A:Almost all Rlaan foodstuffs and pharmacological products are, unsurprisingly, utterly unusable by humans, tending to result in death or severe trauma. However, one of Rlaan client races, the Lmpl, are oxygen breathers. In particular, the physiology of the Lmpl is sufficiently similar to that of humans that some pharmacologicals work, for certain definitions of work, on both species. However, the recreational product in most demand for human consumption from Rlaan space is a dangerous and prohibited one. A particular Lmpl anaesthetic, ITY-2525, is used by humans as a recreational drug. While confed drug laws are fairly libertine by the standards of the 20th century, the tendency of users of ITY-2525 to stop breathing after use of the drug is sufficiently high that it has been banned from sale. However, the experience of those who do wake up again is such that demand for the substance remains.Q:What do the Rlaan and Aera do for their alcohol-type things? Are there special Aera or Rlaan foods/plants/animal organs that can be processed into something that humans can survive consuming (and enjoy it)? It would be great if there was, because who WOULDN'T want to be a 4th Millenia rum runner, making their fortune bringing exotic alien beverages home to the Confederation?
Also from Rlaan space comes a mild hallucinogen derived from the sap of a tree-like plant native to the Lmpl homeworld. This drug, commonly referred to as "Lmpl molasses" is not incredibly competitive due to higher prices vs. local substances, but has its own niche following, especially due to the possibilities for use as an additive to other concoctions due to its very mild nature. Legal throughout the space of several of the confed factions.
Given that the Aera come from a much more similar environment, one might expect their array of recreationals to be more usable, but one would be somewhat disappointed. The Aera despise the consumption of alcohol, seeing it as an intentional poisoning of the body without compensating merit. However, they do value the use of various stimulants, growth hormones, muscle building accelerants, all of which tend to be laced with mild euphoria inducing chemicals derived from a plant native to the Bzbr world. While the toxic effects to humans are much more pronounced than the toxic effects of these substances on the Aera, limited dosing of the laced stimulants is not fatal, is remarkably non-addictive, and keeps the user awake and productive for days at a time per dose. However, prolonged continuous use, aside from the damage caused by lack of sleep, causes toxic buildup, and eventual death. While very popular, especially among med students, before the war, trading with the enemy is highly illegal, and thus these goods can only be purchased legally via Uln middlesophonts at great markup.
There is also a demand, similar to that for fugu, for Aeran fish-analogs. While several species of Aeran fish-analogs are edible, the vast majority are at least slightly toxic to humans. However, just as with fugu, there are those who find the subtle tingling hint of neurotoxins a fabulous addition to their food. Likewise, these interesting species of Aeran fish-analogs can only be obtained legally via the Uln.
A:Immediately prior to the FTL age, Sol was the most heavily populated human system. Earth's immense population was sustained only through agressive exploitation of the latest advances in nano-technology. While undeveloped land existed only in nature preserves, and even Antarctica and the continental shelves had been settled by expansionist groups, pollution had been minimized, and what little remained of the natural environment was in superb condition. The terraforming of Mars had been accelerated to near completion by genetically engineered flora and offshoots of that same nano-technology. Man had outposts on Luna, Europa, Titan, and several other moons. The asteroid belt was alive with mining activity.Q:Is Earth a nice place to live? What about the other places in our good ol' Solar System?
Thus it was that, with humanity's entry into the FTL era, Sol was among the worst hit of any of humanity's systems by the nano-plague that followed on the heels of that entry. The exact method by which the nano-plague spread remains a topic of research. Every species that discovered the Ancients' jump network encountered the same aftereffect. However, the model of FTL ships as carriers is too simplistic, as it doesn't explain the rapid movement of the plague to locations never visited by the early FTL craft, nor, indeed, by any craft prior to the coming of the nano-plague to that location. Likewise, that the plague does not seem to have arbitrarily spread through the jump network further complicates the behavior of the nano-plague; the chain reaction following the Rlaan discovery of the Ancients' jump network, for instance, did not extend beyond the Rlaan area of space and does not appear to have at all been a factor in the Human or Aera plagues. What is certain is that, in all cases, nanite colonies appeared, scattered throughout each affected system from the comet clouds to asteroid belts and on the surfaces and throughout the crust of every planet in every affected system. From these colonies spewed nanite devouring nanites operating on principles that remain outside the understanding of all of the modern species even in the present; the devourers operated without evidence of internal or external power generation or transmission, they gave evidence of FTL communication at the primitive level, and sensory ability completely counter to their size and construction. The dominant theory holds that these nanites are remnants from the war (or otherwise cataclysmic event) that ended the Ancients' occupation of this portion of the galaxy. The voraciousness that these nanites go after other nanites with, while leaving nano-constructed materials alone, and completely ignoring the similarly scaled parts that make up macro-scale objects such as humans and other lifeforms, has lead to the belief that the Ancients' greatly feared the possibility of one or more of the following: a biologically oriented nano-plague, replication-destruction devices ("Von Neumann Bombs"), or even a self-constructing invasion force. Whatever their original purpose, their active presence remains an inescapable fact of modern life, and their disruption of the previous lifestyle of each FTL discovering species a tragedy in every history. No cure is known for the nano-plague, and though no particular triggering caused it to ripple out throughout the entire jump network, there is no new place that any of the existing races go that is not almost immediately infected, and the exploration of space means that every known system already is infected.
At the beginnings of the plague, as nanite reliant technologies crumbled, billions died on earth alone. Chaos and disorder gripped the planet for years. It was at this time that the Purist faction gained dominance in Sol, and the explanation of the catastrophe as the result of Man's hubris resounded well and drew followers to their extremist sub-factions, who would merge to become the "Interstellar Church of True Form's Return". With the constriction of resources, the expansionist factions, outstretched to their limits before the plague, crashed into oblivion. The population of Earth plummeted, and has never returned to the heights it reached before FTL.
However, Earth is a rather nicer place for the change. Even with a mere eight-billion inhabitants, population densities are much higher than is considered pleasant on the majority of the colony worlds.
While the nano-plague deeply hurt the Martian terraforming efforts, the efforts were far enough along that modified flora and Purist oversight of colonization have, over the intervening centuries, made Mars a pleasant and popular destination for visitors to the Solar system. Nanite based terraforming efforts of the Venutian atmosphere were still in their infant stages, and Venus remains utterly uninhabitable to the present.
The stoppage of supplies from Earth wiped out all of the minor outposts except Europa, which managed to sustain a minimal human presence until regular resupply resumed 24 years later.
Mining in the belt resumed, but many of the moon colonies were not repopulated for some time due to Purist reluctance against adapting to environments so alien and hostile to human life when such adaptation is not deemed necessary. Notably, the absence of a human colony on Titan means that it once again has residents in the form of the Rlaan embassy, but while humanity operates throughout Sol, the population is centered on Earth and Mars.
With Purist reverance for the Human homeworld, the Solar system is one of the safest places in Purist space for (those believed to be) law abiding citizens, with the Purist Earth Guard on permanent assignment, the headquarters of the Homeland Security Forces on Luna, and the Confederation 13th fleet parked in orbit above the Confederation Central Complex on Mars. Earth itself is still a sufficiently common destination, vast and diverse enough to have its pockets of less than reputable types, but the Purist reverance for the cradle of humanity extends to quickly extinguishing any significant disruptions planetside.
(edit log:
1. in reading this, realized that I had incorrectly listed the Saahasayaay as oxygen, rather than chlorine based.
2. remembered I should leave an edit log
3. noticed typo in edit log
)