Writing Prompts

[Razor One]

A decent addition, but I'm kind of surprised at Firebrand being the medic here instead of Copperspike. That kind of knowledge should have made her a shoe-in for the position in the first place, so it's a bit odd that she's suddenly knowledgeable about medicine.

Regarding the next part;

SpoilerShow

I was thinking up a bit where Copperspike had to pull the bullet out and seal Nathaniel's artery, all the while swearing up and down about the shitboot who shot him while the rest of the diral frets and fumes. I believe I can work with Firebrand having specialist doranzer knowledge though, kind of a dichotomy between the hands on surgeon and the person that was studying to be a proper doctor, the two of them bickering their way to the best solutions to save Nathan's life.

Think of it like Doctor McCoy having to work with the EMH.

Although, I do have to ask what the story is with Firebrand. What reason did she have to not volunteer for medic duty in the first place? Character insights are always good and it sounds like there's a bit of story to be had there.

[novius]

I thought Firebrand of having a spotty knowledge in field medicine at best - and not having the complete diral in range, thus Copperspike not yet knowing of what happened. Firebrand has a personal stake in Nathanial's wellbeing - after all, she's still on probation and has to show exemplary behavior.

So yes, she may be adept at diagnosing a shock by blood loss and suggest appropriate treatment, but performing a field surgery might be a slightly different matter.

SpoilerShow

Yup, I'd definitely like to see how these two would discuss treatment - Perhaps this bit of background becomes clear when they are busy patching up Nathanial.

[Kensai]

Observation...

Novius, good job on that piece- both the dressing down on the station and the field medicine parts.

If its a basic field pack, perhaps a very advanced form of Combat Lifesaver bag with maybe.... maybe... a small portable regen device, if we are talking the level of tech shown in the "Mirror" fanfic.

IIRC, at the TL suggested the Loroi are, I believe such a thing is possible.

I know the QuikClot stuff carried now in Combat Medic bags does wonders for stopping loss of blood and the like. I would imagine either Copperspike or Firebrand would be knowledgeable on that- whichever has the more appropriate field medicine training. Firebrand the most likely, considering its already mentioned.


I look forward to the next parts.... as this is a giant dumpster fire for the Mizol right now- no matter if its loroi based politics or a botched first contact.

Just wow.

(rl job is (well read) Emergency Medical Tech and I was friends with A LOT of Medics/Corpsmen while I was in. One learns things because one can be bored... )

[Werra]

New Frontiers is set 400 years in the past of the comic. Loroi medical tech might not be quite that advanced yet.

[Kensai]

New Frontiers is set 400 years in the past of the comic. Loroi medical tech might not be quite that advanced yet.

Good point.

IRL, we as humanity are TL7-10, depending on what we are talking about.

I figure Loroi are likely solid TL9 to 12, depending on the subject.... then.

Now, I suspect they are solidly TL11/12 everywhere.

[Werra]

Now that I think about it, the medikit the Diral now has might be quite basic. Serious injuries could and should be flown out of there. So the medikit only needs to cover very basic first aid. A tourniquet, some quickclot (indeed amazing, thanks Israel), some plasters and disinfectant.

It's not like that anybody expected to get into a firefight and Loroi biology is very robust.

Edit:
Another question. Can the Empire accept being bullied around by savages or is it policy to pacify these tribes?

SpoilerShow

I vote no, since the Loroi seem very prideful. And they can't afford to not capture Nathan with his perfect Lotai now.

[dragoongfa]

Depends on the situation, word of God is that there are some leftover hardcore traditionalists on Deinar and Perrein. Like modern day Amish but militant and without gunpowder weapons.

Depending on the overall politics certain clans may be left in place and respected, especially if they are either extreme traditionalists that keep to themselves or clans who cooperate fully on Imperial matters like the Hos'te Blec who will take in the lost diral.

In this case a parallel I could think of is for a US army squad going in an Indian preserve area and shooting up the place when the tribal government told them to take a hike. In my understanding the US federal government has given wide autonomy and authority to the reservations allowing the tribes to even have their own separate courts.

[novius]

Exactly this. And I'm pretty sure opinions about this could be wildly varied. While the clans might have been given autonomy, maybe even on varying scale, most likely there are Loroi being discontent with the status quo. Like Nelonial who'd rather see the clans summarily disbanded and folded into the Empire.

SpoilerShow

The Mizol are between a rock and a hard place now. If they keep under the wraps that there is an unknown alien with a perfect Lotai on Deinar, they may be forced to surrender one of their own - or two - to Empire law for hurting a male the moment someone brings them in front of a court. They might get out scot-free because Nelonial acted under duress, but it could be a very hard sell because she did escalate the level of the confrontation. On the other way round they could go for a partial disclosure - since Nathanial is an alien, the laws protecting males wouldn't apply here.

The third option would be to 'clean' everything, bury everything in the deepest hole they could find and never even think about this. While this might be the most convenient option for a Mizol, future told us that they didn't take that path , and I'd peg the typical Mizol as not that wasteful as to throw away someone with a perfect Lotai without at least trying to bring him into the own fold. Especially if said someone could even take others with him under his Lotai.

I think given with Coral's findings and maybe some aerial recon using drones the Mizol might opt for a second attempt at contacting them, though more with the stance 'we know who you are and you cannot hide forever... so let's talk'. That wouldn't cost them anything, they'd be acting from a position of relative strength and a further decision on how to deal with the diral and Nathanial would be a better informed one.

Yep, a light touch would be needed, and history has it that the First Contact situation almost went haywire

About the medical treatment - there's the complication that they have to deal with a completely unknown biochemistry. Naturally that excludes typical medicines like antibiotics and analgesics, it could preclude salves, liquid bandaids and such, too, because of components that could cause an allergic reaction. And an anaphylactic shock on top of the blood loss would be the last thing they need. So without a decent breakdown on his biology they are limited to most basic treatment like cleaning and dressing the wound and removing foreign bodies and replacing the lost volume of plasma to keep his circulation running and fight the tachycardia. In short, they may have hi-tech medicine, but it's hi-tech Loroi medicine which could easily kill a human if they aren't careful.

On the other hand, Nathanial might be lucky that typical pathogens like bacteria and virii won't get hold in him as well because of his different biochemistry.

[orion1836]

On the other hand, Nathanial might be lucky that typical pathogens like bacteria and virii won't get hold in him as well because of his different biochemistry.

"What the hell is this bullshit? I can't work with any of this!"

-Soia bacteria, probably.

[Razor One]

He's been there for two tozons. I'd eat my hat if something hadn't figured out how to infect him by this point. Also, bacteria are a social bunch, so I'd expect them to have swapped notes, genes, and sordid love letters by this point too. Nature you scary.

Next part is shaping up nicely, just need to find a good note to end it on, proof and post. Expect it it within the hour barring 'interesting times' on my end.

[dragoongfa]

Depends on a lot of factors but in such a scenario there is no evolutionary pressure for a bacteria to evolve to thrive in a completely different biochemistry. A single host and all that.

[Werra]

Alright. Here's the new writing prompt, too. I aimed for something different this time. No humans on Perrein and the story should lend itself to action better than the others.

Now...time to read New Frontiers.

[Razor One]

Part is up. I'll admit fully that I'm no EMT and that my medical knowledge is... probably not the best. I tried to be reasonably accurate whilst trying to carry a sense of urgency and tension, but if anything is egregiously wrong, let me know and I'll try to correct.

Some authors notes:

SpoilerShow

I tried to balance Firebrand and Copperspike's roles, with Firebrand having better theoretical knowledge and Copperspike being a bit more hands on. She definitely saved Copperspike from making a potentially fatal mistake with the anaesthetics.

As brave as Nathaniel may be, the feeling that you're facing down death's door has made bigger and harder men cry for their mothers in the past. Having him show a bit of vulnerability was I think a necessity, and one he's going to have to deal with given the whole diral will want to nurse him back to health.

If you thought Copperspike's thoughts at sewing the offending idiots orifices shut was dark, I'd wager that Argent's are likely unpublishable on the site.

For future parts:

SpoilerShow

Copperspike is officially interested in Firebrand. No, not that way. She's just interested in what her story is.

I figure her wanting to be a doranzer was cut down rather hard by her elders, potentially even her mother. Her attitude problems as a result stem from her having her dream shot out from under her, and her lack of desire to volunteer as a medic until now was part of that, avoiding something of a sore point for her.

I think we're also going to need some new epithets. Piss artist and shitboot are great, but only go so far. I mixed it around a bit and coined a new(ish) phrase in 'Tempests shit!', but more colourful language is probably going to be a good thing for scenes where tensions are high.

Also something to note, since things are apparently shaping up for another round of confrontation between the diral and the Mizol, mayhaps it'll soon be time to invoke the wide area lotai? With the situation shaping up such that everyone Natan cares about is going to be thrust in danger, and after having been shot, it might well be a likely trigger point.

[novius]

Just to clarify, I'm no EMT either But so far everything looks solid to me.

Nathanial will be weak for the oncoming days; while they restored the volume of his lost blood, erythrocyte count and hemoglobin is still way down - oxygen transport is impaired, so he'd be prone to being winded easily and losing focus. Though, with his leg wound he's in no shape to move around - or being moved extensively - for the oncoming days (risk of thromboses, though) and I'm sure Copperspike will drive home that point in no uncertain terms. Perhaps this would actually sit better with the Loroi, having him stay put and taken care for and protected, as it is the lot for a male - and theirs - as much as they grew up with.

SpoilerShow

We're thinking along the same lines, I see. For Firebrand it was a childhood dream to become a medical specialist, but she was more or less forced on a different career track. After all, this fic is playing in a time where the mother had a much larger say in the kid's upbringing than during the time of the war. That made her a bit jaded and confrontational at a whole, but having a more active role in this medical emergency might be the chance for her to redeem herself and rethink her attitude.

As for Natan's Lotai - same here. The Mizol won't let this rest. They tasted blood - literally, perhaps - and won't leave a stone unturned. Of course some aerial recon will turn up the diral's camp, and the time they might go for another ground action they curiously find the camp deserted and no mind to sense in range, whereever they look. Even thermal imaging may be of limited use - Loroi do run at a lower body temperature after all - and the Mizol might quickly find out that it's hard to fight, or even find, 'ghosts', and may have to change their tack to a more diplomatic approach. Like, leaving a message at a given location, or another mail directed at Argent.

[Kensai]

Well I am one.... and I think y'all did just fine given what I do know and have read about Imo, more of what ya all did is Paramedicine/combat medic but it fits, considering the two characters.

On moving him- If the Loroi have something like a stretcher they can make (if they know what one is), moving him is possible if necessary. Still a risky thing, considering our medical members dont know what of their meds will work for/on him. Either way, some interesting chapters ahead. I applaud you guys!

On the Mizol- I can see about three ways they'd respond to investigate/contact the Diral. And all carry a risk though-Minor to huge.

[Kensai]

And I am gonna be a vocal cheerleader over here.

[Werra]

They should know stretchers. I'm sure they got taught some means of transporting wounded comrades beforehand. If necessary a blanket and sticks can function as a makeshift one. Not up to our standards, but they are on their own in the woods.

When the Mizol return, I think it's a given that they come protected from darts and wooden implements. Whether that means the fully environmentally sealed space armor or a lighter, atmospheric derivate is open to discussion.

SpoilerShow

If I were to continue this story on my own, this would now turn into a race between two options. The Diral finally talking to authorities, Elders or Mizol, or the Mizol having enough and coming in for the kill. The discovery of training puppets with which the Arianesin have been drilled to attack Mizol would be a major occurence as it proves premeditation and raises the stakes.

Also I want to see what makes Mizol such feared Telepaths.

[Razor One]

SpoilerShow

That might have been the case had Nelonial been in a position to keep doubling down, but I doubt she'll be allowed to return to the surface after fouling up so badly and will probably be posted to the worst posting imaginable. So probably somewhere in Mannadi space. Her superior will be interested in keeping things quiet and capitalising on discovering just what is going on down there. That favours deescalation of some kind with a show of good faith.

Ideally, the diral is induced to forgo contacting their elders. The moment they get involved everything is out of the diral's hands. Natan's most likely fate from there is to be removed from them, tossed in a lab at worst and become a guest of some high ranking patron at best. I'd imagine that any competent Mizol will communicate these facts to the diral once they realise they're interested in keeping him.

From there, Bastal would have an ideal way to keep things under wraps, investigate, and secure Natan as an asset for the Mizol. If the diral wants to keep Natan, then they have to disappear with him, and a certain Hoste Blec clan does owe Bastal a few favours and is isolated enough to keep a secret like him secret. The group could finish their trials with the Hoste Blec and become Mizol, forming an elite cadre of agents who can and will shakeup the Loroi Empire with their unwritten deeds.

[novius]

The Mizol would be very much interested in deescalating the situation. If it comes to blows, they'd end up with a wiped out diral and a dead Natan. While they could explain away a loss of a whole diral (they actually will do so for the official records, though they stay very much alive) a dead alien would tell them much less than what a living alien would. And Mizol are opportunists. Of course they'd try to bring someone with a perfect Lotai into their fold, especially when he manages to include others in their protection as well. If it works, they gain a unique asset. If it doesn't, they could still kill and dissect him. And, of course, they could still dissect him when he dies for one reason or another - so it's a win-win to keep him alive and at a (long) leash.

SpoilerShow

And if Bastal chooses to deescalate the situation, she would definitely not allow that one, or the two Loroi which top the diral's shit list on the surface again. Or.... Maybe Mizol are that callous to throw one of their own to the wolves in order to garner some favours? That'd be positively dark but strangely fitting for an unscrupulous organization which shrouds itself in secrecy.

[Zarya]

Agree with Razor

SpoilerShow

...Nelonial has had it... Bastal takes over and goes in, in person, and tries not to get killed by a livid bunch of adolescents while doing her Mizol's finest. Bastal is in a position to make promises.

The loose end I’d like to see wrapped up is the portal. Bastal has been looking into these, ultra secret project. What’s known is that they’re remnants of a transport system of which the extent is a mystery. The Mizol are unsure whether they are a security risk, or might be of use some day. It remains an open question how they work and it has been impossible to activate them until sofar. Nathan is the only living proof that portals might work.