Finger Fighter

Description
A Finger Fighter is a small, sentient being that closely resembles the human hand. Fairly widespread across the universe, Finger Fighters have become a reasonably common sight in most colonized places.

Overview
Finger Fighters derived their name from the fact that they closely resemble the hand of a humanoid. (Although historically this name was seen to be derogatory by the species, Finger Fighters have now come to accept the term.) Even though they resemble a hand, biologically, Finger Fighters have their own unique physiology. Their torso boasts two large, humanoid eyes, two small nostril slits in the center, and a large, humanoid-sized mouth. Finger Fighters have four appendages that closely resemble human fingers; two long ones, of which they walk on like legs, and two smaller ones resembling thumbs on either side of their "torsos" which seem to act like arms. However, unlike other creatures that have fingers and toes, Finger Fighter appendages end like humanoid fingers do- in stubs. Therefore, work that requires a high degree of dexterity is far more difficult-if not impossible- for a Finger Fighter to accomplish sucsessfully. Despite this fact, Finger Fighters adapt incredibly well to their surroundings, and-due in part to their species high degree of pride- they rarely have trouble accomplishing most tasks with enough determination and ingenuity.

Eating Habits and Digestion
Although it may not seem very apparent at first glance, food plays a significant role in the culture of Finger Fighters. This is most likely due to their strong desire to fellowship with others of their kind, but it is primarily due to the unique construction of their digestive systems. The digestive system of a Finger Fighter is simple in operation, yet very effective in the job it accomplishes- providing energy to the body. The digestive system is made up of two main parts: the mouth, and the Waste Accumulation Sac, otherwise known as the WAS. Finger Fighter obtain energy by first eating a meal. Most Finger Fighter servings are humanoid in proportionality, and also in composition. The longest segment of the digestion process is actually partaking in the said meal. Depending on the type of food being eaten, eating a full meal as in Human tradition may take anywhere from four hours to entire weeks. (As we will see later, that normally requires Finger Fighters to eat small snacks all day in favor over large meals less frequently.) This is due to the fact that these creatures digest their food as it is being eaten. Mild yet effective digestive juices slowly break down the food as it is in the mouth being chewed, and the nutrition is absorbed directly into the bloodstream via trans-venal ducts on the roof of the mouth. A single bite of food-again,depending on the type of food- can take anywhere from a minute to ten minutes to chew before what's left (waste) can be finally swallowed and sent to the WAS. The particular purpose of the WAS has remained a mystery to biologists for many years, but it is known that the sac allows waste to slowly ferment until it is ready to be removed fro the body. Once the foodstuff reaches this state, it is expelled from the Finger Fighter. Culturally, Finger Fighters take no shame in excreting waste in public places, and continue participating in most tasks (except perhaps eating) during the short process.

Behavioral Characteristics
The personality traits and behavioral characteristics of Finger Fighters are different than those of other creatures. Normally, Finger Fighters interact with other creatures in a very blunt and, at times, naive fashion. This has led to the widespread understanding that Finger Fighters have the mindset of a small child. While this may be true, Finger Fighters don't see this fact as a positive aspect of their being, and usually deny this. With regards to sentient species that are larger than them, (as most sentient species are), Finger Fighters loathe patronization, and strongly prefer to be treated as equals. Upon being treated with disrespect by a larger creature, such as a Human, it is not uncommon for a Finger Fighter to become livid. This rarely leads to violence, but instances where it has are not unheard of. Because of their naievity, it may take time before a Finger Fighter realizes it's being patronized, manipulated, or even coerced into illegal activity(s). With regard to illegal activity, the childish behavior exibited in interacting with other creatures translates directly over to their slightly higher aptitude to be involved in mischievious activity. It is not hard to find a Finger Fighter that has been guilty of violating some minor regulation/law put in place by a higher authority at one point in their life. While each being is different, among the things that Finger Fighters occasionally engage in: loitering, littering, thievery and drug use are the most prevalent examples of mischief. Finger Fighters normally treat each other like siblings- at times interacting with respect, and at times interacting with outright rudeness.

Physical Abilities
Although small, Finger Fighters are comparatively strong, sinewy creatures. If excited or well-motivated, Finger Fighters can move very quickly from place to place. Biology experts attribute this condition to the fact that they may have been hunted by larger predators in their history. In a life and death struggle with another creature, Finger Fighters prefer to fight in groups, normally trying to attack areas like the face and throat. This has created a saying by many anti-Finger Fighter poachers:

"One Finger Fighter is a nuisance, two can be a pest, but if you run into a mob of those little @$%#!s, then you've got real problems..."

Finger Fighters are small creatures, so a hard whack upon a solid surface could kill one. Normally, something that is enough to kill a large rat is enough to kill a Finger Fighter.

Living Habits
Where and how a Finger Fighter lives its life depends completely upon its environment. In highly colonized worlds boasting large cities, Finger Fighters often have their own miniature cities directly below city streets, usually totally hidden from sight. As refugees or victims of discriminatory law, Finger Fighters can be seen living in cereal boxes and cardboard shipping crates in small slums on the sides of highways, or under bridges. On sparsely colonized planets, Finger Fighters may even occasionaly revert to tribal instincts and live in the wild. However, in most curcumstances, Finger Fighters live among other sentient species. Finger Fighters have a much lower regard for sanitation than most other sentient beings. In large Finger Fighter cities, it is not uncommon to see mounds of Finger Fighter excrement and assorted pieces of litter on roadways, in vehicles, and even in homes. Many promenent psycologists again attribute this to their simple, childish frame of mind.

Jobs in Society
Again, depending on local laws, the job a Finger Fighter may find himself partaking in to earn a living can vary greatly from planet to planet. However, it is the accepted norm that Finger Fighters most often have jobs that a normal sentient being would do. In order to accomplish the tasks in such a scaled up world, Finger Fighters sometimes rely on machinery to aid them. For instance, a job as a jaitor that would require one Human to complete, would also take one Finger Fighter to complete. For tasks like taking out trash cans to a dumpster, a Finger Fighter will employ the use of a forklift to transport the Human-sized garbage can. As we have seen before, this work attitude is commonly attributed to the fact that these creatures want to be seen as equals in society, much like a young boy wants to be called a "big boy" by adults.

Treatment in the Universe
The treatment of Finger Fighters in the universe is often a subject of fierce debate. Although scientifically proven to be sentient, some groups, governments, races, and nationalities refuse to accept them as such. The treatment of Finger Fighters by other species is totally dependent on local rules and customs. For example, it is a common policy-not to mention a courtesy- for larger species to watch where they step in known places of Finger Fighter inhabitation. (Large, yellow, diamond-shaped signs are often posted to advise motorists and pedestrians of a Finger Fighter Friendly Area...)  This is done to prevent accidentally stepping on someone. On some planets, stepping on one in a zone like this would bring with it a manslaughter charge; on other planets it would bring only a misdemeanor charge. And unfortunately, in some places, stepping on Finger Fighters is not punishable by law, and culturally accepted, being regarded as "trendy". On several planets, Finger Fighters are referred to as vermin, and are hunted and trapped as such. There are many other systems with a "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding Finger Fighter abuse, slavery, and even poaching for meat. There are many Finger Fighter Rights groups that have been formed to combat the discriminatory rules on many planets, but their success has been sadly limited. Fortunately, there are many planets that have laws and regulations protecting the rights of the Finger Fighter, often allowing them to run in public office, and vote. On a small handful of planets, Finger Fighters have more rights than most other species do, mostly due to strong affirmative action policies. Sadly, the Finger Fighter slave trade is healthy in several systems. Depending on the region, Finger Fighter slaves (often sold as pets) can fetch anywhere from ten to one hundred Credits. Again, the treatment of these creatures relies totally on local laws, and local culture.

The Finger Fighter Language
Much like other parts of Finger Fighter history, the story behind the origin of their language is clouded in uncertainty. Basically, the Finger Fighter language consists of English that has been simplified and sped up to a very quick, curt pace. The high pitch, and quick pace created by their vocal vocal cords makes it at times very difficult for humans to understand them. Most Finger Fighter experts believe that Finger Fighters adopted the use of the English language in order to fit in better in the universe.

History and Origin
The history of the Finger Fighter race is shrouded with mystery at best, and outright factual error at worst. Due to their own world viewpoint, Finger Fighters are uninterested in their own history, and prefer to live life in the present. Because of this, no real documented history records created by the race in regards to their own background are known to exist today. Most prominent historians, (both Finger Fighter and non) agree that dating the origin of the race is next to impossible. Some fossils have been uncovered on planets that point to very early Finger Fighter inhabitation, but the science that these findings are based upon is unconfirmed and highly theoretical. Apart from a very small handful of planets, no real early Finger Fighter evidence is seen in the fossil record. This fact points to the the theroy that many suggest today among circles of higher learning. Many suggest that it is probable that Finger Fighters once inhabited a planet that was visited by early human space explorers. Upon contact with the human race, it is probable that the Finger Fighters boarded the human vessels and, from there, spread across the universe, much like the rats of Earth's Age of Exploration boarded the large sailboats to be dispersed across the planet.

Finger Fighters as Food
In the long history of Humans and Finger Fighters, it was inevitable for humans to find out at some point that they tasted good. Unfortunately, this has created a flourishing black market in several systems that rakes in billions of credits each standard year. On planets where Finger Fighters are not protected by law, a strong culinary following has developed in favor of the tasty meat. On such planets, there are often large factories that are used to process the Finger Fighters. Finger Fighters are either hunted individually, or brought in by slave ships to the large processing plants to be slaughtered, gutted, cooked and packaged for convenient consumer purchasing. Like the strong lobby for the rights of these people, groups have been formed to combat the eating of Finger Fighters as well. On planets where the laws and customs support the fair treatment of Finger Fighters, these groups have a strong sphere of influence, but on planets where these entities are primarily anti-Fighter, these groups virtually do not exist. The law has responded to this threat on many planets by instituting DEA-type agents that investigate and prosecute suspected violators of the law.