8.23 Terran Explorations: Alpha Virginis II

The star Alpha Virginis was known to early Terran astronomers as Spica. It is home to the first intelligent avian species ever encountered by the Federation. They are known as the Canaris and somewhat resemble the ancient Terran archaeopteryx, only one-and-a-half times as large. They are a benevolent species whose aggressive instincts have been bred out and methodically de-emphasized over thousands of generations. Violence is almost unknown on their world save for the ritual hunts retained as a rite of passage into adulthood. The Canaris have kept this practice so that their young will understand from whence they came and why their species has rejected such a way of life. The Canaris culture is in stark contrast to those of other intelligent avian lifeforms such as the Skorr, where predatory instincts and skills are not only maintained but also valued above almost all else. The Aurelians are the only avian lifeforms whose native culture even approaches that of the Skorr, but even with them the ways of their predatory nature are still an essential part of their daily lives.

The main export of Alpha Virginis II is its so-called “Spican flame gem.” This is a ruby-like crystal with such a high refractive capability that it is naturally faceted, appearing to glow and twinkle when exposed to even the smallest of light sources. Unfortunately, this natural faceting is too dense and irregular for industrial applications, but that did not stop its use in the jewelry and home décor markets. Such was their use on their native planet, where the Canaris wore them as decoration or used them to fashion beautiful “crystal lamps” for use at night. They were once prized for their rarity, being found only on Alpha Virginis II, but in 2235 a joint Terran-Tellarite business conglomerate found a way to produce Spican flame gems by artificial means. These artificial crystals are not as “fiery” as true Spican flame gems; nevertheless, they have so inundated the market over the past six decades as to decrease the value of the real ones to that of common gemstones. Most independent interstellar traders nowadays usually carry a number of artificial flame gems as part of their “seed stock” in peddling their wares. Real Spican flame gems, on the other hand, are usually found only in name brand costume jewelry and other such mainstream marketing venues.

System star: Alpha Virginis (Spica)

• Distance from system star: 130 million km
• Period of revolution (Terran measure): 16.61 hours
• Period of orbit (Terran measure): 288.93 days
• Mass: 5.8 x 10²⁴ kg
• Diameter: 6331.7 km
• Axial inclination: 19.8°
• Average surface temperature: 16.6° C
• Satellites: none
• Planetary classification: M
• Level of technology: none
• Indigenous culture(s): avian (aves pteryx canaris)
• Additional culture(s): none