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Julakesh roars with pride and spends a great deal of time posturing triumphantly!
"A-HAH! ONCE AGAIN YOU HAVE TRiED TO KILL ME, BUT HAVE FAILED! I CANNOT BE SLAIN! A-HAH! A-HAH! THE GLORY OF BATTLE IS MINE!"
To Choppy, she exclaims in Vesk:
She claps Breq hard on the back. "You fight with a quarter of the skill of a grown vesk! Be PROUD!"
To Mustachio, she adds, "If gun broken, use FISTS! Can you throw a punch? I can train you! Come and let us pummel each other. You will be knocked unconscious often, and will feel great pain, but in a few years you will not suck!"
To Kaylee she remarks in Vesk:
And to Chk'Tarish she says, "You are braver than any bug I have met! Good smashing! Be proud!"
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Breq, circuits flushed with victory, goes to the work on the failing computer. Such strange technology, I think this wire goes... Then, thrown off balance by Julakesh's pat, she pulls the wire out entirely! I guess I won't know if it was the red or the green. She thanks the Vesk for his kind words, however, and stands. "Perhaps one day I can be half a Vesk. " Looking around, she continues. "Anybody else know how this computer works? I am struggling! Kaylee? "
After the computer has been fixed, Breq stands nearby and offers helpful advice.
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Mustachio picks up his cursed rifle and checks it over. "Yeah, look here. The flanged dohicky is integrated wrong with the integrated whatitz. Clearly, it is defective. I'll carry it around, but will be happy to use my old trusty hunting rifle from here on out. Mmmm hmmm!"
Mustachio sort of looks away... embarrassed, but refusing to show it publicly. He uncharacteristically decides to not mess with the computer system.
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As Julakesh finishes the closest robot, Chk'tarlsh turns in time to see Breq dispatch the other robot.
Crouching beside the now inoperative robot, he takes a moment to inspect it more closely.
He nods at Julakesh's words of praise. "We did well," he replies audibly, mandibles clacking. "Evveryone had their role. Our team ish becominghk more efficient. You are a bravve and mighty ssoldier."
Approaching the console at the northern end of the room, he joins the others inspecting the equipment, offering suggestions on configuration.
The team stands around in the mainframe, but so far manage to make little progress on either the malfunctioning power core or the data mainframe...
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Choppy takes break out the good old toolbox and rewires the power core. Using copious amount of wire and ducttape, he makes sure the power is stable for the next millenium or so.
Kaylee presses on and manages to access a slew of historic records on the ghibrani race, containing some very shocking information.
Just over 300 years ago on a planet in the Vast, a race of insectile humanoids called ghibranis engaged in a brief but deadly nuclear war between several of its now- forgotten nation states. Prior to their cataclysmic conflict, ghibranis paid their respects to an aspect of Damoritosh—a god of war most commonly worshipped by the vesk in modern times. This worship shaped the race into a strong coalition of militarized states, with religious servants of Damoritosh in key advisory positions. The war that destroyed most of the ghibrani race occurred only decades after the Gap, as the addled state of the world’s leaders in the Gap’s aftermath only exacerbating existing tensions.
A small percentage of ghibranis survived the devastation. A powerful force field spared the metropolis of Arkeost the brunt of the nuclear war, but subsequent radiation carried by shifting wind currents wracked the city. Many died, but a sizable population endured. The ghibrani leaders knew the city didn’t have sufficient resources to support all the survivors, so after much discussion, they purposefully engineered several additional minor disasters to trouble the populace. The leaders then seeded rumors that an angry Damoritosh was responsible for this “divine” punishment and devised the creation of a false deity—Mother Touloo—who promised salvation to those ghibranis who gave up the comforts of civilization. Agents planted within the populace spread this false religion, leading a sizeable contingent of ghibranis into the wastelands. Meanwhile, the leaders of Arkeost and their closest family and friends remained behind.
Over the following centuries, very little contact occurred between the ghibranis who chose to live in the wastes and those who stayed in Arkeost, though both remained acutely aware of each other’s presences. The passing years, as well as healthy doses of lingering radiation, caused a physical division to occur between the two factions. The ghibranis in the badlands lost the use of their wings and developed hardier exoskeletons; they became known as “husks.” Those who lived within the surviving city kept their wings, but became thinner and more fragile; they are known to the husks as “membranes.”
The question is now: what to do with this information?
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Breq frowns at the news. "This is... interesting." The android pulls out the datapad at her hip and begins searching through various records. "Well, we would be well within our rights to take this straight to the Society. But we are also free to share the information to any or all applicable parties." The lawyer sets down the datapad and looks around. "Perhaps we should tell the Membranes first. Given them a chance to fix their ancestor's mistakes."
Breq looks at Choppy, "I'm afraid that if we tell the Husks, they will start a rebellion and there will only be bloodshed."
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Julakesh listens to the words Kaylee has discovered with her face scrunched up in confusion.
...Ghibra...ni? Ah, yes! Bug people! Wait... Catacly-what? Hmmm...
Suddenly she smiles broadly. "A-HAH! DAMORITOSH! YES! I UNDERSTAND THIS! A-HAH! A-HAH!" she looks very proud of herself.
But then she hears the words 'radiation' and her smile fades. This big word I know... I hope to never see another die such a death again...
Although she understands little else, she regard the records and this building with suspicion.
"We should leave if there's radiation! That is not an honourable way to die."
Clearly, she hasn't absorbed much...
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Kaylee agrees with Julakesh on this one, tell the membranes and see their reaction and then tell the husks if the membranes don't seem interested in doing what's right.
Kaylee giggles profusely after Julakesh addresses her in the vesk language,
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To Kaylee, Julakesh replies:
Julakesh looks confused. Suddenly her face breaks into a grin. and she laughs loudly.
"A-HAH! A-HAH!"
She continues to laugh, apparently thinking that Kaylee is very funny.
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"I don't like this history, and I don't like our options. Honestly, what good would it do to tell anyone of this information? We could start a war. Better to let history go forgotten and for us to simply leave this planet. Or do all of you want to be responsible for thousands of deaths?"
The sad story has sobered Mustachio up a bit. He certainly does not want this weighing on his conscience.
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Breq pats Choppy on the head and whispers, "We'll talk about telling the husks after we tell the Membranes. Deal? " Confident in her deal making skills, and the backing of three other agents, the android strides out the door. First we tell the Membranes about their history. Then, we prep the ship for a quick get away. If things go bad, we ask Mustachio what a doomed extra in a civil war would do. If things go well, then, Mustachio was already practicing his award acceptance speech. I'll copy his.
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After further thought, and with the communal ways of the shirren deeply engrained, Chk'tarlsh continues, "But what if we shirrens didn't know of the Sswarm? Our not knowinghk wouldn't make ush any ssafer. Maybe the oppossite."
He considers, antennae twitching. "Perhapsh I would rather know. But if we tell one group, the other desservesh to know ash well. It would not be fair for ush to choosse."
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Kaylee's laughing with Julakesh dies out after a bit as she answers Marino. "Saying nothing may be easier for us, but think about the husks out there. Remember their struggle just for food and water? Maybe if we tell the membranes about this they'll be just as shocked as we are and bring the husks into the city! Why are you assuming that the truth will lead to a war?"
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Breq turns and smiles. "Sounds like we are agreed. Let us go to the Membranes and give them the opportunity to do the right thing." The android turns to Chk'tarlsh and bows slightly. "Then, if they do not bend, we can tell the Husks." The android takes a step towards the door. And run as fast as we can from the impending civil war.
When the party returns from the mainframe, they are granted one last audience with the Most Elevated. We are most grateful for your work on the mainframe. When Breq relays the history of the Ghibrani race, the council is - as expected - shocked by the revelation. This burdens us greatly, the speaker says, yet we must consider what is at stake here. These words you says, they would be nothing short of shattering to our societies. We would not find sympathy for giving up our lifestyle among our people here, nor would revealing the true nature of mother Touloo be any comfort to the Husks. The speaker sighs Instead of summoning haunts from the past, let us continue in tradition. Let the mainframe remain a taboo area, off limits to all visitors, and let us membranes and husk Ghibranis keep our ways of life. The Most Elevated will encourage a tradition of charity, but that is all we can do now without creating instability. Our Husk brethren would probably agree.
Klarima escorts the party to the edge of the city, where she re-opens the forcefield. She looks a bit distracted, and parts with the words You have given me much to think about, new friends.
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"Friend Breq, I am expecting that this is not the reaction you were hoping for. This reminds me of the film "No Right Answer", in which I starred in as Corpse #5, in which telling the truth resulted in a massive civil war that ended up destroying the entire planet." Mustachio pauses for a moment in which something clicks in his brain.
"You know, I have never noticed before how relevant and timely my C.V. is to the situations at hand. Curious. Uh... all this to say, I don't think the Husks should know. I do not want to start a war."
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Kaylee keeps quiet when they meet the membranes again although she doesn't hide the disappointment on her face that they don't seem interested in helping the husks. She is still friendly with Klarima though who seems to be much more empathetic than the elevated membranes were. "I hope we can meet again Klarima and I hope what we learned will do good for you and *all* of your people...not just the ones in the city."
She'll also keep quiet after leaving the city but if asked will want to tell the husks now that the membranes have decided not to do anything to help the husks. "I mean they didn't have to go invite them in...even just helping them with kahlgee deliveries or something..." she mutters to herself along the way.
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Breq laughs and pats Mustachio on the back. "Well, they say the best actors can play any role! Perhaps your CV reflects this, Green Sniper! " She looks at her companions and shakes her head. "I am lost. Intergalactic law gives us no aid in this situation. And while the Wayfinders always suggest sharing benefits and information with new species, they also say to avoid conflict. "
Finally, she straightens up. "I don't think we are capable of making this decision. Let us take this information back to the Society. They could have us back here in a month, and with real diplomats and negotiators. " Smiling, she continues. "Then, perhaps, we can avoid a war. "
Chronicles are here (link). I'll add day jobs if they come in, for now just check if everything is ok.