Okay. You wanted me to reach out if I need help with spec bio. And im currently heavily pondering the biology of the different species inhabiting different planets within the Mechanisms and if they’d need different atmospheres. This basically just focuses on the atmospheres tho. Dunno if this counts in your domain but im asking anyways.Unsure if you need knowledge from the mechs for this since they don’t rlly address it.
Basically, the members of the mechanisms all come from different planets in different star systems and participate in major events from other planets that are also in their own star systems. So the assumption would be that they all have the same atmospheres. Or, maybe not? Because the mechs’ well, mechanisms keep them alive (or just regenerates them when they die), is there a way that could counteract the effects of an unfamiliar atmosphere? Or would it be too much of a constant danger to give time for their mechanisms to heal them? Plus, how would people from different planets all gather on the same starship if they needed different atmospheres. They all physically interact, it isn’t like they have the Aurora built like the Hail Mary post Rocky becoming Grace’s roommate.
On another note, there’s also some of interplanetary travel for characters that aren’t mechanized, like the travel between the different planets of the Yggdrasil system. So,, would that all mean that they all just for some reason have the same atmosphere, or would atmospheric differences still be possible?
YES, IT IS MY TIME. I genuinely worked on this from the moment I got the notif. This took me an entire hour. Behold my autism.
I do actually have answers for this. It does bend science a little but so does immortality so 🤷♂️ I will be using humans as an example
Atmospheric differences are possible! Several different categories too! I will obviously not be covering "they can all survive each others atmospheres 0 issues" because that is boring and you don't need answers for that one. Anyway, have an in depth explanation of the routes you could take and what issues it may cause.
First of all: pressure. There are entire towns and various other smaller groups of people who live up Mount Everest. Some of the places are mostly for Sherpa's who guide people up, but they spend a LOT of time there. A lot of people who climb Mount Everest end up needing oxygen because there's not enough pressure for them. The Sherpa's however? Fine, they can breathe normally. And it's not that the other people CANT breathe, they just struggle. Might pass out a little though.
As long as the pressure differences aren't too extreme (Eg. Bringing a blobfish from the bottom of the ocean to the surface differences), in the scenario they breathe the same atmospheric gas, they should be fine, if not a little lightheaded or nauseous at times.
Second: Gas in said atmosphere. Assuming they don't all breathe oxygen by default, there are a few routes you could go with this. This takes into account temperature and general range of toxicity.
Mild differences. This is the most versatile option in my opinion for your angst, fluff, and any other purposes.
Let's say since they're all squishy humanoids they all hover within a 40° temperature range (half of the -40 to +40 celcius range I've experienced from living in Canada, I'm going easy on them), and their seperate atmospheres are all non-lethal to eachother. If they found whoever had the most middle point of their atmospheres in toxicity and temperature, they could all survive in the same atmosphere pretty fine.
Gas. insides are the squishiest in all animals, so they'd have cannulas or "oxygen" masks so they could breathe their own atmosphere and not harm the aforementioned squishy insides. They might be able to breathe for a minute or so depending on how extreme you want the differences, but that's up to you. IF you want to go the "aliens breathing through the skin" route (humans don't do this btw, it's a common misconception from a James Bond movie death, but it's interesting so it's being included) you'd need them to have a decent amount of their body covered in their atmosphere's gas too.
Temperature, Those from warmer atmospheres would feel cold, and might need heating pads or extra layers. Gloves, thick socks, and face warmers ESPECIALLY because cold = shit circulation. Those from warmer temps may also be cold blooded, which means they physically cant produce their own body heat, meaning they'd absolutely need heating something. Others from colder atmospheres would feel very warm, and probably need things similar to the vests you chuck in the freezer and it cools you down, or those full body hydro powered cooling suits astronauts wear under their space suits for space walks. Cold water constantly, maybe heat exhaustion. Snuggle buddies works both ways for hot and cold, and would probably balance the others temperature :)
Extreme differences: Okay, they'd need much more for this scenario so I made a list
They'd need GAS MASKS not just cannulas or oxygen masks
They'd also need what's essentially a space suit they can move around in easily so they have a self contained atmosphere
If you don't want the space suit route, they're going to need skin tight suits either way, and probably thick clothes over top just in case as an extra protective layer
These guys will be literally boiling or freezing unless they have environmental something for that
Basically everything you'd need to send a human out onto the surface of the moon
Secret third option: The regenerative abilities from they have make it so that they can technically, TECHNICALLY, survive each others atmospheres without the medical interventions. HOWEVER this may cause its own issues from constantly burning, suffocating, overheating, freezing, etc etc. You'd need to at least give them the treatments from the Mild Differences category if you want healthy Mechanisms for optimal singing.
You can mix and match these too, have some mechanisms who need full suits while most of them just need a mask to breathe properly. OH, also they would probably need to periodically return to their own atmospheres to stay healthy, or just chuck themselves into space every once and a while to get rid of the unsatisfactory side effects (idk if repeated exposure that doesn't kill them would cause chronic issues, I have yet to learn the lore)
The ship: I also thought of a solution to this!
Extreme differences, they'd probably have the main parts of the ship filled with whatever atmosphere the most people can breathe, and everyone else has suits. Sleeping quarters filled with everyone's individual atmospheres.
Mild differences, Main areas of the ship flooded with the median atmosphere (whatever they can all survive in with minimal issues, doesn't have to be any of their atmospheres technically), quarters flooded with their own atmospheres once again.
Third option, choose one of the previous
TL;DR, They could in theory, but if you want realism you gotta hit em with the chronic illness beam, mobility aids, and medical aids. Also some characters would probably still need full space suits if they aren't mechs.
Go, mutuals, go write angst and fluff around atmospheric conditions
TELL ME IF I MISSED THINGS, I LOVE ANSWERING QUESTIONS