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The Nature of Predators 2-2
🕑 Added 2024-01-11 12:00:07 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist
Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160
The alien stood in silence after pronouncing those series of words in our dialect, waiting as we processed its message. Its two partners stood behind it, with the shortest one especially seeming deferential. I gawked at the visitors, setting aside all thoughts of approaching them with numbers and a slow exchange of vocabulary. Some of the clicks sounded strange from its vocal cords, reverberating with strength and power, but the usage was spot on. We needed to have a way to respond to them now, and I’d never even thought what to say! It had been a possibility that I ruled out as fantastical, imagining how different they would be.
What was I supposed to think of them knowing our language? They must either be able to learn unfathomably quickly through some kind of cognitive transference, or they’d been monitoring us for quite a while. The latter seemed the most plausible, but then again, this entire premise of this scenario shouldn’t have been plausible. If they had been present, observing us like our scientists would track a school of fish…that, coupled with their words, meant they didn’t bear us any ill will.
It was possible they’d been here for a much longer duration, watching our entire societal history play out. These were advanced lifeforms after all, with capabilities that allowed them to travel light years through space! Perhaps they were progenitors of life in this star system; for all we knew, these were our very creators. I thought about their entity’s name, “The Sapient Coalition.” It sounded like an alliance of numerous species, and it didn’t follow that they’d evolved on the same world. Wait…were they inviting us to join a galactic community?
We have to be on our best behavior. Naltor needs to call off his guns, and play nice; we’re directly communicating with multiple worlds.
“Welcome to Ivrana,” I managed, a stupefied croak that barely escaped my beak. “We’re honored to have you here. Uh…may I ask how you know our language?”
Several barks escaped the tall, slender figure’s chest. “We got your messages, and observed your world for several years to assess the best way to approach contact; don’t worry, we’re familiar with your culture, so you won’t cause us any offense. Might I say, Journey Beneath the Ice is a great movie!”
General Naltor blinked in confusion. “You watched Journey Beneath the Ice?”
“A…guilty pleasure. I can sense the nasty looks from my colleagues, but we humans…we like to keep it light. Forgive me. To answer your question, we do have language model-driven translator technology, which decoded your four primary languages. However, to avoid any misunderstandings, mistranslations, and clunky machines, our team learned to speak Vrit fluently. It took ten years. It’s really hard to teach those damn machines idioms and wordplay…as I’m sure you, a species that’s had the internet for decades, can imagine.”
They are nothing like I imagined they would be. Wow. I…I need to sit down.
“We can imagine,” I managed, trying not to swoon. “You…you spent ten years of your life learning our language, just to speak to us with minimal confusion? We’re honored.”
“We’re honored to be here. This is the Coalition’s…first time initiating a first contact scenario, so forgive us if we’re not the smoothest at it,” the puffy-backed creature spoke, in a lighter voice. “I think we should introduce ourselves and our respective species, Dustin.”
The tall creature paused, thinking for several seconds. “Yes, I think we should. I’m Dustin Curtis, and I’m a xenobiologist. Discovering lifeforms from across the galaxy has been my calling; I confess, I’m itching to get a look at your wildlife up close, once we become friends. As you might’ve cued in on, I’m a human…from the planet Earth.”
“I’m Nulia. I have a doctorate in sociology, so let’s say I’m the one who’s analyzed your national relations. I’m a Gojid, technically from the cradle, but I’ve lived on Skalga since I was a small child,” the mid-sized one chimed in.
The shortest alien hesitated, before piping up tentatively. “I’m Haliska. I’m here because my species is the only semiaquatic race in the Sapient Coalition, so we share your love for water. For what it’s worth, the humans, despite being land mammals through and through, adore the ocean too. My species is the Thafki, and we…live on the Commune. Our homeworld was destroyed, long ago.”
“Your homeworld was destroyed?” My gasp of horror escaped a moment later, as I tried to imagine Ivrana just being…gone. The way Haliska said it so calmly was concerning; I didn’t know what this “Commune” was either. “Forgive me if I’m being insensitive, but what happened?”
“Did someone attack your planet?” General Naltor asked, disregarding all notions of tact.
Haliska’s tail twitched with sadness. “If I told you what happened without context, it would alarm you…let me clarify that the species that did that to my homeworld has been isolated from the rest of the galaxy, and are monitored by the SC. I’m afraid my planet was bombed…and our old allies did nothing to help us. Humans rescued some of our, um, hostages, and have helped us build an official Commune as something to call our own. It’s a long story, and I…don’t want to sour first contact.”
“You’re not souring anything. We appreciate your honesty, and I’m sorry that’s happened to the Thafki,” I jumped in hastily, feeling a mix of shock and sympathy at this appalling story. “I am worried by much of this history you’ve described.”
Naltor’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I’m glad that my scientific friend shares my concerns. I also noted it was mentioned that you’ve never initiated a first contact, despite the fact you all know each other. Am I correct in assuming you had some major conflict?”
“You can say that again,” Dustin muttered. “The SC is a newer organization. I’m afraid the galaxy’s recent history is troubled, but I assure you that we’ve come here, in the hopes of starting something better. It’s of the utmost importance to us that we help you, yet minimize our impact on your culture. We wanted to come to you with honesty, while also not overwhelming you or stunting your individuality.”
It was interesting to hear the human address Naltor’s colonization fears, by expressing that they wanted to avoid a Nelmin situation. The Selmer general folded his flippers in front of his thick blubber, scrutinizing the aliens with caution. He hesitated, before signaling for the military assets to stand down; I noticed the visitors’ posture relax. From what they’d just described about there being a major conflict in the stars, I imagined they would recognize any type of weapon. It wasn’t unlikely that they knew about our own history, and had studied our military from above as well. Part of me was…disappointed that these species were plagued by the same strife up in the stars that we were down here.
What was the cause of this major conflict, one so horrible that entire worlds were destroyed? What brought the war to an end…and what happens if this quarantined species gets past the Sapient Coalition?
The positives were that these beings were interested in communicating with us, and had expressed multiple times that they didn’t mean us any harm. While I could tell that General Naltor wanted to press them on this war issue, and gather the entirety of the details, I wanted to learn more about why they decided to contact Lassmin before any other nation. There was evidence this wasn’t by chance; the aliens had found our probe, and Nulia indicated they knew our factional tendencies. There was a great deal that they could teach Bissems, even if their minds were less beyond us than I envisioned…but we’d have to find a way to juggle competing interests on Ivrana first.
The last thing we needed was to be at each other’s throats; it wouldn’t take much for the Selmer, Vritala, and Tseia nations to turn on their counterparts. With literal visitors from another world, some naïve voice in my brain prayed to Hirs that we would see the folly in our squabbles. However, if that meant that we’d just unify our guns against other planets, as it seemed had happened among these aliens…I wasn’t sure that was any different. I hoped we could find a way to make the Sapient Coalition into friends of Bissems from all subspecies, and to make them not regret opening up the galactic community.
There were thousands of questions about much lighter topics at the tip of my tongue: how many aliens were out there? What were their cultural and anatomical quirks; their greatest achievements and homeworld marvels? How did their spacefaring technology grant them the means to violate the speed limit of the universe…or did it? Dustin, Nulia, and Haliska couldn’t have known about FAI’s messages any earlier than two decades ago, no matter how close their star was. That meant they were either within a few light-years of our space (accounting for the signal’s dispersal time and their travel), or they had FTL mechanisms.
“Excuse me, miss?” Haliska prompted. “What’s your name?”
Blood rushed to my forehead from embarrassment. “I apologize, I got lost in my thoughts. There’s so many things I could ask you. I’m Dr. Tassi from FAI, and this is General Naltor of the Lassian Military.”
“Dr. Tassi! Don’t worry, there’ll be time to ask us absolutely anything you want,” Dustin chuckled. “I’d like to thank your military friend for not shooting us.”
Nulia sighed in exasperation. “Don’t joke about that!”
“Oh, I’m not joking. We definitely spooked these guys…I think we still have. I thought it’d be a simple invitation, if they wanted to meet with us. I’m sorry for any alarm our presence has caused you. We’re sentimental bastards; we like to do things personal, face-to-face. If you for some reason want us to leave, just ask, and we’ll go right now.”
“Do not leave.” Naltor’s words were all but an order, and I cringed at how he spoke to the aliens. “Why Lassmin? Why did you pick us?”
“You had the space program, and you’re also the closest thing to a union of all Bissems,” Haliska answered. “The Confederation of Vrital and the Merlei Huddledom haven’t given a shit about space in over a century.”
Never thought I’d hear casual profanity at first contact, but let’s just waddle with it.
“We thought about landing in Nelmin, since it’s off-limits—forbidden for any settlements because of the Nel Armistice,” Nulia remarked. “That would be neutral ground, but it’s also a sore spot to start our relations. We wouldn’t want to risk you fighting about whether to return at all.”
Dustin made a strange gesture with his appendage. “Haliska didn’t mention the third grouping, so I feel obligated to touch on it. We’re aware of how well the Tseia Nomads react to visitors trying to land on Alsh…and that’s with other Bissems. They’re reclusive in the best of times, so I can’t say how they’d take to us. We like our spaceships without an ICBM in the hull.”
“You’re smart on that front. Unpredictable, shifty fucks do what they want, when they want,” Naltor mumbled.
I shot the Selmer general a concerned look. “Let’s not refer to other Bissems that way around the aliens? Common sense. They’re here to speak to all of us.”
“We are. I’ll tell you what a very wise leader told our species, when we bumbled out to deep space; we’re not here to take sides, show favoritism, or meddle in your conflicts.” Dustin ducked his head, rubbing his digits against the back of his neck in a self-soothing way. “Sort it out among yourselves, but you get one embassy. Ivrana is one entity to us, because we don’t have the diplomatic bandwidth for anything more.”
“Lassmin has been seeking Bissem Unity for years, but we can’t control the others!” Naltor spat.
“I don’t think we need to decide on any hierarchies right now.” I interceded hastily, not wanting to have the aliens believe we couldn’t get along. It had been kind of Dustin not to judge us for warring amongst ourselves, but it seemed his kind had moved past that at first contact; we needed to as well. “Question on the spacesuits, if you don’t mind. Is our environment not breathable for you? Or is it to prevent microorganism contamination?”
Dustin and Haliska seemed to share a glance beneath their helmets, while Nulia tried to give the appearance of being distracted. My innocuous question, to pivot away from the topic of Bissem acrimony, seemed to have touched a nerve. It was possible the aliens looked drastically different from us, and were concealing their anatomy to avoid frightening us; they could have six eyes, no skin, or something altogether “horrifying.” They also might not want to tip off their vulnerabilities, if it had to do with a toxin in our world’s atmosphere. It was as if the human was a bit nervous.
What is he frightened of: that we’ll weaponize whatever we learn about his species? If it was just microorganisms, he’d say it.
“Microbes can’t jump between alien species; biology varies too much from world-to-world,” Nulia answered. “It’d pose no risk to you. The proof is the hundreds of years we’ve been in contact with each other, though we ran simulations just to be certain.”
Haliska thumped her tail on the ground. “Your atmosphere is breathable to us as well; we all are dependent on oxygen. If we landed in Merlei Huddledom territory on the poles, that would pose an environmental hazard. None of us are suited to that kind of cold, but other than that, no standard environment on Ivrana should be dangerous to us.”
Dustin stiffened, digits curling with reluctance. “It feels early to take off the suits, before you’ve truly gotten to know us.”
“We’re asking because we truly wish to get to know you,” I prompted. “You said yourself that your kind likes relations personal, face-to-face, yet you’ve obscured your features.”
“It’s…complicated. I…I think that Haliska and Nulia should start.”
Nulia hesitated, before popping off her helmet and sliding out of the suit. Thick, brown fur enveloped her features, along with some sort of spikes attached to her spine; the claws were both slender and lengthy, presenting an additional natural threat. It didn’t seem that she could sprint well, given how stout her legs were. There was nothing especially alien about her, with the same quantity and layout of features as standard life on our homeworld. Her brown irises were warm as they stared back at us, reflecting sunlight with cool warmth.
Haliska risked a glance at the enraptured soldiers, many of who were as absorbed in this pivotal moment as I was. She shimmied out of her own suit, standing well below the Gojid; the Thafki had a bluish-gray coloration, twitching whiskers atop cream patches on her chin, and webbed feet not dissimilar to our own. That matched with the story of her semiaquatic origins; the lithe form of her body and tapered shape of her tail were perfect for swimming. Overall, these two creatures were agreeable to the eyes, which meant the problem must be with Dustin. What was the human concerned about?
“Well, shit. Here goes,” the final masked alien muttered.
Dustin’s hands drifted up to his helmet, and Naltor scrutinized him as he slowly removed the helmet. The creature’s rosy lips wobbled with nerves, as he trained two eyes directly at me; this species had a narrower scope of vision, best suited to depth perception. I did note how large the unpigmented portion of his sclera was: curious. His other features were even more peculiar, with a massive, triangular nose that jutted out of the center of his face. His ears were circular, with cartilage folded in swirling patterns that I’d never seen before. There was no fur on his face, or seemingly further down his neck, but tangled, brown hair sprouted atop his head.
He looks the most alien, but not especially frightening. His skin looks soft and delicate.
It didn’t escape my notice how Haliska and Nulia seemed relieved, when none of us reacted poorly to Dustin. The human’s eyes fluttered, warming as he saw he wasn’t being rebuffed. Granted, most of my wild assumptions about these aliens had been wrong so far, since this hadn’t been anything like my imagined first contact scenarios. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had judged his species for something. This trepidation about merely showing his face wasn’t natural.
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” I offered, in the most gracious voice I could muster. “Naltor, what would you say to extending these aliens a proper welcome?”
General Naltor’s beak parted with alarm. “I would say if we organize the necessary preparations, and then transport these aliens somewhere we can host festivities, there’s no way to stop it from getting out to the public!”
“We wanted you to have the opportunity to announce the news yourselves, but if I may, they’re going to find out eventually,” Dustin commented. “Forgive my forwardness, but we’re not going to play a part in hiding anything from the masses. It goes against our founding principles.”
Haliska lashed her tail. “There’s nothing to fear. People adjust more quickly than you might think to their new reality. You’d be amazed what they…can adjust to. Believe me, I would know.”
“I agree that we should be transparent with the public, sir.” I raised my flippers for emphasis, hoping to show the sincerity in my words. “This is something all Bissems have the right to know. I understand you wanted to protect the people, at first, but I don’t believe our visitors are a threat.”
“I suppose livestreaming it on the internet would make the dumbfucks in the other nations less inclined to do anything stupid,” Naltor grumbled. “What’s that look for, Tassi? Ah, right, I shouldn’t have said ‘dumbfucks.’ I meant the ‘nice people’ in other nations.”
The human flashed his teeth briefly, earning a lingering glance from me; they weren’t impressive dental structures, but it was an odd expression to display at this time. I was keen on learning the aliens’ nonverbals. While it was helpful that they’d learned our own to avoid any misunderstandings, what appeared to be a threat display by our zoological standards was an example of why we needed to learn theirs. Dustin covered his mouth with a sheepish expression, noticing that Naltor had returned to an alert posture.
“I apologize. My species has the…odd habit of curving our lips upward when we’re amused or happy. It’s a sign of submissiveness and goodwill, believe it or not. It’s instinctual, so despite how other species admonish us, it’s difficult to control. I can put the helmet back on if it makes you uncomfortable,” the xenobiologist said.
I raised a flipper to reassure him. “Nonsense. You’re an alien; of course, you evolved with different expressions than us. Now that we know what it means, I’m sure Naltor won’t take it as a challenge.”
The general scoffed. “I was not going to contest the alien’s strength, even if he was provoking me. I just wasn’t going to let myself seem intimidated. Why don’t we bring these aliens onto a transport, make an announcement to the public, and set up a feast replete with the finest delicacies?”
“A feast?” Haliska whispered, with a tone that seemed fearful.
“We should stay that offer. We don’t know the aliens’ customs around mealtime, or whether they’d be able to eat our food. It is a bit presumptive, Naltor,” I said hastily, wanting to cover whatever faux pas we’d committed against the Thafki. “Perhaps they don’t like excess or wasting food, or they’re private. Maybe they only share food with close friends…or maybe they don’t eat at all.”
Dustin shot the bluish-gray alien a smoldering glare. “We know how central fishing is to Bissem culture, and how hospitable it is for them to extend an invitation to a feast. Don’t we?”
“Yes. Of c-course we do,” Haliska whimpered.
“It’s no different from the humans,” Nulia assured the Thafki quietly. “We accept this now, ever since the deconversions. You know that I’m uncured.”
Uncured? Deconversions? What the fuck are they talking about?
“I feel like there’s something I should know about here.” General Naltor eyed the visitors with concern, thinking the same thing by my assessment. “I didn’t mean to cause any offense. I was trying to celebrate your arrival.”
The human bobbed his head from side-to-side. “No, you didn’t cause us any offense. Your invitation was quite kind, and we’ll accept it if you're still willing to extend it. There’s some…complicated matters that we’ll explain to you in due time, but I’d prefer not to get into our full baggage today. What I will say is that none of our allied species subsist solely on meat, so I must ask if it’s possible for you to accommodate us with some vegetable fare? I know your bodies aren’t adapted for eating it, but…”
“Of course, we should’ve asked about that. It’s hard to think of food as not fish,” I responded. There’s something much deeper going on here, but I haven’t figured out what. “We have some sea plants and a small selection of land vegetables for our fish farms. That’s what we’d be able to bring in on short notice. It’s not a massive selection, but we should have no problem accommodating your needs.”
“Great. Thanks,” a queasy-looking Haliska replied.
Hesitation flickered in Naltor’s eyes, debating whether to press the aliens. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements; the FAI convention center should be perfect. I’m sure the rest of Tassi’s fellow scientists will be delighted to chip in, work shifts be damned. Shall we head to the vehicles?”
Dustin dipped his head. “Lead the way.”
The Selmer general clasped his flippers behind his back, and strode over to the convoy we’d come from. My mind was dazed from everything that had unfolded, but a mystery had made itself plain to me. As tempted as it was to zero in on cultural details, I needed to devote some focus to learning the details of the strange attitudes relating to the human and the feast.
A/N - Chapter 2! First contact proceeds with introductions, as we see Dustin and Nulia returning, alongside a water-loving Thafki named Haliska; the landing party explains how long they've observed Ivrana, how they know the language and customs, as well as their roles and intentions. The Bissems react positively to the aliens' appearance, paying little mind to Dustin's binocular eyes. General Naltor and Doctor Tassi opt to throw a feast in the aliens' honor, which gives them the hint from Haliska's behavior that something isn't quite right--and it's more than differing diets.
How will the Bissems react when they find out the full scope of the galaxy's history? How do you expect this feast, complete with fish entrees, to play out?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
BXSinclair
Most technologies don't actually require much in the way of prerequisites (those prior technologies just make it easier to develop) The first steam engine was invented during the Roman empire, it just never caught on because nobody who saw it had the idea to convert it to do work (it was basically a toy) While innovation may be driven by gradual improvement over time, actual new inventions are usually the result of the right person having the right idea at the right time
Amigo1016
Dustin doing what he always dreamed of. Nulia being the best she can be. So happy to see them again. Just need to find out if Jimek is now in the Louvre or something equivalent.
Johan / Phoenix
Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule ... you know, the tool most engineers would have used at the time of designing the Saturn rocket. (Computers then were hecka-expensive.) People have looked at the Da'Vinci glider design and ... well, his biggest problem was materials light and strong enough, and wind-proof enough. So no, I'm not weirded out by the technological progress. Gene-editing compatible with Crispr, but no microscope ... now -THAT- would throw me.
blankxlate
Dustin and Nulia return!!! I’m very happy to see Dustin again.
Colin Jordan
We reached space with very simple analog computers and basic radio control in 1944.
Colin Jordan
I do believe that the aliens cant all eat the same foods even if they are all herbivores. Stuff such as allergies and food intolerances probably exist but arent mentioned.
viperfan7
Anyone notice how fucking weird the order they invented things is in, orbit before computers? Radio at the same time as aircraft?
Amanda Chowning
Ok, did some digging, just found out about the Jaur (space beavers). I’m still head-cannoning the Thafki as having beaver and muskrat traits in addition to otter ones. They seem more like muskrats than otters to me, other than the chin markings and tail, even if they were meant to be otters.
Amanda Chowning
While the fandom calls them space otters, and it might have been been SP’s intention (I don’t know) I have a different proposal/head canon. They actually fit “space beaver/muskrat” far far far better. Otters are carnivores. Meanwhile beavers are herbivores, and muskrats are either herbivores or omnivores. All three are semi-aquatic mammals, but otters are predators and beavers/muskrats are prey species. For those of you that don’t know what a muskrat is, picture a beaver with a rat tail. Meanwhile beavers are huge, like 100 lbs. Muskrats are closer to what people generally picture when they picture beavers. There was a beaver at the zoo I interned at, and I live where muskrats are native/relatively common in bodies of water (saw a bunch of muskrats for years as a kid). Muskrats/beavers (especially muskrats) basically fit the description of this alien species (both in the stories and wiki description) much better than otters, other than their tails being fluffier and having more otter like coat markings under their chin.
Stueymon
Yay Nulia is back!
Niko15
Someone tell them birbs to relax, they don't need to worry about insulting aliens before they get to know them better. Only then they can cuss
Alekss Žukovskis
"Renounce citizenship or perish", "looks like youre going to the shadowrealm Jimbo"
Alekss Žukovskis
proteins and amino-acids are a bit different from body plan making gene encoding and expression control. If a virus is unable to attach anything to anything from a planet then it will not evolve such mechanisms spontaneously. However a word of causion for SP: there are parasytes and microscopic bugs that bury in skin, which would constitute a potential extrasolar hazard. So there are plot-holes to address.
TheBlack2007
@Wingit98 I would LOVE to explore the idea of spacefaring fully aquatic sapients. How did they evolve their society without discovering fire? How did they develop Metallurgy? How does their language work? How did they account for the additional weight from launching their pre-FTL spaceships filled with water? Being a huge fan of Stellaris I'm always kinda bummed out how playing as different phenotype ends up offering only few gameplay differences.
Ah that's makes more sense.
Yannis Morris
Also it might depend on the specific environment. We are very much still in the old world’s shadow
Yannis Morris
Nope! The species that resembles otters and the species that resemble bears are 100% naturally herbivorous. No genetic tampering required
PhycoKrusk
23 years later, but it remains to be seen either way, I suppose. Assuming the Collective managed to stay together and at least mostly without civil strife, he would actually be in the best position to live to this point in time by simply having the best access to resources. We didn't clearly know how old he was in NOP, although we know he was getting to that point where he was starting to slow down. I would not be surprised if at some point we do get something like Tassi tagging along with Nulia to the Collective, along with Zhao and maybe even Tarva, to see him one last time before the end. Which, sad as that would be, might actually give the galaxy a jumping off point to start changing relations with the Collective. If nothing else, I would sincerely hope that a particularly visionary artist (preferably an Arxur but a Human would be fine, I guess), produces a rendering of Isif in this vein: https://files.libertyfund.org/img/Barralet_Apotheosis1816-760.jpg
Corporal Chunk
Probably talking about the Arxur
Alekss Žukovskis
I mean, rodents have a lifespan of what... 15 years?
Tyler Ellis
I’m sure we’ll hear of him in due time, he and Dustin were quite attached to each other.
S1nsational
Aren't the Thafki the space otters? No way they'd naturally have been herbivores, they'd have to have been "Cured". Having the space otter here being freaked out by the new crowd eating fish etc is pretty weird. Maybe the older generations, but one who is around the same age as Dustin and Nulia should be much more accustomed to others eating meat/fish etc. To say nothing of others of her species getting UnCured
It's amazing to see Dustin and Nulia make a return along side a new otter friend. I'm am confused though, I thought only the planets of Aafa and Talask were isolated not the entire species? Did the S.C. start deporting Kolshians and Farsul back to their respective home planets?
Jonathan Cardoso Mota
Nope. An entire *week*. Next two chapters are a different PoV of a separate, concurrent plotline (there's only two plotlines, though. Going to be two chapters of each PoV at a time)
Some Lvm
@Cyril - even if that is true, the Bissem sound to be around our current real time level of development, and we haven't fully sequenced tuna yet (I think, it doesn't come up on google), let alone many other fish. Plus, the knowledge of stuff outside the DNA that is in their bodies is spotty. Studies on microplastics in fish are just now coming out, and there is a lot more to learn. I am willing to bet there is a thousand things that could be in those fish, as part of their biology or part of their environment, that would interact badly with our explorers but went unnoticed by the Bissems. This feast is kind of a Russian roulette, though given who the crew are, I seriously doubt SP is about to poison any of them. At least not fatally. We could have another Cillany incident though, which would probably give poor penguin Ellie a heart attack.
Some Lvm
And then Farla (Furla?) pops out from some hiding spot, and says: "Cool locking hardware, right? But don't worry, his really a muffin!" I bet she and Nulia will get alone great :D
Lucky
so Nulia gonna eat some salmon is what im hearing
Amanda Chowning
I’m sad you changed “uniqueodd” to just “odd,” lol. I’m already missing the future slang and I’m taking this about as well as Pluto loosing its planet status, haha. The original text was so charming. I’ve known this fake word for like 24 hours, and I’m already in love with it.
Amanda Chowning
While everyone in the fandom keeps calling them otters, I’m thinking beaver and muskrat. And maybe otters was SP’s original idea, I have no idea. But based on his description, I have a MUCH better match… Otters are carnivores. Beavers are very similar animals but herbivores. I believe muskrats are either herbivores or omnivores. Unrelated side note as someone who’s seen both species in person: Muskrats are the size you’re probably picturing beavers to be. Beavers are large dog size, I’m talking like 100 lbs. Muskrats have round tails, where beavers have flat, though (hence the name muskrat- rat like tails). Otherwise, beavers and muskrats are pretty similar. If you’re curious, I lived in a place where I’d see the occasional wild muskrat in the lake, and I interned at a zoo that kept beavers and got to see them up close- I’ve been within feet of both species. I propose they aren’t space otters, they’re space beavers/muskrats.
Amanda Chowning
I’m headcanoning she’s a gamer girl streamer on the side unless we definitively hear otherwise. Like, unless it’s implicitly confirmed or deconfirmed.
RaptorRed
Huh, no banner on android patreon mobile app. But if I go to the webpage I get the banner.
Edmund Lam
Anyone else wonders what has become of Jimek? What if he moved to a rebuilt Paris and works as a commercial artist?
Space Paladin
Would only need one more day for that answer, as it turned out 😅
Gumcel
“Great. Thanks,” a queasy-looking Haliska replied. Should be “Great, thanks.”
Mike Rees
It's gonna be tough waiting 3 days for more D:
EliasArt2Life
@Apogee Ah, sorry. My mistake; I misread your comment. Just ignore everything I said, then. @John The majority of meat humans eat is lab grown. I can’t speak for this time period, but I do know that in NOP1, aliens were not aware humans still kept cattle. That’s why Isif threatening to talk about it at the Battle of Sillis was so effective. Even if it is public knowledge now, I’m willing to bet it’s one of those facts that the average alien chooses to ignore.
Maybe they know that nothing is poisonous because the entirety of bissem knowledge is on their Internet.
John
Humans still have non-sapient livestock.
Apogee
I didn’t say she was born on a cattle farm, just that her parents were likely rescues Or perhaps on was and they had her after they were rescued. We are dealing with the next generation here. And most Tafiki are gonna have cattle rescues for parents. Millions of rescues vrs a few thousand that hadn’t been taken.
EliasArt2Life
@Billybob This isn’t my area of expertise, so I’m not going to stay and argue my point, but I’d still like to play devil’s advocate here. On Earth, we all eat the same food, but most of our diseases don’t cross the species barrier. Yes, animals can be carriers for disease, but said diseases don’t affect them (i.e. Malaria doesn’t give mosquitos the same symptoms it gives us). It’s uncommon that a disease (like rabies) affects multiple species. Now consider that we all share a common ancestor, and these diseases have been evolving at the same time as us for billion of years, it’s understandable why alien diseases might not affect us. Those diseases are based on totally different DNA structures. Meanwhile, foods get broken down by literal acid, into its basic components, and then reformed into building blocks for the body. I’d say that there’s some plausibility to this. But what do I know? As I said, this isn’t my area of expertise.
Billybob
The issue with the, each world would have their own, idea is that they were talking about "predator disease" like it could flow from sapient species to sapient species. If not, they would not have gone through anything related to the cure to try and protect themselves.
EliasArt2Life
@Apogee I doubt that for 2 reasons: 1) I’m assuming whoever picked her wasn’t a complete idiot and chose someone who grew up being raised as food for a carnivorous species in order to meet another carnivorous species. 2) The rescues have shown signs of the alien equivalent to PTSD. PTSD isn’t cured over a few decades. I find it unlikely that any cattle rescue would be in a state to be part of the first contact crew. Of course, she could have been rescued in very early development, but at that point she may not even consider it to be a major part of her identity. (Look at Dustin compared to Ari; sure it effects Ari, but not to the extent it effected Dustin.)
Tyler Ellis
Problem with the Maronis argument is that he made the convergent evolution argument to say that each world would have its own version, not that there was one singular disease that would wipe everyone out. Also it was prions not viral or bacterial so it’s probably its own category.
Gumcel
I think the first chapter of VFP is free.
Roscuro
I'm not being horny! It's cute to see her grown up and doing big things! >:(
jr_aye
I’d imagine they don’t allow the Arxur in for at least a few generations, so that no one alive had participated in a raid on sapients
jr_aye
This could mean more Marcel, maybe even Slanek too!
Overwatch_the_protogen
NO! NO HORNI!
Some Lvm
It is a bit surprising the Thafki did not turn out to be a cured race, since the resemble otters...
Billybob
What Nulia said about species being too different for diseases to cross made me think some, as this may counter some of the key points from NoP1. If the species are too different for diseases to cross, why can they all eat the same foods assuming it falls into the category of "plants" or "meat". I mean, almost every alien fruit or vegetable has been shown to be non-toxic to humans or other fed species. Even with the meat, i think an arxur or un-cured fed member could probably eat all the meat types humans can without dying. Additionally, you had the whole bit Marionis went on about convergent evolution. If there was no chance of a disease crossing between these alian species, then even the shadow government would likely start questioning themselves if this was taken as fact. As these species develope similar strategies, and even appearence, of earth creatures, who's to say that the evolution could mean more cross contamination with bacteria or viruses. Finally, the ideas about cross species contamination may go against what even happens on earth relatively regularly. I mean, Covid likely came from the wet markets over in China and was from a different species altogether. Who is to say that if a virus could pass from a bat on earth to a human, why couldn't pass from say a Drezjin (who are very much like bats) to humans?
Some Lvm
I totally did not see this particular crew coming, but boy am I glad its them! I know we are only two chapters in, but so far this sequel is shaping out to be at least as great as the first NoP! I do wonder about one thing though: are the alien fish safe to eat? There are plenty of fish on earth that will kill a human if consumed, and as diligent as the SC were in doing their homework on the Bissem, I doubt they snuck in to take biological samples of the fauna. If the alien biology is different enough to prevent bacterial cross contamination, surely there should be concerns about food tolerances...
Tyler Ellis
No reason why she can’t still be a toxic gamer girl streamer on the side. Gotta side hustle.
Apogee
I suspect she is a child of cattle rescues. They are the majority among the Tafiki
EliasArt2Life
I’m interested in how Reddit will react when they find out about Dustin. I don’t believe that anything from the Venlil Foster series was released off Patreon. I wonder if they’ll ever put 2 and 2 together that he’s the son of the random bartender from Glim’s story. Also, the Bissem seem to be primarily, if not obligate, carnivores. NOW I get why the SC decided to make contact, despite no apparent immediate need; they remind others of Arxur. I can already see the many political issues at play here. I’m so sorry for Haliska. So far, aliens have been coping with humans (and new omnivores) by justifying that since the meat we eat is lab grown, it doesn’t count. The Bissem don’t have that excuse, so the whole galaxy is being forced to confront the moral issue again. And Haliska has a front row seat to it, while likely watching a human (and it sounds like Nulia) take part in it too. I admit know much about her, but I like her so far, she seems pretty brave to confront so many unknowns, even if it clearly makes her uncomfortable. Should have kept her mouth shut about her species loosing its home, though. The story will be hard enough to tell without the Bissem being put on edge.
Guardian
Here, I'll add myself to the face-palm group, because for the life of me I couldn't remember either. Thanks Anthony for taking the L.
Blake S
It would be funny if thier reaction was along the lines of "these feds and arxurs sound too stupid to exist, we dont beleive you!"
Guardian
I'd like to think that the Sapient Coalition wishes to "put its best foot/paw forward," so to speak. It makes sense (to me at least) to greet a new member-species by introducing a similar member-species. "Hey, yeah, we're from other planets, but we're not so terribly unalike." I think SP explained it quite well as Dr. Tassi's imagination started to run wild with how she noted Dustin's trepidation with removing his helmet. 'What could possibly be under there, a writhing mess of flesh---?! Oh, binocular vision. Hmm, fascinating!' I would hope that, at some point, we may get a flashback glimpse into how the SC reached their decisions for how to approach this first-contact situation post-Federation.
Wesley Rigg
This is like 30 years later, Uncle Siffy is probably dead. :'(
Wesley Rigg
So this is why you were refused to answer when someone asked about Nulia! Love it!
Wesley Rigg
Why bother trying? MOAR MOAR MOAR MOAR
Shajenko
So... Nulia gamer career jossed?
Ellen
I did not expect to be this invested right after such a colossal work as NoP1 yet here we are with me trying to suppress screams for MOAR like a rabid Reddit fan 🤣
Gumcel
Dustin would be 38 now.
John
The flippers are the bissems as though?
John
Contact.
Hazrond
There's one in the pool of water in the Patreon banner if you look
RaptorRed
TIL: thafki are blue-gray
Michael Olson
Nope. "Nulia hesitated, before popping off her helmet and sliding out of the suit." and then "She shimmied out of her own suit, standing well below the Gojid; the Thafki had a bluish-gray coloration, twitching whiskers atop cream patches on her chin, and webbed feet not dissimilar to our own." They both disrobed (which I assume the Bissem didn't find odd because they have similar practices?) whereas I assume Dustin just de-helmeted.
Elliott
So glad to see some familiar faces, Nulia and Dustin all grown up! 🙌
Anthony Mears
squids?
th3h4ck3r
I think they only removed the helmet, space suits are a pain to fully set up and remove
th3h4ck3r
In the sense that they need at least some plant matter to survive (like cats need meat but can eat some plants just fine), most herbivores are obligate herbivores. In the sense that they can only eat plants (like the Arxur who vomit when ingesting any plant material) I'm pretty sure only a few or even no species is like that.
Michael Olson
I'm surprised they weren't struck by the comparative strangeness of Dustin not taking off his entire suit the way the other two did.
Yannis Morris
All three of them learnt the language(s)
Jason Young
Dustin: "Imagine how humanity felt walking in on it."
DemonVee
@Yannis I believe it was also mentioned on the last chapter that some Farsul asylum seekers eventually made their way to Earth.
Oh holy crap, it's Dustin and Nulia. I really shouldn't be surprised at this point - Nulia's probably a poster child for DGAF energy. Good choice for a first contact scenario.
Sobek
The Thafki can work together with the Bissem. As the otters attacks the algae and sea grass, the fleeing fish are caught by the penguins. Teamwork!
BigSneppy
Of course Dustin would learn an alien language despite translators existing
Yannis Morris
I feel like most Thafki are blasé about their homeworld being destroyed?
Roscuro
Hee hee, Nulia is all grown up! Editing later because the name Dustin finally clicked.
Mike Barth
Nulia *stuffs her face with fish* "Dad and uncle Slanek can't stop me now!"
Mike Barth
We really didn't want first contact to come with the risk of someone's house pet eating the astronaut.
Mike Barth
I just want one who also have dairy products.
Mike Barth
General Naltor: "That is the dumbest war I have ever heard, gods help us all if even advanced aliens are complete dumbasses."
Apogee
Oh ok. I just figured they were cured because they are otter like and those are carnivores so I thought at least fish used to be on their diet
Danny Luca
Even though they weren’t cured, I’m hoping the otters try the fish! Maybe they’ll find out they actually love it!
Vladi Vladi
Just wear a wetsuit and scuba gear, fools anyone anywhere
Tyler Ellis
Bc they are also semi-aquatic.
Xelav
This feels so refreshing! Finally we got new story with a new POV. I like the progress characters making regarding human culture, art, history and our other quirks. Looking forward to this series!
Yannis Morris
@Austin Arlt Species that weren’t herbivores. We don’t actually know how many species are *obligate* herbivores. And even then, none of them are gonna die from taking a bite of meat
Vladi Vladi
Nulia was probably the best non-human you could possibly hope for for a "herbivore". Got no clue why a Herbivore that nearly ended up extinct because of carnivores is on this mission but whatever
Jay Scott Raymond
Its a favorite line. As for why the Tilfish? Consider all the species known to be in the SC. Whose Rule34 content would you most want to avoid? YMMV but imma going with the ant-spiders. :-)
PhycoKrusk
Thafki were never cured; they were always herbivorous. The Federation's issue with them was always their semi-aquatic nature (this is also why the Kolshians and Farsul weren't all that averse to letting the Arxur take them).
MircetKelp
Was not expecting to see an Atlantis: The Lost Empire reference here. Lol Why the tilfish though?
Tyler Ellis
Yeah, the enlarged sclera is probably what did it in for most species upon seeing us, I don’t know of any other animal on Earth that has that feature. We use it for communication, we can literally “point” with our eyes. And it’s the large sclera that probably gave them the creeps as you can tell with pinpoint accuracy what it is we are looking at, and when we talk to you we look directly at you.
Mark Baculna
I vote for carnivorous plants. Bwahaha. And then unlish them on those guys who do human sacrifices
Dookus Maximus
Dustin and Nulia! I read that and instantly blurted out "NO FUCKIN WAY!" Oh this is great.
Apogee
Awsome! I wasn’t expecting to see Dustin! Or Nulia so soon! This is great! I loved the descriptions, yeah when you think about it our ears are on the odd side when compared to the rest of nature. And a Tafiki! I’m not sure he was a good idea though for the first contact team if he’s still thinking meat eating is the Greatest Sin. I’m guessing he is a child of cattle rescues, and if he’s uncured then I’m guessing the fish is gonna make him want to try it and the internal battle with that would be glorious! I wonder if the Bissem cook their food at all. And I just realized the Bissem are gonna learn how racism hurts everyone and the contact team are gonna learn how much it still effects their everyday lives and society and the Bissens and the contact team are gonna learn how to fix both their societies together! It’s easier to recognize others racism and preconceptions then your own. Sorry for the Rambling! I’m just so excited!
DragonCat
I’m glad to see that human rule isn’t a “racism is solved!” ending to NOP1. I’m interested to see the interactions of the Bissems and how the alien populace divides on their preference of being cured or not and their reprogramming around meat. It’ll be some interesting commentary with more subtle prejudices the aliens suffer from.
PhycoKrusk
Well, thanks to this chapter, I now have this scene playing out in my head where this very group of individuals meets none other than Isif, and he's trying his best to make a good impression and even crunching himself way down to appear less intimidating, and Nulia just walks right up and grabs his teeth. After a few seconds of shock from everyone, he glares right at her smug face and is like, "I'll roar at you. I mean it this time!"
NextMan
OMG YAY DUSTIN AND NULIA! I’m glad we not only get to see them so soon, but that they also form such a central role in the new story. Our favorite Canuck and Spiky Gurl are back, and as a xenobiologist and sociologist to boot!
That poor child would have had massive allergic reactions living on earth without getting the anti-cure.
PhycoKrusk
Or was in the survivor group: Either grew up witnessing horror, or hearing horror stories.
PhycoKrusk
They are not, and that isn't really a surprise; it's going to be at least another 20 years before that ceases to be as big a deal, maybe up to 40, and even then, it's going to depend on how well they're doing their housekeeping.
th3h4ck3r
From what Kalsim mentioned, they're still figuring out the whole Kolshian/Farsul debacle to this day. I'm pretty sure the Arxur can wait a little longer.
Rusty Deviant
“Yes”
Wingit98
Well I definitely recommend going back to read it. It's possibly the most popular one.
Edmund Lam
I got Dustin confused with Hunter
Jay Scott Raymond
No, its definitely Tilfish. They're that ant-spider people.
Billybob
Was Haliska a former member of the Arxur cattle that was rescued? That, to me, explains why he is rather blase about his homeworld being destroyed but super uncomfortable about eating fish. In such a case, he probably didn't hear or was raised with the weight of his homeworld being gone, but saw all his fellows being eaten.
Austin Arlt
I may have excitedly punched the air when I read that it was Dustin and Nulia. Great Chapter and great beginnings SP!
Austin Arlt
The federation Cured all species that weren't obligate herbivores. So to say uncured would mean Nulia has gone through with the genetic edits necessary to return to a Pre-federstion Gojid.
Yannis Morris
@Taliesyn WRONG ON ALL COUNTS. His series was 2136. The second was 2137. And it is now 2160.
Alekss Žukovskis
werent they the SilFish
Mr. Walker
Best flipper forward.
Mr. Walker
Ugh. The Farsul and the Kolshians would have had a hard time with these guys. They would have tried their "cure," killed a bunch of test-subjects with malnutrition, called it a failure, and bombed the crap out of planet penguin.
Taliesyn
Dustin's series was 2037 or 2038, and it's 2060 now, so he's roughly in his mid-to-late thirties. If that's what you consider 'middle-aged', then sure.
Mr. Walker
Dustin-Nulia yeam up!!! Thafki afraid of pescavore fare. Cute. . . Wonderful chapter. Little disappointed that there isn't a tiny Dossur in a space suit for first contact, :3 🐿 but thanks for the read.
Yannis Morris
@kingthekind9 There’s a non-zero amount of Farsul not on Talsk. Not only did the UN not move any Farsul who were off-world back to that planet, they also evacuated the PD patients and all the political dissidents. Not even counting the Archives Staff who were taken prisoner.
Youre a swedekisser arent you
I never even thought about Dustin coming into the main series! Sure, Nulia was theorised, but not him as far as I saw. And it makes so much sense that the guy with an interest in aliens would end up as part of first contact! And -man- are those poor Penguins in for quite the ride with the history lessons. They're gonna be traumatised just hearing about it all.
Syne Ardwin
As long as this doesn't turn into a get banned from club penguin speed run.
T___
They probably don't have hang-ups about "predator eyes", since they ARE predators but don't have the forward facing eyes.
Oval Pot
Arent there farsuls that weren't on the planet when it was trapped?
T___
I read it as she hasn't taken the cure to what the Federation did...
th3h4ck3r
The Thafki are naturally herbivorous. And Nulia said she got uncured, so probably no reaction.
Jay Scott Raymond
Later: Dustin: Don't worry about your Internet being embarrassing. Everyone's is. Though when you eventually meet the Tilfish, don't ask about their idea of Rule 34. Trust me on this one. You don't wanna know. Nulia don't you tell them. You shouldn't have told me, but you did. Now I'm telling you, you don't wanna know.
Edmund Lam
He could move to Earth for work. Or moved for his grad degree and stayed. Funny how that happens to people. 😀
Edmund Lam
I got him confused with Hunter too.
T___
So neither Haliska nor Nulia eat meat/fish? Could they have an allergic reaction from fish? Also, I'm a bit worries about Haliska who doesn't seem happy to be there.
RaphaelFrog
My smile reached it's peak when I read that Nulia and Dustin are back!!! I can't wait to read more >:D Oh hel... Bissems are for one hell of a story in future chapters! I hope you made sure for Dustin to take some Aspirin and Melissa for their soon to be hurting head and nerves💀
kindtheking9
"Club penguin is contact"
kindtheking9
Couldn't be farsul, they are still prisoners on thier own world
Hello There
‘None of our allied species subsist solely on meat,’. I’m taking a guess that the Arxur are still not allowed into the Coalition just yet. Also NULIA AND DUSTIN!!
kindtheking9
I missed that mini series, so i didn't know who he was
Wingit98
Dustin's all growed up and engaging in the SC's first first contact?!? Oh and Nulia is there too? Small world.
DemonVee
Ooo, a Thafki. Wasn't the species I was expecting, thought it might have been either a Venlil for high standing in the Coalition or a Yotul due to their stance against damaging uncontacted alien cultures (Or a Farsul due to their experience with first contact, as dark as their experience is...) It's nice to see Nulia and Dustin play a big part here, I'm sure the sub reddit will freak out about Nulia and wonder who the hell Dustin is 😅 I wonder where it's all heading? NoP1 was a bit more obvious about what the story was going to hinge around but with a sequel things are a bit more complicated haha, I'm intrigued none the less :D
TheBlack2007
I know you said there were some recurring characters but I honestly didn't expect not one but two fan-favorites returning in the second (or rather the first) chapter - and working together for that matter. Also great one to put a Thrafki there instead of a Venlil - like we all probably expected. Great introduction so far. Really loved how Dustin hesitated to remove his helmet and the Bissem just shrugging it off. Did Dustin move back to Earth after having grown up?
Wingit98
NOP3 is gonna be all about a sapient fish race and 4 will be the sentient plants
Anemoia
"It's hard to think of food as not fish." Good thing there were no fish in the federation.
Invariance
Yeah, 2160 is as far away from now as 1888, so the slang would probably be wildly different. Perhaps parts of even the English are being "translated" for us.
Anemoia
I was at house eating dorito when phone ring
Anemoia
You also got that this is the same Dustin from Venlil Foster Brother right?
Amanda Chowning
Makes perfect sense though. We know exactly what it means in context. Also, I can see minor changes in slang happening in the future- similar to “Shiny” in the sci-fi series Firefly.
Adam Myers
I am overflowing with anticipation at the explanation. I can't wait to read it!
Blake S
Oh heck yeh! The little ones are big now!!!! Allso oh boy that history lessons gonna be fun, thier gonna need to borrow bissems black board.
Byron Ritchie
I hope one day in this series when humanity encounters a new species and smiles in joy, the aliens return the gesture That would make a good ending
Charles Michael Santos
Great to see Dustin and Nulia back! Looking forward to Naltor and Tassi's reactions to the war with the Feds and the Arxurs atrocities! Great chapter as always!
Anthony Mears
of course. I couldn't make that connection for some reason. He did want to be a xenobiologist. My brain just kept going to Hunter. as the guy who introduced six degrees of Siffyration, I'm embarrassed😔 even though it never caught on.
Jason Young
The Kids are alright And ooh lord are the penguins in for a load of agony once the baggage is explained
Space Paladin
I must’ve not rejected that suggestion on my google doc lol. That’s how Patreon manifests it
Space Paladin
The same ones!
AFoxGuy
"There’s something much deeper going on here" Yep, about as deep as a black hole-
Lord Tvlor
Oh yeah.
Edmund Lam
Nulia! Is she the same Nulia? Same Dustin? If so, he is middle aged now? Every time I read FAI, my leg hurts.
Seltzer_boi
If it’s the same Dustin, it’s the kid that got adopted by the venlil family
kindtheking9
"But lets waddle with it" Im already loving the space pingus
Anthony Mears
someone refresh my memory, who was Dustin again?
Toua77
I'm assuming that's a translation thing atm.
kindtheking9
"Im nulia" I just stopped for a moment as the pieces clicked in my head
John Benjamin Cate
Not as good as it could have gone, but great to see these people are all trying to put their best foot forward!
Koda
“Then he waddled away, waddle waddle…” Where were you when Club Penguin is first contact?
Paperclip
The subreddit's gonna flip when they see this lol
Elan Stein
Nulia!
Invariance
Dustin and Nulia! Continuing in the tradition of Noah and Sara of being very informal at pivotal first-contact meetings, no less.
XavHD
Damn that was a nice surprise. Also they are in for one hell of a story
Invariance
"uniqueodd" is a rather uniqueodd word
Paperclip
YOOO MORE NULIA WE TAKE THIS W
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