173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

[RedDwarfIV]

And given how far away his homeworld is expected to be, its not like he can report in on anything he learns for quite some time.

Its also likely something the Umiak already know about, so even if Alex were a Shell construct, he wouldn't be learning anything the Umiak could use.

[SaintofM]

All of this attitude and lethality to their mind powers might explain the mutual hositilty between the two. After all, this is the first time he gets to see her.



THe look on her face looks surprised, if not challenge accepted. It also dosn't take much to figure out that he's speaking a threat of somesort despite his extreme vulnerability.

[DCR]

THe look on her face looks surprised, if not challenge accepted. It also dosn't take much to figure out that he's speaking a threat of somesort despite his extreme vulnerability.

From a human viewpoint of the Loroi situation I think it's more like 'the funky-colored, mostly human-looking coma patient just yelled at the night-shift nurse in a demonic language' . Surprise, and then caution is exactly what this situation calls for.

[boldilocks]

Yes, I suppose a ptsd-nightmare addled soldier would have little understanding for someone coming out of a traumatic event by waking up from bad dream.

[Zarya]

it would be a surprise if Fireblade would engage in a casual conversation with Alex (no pun intended)

[SaintofM]

Can we expect a shut up and kiss me moment then?

[Ithekro]

In mental form maybe. Or maybe as a challenge.

[Warringrose]

Can we expect a shut up and kiss me moment then?

...$50 says Fireblade turns out to have murdered Ellen, who survived the Bellarmine's explosion with Alex and got picked up alongside him.

[orion1836]

Seriously doubt it unless Ellen attacked in a way that couldn't be non-violently contained. The Loroi have shown all indication of wanting to learn as much as possible about this new race. Wantonly killing one of two survivors would be foolish and worthy of reprimand. She certainly wouldn't be allowed near the other human if this was the case.

[dragoongfa]

Consider that the emergency beacon of Ellen's suit would ping Alex's back when it would come in range. There was no such ping when Alex blacked out so in order for this to be the case they would have to have picked Ellen up and killed her between the blackout and his resuscitation which doesn't leave a lot of time to work with even with Loroi medical tech. Of course they could have put Ellen's suit in a faraday cage to stop it receiving or sending signals but there is no reason to do that; the Loroi would want to learn as much about the suit and the wearer as they could.
Then there is also the simple fact that 'the dead tell no lies'. Killing a prisoner for whom you know nothing and may have information of strategic importance is beyond stupid. The only way that a human would end up getting killed by the Loroi (and even the Umiak if only due to the appearances) would be if said human was an actual threat to either the ship or a commanding officer; anything less than that would be covered by the simple reasoning of "We need that fucker alive and unharmed in order to learn as much as possible."

[novius]

Of course they could have put Ellen's suit in a faraday cage to stop it receiving or sending signals but there is no reason to do that; the Loroi would want to learn as much about the suit and the wearer as they could.

In fact, that would be a sensible thing to do. After all, they (Stillstorm) believed Alex to be a plant, so at that stage there was no telling what kind of surveillance or transmission equipment he might have in that "ugly", alien spacesuit of his. For the sake of intsec, it would be a wise thing to try cutting him from any possible means of outside communication.

The Loroi only resorted to talking just because they didn't get anywhere with mind probing. I'm sure if they had any indication that they'd make any headway into cracking open his brain, they'd simply have left him put under and continued hammering at his brain until it either gave up all its secrets or had turned to mush. And such a thing is best done in a controlled and isolated environment, to not to let any emergency signal being transmitted.

[dragoongfa]

Of course they could have put Ellen's suit in a faraday cage to stop it receiving or sending signals but there is no reason to do that; the Loroi would want to learn as much about the suit and the wearer as they could.

In fact, that would be a sensible thing to do. After all, they (Stillstorm) believed Alex to be a plant, so at that stage there was no telling what kind of surveillance or transmission equipment he might have in that "ugly", alien spacesuit of his. For the sake of intsec, it would be a wise thing to try cutting him from any possible means of outside communication.

You went a little too deep into paranoid protection and missed the far more important aspect of intelligence gathering.

Intsec is well and good if only there is something that you need to hide and protect from the enemy; a rudimentary examination/scan would show that a human spacesuit is just that. A basic spacesuit without anything dangerous that will go boom or make someone's life miserable. With this out of the way one would actually want for the spacesuit to start interacting with other human technology in order to closely observe said interaction and then find a way to interfere with human tech based on their observations.

[SaintofM]

She's keeping to herself in this page. We might get an answer in the next one, but do you think she could be a namesake outsider amongst the blue ladies as much as pinky is?

[Werra]

Isn't the whole foursome an Outsider one way or another? Alex is the alien, Fireblade is scared by war, Tempo is a loner by her uncommon age and profession. I'm sure Beryl has something weird about her too. She probably likes feet or something

[SaintofM]

Isn't the whole foursome an Outsider one way or another? Alex is the alien, Fireblade is scared by war, Tempo is a loner by her uncommon age and profession. I'm sure Beryl has something weird about her too. She probably likes feet or something

The chipper xenophile

[novius]

Isn't the whole foursome an Outsider one way or another? Alex is the alien, Fireblade is scared by war, Tempo is a loner by her uncommon age and profession. I'm sure Beryl has something weird about her too. She probably likes feet or something

The chipper xenophile

Come to think of it, that might be exactly the point. Talon and Spiral are a bit jaded about their outlooks in life, too, expecting it not to last long, given their profession and that one of them is the seii-bearer and by their belief already marked for death. Or Clearbrook's captain who chose to bail out and save her own hide.

While not being part of the 'fearsome foursome' they underline the point that Beryl's mindset might be rather uncommon amongst Loroi.