I hate to say it, but: told you so!
We failed that one and I we can be lucky that no one got hurt. They have seen how we look like and they are understanably freaked out by that fact. We can't understand what they say and they can't understand what we are saying either. We have to deal with it like a hostage situation and we win nothing if one of them (or us) freaks out, makes an unexpected move, etc... Thats whats get people (or blue elves) killed and we do not want that.
My suggestion: Plan B - Necessary force v2:
-Give them another respectfull chance to come with you on their own (use open gestures, speak to them, let the lead elf keep her pointy stick, position the marines in a corridor to the door and let them guide them to the shuttle, etc...)
If that fails:
-Disarm that blue elve in a respectfull way (do not treat her) if that fails disarm her by force.
-If she or the others attack us, overpower them in an non lethal way and handcuff them or knock them out (the marines have handcuffs, yes?)
-Examine the subdued aliens (again without harming them) for diseases or injuries.
-Provide first aid as a sign of good will, give them some of our water and food (there will be some in the shuttle or in the marine sprovisions, I hope) and try to lern more of their language by talking to them.
-Have our ship prepare some kind of quarantine station for them.
-Take them back to the shuttle (gently and without lethal force) and bring them there.
-Let our doctors take a look at them and provide further help (blankets, clothing, etc...), as well as food and water.
-Try to find out if there are any Xenobiologists under the civilians and have them take a look, too.
-Let others do the talking in a safe enviroment for both sides.
Let's adapt my previous plan a little, taking into account that the dice hates us:
[X] Plan: Carrot and Stick.
SpoilerShow
[X] Defuse the situation by having most of the marines back away, leaving only a squad visible in the corridor but in safe distance with weapons lowered and visibly relaxed. We know that Volkova nor the Colonel are 'people persons' and thus they should stay calm and wait for someone competent. They should try and pass the message that someone will be with them shortly with hand signals or something before leaving them alone to absorb the situation.
-[X] Have the marines make sure the alien ship is fully secured. Have more marines sent in (at least 2 marines per elf) and secure a working airlock for better access while allowing the assault shuttle to leave its latching point (after the hole is patched up). They should also see if they can find some short of food storage, hopefully that storage wasn't at the lower decks.
-[X] We need someone with high diplomacy on board the alien ship, preferably without a space suit in order to instill a sense of trust. We ask the Doctor about the possibility of a plague and according to his answer we send both Izumi and him with or without space suits (Both should jump for such an opportunity). Izumi because of being a linguist and the doctor in case he could provide some medical attention (while also looking for possible contagions and data about both alien species). Some crates of food should also be sent as well, with the doctor overseeing the former prisoners eating in the case of complications. For their safety, in case they don't wear Spacesuits, they should wear some light armor.
-[X] Volkova is to make sure that the alien ship stays in one piece.
--[X] Izumi and the doctor will always be closely covered by a Marine squad in the presence of the aliens, force is not to be used unless as a last resort. The doctor and the ensign are the carrot and the marines are the visible stick. We have plenty of time.
--[X] Their priority is not to get the elves to move but to introduce themselves. First their names, then as humans while asking what they call themselves. The priority is to establish a basic vocabulary as quickly as possible. If the elves are uncooperative they are to keep at it no matter how long it takes.
--[X] If the elves become agitated and move threateningly have the marines cover the ensign and the doctor. Then have them make a show that no knives or fists work on powered armor. When that is done have the marines point first at the two emissaries and say 'talk' then point at each others weapons and armors and say 'force'. Repeat the pointing a couple of times until the elves get the message and control themselves.
--[X] If the spear elf tries something really stupid have her restrained and her make shift weapon taken away from her. Then leave her with the others while the ensign and the doctor keep trying to get through to their thick skulls.
---[X] Once the introduction is done and some basic understanding is established, politely insist of having them follow you at an other compartment, enticing them with food (either ours or what we find).
---[X] If the elves don't want to move give them the food at their current location. Hopefully eating will calm them down a bit. If they are reluctant have a volunteer eat from human food in front of them. Starvation will force them to eat despite their distrust.
----[X] Once fed resume the establishing of basic vocabulary.
-----[X] When more vocabulary is unlocked explain to the aliens their situation. That the ship they are on is crippled and that they will certainly die if they don't help us help them. Further explain that we are not related to their captors and we mean them no harm. In fact we don't want any kind of harm to come at them and we won't accept them commit suicide.
------[X] If cooperative after everything they are to be transferred to our ship where they will be given full medical attention to the best of our abilities, then food, clothing, bathing and everything we can do for them.
------[X] If they are totally uncooperative and unduly aggressive despite all demonstrations and patience, have two marine per elf disarm them and frog march each and everyone of them into a shuttle and escort them to our ship. Unloading them to a guarded compartment which was already prepared for them where they will receive proper medical attention, food, clothing and etc. (No weapons, no flashbangs, just grab them by the arms and frog march them).
Later
-[X] Inform the passengers, telling them the truth.
--[X] Analyze the charts and data we found from the ship.
---[X] Make decision about the future when everything is said and done.
EDIT4: That a compartment for them is prepared from the moment we start is a matter of fact.
EDIT: Really embarrassing typo.
EDIT2: I hope that a critical failure on everything is not a sudden realization that all of them are Teidar.
EDIT3: Forgot something.
I maintain that there is no way to 'respectfully' disarm and capture a bunch of panicking former slaves. At best it will foster grudges that will take a long time to heal. At worst, we'll hurt them by accident. Remember, cornered rats BITE. Using force will just make them do something stupid. Regardless, they definitely won't cooperate with any medical tests and language exchanges, which are going to be at the top of our eventual THINGS TO DO list. The last thing we need is one of them rolling a crit and slashing our doctor's throat with a stolen scalpel or something.
The way I see it, we've got two issue right now: the aliens and the ship.
Aliens first. We've tried to communicate and show peaceful intentions, but they obviously aren't buying it. If we keep pushing it will make things worse, so we should give them a bit of space. Communication is a two-way street, so I say the ball's in their court now. Let's see what they do if we just back up and leave. They're not going anywhere, and they'll be much more likely to stay and talk if it was their idea. Once they do start talking, we don't actually need to communicate anything, just keep them talking. The more we hear, the more we can translate, and the more complex plans we can try to implement.
Ship second. We know it's dead, so I say we have most of the marines (save a handful to keep an eye on our blue friends) sweep the place to be extra sure. Once that's done we'll know more about what we've got to work with, and can think about who we need to send to study this wreck.
[X] Plan Patience:
-[X] Everyone back off. Weapons down, carefully and slowly leave the room.
-[X] Volkova and a single team of marines stay behind to talk to the aliens if they decide to come out.
--[X] Assuming the aliens do come out, the team is to remain as non-threatening as possible and just try to keep them talking.
-[X] The Colonel takes the other marines to secure the rest of the ship and report what he finds.
Short and to the point. We can make further decisions once we know more.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness."
There's a lot of ship to lootsalvage before we need to make the final call of either abandoning these people to their deaths or kidnapping them for their own good.
There's a lot of ship to lootsalvage before we need to make the final call of either abandoning these people to their deaths or kidnapping them for their own good.
I think abandoning them is probably off the table, not for any moral reasons but because we need them. We've got no idea where we are, who else is out here, etc. They might not know a lot, but it's still going to be more than what we know. If nothing else their language is something we're definitely going to need to know in the future. Besides, our long-term plan involves making friends as quickly as possible. Leaving the first non-hostile aliens we meet to die because they aren't as cooperative as we'd like seems counterproductive.
As for kidnapping, that's a matter of perspective. On the one hand, "come with us or starve to death" isn't a fair deal. But so long as they come freely and we release them when possible I'd say it's still more of a rescue than an abduction.
...also, I REALLY need to stop arguing with the people who are agreeing with me. Ah well.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness."
Argh.... damn, that was lot of wasted time. Sorry everybody.
REALLY should have added provisions to fall back on if diplomacy rolls failed. Thought of it but I was distracted, back to back finals and all... Bloody excuses...
Lesson learned: If your plan has a bottleneck, make a backup.
Anyway, I'd agree that abandoning them is off the table. Things comes to worse, I'm willing to pull the "They're MINORS!!!" card and forcefully make them come with us. We'll explain ourselves to them when we actually manage to communicate. Again, if things comes to worse. Lets hope they won't.
You pace back and forth on the bridge with a furrowed brow. Trying to communicate with gestures just isn't bridging the communication gap and Volkova showing her face did nothing to calm them down.
"Ensign, what do you make of the situation?" you ask.
It almost pains you to ask her. Not because of embarrassment on your part or because you feel she's incompetent, no. It's that you've never seen Ensign Izumi like this. Her brow is furrowed in concentration as she both listens in on whatever it is the elves are saying in one ear and replays records of their prior statements in the other. With one hand she's furiously scribbling down notes while the other helps coordinate all her efforts.
You can see that there's a fire in her that says 'I will rise to this challenge no matter what'. You don't want to disrupt that, but you must.
"Ensign? Ensign!" you snap.
"C-captain?!" She jumps at your raised voice, "Ah, sorry, I was concentrating."
"I asked what your take on this situation is," you say.
"Well," she says, collecting her thoughts, her breath, and everything she's been able to scrap together, "I think our suits are intimidating them, and our resemblance to them might actually be making them more afraid than if we looked completely different."
"They're scared of us because we're too similar?" you ask.
"If I were to use a historical example, the aborigines of Australia thought that white explorers were ghosts at first," she says, "though that might be a bad example."
You pace a couple more times and come to a decision.
"Colonel, Chief, back off slowly and give the elves some space. Let them have the room, but take up a position outside, if they want to talk then they can approach us on their terms," you order.
"Understood," says Volkova with a measure of relief.
"Colonel, once you're out leave a team to keep that area secure. I need the rest of your marines to search that ship from aft to stern, try to find anything that might have been missed or would qualify as unusual,"
"Yes Captain," he acknowledges.
You watch on as your orders are obeyed. The room is slowly left to the elves under the harsh gaze of the spear wielding one. The face is so human-like that you can't help but ascribe it emotions you're familiar with. Suspicion, mistrust, surprise at your people's retreat, and finally a visible if slight relaxation that the room has been left to them... and a weariness that no doubt comes with being locked up and starved.
"Captain," says Izumi, her voice low as she strains to hear through her headset, "I think they're having a discussion about their next move. There's at least four of them speaking, in strained tones. The one with the spear seems to be leading the discussion."
"Any idea as to the content?" you ask.
"Still working on that," she says and continues to listen in.
You pace back and forth again and again. Time and patience. That was always your father's strong suit. Your mother always wanted to get things done as fast as possible. Your father was content to wait, much to her frustration in almost all things. Your pace breaks as you realise you might never see your parents again. You knew that intellectually but it really hits you right then and there.
You stew uncomfortably on that feeling for the better part of an hour. The only break as you wait are occasional reports from the marines as they search the ship, finding a few of those rifles, the blown out remnants of the ammo bay and the trashed remnants of their cargo bay, and all the while those elves talk and talk and talk.
Finally, it seems that they reached a consensus, as the spear wielding elf appears at the door. She glares down at the undisturbed remains of her comrades and you can see the tremor in her face, the pain in her heart as she grips the spear more tightly.
"Pommai," she says, tapping her lips, "Memal," she says, making a scooping motion and raising it to her lips.
"Food and water," says Ensign Izumi, "I'd bet my career on it."
"Colonel, does the assault shuttle have any food or water on it?" you ask.
"Negative," says the Colonel, "Our suits carry a supply of food and water internally. Any engagement that requires us to remove our armour to eat or drink has generally dragged on too long, and not having to carry MRE's into combat both lightens the shuttle and lessens the chance of enemies stealing our supplies without a fight."
You curse that fact but accept the logic. A thought then strikes you.
"Dr. Campos, can those aliens even eat our food?" you ask.
"If they're as similar to us as their looks suggest, quite possibly," says Dr. Campos, "biochemical differences may render some of our foodstuffs unpalatable or toxic to them, however."
There's the rub then. Feeding them may make them sick or even kill them for all you know. On the other hand, giving them nothing would certainly kill them, just more slowly.
[] Write In
--
Izumi Language Roll: 59 + 15 + 11 + 20 = 105
Since the elves deigned to speak to you in a fairly identifiable manner and are calmer now, you gained a slight bonus to the language roll.Not as big as you could be getting though.
Blue Space Elf: 161 / 3000: Mostly gibberish, but the odd word here or there is identifiable.
SpoilerShow
This is my Mod voice. If you see this in a thread, it means that the time for gentle reminders has passed.
Finally some progress, my main concern is to get this over quickly (in the game sense) so we can move in to the CK2 phase already
So I am proposing yet an other relatively complicated plan that will both get this over with and allow Razor One to write the results during the weekend.
So plan to be negotiated:
Plan: Let's get this over with.
SpoilerShow
[X] Have food and water prepared and sent. The marines are also to report if they found the alien food storage in case there is food that is compatible with the elves.
-[X] While this is done the marines are going to put on a show of good will by moving the elf corpses with respect (with stretchers?) and the snooties unceremoniously and quickly. Gather the dead at separate compartments.
-[X] Have the marines identify an other safe compartment nearby so the elves could be peacefully moved there, away from the dead and filth.
-[X] Ask the ensign if it would help with the translation if she went there personally. If yes then have her sent there with the food and water, she is not to negotiate with them, just absorb their vocabulary.
-[X] Volkova or Mitchell are to look for a nearby operable airlock for quick movement of people and goods.
[X] The doctor and a nurse or two have to go with the food in case of complications (I hope that he has been paying full attention so far).
-[X] Ask him about the danger of cross species contamination or other medical problems that may arise if someone doesn't wear a suit.
--[X] If the danger is negligible to non existent then send the team without space suits so the elves could be more at ease.
[X] Once the corridor is clear have water given to the elves first, since thirst is far more maddening than hunger and we know that it is safe for consumption.
-[X] While they do that the doctor and his team are to try and identify themselves as medics.
[X] Once the elves have had their thirst sated and understood the function of the medical team. Attempt to convince them to move to the cleaner compartment.
-[X] If they agree then have them moved there.
-[X] If they don't then have the food brought to the holding cell.
[X] The medical team is to oversee the distribution and consumption of food. (Personally I am 90% sure that Soia Liron organisms have a far sturdier stomach than ours, genetic engineering and all that).
-[X] If alien food was found see if the Elves identify anything as edible, if not see if they find some of our food edible.
-[X] While the elves are eating, the medical team is to observe and examine the aliens for complications.
-[X] If someone needs medical attention for food or other related illness or injury have it provided.
[X] Once the elves have eaten and have been examined/helped, enhancing our vocabulary understanding is a priority.
-[X] When our vocabulary is sufficient we personally go to the alien ship, with spare clothing that we would have gathered by that point.
-[X] When we present ourselves to them the Marines and the Medical team (if the medics don't have their hands full) are to stand at attention and salute in order for the Elves to understand that we are in command.
--[X] Needless to say that we will be with an 'honor guard' at their presence at all times.
-[X] Have the spare clothing distributed and then begin 'negotiations'.
[X] Inform the elves that we are in no way related to their captors and find what they did to them abhorrent.
-[X] Tell them that they are all under our protection and that we will return them to their people when the opportunity arises.
-[X] Ask if they need anything else at the moment. See that someone sees to it.
-[X] Ask about their collars and if they know of a safe way to take them off.
-[X] Ask if there are any specific rituals about how they should handle their dead. See that their needs are met.
-[X] Inform them that the ship we are currently on is irreparably crippled and that they will be guests on our ship until we can return them to their people.
-[X] Inform them of the situation we have found ourselves and ask if they know anything that could help us.
-[X] Answer any questions they have to the best of our ability.
[X] Move them to our ship, in a separate compartment and under a discreet marine guard. Some freedom of movement is to be allowed but until we know more about them and their behavior they are to be kept monitored and under guard (for ours and their safety).
-[X] Have the alien ship looted of anything worthwhile and then scuttled.
-[X] Inform the passengers of what happened and about our guests, telling them that they are under our personal protection until they are returned to their people.
-[X] Have the data from the alien ship studied, with the priority being the navigation charts.
dragoongfa wrote:Finally some progress, my main concern is to get this over quickly (in the game sense) so we can move in to the CK2 phase already
So I am proposing yet an other relatively complicated plan that will both get this over with and allow Razor One to write the results during the weekend.
So plan to be negotiated:
Plan: Let's get this over with.
SpoilerShow
[X] Have food and water prepared and sent. The marines are also to report if they found the alien food storage in case there is food that is compatible with the elves.
-[X] While this is done the marines are going to put on a show of good will by moving the elf corpses with respect (with stretchers?) and the snooties unceremoniously and quickly. Gather the dead at separate compartments.
-[X] Have the marines identify an other safe compartment nearby so the elves could be peacefully moved there, away from the dead and filth.
-[X] Ask the ensign if it would help with the translation if she went there personally. If yes then have her sent there with the food and water, she is not to negotiate with them, just absorb their vocabulary.
-[X] Volkova or Mitchell are to look for a nearby operable airlock for quick movement of people and goods.
[X] The doctor and a nurse or two have to go with the food in case of complications (I hope that he has been paying full attention so far).
-[X] Ask him about the danger of cross species contamination or other medical problems that may arise if someone doesn't wear a suit.
--[X] If the danger is negligible to non existent then send the team without space suits so the elves could be more at ease.
[X] Once the corridor is clear have water given to the elves first, since thirst is far more maddening that hunger and we know that it is safe for consumption.
-[X] While they do that the doctor and his team are to try and identify themselves as medics.
[X] Once the elves have had their thirst sated and understood the function of the medical team. Attempt to convince them to move to the cleaner compartment.
-[X] If they agree then have them moved there.
-[X] If they don't then have the food brought to the holding cell.
[X] The medical team is to oversee the distribution and consumption of food. (Personally I am 90% sure that Soia Liron organisms have a far sturdier stomach that ours, genetic engineering and all that).
-[X] If alien food was found see if the Elves identify anything as edible, if not see if they find some of our food edible.
-[X] While the elves are eating, the medical team is to observe and examine the aliens for complications.
-[X] If someone needs medical attention for food or other related illness or injury have it provided.
[X] Once the elves have eaten and have been examined/helped, enhancing our vocabulary understanding is a priority.
-[X] When our vocabulary is sufficient we personally go to the alien ship, with spare clothing that we would have gathered by that point.
-[X] When we present ourselves to them the Marines and the Medical team (if the medics don't have their hands full) are to stand at attention and salute in order for the Elves to understand that we are in command.
--[X] Needless to say that we will be with an 'honor guard' at their presence at all times.
-[X] Have the spare clothing distributed and then begin 'negotiations'.
[X] Inform the elves that we are in no way related to their captors and find what they did to them abhorrent.
-[X] Tell them that they are all under our protection and that we will return them to their people when the opportunity arises.
-[X] Ask if they need anything else at the moment. See that someone sees to it.
-[X] Ask about their collars and if they know of a safe way to take them off.
-[X] Ask if there are any specific rituals about how they should handle their dead. See that their needs are met.
-[X] Inform them that the ship we are currently on is irreparably crippled and that they will be guests on our ship until we can return them to their people.
-[X] Inform them of the situation we have found ourselves and ask if they know anything that could help us.
-[X] Answer any questions they have to the best of our ability.
[X] Move them to our ship, on a separate compartment and under a discreet marine guard. Some freedom of movement is to be allowed but until we know more about them and their behavior they are to be kept monitored and under guard (for ours and their safety).
-[X] Have the alien ship looted of anything worthwhile and then scuttled.
-[X] Inform the passengers of what happened and about our guests, telling them that they are under our personal protection until they are returned to their people.
-[X] Have the data from the alien ship studied, with the priority being the navigation charts.
[X] Decide about future steps.
I get that you want this to move along, but I'm worried your plan has too many bottlenecks. We already know that they're scared of us and that backing off helped improve relations. They may not let us go back in to collect the bodies. They also may not agree to be moved. If we roll poorly or they don't react like we think they will, we're back to square one.
Plan: Baby Steps
SpoilerShow
[X] Check to see if the Marines found anything that looks like food or water.
-[X] If so, have them bring it to the aliens.
-[X] If not, have a shipment of some of our stuff sent over, along with a medical team.
They're desperate enough to want to eat our food even if it's poison, and I don't think they'll let us run tests on them to see what will and won't be edible until after we've proved our goodwill. Without any meaningful way of communication, we have no choice but to roll the dice and hope. They likely know as well as we do that our food and drink may not be palatable, so we likely won't face much backlash if they do get sick.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness."
I think that it is obvious that the dead that were to be moved were the ones strewn out in the corridors and not the ones in the holding cells. We have already recognized that place as their 'territory' after all.
Don't touch any of the dead elves. What constitutes respect in our culture may not constitute respect in theirs. Let them handle their dead, or wait until we can communicate.
Any food we give to them, we should have some of our marines eat first in their presence so that it's abundantly clear that, even if it does make them sick, we're not trying to poison them. The food is good food to us. To the extent possible, select food that has less ingredients rather than more (applesauce has only a single point of failure. If they can digest apples, they're golden. A supreme pizza has dozens of ingredients they may not be able to tolerate).
Just bear in mind that your marines are in sealed armour that isn't easy to remove while on an alien ship. Also that there are quarantine considerations. Anyone exposing themselves to the alien ships environment will be exposed and subsequently quarantined for at least two weeks to a month. The aliens will also undergo this, if you can cross the communications barrier.
SpoilerShow
This is my Mod voice. If you see this in a thread, it means that the time for gentle reminders has passed.
dragoongfa wrote:I think that it is obvious that the dead that were to be moved were the ones strewn out in the corridors and not the ones in the holding cells. We have already recognized that place as their 'territory' after all.
Thank you for the clarification.
anamiac wrote:Don't touch any of the dead elves. What constitutes respect in our culture may not constitute respect in theirs. Let them handle their dead, or wait until we can communicate.
They're barely standing, and most of them are kids. I doubt they're in any condition to be handling months-old corpses. Regardless, the best way to test this is to just start moving the corpses. If they look upset we leave the bodies for them to deal with. If they don't we can get an impromptu morgue set up.
anamiac wrote:Any food we give to them, we should have some of our marines eat first in their presence so that it's abundantly clear that, even if it does make them sick, we're not trying to poison them. The food is good food to us. To the extent possible, select food that has less ingredients rather than more (applesauce has only a single point of failure. If they can digest apples, they're golden. A supreme pizza has dozens of ingredients they may not be able to tolerate).
Razor One wrote:Just bear in mind that your marines are in sealed armour that isn't easy to remove while on an alien ship. Also that there are quarantine considerations. Anyone exposing themselves to the alien ships environment will be exposed and subsequently quarantined for at least two weeks to a month. The aliens will also undergo this, if you can cross the communications barrier.
We don't have to use the Marines for this one, fortunately. If our attempt to find food on the ship fails, we can send over someone without a suit (or with a suit that's easier to take off) when we send over our own food. Since we're already on a rationing system, odds are good most of our food is pretty simple already, but the complexity issue is a good one to keep in mind.
With the right choice of personnel, the quarantine might even be a blessing in disguise. The aliens won't be going anywhere, and neither will our quarantined person. A few weeks/months is a lot of time to work on that communication.
Some related questions:
Could our doctor use the corpses to rapidly (five minutes or less) estimate foods that they might be able to handle? Likely not considering the decomposition, but it can't hurt to ask.
Could some of our medical and science types make an estimate based on their existing knowledge of biochemistry about what food types might be cross-species compatible? I know very little about subject, but I do know some foods are easier for our bodies to process than others, and I'll take anything that will improve our odds at this point.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness."
Could our doctor use the corpses to rapidly (five minutes or less) estimate foods that they might be able to handle? Likely not considering the decomposition, but it can't hurt to ask.
In five minutes or less, no, not unless you want him to be taking a shot in the dark. Longer? Yes. Dr. Campos would need to run a battery of tests on multiple corpses to identify what the elves could eat. While decomposition is a factor, the bacteria that's doing the decomposing will give him clues as to what won't immediately kill them. At the very least he'll know they use the same isomers that we do. With good samples and a lot of luck, he could maybe give you a concrete answer inside an hour. Within the day at the longest.
Could some of our medical and science types make an estimate based on their existing knowledge of biochemistry about what food types might be cross-species compatible? I know very little about subject, but I do know some foods are easier for our bodies to process than others, and I'll take anything that will improve our odds at this point.
Dr. Campos does know a fair amount about biochemistry since it's required for being a doctor. He'll be able to figure out what may or may not be poisonous, but digestibility and palatibility will likely be trial and error until their full biochemical makeup can be resolved.
SpoilerShow
This is my Mod voice. If you see this in a thread, it means that the time for gentle reminders has passed.
Ok... with what Razor One said let's cut my plan in half and expand on that half.
Plan: We ain't Gordon Ramsay but we are working on it.
SpoilerShow
[X] Have food and water prepared and sent. The marines are also to report if they found the alien food storage in case there is food that is compatible with the elves.
-[X] While this is done the marines are going to put on a show of good will by removing the snooties corpses unceremoniously and quickly. Leave the elf corpses as they are but cover them with some sheets.
-[X] Have the marines identify an other safe compartment nearby so the elves could be peacefully moved there, away from the dead and filth.
-[X] Ask the ensign if it would help with the translation if she went there personally. If yes then have her sent there with the food and water, she is not to negotiate with them, just absorb their vocabulary as fast as she can.
-[X] Volkova or Mitchell are to look for a nearby operable airlock for quick movement of people and goods.
[X] The doctor and a nurse or two have to go with the food for tests and medical aid in case of complications (I hope that he has been paying full attention so far).
-[X] Ask him about the danger of cross species contamination or other medical problems that may arise if someone doesn't wear a suit.
--[X] If the danger is negligible to non existent then ask for volunteers. The necessary time in quarantine will be deemed acceptable (inform the volunteers that paperwork will still be expected to be done dutifully and on time).
[X] Once the corridor is tidied up have the medical team distribute water, since thirst is far more maddening that hunger, we know that it is safe for consumption while it will also put them more at ease knowing that food will be coming as well.
-[X] While they do that, the doctor and his team are to identify themselves as medics.
[X] Once the elves have had their thirst sated and understood the function of the medical team. Attempt to convince them to move to the cleaner compartment.
-[X] If they agree then have them moved there.
-[X] If they don't then have the food brought to the holding cell.
--[X] In either case the medical team is to try and identify the medical condition of each elf, providing first aid if someone needs it.
[X] Try to explain our concerns for giving them food without testing if they can safely consume it. In the condition many of them are in it could be lethal to give them something that would cause an adverse reaction.
-[X] If alien food was found (doubtful with the storage blown up) see if the Elves identify anything as edible by them, after making sure that they understand that eating the wrong food may kill someone.
--[X] In case they do identify something as edible have the healthiest one eat first, if nothing happens in a reasonable amount of time distribute to the rest.
-[X] If no alien food was found or is edible explain that you need to run tests on the elf corpses to identify what is poisonous for them.
--[X] Unless the elves violently object have the doctor run the necessary tests.
---[X] If the elves violently object concede to their objections but point out that some of your food may kill them. Give small amounts of food to the healthiest elves in a trial and error fashion. Adverse reactions: No food. No reaction in a reasonable amount of time: Probably edible. No reaction and they like it: Probably food.
---[X] If tests are run and finished quickly have the team distribute the appropriate food.
---[X] If tests are run and take too much time start with trial and error trials based on the preliminary findings of what is and isn't toxic.
I hate to repeat myself, again. But staying on that wreck of a ship is simply not an option. We need to move them out of there as soon as possible.
Why?
-I assume our time there has limits. (Question to our GM: How long can we stay there?)
-We have no food or for them there, except bits of the corpses or maybe food from those slaver aliens. All that we have is built in into the armor suits. (Question: Can we estimate how long the boddies in the cell are dead?)
-We need to find out what they can eat of our food without poisoning themself. Doing this on that wreck is near impossible as we most likely won't have the equipment for that there and the good old trial & error aproach could kill them.
-That cell is very dirty and not a place for them to stay. They will get or are ill if they stay there.
-We don't know if there are other "slavers" in the direction that ship was heading or if there are other "surprises" that go boom aboard. (Question: Did the mariens search the entire ship for potential dangers? I have to admit that I lost track.)
-We need to close the language gap and thats much easier on our ship.
Having all the equipment, food and personal transportet over to the wreck is ridiculous. The only way this can work, is the other way round.
My suggestion: Plan B - Necessary force v3:
SpoilerShow
On the wreck:
-Hail our ship and let them prepare some kind of quarantine station for them. Let marines guard it, just in case and keep civilians away from it.
-Give them another respectfull chance to come with you on their own (Let Izumi use open gestures and speak to them, let the lead elf keep her pointy stick as a sign of respect, position some of the marines in a corridor all the way to the door of the shuttle and let the other marines guide them there with Izumi in the lead, etc...)
If that fails:
-Use more aggresive gestures and actions (Let the Marines surround them, point guns at them, push them out of their cell if they don't move. At the same time let Izumi talk to them and let her try to make them follow her. Like in the good old bad marines, good Ensign routine.)
--If the lead elf or the others attack one of us, overpower the attackers in an non lethal way and handcuff them or knock them out (Question to our GM: Our marines have handcuffs with them, yes?) and move them to the shuttle with force. Do not attack or hurt the others as long as they don't attack us.
Aboard the shuttle:
-Try to lern more of their language by letting Izumi talking to them.
-Examine the aliens (without harming them, so no needles or so) for diseases or injuries.
-Provide first aid and blankets as a sign of good will.
-Bring them back to our ship.
Aboard our ship:
-Bring our guests to the prepared quarantine station.
-Let Izumi do further lerning and talking. She should try to explain to them what is happening.
-Let our doctors take a closer look at them and provide further help (clothing, etc...), as well as food and water.
-Try to find out if there are any Xenobiologists under the civilians and have them take a look, too.
-I assume our time there has limits. (Question to our GM: How long can we stay there?)
There's no chance of the reactor going critical, there are no obstacles in your path, and no other ships that you can see within your one light second limitation. Theoretically, you could stay there until you starved to death.
-We have no food or for them there, except bits of the corpses or maybe food from those slaver aliens. All that we have is built in into the armor suits. (Question: Can we estimate how long the boddies in the cell are dead?)
Colonel Pierce reckons a week or two, though that may be off if the rate of decomposition is different for them. This is complicated by the corpses being somewhat butchered to feed the others.
-That cell is very dirty and not a place for them to stay. They will get or are ill if they stay there.
They've been in that cell for months, potentially much longer. Anything they may have picked up, they've picked up.
-We don't know if there are other "slavers" in the direction that ship was heading or if there are other "surprises" that go boom aboard. (Question: Did the mariens search the entire ship for potential dangers? I have to admit that I lost track.)
The marines have executed a search of the ship. It's currently in progress, but so far, they've found the depressurised and wrecked ammo bay, and the adjacent cargo bay which has either been wrecked beyond recognition or blown out into space. Beyond that they've found a few of the Snouts rifles, personal items, and not much else. The search is ongoing, and the Colonel does like that you're being thorough at least, but there's a low chance if any of things going boom. All the action was concentrated at either engineering, the bridge, or the detention block, and that was at least two months ago.
SpoilerShow
This is my Mod voice. If you see this in a thread, it means that the time for gentle reminders has passed.
Suederwind wrote:I hate to repeat myself, again. But staying on that wreck of a ship is simply not an option. We need to move them out of there as soon as possible.
Why?
-I assume our time there has limits. (Question to our GM: How long can we stay there?)
-We have no food or for them there, except bits of the corpses or maybe food from those slaver aliens. All that we have is built in into the armor suits. (Question: Can we estimate how long the boddies in the cell are dead?)
-We need to find out what they can eat of our food without poisoning themself. Doing this on that wreck is near impossible as we most likely won't have the equipment for that there and the good old trial & error aproach could kill them.
-That cell is very dirty and not a place for them to stay. They will get or are ill if they stay there.
-We don't know if there are other "slavers" in the direction that ship was heading or if there are other "surprises" that go boom aboard. (Question: Did the mariens search the entire ship for potential dangers? I have to admit that I lost track.)
-We need to close the language gap and thats much easier on our ship.
Having all the equipment, food and personal transportet over to the wreck is ridiculous. The only way this can work, is the other way round.
My suggestion: Plan B - Necessary force v3:
SpoilerShow
On the wreck:
-Hail our ship and let them prepare some kind of quarantine station for them. Let marines guard it, just in case and keep civilians away from it.
-Give them another respectfull chance to come with you on their own (Let Izumi use open gestures and speak to them, let the lead elf keep her pointy stick as a sign of respect, position some of the marines in a corridor all the way to the door of the shuttle and let the other marines guide them there with Izumi in the lead, etc...)
If that fails:
-Use more aggresive gestures and actions (Let the Marines surround them, point guns at them, push them out of their cell if they don't move. At the same time let Izumi talk to them and let her try to make them follow her. Like in the good old bad marines, good Ensign routine.)
--If the lead elf or the others attack one of us, overpower the attackers in an non lethal way and handcuff them or knock them out (Question to our GM: Our marines have handcuffs with them, yes?) and move them to the shuttle with force. Do not attack or hurt the others as long as they don't attack us.
Aboard the shuttle:
-Try to lern more of their language by letting Izumi talking to them.
-Examine the aliens (without harming them, so no needles or so) for diseases or injuries.
-Provide first aid and blankets as a sign of good will.
-Bring them back to our ship.
Aboard our ship:
-Bring our guests to the prepared quarantine station.
-Let Izumi do further lerning and talking. She should try to explain to them what is happening.
-Let our doctors take a closer look at them and provide further help (clothing, etc...), as well as food and water.
-Try to find out if there are any Xenobiologists under the civilians and have them take a look, too.
Damn it, Razor, you ninja-ed me!
In light of Razor's confirmation, I think we can agree Plan Necessary Force is overkill. There's no pressing need to get off the ship, and that dirty cell isn't doing them any actual harm. If they want to stay, let them. Dragging them out is just going to make things worse.
dragoongfa wrote:Ok... with what Razor One said let's cut my plan in half and expand on that half.
Plan: We ain't Gordon Ramsay but we are working on it.
SpoilerShow
[X] Have food and water prepared and sent. The marines are also to report if they found the alien food storage in case there is food that is compatible with the elves.
-[X] While this is done the marines are going to put on a show of good will by removing the snooties corpses unceremoniously and quickly. Leave the elf corpses as they are but cover them with some sheets.
-[X] Have the marines identify an other safe compartment nearby so the elves could be peacefully moved there, away from the dead and filth.
-[X] Ask the ensign if it would help with the translation if she went there personally. If yes then have her sent there with the food and water, she is not to negotiate with them, just absorb their vocabulary as fast as she can.
-[X] Volkova or Mitchell are to look for a nearby operable airlock for quick movement of people and goods.
[X] The doctor and a nurse or two have to go with the food for tests and medical aid in case of complications (I hope that he has been paying full attention so far).
-[X] Ask him about the danger of cross species contamination or other medical problems that may arise if someone doesn't wear a suit.
--[X] If the danger is negligible to non existent then ask for volunteers. The necessary time in quarantine will be deemed acceptable (inform the volunteers that paperwork will still be expected to be done dutifully and on time).
[X] Once the corridor is tidied up have the medical team distribute water, since thirst is far more maddening that hunger, we know that it is safe for consumption while it will also put them more at ease knowing that food will be coming as well.
-[X] While they do that, the doctor and his team are to identify themselves as medics.
[X] Once the elves have had their thirst sated and understood the function of the medical team. Attempt to convince them to move to the cleaner compartment.
-[X] If they agree then have them moved there.
-[X] If they don't then have the food brought to the holding cell.
--[X] In either case the medical team is to try and identify the medical condition of each elf, providing first aid if someone needs it.
[X] Try to explain our concerns for giving them food without testing if they can safely consume it. In the condition many of them are in it could be lethal to give them something that would cause an adverse reaction.
-[X] If alien food was found (doubtful with the storage blown up) see if the Elves identify anything as edible by them, after making sure that they understand that eating the wrong food may kill someone.
--[X] In case they do identify something as edible have the healthiest one eat first, if nothing happens in a reasonable amount of time distribute to the rest.
-[X] If no alien food was found or is edible explain that you need to run tests on the elf corpses to identify what is poisonous for them.
--[X] Unless the elves violently object have the doctor run the necessary tests.
---[X] If the elves violently object concede to their objections but point out that some of your food may kill them. Give small amounts of food to the healthiest elves in a trial and error fashion. Adverse reactions: No food. No reaction in a reasonable amount of time: Probably edible. No reaction and they like it: Probably food.
---[X] If tests are run and finished quickly have the team distribute the appropriate food.
---[X] If tests are run and take too much time start with trial and error trials based on the preliminary findings of what is and isn't toxic.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Mixed up the names.
I agree that water should be distributed first. It's almost certainly not going to hurt them, and thirst is a bigger danger than hunger. I've still got reservations though.
Much of your plan relies on communication, and we're still crap at that. It's also very complex. I'd rather plan in steps than get thrown for a loop if we botch a roll or they do something unexpected.
Still, we're going to have to try communicating more complex topics to them at some point and the plan is logical. If the rest of the Hive Mind likes it, I could be convinced to change my vote.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness."
