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The Nature of Predators - The Sacrifice (4/6)
🕑 Added 2023-11-18 12:00:06 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Cedric Flynn, Human Civilian
Date [standardized human time]: March 5, 2137
The charged energy reached my veins with an exhilarating rush, as my senses were dialed in with the world around me. I felt alive. It was empowering to have a stranglehold on my environment, watching the Yulpa bumble right into my traps. I’d been at times a stone’s throw away, stalking them and waiting for a prime opportunity. There were numerous other lethal devices for them to activate, and I could be invisible when it suited me. Any “clues” they’d find to track me would be left by design.
The most satisfactory part of my morning was seeing Kippe glimpse me for a second, and startle at how close I’d been all along. There was an unmistakable glint of fear in her eyes; one of her underlings had despaired at how they were being picked off, little by little. That predator catcher had needed to restore her companions’ faith, and I was taking her threat to gun me down with gratuitous bullets seriously. I monitored their progress in pursuing me, and tried to trample just the right branches to steer them toward traps. Before my watching eyes, a careless Yulpa triggered a spring spear trap, despite the prior warnings—from the amount of oily blood seeping out, that was the fourth kill I’d scored.
Kippe can’t blindly chase after me, unless she wants to watch more people fall into traps. There’s plenty more of those set up all over; an errant step spells their death.
As successful as my improvised contraptions had been, I knew I needed a plan to escape this planet. The woods were encircled by an excessive amount of armed personnel, from the peek I’d stolen. If I did eliminate Kippe’s crew, the Yulpa would likely elect to destroy the entire forest, to ensure I didn’t persist on their world. My time to brainstorm a way out was dwindling, but I’d yet to hatch an idea that didn’t involve outside help. There was a shortage of Yulpa sympathetic to my situation, given what I’d heard from the bloodthirsty crowd. I also doubted that human-allied Coalition members stayed in contact with predator sacrificing lunatics. It was odd to think of the Venlil chumming up to these monsters.
Most of our allies had cut off relations with Federation members in general, except for peacemakers like the Suleans and Iftalis. I found it suspect how nobody had warned humanity about a brutal race like the Yulpa, whose mission was oriented toward capturing us for a grisly fate. Beyond my own plight, I needed to get home to warn any other Terrans about these cultists; their intentions for humanity were cut and dry. We couldn’t afford to answer distress calls that weren’t from verified Sapient Coalition races…and even then, we needed to keep an eye out. I wouldn’t put it past someone like Kippe to take a human-allied crew hostage, using them to bait us in. Hopefully, I could come up with a plan to get home while stalking this band now.
“I’ve been thinking…” a scatterbrained individual named Mallin piped up.
Kippe groaned. “That’s never a good thing.”
“How are you sure we’re chasing the right predator? You said it was covered in leaves and dirt. Humans don’t have leaf-like fur, and it couldn’t have gotten that dirty that quickly.”
“I saw its form, watching us. The predator purposefully stuck leaves to its skin, so it would blend in. It is possible to change your appearance on purpose, Mallin.”
“Huh. We should try that!” The male Yulpa scooped up a pawful of leaves, and slapped them on Kippe’s scruff. He looked crestfallen when they cascaded to the ground. “Nope. Doesn’t work.”
“That’s what the dirt is for, you imbecile! Mud is sticky.”
“But the ground here isn’t wet. Am I supposed to spit on the dirt? Oh, don’t tell me, that must be what it did. How much saliva does that predator have?!”
I shoved my fist against my mouth, and bit hard into the inside of my cheek; any laughter had to be muffled. It was amusing to watch Mallin be mystified and amazed by basic things, but I had to settle for containing the snickers while smirking to myself. Was his idea that I was standing over the ground, drooling several feet of water? That Yulpa was worth his weight in gold for entertainment—and he didn’t seem to be helpful in tracking me down. I wouldn’t be stopping him from wandering into traps, but I target him last for any sneak attacks. Seeing Kippe seethe was an additional incentive to keep him alive.
“It’s not as if there could possibly be water sources nearby where mud already existed. That would make too much sense,” Kippe sneered.
Mallin tilted his head. “That makes no sense. The human wouldn’t know where to find water—it’s never been here.”
“It looked for water, like you should be looking for traps. I don’t want to hear another peep from you unless you see the beast.”
The Yulpa team meandered forward in silence, as I crept toward the rear of their formation; I was tailing right behind them, ready to slit the throat of anyone who straggled or turned back. My intention hadn’t been for them to venture close to my camp so swiftly, but Kippe was leading them in the correct direction. I’d proven myself a capable adversary who could lead her astray, so I suspected she was following her intuition rather than my breadcrumbs. My eyes checked for the occasional notches I’d left low on tree trunks, steering clear of my own traps. It was almost too easy to follow the predator catchers, like chasing after a toddler on a tricycle. They weren’t subtle or good at pushing the pace.
I’m basically a walking Emergency Order 56 violation. What I’ve been doing in these woods would probably strip me of personhood, even in our alleged friends’ eyes.
In fairness, the Yulpa started it; they could’ve left me alone, to ferry my shipment to Liberty’s Bastion, and none of this would’ve happened. This posse waltzing toward my actual camp meant they were heading straight toward the spike pits. The gaping holes had taken quite the effort to dig into the path, but I pushed through the lactic acid and exhaustion to complete the job. With Kippe heading the pack, I was hopeful that she’d end up on the wrong side of a pointed stick. These trenches had the potential to maim the victims, and make the remainder of the party sitting ducks as they rushed to rescue their comrade. Banking on that assumption, I’d included a second element to my trap that enhanced its deviousness—a testament to the upper bounds of human cruelty.
“Something doesn’t feel right. The predator is watching us…I sense its gaze!” The wail belonged to a Yulpa named Anla, who seemed particularly fearful since my first trap struck. I might feel bad for her, if she wasn’t part of the group that intended to stab me in thirteen places and burn my fingers off. What I was doing was for survival, while these predator catchers wanted to torture humans for sport. “There has to be one of its traps nearby, with how open this path is. I don’t want to walk into it. I don’t!”
Kippe skidded to a halt, just short of the spike pit. “We’re not turning back, Anla. I don’t see any of its tripwires or ropes, but if it makes you feel better…who has a spear? Hulth? Go sweep the path ahead with your spear, show that there’s nothing there.”
Hulth gripped his spear with a bluish tongue that looked much too long, maneuvering it back and forth in front of him like a metal detector being waved over beach sands. The assessment that there were no tripwires, like the triggers for the other traps, was correct; by design, everything looked innocuous enough. The entire purpose was that the ground looked normal, right up until the point it gave way under their feet. This scrawny Yulpa sent forth by Kippe padded forward a few paces, after ensuring that the path was clear. There was a crunch as his feet trampled the concealing layer of leaves and twigs, and pushed through to the brittle sticks supporting them.
The shabby wooden cover above the pit snapped beneath the weight of a five-foot-tall, eight-foot-long quadruped. Surprise flickered across the Yulpa’s features, as he plummeted a short drop onto the spikes I’d placed together. The sharp ends pierced Hulth’s belly and legs, though it was difficult to see the specifics from my vantage point. The predator catcher howled in pain, while finding himself skewered deep onto the poles; he was a living kebab, gushing black blood that pushed him toward the Great Beyond. The rest of his posse looked stunned, before a medically-inclined individual rushed forward.
These herbivores accused us “predators” of weaponizing so-called prey empathy. If that’s what they want, they’re about to see what saving their comrades buys them, when a human is truly out to get them.
The Yulpa rushing to lend medical aid, and perhaps find a way to finesse Hulth off the poles, ran up the path beside his pit. Little to her knowledge, a second pit had been dug directly beside this one—on the edges of the path, the spot someone would stand when running to aid their brethren. The ground dropped out from beneath the new arrival’s feet too. Her legs tipped far enough forward that she landed throat-first on the poles, which was an instant fatality. I could hear outright horrified screams from the predator catchers, as my second punch landed. It was as if they couldn’t avoid walking into my traps.
“It’s d-dug out the ground?” Anla screeched, backing away from the pits. “That’s it. I’m going back this way, the way we came, where at least we know it’s clear of traps.”
Kippe offered a flustered hiss. “You’re not going anywhere! This is my mission, and I’m not leaving without this predator.”
“I don’t think you’re leaving at all. None of us will be! This mission has gotten out of control, Kippe. I’m getting out of here, and telling them to start bombing this place. We just need to guarantee this thing is dead—look what it fucking did!”
“If we can’t catch or kill this human, then we’ve failed the Spirit of Life. Six Yulpa, friends of ours, would’ve died for nothing!”
“More friends will die if we don’t. It’s time to swallow your pride, and admit the predator won. But I will not be one of its victims—there are much easier sacrifices to get. Other humans.”
That comment from Anla made my features twist into a scowl; it confirmed my suspicions that my capture was only the start of their kidnapping attempts. If they had abducted someone without my skillset, those humans would be powerless to stop such a ghastly fate. After my escapade, I was certain the Yulpa would make the confinement airtight regardless. It was obvious from Kippe’s behavior that my escape was a great embarrassment to the predator catchers, and that whoever was the first to spill Terran blood in an arena would be revered. How could any sapient race dare to threaten my species in such a barbaric way?
My resolve hardened, as I vowed to do everything in my power to stop this from happening to someone else. I had to survive, and find a way off this world. Anla was bolting directly toward me, from my camouflaged spot within a bush, and I couldn’t let this Yulpa coward run off. If she convinced local authorities to go ahead with bombing the forest, that would be the end of me. No ideas were popping into my head for how to escape, but I had to come up with something. Getting out of here was the definite first step; the second part finding my way back to a city, and crafting a plan to access a spaceship. I would need some form of outside assistance to breach the forest perimeter, which meant one of these Yulpa had to be kept alive.
“Kippe,” I mouthed to myself, not producing any sounds from my vocal cords. “I’ll take her captive—to a foreign world, to Earth—and see how she likes it. She can testify about their exact plans. And right now, she can clear out the thousands of guards surrounding these woods for me.”
My pupils fixated on Anla running toward me, flint knife ready in my hand, as my legs bunched up in a crouched position. This Yulpa was going to be one of my victims; if this forest was bombed to oblivion, it wouldn’t be because I let her get away. In a swift, silent motion, I ensnared her neck in a suffocating grip; my forearm pressed against tough sinew, restraining her. The other predator catchers had spotted me, so I worked without an instant of hesitation. Acting in a single second, I slit her throat with the flint knife.
As black blood spilled from Anla’s neck in volumes that would render her dead in heartbeats, I set about to take her tools for myself. That was the point of getting up-close-and-personal: a gun was more valuable than any spear. Using the Yulpa’s body as a shield from incoming rounds, I unstrapped a sidearm from her foreleg. The outline of the dart gun she’d put away, when Kippe ordered them to fill me with bullets next time I was sighted, was visible within her back satchel. I popped the flap open and took the nonlethal weapon as well. I didn’t know if I’d use the tranquilizer, but it had the advantage of being silent and giving me additional ammo.
“Shoot that demon!” Kippe roared, eyes manic with rage. “I want its skull as a trophy! I want to pin it on my wall with my other sacrifices! You’re dead, human, dead!”
Still using Anla’s weighty body as a shield, I fired off a series of shots around her form. The predator catchers had been whittled down to thirteen remaining souls, from an original headcount of twenty, but I intended to bring them down to just Kippe. Cool under pressure, I popped off three headshots in close succession, then sent a fourth bullet into a Yulpa’s center of mass. It didn’t escape my notice that Mallin had brought out those pans he mentioned; Kippe’s dense sidekick was holding one in front of his head as a shield. I ignored that clown, but decided my next shot was intended to cripple an enemy. I hadn’t checked how many shots I had left in the magazine, but hobbling one would slow multiple bodies down.
The Yulpa were fanning out to get a better angle to shoot me, so I knew I needed to scamper off soon. Not wasting a second, I lined up my sights on an alien’s hindleg kneecap, and depressed the trigger. When the bullet struck its mark, another predator catcher went down; his eight remaining comrades would have to support him, now that he couldn’t walk. Mallin was a non-factor, and two of the competent sadists would be forced to act as breathing crutches. That meant there were five hostiles that posed a true threat to me, but it should be easy to rid Kippe of the last of her team…as long as I could slip away. It was becoming clear that I ruled the darkness here.
I shoved Anla’s body toward the predator catcher, before slithering back into the bushes. Keeping low to the ground to avoid a barrage of bullets, I rolled toward a small hill. Taking shelter in a bush near to a slope granted me a quick escape, which the Yulpa would be slower to navigate. I slid from foothold to foothold, before popping back to my feet near the bottom. The deafening claps of gunfire ceased, because the xenos had lost sight of me. I’d taken off running as soon as I righted myself; I checked the sidearm’s magazine as I hustled. There were three bullets left, which meant I could shoot some, but not all of them. It was a good thing I snagged the dart gun after all. That gave me options, beyond the bloody knife which had returned to my waistband, and what I had lying around the forest.
There’s still a few traps lying around, but the Yulpa have seen my bag of tricks. It’s likely that I’ll be forced to get my hands dirty…and to hurry, before even Kippe votes to bomb this forest with me inside.
As trees blurred together around me, an idea for where to go after escaping this wilderness popped into my head. The Sapient Coalition had likely cut off all relations with the Yulpa, but there might be another set of neutral—sometimes grudging—allies to Earth, that had a presence on this world. The Duerten Shield weren’t fond of humanity, yet they did have a pure military pact with us. Of all the parties on this planet, they were the likeliest to aid me in getting off-world. If there were any open embassies from the 40+ species in the Shield, I just had to find out where they were.
That gave me a full itinerary to carry out. After I took out Kippe’s minions, I’d take my captor as a hostage, and coerce her into clearing out surrounding personnel. While waiting for the armed presence to leave their posts, I’d need to access one of the holopads the Yulpa were carrying. As long as there was a visual translator at hand, I could search up where the Duerten Shield embassies were. From there, it was the matter of finding the stealthiest route to the nearest one, and persuading them to help. I could decide the winningest argument after reading their…reaction to my arrival. Hopefully, said reaction wouldn’t be shooting the trespassing predator on sight.
A proud smile tugged at my lips. This plan was to my liking, much more than running for the hills and improvising. With a feasible plot to get out of here, it was no longer about taking as many Yulpa as I could down with me. This was about finishing off a shell-shocked group of survivors, and forcing Kippe to help me get home—back to my life on Earth. Most importantly, this was a mission I had to see through to completion, for the safety of every spacefaring Terran. I had been the first human sacrifice brought here, and I would do everything in my power to ensure I was also the last.
Kippe was going to watch her monstrous allies fall, before the abduction script was flipped to give her the comeuppance she deserved.
A/N - Part 4! Cedric continues to stalk Kippe and her crew, as Mallin is busy wondering how our human could possibly find mud. The spike pit is seen in action, with the devious ploy to dig a second one beside it to get whoever ran to lend medical aid. This is enough to make Anla panic, with the intent of running off to have the forest bomb; she runs right into our waiting human, and winds up being how he gets his hands on some firearms.
What do you think of Cedric's plan to use the Shield, as the source of help he needs from somewhere to get off-world? Will Kippe, in fact, watch the rest of her people die, due to her prideful refusal to turn back?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
Aerowarrier
I mean, if the Duerten Shield members he finds catch any wind of what he did in this forest, they’re going to kill him. He won’t get tortured at least, but in their eyes that’s an armed and dangerous Terran who’s already proven he’s willing and capable of killing dozens of xeno “soldiers.” So he better hope they haven’t heard anything about him and he gets off world and to a friendly planet before they do
BXSinclair
Yeah, but Kippe is clearly the one who has actual authority in this situation. Doubt Mallin has the sway to order anything.
kindtheking9
"Human wouldn't know where to find water" we can smell it, although its more so smelling a chemical lwft by bacteria that died because of the water, and i doubt that bacteria would be present on an alien world... although maybe convergent evolution could get similar bacteria making that chemical on other worlds
Some Lvm
@PhycoKrusk sorry, but that does not track - the Arxur who refused to eat Gojid rations did so in accordance with Betterment teachings, not going against them. She only saw Godjids as sapient because she found out they ate meat, which is what Betterment were claiming all along. (It is really the flip side of the Federation brainwashing that claims only those who eat exclusively plants are truly sapient). She did not show any intention of abandoning cruelty as a way of life, or recognition that non meat eating sapiens should not be wholesale slaughtered. She just saw a localized contradiction between the teachings she was brought up on, and the very specific situation she was in. You assume that because she didn't want to eat a fellow meat eater she also wanted in her heart to destroy their whole government and change their entire way of life? That is too much of a stretch for me...
Some Lvm
@PhycoKrusk I too remember that there was a paragraph somewhere that some military ships were targeted through emails to some officers. But I think for civilian ships it would be even simpler - they are probably connected to a bunch of stuff to make them easier to manage. And even if that is not the case, just think about how many people today plug their phones in to their cars, and not just for charging. We know now that Cedrik is heading for the Duerten embassy, but I still envision him having a plan B that goes something like this: Step 1: find a warehouse or factory as far as possible from the city. Step 2: sneak in, possibly in the back of a truck similar to how he escaped in the first place. Step 3: locate a cargo shuttle and hide in the back. Step 4: once shuttle is in flight, take out the pilot. Step 5: escape. This way, by the time anyone realizes the predator is in the air, it would be too late. But if the shuttle fails to take off because the automated inventory system or the pilots holopad gave it a virus (did anyone say Apple ShuttlePlay?), than the plan is kaput. Worse - it could take off, then fall out of the sky at random. As for the Yulpa actually trying to use Cedrik to survive the upcoming crisis: the chances of that are less than zero. (Ok, I know that isn't real math, but still). If anything, they would probably want to sacrifice him faster! It is when chips are down that believers cling to their fate the most, and the Yulpa strike me as very religious group.
Julien Barrette
I love the smell of xeno blood in the morning. Smells like victory.
PhycoKrusk
I might have misremembered, but I believe that ships were able to be targeted because malware jumped to their systems from connected personal devices. That being said, this is still a pretty good point. I, for one, am no longer convinced that the cyber attack will be the end of Cedric's problems. It will certainly alleviate his current problems (because the Yulpa will have a whole pile of their own), but it's almost guaranteed to give him several new ones too. The main thing that comes out of it, of he doesn't make it off planet before then, is that it puts everybody at 0 and otherwise levels the playing field completely. You know, something else that just occurred to me is that modern Federation societies, without electricity, are almost completely inoperable, and the knowledge to survive without electric appliances is probably almost completely vanished ("too primitive"). We might all be about to find out what's more important to the Yulpa: the Spirit of Life, or the guy who graduated from SERE school.
PhycoKrusk
Da ba dee, da ba di
PhycoKrusk
@Yannis Crap, I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right. By 2136, just *trying* to do something like the Yulpa are would most likely land you straight into jail, even if you never managed to actually pull it off.
PhycoKrusk
@Lvm Isif was not the only one with the courage to start a rebellion; he was the only one with the intelligence, resources, and opportunity to start a rebellion. I point to the unnamed Arxur from a while back who, upon receiving information convincing her that Gojid were "true sapients", not only refused to eat Gojid rations, but blasted them out the airlock so that no one else could either. The narrative leads us to believe that she did not try to do this in secret, and that she knew what would happen to her afterwards. There are many reasons why no Arxur tried to rebel before Isif, but a lack of courage is not one of them.
Some Lvm
Blue??? Is that you? Did you have to get a new account after that whole almost getting exterminated fiasco?
Some Lvm
Something has been bothering me for a while, and I decided not to wait with it for the next chapter: I think the cyberattack is bad for Cedrik! Hear me out: one of the specific targets of the attack were ships - the idea was to disable enemy fleets and prevent them from coming to Aafa and take part in the battle. Also to disrupt supply lines, which are often done by air and space. This means Cedrik must steal a ship *before* the attack hits, or he might not able to find one that can get off the ground!
Some Lvm
@EliasArt2Life ok, ok, lets not dwell on the definitions. To round up this conversation, I will state my opinion as plainly as I can: I think SP has written an excellent comic relief in the form of Mallin, and that came together well with the other elements to give this story the nostalgic 80's action comedy taste. Most of us here like this a lot, chances are we grew up on those things, and so people want to preserve the beloved character. Which I understand and agree with, but personally I don't think there is a need to attribute extra capabilities to him he does not posses, which I feel is being done in some of the posts. Basically: putting a pan in from of your face to protect from bullets instead of ducking behind a rock, tree, or even one of your comrades, is stupid and nothing more. That's my take and I am sticking to it.
Some Lvm
@Adam Myers a non empty set of Yulpa that oppose the cult is not good enough. Specifically, this condition can be true, yet have the following problems: 1. They oppose the cult for reasons other than killing predators, and still believe the Federation claim that all predators must be killed. Remember that the Krakotl extermination fleet did not need a cult to be launched and massacre a billion humans. 2. Opposing the cult does not mean they are willing and able to actually fight it, risking and even sacrificing their lives. Which is what would be needed for any kind of coup. We know now many Arxur hated Betterment, but only Isif ended up gathering enough courage to actually start a rebellion. 3. Their number may be too small to matter. For this minority to be effective, you need them to comprise a significant percent of the global Yulpa population. I am not sure what the magic number is, or if there is one, but chances are if such individuals do exists, they are a fraction of a single percent, which is not enough for anything. This list is to negate the argument that there may be a way to create a Yulpa revolution from the inside. Of course, if you are only mentioning their existence as a deterrent to a drastic measure like glassing the whole planet, I will repeat my earlier argument that even by real world earth standards they would be acceptable collateral damage. And if item 1 in the list is true, they are not even that - since they still support killing us (just without the religion). Finally, I would like to point out, that striking the Yulpa first would not be "judging them for a crime" (future or past one). It would be "acting on a credible threat". To my knowledge, in most countries if someone publicly states they want to kill the president, the authorities will not wait for them to actually try doing that. They will be arrested immediately. Granted, there is a huge difference between arresting and imprisoning someone and executing them, but there is also a pretty big difference between a threat against a single individual, no matter how important their position is, and a threat against an entire species. Finally, if Cedrik makes it out, canonically humanity will know the Yulpa have already started their attack, so this won't even be a real preemptive strike.
Austin Arlt
Straight from the source! Now I'm curious how that will effect Cedric if it does.
GeneralLDS
i mean, that’s literally what it is. alien vs predator
Space Paladin
March 9, 2137 was when Onso saw the footage (Ch 154)
Adam Myers
@Amanda Chowning Yes, but also no. The issue is that such a scan would need to be done extremely quickly after time of death. Meier dies in a hospital with a brain scanner right nearby. Kippe is nowhere near that situation. If she dies, unless it is in somewhere secure (ie not in the middle of the woods and definitely not with a result of trauma to the head) her scan will not exist. @AztecCroc Incorrect, the Venlil have the scanning technology. What they lack is the transcription technology, that hasn't been invented by humanity yet. @KnightWolf 200421 Can you be more specific with what you disagree with? The exterminators got the scans from a Venlil hospital, that technology exists, but it has to be done in a clinical environment, not the middle of the woods, and within a short timespans from time of death. The Terrans will eventually invent the transcription machine, but have not done so yet.
KnightWolf 200421
I disagree. The exterminators were the ones who got Meyers’ scan after all
Some Lvm
@PhycoKrusk now that I think about it - that is how real world "AI"s we have today, like GPT work - they have the knowledge (the trained model), but they have no understanding what so ever what that knowledge actually means. They can calculate based on probabilities which part of that knowledge answers the question you put to them, but anything you type is actually meaningless for the machine, it has no capability to reason or come to conclusions. Which is why some times they produce great answers, and some times something completely ridiculous comes out.
PhycoKrusk
Appearance is everything in some cases, and in this case, it's all that he has to go from. (And also, he might still be a little bit upset about the whole kidnapping thing)
PhycoKrusk
So what you're saying is that if Freddy every managed to stop running his mouth....
PhycoKrusk
I don't not believe we have sufficient information to authoritatively say that.
PhycoKrusk
He's still in the mind of, "Sure would be funny if she had to go through the same thing I did." There's also to consider that, even if Mallin would be a more cooperative hostage, Kippe appears to hold more authority and in that regard, is the better hostage.
DemonVee
Haha, been a long time coming
Jay Scott Raymond
As others have commented Mallin would be a better choice than Kippe for a hostage. Given he's a former Navy SEAL and should be well aware of this, I have to wonder of the alien food is affecting him in some way. Perhaps a bad interaction impacting his judgement?
Edmund Lam
Yippee ki yay!
Austin Arlt
Anyone remember the date of the virus attack that hit Fed world's? How long does Cedric got until that happens?
The mindscan is a purely human technology, the aliens don't have access to it.
Caleb Carter
Thank you for pointing this out lol
GeneralLDS
this is such a power trip I love it
Yannis Morris
Hard to believe we only have one week left of dunking on Yulpa
EliasArt2Life
@Some Lvm @PhycoKrusk *Sigh* Every time that I think I’ve got efficient communication down, I’m proven wrong. Okay, here’s the whole nine yards; Intelligence is defined in many ways, and scientists still debate on a complete definition that applies to all things. Simply put, IQ is actually one of the more narrow ways to define and measure intelligence. One definition break intelligence into many types including: emotional intelligence, linguistic intelligence, Body-kinesthetic intelligence, logistical intelligence, etc. Some of these definitions for intelligence have overlap with wisdom, which is also hard to define. In fact, wisdom has also (less commonly) been divided into types. Because of this, oftentimes when people are using the terms “wisdom” and “intelligence” at the same time, they default to intelligence being knowledge, and wisdoms being experience/sense. Those are the definitions I was using, although they are not my regular definitions, since using my regular definitions would require that I describe what my regular definitions are, and then filter both Mallin and Kippe through those lenses, which would take enough text to cover 3 pages MLA format. Also, @PhycoKrusk, I believe that you MAY have it reversed (although, to be sure would require a complicated study with hours — if not days — of research which may not even be conclusive. It’s possible RPGs adopted these systems of Wisdom vs Intelligence from society, out of a need to define the two words so that they meant totally separate things. @Adam Myers got the point I was trying to make, hoping to avoid the massive debate over the definitions of Intelligence vs Wisdom. *Sigh* I need to do more research on communication now. I thought that I put the necessary cues down, but maybe I misinterpreted them. Maybe the cues are something else?
PhycoKrusk
@Adam You know, you might be onto something. Although it's usually the green berets, SEALs have sometimes been "advisors"....
PhycoKrusk
Love you too, sunshine.
Dookus Maximus
If he dies, he dies.
Nicholas
I like those odds
Amanda Chowning
Myers got scanned despite his death. And Slanek got scanned…Despite whatever is happening or happened to him (we don’t know if he’s brainwashed, dead, traumatized, modified, etc.) All that seems to be necessary is a body- Dead or potentially living. Humans/Venlil likely scanned Myers. Where I’d assume Kolshians scanned Slanek, although it’s a possibly the humans recover him still and are also the ones to scan him- Again, living or dead. We do know someone with brain scanning technology would need Kippe (either live or dead) though, which depending on how widespread this technology is non-human allied races may or may not eventually have.
Adam Myers
@Mylax Kindflame the issue is that the crime that we are judging them for 1) hasn’t occurred and 2) isn’t necessarily supported by every Yulpa. Even if the majority are culpable, we should assume a nonzero set of Yulpa that oppose the cult.
SimpleArtist
That's true. Although not every character can be willing/able to make the smart decision, character diversity is cool :D
Yannis Morris
Yeah
Tazeell
Honestly Kippe seems a poor choice, Mallin is dense enough to help even unintentionally and more likely to be cowed into helping regardless. Hope he reconsiders.
Adam Myers
She is unlikely to die given the necessity of her brain scan. There isn’t a narrative without her at least surviving to be scanned somewhere secure.
Adam Myers
“I mean, they still outnumber him” -someone probably
Mylax Kindflame
The thing is, unlike the Farsul, the Yulpa seem near-unanimously in support of this bullshit. This is perhaps the only species we’ve seen where the normal civilians are to some degree culpable. This isn’t a conspiracy, it’s just widespread sadistic zealotry.
Yannis Morris
Cupo that is called “Animal Abuse” and is very illegal
Adam Myers
@Some Lvm Hmm, actually that still fits with @PhycoKrusk’s oblique D&D reference. Wisdom is gained from experience, intelligence is gained by study. Wisdom can help make up for some lack in intelligence, somewhat and vice versa. However, in most cases, there is a clear winner, which one being dependent on the circumstances. Basically PhycoKrusk is saying that Kippe has a Int 16 and Wis 6, while Mallin has a Wis 16 and a Int 6. For the classic high intelligence low wisdom character in D&D look up Karsus the archmage of Netheril. He doomed his people by casting the most powerful spell in Dungeons and Dragons history, a feat only the prodigious genius Karsus could have done, but in his lack of wisdom, ended up causing both the literal and figurative fall of his civilization (floating cities of magic aren’t the best places to be when magic stops working for a time). https://youtu.be/fp_-5kXw_9g?si=PBnvjzhi9ep12R-y
DemonVee
I hope we get to meet some new (predictably skittish) member of the shield rather than the asshole birds this time around.
Adam Myers
@PhycoKrusk I could easily see that. “WTF, Tarva, you didn’t mention the homicidal race called the Yulpa?” -Zhao “Oh, sorry, it slipped my mind. They usually didn’t bother us- Oh! Wow, that, that is a problem!” -Tarva (sudden realization) “What, you don’t have prey killers like that on your homeworld?” -Cupo
richfiles
Darn, you broke the silence. We were going for the record. XD
Adam Myers
@EliasArt2Life And, he would be an extra ?tongue? to help deal with the obstacles in the way. I would seem most likely Kippe will be partially sedated with Mallin being the one to actually direct the authorities away from Cedric. That makes the most sense to me.
Adam Myers
@PhycoKrusk Actually, I think @Elan ‘Pariah Devalis’ is most likely correct. I am thinking his best bet is to force cooperation from the embassy, something that he could plausibly do given how the federation thinks.
Thrownawaz
Guys, can we take a moment to appreciate just how Alien Vs. Predator this is?
Adam Myers
I am betting that there are friendly Yulpa (mostly religious skeptics and heterodox thinkers) that would be worth supporting a coup d’etat to take over their world. Unlike the Farsul, the Yulpa haven’t committed a specieswide conspiracy (though they are attempting one, they haven’t actually gone through with it yet). We would either need to up the punishment of the Farsul (which I think is a bad idea), or we would need to come up with a different lesser punishment (like reeducation), if we want to be fair and just.
Amanda Chowning
So we know he’s actively trying to take out all of these predator catchers except Mallin and Kippe. Definitely could be wrong, as I said in another chapter I’m not confident in any of my predictions for this story other than the blackout- but what I suspect MAY happen is he tries to capture Kippe and ends up with Mullin as a hostage instead (maybe he gets down to the two of them, and she’s either killed in a trap or refuses to cooperate). Which, I mean, is actually probably better- Because I see Mallin making a much better hostage.
bigboi
It apparently ended on ch 97. I stopped at around 80ish.
PhycoKrusk
I need Mallin to come out of this alive. He is clearly not cognizant of the reality of the situation he's in, or how serious it really is. "Unsportsmanlike" doesn't even begin to cover my thoughts or feelings any longer. The sense I'm getting from him is that he's a predator catcher because he's somebody's cousin, and objections that he was "you know" were pushed aside with assurances that he just needs to hold a spear. He's only in those woods because Kippe needed a party and he was standing nearby. He even had his appear and everything! I really hope he makes it ok. Even better if he gets to leave the planet with Cedric. They'll go together like Robin and Lancelot.
PhycoKrusk
Compromise is one of the most useful and valuable things that a person can do, but one of the most important components of compromise is identifying the line where compromising ends and ass whuppin' begins.
PhycoKrusk
@Elias @Lvm I blame RPGs for the association between intelligence and knowledge. Any dumdum can memorize facts; knowledge does basically nothing by itself. Intelligence is understanding how to use knowledge; wisdom is understanding when to use it. Using a vulgar example: My knowledge tells me what a Human female experiences physiologically and psychologically each month. My intelligence tells me what I should expect when interacting with her during this time. My wisdom tells me to shut up and go get ice cream.
PhycoKrusk
Most likely, they haven't brought it up because it's just "normal." That is, Humanity *not* having groups like that around and allowed to operate in polite society without extenuating circumstances is what's weird.
PhycoKrusk
The Duerten Shield species aren't going to help him because they have a much bigger problem to deal with right now.
PhycoKrusk
It is a little strange that he doesn't seem to actually be afraid of where he is, isn't it?
PhycoKrusk
Would be considered cruel and unusual.
Some Lvm
@EliasArt2Life interesting - this is the first time I run in to someone who defines "intelligence" as strictly possessing knowledge. Specifically as the term applies to a person. To me, the more common definition is the ability to problem solve, which I would say Mallin lacks, given the discussion about Cedrik's camouflage... Often in literature it is "wisdom" that is associated with knowledge, as often elder characters are considered wise, due to their years of experience and learning. Mallin is a fun character, and I don't mind Cedrik deciding to spare targeting him explicitly, even though he may regret that decision later on. After all, if earth comedy tough us anything, it is that a babbling idiot can sometimes accomplish something by accident, a skilled and intelligent individual failed to do through planning. Also, there is this interesting theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWMDMTaUT4
Some Lvm
I think you missed the part in the first chapter where Kippe talks about how all the seats to the human sacrifice event were sold out immediately, and they even had to make extra room and sell standing tickets to allow more people to attend in person. While called a "cult" by many here, what we are witnessing is really the Yulpa state religion, which means the majority of the planet believe in and support it. But even if that wasn't a case, and we would be dealing with a regular Federation loyalists planet, every single citizen would still call the authorities on Cedrik due to the Fed brainwashing about predators. Even without knowing what he has done, his appearance would be enough to trigger their fear response. The only exception might be some seriously predator diseased individual, like Volek (from Human Exterminators), but than they also would have to mange to avoid the authorities for years themselves. I would expect such Yulpa to be extra rare, and Cedrik's chances of running in to one next to zero. Even then they might turn him in to maintain their own cover.
Valerie Morton
Given what we know about the Federation program of putting the minority zealots in charge of the government, the average Yulpa might not be onboard with the "sacrifice a sapient predator to the gods" cult. They might even be well and truly hated by the general population. Cedric is right to assume that he has no potential allies among the Yulpa, since he is acting as a combatant behind enemy lines, but that does not mean that every Yulpa would be quick to turn him in. His thoughts on the Duerten and their allies are at least a start, but given that the Federation carries out a pogrom after Slanek's assassination of the de-facto Federation leader, its unlikely to pan out. Stealing a ship when the cybervirus hits is his best bet IMHO, but of course, he isn't up on current events and can't see the future.
EliasArt2Life
@Some Lvm Intelligence is about knowledge. Wisdom is about how you USE the knowledge that you have. Basically, intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is understanding that tomatoes don’t belong in a fruit salad. Not technically an oxymoron, although it can be confused as one. Mallin using that pan was an example of this; the WISE action was prioritizing his defense against a foe who had a body shield. The fact that Mallin’s chosen shield might not have held up is a matter of lack of intelligence. Knowing when to focus on defense is wisdom. Knowing what is bulletproof is usually intelligence.
BigSneppy
“We can handle a single human, we’ve got him outnumbered seventeen to one” *Hotline Miami music starts playing*
Cera Treascair
Cedric is so *efficient*, I love him!
Some Lvm
Isn't "wise idiot" an oxymoron? While it seems instinctively sound, trying to use a frying pan as a bullet shield is probably not a good idea. Granted, we don't know what kind of pan he has, and we don't know exactly what caliber guns and what type of ammunition these predator catcher carry, but chances are if Cedrik did want to shoot Mallin through the pan, Mallin would be very dead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTn6sS4iNY Of course, you can say it isn't his fault, after all its not like the Yulpa have "Demolition Ranch" and can answer exactly how many of what type of household object is needed to stop bullets :P
SimpleArtist
God I love Cedric so much, we NEEDED a Human who wasn't willing to compromise with their aggressors.
EliasArt2Life
Agreed. In her current state, I get the feeling that Kippe would sooner tell the surrounding Exterminators to bomb the forest than tell them to leave, even if Cedric threatened to put her through the same torture she was planning to put him through. Mallin seems like he’s more focused on survival (he went for a shield over a gun), so he can most likely be coerced.
EliasArt2Life
If the cyber attack DOES come (which it’s probably going to), it’ll most likely come next chapter. Cedric is totally out of the loop, since he’s not aware that the Duerten (and therefore most of their allies) are occupied defending the Duerten homeworld. They may not be in a position to offer Cedric aid. The cyberattack would give he an opportunity to hijack or steal a Yulpa craft, or something. Okay, I’ve reached a conclusion on Mallin. He’s an idiot, but he’s a wise idiot. He catches onto things quickly and knows what he needs to prioritize. Hence why he used a pan as a shield, rather than grabbing a gun for offense. He’s a good foil for Kippe, who is smart, but not wise enough. Anla was right that this isn’t about pleasing the Spirit of Life, but rather about Kippe’s reputation and pride. Kippe is letting her emotional get the better of her in a life or death scenario, and that’s a really foolish choice. Also, if Cedric DOES escape, this is going to have a payoff in the main series, but we won’t see it until after the war, so this may result in a post war arc.
sticksnstones
Me - Haha, die trash. Also Me - Aww Mallin is adorable! Also also Me - ...He's a child soldier isn't he? :(
Yannis Morris
First Exterminators, now Yulpa. Hey “Allies”! Are there any other deliverers of incredible violence you know about that just so possibly might wanna target humans?
Mike Barth
He just gotta last a few days before the big black out comes.
Mike Barth
Mallin survives but accidentally gets Kippe killed in a trap as she tries to pry his pan scolding him stumbles and prat falls into a trap he was going to walk into.
Mike Barth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4AtBBVZ73U Commando has a great line for this
Mike Barth
I'd take Mallin hostage instead, much easier to control and most likely to cooperate for his own survival. Kippe is a dangerous zealot most likely to tell people to fire on her, Mallin wouldn't even come close to thinking that and one yulpa is as good a shield as another since we don't know if Kippe actually has a higher rank then the rest of these elites shes with and could be holding them together by sheer charisma and not rank.
Asteis Drakos
26 comments and NO ONE MADE A PUBG JOKE
Elan Stein
Alternatively: "I just put down 19 predator hunters, many with my bare hands, alone, in the wilderness. I have a gun now. You ARE going to call the UN immediately."
Elan Stein
I mean, it's just as possible the incompetent one is the one that actually gets lucky, too.
Swan
Vietnam music intensifies
Anemoia
Man what a reference. I wish that series had an ending
Anemoia
Well we know the Shield have a knack for people-smuggling. Let's just see if they're as good at getting them out as in.
gooordy
Cedric is what happens when you dont let people like Fred Jones from scooby doo infodump to you about traps. You get organic guerilla war machines capable of the past 4 chapters.
Alekss Žukovskis
or both of them
bigboi
Mallin out here with the intelligence of a Vzk'tk.
Some Lvm
I am a bit worried about Cedrik's plan - while poetic, Kippe is probably going to be the toughest hostage to control. And while the Duerten embassy may accept a human, accepting a human holding a Yulpa hostage would be a whole other matter. Plus, if he does not properly clean up from his jungle shenanigans, he will have a hard getting anyone in that embassy to listen to him for even a moment... I have to say - the Yulpa are bigger than I expected! Most herbivores, so far have been significantly smaller than the average human, with Mazics being the only noticeable exception. Now that I think about it - does Cedrik have any rodeo experience? He could really use it if he is to snag him self such a large quadruped. And yes - I am aware Kippe is sapient so he could just try threatening her with a gun without immobilizing her first, but considering what state of mind she will be in by the time he intends to capture her, that may not work too well. Better safe than sorry!
PassengerNo
Um, Cedric? I think Mallin might be a better hostage than Kippe. You would have a drag Kippe's unconscious form out. But I think Mallin could be persuaded.
un_pogaz
Everything is going as expected, sweet. Concerning the Duerten Shield, I have some concerns: - Firstly, their membres has little confidence in humans, and Cedric could very well be refused any help because "fear that the vicious predator will kill them once their backs are turned". - The local ambassadors must already know that a human has been brought in as a Sacrifice, but now Cedric needs to get to the embassy BEFORE the ambassadors learn that Cedric has killed several Yupla during his escape (which will definitely close the door on an already unreliable ally). - And we still have to hope that Federation species have the same respect and immunity towards embassies as we do, so that the Yupla won't assault the embassy. ... but it's a plan. Which is better than nothing.
Mutedmirth
That's what I'm thinking.
jervictor jer
We are talking about the federation, chance they shoot both him and hostage on sight
John Benjamin Cate
I get the feeling Mallin is going to surprise everyone by actually being the only one to survive all the traps. That pan is going to save their life somehow, and it will be hilarious and amazing!
Paperclip
Can't wait to see Kippe lose, but can we keep Mallin? He's so entertainingly oblivious and I think he, unlike the rest of his group, could be un-brainwashed. I feel like something is gonna happen with him in the next two chapters, because he's getting quite a bit of attention for a side character.
Byron Ritchie
The yulpans wanted to sacrifice the ultimate predator They got hunted by it instead
Cakeb
This should be longer, one chapter for killing all the xenos and than one as resolution for him escaping to an embassy
TheBlack2007
I hope they make Kippe watch movies like "Predator" and Rambo" whilst waiting for her trial and then toss her into the same hole they disappeared Kalsim into.
Mutedmirth
Man his plan sounds like it relies on a lot of luck and a lot of co-operation using a hostage. It could go either way but at least he'll go down fighting.
Pay Me For NOTHING
Our boy better win this.
Youre a swedekisser arent you
Kippe is far too stubborn for her (or her allies') good. She's definitely gonna have a fun time confessing her crimes to the UN, I'm sure.
Lunam
It would be poetic for her to end up in the cage, treated to the scorn suiting the monster she actually is.
Mylax Kindflame
Hearing that this isn’t going to be an isolated incident only confirms that the Yulpa need to be dealt with harshly. They need to get Kessler’d at the very least
Mylax Kindflame
I really hope SP plays this one straight. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen an actual badass Human in this series without immense support from friendly xenos (seriously, when was the last one?)
Loco
beat yall haha
Jackson Hazeltine
First! Hell yeah! Cedric has some guns now! If Cedric succeeds in taking Kippe to leave the planet, what will happen next? Will he take her to Earth to experience a trial headed by humans (like we saw with Kalsim), and how would she react to other humans? Especially humans that want to help out others, like Cedric?
