Zolnier and Anya Reine's SF project: Exodus.

In 2208 a data cache is discovered at the bottom of the ocean, originating from what seems to be an alien culture. Using the technological secrets gleemed from it, mankind was able to settle the Solar System and make use of it's resources. That was until... something nasty came and muscled as out of Earth and the other colonized bodies.

By then we had managed to whip up FTL travel. Now we wander the universe, the homeless of life kind.

The story begins on the day of the 130th aniversery of the flight from the solar system.

Wonder why it was hidden in the first place?

Old civilization left it. Also the FTL takes the form of gates floating in space. Humanity has one advantage in that the cache told us how to program a gate to take as anywhere we know of, the other races have to use it like "Portal A goes to portal B".

edited 18th Aug '11 6:41:37 PM by Zolnier

They also eventually learn to close the portals. For the rest of the galaxy the portals were a permanent and ancient things. They used them, but could never figure out how to work them or replicate them.

Humanity caught a very lucky break. They found the secret to making them- even before they new about the other aliens and already exsistng portals.

They are the newest addition to the alien community, and have this major advantage. But their planet still got invaded and they were forced to flee. They aren't sharing the tech either. So every other race hates them.

edited 19th Aug '11 1:45:25 AM by AnyaReine

Also, humanity is allied with the symbiotes. A race of snake like organisms that fuse with a host nervous system. They are birthed (only one in five survive) by their queen, she does not merge but maintains a link to her offspring, experincing all that any merged pair experinces. She passes down these experinces to new symbiotes, who pass it on to their hosts. The advantages of merging include superhuman physicality, enhanced senses, perfect health, access to the symbiotes vast store of knowledge, enhanced intellect, and possible psionic powers, also extended life. On the downside you're sterile, need the symbiote to live, have a somewhat alien mindset, and are shairing your head with another being. The symbiotes for centuries had to make to with somewhat incompatible hosts, until they found the humans. Most Merged are paired with symbiotes at the age of nine.

Goaould?

Yeah there's a bit of that.

Brain-snakes and portalsinto space , where did you "borrow" that from?

Honestly I love SG-1 too, at least the early seasons. (Colonel Jack O'Niell for thew winn!!!)

Never seen Stargate, blame Anya. And the portals are a Mass Effect rip of thank you very much!

When a symbiote and human 'merge', do they retain individual personalities (capable of bickering with each other), or do they form one new one?

EDIT: And please tell me there's more than one queen.

edited 19th Aug '11 9:44:17 AM by TheEarthSheep

The former. And yes there's more than one queen. Humanity is allied with about three. Rather friendly creatures for giant screaming worm insects.

How many queens are there? If a queen dies, what happens next?

Thousands throughout the universe. If a queen is nearing the end of her lifespan or is sick she will birth around ten queens. Who then fight until all except one are dead, or all but one have fled.

That seems... Improbable.

Why?

The only time a queen can give birth is while it's dying? What nurses/raises it (EDIT: The child, that is)? And if only one survives, all the queens that die instantly will lower the population forever. The race would die off long before it could develop sentience.

edited 19th Aug '11 10:09:44 AM by TheEarthSheep

Any thoughts on altering it to make more sense? Also, any explanation for why the Merged can't have kid's?

I'd suggest finding out how ant/bee queens work, as they're the closest example IRL.

As for the merged, you could just say that there's a social stigma against reproducing with them.

Why the fuck not?! I mean, if you close the portals, doesn't the nasty Cosmic Horror have to work harder to get at you? And with friends its easier to fight said Cosmic Horror, I would think...

Looking for a bio reason. Also, The fleet split early on, one wanting to find a planet peacefully, one wanting to conquer one.