Unioc
#DescriptionDescription
A one-eyed cyclopean race from the planet Oth [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-06-27%7C2013-06-27]]]. While they don't get their depth perception from stereoptic parallax, they are able to perceive depth through rapid shifts in focal length [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-04-29%7C2008-04-09]]], and with an eye the size of a volleyball they are able to see much, much better than a human can. Ebbirnoth claims to be able to read the stitching in nanoweave [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2010-07-03%7C2010-07-03]]], and is able to discern a hidden transmitter on a reporter's contact lenses [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-10-23%7C2009-10-23]]].
A Unioc's brain sits in his pelvic cradle, about fifteen centimeters below his heart, and just four centimeters above the lower end of his digestive tract [2002-03-07] This can be fortuitous for Uniocs in combat when their opponent isn't familiar with Unioc physiology. While it isn't nice to have your eyeball shot away, it beats having your brains blown out [2008-08-10]
Some of the finest Unioc poets are blind drug-addicts [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-08-21%7C2008-08-21]]].
Some Uniocs seem to have a form of hereditary title, of which the current holder is named "X" (the name of the title) and the heir is named "Jun-X". When the holder dies, the heir drops the "Jun-" from his (or her?) name [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-03-25%7C2002-03-25]]].
Unioc Mythology
The strip on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-02-16%7C2002-02-16]]] related some Unioc mythology, specifically about the eye-fairy and the vomit demon.
The eye-fairy is a blind hag who sneaks into the bedchambers of those who bear false witness, and plucks off their eye. Then she leaves them a nice, shiny coin. This story is used by Unioc parents to encourage honesty among their children. Naturally, their children delight in these tales of night-time violence and grow up to be honest, well-adjusted adults (who knowingly relate the fib to THEIR children, flying blind in the face of irony) ... another example of the fruits of solid parenting practices.
The vomit demon is a tale conjured up by the parents of fussy eaters, and without going into much detail about Unioc gastronomy, let?s just say that it works for Unioc children, but it most certainly would NOT work on us humans.
Notable Members
include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="characters, unioc" limit="10"
Notable Organizations
[Governments, clubs, or other organizations specific to this race]
Appearances
The first appearance of the Unioc race in the strip was on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-02-14%7C2001-02-14]]], with the appearance of Jun-Lin Tibernoth, Unioc reporter for HN3.
Author's Note
[This space is reserved exclusively for Howard!]
Speculation
Given that one plan to take down an entertainment channel in UNS space involved a Unioc member of the Toughs pretending to act on behalf of Union independence, it seems possible that the Unioc home-world might be under non-Unioc rule.
Uniocs may be long-lived, as Jun-Lin Tibernoth claims to have been a broadcast reporter for two centuries [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-02-16%7C2001-02-16]]] (I mean "long-lived" compared to humans - but have we seen anything in the strip on what average human lifespan currently is at that time?)