Atavus (Earth: Final Conflict)
The Atavus are a vampiric race of beings that feature in the final season of Earth: Final Conflict.
Contents |
History
Early history
The history of the Atavus remains unclear though they were the precusors of the Taelon and Jaridians who developed from them after the Kimera interfered in their evolution. (Episode: The Joining) These events that were the genesis of the Taelon and Jaridian species occured around eight million years ago. At the time, there existed an Atavus known as Ramaz who was the head of an immortality cult that learnt how to manipulate as well as isolate core energy. Through this technique, he and his followers extended their lifespan by a factor of 200 whilst and became the proto-Taelon race. However, those Atavus that did not follow him suffered as their lifespan was reduced to two third at the expense of Ramaz's group. It would be these events that sparked a terrible ancient feud between the Taelons and the Jaridians. (Episode: Summit) At some unknown point, a group of Atavus travelled to the planet Earth where they left behind several technological devices such as the regeneration chambers. (Episode: The Point of No Return) This colony of Atavus were the masters of Earth and had conquered it millions of years ago. During that time, they altered the lifeforms in the ecosystem and even introduced a few of their own. They were present during the emergence of humanity in the distant past. However, their dominance came to an end when an asteroid shower engulfed the planet which forced the Atavus underground in order to preserve their race. This act also allowed humanity to develop unchallenged and they forgot about the tyrannical Atavus that once ruled the planet. (Episode: Unearthed)
A faction of the Atavus colonized the prehistoric planet Earth where they ruled for thousands of years and fed upon the life energy of early Humanity. A time travelling Renee Palmer attracted the attention of the Atavan leader Howlyn who began to breed more intelligent Human's in order to ensure Mankind's evolution as well as the birth of Palmer. (Episode: Legacy) However, an asteroid storm spelt the end of their civilization and they entered into a protective hibernative state in stasis chambers spread around the world. (Episode: Unearthed)
Despite this being the case, some lone Atavus survived over the centuries with one becoming the advisor to an Egyptian Pharoah. This Atavus retained a guard of Atavan hybrids who guarded his tomb when he entered into stasis. (Episode: Entombed)
Atavism
Over the course of millions of years, it was believed that the Atavus were extinct and instead their genetic descendants the Taelons and the Jaridians prospered. Despite this being the case, the Taelons still possessed the genetic legacy of the Atavus which was present in their very DNA. (Episode: Summit) Furthermore, their inheritance from the Kimera led to the creation of the shaqarava organ which the Taelons could not control and instead they crafted the Commonality to control their violent impulses. As such, any act of severance from the Commonality led to a devolution of a Taelon into a proto-Atavus specimen. (Episode: Atavus) In contrast, the Jaridians decided to retain the use of the shaqarava as well as their emotions. (Episode: Gauntlet)
On the planet Earth, the Taelons arrived in order to find a means of escaping their genetic extinction. (Episode: Limbo) During his search to find a means to save his people, the scientist Ma'el uncovered an Atavan regeneration chamber buried deep in South Asia. Learning of this, he put into place a plan to return his race to their Atavus roots in order to allow them to survive their energy depletion. Thus, he put into motion events that would occur in the next two million years. (Episode: Point of No Return) One of their noted members of the Taelons was Da'an who was once cut off from the Commonality by accident due to the actions of Auger. This led to him turning into a violent Atavus lifeform that stole the life energy from a number of human beings. It was only the action of Liam Kincaid was Da'an restored and returned to his position within the Commonality. (Episode: Atavus) This was not humanitys only encounter with the Atavus as an opponent of Da'an known as Bel'li intended to destroy his rival. As the Commonality and Taelon law prohibited their kind from killing each other, Bel'li thus used circumstances to sever his contact with the Commonality by aid of the human resistance. This allowed him to devolve into an Atavus and thus provide not only the means but the killer instincts to kill Da'an. He was only stopped by the actions of Major Kincaid though this came at the cost of Bel'li's life. (Episode: Defector)
As events proceeded, extinction seemed more apparent for the Taelon race. In an effort to end his own life yet provide a means of salvation for his kind, Da'an entered into secret negotiations with a Jaridian called Balvak who was the head of a peace movement within his peoples empire. Both intended to find a means of restoring their race and Da'an looked to the past and the creation of his people by the actions of Ramaz. Da'an and Balvak believed that the salvation of their races was a joining and returning to their Atavus roots. Thus, they met in secret in order to accomplish this act or die trying. Meeting aboard the Freedom space station, they merged their energy and became an Atavus lifeform. However, the strain and an attack by Taelon shock troopers led to Balvak's disintegrating and leaving only Da'an alive. Da'an was imparted with a portion of Balvak's lifeforce as the elderly Jaridian energy was lower than Da'an's. (Episode: Summit) The experiment proved to be a failure and highlighted the fact that humanity was a missing link between the Taelon's and the Jaridians. (Episode: Abduction)
During the final days of the Taelon and Jaridian races, Liam Kincaid along with J. Street managed to decipher Ma'el's Relic. Once decoded, the ancient regeneration chamber in Southern Asia activated and revealed Ma'els plan for the rescue of six Taelons along with six Jaridians which would be restored as Atavus. (Episode: The Point of No Return)
Restoration
Whilst seen as an attempt at saving both races, the plan ultimately failed and instead brought about the complete resurrection of the original vampiric Atavus race who sought to dominate the planet Earth. (Episode: Unearthed)
Background
The Atavus were a humanoid race noted for both its feral and aggressive nature. This meant that they regularly made screeches, hisses and animal-style screams in order to intimidate both their foes and prey. The visual perceptions of an Atavus were very vivid and their senses were highly sharp. They seemingly had the capacity to climb over the surface of walls without having to worry about falling. This allowed them to move about sideways as well as to drop from ceilings and better ambush prey. Atavus proved to be highly resilient against damage as they were able to survive numerous gunshots and still continue fighting without any degradation in their activities. This was attributed to their enhanced regenerative abilities allowing them to heal their wounds in a matter of moments. They also proved to be significantly stronger compared to humans and were able to overpower them. (Episode: Unearthed)
The species were described as a scourge; being sentient parasites that fed on the lifeforce of living intelligent beings. They did this through a unique aspect of their biology where they retracted energy claws from their hands. These extended claws were capable of piercing the skin of a living being and absorbing their lifeforce in the process. This left the prey dead and their energy used as nourishment for the Atavus. (Episode: Unearthed)
Earlier proto-Atavus seemingly possessed the shaqarava organ which they were capable of using to drain the life energy from living beings at a distance. (Episode: Atavus) Furthermore, they could redirect this energy into powerful blasts that had the potential of disintegrating enemies. (Episode: Summit)
Through the use of joining chambers, the Atavus were capable of creating Atavan-Human hybids. These hybrids appeared Human but possessed the qualities of the Atavus themselves such as the energy claws and enhanced strength.
- It should be noted that the season 5 Atavus differ greatly from those seen in the previous seasons. Out of Universe, this was because of the need to reduce costs for special effects but in-universe its possible that previously seen Atavus did not possess all the components that made up of the season 5 versions namely a fusion of both Taelon and Jaridians mixed with Atavan lifeforce.
Technology
The technology of the Atavus was different compared to that of the Taelon's and infact seemed somewhat closer to that of the Jaridians.
Atavan materials were seemingly constructed from a ceramic with magnetic properties that did not exist with the human periodic table. (Episode: Unearthed)
Their was noted similarity between the modules of an Atavus regeneration chamber to that of stasis technology employed by the Taelons. (Episode: The Point of No Return) They resembled large sarcophagus-like bio-stasis pods that were able to keep their occupants alive indefinately. (Episode: Unearthed) This use of stasis chambers allowed them to hold sleeping population around the world. Furthermore, they were capable of producing joining chambers where an Atavus and a Human entered two coffin shaped devices where genetic material of the Atavus is filtered into the Human thus creating an Atavan-Human hybrid. (Episode: Seduction)
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