NS2 Background/Fiction
azimaith
Join Date: 2011-07-03 Member: 107686Members
Join Date: 2011-07-03 Member: 107686Members
I made this thread as a place to post up fiction on the background of NS. I haven't found almost any official lore for the game or about the Kharaa so I can't claim that anything I write is accurate, certainly not official, but I've done a small piece about a meeting of the UNISC (United Nations Internal Security Council) threat evaluation of the Kharaa, decades before the NS games take place including some theories on how the species works as depicted in Dr. Abraham Duram's report to the council. In addition I have some political organizations inserted, which, once again, I can't claim to know if they would exist in the NS universe.
Oh and of course, if people would like to post their own stuff up in this thread, its a good a place as any.
<i>You're not going to believe what I found Casey. To be honest, when you asked me to start looking again a decade after he disappeared I almost didn't try. Turns out some hackers managed to crack the security on the UNISC archives and posted it. I found a references to Elijah, same time he was reported KIA in the mutiny about the UNSS Miskatonic. Better you read this for yourself.</i>
**BEGIN**
United Nations Internal Security Council Conference
UNISC Conference. Threat Evaluation-Kharaa Transcript.
Speaking: Dr. Abraham Duram Ph.D, Biology, P.E.
President: Mr. Ngumbe.........(Federated of East African States)
Members: Mr. Despani............(Mediterranean League)
Mr. Hertzfeld.........(United North American States)
Mr. Ziade...............(Arab-African Federation)
Mr Tanu..................(Pan Asian-Pacific Coalition)
Ms. Onemola................(Alliance of Interior System Colonies)
Mr. Harting...................(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Ms. Carvile...................(Anphelion Mining PIC)
Mr. Dolov......................(Mihailov Refining and Extraction PIC)
Agenda
Evaluation of threat to outer rim system mining posed by new xenoform dubbed “Kharaa†discovered aboard the United Nations Survey Ship Miskatonic.
Called to Order 9.30 AM TST
Mr. Ngumbe: If all have reviewed the relevant brief I would like to waste no time in calling this meeting of the security council to order. Dr. Duram, if you would like to begin..
Duram: Thank you, Mr. President. On March 23rd, SSC (Solar Standard Calendar), the UN Colonial Defense Administration responded to distress calls emanating from the UNSS Miskatonic, in proximity to KN-112, a large asteroid in the Kuiper Belt designated for colonization for ore extraction. The call was repeating on an automated loops. The UNCDA system defense frigate Shield of the Proletariat arrived in system March 31st, SSC carrying a crew of 230, including marines and associated logistical personnel. Upon arrival system diagnostics and crew reports indicated Miskatonic had no running lights functioning, and was emitting sporadic, but meaningless transmissions save for the distress signal. Records report twelve separate attempts to hail the vessel before boarding actions were taken using short range torpedo systems.
Ms. Onemola: Torpedoes? This was not a military operation, why not dock?
Ms. Carvile: Frontiersman spend most of their time fighting colonial rebellions, it's only prudent they treat any suspicious vessel signal as a military operation after the events at Prosperity.
Ms. Onemola: The events at Prosperity were triggered by a presumption of aggression by colonial forces! My people are not slaves to be bullied into submission! The implications that the destruction of Prosperity colony was independent of the UN sanctioned massacre at station 11 is a travesty!
Ms. Carvile: The only travesty here is that an illegitimate government of seditionists would even be given a seat here!
Mr. Ngumbe: Order! Order! This is not the place to air personal grievances! Dr. Duram, please continue.
Duram: Boarding parties encountered no resistance upon entry and proceeded in good order to secure the safety of crew. There were no reports of crew contact, though signs of fighting. At 11.40 PM TST(Terran Standard Time) the Frontiersmen had cut their way into the engineering subdecks through life support compartments.
Mr. Dolov: Mihailov ME constructed the Miskatonic. One of our standard prospectors, the shielding from life support to engineering subdecks is over two meters thick. Why didn't they cut through the doors from crew quarters?
Duram: Yes, the Frontiersmen initially attempted egress into through the main doors but reported it to be sealed from within. Attempts at cutting through revealed an unknown fluid leak of some sort, so they attempted at another location.
Mr. Dolov: Fluid leak? Even if the compartment had flooded with coolant, pump systems would have cleared it.
Duram: Burst data transmissions before the scuttling of the Shield of the Proletariat returned audio logs indicating the frontiersmen, including combat engineers, did not recognize the fluid as any known type of coolant or lubricant. Reports indicate it was believed to be some type of septic leak.
Mr. Dolov: The ships septic systems don't go anywhere near the engineering compartments, at least not with large enough pipes to flood the compartment.
Duram: As I said, the fluid was unknown, at the time.
Mr Ziade: At the time? Can you elaborate?
Duram: Small samples were recovered from the wreckage of the Miskatonic and the Shield of the Proletariat and analyzed.
Mr. Hertzfield: I thought you said this fluid leak was on the Miskatonic. Which one is it?
Duram: It wasn't a leak, if you'll just let me explain.
Mr. Hertzfield: We don't need the entire history of the ship doctor! Cut to the chase.
Duram: Sir, if you'll just let me finish, the context is very important to understanding events that transpired.
Mr. Ngumbe: Let the doctor finish, Mr. Hertzfeld, but please, doctor, just the essentials.
Duram: Of course. My apologies. Upon entering the engineering subdecks boarding parties reported vast, moving mats of some unknown organic material coating all open surfaces. Upon contact nano systems began suffering minor malfunctions. After minutes of prolonged contact all systems began failing, including respirators. Two of the four boarding teams reported cases of anaphylaxis within their boarding parties and all teams attempted to withdraw, with casualties to reassess.
Mr. Despani: Attempted?
Duram: Yes, according to final logs from PFC. Elijah Koontz this is when they made first contact with enemy forces.
Mr. Despani: The aliens.
Duram: Yes. Reports mentioned small canine like organisms growing from the mats before attacking.
Mr. Harting: Growing from the mats? Like plants? How could they have missed them on the way in?
Duram: The final report from PFC Koontz reports them literally growing, before their eyes from the material.
Mr. Harting: Is that even possible? Do we have any species on record capable of that sort of thing?
Duram: No, sir. In our study of the few fragments we retrieved, they bear a superficial similarity in behavior to Terran slime molds.
Mr. Hertzfeld: Are you saying that two ships, an asteroid station, and a detachment of marines was overcome by mold?
Mr. Ngumbe: Doctor, could you please elaborate. What exactly do you mean.
Duram: Slime molds are essentially colonies of single cellular organisms that can communicate with one another and thus form large groups. Some variants have shown behavior that more complex animals display. This organic material, we believe, is a form of cellular mass of intercommunicating organisms, what we call a quorum, and because of this they can respond to threats with defensive measures.
Mr. Tanu: But how can a collection of cells create these 'creatures' that are reported. I quote from PFC. Koontz' report “spike legged dogs with huge unhinging jaws that can walk on walls.â€
Duram: A phenomena of slime molds is that when enough can gather into one area they create what are called fruiting bodies, essentially cells begin to take on certain tasks and depend on one another for survival, all interconnected. It is our belief that these creatures are the equivalent of their “fruiting bodies.†A mass of intercommunicating cells that can differentiate into completely new organisms freely.
Mr. Harting: How does a mass of amoeba-
Duram: Not amoeba, in this case, sir.
Mr. Harting: Whatever they are, go from being a mat of slime into an animal. They don't have brains or organs, or anything similar, correct?
Duram: Not initially, no, but ultimately an organs are simply differentiated cells that perform a specific task, these Kharaa cells can differentiate into organs, heart, liver, brain and the like, apparently as needed, thus can create an animal as sophisticated as a dog, or even a human.
Mr. Dolov: Enough about the biology. How do we kill them. Obviously they are hostile and they threaten future prospects. The reports say they were fought off with gunfire and killed, so we simply need to harden the nanostruct systems against their damage and we can handle them like any other animal, yes?
Duram: Hostile? I think that's an excessive. It's natural for territory to be defended, and ultimately we were infringing on them at the moment.
Ms. Carvile: Soldiers are dead, doctor. This is not the time for moralizing. We need to know the best way to eliminate this threat.
Duram: Yes. Of course Madam. Gunfire appeared to prove effective in destroying the fruiting bodies, physically at least, but reports say attacks came consistently, regardless of how many were gunned down. After analyzing the alien matter, we believe gunfire, while capable of damaging the complex body, ultimately did nothing more than delay the reformation of the remaining cells into another complex form. Essentially stop the creature from operating effectively as a complex multicellular organism, but then the Kharaan cells would undifferentiate back into the mass, before redifferentiating into a new body.
Ms. Carvile: What about fire, nanoswarms, Toxic gas?
Ms. Onemola: Chemical and nano weapons are forbidden by the Terran-Colonial concordance agreement!
Ms. Carvile: These aren't people, they're mindless animals. They're obviously not protected.
Ms. Onemola: And so we let you develop these weapons and bring them into colonial space, whats to stop you from using them on humans next.
Mr. Dolov: Without the support of our firms, colonial space would be nothing more than lawless frontier! We carry the lions share of the debt burden for maintaining the colonial defense forces.
Mr. Ziade: I agree, all means must be open to combat this threat to colonial efforts. These...aliens, are not protected by human treaties.
Mr. Despani: I'm sure your support has nothing to do with the massive weapon exports of the AAF.
Mr. Hertzfeld: I agree with Mr. Ziade, treaty or not, we can't allow some alien mushroom to threaten mining futures. There are no restrictions of exterminating infestations of rats with poison, why is this any different.
Mr. Ngumbe: We can discuss specifics later, right now let's return to the question at hand, continue, doctor.
Duram: Nano swarm technology is unlikely to work considering the failure of current nano tech to function well in the presence of Kharaa colonies. Fire, and to an extent poison, provided the right type be found, should work to exterminate them at a cellular level. Fire being the obvious choice due to it's easy deployability with mining incinerators and destructive abilities against cells.
Mr. Tanu: Before we start deploying chemical weapons and flamethrowers perhaps we should look at more sensible options. Wouldn't better decontamination protocols and other hygiene measures stop the spread of the Kharaa? We don't have to risk equipment and lives if we simply don't spread them. They're essentially unintelligent, correct?
Duram: Our initial evaluations have found them to be essentially mindless in their normal form. The fruiting bodies appear to be capable of basic instinct, but that's it.
Mr. Tanu: This is what I mean. Why deploy military hardware to fight the equivalent of the flu, just implement better decontamination measures.
Duram: I would agree with that assessment, Mr. Tanu if we had more information, but there are some disturbing trends in the after action reports of PFC. Koontz such as Kharaa apparently feigning attacks, cutting power lines, and creating sophisticated ambushes. Though our only evidence is from a soldier whose current mental and physical condition is far from reliable, I do believe we should approach this cautiously. If the Kharaa can create simple brains within their fruiting bodies, they may be capable of creating more complex structures.
Mr. Despani: Your referring to this “hive†structure referenced by PFC. Koontz.
Duram: Yes. There are no corroborating reports from any video, audio, or sensor logs of it's existence, but he did mention some form of structure surrounded by other formations. I believe he described them as “jellyfish like.†It's possible this structure could essentially function as a super quorum, a huge, organized, highly structured fruiting body that sends chemical messages through the rest of the Kharaa colony. He claimed when it was destroyed the creatures he had been referring to simply dissolved back into the biological mat. The implications that an entire Kharaa colony could effectively function as one massive multi-cellular organism are astounding.
Ms. Carvile: Biology lesson aside, I think it's time the council decide how to confront this threat to future colonization. I believe the situation calls for immediate action, including increasing garrisons on colony worlds and ships along with specialized armament being distributed to said garrisons.
Mr Hertzfeld: I agree. Colonies must be protected, but this increase in colonial pressure must be accompanied by further research into the species. We must know the dangers our colonists may face.
Mr. Tanu: While I dislike the idea of increasing colonial tensions with this upsurge in forces, I believe an increase, albeit temporarily, is in order to ensure the safety of our citizens.
Mr. Dolov: I agree, besides protecting interests from this new threat, the increased garrisons will curb sedition.
Ms. Onemola: This is outrageous! Military garrisons to combat a fungus! This is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate the free colonies into submission. I call that all further increases in garrisons be halted until the extent of the threat, if one even exists, is more thoroughly examined.
Mr. Ziade: While I understand Ms. Onemola's objections, I believe that the doctor has made it quite clear this is no mere “fungus.†Our interests must be protected abroad and we should not be caught unprepared should the worst come to pass. I think it's time we call this to a vote.
Agenda Passed:
Yea: 5, Nay: 2, Abstained: 2
Mr. Ngumbe: Then it is settled, by simple majority garrisons on colony worlds will be increased for an indeterminate period until the extent of the threat is understood. These precedings are to be kept in confidence to prevent panic in the general public, as well as amongst investors. I hereby call this meeting of the security council to recess.
**END TRANSCRIPT**
<i>Elijah is alive Casey. The government's got him hidden somewhere, and this whole Kharaa thing, aliens. Can you believe it? I'm going to keep digging. Were going to blow this whole thing wide open.
John</i>
Oh and of course, if people would like to post their own stuff up in this thread, its a good a place as any.
<i>You're not going to believe what I found Casey. To be honest, when you asked me to start looking again a decade after he disappeared I almost didn't try. Turns out some hackers managed to crack the security on the UNISC archives and posted it. I found a references to Elijah, same time he was reported KIA in the mutiny about the UNSS Miskatonic. Better you read this for yourself.</i>
**BEGIN**
United Nations Internal Security Council Conference
UNISC Conference. Threat Evaluation-Kharaa Transcript.
Speaking: Dr. Abraham Duram Ph.D, Biology, P.E.
President: Mr. Ngumbe.........(Federated of East African States)
Members: Mr. Despani............(Mediterranean League)
Mr. Hertzfeld.........(United North American States)
Mr. Ziade...............(Arab-African Federation)
Mr Tanu..................(Pan Asian-Pacific Coalition)
Ms. Onemola................(Alliance of Interior System Colonies)
Mr. Harting...................(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Ms. Carvile...................(Anphelion Mining PIC)
Mr. Dolov......................(Mihailov Refining and Extraction PIC)
Agenda
Evaluation of threat to outer rim system mining posed by new xenoform dubbed “Kharaa†discovered aboard the United Nations Survey Ship Miskatonic.
Called to Order 9.30 AM TST
Mr. Ngumbe: If all have reviewed the relevant brief I would like to waste no time in calling this meeting of the security council to order. Dr. Duram, if you would like to begin..
Duram: Thank you, Mr. President. On March 23rd, SSC (Solar Standard Calendar), the UN Colonial Defense Administration responded to distress calls emanating from the UNSS Miskatonic, in proximity to KN-112, a large asteroid in the Kuiper Belt designated for colonization for ore extraction. The call was repeating on an automated loops. The UNCDA system defense frigate Shield of the Proletariat arrived in system March 31st, SSC carrying a crew of 230, including marines and associated logistical personnel. Upon arrival system diagnostics and crew reports indicated Miskatonic had no running lights functioning, and was emitting sporadic, but meaningless transmissions save for the distress signal. Records report twelve separate attempts to hail the vessel before boarding actions were taken using short range torpedo systems.
Ms. Onemola: Torpedoes? This was not a military operation, why not dock?
Ms. Carvile: Frontiersman spend most of their time fighting colonial rebellions, it's only prudent they treat any suspicious vessel signal as a military operation after the events at Prosperity.
Ms. Onemola: The events at Prosperity were triggered by a presumption of aggression by colonial forces! My people are not slaves to be bullied into submission! The implications that the destruction of Prosperity colony was independent of the UN sanctioned massacre at station 11 is a travesty!
Ms. Carvile: The only travesty here is that an illegitimate government of seditionists would even be given a seat here!
Mr. Ngumbe: Order! Order! This is not the place to air personal grievances! Dr. Duram, please continue.
Duram: Boarding parties encountered no resistance upon entry and proceeded in good order to secure the safety of crew. There were no reports of crew contact, though signs of fighting. At 11.40 PM TST(Terran Standard Time) the Frontiersmen had cut their way into the engineering subdecks through life support compartments.
Mr. Dolov: Mihailov ME constructed the Miskatonic. One of our standard prospectors, the shielding from life support to engineering subdecks is over two meters thick. Why didn't they cut through the doors from crew quarters?
Duram: Yes, the Frontiersmen initially attempted egress into through the main doors but reported it to be sealed from within. Attempts at cutting through revealed an unknown fluid leak of some sort, so they attempted at another location.
Mr. Dolov: Fluid leak? Even if the compartment had flooded with coolant, pump systems would have cleared it.
Duram: Burst data transmissions before the scuttling of the Shield of the Proletariat returned audio logs indicating the frontiersmen, including combat engineers, did not recognize the fluid as any known type of coolant or lubricant. Reports indicate it was believed to be some type of septic leak.
Mr. Dolov: The ships septic systems don't go anywhere near the engineering compartments, at least not with large enough pipes to flood the compartment.
Duram: As I said, the fluid was unknown, at the time.
Mr Ziade: At the time? Can you elaborate?
Duram: Small samples were recovered from the wreckage of the Miskatonic and the Shield of the Proletariat and analyzed.
Mr. Hertzfield: I thought you said this fluid leak was on the Miskatonic. Which one is it?
Duram: It wasn't a leak, if you'll just let me explain.
Mr. Hertzfield: We don't need the entire history of the ship doctor! Cut to the chase.
Duram: Sir, if you'll just let me finish, the context is very important to understanding events that transpired.
Mr. Ngumbe: Let the doctor finish, Mr. Hertzfeld, but please, doctor, just the essentials.
Duram: Of course. My apologies. Upon entering the engineering subdecks boarding parties reported vast, moving mats of some unknown organic material coating all open surfaces. Upon contact nano systems began suffering minor malfunctions. After minutes of prolonged contact all systems began failing, including respirators. Two of the four boarding teams reported cases of anaphylaxis within their boarding parties and all teams attempted to withdraw, with casualties to reassess.
Mr. Despani: Attempted?
Duram: Yes, according to final logs from PFC. Elijah Koontz this is when they made first contact with enemy forces.
Mr. Despani: The aliens.
Duram: Yes. Reports mentioned small canine like organisms growing from the mats before attacking.
Mr. Harting: Growing from the mats? Like plants? How could they have missed them on the way in?
Duram: The final report from PFC Koontz reports them literally growing, before their eyes from the material.
Mr. Harting: Is that even possible? Do we have any species on record capable of that sort of thing?
Duram: No, sir. In our study of the few fragments we retrieved, they bear a superficial similarity in behavior to Terran slime molds.
Mr. Hertzfeld: Are you saying that two ships, an asteroid station, and a detachment of marines was overcome by mold?
Mr. Ngumbe: Doctor, could you please elaborate. What exactly do you mean.
Duram: Slime molds are essentially colonies of single cellular organisms that can communicate with one another and thus form large groups. Some variants have shown behavior that more complex animals display. This organic material, we believe, is a form of cellular mass of intercommunicating organisms, what we call a quorum, and because of this they can respond to threats with defensive measures.
Mr. Tanu: But how can a collection of cells create these 'creatures' that are reported. I quote from PFC. Koontz' report “spike legged dogs with huge unhinging jaws that can walk on walls.â€
Duram: A phenomena of slime molds is that when enough can gather into one area they create what are called fruiting bodies, essentially cells begin to take on certain tasks and depend on one another for survival, all interconnected. It is our belief that these creatures are the equivalent of their “fruiting bodies.†A mass of intercommunicating cells that can differentiate into completely new organisms freely.
Mr. Harting: How does a mass of amoeba-
Duram: Not amoeba, in this case, sir.
Mr. Harting: Whatever they are, go from being a mat of slime into an animal. They don't have brains or organs, or anything similar, correct?
Duram: Not initially, no, but ultimately an organs are simply differentiated cells that perform a specific task, these Kharaa cells can differentiate into organs, heart, liver, brain and the like, apparently as needed, thus can create an animal as sophisticated as a dog, or even a human.
Mr. Dolov: Enough about the biology. How do we kill them. Obviously they are hostile and they threaten future prospects. The reports say they were fought off with gunfire and killed, so we simply need to harden the nanostruct systems against their damage and we can handle them like any other animal, yes?
Duram: Hostile? I think that's an excessive. It's natural for territory to be defended, and ultimately we were infringing on them at the moment.
Ms. Carvile: Soldiers are dead, doctor. This is not the time for moralizing. We need to know the best way to eliminate this threat.
Duram: Yes. Of course Madam. Gunfire appeared to prove effective in destroying the fruiting bodies, physically at least, but reports say attacks came consistently, regardless of how many were gunned down. After analyzing the alien matter, we believe gunfire, while capable of damaging the complex body, ultimately did nothing more than delay the reformation of the remaining cells into another complex form. Essentially stop the creature from operating effectively as a complex multicellular organism, but then the Kharaan cells would undifferentiate back into the mass, before redifferentiating into a new body.
Ms. Carvile: What about fire, nanoswarms, Toxic gas?
Ms. Onemola: Chemical and nano weapons are forbidden by the Terran-Colonial concordance agreement!
Ms. Carvile: These aren't people, they're mindless animals. They're obviously not protected.
Ms. Onemola: And so we let you develop these weapons and bring them into colonial space, whats to stop you from using them on humans next.
Mr. Dolov: Without the support of our firms, colonial space would be nothing more than lawless frontier! We carry the lions share of the debt burden for maintaining the colonial defense forces.
Mr. Ziade: I agree, all means must be open to combat this threat to colonial efforts. These...aliens, are not protected by human treaties.
Mr. Despani: I'm sure your support has nothing to do with the massive weapon exports of the AAF.
Mr. Hertzfeld: I agree with Mr. Ziade, treaty or not, we can't allow some alien mushroom to threaten mining futures. There are no restrictions of exterminating infestations of rats with poison, why is this any different.
Mr. Ngumbe: We can discuss specifics later, right now let's return to the question at hand, continue, doctor.
Duram: Nano swarm technology is unlikely to work considering the failure of current nano tech to function well in the presence of Kharaa colonies. Fire, and to an extent poison, provided the right type be found, should work to exterminate them at a cellular level. Fire being the obvious choice due to it's easy deployability with mining incinerators and destructive abilities against cells.
Mr. Tanu: Before we start deploying chemical weapons and flamethrowers perhaps we should look at more sensible options. Wouldn't better decontamination protocols and other hygiene measures stop the spread of the Kharaa? We don't have to risk equipment and lives if we simply don't spread them. They're essentially unintelligent, correct?
Duram: Our initial evaluations have found them to be essentially mindless in their normal form. The fruiting bodies appear to be capable of basic instinct, but that's it.
Mr. Tanu: This is what I mean. Why deploy military hardware to fight the equivalent of the flu, just implement better decontamination measures.
Duram: I would agree with that assessment, Mr. Tanu if we had more information, but there are some disturbing trends in the after action reports of PFC. Koontz such as Kharaa apparently feigning attacks, cutting power lines, and creating sophisticated ambushes. Though our only evidence is from a soldier whose current mental and physical condition is far from reliable, I do believe we should approach this cautiously. If the Kharaa can create simple brains within their fruiting bodies, they may be capable of creating more complex structures.
Mr. Despani: Your referring to this “hive†structure referenced by PFC. Koontz.
Duram: Yes. There are no corroborating reports from any video, audio, or sensor logs of it's existence, but he did mention some form of structure surrounded by other formations. I believe he described them as “jellyfish like.†It's possible this structure could essentially function as a super quorum, a huge, organized, highly structured fruiting body that sends chemical messages through the rest of the Kharaa colony. He claimed when it was destroyed the creatures he had been referring to simply dissolved back into the biological mat. The implications that an entire Kharaa colony could effectively function as one massive multi-cellular organism are astounding.
Ms. Carvile: Biology lesson aside, I think it's time the council decide how to confront this threat to future colonization. I believe the situation calls for immediate action, including increasing garrisons on colony worlds and ships along with specialized armament being distributed to said garrisons.
Mr Hertzfeld: I agree. Colonies must be protected, but this increase in colonial pressure must be accompanied by further research into the species. We must know the dangers our colonists may face.
Mr. Tanu: While I dislike the idea of increasing colonial tensions with this upsurge in forces, I believe an increase, albeit temporarily, is in order to ensure the safety of our citizens.
Mr. Dolov: I agree, besides protecting interests from this new threat, the increased garrisons will curb sedition.
Ms. Onemola: This is outrageous! Military garrisons to combat a fungus! This is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate the free colonies into submission. I call that all further increases in garrisons be halted until the extent of the threat, if one even exists, is more thoroughly examined.
Mr. Ziade: While I understand Ms. Onemola's objections, I believe that the doctor has made it quite clear this is no mere “fungus.†Our interests must be protected abroad and we should not be caught unprepared should the worst come to pass. I think it's time we call this to a vote.
Agenda Passed:
Yea: 5, Nay: 2, Abstained: 2
Mr. Ngumbe: Then it is settled, by simple majority garrisons on colony worlds will be increased for an indeterminate period until the extent of the threat is understood. These precedings are to be kept in confidence to prevent panic in the general public, as well as amongst investors. I hereby call this meeting of the security council to recess.
**END TRANSCRIPT**
<i>Elijah is alive Casey. The government's got him hidden somewhere, and this whole Kharaa thing, aliens. Can you believe it? I'm going to keep digging. Were going to blow this whole thing wide open.
John</i>
Comments
And lots of fan fiction here: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29447&st=0&start=0" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....t=0&start=0</a>
"After analyzing the alien matter, we believe gunfire, while capable of damaging the complex body, ultimately did nothing more than delay the reformation of the remaining cells into another complex form."
can be elaborated in to the game - imagine: if you kill kharaa on infestaion, then the resources come back to the hive, although it takes longer to to lay an egg... so, comm must choose between - fast egg-lay times - spend more luv, or slower, but cheaper.
Or something like that.
I was actually thinking about that when I was writing it and I kind of figured that the frontiersmen, not seeing anything like it before, wouldn't really tell the eggs from the infestation (with three dimensional Dynamic Infestation style infestation) and many may well be buried under the mat.)
In the end I would kind of think of eggs as a "prepared quorum" a body ready to be formalized but with everything just at the brink of changing, effectively a prepared defense, while the rising from the infestation itself effectively is going quickly from infestation, to Kharaa, with the egg stage being essentially transitional, essentially explaining why Kharaa can spawn new eggs on infestation and why you can evolve from Skulk to Lerk, to Onos, and back again.