Figment

Figment
Abilities	Changing their smell, taking control of electronics
Universe	Cytoverse

This page or section contains spoilers for Evershore!

This information has the ability to potentially ruin elements of the plot for the reader. Proceed with caution if you have not read this book.

“A figment, you say? This is some comfort, at least. ”

—Hesho

Figments are one of the member species of the Superiority. Within the empire, they have a special classification, apart from regular citizens.

Biology and culture

Figments are sapient, invisible clouds of particles, capable of moving around, talking and assuming various smells; essentially, living scents. While it seems that figments can choose which smell to assume, it also denotes their emotional state, similar to body language. As expected, scents figure heavily into their culture, with their language having idioms such as:

• Luck is for those who cannot smell their path forward
• You bear the scent of long rains (possibly meaning "you have a lot of experience" or "you're very skilled")
• No need to bear the scent of smoke (likely "no need to be forceful")

It's unknown just how broad their range is; so far, they've shown themselves capable of smelling like ammonia, cinnamon, wet metal, mint, lemons, flowers, rain, hot spices and rotting fruit. Cinnamon and ammonia seem to be default states, and rotting fruit denotes sorrow; the meanings of other smells are unknown.

Despite their nature as gasses, figments are capable of moving through the vacuum of space, and can assume control of technology and machinery, overriding regular command systems. They also seem have the capacity to be cytonics. They're very long-lived, with some figments who fought in the Second Human War still around a century after the third. Fittingly, they reproduce very slowly. While it's unknown whether they have biological sexes, they usually prefer to be referred to as male or female.

History

“Sources on the local datanet insist that all remaining figments work as secret government operatives. ”

—M-Bot

Centuries ago, figments possessed technology comparable to that of humanity. Perhaps due to this, the two allied during the First Human War. Figments also participated in the Second Human War, though it's unclear on which side, as at some point, the two species became at odds. Throughout the wars, many figments died, and their numbers remain low to this day. Following the third war, they joined the Superiority and were forbidden to use most of their advanced technology. Much of that technology appears to have been completely forgotten, as the Superiority seems to have been unfamiliar with the advanced holograms figment technology could generate until they disassembled M-Bot.

In the present, figments work for the Superiority, and it's commonly believed among the empire's citizens that all of them are secret government agents. Whether or not that's true, they're often involved in investigations of high-level internal Superiority politics. They maintain, however, that their work doesn't include assassination. Even after escaping from the Superiority, Cuna notes that they have allies among the figments, though they have no means of contacting them.

Known figments

• Vapor
• Zezin

Notes

This page is probably complete!

This page contains most of the knowledge we have on the subject at this time.
It has yet to be reviewed.