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The Nature of Predators 2-15
🕑 Added 2024-02-26 12:00:04 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist
Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160
I woke up drenched in a cold sweat for the third night in a row. My fingers were clutching the blankets as if my life depended on it; my breathing was erratic, with my brain locking me into fight-or-flight mode. I sank back against my pillow slowly, trying to collect myself. The thuds of my heart punished my ribcage, a frantic pace that felt impossible for the blood-pumping organ. All I saw when I closed my eyes was sand raining atop my head: burying me. The screams of the other humans echoed in my ears tonight, before I was teleported into the morgue. Kabir’s corpse had been there, burned like the victims in the medical clinic, before his accusatory eyes turned toward me.
In the waking world, I knew that horror wouldn’t leave me. All of those people had died because of me. I should’ve read Gress better, since that was the very thing I was trusted to do by the colony. How could I be furious at the Consortium, when it was our shiftiness that left them thinking we were with the Federation? The blame belonged on my shoulders, for my decisions. Everywhere I looked around Tellus—watching grieving friends, or seeing miners without any work—I was reminded of the blood on my hands. They might as well have been stained red: proclaiming my sins to the entire community that I had failed.
My entire life, I’ve felt trapped underground, but it’s never been on this level. If Gress is offering to take me away from here, it’s time to get going. I have to get out of here.
While I’d spent the past few days recuperating in my quarters, the Krev rent collector had been making the rounds on the colony. When I chatted with Cherise over a call, she described him as keen to get his claws on any information about humans. It might’ve been suicidal, not too long ago, to mingle with the miners, but being the first aliens to tolerate our appearance won him some favor. Everyone had gotten wind of his story by now, and many humans had finally put ourselves in their shoes. Who wouldn’t want to keep away from the Federation?
It was a miracle, but we might’ve found the only sane species in the galaxy. That left me ever more apprehensive for news of the Jaslips; while I was disconcerted about the idea of handling any kind of responsibility, on humanity’s behalf, Gress was adamant that I represent the colony. I needed to get back on the horse. The thought of a sightseeing tour of Avor did bring excitement to my chest. It’d been a long time since I saw a proper city outside of a screen, and there were many outdoorsy activities I’d never experienced. Did…did I even deserve those experiences?
I popped in my earbuds, opting to call Cherise as I packed my bag. “Good morning. I’m back on my own two feet, and ready to head out if you are. Do you know where I can find Gress?”
“Not so fast,” she replied. “Did Doctor Adebayo clear you to leave?”
“Well, she didn’t explicitly say I couldn’t. Genuinely, I am fine. My injuries were minor, and a few days’ rest has given me my strength back. Walking, talking, a-okay. It’ll be exciting to head to Avor. Been a long time since I’ve been to space, you know.”
“Taylor, I know for a fact that you’re not okay. We all harbored a lot of pent-up anger, after what the aliens have done, but you’ve always been a maestro at kissing up to their faces. You were never this irritable; set off on a dime, at the expense of your own goals.”
“My temper was a little short, and I’m sorry that I lost it with Gress. The drill accident was still fresh; I saw red, when he just…walked off! It was inexcusable, and I know I coulda fucked us all. I’m beyond sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I can’t say part of me didn’t like it when you clubbed him over the head. Hathaway’s chewed you out enough. I’m saying this because I’m worried about you, and I want you to know it’s okay to sit this one out. You went through a traumatic experience, almost dying, and it hasn’t even been a week. You could have a form of PTSD. A lot of cases, it goes away with enough time, but…I’m sure Gress would understand. You’re unfit to travel.”
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “Stop psychoanalyzing me. You’re not a fucking doctor. Besides, even if you were right, you really want to go crying mental issues to an alien? So he can assume I have predator disease?”
“There’s no reason to think Gress believes in predator disease. He thinks the Federation are nutcases, just like we do. These guys might actually know a thing or two about head trauma. If he wanted to slap you with that kind of label, I think he wouldn’t have excused away your assault.”
“Well, I appreciate the concern, but it’s not needed. I can do this. I’m upset about what happened, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. If you don’t want to go to Avor anymore, I understand; it’s dangerous. Just don’t try to stop me from making amends. Now you gonna tell me where Gress is, or not?”
Silence came from the other end of the earbuds, as I zipped up my makeshift travel bag. “Ugh. I imagine Gress is at the bar with the miners. He got very shitfaced the first night you were sidelined, and tried to pet and hug everyone. Hasn’t drank since, but still…he’s there a bunch. I’ll send a message to Hathaway, and we’ll meet you there.”
“You don’t want to go wait for us on the ship?”
“There’s not a chance in hell I’m leaving you alone with an alien. Especially since it’s time we got some answers about those ‘Jaslips’, and however the Krev ‘stopped the Federation from finding them.’”
“Shit, I’ll drink to that. We might not like Gress’ little story, I think. See you soon.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder, fantasizing to myself that I was a human on Earth, heading off to a beach resort in the Caribbean. We didn’t exactly have summer holidays, or any sort of reprieve, holed away down here. I skimmed my packing list one last time, making sure I hadn’t forgotten any essentials that the Krev might not have. I’d squirreled away some snack bars, just in case their ideas of primate diets were the dried insects they fed the obors. Pea-brained Juvre might have no standards for what he’d put in his mouth, but I was sapient. As much as I was itching to set off, it’d boil my blood to travel with that crazed demon.
Gress tried to tell me that Juvre was afraid of me, but that obor knew what it was doing: goes and perches, nice and innocent, on the Krev’s shoulder afterward. Cherise thinks I’m irritable now? I’m gonna get that stupid monkey back.
I sped up my strides as I entered the main cavern, casting my gaze to the elevator; with no reason to control traffic in and out of the colony, the gates and security restrictions had been lifted. From what I’d been told in earlier calls, Gress had relayed that we were primate refugees of war, rather than Federation oppressors. The Consortium signed off on our visit to Avor, which I supposed was an optimistic sign that they might help. I hadn’t even thought of what to ask for, but it would be wonderful if they could build a proper, aboveground home for us. It was bizarre to encounter aliens that had any semblance of charity or curiosity toward us.
Smiling bitterly to myself, I propelled my feet onward into the bar: given our circumstances, liquor was never out of fashion on Tellus. Drunken escapades were one way to cope with your homeworld being eradicated, and living two decades in an underground burrow. Just as Cherise had predicted, the green scales of the rent collector were visible atop a stool. A muscular miner sat across from Gress, waving a pint of beer in jolly fashion. The Krev was nonplussed by the human dwarfing his own figure, or the impressive “guns” that constituted his biceps. Several humans appeared to be eavesdropping on the conversation.
“So the real reason the payments weren’t ready was a strike?” Gress echoed. “I don’t blame you. We wanted it to be unfavorable, so you’d settle elsewhere. I’m going to ask for the Consortium to repay the materials’ shipments, and make it right. You don’t need to toil on our behalf, ever again; sweet darlings. I wish I could tear those Federation fuckers a new one.”
The human chugged the last of his beer. “You and me both. Except for the Vennies. Sure, they’d have piss dribbling down their fur at the bloody sight of us, but they tried to befriend us. To…stop what happened to Earth. They’re probably dead now too, ‘cause of it.”
“I’m sorry, Dale. Really, I am. I saw what you put yourselves through, trying to be their friends. However pitiful those Venlil acted, they’re probably the reason you made it here at all. The exchange program idea was adorable—”
“Except that we had to censor everything about our culture,” I spoke from behind Gress. “We picked a lot of tree-huggers to talk to the Venlil, and that’s the only reason they helped us.”
“Taylor! It’s good to see you. I was getting worried; I only have two days to get home, before Lecca’s performance. Maybe I can even take you…if you want. Please, grab a seat!”
“I’m good, thanks. I came here to let you know I’m ready to travel to Avor.”
“As am I,” Cherise’s voice said from next to me. “Taylor, the Venlil died for us. Whatever the exchange program’s faults were, some of those xenos called humans friends…short-lived as that was. Nobody else cared.”
“We care. My point was, I’ve been thinking about an exchange program between the Krev and humans. Voluntary, of course, but our morale’s been drained—just like yours. We’d love to get to know you. Fostering a few friendships could be a wonderful thing for us all.”
Mayor Hathaway strolled up to the table. “I’m sure we could drum up some interest. Humanity…has been in dire need of friends for far too long.”
Dale finished his pint, standing up. “You’re not half-bad, scales. I’ll leave you all to it, but count me in if you start an exchange program. Cheers mate.”
I waited as the miner ducked away, mulling over what seemed to be Gress’ latest idea. Cultural exposure wasn’t a bad idea, but how could humans ever bare our souls before aliens again? The idea of the Krev being our friends was appealing, in practice, yet there was so much baggage from our prior exchange program. However much more fortitude the scaly mammals had than the Federation, it’d be in the back of our minds about putting one foot wrong. Beyond that, I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that we resembled their pets. In that case, the shoe was on the other foot, compared to how the Venlil exchange had fared.
“I have an idea for how to start the exchange program,” I murmured. “Jaslips. Spill the beans. If you want to do it in the privacy of the ship, fine, but I want the damn truth. It’s not easy to trust you.”
Gress drummed his claws on the table. “Exchange program? Officializing it, just like that. Does that mean that we’re partners, Taylor?”
“You’d want to be?!”
“As a matter of fact, I was going to request to be paired with you, if you joined.”
“I…see.” I wasn’t sure why the fuck Gress wanted anything to do with me, but he wasn’t nearly as punchable as I thought he was, before the mask reveal. There was a lot more warmth and affability from this Krev father than I anticipated. “Fuck it. Why not? But your Jaslip story better not make us all hate your guts.”
“It wasn’t my decision. It happened before I was born. I don’t hate you for things humans did before you were born.”
“But you said it was the right decision. You agree with it, Gress.”
“Perhaps we should take this elsewhere?” Hathaway prompted.
The Krev raised a paw. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind if others overhear. If you’re ever to trust us, Taylor’s right; you need to hear our full history. So I’ll try to give you the rundown. Ah, so the Consortium was born a hundred years ago, made of our spacefaring allies. It was born…because we found the Federation.”
Gress tapped at a small projection device, casting a 3D representation of a white-furred quadruped; there were a number of things that stood out, beyond the triangular ears and bushy coat. These beings had forward-facing eyes—if these were the Jaslips, there were other sapients with binocular vision—not just us and the Arxur. I began to get a picture about why our Krev guest mentioned that these people needed to be hidden at all; their diet likely wasn’t adjacent to the Federation’s specifications. On Earth, these creatures had the form of something that hunted. My eyes did zero in on a trait that was truly alien; the Jaslip’s tail seemed to split into three fluffy fronds at its base.
Multiple tails? That’s a new one. I won’t disrupt his story, but I sure hope he gets to what the hell that’s about.
“These are the Jaslips. I imagine the image is insightful. While you and I find it noteworthy that they have split tails—meant for carrying their pups like a basket—the Federation would be more interested in their eyes. In the fact they’re carnivorous,” Gress explained.
Hathaway tilted his head. “Like the Arxur?”
“Nothing like those psychopaths! Good luck convincing the Federation of that, though. The Krev Consortium saw the threat posed to…any species their mindset touched, and you know that it was our job to stop them from finding us. To at least…buy a few generations of time. It was obvious the Jaslips were under the greatest threat of extermination, of all of our allies.”
“Because they’re predators,” I hissed.
“Well, yes, but it was beyond that. Avor is seven days’ travel from Sivkit space…the edge of Federation territory. We have hundreds of light-years between us and them. The Jaslips weren’t just suspect to them at a glance, but they also were the closest of any Consortium species. A day’s travel from Sivkit space. We saw it as a matter of time before they were found. An eventuality.”
Cherise narrowed her eyes. “The Federation didn’t find any other predators. What did you mean by stopping them, Gress?”
“Please, dear God, tell me you didn’t kill them,” I groaned. “Wouldn’t make me feel rosy about whether we’d be sacrificed, for the ‘greater good.’”
The Krev looked offended. “Our job is to protect people from the Federation, not to finish their work! We could never wipe out an entire race; that’s part of why we spared you, beyond fears of starting a war. We simply coordinated with the Jaslip government to move their population off-world. You see, their homeworld, Esquo, was absolutely frigid. We could offer them settlements on Avor’s poles, as well as other Consortium worlds. The Jaslips agreed with our plan: offloaded civilians, billions of them! The Great Relocation was a process we spent thirty years on.”
“That can’t be all you meant by a necessary evil. Getting them out of dodge from the Federation; that was the right thing to do.”
“Of course it was, Taylor. The…controversy of it all was the fact that there were Jaslips who refused to abandon Esquo, during the mandatory evacuation. Our plan was to make it look as though the planet had died via nuclear war; to wipe it of all traces of life, so they wouldn’t come looking. The Jaslip government wouldn’t sign off while there were still civilians on-world. The Reskets sent soldiers in, on our behalf, to round up the Jaslip stragglers. Got some of them, but others fought back. It was a damn clusterfuck.”
Cherise’s eyes darted back and forth, arriving at the same conclusion as me. “You tried to forcibly relocate the Jaslips, and failed. But I get the distinct impression that didn’t stop you?”
“It didn’t. You have to understand, it wasn’t just them. The Jaslips could’ve led them straight to all of us. Every year that Esquo stayed inhabited, it was at risk of being found; you humans saw the consequences of being discovered. Hindsight is easy, to know the Federation wouldn’t have expanded. Tell me, if you could’ve left Earth and stopped them from finding humanity, wouldn’t you have made any sacrifice?”
“I would,” Hathaway replied, in a measured voice. “Knowing what happened to our true home, I was willing to make any sacrifice to avoid getting into a war with the Krev.”
“You know what it’s like to have the fate of your entire species at the back of your mind. That’s not an easy burden, and I doubt it was an easy decision. The Krev just couldn’t wait any longer; time was up. We made the decision to pull the trigger, so the buffer between us and the Federation would be established.”
A pit formed in my stomach, thinking about yet another homeworld glassed to smithereens. “If you tried to evacuate all of the civilians off-world, and the majority agreed with your plan, I understand choosing the Consortium’s survival. It’s a shitty situation. I do wonder how the Jaslips reacted.”
“Not well; they’re still bitter over what we did, and it was thirty years ago. A little before your arrival. The true controversy…the Jaslips hibernate during the winter, when the temperatures drop to a certain point. Their farms can’t operate under such extreme conditions. We waited until their government on Avor was in hibernation, during its brief overlap with Esquo’s hibernation season. We…bombed their world to oblivion only then, while they weren’t there to protest or resist. The Jaslips woke up to find the planet gone, and everyone who remained on it dead.”
I swallowed, feeling my throat run dry. Forcibly ripping people from their homes was reprehensible enough, regardless of whether the Jaslip government had gone along with it; the ethics were dubious, though I could understand the Federation threat taking precedence. The story had taken a further decline, with the Krev failing to remove the remnants, and deciding to bury Esquo like the Krakotl did to Earth—with people still on it. The brute calculation of the Consortium was something I could understand: billions of lives, and multiple civilizations, against a few holdouts. Letting the Federation find the Jaslips wasn’t an option. Gress’ people were trying to prevent a tragedy on the scale of our own.
If that was what it had taken to save humanity, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. It’s the cowardice—the scumminess of that move that leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
I threw up my hands in disbelief. “You waited until the Jaslips all were asleep and powerless, to glass their planet without their permission? Am I getting this straight?”
“You are, Taylor. It was a shitty thing to do, I know. I feel sorry for them, but the Jaslips have set up new lives on the poles of other worlds,” Gress answered in a despondent voice. “Maybe their species still exists because of our choice. Maybe we could’ve given them a few more years to evacuate. Maybe we didn’t have to do it at all. I believe it was a necessary evil, but I agree it was evil. Deaths have never been our aim.”
“But you would sacrifice us, to save your Consortium’s hide? Are you worried about the risk of the Federation finding us?”
“I’m worried about the risk of the Federation finding any of us. You have my word that the Krev will protect you, whatever comes knocking. All we ask is that you help us ensure our collective safety…and that you can forgive the blood on our claws. Please.”
Mayor Hathaway’s giving me a look that says to play nice. We need the Krev’s help, and whatever I think about their handling of the Jaslip shit, it was thirty years ago. It’s better that we know.
I forced a smile. “Let’s head for Avor, Gress. It couldn’t have been easy to admit your species’ lowest moments, but I appreciate the trust. I suppose I should return the favor a little. You can tell us about the other species on the way over. We wouldn’t want to risk missing your daughter’s recital.”
“Oh, it’s only two hours to Avor. That’s why we had to have our warships intercept you; you’re too close, even with a signal dampening field!” Gress’ eyes brightened, as if he’d thought of something. “Lecca is going to love you. She has an obor backpack, you know; Juvre’s her obor, much as mine. I’ll have to properly introduce you to Juvre on the ride over.”
“Goodie. Lucky me.”
Cherise snorted. “Don’t tell me you still hold a grudge against that obor.”
“No. It’s not like I’m worried about getting my face taken off or anything.”
Gress raised a single claw. “Juvre will be on his best behavior, and so will you. Let’s head to the ship…friends. To my amazement, I hope to be back here soon.”
I arched my eyebrows, acknowledging my own shock at how this visit had played out. We’d shown our faces to the Krev, who we believed were here to exploit our misfortune, and found that we shared a common enemy in space. It was strange to think that I’d wound up verbally committed to an alien exchange program, and that I’d been volunteered to represent all of humanity: this time, with a tangible chance of securing a future in the stars. With any luck, my diplomacy would play out to a fairer audience than Noah Williams’ pleas had. I also hoped that the Jaslips were the worst skeleton in the Krev’s closet; their history couldn’t all be Machiavellian.
I shouldered my bag, loping after Gress, and bidding farewell to the only home that I could remember.
A/N - Chapter 15! Taylor is eager to get away from Tellus, as he struggles with guilt over the drill accident, and he finds Gress in the bar, chatting about the Venlil exchange; the Krev proposes an exchange program of their own, and already has his partner in mind. We learn a bit more about the Consortium's origins, only a century ago, and catch a glimpse of the binocular-eyed Jaslips. Esquo was the closest to the Federation, and relocation agreed to by the government was stalled for decades; so the Krev lost patience, bombing the stragglers during hibernation.
What do you think of the Krev's decision with the Jaslips? Do you imagine there's still tensions today due to their actions?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
John
Point 2 is flawed since the nomads live in both hot and cold climates hence “nomads” and one of the poles is explicitly not inhabited by the any bissems because the Tsieas invaded it. Point 1 still stands though.
Some Lvm
So, I've been thinking: A number of people here suggested the Jaslips are behind Tsia nomads' technological advancement, but I find two major problems with this theory: 1. The time table: the Tsia launched their first spacecraft 100 years ago, and the Consortium also discovered the Federation 100 years ago. To get there in time, a group of Jaslips would had to have taken off immediately after Fed discovery, not even waiting for the relocation plan. And we don't even know if Jaslips had their own FTL at that time. At least, it is unclear. 2. Why did the Jaslips choose the nomads? They are adapted to a cold climate, so the reasonable thing for them would be contacting the Selmer. The nomads seem to live in pretty warm climate which should be pretty uncomfortable for the Jaslips. Finally, while I can't rule out a misunderstanding, if the nomads were harboring Jaslips for several generations, they should have known not all aliens are evil. Especially not one's with forward facing eyes. I have an alternate theory: A Farsul research team discovered Ivrana, and tried to abduct a few isolated nomads for cure experiments, same as they did to the Archive captives. Only unlike with Danny Palmer and his poor brother, this team underestimated their prey, and got captured by the Tsia instead. After learning of their intentions and reverse engineering their craft, the Tsia decided they must protect them selves from an alien invasion at all costs.
Xelav
Im THIRSTY for that Krev POV
Qwerty Smith
I have said this elsewhere. But anyone who thinks you shouldn’t hold a grudge with a monkey hasn’t met one IRL
Space Paladin
There will be multiple Jaslip characters that appear during the next ten chapters, with one eventually becoming a mainstay!
Roscuro
That's definitely not nearly as bad as it could have been.
Apogee
Man, Taylor is young and dumb and dealing with generational trauma, PtSD, and a brain injury. He shouldn’t be going anywhere and his thinking that this will be a vacation is gonna take a chunk out of his butt. Honestly the security guard would make a better ambassador or the coward mayor. Things are gonna go so wrong. I’m also thinking that Gress may develop into a father figure for Taylor which will be interesting to see
Alekss Žukovskis
worse, they would first be kolshianed
Michael Halpern
the real tragedy is the timeline, so close to when the federation fell,
Gumcel
“It didn’t. You have to understand, it wasn’t just them. The Jaslips could’ve led them straight to all of us. Every year that Esquo stayed inhabited, it was at risk of being found; you humans saw the consequences of being discovered. Hindsight is easy, to know the Federation wouldn’t have expanded. Tell me, if you could’ve left Earth and stopped them from finding humanity, wouldn’t you have made any sacrifice?” “I would,” Hathaway replied, in a measured voice. “Knowing what happened to our true home, I was willing to make any sacrifice to avoid getting into a war with the Krev.” Of course fucking Hathaway agrees immediately, not sus at all :sivkit_clueless: Side note, Lecca with an obor backpack is just adorable, that’s prime real estate for fan artists. (Also I am humbly apologizing to my fellow patrons for spamming out 4 comments, there’s just so much I wanted to say lol :venlil_feral:)
EliasArt2Life
It could be 30 in the “30 or more, but less than 40” sense, or his species could mature faster, he could have born very shortly after, or some combination of the three.
Gumcel
“It wasn’t my decision. It happened before I was born. I don’t hate you for things humans did before you were born.” Am I the only one who thinks this line in particular reminds of some of the things Tarva would say? Le parallel? Am I onto something or is this just an insane delusion of mine?
EliasArt2Life
I don’t know if it counts as good or evil, but I’m of the opinion that it was definitely wrong. Typically, in tough situations like this, the easier a solution is, the worse it is morally. And let’s face it, bombing people while they’re asleep and there’s no one awake to protest is a pretty easy solution to the problem. A much harder one would have been forcefully moving them while they were in that hibernation phase, and in poor condition to resist. And that’s not even the hardest solution to the problem. They could have cloaked the planet, or something like that, but at that point the real question is if these solutions are even possible. But, it’s hard to make decisions like that, especially when your lives are on the line. I don’t begrudge them. Although I also don’t blame the Jaslips for hating them.
EliasArt2Life
I also wonder if this could have something to do with the Tseia Nomads’ unprecedented assault on Nelmin? Did they find out about aliens in Nomad territory? Was it to provide more land for the Jaslips? Questions, questions.
Gumcel
I am surprised to see Taylor take some accountability for his actions so fast, but I guess he’s a mainstay pov character so it would be pretty annoying if he just stayed as an unlikeable ass forever. By the end of the story well hopefully see him shed off dickhead Hathaway and become a better person. Not surprised at him disliking Juvre though, he definitely seems like the type of person to hold a grudge against an animal lol.
EliasArt2Life
I’m crediting @Lunam for this idea. I’m unsure if I would have put the pieces together on my own, but I read their comment first, so they get the credit. New prime suspect for who gave advanced technology to the Nomads; the Jaslips. Gress said the consortium was created because they discovered the Federation, about 100 years ago, and the relocation started at about that time. 100 years ago is also when the Tseia Nomads began their erratic behavior. I think that rather than all the Jaslips going to Avor, some of them sought out other planets to inhabit, and came across the Bissem. They chose the Nomads because the Nomads have seasonal behavior, just like the Jaslips; when the Nomads travel to one of their other cities, the Jaslips can hibernate in one of the vacant ones. The Consortium races also have unknown levels of cybersecurity, something that the Nomads have plenty of, but the Federation and Arxur lacked. Why do the Nomads hate all aliens? Because the Jaslips told them about the Federation, and later the Consortium bombing their home with people on it. If this IS the case, then this is about to get very interesting. I’m guessing that the Jaslips are in hibernation, which is why they haven’t remarked on humans having forward facing eyes to the Nomads. When humanity talks to the Jaslips, and hear about what the Consortium did, the SC will HATE the Consortium. All of a sudden, you have two factions of humanity on opposite sides, and all the drama that comes with it. It would be the first time since the Kolshian records that the galaxy has seen a large scale human vs human, or maybe, the humans will be the only ones who DON’T want to fight, since they thought the other lost, and they have to keep the rest of the two groups from going into all out war.
Gumcel
Hey my theory about the Jaslips ended up being right :bissem_pog: Sad thing is that the glassing happened about 7 years before the federation fell, meaning that it was probably completely unnecessary lol. Also Gress says it happens before he was born but it was only 30 years ago? Am I reading that right, if so he’s a lot younger than I assumed. Even if the evacuations started more than 30 years ago, this line: “It wasn’t my decision. It happened before I was born. I don’t hate you for things humans did before you were born.” Makes it sound like he’s talking about the glassing specifically.
Some Lvm
Just because the war is over, doesn't mean generations of Fed brainwashing are gone. Even Tarva - the first alien to accept humans, and having been married to one for 15 years, still falls back to "predator - prey" paradigm with her own family. You expect the Krakotle to just say: Oh well, the squids are gone, we will just ignore our instincts now, and think the thing we believed to be the root of all evil for generations is cute.
Some Lvm
A realist should know you can draw lines all you want, but you can't beat back reality. I still don't know where I stand on what the Krev have done, but honestly, it is only because I, as reader of NoP 1, know just how shaky the Federation foundations were, and how beatable it turned out to be. There is no question what would have happened to the Juslips, and anyone found to be their ally, if the Feds did in deed discover them. The problem is, on its surface, the Federation would look unbeatable to a small group like the consortium, 6 worlds facing off with 300 space fairing member species and their colonies. Without our war history, and the partial as it may have been alliance with the Arxur, humanity still would have lost the war. Heck - if Issif didn't show up at the battle of Earth, the Arks really would have been the last of humanity. So for now, I can at least say the Krev were not wrong. Was it worth gambling that the Feds won't show? I don't know. Would the Feds have shown up, if humanity didn't rear its head in Fed space and shuffled the galactic deck? I don't know. But I think we can all be sure what kind of carnage would ensue if the had.
Elliott
I actually thought of Demon Deity's Marred Migration fanfic, the Sivkit's weren't friendly with humans but didn't want to participate in genocide against us, they just avoided us and I believe some fled. Sivkits honestly deserve better, they got crippled by the Federation so hard they walk on fours now. They couldn't even trust humans for reverse gene edits so now I assume most are still quadrupeds with bad backs.
Elliott
I don't even see what they did to the Jaslips as evil. It was done to save THEM, and they made the extra effort of offering space on their own homes. Sure it sucks and can seem pretty scummy in hiding it from them, but they tried their hardest to even forcefully relocate them. It's official, I'm a Krev Apologist.
John
I wrote this theory off at first but the more I think about it the more plausible it sounds.
Anemoia
It's the logical conclusion when seen from an outside perspective, but what Taylor is worried about is that they made the decision, behind the Jaslips' backs, to kill the remaining holdouts. If the Consortium was willing to sacrifice them to avoid the Federation's attention, what would stop them from handing over the last humans if they demanded it? Obv, we know the Federation is long gone, but they don't.
Qwerty Smith
Bro, you’ve clearly never met a monkey if you think you shouldn’t beef with a monkey
Lunam
.......................Oh fuck. They didn't realize there were survivors. Survivors who PROBABLY moved to a Penguin world.
Cartoon dinosaur
Space paladin, Shouldn't the Kratol consider humans cute? considering bird chicks are naked, and humans dont have much integument , that should be enough for the same signals to go off right? Has this become apparent since the end of the war
Brianreal
Well, compared to the feds, the krev are angles. I mean, what other options are there? You cant move the entire system, there's always a chance the feds would find them, and if you leave the world habitable, you'd undermine all your efforts to cover your trail. On a side note, I really hope Gress and Taylor get to be besties, he really need a shoulder to lean on and I guess to a krev, having a sentient primate pal would be awesome.
Wingit98
What they did with the Jaslips was evil for sure, but not irrational, especially with their closest federation neighbors being the Sivkits of all races, who seem to be the Galaxy's worst invasive species and jump from planet to planet. I can at least understand this heinous act, relative to the many, many, many other heinous acts in this series.
Brianreal
He is single, but I'm not sure if it is has anything to do with the story, at least not yet. It's far too early to see. I honestly think Gress and Taylor will end up best friends and hopefully helps Taylor through his problems.
Tyler Ellis
Really digging the imagery you painted of the Jaslips, something majestic and seriously hope we see some in character at some point. Also love how Taylor admits the fact that the incident was all his fault rather than blaming Gress but I’m still concerned about Taylor, for the love of God Gress you’ve got to realize that Juvre is a better ambassador for humanity than Taylor is.
Ron1990
Uh oh, I try to imagine the human reaction when they found a glassed world, inhabitated by carnivores with binocular vision some 30years ago, and not destroyed by the kolshians. Something to get paranoid.
Ron1990
Are the Sivkits member of the SC?
GeneralLDS
as bad as the whole jaslip situation is, I think things would’ve been worse if they hadn’t done that. I could imagine the federation sending an extermination fleet and wiping everyone out
Ron1990
hmm... damn patreon editor, how can i do a (argh.. quoting also not working) return+ line feed? ok, found it! shift+ret, i'm sure this doesn't function some seconds ago :-)
Willie
I get why they did it but decimating a planet feels horible and not trying to abduct the sleepers (the second is probably unfeasible) I do love gress just he's so hopelessly obsessed with humans it's adorable... and he's single~ Taylor feels like he needs a good cry a good venting session he just needs to release all that biuldup- also some therapy after he deserves better
Space Paladin
I’m sure they’d be totally chill about it 🤔
PhycoKrusk
Taylor is being sent to talk to the Consortium for two reasons: 1) Hathaway wan't be bothered to find somebody else 2) Hathaway is _hoping_ that Taylor snaps and screws up specifically so he can nail him to the wall, blame everything going wrong on him, and then send somebody else to "clean up." Everything he's doing, he is doing to improve his own image. As to whether Taylor is American or not: Irrelevant. He was 9 when he left Earth, and as we've seen, the UN sent barely any literature with them outside of field guides and repair manuals. He literally _does not know_ history, and so it is wholly unreasonable to expect him to have self-awareness in this instance.
Gavin Pierce
No doubt. But i think that as more and kore of the federations true crimes are revealed to the consortium even the jaslips may be horrified enough to accept it
Lokyar
Yeah, what the consortium did was nasty but necessary from what they knew at the time. The dick move was to do it while the Jeslips were hibernating against their will. If they'd okayed it but said to do it during hibernation to minimise suffering, that's different... but it doesn't sound like that's the case, it sounds like it happened then mostly for political expediency.
Triskit
30 years ago was 2130. Well before humans were discovered
Danny Luca
Thank you for explaining!
PhycoKrusk
In the past here, I have always been one to advocate for realpolitik; the approach to political challenges with regards solely for the realities for the situation, and none to ideals. There are times when we must compromise parts of our ideals in the present so they were can continue to pursue them in the future. Even a realist, however, must draw a line where the things beyond it are too far. Evil is never necessary, and it must never be necessary. The moment that it is, the moment that someone accepts that the final line must be crossed, the game is over; not because they've lost, but because there is nothing for them to win. God save the Krev.
Thrownawaz
Taylor do NOT fight someone's space puppy! Your situation is barely stable again!
Paperclip
I wonder if this whole thing with Esquo is how the Consitorium gets in contact with the SC. I imagine the Feddies haven't even discovered Esquo yet, and as the Sivkits relocate to Esquo and find signs of life, they investigate and find trails to the Consitorium. They open channels one way or another, mutually tell each other to fuck off, then the Krev mentions the Federation and how they hate them, the Sivkits spill the beans and tells the truth about what happened, at least up until the point where they isolated themselves. Hearing that Humanity is still alive, the Consitorium tries to get in contact with them. Bombing the Jaslips like that is kind of a Feddie move though. This might be a crackhead theory, but I'm seeing parallels to the Bissems and Jaslips because of that. We have two races that are (rightfully) bitter with how First Contact went for them, and another race undergoing a pretty rocky First Contact. I feel like it's not too far-fetched to say that after contact with the SC is made, that the Yotul and the Jaslips form a First Contact worker's union of sorts. I'm not sure what this would entail, but I feel like that's where we're headed.
TheDudeAbides
Why is Taylor allowed to interact with the aliens still? He gets like, one wrong word or a dirty look from an alien on Avor and he's gonna snap. I'm calliing it now, something will go majorly wrong on this trip. Like scenario I'm imagining is the Obor antagonize Taylor and he snaps, yelling and freaking out at the thing. Tbe daughtrd will witness the second half of that and run up to get him away from the Obor and not realizing who she is he'll react to defend himself, hurting her in the process. Also is Taylor American? Because if so he needs to stfu. The generations before us forcibly relocated people (but unlike the krev there was no help for the people we forced off their land.) then killed any stragglers. Except the krev had a legit reason for their act of calculated cruelty. Humans through history have done similar things as what happened to the jaslips but our ancestors motivation wasn't preventing the end of the species, it was all done for comparitively tiny, unimportant (compared tok the ore) reasons like little bits of money, land, power, resources and/or resources.
Aured
So, they've been living underground for 20 yrs. I don't recall if the earlier chapters said how long they were in the ark ship - long enough for things to fall apart. That means 30 yrs ago could easily fall _after_ the SC took down the federation. When the Jaslips discover their home was glassed for no reason after all, there will be trouble!
Abby
30 years ago... Oh god. Wait until the Jaslips find out that they abandoned their homeworld and left their kind for dead for absolutely nothing.
Dragon Writer Luc
I was struck with the timeline: it happened at the exact same time as the war with the Federation, or pretty close anyway. Someone avoiding the region wouldn't know that things had changed.
PS1 Hagrid
THE ZEYZELL ARE REAL
Full_diamond_6414
I think you underestimate how emotionally fragile people are. Put a person without the right tools into a high pressure situation, and your animla brain moght revert to some....methods that worked in the past - sort of a "i never stabbed somebody that didnt immediately stop being a problem" kind of like...default to instinct. If people have temper tantrums at service staff over like...burger orders...than I absolutely see most people not beomg very in control of themselves.
Bbobsillypants
Gotta say the consortiums actions dont seem to bad. I mean they could have definetly done things differently when the people your trying to evacuate have a mandatory month long "off" mode. Just a little preventative genocide. To prevent one big genocide. Federations action make that look like kiddy time. Wonder how the jeslips are gonna react tho when they realize that not only did the federation not expand to their world, it never will because the same monkeys you just rescued, pulled the mother of all hail marrys and effectively destroyed the federation as a concept.
Pleaseandthabkyou
I don’t even think they’re morally ambiguous, just were put in a shitty situation and were forced to act in shitty ways because of their moral principles. Intent and principle is a better measure of morality than actions.
John Benjamin Cate
Well, I look forward to the revelation that this act was completely pointless.
Space Paladin
Thank you!
kenneth Moore
I am literally nonplussed by this comment… :)
Space Paladin
Both of those things will be answered; a lot of the details of the Esquo situation are very important 😅
Koda
I really hope Taylor’s mannerisms and bedside manners improve, imagine if all our diplomats acted out this way or were this vocal about their own opinions, instead of keeping their thoughts to themselves and doing what’s best for their people. I know he’s not a trained diplomat, even though his job was to act as a liaison/ ambassador, but at this point I’m sure your average burger-joint manager is better at negotiating and de-escalating than ol’ Trench here. it makes for an interesting story, I’ll give ya that.
Steve Vega
Based on the timeline, if the Consortium had just waited a few years the nukes would have been completely unnecessary. When they inevitably find out that the humans actually beat the feds in only a year after discovering FTL by making friends with a slightly less monstrous Arxur commander and some herbivores who were hoping for a chance to choose violence with the squids there's definitely going to be some drama with the Jaslips.
Steve Vega
I think he meant that the Jaslip were 7 days to get to the Sikvit, but the rest of the consortium is further out. I also think there was a mention by Noah in the NoVa story that the FTL ships used by humans post war can cross the entire galaxy in a week (or a month?) but I might be misremembering.
Byron Ritchie
Huh I guess I was right about the consortium being morally ambious and not evil… Well not as evil as the feds anyways
BigSneppy
Bro is beefing with a monkey 💀
Anthony Mears
FYI if you've never seen it, "Be the first to share your thoughts" is on the screen when you are in the comments with no entries. it refreshes slow so 6 people can all think they're the only ones there.
Jonathan Cardoso Mota
It was the previous krev chapter, chapter 12 IIRC
Matthew Evan Davis
How many holdouts are we talking about? The first thing that stuck in my head is that if they hibernate, they could have taken any Jaslip holdouts then before pulling the trigger. Was an attempt made?
Alekss Žukovskis
I love the krev, i hope they're benevolent assholes to anyone but terrans.
th3h4ck3r
Partial genocide < multiple complete genocides
REDemon14
I has a suspicion that was the situation with the Jaslips. It's a tough spot to be in. Though I wonder what would happen if sivkits appear in consortium space anyways. That might be how they and the ark humans find out about Earth's survival and the federation's collapse. It'd be funny for the Krev to find out that the adorable sapient primates have solved a good amount of Orion's problems.
Kingarthur
If they're basically already on avor and it's only 7 days to get to skivit space did they not actually get very far or is their ftl drive just better than the ark ship? For people attempting to get as far away as possible and needing to land due to lack of supply it sure seems like they're still really damn close
John
The Krev committed war crimes to ensure the federation didn’t find them.
Ciberj1
Loving this story more by the second!
Janne Riihinen
Morning y'all
Byne
"The Krev was nonplussed by the human dwarfing his own figure" Nonplussed is frequently used to mean unbothered but it actually means bothered enough that you dont know how to react.
HiMyNameIsFelipe
Hey can someone help me clear something up? I think I missed the part where they talked of the Jaslips before. When where they mentioned and what was said of them? I feel like I just missed a point in the conversation
print Path
Hey you just wrote E then change it Hmmmmmm Well played I guess
Pepe Groeneveld
thought id give it a shot but yall are too quick
Alekss Žukovskis
6 firsts in 1 minute, thats gotta be a company record
Anthony Mears
1st...uh 6th.
Tyler Ellis
Damnit all!
Alekss Žukovskis
Forst
Pepe Groeneveld
first
print Path
First
Themu 050
First
Corporal Chunk
Fiiiiirst again, prolly gonna fall soon enough to the great Print Path Anyways, on another note, i want a UN exploration to stumble on Avor and the gress almost shooting them down because they thought it was the Feds, then the humans recognising the UN emblem
