Mrdini
Encyclopedia
The Mrdini are a fiction
al extraterrestrial
species
from the Rowan
/Talent series by Anne McCaffrey
. They first appear in the novel Damia
.
The Mrdini, or 'Dinis, are described as looking somewhat like bipedal weasel
s with one eye. They grow continuously throughout life, and size—along with the number of letters in their name—is an indicator of status in Mrdini culture. (For instance, a young 'Dini would have three letters in its name and be about the size of a child, whereas High Councillor Gktmglnt, co-president of the Human-Mrdini Alliance High Council, had more than twice the number of letters and was large enough to tower over most humans.) They originate from a planet called Clarf, a world with very bright sunlight and a warmer average climate
than Earth
. The Mrdini, at the time of first contact
with humans, had already colonized
several star systems
using slower-than-light
travel; when they finally met humans, they were given their own Prime Tower (in this series, some humans called Prime Talents, using generators in specialized facilities called Towers, have the ability to psychic
ally teleport
matter over interstellar distances).
The Mrdini culture has been shaped by generations of warfare with the rapacious colonizers called the Hivers. The only way they had to destroy the massive, heavily defended Hiver ships was to send in waves of kamikaze
ships, in hopes that one would get through. This has led to a somewhat fatalistic warrior ethos, with death in battle seen as a way to win honor for one's "color" (clan).
The 'Dinis have some difficulty in communicating
with humans, an effort not made any easier by the fact that the Mrdini language consists entirely of consonant
s; this problem is addressed by two methods in the series. The first is 'Dini Dreaming, a means of literally sharing images with others in their dreams
. The telepathic Talents among humanity are particularly sensitive to these dream-messages, but they are limited to conveying only simple messages. The other, long-term answer to mutual misunderstanding is to have a number of human and 'Dini children raised together
, to learn each others' ways and languages right from the start. The novel Damia's Children
describes a family, the Raven-Lyons, who were one of the first to implement this program.
The Mrdini biology and reproductive system
has significant differences from that of humans. They are seemingly gender
less, or at least consider gender pronouns
to be in bad taste. Once per year, they enter a mass hibernation
for two months. When they come out of this state, there are young 'Dinis among them. It is not until late in the final book of the series, The Tower and the Hive
, that human scientists (and the readers) are allowed inside a Hibernatorium to discover how Mrdini reproduction works. Essentially, pheromones released during hibernation cause them to exchange genetic material
and even memories, allowing their young to be born with some knowledge already in place. This unique quirk of their biology even allows individual Mrdini to be "recreated
" if they die; just find the original parents, isolate them together during hibernation, and the same combination of genes and memories takes place. The "re-made" Mrdini will lack the recent life experience of the original, but will have essentially the same personality.
The fact that Mrdini reproduce with every hibernation, however, has posed tremendous problems for them in the past. Their starships, for instance, could not support an expanding population
; so excess births had to go "on the line", a Mrdini euphemism for death
or possibly even cannibalism
. It was not until humans, with their system of teleportation
, appeared to them, that the Mrdini were able to give these unwanted children the chance to live.
Eventually, humans are able to work out a means of limiting Mrdini conception
through manipulating their pheromones, allowing them to control their population growth for the first time in Mrdini history.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from the Rowan
The Rowan
The Rowan is the first book in "The Tower and the Hive" series by Anne McCaffrey. It is set in the universe of the "Pegasus" trilogy, against a backdrop of a technologically advanced society in which telepathy, psychokinesis and other psychic Talents have become scientifically accepted and...
/Talent series by Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
. They first appear in the novel Damia
Damia (novel)
Damia is a 1991 science fiction novel by Anne McCaffrey; it is the sequel to The Rowan, and the second book of the Tower and Hive series.-Plot:...
.
The Mrdini, or 'Dinis, are described as looking somewhat like bipedal weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
s with one eye. They grow continuously throughout life, and size—along with the number of letters in their name—is an indicator of status in Mrdini culture. (For instance, a young 'Dini would have three letters in its name and be about the size of a child, whereas High Councillor Gktmglnt, co-president of the Human-Mrdini Alliance High Council, had more than twice the number of letters and was large enough to tower over most humans.) They originate from a planet called Clarf, a world with very bright sunlight and a warmer average climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
than Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The Mrdini, at the time of first contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
with humans, had already colonized
Colonisation
Colonization occurs whenever any one or more species populate an area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect", originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the...
several star systems
Planetary system
A planetary system consists of the various non-stellar objects orbiting a star such as planets, dwarf planets , asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and cosmic dust...
using slower-than-light
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
travel; when they finally met humans, they were given their own Prime Tower (in this series, some humans called Prime Talents, using generators in specialized facilities called Towers, have the ability to psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
ally teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
matter over interstellar distances).
The Mrdini culture has been shaped by generations of warfare with the rapacious colonizers called the Hivers. The only way they had to destroy the massive, heavily defended Hiver ships was to send in waves of kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
ships, in hopes that one would get through. This has led to a somewhat fatalistic warrior ethos, with death in battle seen as a way to win honor for one's "color" (clan).
The 'Dinis have some difficulty in communicating
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
with humans, an effort not made any easier by the fact that the Mrdini language consists entirely of consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s; this problem is addressed by two methods in the series. The first is 'Dini Dreaming, a means of literally sharing images with others in their dreams
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
. The telepathic Talents among humanity are particularly sensitive to these dream-messages, but they are limited to conveying only simple messages. The other, long-term answer to mutual misunderstanding is to have a number of human and 'Dini children raised together
Language immersion
Language immersion is a method of teaching a second language in which the target language is used as the means of instruction. Unlike more traditional language courses, where the target language is simply the subject material, language immersion uses the target language as a teaching tool,...
, to learn each others' ways and languages right from the start. The novel Damia's Children
Damia's Children
Damia's Children is a 1993 science fiction novel by Anne McCaffrey, forming part of the Talent series. Damia's Children forms a two-part story with the novel Lyon's Pride.-Plot:...
describes a family, the Raven-Lyons, who were one of the first to implement this program.
The Mrdini biology and reproductive system
Reproductive system
The reproductive system or genital system is a system of organs within an organism which work together for the purpose of reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are also important accessories to the reproductive system. Unlike most organ systems, the sexes...
has significant differences from that of humans. They are seemingly gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
less, or at least consider gender pronouns
Gender-specific pronoun
A language has 'gender-specific pronouns' when personal pronouns have different forms according to the gender of their referents.The English language has three gender-specific pronouns in the 3rd. person singular, whose declined forms are also gender-specific: he , she , and it...
to be in bad taste. Once per year, they enter a mass hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
for two months. When they come out of this state, there are young 'Dinis among them. It is not until late in the final book of the series, The Tower and the Hive
The Tower and the Hive
The Tower and the Hive is the conclusion to the series of novels by Anne McCaffrey which began with The Rowan.The war against the alien Hivers is finally concluded, as humans discover a solution that does not involve wiping out the species. A similar solution is found to the main social problem of...
, that human scientists (and the readers) are allowed inside a Hibernatorium to discover how Mrdini reproduction works. Essentially, pheromones released during hibernation cause them to exchange genetic material
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
and even memories, allowing their young to be born with some knowledge already in place. This unique quirk of their biology even allows individual Mrdini to be "recreated
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
" if they die; just find the original parents, isolate them together during hibernation, and the same combination of genes and memories takes place. The "re-made" Mrdini will lack the recent life experience of the original, but will have essentially the same personality.
The fact that Mrdini reproduce with every hibernation, however, has posed tremendous problems for them in the past. Their starships, for instance, could not support an expanding population
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
; so excess births had to go "on the line", a Mrdini euphemism for death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
or possibly even cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
. It was not until humans, with their system of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, appeared to them, that the Mrdini were able to give these unwanted children the chance to live.
Eventually, humans are able to work out a means of limiting Mrdini conception
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
through manipulating their pheromones, allowing them to control their population growth for the first time in Mrdini history.