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The Nature of Predators 2-65
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 11:00:11 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist
Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160
For a group guarding the ship from any space piracy, the mood among the handful of militia members was jovial. Even most of the unscrupulous members of Krev society wouldn’t snatch babies from an endangered species, so we were here as a deterrent in case any dumb traffickers got bright ideas. I mean, raising needy human infants from birth would be a lot of work, beyond how morally repugnant it was. The cargo hold had been packed with ectogenesis pods, where I’d been able to glimpse that next generation. Gress had looked like he was dying on the inside, seeing newborns with their tiny hands and oversized heads. There was no reason the adoption program wouldn’t work; the adoptive families were on different shuttles, traveling the regular starship routes.
With our spirits higher than ever, the human crew had been up to all sorts of hijinks. Gress had been eager to play Truth-or-Dare. The militiamen quickly learned that was an excuse for the Krev to ask them to do things, such as remove their boots so he could tickle their feet. The mild-mannered alien’s requests were pretty tame, in comparison to some of the raunchier antics of the crew, but I felt as if we were bonding. Right now, we were sharing a special moment between the crew, after Gress helped us install a VR program into our helmet interfaces. Krev coders had recreated a few famous landmarks from Earth, with the data from the vaults; it was beyond touching to experience the simulated Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower. Even the most irreverent crewmates were moved to awe.
It’s not just the human population we need to rebuild. With the Krev’s help, and our satellite imagery and records of Terran history, we could recreate every city on Earth. Even if we can’t retake and reconstruct the actual planet, we can build it somewhere new. Someday. There’s hope that all isn’t lost forever.
“Wow.” The helmet concealed the stupid grin on my face, as I let myself pretend for a second that I really was in Paris with Gress. I knew it was only projected onto the headgear’s screen, the same as its standard combat HUD. “This is beautiful. I can almost…believe it’s real. It’s like I could reach out and touch the blades of grass, or feel the morning dew in the air. Thank you for giving this to us.”
The Krev chuckled. “You’re very welcome. I wish I could’ve seen these places before they were lost, but this is enough for me to appreciate the wonders humans are capable of…and will be capable of again.”
“He’s a charmer, isn’t he?” a fellow guard, Jackson, chuckled. “Naw, the only wonders we got goin’ back on Earth were breaking dumb world records. Like biggest stack of hula hoops. World’s largest bouncy castle.”
“Bouncy…castle? How are even your castles cute?! That’s something I have to see, so you need to build one. Lecca would love it; she might decide to live in there permanently.”
“Shucks, Krev, how much ya gonna pay me to build your little one a palace?”
“I’ll do it free, and it’ll technically be the world’s largest bouncy castle—because the ones on Earth don’t exist anymore.” I stared forlornly at the intersecting metal of the Eiffel Tower, wondering what it had been like to ride to the top and see how far human civilization had spread. While I could do that in the simulation, it wouldn’t carry that assurance. “We’ll just retcon all the old world records and start anew.”
Gress patted my leg, though I couldn’t see him through the helmet. “Well, Taylor, you’re probably the world record holder for most obor treats eaten by a human. Should we etch your name in the history books?”
“Dude, you ate the fucking pet treats?” Jackson cackled.
I gasped in outrage. “Gress! How dare you bring that up? They’re just little fruit cookies, and they were good. And maybe I eat them so Juvre doesn’t have any—that obor shouldn’t be rewarded for his shit-eating.”
“Then I guess,” Gress said, a smug look in his eyes, “you don’t have to get any going forward.”
“Now I didn’t say that. Let’s just talk about it. Why can’t you be reasonable? There’s gotta be some rationality in that alien brain mush of yours, despite your awful taste in pets and—”
A jolt rippled through the walls, as if something large had crashed into the side of our vessel. The alarm flickered through the PA system, and I quickly switched off the simulation of Paris. What the fuck was going on?! I hadn’t thought even pirates would stoop this low, but if another ship was targeting us—we had to repel a boarding party. I was infinitely grateful that Radai had trained us for close-quarters combat at boot camp, but it didn’t stop nerves from swelling in my stomach. What if something happened to the infant cargo, or Gress? I scooped my rifle up from where it rested against my seat, and shoved the Krev in the opposite direction of the insertion’s marker-point. I had to get my beloved alien to safety, because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. It’d make life not worth living again.
This is real, not a drill; this is why Radai had us here, so we have to do our jobs. There’s too much at stake. I will defend humanity’s future with my life.
There were quick orders over the helmet comms to retreat to a defensible location near the kids. The militiamen also backed away from the breach, toward the armory and elevator down to the cargo hold. Gress, despite not being a combat-trained soldier, took up a pistol just in case, and kept back by the newly-sealed bulkhead—the last line of defense. Our eyes met briefly, before I crept forward with the rest of the soldiers. We readied impromptu barricades in the wide-open training center, so that if we were pushed back, we wouldn’t immediately lead them to the unborn children. I waited for a hint of information, growing more discomforted by the second. There were security cameras all across the ship, so we should have eyes on the boarders; why didn’t we know anything? I pointed my scope over a desk, waiting for any movement.
“Attention, all personnel. The enemy has short-circuited our camera system, as well as external comms. It’s impossible to get eyes on them or warn the Consortium; we are working to fix this issue and reboot the systems. However, hull sensors tell…a concerning story,” the human captain spoke through our helmets. “There appears to be some kind of cloaked ship that’s attached itself to our hull, and it’s not one of ours. It has design similarities to the vessels we fought…at Tellus. We believe the Federation…the enemy who wishes us extinct…has attacked us. Avoid capture at all costs.”
My blood ran cold, and I barely suppressed a terrified whimper. Did they somehow know that humanity had survived, and were trying to suppress the very hope of our survival? No, that must not be the case, because we hadn’t seen Krakotl bombers come to finish the job yet; they wouldn’t have sat the second act out. The only reason the Federation would capture us, rather than kill us, would be to torture our plans out of us, like they’d done to a human pilot named Marcel not too long ago. Even if they didn’t need intel from us, our existence was reason enough for us to merit suffering. I shuddered to think what they’d do to the babies, having “predators” helpless and at their disposal. We couldn’t let them see who we were, and I had to be ready to choose death over captivity…for myself and the one I cared about most.
I didn’t want to die, when I’d finally tasted happiness and found someone who cared about me. There was supposed to be more time to make up for my failings, and chart another path! This was supposed to be a joyous voyage that kickstarted humanity’s new future, arduous as it might be. Panic threatened to overwhelm me, though I fought the terrified nine-year-old clawing for control of my brain. The helmet’s overlay warned me about my rising heart rate, so I took deep breaths to calm myself. We had to try to fight the Federation off, or maybe flip the script and capture one of them. Our duty was to stave them off long enough that we could warn Tellus, if nothing else. They needed to board a new ark, courtesy of Radai…before the enemy figured out who they had on the ropes.
I clipped fragmentation grenades to my waistband, despite knowing the dangers of using explosives in a spaceship. “A last resort. We go down shooting, or sucking everyone into the vacuum. We didn’t hide for twenty fucking years to let them take us now! They don’t get to have us, or to burn those little babies downstairs. They don’t find out a damn thing about humanity’s survival.”
“Damn straight,” Jackson said, distributing grenades to the team. “This is for Earth. We hold them here. We won’t be afraid of them today!”
Cries of agreement echoed through the dozen-or-so of us in the company. I waited for the outline of a hostile—the filthy, non-human silhouette of evil—to appear on my helmet interface. The rage I’d been trying to let go of crept back up, and I let it flow into my fingertips. Knowing Gress was behind me, surely I could blow off a few xeno skulls. If the Federation wanted bloodthirsty killers, they could have that today. Muzzles erupted from beside me at the first flash of movement, which seemed like a Gojid clad in a helmet and armor. They must’ve learned about simple protective gear from us—the bastards had the nerve to copy from our corpses. I was surprised they didn’t panic or flee, instead returning fire in turn with a massive team.
Even now, the Gojids came for us, and people back then had dared to claim the cradle’s burning was a tragedy? My helmet ensured that I could correct any targeting issues caused by my twitchy fingers, or the adrenaline that felt like an engine revving inside my blood. I was alert, dialed in, and shaking from the raw power; the chemical infusion fighting for my life hit differently than when Mafani captured me, since here, I held a weapon in my hands. All I had were my wits and the hope that a bullet wouldn’t sink me at once. The return fire was ravaging the upturned tables and leaving markings on the layered ship walls. Bullets punctured the flesh of any appendages sticking out from cover, earning a scream from Jackson as one pierced the center of his hand. He gritted his teeth, toughing it out to try to brandish the gun.
“You good?” I shouted into the comms.
“Just shoot them!” he screeched back over the channel.
The chaos unfolded around us was nothing like the movies; it was impossible to process all of the stimuli around us. A nasty ricochet sent a bullet tumbling through a colleague’s neck, and he fell to the ground with wet coughs—likely to bleed out in a matter of seconds. Another leaned out at the wrong moment, and took a shot to an exposed part of the chest, just below the armpit. A few crawled over to move his dazed, gravely wounded form back to cover, and the yelps I heard suggested that maneuver had gotten them hit as well. There were just so many of the Feddies that our small team could barely touch them. We were getting eviscerated, felled as easily as trees in a hurricane! Our duty was to hold the line, and the cost of failure was too high to stomach. We had to regroup and do…something, before we lost every ally.
“Surrender now!” the Yotul barked, in a voice that was calm and confident. “You will be unharmed and granted all of the protections afforded to prisoners of war.”
I spoke into the comms. “Don’t respond into external speakers. Definitely don’t surrender; human prisoners of war don’t get rights with them. They can’t get a good look at us, or hear our voices.”
Jackson shared a glance at me, before rolling a smoke grenade into the hallway with his good hand. That obscured the scene enough to stage a retreat. I sent off a barrage of covering fire, as a few squadmates dragged the wounded back into the room. Summoning my own courage, I trotted after them while crouched over at the waist, and used a pointed eye movement to seal the bulkhead behind me. The Federation wasted no time, seeming to locate an access panel and cut the wiring that held the door in place. We didn’t have much time before they all flooded in here, and our backs were against the wall. I stared at where Gress held the pistol, before forcefully grabbing him and opening the cargo elevator bulkhead. The Krev protested as I shoved him inside and whisked the door shut; I watched as he banged on it, feeling a twinge in my chest.
I think we’re about to blow ourselves to kingdom come, and I want him to have a chance at survival. He can go down and keep watch over the children, find a way out or something. Gress is an herbivore, so he has hope.
I pointed toward the elevator, making a downward motion with my pointer finger. Despite being unable to hear him through the bulkhead, I could see Gress screaming and sobbing; he refused to do what I’d asked and head down into the cargo bay. My gloved hand pressed against the small glass cutout for a second, before I turned my back on him. Taylor Trench was supposed to be a coward, someone who wasn’t brave enough to make valiant sacrifices. Today, I wanted to be remembered as unblinking in the face of death; there was a disquieting calm permeating my awareness, as the fateful moment approached. The enemy unsealed the bulkhead on the other side, and I fired away blindly. There were so many bullets flying back at us—they had shields to press forward, and kept back along the walls, out of sight.
The Federation were much too methodical in using their own smoke grenades to flush us out, though we were lucky the helmet kept the irritants out. It still gave them the opportunity to pop out from cover, spraying and praying as they lit us up. A body hit the floor across from me, splayed at an awkward angle. The soldier who’d been struck below the armpit was propped up against a cart, firing with what little strength he had; another bullet finished the job, and sent his gun clattering to the floor. A shot connected with another human’s exposed leg, and the blood erupted like a faucet. It must’ve hit an artery, with horrifying accuracy. It seemed like it was practically me and the friendly guard Jackson left. I drew in a shaky breath, as my ammunition was depleted, and I fumbled around for a way to reload.
“I’m out. I think…it’s just you and me,” I sputtered.
My comrade sighed, gingerly holding the gun with his wounded hand. “There has to be ammo lying around here somewhere. We pulled all the shit out of the armory. Let me see—”
Jackson’s head poked out slightly from where we were crouched, and snapped back with unnatural swiftness less than a second later. A bullet had ripped through the glass, which would’ve revealed his predator face had he not dropped too quickly. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I screamed in horror to nobody; there were no other militiamen left to share the comms. The captain had to see our vitals going out one-by-one, and must be weighing whether to go down with the ship. The last stand had failed miserably, ripped apart by a fighting unit that was far more fearsome than the ones I’d known about. I waited for hundreds of shots to pelt my position, ending my life before I could try anything, but there was nothing.
Do these assholes actually think I’ll surrender? I can’t let them incapacitate me; grab the grenade. Grab it!
“I think there’s only one left. Don’t kill them; shoot to capture!” the Yotul squad leader barked. “Move in. Move it, now!”
I heard a fluttering sound, and looked up to see a Krakotl hugging the ceiling to get a view of me. The hatred in my heart reached a new high, looking at the species that had murdered my planet—and seeing them staring back at me. An expression of pure shock spread across its face, as it inspected me and must’ve realized what I was. Time slowed to a crawl, with the moment of my nightmares becoming real. I cursed the fact that my gun was empty, but unclipped the grenade on autopilot. This would be my final revenge; I couldn’t let the Federation find out about our survival. They must never know.
“You’re human?” the Krakotl squawked in disbelief.
No. This is news to them; it can’t get back to anyone. Kill that fucking xeno! I threw my helmet off, a sneer of absolute defiance crossing my features as I faced the bird. I rose to my feet, before extending my arms and walking toward them; the grenade’s pin was resting on my thumb, as I clutched it for dear life. “I sure fucking am. What color will your bastard feathers be when I let…this…go?!”
“Wait! Why are we fighting you? I…I don’t understand.” Good. You never will. I’m only waiting so I can get closer. “We’re with the humans, fighting for your side. Arjun, talk him down!”
While I might’ve been gullible, blurting a random Terran name wasn’t going to get me to believe that a Krakotl was with a long-dead species. My anger fizzled as a panicked figure rushed toward me, with unmistakable hands raised; those were my own species’ binocular eyes staring at me, and a United Nations logo on his helmet. I gasped in shock, feeling my strength waning. The world was tunneling and crashing in on me, as I failed to understand why I saw one of my people on their predator-hating side. No wonder they had emulated so many things from us, if they were us. But how could there be any Terrans left alive, and why would they side with the Federation? I would’ve thought they were distorted like the Sivkits, but Arjun wasn’t acting prey-like and fearful.
Had…some of Earth survived, without ever needing the ark ships? It defied reasoning that they’d side with the Krakotl. Still, I couldn’t deny my eyes. Assuming that the United Nations logo was legitimate, we were fighting a war with our own people, who stood right alongside the Federation. I gaped at Arjun’s face and sank to my knees, feeling my grip on the grenade almost slip. What was the justification for any of the deaths that happened as a result of what I’d done; was it all less than pointless? Were the gruesome corpses of the friends I’d been laughing with hours ago pointless?
It can’t be. This can’t be happening…I won’t accept it. I can’t accept it.
If humanity had made it out of certain annihilation somehow, that meant all of the suffering in my life—leaving my home—was for nothing. That was a possibility my agonized heart could not abide.
A/N - Chapter 65! Taylor and Gress escort the artificially-born babies to Tellus for adoption, relaxing with the crew and enjoying simulations of Earth. However, their peaceful journey is interrupted after an attempted boarding from a stealth ship, which we know the SC sent back at Talsk to try to capture KC personnel in this manner. The human militia make a last stand that gets eviscerated by the SC, with their tactics and composure nothing like the disorganized prey Tellus remembers.
Taylor throws Gress behind a bulkhead, and plans to charge the SC with a grenade as the last survivor, after a Krakotl recognizes what species he is. That’s when he sees Arjun, and realizes Earth humans aren’t dead at all…
What do you think will happen now that both sides know the truth? What should be done with Taylor, if he’s taken into custody? How will our narrator keep it together after learning the entire ark ship initiative was pointless?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
Emmanuel Morín
Son como el amigo drogadicto que es molesto pero cuando te metes en problemas trae a su banda como refuerzo
Jhon Bustamante
lo que me.gusta de los yotul es que a pesar de que tienen diferencias con la humanidad han estado junto a ellos en las batallas más duras siempre se puede confiar en un yotul para una buena pelea
Jhon Bustamante
lo que me gusta de los yotuls elnque siempre estan listos para una buena pelea aunque han tenido diferencias con la.humanidad han estado junto alos humanos en las batallas mas duras
Alicja
Taylor shoved Gress into behind some door, it’s plausible that Gress didn’t hear
John
Don’t give SP ideas, I’ve been waiting so long for the KC and SC to make contact! Don’t make us wait longer!!
Cerchus
Maybe, maybe not, depends a lot on the quality of his helmet, the power of the grenade, and relative positioning. Generally grenades are small enough charges that while lethal won’t vaporize a body. ETA: besides with the medical tech in the story he may even survive.
Kevin Quintana
Cant get a brain scan if he does that and these chapters are written from his perspective
Space Paladin
It should add you automatically if you integrate your discord account to your Patreon! 😅
Cerchus
My bet is he assumes these humans are collaborators using captured gear and charges them with the grenade. I know it’s unlikely but damn it’s a good twist that I could find believable.
John
Ahh crap.
Some Lvm
Huh, anyone else noticed the huge logistic problem here? Once the boarding party sees the cargo of the ship they won't be able to just let it float damaged in the middle of space with all its defenders dead. And I doubt the stealth ship has the cargo capacity to take all the babies back to earth, so what are they gonna do?
Michael Halpern
there are stun rounds, basically tazer bullets, they are less lethal, but they don't have as much stopping power, and useless against armor
Some Lvm
@Edmund: this isn't the real world though! The Farsul used tranks to abduct random humans without understanding human physiology or measuring the target weight. Who ever captured Cala when her ship crashed on earth also tranked her, and despite being a tiny child it did not kill her. Crypods worked on humans as well, before anyone in the federation has ever seen a human, and that is an even more complex thing to do to a biological entity! You do have a point about single shot and body armor, but two counter points: 1. Aliens in NoP universe almost never ware armor, out of 300 Fed species and the Bissems to boot, humans seem to be the only ones in to cloths at all! So it would have been reasonable to assume the probability of the enemy being armored was low. 2. You only need one shot. I am not suggesting they bring only non lethals, by all means have a proper full arsenal, and than use it for suppression. Strategy people, strategy! This isn't a Fed army, heck a mission like this I would expect Jones or someone like her would personally plan and brief the troops, sending an extra skilled team of operators.
Some Lvm
The sad thing I realized after digesting this, is that Cala has come full circle: She started out killing humans thinking they were an evil enemy coming for her and her people, got adopted, learned the truth, had a nice childhood, joined the peacekeepers to atone for her crimes, only to be sent straight in to killing humans thinking they are an evil enemy out to get her and her people. Granted, we don't know if she actually scored any kills during the boarding operation, but its still pretty symbolic of SP to do this...
Some Lvm
Unless the next UN SecGen is someone even dumber than Kuemper, or they put AI Meir in charge, there will be no war with the remnants. The Arxur probably took care of their most aggressive party already, and even if not, they can finish the rest up quick, once they get serious. And any sensible UN leader will either help or get out of the way, but in any case, without the shadow caste holding them back, and with 20 years of freedom, the Arxur are no longer a pushover, or someone to have stalemate with.
Kevo
Oh ok thx I was mixed up then
Aured
My first thought when the Krakotl appeared was wondering if it was Cala, then she calls for Arjun. Love it. When the cottage cloaked ship first arrived, I was afraid this was going to be the Krev Consortium's version of the shadow fleet or the Farsul from the secret base that Loxsel was talking about.
DemonVee
There is a NoP discord with locked Patreon channels. You either have to connect your discrod to your patreon or there is some link, not 100% sure, been a long time.
DreamEnvoy
I think reusing patreon-only sidestory characters for the main canon is perfectly fine, so long as you don't have to read their story to understand them. I read all of NoP1 before touching the side stories, and I never had a problem. Heck, coming to like characters such as Olek and Lisa in the main series and later reading Foster Program, I kinda liked it. I do kinda feel like cameo character appearances come across like advertisements for the side stories, but it hasn't ruined the story for me yet.
DrewTheHobo
Fucking called it! Looks like the cat’s starting to get out of the bag, now it’s all the politicking. Love how the people to run into Tyler are Arjun and whatshername
DrewTheHobo
Shit, there’s a Patreon discord?!
EliasArt2Life
@PhycoKrusk MOSTLY agree. If your non-lethal weaponry can take a die out in a single hit, it should be just as good, if not better, than lethal weapons. That being said, NOP hasn’t shown much in the way of non-lethal munitions, aside from dart guns, which are ineffective against armor, so your point still stands. Honestly, going into this chapter, I was hoping to see an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry: knockout gas, stun gun, concussion grenades, weaponize nanodrones, and the like. Unfortunately, we ended up with a more typical “firefight, then capture and stragglers” method. Still a good chapter, just a little disappointing in that scenario.
EliasArt2Life
*Sigh* 7 years of learning Spanish, and I still can’t translate for the life of me. Okay, here’s my ROUGH translation (I’m paraphrasing here, and being vague, since I’m not good enough to determine specifics): They’re musing over how the different parties will react, including the aliens who are afraid of humanity. They also wonder if the humans of Tellus and the SC will consider each other traitors and want to eliminate the aliens responsible for the atrocities. If you want to agree with what @erickjosemonlina said, give their comment a like, rather than this one.
Kevo
Guys I’m not good with stuff, how do I get to the Patreon discord?
John
Did you even read the end of the chapter?
Alekss Žukovskis
I actually predicted that this is what the link is. so yeah, i knew that, but i thought Gress was appealing to what he thought predator-bad ideology, by emphasizing that he is a herbivore. there was no basis to assume that he said they aren't omnivores because he was at the time under duress
Rohn Carver
they probably were given thorough orders on what to not do first, and what they should attempt to do if the option ever becomes available; and waging an all out war against those who destroyed the earth if presented with enough military power to do so obsoletely would have been on the "To Do" list of things for them to try.
Michael Morse
The pyramids are untouched on earth. The Eiffel Tower though that’s gone.
Alicja
My prediction- Taylor is going to be captured and Gress will make it back without knowing the humans are still alive
Roscuro
Well...they definitely brought more force. Hence all the corpses.
PhycoKrusk
Meeting lethal force with less-lethal force is a good way to get your boarding party killed unless you can bring so much more force to bear that the enemy simply can't compete.
PhycoKrusk
Limply backing down at the last second is probably the most Taylor thing he's done in a while.
PhycoKrusk
@Lvm Even Radai might get away with only light punishment, but actual justice is always under the auspice of "what would a reasonable person have done." Did Radai act reasonably to defend either himself or those he was charged with protecting? Objectively, yes. Was the information that he had access to out-of-date? Yes, but it nonetheless illustrated a pattern over time of the Federation becoming _more_ dangerous to perceived predators, and made clear that the Federation could _not_ be negotiated with. Additionally, there is pretty ample documentation that he was actively trying to get more up-to-date information before making further decisions, and that his peers were actively interfering with his ability to do so, meaning that not only was he acting reasonably and in good faith, he was the only one in a position of command who was doing so. Lastly, any rumors that I am unfairly biased towards Radai are exactly that and nothing more; rumors. The very idea that I would allow my personal perceptions to color my assessment of him is laughably comical. #RadaiforShogun
erickjosemolina
Se que esta complicado pero jder,quiero ver una guerra de humanos verdaderamente malvados contra el sc y las razas que le tenían miedo a la humanidad, que verdaderamente tengan algo por lo que temer,la trama de que taylor y tellus consideren traidores a los humanos del sc y quieran eliminarlos por perdonar fácilmente a los alienigenas qué atacaron la tierra es una idea que me emociona bien sabroso(hoy me droge).
PhycoKrusk
He might, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Ryan Kamala
She wouldn't speak English to a group of enemies she didn't know were human
Ryan Kamala
😭😭
Daru Arura
There's still time. This chapter end with him in full spiral and a grenade still pulled and in hand.
Daru Arura
I never understood the olec apprehension. I finished NOP1 before I ever read a side story and he just felt like a fun caricature of someone who would be great on a coms station given his suspicions. Here, anyone who hasn't read side stories can still get a jolt of nostalgia considering arjun was in the main series. We'll just need to see how much the following chapters expect you to know about these guys but as it stands, they're still being introduced in a decent way.
Jon Arbuckle
Potentially survives, and an emergency brain-scan is used before he expires.
Roscuro
Called it. And it's about fuckin' time. Let the political intrigue commence! Although, weren't they boarding with the express purpose of taking prisoners for interrogation? Not gonna do much good if you kill everyone but the janitor.
AnAbsoluteVillain
Krev as a species: "I swear were not keeping them as pets. 😇" Also Krev: "Can we keeep dah babies? 🥹"
EliasArt2Life
I’m not actually against reusing old characters; I think that a lot of sequels need to learn to be comfortable keeping their main cast around. My problem is that these two AREN’T old main cast. We’ve got Cala, who’s from a (recent) miniseries, and who’ll come off as odd to anyone who’s not a Patron. It’s weird to see a character introduced in the middle of their character arc, or with references to event that haven’t been shown and are never elaborated on. And then to ask the question, only to be told “they were introduced in a Patron only miniseries” is frustrating. I enjoy the miniseries, but I don’t think they should be required to understand main characters in a series. Olek is a good example of this; when he made an appearance in the main series, I checked on Reddit, and a lot of people were going “what’s this guy’s deal?”; they likely felt weird that Olek had so much character being shown at once, when an equally developed character like Carlos was shown to them over a longer period of time. Elia and Ari are good miniseries characters to make an appearance (so far); they didn’t get shoe horned into main roles, just side roles. Something that out-of-the-loop readers can enjoy without thinking too deeply about their deal, while Patrons get a little happy surge seeing them again. Meanwhile, Arjun. The truth is that he was a throwaway named character in NOP1. He was mostly a blank slate, aside from the events that happened to him, and that he was shown to be a kind hearted boy. Since he wasn’t really all that developed, he could become anything. Him becoming a Peacekeeper seems less like a continuation/culmination of his arc, and more like an excuse to rebrand an old character. An old character that I think was incorporated WELL is Virnt. We knew a lot about him and his mannerisms in NOP1, and given his genetic predisposition towards intelligence and his interest in humanity, him joining a Terran company that’s the cutting edge of development is understandable. I think if you were asked to predict where he’d go based on NOP1, you’d end up with something that’s similar to where he is now on at least one level. Basically, I don’t mind old characters returning, as much as HOW they’re returning. I still enjoy the series, and seeing the characters, I just wonder if other old characters, or new characters, might have been better. This stuff is always tricky, though, and I’m not going to claim that I could do much better.
EliasArt2Life
And the dawn finally breaks. Pretty soon, the news that the Federation is gone, and humanity survived will reach the Consortium. We’ll see how the Consortium reacts, and if it’ll lead to a widespread suppression of the news like some people suspect. Given the now looming war between the Arxur, Remnants, and SC, there may not be a need to continue the SC - Consortium conflict. I guess we’ll get to see the aliens reacting to discovering that the Krev see humans as “cute”. Also, the reaction of both parties over their mutual “growing babies” plan. Interesting developments, although we expected them for a long time.
Jonathan Cardoso Mota
The problem is that Taylor is into it.
John
Speak for yourself I for one can’t wait for Cedric and Mallins return(Please Sp.)
Gumcel
How would we get the memory transcript if he fucking blows up?
Gumcel
Gress repeatedly humiliating Taylor is public is kinda uncool but I am an undying Gress supporter so I am obligated to say that he did nothing wrong. Gress is based :krev_kisser: Also TWO MORE FUCKING RECURRING CHARACTERS AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH SP PLEASE JUST MAKE NEW CHARACTERS PLEASE GOD. In conclusion, good chapter.
T___
@pogman I don't think so. Had they recognized themselves right away and all of them just sitting down together, singing kumbaya, THAT would have been forced. Now there is tension, death of friends, and realization that all his suffering meant nothing.
Sci-fi reader
Tranquilizer don't work the as depicted on TV. First, you need to know the target's physiology and weight. Different drugs work and don't work on different species. Second, even if the drug is effective, you need to know the dosage. Too high of a dose will kill the target very quickly. Too low, nothing happens. Also, tranq guns and tasers are single fire and are ineffective against body armor. Same with sleeping gas. When Russian spec forces tried sleeping in a theatre hostage situation, they winded up killing everyone in the building. Come to think of it, tasers have the same issue. You don’t know what species are involved. You don’t know if muscular control is with electrical signals. You don’t know what current / voltage would be effective. You don’t know at what charge the heart would be stopped or the brain would be damaged. In this circumstance, you don't even know what species is involved.
Some Lvm
I have not experienced this kind of anticipation since NoP 1!
Some Lvm
Just because both sides have humans on them, does not make this "friendly fire". These were two separate entities at war. Granted, the reasons for this war hang on a tragic misunderstanding rather than real malice, but war it is. Neither side did anything wrong in this engagement, though honestly I don't understand why the boarding party didn't bring any non lethal tools if the objective was to capture prisoners for interrogation. Why no trank guns? No flashbangs? No attempts at sleeping gas? Sure, the Consortium helmets would have filtered it out, but the attackers couldn't know that! How about some tazers at least? Cala had a perfect shot! Granted, that would have probably caused Taylor to drop the grenade and blow them all to kingdom come, but still...
Some Lvm
This reminds me of an episode from "The Ark": they were lamenting how "guns don't belong on a spaceship" because a stray bullet could puncture the hull and decompress the whole thing, but then they showed a rescue party cutting through the hull on the bridge and the damn thing was a solid meter (over 3 feet for you Americans) of solid steel, or similar looking material. It would have probably stopped an AP anti tank round, let alone any assault rifle round. But if the crew had guns, most of the story would not happen, so there you go...
Some Lvm
Taylor heroically sacrificing himself without blundering is too out of character. He might get there some day, but he isn't there yet.
Some Lvm
@NextMan: laws of war created on earth can not reasonably be applied to an unknown alien race that never even met humans (at least as far as the UN knew). If the Sapient Coalition won, they might put Consortium leadership, what is left of it after the bombing, on trial, maybe some members of the military, ark humans and Consortium aliens, but honestly that would just be victor justice, which isn't real justice.
Some Lvm
Not a chance. Not with the NoP justice system. And even with the realistic justice system, the only one who would really stand trial would likely be Radai, as he was the one who gave the order to fire on the Sivkits, and came up with the plan for the decapitation strike.
Some Lvm
Oh wow! Amazing chapter! This is honestly the first Taylor chapter I truly enjoyed and just couldn't stop reading.
AlphaAllNight Gaming
So it begins
richfiles
Oh boy... https://youtu.be/GKYAYPWI268?si=N4ZcqF-CWi-hv1O2
Wesley Rigg
Thursday can't come fast enough!
Some Lvm
Oh man, almost the first paragraph and we are in to "the pyramids were built by aliens", and this time it will be true!
Space Paladin
Well, about that…Paris was still bombed in the NOPverse!
pogman
That was pretty forced
Space Paladin
Cala would’ve still appeared in main text, since I always had the idea of Taylor encountered a Krakotl. The side story idea came from the mental image/backstory of that character 😅 we would’ve still known her, but I think it’s more compelling where we saw her grow up!
Neu5Ac
@kabhes Because this is a high-stress scenario, and Gress (and the Krev in general: in fact, most species besides humanity) have been consistently shown to have very poor impulse control. Rational thought will almost certainly give way to emotional backlash.
John
Please don’t use that term.
John
He saw another human when he thought earth had been destroyed.
Jon Arbuckle
I honestly really expected him to pull the pin and to go out in a dramatic fashion, rather than have him limply back down at the last second.
Neu5Ac
Glassing entire planets is not a "lack of information" scenario, especially when you've got records saying "we've got to wipe out every last one of them."
Aerowarrier
Honestly it kinda seems like the Yotul have a lot more pull than Humanity does at this point
Aerowarrier
Hey it’s Arjun and Cala! Had a feeling we’d be seeing them as members of the crew that took the ship. Nice to see them doing well for themselves, all things considered
Neu5Ac
@Edmund Lam Indeed, I imagine it's difficult to write grenades if you've never experienced their use. @AnAbsoluteVillain Overpressure is a concern with both frag and HE grenades: this is why people are taught to throw the grenade into another room and close the door. Modern space vehicles are quite lightweight and fragile, as they need to be to escape Earth's gravity, and current rocket designs require the rocket carry its fuel with it. However, I imagine that once space travel becomes commonplace, large ships will be constructed in orbit, and fuel will not have to be carried in large supplies as it could be easily sourced from the interstellar medium (which is mostly hydrogen and some helium: that is, fusion fuels). With this will likely come a push for safety, meaning compartmentalization, bulkheads, thickened hulls, and probably double hulls too, for keeping atmosphere from escaping.
kabhes
This sure will help his survivors guilt.
kabhes
I'm sure he will know it was to protect him, why else would he have done it?
kabhes
I expected him to notice that the krakotl spoke English, it was mentioned in the last few chapters that she now spoke that.
Wholesome Redditter
That was my thought for 65. We just followed a cliff hanger with another cliffhanger. This is max tier edging
kabhes
That's a thing on Earth, herbivores eat meat when given the chance they just don't get it very often because they can't hunt. But basically most herbivores are omnivores if given the chance.
DemonVee
At the moment, it seems like it's going to be "were" defacto leaders. Because they SC could either fall apart, or Humanity could get scape goated by those that were only pretending to be friends and allies.
Clippy Clippy
ITS HAPPENING!!
Guardian
I think that's the fastest I've ever read through an installment, comments included. Totally worth the wait, SP. Curious: would Cala have a story if the community had not voted for Child Krakotl Soldier? Or would we have discovered her story at a later point?
Alekss Žukovskis
good lord. now Gress is going to go Rambo. will you leave the PTSD guys alone ;:(
John
Even moreso when they realize humanity managed to go from only having a single backwater planet to being the defacto leaders of the largest faction in the galaxy at the moment.
Guardian
Nah man, that ain't SP's style.
E Martinez
There are plenty of creatures we call herbivores that eat meat sometimes, like cows or deer
AnAbsoluteVillain
Hope Gress is ok. I'm worried that the chapter ended before we saw him safe as well.
erickjosemolina
Siiii, suicidate junto a la nave, nadie debe descubrirlos hasta que sea más fuertes
Quiidek
HERE WE GOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! the krev are gonna loose their minds when they find out earth is still alive.
AnAbsoluteVillain
Might over pressure the a ship too, micro-rupturing your compartment. Ship designers like to put as little between you and space for stupid reason. Something about weight to thrust ratios.
AnAbsoluteVillain
This entire war: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNM1J5eCqjg)
DemonVee
It is indeed a thing (technically everything is an omnivore to some extant) You can easily find videos or stories of stereotypical herbivores eating meat. Cows, horses, deer, rabbits, etc. It's sometimes because they're eating plants grown in soil lacking certain nutrients... and sometimes it's just because small animals don't put up much of a fight, like snakes or birds.
sticksnstones
Well if SC medics have started carrying memory transcription tech, maybe he'll be coming back. Ha, now I wanna see that happen and Taylor gets to enjoy the double freak out of not only watching soldiers die for a pointless conflict, but then they get back up with a side of trauma!
Kevo
Bro have you seen the video of the horse eating a live baby chick? Herbivores do sometimes eat meat
Abby
Looks like Taylor and Gress are going to be able to tour Paris for real before too long
John
Don’t give me those thoughts.
SunDragonPrincess
I check it after work or when I get some free during lunch.
John
Done
Sci-fi reader
A general problem with grenades in fiction. They are both depicted as both too powerful and not powerful enough. No they won’t disintegrate you, but if used indoors, the shrapnel will injure people through lots of walls and deafen everyone not wearing hearing protection. In a ship, the frag grenade would injure both the target and the thrower’s teams.
NextMan
They could’ve answered a hail, which they must do under the existing laws of war. They didn’t. They’re still responsible. Also, it doesn’t matter if cruelty is intentional, if it’s cruel and unusual, the perpetrators are culpable regardless of the motive.
RaphaelFrog
No problem!!! I'm looking forward to the finale of Krev Exchange Program and chapter 66! Yet again amazing work :D
Dragon Writer Luc
There's a level of "available information" applied to such things. They didn't know who they were fighting. Additionally, war crimes are usually about cruelty rather than scale. Starting a war is not a war crime, but using hallucinogens on your opponents' civilians is.
Dragon Writer Luc
They claim they're "real herbivores that eat meat sometimes." That's… not a thing on Earth, as far as I know. There are carnivores that eat plants sometimes (dogs are a good example) to try to cure illness by scraping it out of their systems, but anything that eats meat is a carnivore or omnivore. They just might need it less than humans do.
Space Paladin
Thank you for the kind words!
Space Paladin
It’s finally here! This is the scene I had in mind when I first started writing NOP2 😅
Space Paladin
I DMed you who to contact, best of luck 👍
NextMan
So, how much you wanna bet that the Ark survivors are gonna be imprisoned and tried for war crimes? Like it or not, they were complicit in genocide, between the Sivkit and the drone attacks. If this were realistic, there’s a good chance Taylor and Gress would rot in prison for a few years.
Space Paladin
We’re trapped, everyone for themselves!
Space Paladin
Fixed, thanks!
Alekss Žukovskis
"I think we’re about to blow ourselves to kingdom come, and I want him to have a chance at survival. He can go down and keep watch over the children, find a way out or something. Gress is an herbivore, so he has hope." what? didnt Krev like humanitys meats? Theyre omnivores!
Space Paladin
The SC sent one ship off the beaten path to lie in wait and acquire prisoners!
kenneth Moore
Wait… How large was the SC incursion? Are they hitting the main starship routes too? Are the Krev parents safe during all this?
kenneth Moore
Now what? No grenade to falling from his shocked grip? I was expecting collateral damage not emotional damage…
Sci-fi reader
Then it should be a real jolt for Taylor. A Krakotl speaking English with an UK accent.
DDDragoni
Hey there, Taylor. How's that dramatic irony taste?
Sci-fi reader
Not enough senior NCOs in fiction. IRL, officers rotate in and out of specops units.
John
On with the procedure!
Byron Ritchie
Man it’s great to see cala and arjun again, especially in the main series despite the tragic circumstances of their appearance I hope will Cala become a pov character
Kilo Rat
I think this needs fixing: "like they’d done to a human pilot named Marcel not too long again"
PhycoKrusk
Captain Cala and Her Flying Tigers, of the UN Boarding Operations Group! This is just like issue #13! I mean, except for the Tellurians, and the backdrop of an intergalactic war, and the fact that Cala does not actually appear to be the commanding officer, but other than that, it's exactly like issue #13!
Neu5Ac
That's a pretty fragile ship if a frag grenade can blow a hole in it from the inside. You would think it would be armored against small, high speed fragments, given you never know when you'll encounter one of those in space, and armor tends to work both ways. Not to mention, why aren't they using HE grenades? The shrapnel from a frag grenade is certain to hit a wall long before it reaches the effective radius of the grenade, so concussion effect would be no less effective than frags while also not posing a risk to the user or infrastructure. I'm looking forward to the conversation Taylor is going to have with Gress. A level-headed person might realize that he made a split-second decision to protect someone he cares about, but level-headedness is a rare and exotic resource in the NoP universe.
Swan
As soon as you gave Jackson a name I knew he was gonna die, goddammit Also I hope Gress watched the hole exchange somehow, cause I might just cry if he dies trying to “avenge” Taylor when they open that bulkhead
Kevo
This cliffhanger hurts, in an alternate reality Arjun would come out with side facing eyes saying, it’s okay! Join us
Apogee
Welp, Taylor is about to do something very stupid
Bbobsillypants
Man the jaslipps are gonna be so pissed and thr krev are going to be extatic. Time to buy some stocks in earth tourisn boys!
Neu5Ac
I sincerely doubt she's a CO if they've got her on point duty. If they're special forces, there's a pretty good chance she's a sergeant or warrant officer.
Dragon Writer Luc
The ark ships were not pointless, but unnecessary. Those terms are not synonyms.
Dookus Maximus
Oh my god! Okay, it's happening! Everybody stay calm! Everybody stay calm! Stay f**king calm!
SunDragonPrincess
Questions: Does anyone know a mod I could contact since my discord account was hacked yesterday and already resolved the issue.
Michael Halpern
yes its Cala
TheBlack2007
Taylor?! All of Tellus and probably also a large chunk of the consortium will feel like shit after this. Knowing they kicked off a galactic war for entirely no reason at all…
REDemon14
Now the pain and horror of everything will be known to the SC and KC. I wonder how the rest of the SC will react when they find out about the Ark ships.
DreamEnvoy
“You’re human?” the Krakotl squawked in disbelief. And with that line we finally get what we've been waiting 62 chapters for!
Swan
Trench certainly has a knack for ending up in mass casualty situations doesn't he?
Sci-fi reader
Horrible. But this friendly fire incident was bound to happen. Taylor may need to the institutionalized after this. Is the Krakotli UN soldier, Cara? She should be a captain or major / lieutenant commander or commander by now or 1st sergeant / warrant officer if enlisted. And Arjun is back! Also, wouldn’t Cara’s very human English last name be on her uniform?
Michael Halpern
civil war for KC,
John
Waiting for chapter 66 is gonna be so painful.
Fienryra
Yeah baby! This is the moment I’ve been waiting for!!!
TheBlack2007
So, Gress and Taylor may actually get their wish to visit an Earth city together. As PoWs but still. Also, Vienna is IMO even better than Paris but that’s probably just individual taste. Also, wondered when Cala would show back up. With some kind of Special Forces no less.
Kingarthur
Well Taylor is fucked. Not enough therapy in the whole galaxy for that shit
Fabian Feller
YES
Hello There
And now they meet. 65 chapters in
Yonael Blackwood
CALA!
RaphaelFrog
What can I say... You did an absolutely wonderful job with this chapter yet again! It's seems truth is finaly getting spilled >:D I'm looking forward to see next chapter my friend >:)
Adam
Mass trauma imminent
Elliott
IT'S HAPPENING
Johnonymous
Finally. This reveal has been a long time coming. Now things can get juicy again.
th3h4ck3r
Now this, this is epic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrHA6JlrOHE)
Schnitzelsemmel
Third
Danny Luca
Second
pogman
First
