ILLUMINARNRPG: Luma'Lenai

[Charles Gatling]

I put something out to this effect every once in a while but now that we
have new players aboard it's time to belabor the point again.

Who or what is Luma of the Lenai?

Luma is a sentient entity who's life force was originally housed in
crystalline form. Some of Luma's kind were given motive ability by a Q and
were able to escape into space before their planet was engulfed by its red
giant star.

Luma is the brainchild of Melinda Gatling, formerly Melinda Martin around
2006 when she commanded the USS Mystique, my PC was Commander Saleke, her
first officer at the time and I played and gave voice to Luma.

Luma was left on the USS Mystique when I transferred my command to the USS
Hades and remained there until the Reboot of the game in 2019. At that time
the USS Mystique was discovered in space dock at Utopia Planitia, Mars.

Together the 2 scientists, Sekal and Sienna came up with a plan to remove
Luma and convey her to Mars. She was initially resistant having had the
ships engines sabotaged so that she couldn't leave. Her systems were
otherwise untouched by the Andorian purge as she removed all the "blue
skins" who came aboard to gut her equipment. Melinda picked up Luma as an
SPC and has been playing her since though as her original "voice" I tend to
interact with her at times as well. Anthony Keen the game CO gave the
Mystique to Luma as her own after repairing it and she has approval to take
it out as she wishes. It is kept docked and maintained by StarFleet at UP
for her.

Luma was originally found on a generation ship manned by the Illuminari, a
race of beings who bred telepaths in order to bond and converse with her as
she is telepathic. She can also use the ships speakers to converse with
anyone who wishes to interact with her. The Illuminari are believed to be
the forerunner of the Betazoids and according to Luma they had the same
physical characteristics. Their written and spoken language also aligns
with ancient Betazoid. The Illuminari found Luma drifting in space and
integrated her into their ship. She had to watch helplessly later as an
accidental release of radiation aboard condemned their complement to a slow
death.

Luma is not an AI, she is a living being existing in non-corporeal form.
When designing the ship prior to launch I replaced the fuzzy logic of the
Krane systems computers manufactured on Binar with a root structure
designed to more effectively make use of Luma's sentient insight and
experience. The origin of the name of the ship should now be clear. :)
Illuminar in Italian means "Bringer of Light" hence the ship motto
contained in my signature. Luma is bonded with the ships computer and
considers the ship her "skin". She can use many of the systems just like a
humanoid but cannot repair them.

Luma is a maguffin, a writing tool that can be used to alter or enhance the
narrative. The use of Luma is not preferred over PC interaction but should
there be a need she brings a number of strengths to an already strong ship.
Her original intent was to strengthen an Akira class escort in order to
place it on more even ground against much stronger ships. On a ship like
Illuminar she enhances its capabilities.

So if you'd like to get to know Luma better feel free to interact with her.
You will find her very childlike and inquisitive unless goaded to wrath by
one who wishes to harm her "small ones" or her skin. Her use of a
possessive in regards to the people aboard is due to her desire to protect
and not to own.

Cheers!

Charles Gatling
Commanding Officer
USS Illuminar
NCC 61240


"The light shines brightest amidst the deepest darkness."
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