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The Nature of Predators - Sovlin’s Transcript (9/13)
🕑 Added 2024-11-06 12:00:09 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Sovlin, Gojid Retiree
Date [standardized human time]: May 10, 2151
It couldn’t have been so easy as to have everyone I tried to track down be on Earth; it was miraculous that my streak had held up this far. Talpin lived on Khoa, the Mazic homeworld, making himself part of a sizable Gojid ethnic majority. Many of my people never returned to the cradle and Gojid territory, which was why we hadn’t bounced back in the roaring way humanity had. There was no fixing or restoring what my actions had caused my species to lose. It was a miracle that Rumi hadn’t held it against me, and even spoke up in my defense. I’d made “good points” that turned my comrades away from the gentle predators.
“You don’t have to be here for this,” I informed Sam immediately, once she picked up my call.
The Terran gave me a derisive snort. “Talpin didn’t fucking want to talk to you until I asked him to. I sort of do; I liked him, for the two seconds of basic interaction that made such a huge difference to you lot. Also…I haven’t used sign language since my brother died. It…”
Her distant expression snapped me out of my self-pity spiral. “Sam. Let me repeat myself. You don’t have to do this. I, of all people, know how hard it is when everything reminds you of the ones you lost.”
“Okay, no, we’re not fucking going there. I’m not going to ostracize all deaf people forever for fear of keeping a tissue box nearby; that sounds batshit insane. Besides, they’ve got enough people who don’t include or accept them, and I don’t need to be part of that.”
[Transcript date changed to October 13, 2129]
Four years under my command, and I knew Recel’s story like the back of my paw; I’d absorbed every detail I could about his family and his life on Aafa, in case he forgot anything. Every child deserved to know where they came from—to remember their home. He had a sister back in the Haf system who intended to be a biologist, and sent messages through the relay points expressing how proud she was of him. Aucel was her name. However, I got the impression that there was something more complicated about his history of siblings.
“There’s more to your family, isn’t there?” I prompted, having discerned enough context clues to take a guess. “Parents often don’t talk about it when they lose a child. That’s what happened, isn’t it?”
The violet-skinned Kolshian hesitated, bulbous eyes glowing with uncertainty. He was getting so big. “Everything I’ve done is to protect my family. What I don’t say, I’m doing it to protect them too. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Sovlin, it’s that you’d…judge them. Judge us.”
“I’m obstinate and stuck in my opinions, but I wouldn’t judge you for someone else’s mistake. I want to help you. The beginnings of a fine young man walked onto my bridge four years ago, and I’d be honored if I could play a part in shaping your heart and soul. I want to see you bloom like the flowers in the City of the Flora; my concern is always for you, first and foremost. You may as well be my own nephew.”
“I look to you like a father, sir; your paternal instincts are one of a kind. You’re wise, you listen, you rally and inspire people. No better captain or role model—I want to be just like you. But what my parents did to Jolvanis will anger the part of you that loves children.”
My heart sank, and I locked my lower jaw. “What did they do to Jolvanis?”
“He was the third child in our family. I was super young, so I don’t really remember…but I overheard enough of the grown-ups talking, and I was always sharp. They said that he was born deaf-blind. The doctors advised them that he’d have no quality of life, no way of observing the world, and…it was implied that we should get rid of him, for the sake of the herd. Mom and Dad talked about it, and I think Aucy and I were there…”
“Hold the fuck up. A medical professional advised them to kill their own child?! We aren’t predators! We don’t abandon the weak in such…empathyless behavior!”
“My parents did, sir. They didn’t want a child like that, which would only ever be a burden to them. When I heard them talking amongst each other, they said they’d never have any real relationship with Jolvanis, and he would’ve taken care away from their whole kids. The…doctors smothered the baby with a pillow after they voiced agreement, wrote it down that he died in childbirth, and said…never to talk about it, or they’d go to a predator disease facility. One flick of the pen…”
“That is not the Federation code of ethics I’m sworn to uphold! Jolvanis had hardly taken his first breath before he was slaughtered!” White-hot anger coursed through my veins, and it was all I could do to keep my claws to myself. Recel hadn’t done this, so I couldn’t blow up at him, but by the Protector. What kind of father would ever think that was okay? “Hania was the most precious thing in my life from the moment I held her, fur still wet and mewling with strong, healthy lungs. Nothing would’ve changed that. Nothing else mattered beyond love.”
“I’m sorry, Sovlin. It makes me sad, but I don’t know how to feel. Maybe it was an unfair situation, to not have a full life and—”
“And the doctors. Doctors save lives; they heal and nurture people, as meek prey should! Zarn! Get your ass in here.”
“Yes, sir.” The Takkan doctor loved to hang close by in the hopes of eavesdropping, when he didn’t have patients to tend to, but he was a damn good physician. “What can I do for you?”
“Answer this question. What is a doctor’s job?”
“To maintain the health of our patients and to preserve their lives.”
“Right. And are there any lives you shouldn’t save?”
“Predators. But mostly, no.”
I gestured with both paws toward the Takkan. “Well there you go. Was Jolvanis a predator, Recel, that he deserved to have his life taken away in a puff of smoke?”
“No,” the Kolshian said meekly. “Mister…Doctor Zarn, what would you do with a deaf-blind child?”
“Oh, that’s not my problem what happens after. My advice, if I was asked?” Zarn mused. “Transfer custody to the state, since lack of communication will prevent the integration to the herd. There would be very little rewards or prospects for the child; without learning, knowledge would be at an animalistic level. I can see why some think it’s the application of mercy, though I feel the individual should have a chance to live. Better to have a fraction of a life than never to live.”
I wringed my claws, and tried to wind down my anger. “It’s not mercy to take a life that would continue without your intervention. I concede that the child would be…limited and too much for many parents to care for, but…”
“You’re blessed to have a healthy child and not have to wrestle with an impossible decision, Sovlin. Perhaps what we feel with empathy about keeping the infirm around us illogical, but I don’t want to lose it. Our distinctions from predators keep us civilized.”
Reeling from what Recel had just told me, I retreated to my quarters to contemplate. There was no question that predators would laugh to hear me advocate for keeping a deaf-blind child, but that was why I wanted to spite them. The greatest tragedy in society was when a kid didn’t have the opportunity to reach adulthood. How could parents have no qualms or hesitation? It was a good thing that Recel had gotten away from them; I didn’t know how I’d look them in the eye at the next family celebration they invited me to, even if I tried to be understanding.
Was that who we were—was that what decent prey had come to? Had the Arxur influenced us to be that callous?
No: I was fighting for the vast majority of the Federation that lived by those values, like the family I loved so much.
[Transcript date changed to October 23, 2136]
Samantha and Carlos had spent hours telling stories to Cilany—with none of their proudest moments being the vicious, savage beasts I’d seen on the briefings. Those videos had affirmed everything that Zarn said, yet there was a contrast to the beasts. That kindness had been dimmed after the attack on Earth, but I saw it all once they let themselves get carried away. What caught my attention was near the end, when they discussed humans who overcame great odds and challenges. It was the story of Hellen Keller that blew me away.
A deafblind predator that wrote a plethora of books, campaigned in intellectual activism, was a founding member of a civil liberties organization, and gave speeches; she learned physical speech from touch alone. Humans could compensate for deafness or blindness, but how…just learning braille or sign language would’ve been remarkable enough. It brought me back to hearing how Jolvanis could’ve never lived a full life, and how that was mercy. On Aafa, that was true, but Earth was a different story. What the predators—the fucking predators—did was actual compassion, which required truly inconveniencing and giving of themselves; going out of their way to help without consideration of the “burden” on the pack.
Helen Keller received a full education all the way up to university, proving how very wrong it was that someone with her conditions couldn’t learn. These were the savage Terrans from over 200 years ago too, not the modern, civilized ones who’d reined themselves in! I remembered what Zarn had said about our distinctions from predators, and thought now about which society had its doctors called for the baby’s termination, to avoid an undue burden on the herd. This was just one more thing I wished I could tell Recel; if I could only have one more conversation with my deceased first officer, I knew how shameful our empathy looked now.
The Federation just wants what’s best for the herd overall, and the Arxur have pushed us to this. I never would’ve expected the binocular-eyed, instinctual hunters would teach us new forms of compassion, but I don’t see how these things didn’t end up in the briefing. If I knew this back then, maybe…no, that’s giving my shitty self too much credit. I would’ve hated them and distrusted their kindness either way, surely.
“We aren’t defined by our challenges,” Samantha told Cilany, a deep-rooted certainty in her eyes. “We’re defined by our strength of character, our refusal to be beaten by life and circumstance.”
“It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll.” Carlos leaned back, and I got the impression that he was reciting a written passage. I never would’ve imagined a predator would be well-read, especially in works that were truly profound. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
The Harchen reporter tilted her head. “What’s that from?”
“A poem called Invictus. The favorite poem of Nelson Mandela, who faced thirty years of imprisonment fighting against wicked discrimination in his home nation. He stood up for what was right and refused to quit, enacting changes that led to a more moral and just way of life; becoming a hero and a symbol to many. Even after everything the Feddies did, we have to stay true to ourselves. We’re responsible for our actions.”
That we are. I know that I’m to blame for all that I’ve done, and that I made my choices. I picked a sinister path with no qualms, and I’m as much of a horrible person as Recel’s family killing Jolvanis…if not worse, with how many lives I cost us.
[Transcript date changed to May 10, 2151]
A tangled web of old memories spilled into my brain. After years of reflecting on how we thought predators would cull Talpin for being deaf, it was the prey who’d committed such practices. Samantha was worried about being inclusive and accepting, but she had no idea how bad things could really get back in the Federation. It was obvious to me in hindsight that Talpin was a million times better off in Terran hands than in a herd. I felt sick every time I thought about Recel’s kind parents, who had been like my own extended family, permitting their child’s murder.
“Humans have no idea what ostracizing the deaf means,” I blurted. “The story of Helen Keller chipped away at the idea that the Federation was good. Remember Aucel?”
Samantha arched her eyebrows. “She wasn’t deaf or blind, except when any evidence that predators weren’t so repulsive surfaced. I know Aucel was important—or rather, Recel was important to you. I wasn’t feeling awfully partial to Kolshians after Carlos’ death, so my memory is shoddy. I noticed she seems to have disappeared from your life altogether.”
“It all goes back to when Recel told me that his parents had a third child, born congenitally deafblind. The doctors advised them to, how do you humans say it about your fucking dogs? Put him down. And they did.”
Samantha’s expression curled into an outraged snarl, which still made me shiver. “What?!”
“Yeah. The reason we thought you’d cull Talpin might’ve been that predators couldn’t be better than us. But you…you were shocked and offended at the idea. It was so eye-opening and astounding to see the level of—”
“No, no: shut the fuck up, Baldy, we’re not glossing over that. You learned that they killed their newborn child, and what was your reaction?! ‘Oh, okay, makes sense. Just another Thursday.’”
“You have my transcript! You can look up that I was appalled by everyone in that situation, and emotional at the idea that anything would change the love I felt for Hania; I had no part in that,” I spat. “Most Gojids were good. Look how Berna tried to protect Talpin, how I felt about getting him killed by your claws! I value life, and fuck, I try to help people.”
The human’s eyes were withering, though at least the anger had distracted her from grief. “How, by adopting every third adult in line at the coffee shop?”
“Don’t say that! Two of those three were cryopod people who had nowhere to go, and had lost their entire society.”
“And Aucel?”
“That was for her brother, the closest thing I had to a son. Aucel and I had a falling out. I asked her about Jolvanis and how she felt about it, because I thought it’d bother her. She said I was destroying the memory of her parents, denied the accusation—and I knew that she knew. I wanted to help Recel’s sister, but she wasn’t him. He stood up for what was right.”
“So you confronted the wrong person a few decades late. Nice. Why exactly did Aucel vanish into thin air?”
“I told her to find her own way on Earth, if she couldn’t see the Federation were evil fucking liars; if she wouldn’t condemn murder. Aucel had such vitriol in her eyes, and she said she was tired of living on this planet with the nasty predators. She hated living in an infested home. That Jolvanis was lucky not to have lived to see a human face. We never spoke again—and after those words, I won’t forgive her.”
Samantha sucked in a sharp breath, clearly angered but my recounting of my confrontation with Aucel. “Good riddance. We don’t need her on Earth, disgusted by us as I am with her and your whole peaceful herd, and you don’t need to waste your kindness on her. You would’ve looked out for her. If she had it so good in the Federation, let the bitch go back.”
“I agree. My point is that humans brought disability rights to the Federation in the first place. I know about the Talpin Act, and I’ve seen how you never treated people like him as less than. You’ve already given him more inclusion and acceptance than the Federation ever dreamed of providing.”
“I see your point, but that story sure got me riled off. Now that I’m pissed off at the merry band of heartless xenos that had you jumping like a marionette for most of your life, why don’t we patch Talpin into this call? I’m sure I can find a way to convince him you’re not the worst person ever to call the Federation home.”
I drew a deep breath, ready to face his deserved judgment for the first time since our audience with Nikonus. “I’m calling him now.”
Looking back at the people I’d encountered in the past, it was apparent that Captain Sovlin was a wicked man serving a wicked organization. The evidence that predators were far more compassionate than the unthinkable crimes against the disabled that prey committed was evocative. It was the proof that meat wasn’t what led to evil; those choices could be made on a diet of greens just as easily. It was time I started working myself up to put my actions where my thoughts were, and prove that in some capacity, I wasn’t that despicable officer any longer.
A/N - Part 9! Sam joins Sovlin to help call Talpin, since she has an in-roads with him as the first human to use sign language to him; it’s Sam’s first time using sign language since her brother’s death, with all the grief that is tied with it, but she wants to be accepting of Tal. Sovlin reminisces on a story about Recel’s family and their dark secret, as doctors gave a wink and a nod to help kill his deafblind brother—to our narrator’s horror. The Gojid captain was even more upset when he learned how much Helen Keller was able to achieve in human society, and shares Jolvanis’ story with Sam. We finally know why Aucel is no longer around.
What do you think about seeing the absolute worst end of Federation ableism, contrasted with what even 1900s humans tried? How do you feel hearing the bad terms on which Aucel parted? Will Talpin hold a grudge against Sovlin for torturing Marcel forever?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
Empi3
Sparing the kid a life of misery was the right choice. That way, the parents could create another good life. Maybe even multiple, instead of being stuck babysitting a lost cause. What's better a half life now, or potentially multiple lifes later?
kabhes
I hope to see more of Aucel, in this or maybe another story. Hunter too.
kabhes
Problem is humans tend to be the nicest people towards the Kolshians, save for kolshians themselves and Farsul.
Ellis Evans
Seconded
PhycoKrusk
@Elias I'll continue to stand by my statement that we don't know what happened between Sovlin and Aucel; we only know what Sovlin _remembers_ happening, and based on the description he does provide, it implies that this happened years ago. Probably more than 10. We all know from personal experience exactly how much the details in our memories get "edited" after 10 months, never mind 10 years. And I also stand by that this begs the question of why present it this way to Sam when she could have (presumably) gleaned all this from his transcript (assuming it's in there). Honestly, I'm inclined to think you are correct again: Aucel represented everything that Sovlin had come to hate about himself, and that we know he still hasn't fully squared away: He excised her from his life because that was as close as he could get to excising his past self from his life. Who knows? Maybe there's a part of him that is convinced that if he hadn't been fooled by the Federation when he was younger - if he had managed to throw off his programming earlier - maybe he could have done something differently and gotten a better hand. Maybe he could have handled Marcel more properly. Maybe he could have contacted Isif when they were both still young men, and started turning the wheels of change in time to save billions of lives. If he has wised up earlier, maybe Hania would still be alive.
TheBlack2007
To be fair: She probably didn't have a good time on Earth at all, being avoided at best and discriminated against at worst by not only humans but also Aliens alike. Doesn't excuse her behavior towards Sovlin - but it does explain her demeanor towards humanity and the post-Federation Galaxy at large.
EliasArt2Life
I’m guessing that you hate this because, if anything, Sovlin should have IDENTIFIED with Aucel for being resistant to change. HE was the poster child of “I will not change my stance on humanity” for the longest time. He was willing to believe we had MaGiCaL MeSmErIzAtIoN PoWeRs before entertaining the idea that we could be anything more than pure evil. (For those who don’t remember, yes. Seriously. That did happen.) Yet he rejects Aucel for being resistant to accepting that her whole world was a lie. It seems hypocritical. Though, to be fair, he reads like he hates and despises his younger, stubborn self, so maybe the hatred of Aucel doing the same stuff is within his character. But either way, yeah. I don’t like what I’ve heard about how he handled it.
Cartoon dinosaur
I was writing some variation of this comment for a fucking hour, going into why I hate this so much, I think I wrote like tree pages, but cut them down because they might be controversial, doesn't change the fact my chest hurts I hate it so much.
Cartoon dinosaur
what boils my blood so much is how Sovlin abandon Aucel, for the unforgivable crime of resisting her whole worldview being uprooted and shredded. Her parents were Monsters Her government was evil and everything she knew was a lie. You know when a cult brainwashes its members they have existential terror? its caused by your worldview being so thoroughly challenged and shattered that you are mentally hollowed out. It is painful and agonizing, It is something most sane people want to avoid. And it does not need to be inflicted by a malevolent party, it can happen like it did in NOP. She believes her parents were good people. Sovlin says they were monsters, It is less painful to believe Sovlin was lying. Predators are disgusting is a foundation of her world view. If she had let go of it she would of been hollowed out. I hate this so fucking much. Please tell me they will have a reconciling? I hate this so fucking much. I feel like punching my wall until all my bones are broken. HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE
DDDragoni
<p> Ah. So that's why Aucel isn't around. I understand now, I wouldn't want her around after saying something like that either.</p> <p>What happened to Jolvanis... that's fucking horrific. What sort of parents could allow their own child to be murdered just for the way they were born... monstrous doesn't begin to describe it. </p> <p> The more we see these flashbacks to Recel and Sovlin's relationship, the more it puts into perspective just how meaningful Recel standing up to him for Marcel was. And how tragic it was that Recel died without seeing Sovlin redeem himself. </p>
Gumcel
“You’re wise, you listen, you rally and inspire people.” Lol. “Had the Arxur influenced us to be that callous?” “and the Arxur have pushed us to this.” Common Sovlin copium. “I never would’ve imagined a predator would be well-read, especially in works that were truly profound.” My brother in Christ you already saw arxur books in chapter 35.
PhycoKrusk
Actually, all we have so far is his recollection of what happened years after it actually did. Part of me has to wonder if the reason he's this aggressive is because he's subconsciously trying to dissuade others from reading his transcript. I admit, this is speculative, since for all we know his transcript stops before that event, but still. On the topic of Zarn, I believe we've all concluded that he definitely exhibits some sociopathic or psychopathic traits, although I do find myself wondering if he possessed those naturally, or if he learned them as a way to defend himself. After all, not being concerned with what happens to a patient afterwards could easily be him staying in his lane: Every member of the herd has a part to play in making the herd prosperous, and what happens after consultation or treatment is not his department, so he doesn't concern himself with it to avoid getting in the way, which would naturally damage the herd's prosperity. It doesn't have to make sense; it just has to beat a PD diagnosis.
Alicja
that’s geniunley heartbreaking oh my goodness
Space Paladin
Humans would find ways to get the translators to work for this, unlike the uncaring Feds!
EliasArt2Life
Ooff!!! The use of Euthanasia for being born deaf-blind… at least it’s implied that the Federation itself wouldn’t publicly endorse thise actions. Zarn being a erroneously sanctimonious, aloof, despicable excuse for a doctor again! He seems to treat the hypocratic oath as something he can follow by the letter, and does the care about the spirit. Stating he doesnt care what happens to a patient AFTER he has done his job with one breath, then claiming he wouldn’t give up his empathy for anything in the next! Putrid! “but I don’t see how these things didn’t end up in the briefing.” Just a reminder that the Kolsians and Farsul didn’t JUST record us; they cherry picked our worst points/moments and showed THOSE to the Federation like they were the whole thing. I expected as much with Aucel. Some people just can’t adjust to a completely new world (or in this case, galaxy). Although, given what we know about Sovlin and his… lack of tact when he’s angry (he makes Sam look non-confrontational), I wonder if he’s not inadvertently making Aucel look worse than she was? Sovlin said her response was that he “was destroying the memory of her parents, [and she] denied the accusation”. I don’t know, but I think he might have come out demanding an explanation, or something like that. Most people get defensive under those circumstances. Aucel might not be Recel, but Recel told Sovlin of his own free will, when he was ready. Aucel had it sprung on her. And then the fight that happens afterwards? Honestly, people say a lot of things they don’t fully mean when angry. And if Sovlin kicked her out during that fit of rage, that’ll be what she remembers if she ever thought of going back; Sovlin’s furious face telling her to get out. I just wonder; if we saw that fight from Sovlin or Aucel’s perspective, rather than hearing this recollection of events from Sovlin, would Aucel still look like she’s in the wrong? Unfortunately, Sovlin’s account is all we have. For now.
REDemon14
Yep. Sovlin confirms as much in chapter 110 of NoP when he talks to a therapist. Also think it was brought up in the Zurulian side story
Alekss Žukovskis
is forced sterilization canon though?
Kennedy Skelton
So, Sam would speak Auslan, while I'd expect Talpin to have either created a sign language for gojid or learned the most common human one (presumably ASL?) ... will we finally have the translation tech working for sign language?
Yonael Blackwood
Man, fuck Aucel.
Space Paladin
<3
DreamEnvoy
So Jolvanis... that's pretty fucked up. Even the Feds must know it's fucked up if they decided to falsify the cause of death. How hypocritical that they accuse us of culling the weak when that's what they do themselves. "What the predators—the fucking predators—did was actual compassion, which required truly inconveniencing and giving of themselves; going out of their way to help without consideration of the “burden” on the pack." Favorite quote of the chapter so far. Knowing Aucel, I'm not too surprised that she left Sovlin. Not just because of her overwhelming bias against predators, but because it's difficult to accept the evils of those close to you especially when they are deceased. Looking forward to next chapter. I hope that Talpin will be able see how much Sovlin has changed.
un_pogaz
Okay. Fine. I'm upset. I'm very upset, but I can't find the right word for how upset I'm for what we've just learned about Jolvanis. I think what upset me the most is the cover-up, it's so hypocritical. But it also puts into perspective the absolute terror that Solvin must felt when he discovered and explained to the humans that Talpin was deaf. It wasn't just anti-predator ideology, it also landed *way too* close to a thing he knew for real. And I'm 100% with Solvin: After such words like that, Aucel really had absolutely no right to stay under this roof. I can understand that Talpin has a bad opinion of Sovlin, in addition to the torture of Marcel, Sovlin is also a "representative" of the Federation in the eyes of Talpin, and we know how the Federation has badly treated Talpin. Sovlin has made it abundantly clear that he regrets and apologizes for his actions, but also that he is not "the Federation", so I'm sure he will clarify this misunderstanding.
Byron Ritchie
Jolvanis’s story is pretty dark it reminds me of the infant incinerators the imperium of man has
John Benjamin Cate
This was so dark, and so realistic. Just an absolute tragedy of a story. The death of a child, just because it would be too hard to work with helping them. Just awful.
Heroman3003
Jolvanis' story is... dark. Super dark. Like, I expected something like that from Federation, but to actually hear it... Is different. Especially from young Recel's mouth... But what hits me more is how that is what caused the rift between Sovlin and Aucel. That's sad to hear how she never managed to adapt. I do feel like Sovlin's partially to blame there. He already admitted that he was heavily projecting Recel onto her when she was nothing like him, but that doesn't just apply to her thoughts on Jolvanis' fate, but everything else. If she was this unhappy on Earth and still saw humans as predators, it's likely she never had help adjusting or learning, and Sovlin quite possibly left her metaphorically hung dry, growing with bitterness and resentment rather than getting the support she actually needed, all because she thought that like Recel, she'd just eventually come to like them. That makes me hope that Sovlin will be willing to change his mind and at least try getting on speaking terms with her again. Or maybe the other way around, maybe she'll reach out after somehow learning that he's going around talking to people who were in his life. It would be sad to know that his attempt at making a family had such a painful breakdown with no closure for either side. That said, Helen Keller's story is interesting and cool. A nice tidbit of lore to further buildup the story. I also like how Sam is pushing past her own pain so hard for Sovlin. Sure, she's not trying to ostracize deaf people, but this is her going out of her way to get a meeting with one, knowing it will be a painful reminder, for someone else's sake. Good gal Sam. But it does feel like we're running out of people to meet... Now that we know Aucel is gone, I can only think of her and Kiara as potential meeting subjects after Talpin and after that Sovlin's story will likely draw a conclusion... For now I won't think of that and instead hope for the best in Talpin's meeting. I do hope the young hedgie won't be too harsh on the bald grandpa... Great work as usual, looking forward to more! P.S. Oh god the Daylight Time means that the chapters now come out an hour later the horror
REDemon14
Now onto finding Talpin! Huh, interesting how the Gojid didn’t move back to the Cradle. Perhaps it has too many bad memories to the people who escaped? I wonder who they blame most for that, besides the Arxur of course. Talpin is the first person to give some pushback to wanting to speak with Sovlin. Perhaps he blames Sovlin for the fall of the Cradle and the death of his father. Sam plays interpreter once again. If I remember correctly, last time she talked to Talpin, Carlos was still alive. I wonder if that will come up. Little Recel will always be cute and retrospectively sad. Oh, *OH*. Oh God! That’s horrible! And sensical in the Fed’s mindset for the value of life. In actuality though, it had nothing to do with the fact that a deaf-blind individual wouldn’t be able to live life to the fullest, it’s that they couldn’t be *used* by the powers at play. That’s also likely why they didn’t do much for the disabled, they were only seen as broken pawns. Hellen Keller is a true legend and an embodiment of the indomitable human spirit. Federation “empathy” was only so far as what is convenient. Human empathy in a good amount of civilizations was what was right. None of this made it into the briefing because it would have hurt the Federation’s wider narrative. One contradiction is enough to invite doubt. The existence of PD facilities and what they do to their “patients” including the *forced sterilizations* is literally a definition of “culling” you are removing these people from the gene pool and wider society. I’m not all that shocked about Jolvanis. Yeah, that reaction is about what I expected of Sam. Me too, Sam. Me too. Aw, Aucel. You were doing so well last we saw you! However, when you are confronted with contradicting info to a preconceived image or idea that you have, you can regress quite far. If she did truly still see some good in the federation that killed both her brothers and used her people as hostages and sacrifices for their war against the humans, then she was beyond convincing, especially after her comments. I do hope she could have a bit of a coming around or an awakening, maybe near or at the end? Answer author’s notes directly: Federation ableism is believable in so far as they only believe in *useful* people. Hearing the falling out between Sovlin and Aucel is quite sad, but sometimes it happens. Maybe Sovlin could have handled it a little better, but he's always been the type to face an issue directly, for better or for worse. I could see Talpin going either way when it comes to Sovlin. I think he will hold some disdain for Sovlin.
