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Pilot (species)

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This article is about the Pilot species in the TV show Farscape. For other uses of the term see Pilot.

Moya's first Pilot described the Pilot-Leviathan covenant as "Two minds, two bodies, intertwined as one". This is correct for the covenant between the two, but Pilots can also be individual creatures as well.[1]

The average Pilot lives for one thousand cycles, although when they are bonded to a Leviathan they share the Leviathan's life cycle which averages at three hundred cycles.[2][3][4]

Moya's Pilot[]

From his chamber deep within the bowels of Moya, Pilot plays a regular part in the day-to-day running of the ship. Though not as much attention is paid to him in comparison with the rest of the crew, Pilot carries out his job behind the scenes ensuring day-to-day operational stability for the ship and its inhabitants. He also looks after Moya who, in turn, looks after him.

Taxonomy[]

Pilots appear to be bred for practicality, most likely a result of the Peacekeeper enslavement of their species. The face is large, with a human (or Sebacean) hand being about the same size of a cheek. The head appears very large, most likely to host a brain capable of intense cognitive function enabling the processing of its own thoughts as an independent, sentient creature in parallel with its host Leviathan. The four "arms" operate controls on the console the Pilot is situated at in the Leviathan, but also carry remarkable strength. Below the console, where the Pilot is situated when bonded with a Leviathan, is the second half of the Pilot's body.[1] This area have 4 thin several jointed limps, and nerve tendrils that also interact with the host Leviathan. All of this is natural to the Pilot, as was discovered on the occasion when Moya's crewmembers exchanged bodies (Pilot included[5]).

Pilots have the ability to regenerate themselves from injury quickly, perhaps due to their bonding with their host Leviathan. Moya's Pilot has had his arm sliced off once,[6] and the Pilot aboard Rovhu[7] has had his arms eaten off numerous times, yet they grow back seemingly very quickly. Because of the fact that Pilots cannot travel from their home planet without being bonded to a Leviathan, and those who do tend to be in Peacekeeper servitude, their parts can be high in demand by researchers. To wit, one of Moya's Pilot's arms was removed when the crew attempted to use it to bargain with the scientist NamTar.[6]

When in transit by Peacekeepers a metallic ring is used to float Pilots in the air for maneuvering. This poses the question as to the exact nature of the Pilots' home world[1] – it appears to be mountainous in some places, but generally covered with fog and cloud, obscuring the surface. In the comic it is revealed pilots have long tails, that they lose when bonded with Leviathans.

The Pilots' mother tongue is an ancient one, the same as presumably spoken by their ancestors.[1] This language is too complex for translator microbes to interpret, as it can convey huge amounts of meaning, inflection and emotion in a single sentence. As such, Pilots can have difficulty speaking in more linear terms comprehensible by other lifeforms. However, they can use this language to communicate with DRDs, voice-commanding them when necessary.[1] However, even with their great ancestry, Pilots are deemed unworthy of conversing with the deities of Leviathans, the Builders.[3] Also, Pilots are able to understand a wide variety of languages that translator microbes cannot, since they can intuit a wide variety of sensations, concepts and ideas (as is witnessed by Pilot's understanding of the language spoken by Vorcs[8]).

A Pilot can communicate throughout its host Leviathan, often using personal transmitters (comms) to communicate to each of the crew personally or an onboard clam-shaped transceiver, which not only transmits sound but also shows a 3D holographic image of the Pilot.

Relationships with Leviathans[]

Pilots and Leviathans seem to have co-existed symbiotically from the beginning – for some reason Pilots do not seem to be able (or willing) to travel from their home planet without being bonded to a Leviathan. As such, there is the matter of how Pilots get to the Leviathan. One theory is an intermediary party, such as the Peacekeepers or Relgarians (with whom Pilots and Leviathans both hold a deep respect for).

When Pilots are bonded they know that they will probably never be free from the Leviathan. Being a benign species, this does not seem to bother Pilots much. They also know that their circulatory systems, nutrition, and health will be maintained by the host Leviathan, so good health is assured along with the Leviathan. Pilots regularly bond willingly with Leviathans, in order to see the stars and have a greater sense of freedom. However, Pilots can be removed and replaced by another – although if the Pilot and Leviathan are not joined within roughly one arn both wounds will scab over and the two can never be rejoined, leading to the death of the unjoined Pilot.

Pilots are able to communicate with their Leviathan, both through the console and via thought. For instance, certain commands with Leviathans can be executed by focusing on a particular thought, such as a color.[5] It is thought that they also share the same emotions and feelings as their Leviathan, although they can disagree. Pilots can tell when the Leviathan is happy, sad, scared et cetera. The last two are common emotions with Leviathans, having been enslaved by the Peacekeepers. Pilots are not limited to sensing feelings however, they can also intuit what the Leviathan is planning to do and (more or less) converse with it. Good examples of these are how Pilot always knows when Moya is going to Starburst, or at the beginning of the Episode 1.17 ("Through the Looking Glass") where Pilot relays Moya's worries to the crew.

Because of this, Pilots seem to use a very complex way of thinking.[6] It is indicated that they have to link thoughts together, rather than irrationally having different thoughts. Everything must flow. This may be a side-effect of having to do some of the thinking for another being (the Leviathan) or just sharing their thoughts. As mentioned above, this is also because of some of the Leviathan's operations being thought-provoked, and the Pilot must manage all these tasks in its mind for them to be affected.[5] Pilots also do not seem to be affected by the Nebari "mind cleansing", and nullify the effect.[9] This may be because of the mind sharing which takes place between Pilots and Leviathans, along with the complex methods of thinking Pilots possess.

Enslavement and Servitude[]

Like Leviathans, Pilots have been enslaved by the Peacekeepers to monitor systems whilst the Leviathan does the flying, under control of the Peacekeeper control collar.[10][1] In such cases Pilots merely act as janitors of the ship, keeping the DRDs under control and ensuring everything is in working order.[11]

On their home world, the elders of their society judge which Pilots are destined to bond with Leviathans. It is possible the Pilot elders may have a pact with the Peacekeepers to train Pilots into Peacekeeper servitude, or with the Relgarians for transplant to a suitable Leviathan.[1]

Notable Members[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "The Way We Weren't"
  2. ↑ "Look at the Princess - A Kiss is but a Kiss"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Look at the Princess - I Do, I Think"
  4. ↑ "Look at the Princess - The Maltese Crichton"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Out of Their Minds"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "DNA Mad Scientist"
  7. ↑ "Eat Me"
  8. ↑ "Beware of Dog"
  9. ↑ "A Clockwork Nebari"
  10. ↑ "Premiere"
  11. ↑ "I, E.T."
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