have also been no Vitakarians who have attempted to use it as a chance to consolidate power, or otherwise misuse the authority of the office.
Even if it is considered a boring job, there is a remarkable turnout, with the past elections stretching from the beginning of the recorded history of the Republic having a 100% turnout, and this devotion to performing this duty extends to the Aui'Vitakar as well. However, most Vitakarians prefer to take positions as scientists or engineers; jobs they consider much more interesting.
Culturally, there are a few interesting things to note in the Republic. Unlike some of the other races, there appear to be no specific gender roles, with male and female Vitakarians being able to achieve any position or job they wish. Given their genetic adaptability, it is an unsurprising observation. They also generally get along well with the other races well, even the Oyariah, even if it is a tenuous relationship at best.
A statistic somewhat related to this is that Vitakarians have the highest percentage in interracial relationships, especially with Dath'Haram and Borelians, surprisingly enough. The Republic is one of the few places on Vitakar where there is little stigma attached to such relationships, and as such the Republic has a higher-than-average percentage of non-Vitakarians. This is another potential vulnerability of the Republic.
Despite their inherent peacefulness, the Republic does have a small standing army, but it is largely ceremonial and they are literally armed with the old melee weapons of the early days of the Republic. However, they do have an armory, and should the need arise, I suspect they would utilize actual weapons. But they are too few and outmatched to pose any real threat.
In the end, the Republic is not a threat to us, nor are the Vitakarians as a whole.
With the exception of the ones who are altered. Should the Vitakarians begin following suit, or the Zararch launch an operation to modify the species, the Vitakarians just might become the most dangerous race in the species. Observation should continue unhindered.
RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF UNITED VITAKARIAN REPUBLIC; FOCUS ON ZARARCH POINTS OF INTEREST; ACQUIRE SAMPLE OF PSYCHOLOGICALLY ALTERING AGENT FOR ANALYSIS
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 088; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]
END REPORT
CONTINUE OBSERVATION