Far out on the edge of explored space live the Glooms, a cheerful species with oversized expressive heads and constantly shifting emotions. Their faces shift between joy, confusion, and sudden seriousness, shaping communication more than words. They inhabit drifting low gravity stations built in spirals and loops, where corridors curve back on themselves and perspective is always changing. Communication is partly language, partly expression. A glance can cancel a statement, while a grin may cause diplomatic consequences. Outsiders struggle, but the Glooms call it emotional physics. Despite their playfulness, they are highly perceptive, reading emotional shifts across vast distances and navigating complex relations with ease. First contact records describe Face Alignment, where they mirror emotions with unsettling precision. Their origin is unknown. The Glooms claim they appeared when reality laughed. Science disagrees.
