Shyam’s three main speed settings. (Her fourth speed setting is electric motorbike.)
Tailed spacers are bi-quad GMH, meaning their bauplan was designed to let them to walk on two legs or all fours, though quad mode is much faster because of their long flexible lumbar spine and short legs. Although they were engineered to maintain muscle and bone density appropriate for 1g while living in microgravity, their shape is still pretty terribly optimized for living long periods under gravity. Bipedal movement puts strain on their lumbar spine and feet, which can’t deal with constant downward pressure like a typ human’s; and quadrupedal movement puts strain on their wrists and shoulders, which aren’t that different from a typ human’s.
Shyam prefers to walk bipedally to keep her hands free, so she has to wear a flexible back brace while she’s working in her heavy equipment workshop to prevent stain injuries. She’s developed some chronic pain problems from living on-planet for most of her adult life.
10/27/21