Chmmr

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The Chmmr (pronounced ch'mer with 'ch' as in "chance") are a fictional race of beings featured in the sci-fi Star Control computer game series.

Chmmr
The Chmmr appeared as a combination of crystalline and mechanical beings in Star Control II.
Ship	Avatar
Homeworld	Procyon II
Contacts	Humans
Quote(s)	"THE PROCESS IS INCOMPLETE YET WE HAVE EMERGED." "WE WERE NOT READY. BUT IT IS NOW IN THE PAST."

The Chmmr are a fusion species between the crystalline Chenjesu and the mechanical Mmrnmhrm; therefore, it is likely that the name is meant to be a sound-alike allusion to Chimera. The species was formed at the end of the Process, the term the Chmmr use to describe what was happening to them inside of the Procyon II slave shield in Star Control II, and which would have normally taken several decades to complete, but the player finishes by use of the Sun Device. They are needed to complete the game and destroy the Sa-Matra. Upon allying with the Chmmr, the player gets the Utwig bomb attached to his ship and unlimited mineral resources for the remainder of the game if he has already acquired the bomb and a Dnyarri 'talking pet'.

1 The Process and its results
2 Chmmr Avatar
3 Chmmr in Star Control 3

[edit] The Process and its results

[edit] The Sa-Matra Aftermath

The Alliance of Free Stars has waged a valiant battle against the Ur-Quan Hierarchy of Battle Thralls. Historical accounts from several sources point that both on the Coreward Front and in the Procyon Front, the alliance was holding the line. Then the Ur-quan unleashed their ultimate weapon, the Precursor battle platform known as Sa-Matra. According to the Chenjesu themselves, the battle platform "bore weapons and defensive capabilities that made it invulnerable to all our technology. It incinerated our finest broodhomes from beyond our weapons maximum range". After the Sa-Matra's introduction decided the Procyon Front, the Mmrnmhrm, who had no homeworld, joined the Chenjesu on the latter's homeworld, Procyon II. Like the humans and the Syreen, the Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm chose to be slave-shielded forever rather than become battle thralls for the Ur-Quan. Once slave-shielded, the two races began scheming a return plot. Seeing how each race's individual power was not enough to defeat the Ur-Quan and their dreaded Sa-Matra, they came up with the idea of a hybrid race that would share both the races' finest traits.

[edit] The Process and the Sun Device

Combining the crystalline Chenjesu bodies with the robotic Mmrnmhrm was easier said than done. It is likely that beyond the natural physical differences they had to bridge, the fusion of a combined Chenjesu-Mmrnmhrm consciousness was an almost impossible feat. Using only the scattered sunlight of Procyon, a meager orange dwarf, as a source of power, the Chenjesu estimated the process would take many decades to complete. In one transmission from beyond the slave shield they say "When the process is complete, I will tell your grandchildren of our meeting here today" which indicates they expected at least two generations to pass before they finish the hybridization. When the player offered that if he could come up with an alternate source of radiant energy to speed up the process, the Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm cringed and allowed that while it was theoretically possible, speeding the process up could have catastrophic results.

Nevertheless, pressed into taking extreme and desperate steps due to the impending doom of all sentient life in the galaxy, the protagonists, using Syreen help to lure the Mycon guard fleet away, raided a Mycon planet and obtained a Precursor artifact known as the Sun Device. When activated, this device created an enormous flash of light, significantly brighter than our own sun, flooding the solar energy collectors down on the planet. In the words of the Chmmr themselves, "YOU HAVE FLOODED OUR SYNTHESIS MECHANISMS WITH A WEALTH OF RADIANT ENERGY. WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE DECADES HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN SECONDS." When the bright flash from the Sun Device has abated, the Chmmr have already broken through the slave shield.

[edit] The Aftermath of the Process

It is clear that whatever resulting hybrid race the Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm envisioned, the Chmmr were not it. They were very clear on the subject when they declared "THE PROCESS IS INCOMPLETE YET WE HAVE EMERGED". Where the Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm showed patience, care and wisdom, the Chmmr seem reckless and aggressive.^{[citation needed]}

What is going on inside the Chmmr minds is quite unclear. Their plans, their behavior, even their personalities are unpredictable. While it is agreed that they have assumed the Chenjesu's old position as the unofficial leaders of the alliance, it is doubtful that they share the same benevolent wisdom of their predecessors.

[edit] Chmmr Avatar

The Chmmr Avatar is one of the three highest-ranked ships in Star Control II, alongside the Ur-Quan Dreadnought and the Kohr-Ah Marauder. Its speed and turning, while limited by its large size, are nonetheless high compared to its peers; its power generation is likewise high for its rank. The Avatar's primary weapon is a powerful terawatt laser that can deal damage extremely quickly, and this, in combination with its trio of orbiting point defense "zap satellites" allow it to eliminate most opponents quickly at short to medium range. The "zapsats" also attack any target vessels within ranges of their individual lasers, as well as provide limited defense against smaller projectiles. Although these zapsats are probably the Avatar's greatest strength, they can also be its greatest weakness; they are destroyed if they take enough damage, and without them the Avatar is comparatively defenseless. Some weapons, such as the Kohr-Ah's ring of fire or the Shofixti Glory Device, can destroy them instantly in one hit.

The secondary weapon of the Avatar is a powerful, long-range tractor beam generator. Since the Avatar is unable to catch faster vessels such as the Spathi Eluder, the Avatar compensates for this by using a tractor beam to draw them within range of the Avatar's massive laser. This beam has unlimited range and does not require targeting, but the gravity field it projects can be manipulated by the opponent, reducing its effectiveness. The tractor beam furthermore has no effect on the gravity-ignoring Arilou Skiff and the Slylandro Probe. The tractor beam consumes enormous amounts of energy, but the Avatar's fast recharge rate allows the laser and tractor systems to return online within seconds of battery depletion.

[edit] Chmmr in Star Control 3

The appearance of the Chmmr was changed slightly in Star Control 3. Basically, they still are a mixture of mechanical and crystalline objects, but the bond appears to be less complete, and they float. The interior of the structure shines moving lights through the crystals, and the colors of the lights depend on the mood of the Chmmr. The movement of the parts of the Chmmr also depends on its mood. In SC3 the Chmmr are separated or bifurcated into Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm, but the player again joins the two races using another sun device.