text; attack of the info dump

[alienates]

OK SO EVERYONE, LISTEN UP. I HAVE SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT NEWS HERE.
AND I MEAN *ACTUALLY* IMPORTANT. STOP FEEDING THOSE DIGITAL CATS FOR TWO SECONDS AND READ THIS.

ANYWAY, SO I'M SURE EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT NAOKO'S GROUP OVER AT THAT ISLAND WITH THE VOLCANO.
AND HOW SHE MENTIONED SOME WAR THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS SAD EXCUSE OF A UNIVERSE IS HAVING.
OR AT LEAST I ASSUME YOU ALL KNOW? A LOT OF YOU ARE NEW SO I HAVE NO CLUE HOW CAUGHT UP YOU GUYS ARE?
SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE HELL, EVERY TIME I BLINK THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE FALLING OUT OF THE SKY OR SOMETHING DRAMATIC.
JUST CHILL WITH THESE ENTRANCES?
OK SO BACK TO THE MATTER AT HAND, WHICH I WILL REPEAT, IS PRETTY USEFUL INFORMATION TO KNOW SO DON'T JUST SKIP OVER READING THIS BECAUSE IT'S ME TALKING.
DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE.

FIRST OF ALL, I AM JUST GOING TO STATE THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE WE DISCOVERED THAT ISLAND.
WHY DIDN'T ANY OF US THINK TO OURSELVES, "HM, THAT NAOKO LADY SURE IS BEING DODGY ABOUT TELLING US ABOUT THIS WAR. WHY DON'T WE ASK OUR FUCKING AI TO SEE IF SHE KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT IT?"
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY *I* EVENTUALLY DID IT, SO YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THAT?
TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE ME A LECTURE BECAUSE I WAS APPARENTLY NOT DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THIS BASE, PLEASE IMAGINE ME STICKING BOTH OF MY MIDDLE FINGERS UP IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION.
AND HOLD THAT VISUAL FOR THE REST OF THIS EXPLANATION.

OK SO THERE'S THIS RACE CALLED THE KHARAA AND THEY ARE FUCKING EVERYTHING UP.
THEY'RE MICROSCOPIC, POSSIBLY BACTERIAL BUT WHO THE FUCK EVEN KNOWS? WE SURE DON'T!
BASICALLY THEY SALVAGE BIOLOGICAL AND GENETIC MATERIAL FROM THE PLANETS THEY CONQUER, CREATING HOSTS FOR THEMSELVES.
IT'S PRETTY CREEPY? LET'S SAY THEY TAKE OVER, SHIT, I DON'T KNOW, HINATA? HE'D BE PERFECTLY AWARE THAT HE USED TO BE HUMAN BUT HE'D JUST NO LONGER GIVE ANY TYPE OF FUCK BECAUSE OF THE KHARAA INFLUENCE.
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, HINATA IS NOT POSSESSED BY EVIL TINY ALIENS.)
WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF THEM IN ONE LOCATION, IT'LL LOOK LIKE MOSS OR ALGAE.
WHICH, I KNOW, COMPLETELY FUCKING HELPFUL WHEN WE'RE STUCK ON A WATER PLANET WHERE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE ALGAE.
ACCORDING TO BOTH NAOKO AND URSULA, THERE IS NO KNOWN WAY TO BEAT THEM AND EVERYONE WHO IS FIGHTING THEM IS LOSING THIS WAR.

WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US, OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'RE NOT FROM HERE AND ARE CURRENTLY STRANDED ON THIS PLANET.
OH BTW, ALL THOSE THEORIES YOU GUYS HAD ABOUT THIS PLANET BEING SENTIENT? PAT YOURSELVES ON YOUR BACK AND GIVE YOURSELVES A COOL MEDAL.
IT'S WHY THEY KEEP SENDING SHIPS HERE TO TERRAFORM.
THEY SWITCHED TACTICS FROM "TRYING TO BEAT THE KHARAA" TO "RUNNING AS FAR AWAY FROM THE KHARAA AS POSSIBLE" WHICH MEANS FINDING NEW PLANETS TO SETTLE.
I BELIEVE NAOKO USED THE ANALOGY OF LITTLE FISH HIDING UNDERNEATH SHARKS TO HIDE FROM OTHER PREDATORS.
INIIDAE IS FUCKED UP AND HAS A BILLION THINGS THAT WANT TO KILL US, BUT APPARENTLY THAT'S PREFERABLY TO THE KHARAA. HURRAY.
ANYWAY, SINCE THIS PLANET HAS NATURAL DEFENSES (LIKE THE PULSE THAT KEEPS SHOOTING DOWN SHIPS), IT'S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MORE VIABLE OPTIONS TO GET AWAY FROM THEM.
NAOKO SAID THAT THEY ONLY WANT TO USE A SMALL SECTION OF THE PLANET AND TERRAFORM IT.
PROBABLY BECAUSE IF THEY TRY TO EXPAND TOO MUCH THEN THE PLANET WOULD THROW A HISSY FIT AND ATTEMPT TO KILL EVERYONE.
I DON'T KNOW. GOD, INIIDAE SUCKS?
BUT *THAT'S* WHY URSULA WANTS US TO TERRAFORM THE PLANET.
NOT THAT SHE'S REALLY BEEN FORCING US TO DO ANYTHING, ACTUALLY.
CONSIDERING HOW HIGH PRIORITY THIS MISSION SEEMS TO BE, SHE IS PRETTY CHILL ABOUT US... DOING EVERYTHING EXCEPT TERRAFORMING.

I'M NOT TELLING YOU ALL THIS FOR EVERYONE TO START FREAKING OUT AND PREPARE TO GO TO BATTLE OR ANYTHING.
AS OF NOW, WE HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THE KHARAA ARE ON THIS PLANET.
IF ANY OF THEIR SHIPS CAME, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER ONES.
APPARENTLY THEY CAN'T DO MUCH WITHOUT HOST BODIES? AND PRESUMABLY WHATEVER HOST BODIES THEY'D BE IN WHEN CRASH LANDING AFTER THEIR SHIPS HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN WOULD END UP DYING ON IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, SINCE MOST THINGS DO AFTER FALLING OUT OF THE SKY IN SOMETHING THAT IS PROBABLY ON FIRE.
WHICH, I WILL ONCE AGAIN REITERATE, IS *IF* THEY SOMEHOW ENDED UP HERE. WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT SO DON'T FREAK OUT. OK? OK.
I GUESS, IF YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL, DON'T GO POKING AT MOSS? I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU WOULD EVEN WANT TO DO THAT ANYWAY, BUT I CAN'T BE CERTAIN OF THE INTELLIGENCE LEVEL OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN THIS BASE.
I JUST THOUGHT YOU WOULD ALL BE INTERESTED IN WHY EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO KEEP COMING TO THIS PLANET EVEN THOUGH IT'S APPARENTLY THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF SPACE.
BTW CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN THAT REFERENCE TO ME? I STILL DON'T GET IT. BE MORE INCLUSIVE, ASSHOLES, NOT ALL OF US ARE FROM EARTH.

OH. RIGHT. ALSO DIRK WAS THERE TOO.
AND HE GOT SOME MORE SPECIFIC INFO ON ISHMAEL? YOU KNOW, THAT MILITARY AI THAT MAY OR MAY NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR US.
HE'S APPARENTLY MADE OUT OF NANITES AND CAN TELEPORT ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.
AND CAN MAKE HIMSELF WEAPONS, CHANGE HIS SHAPE AND SIZE, AND SHIT. AWESOME.
FROM WHAT WE'VE GATHERED, ISHMAEL IS THEIR BEST AND LAST DEFENSE AGAINST THE KHARAA ASIDE FROM RUNNING AWAY LIKE SCARED WIGGLERS.
HE IS ON THIS PLANET SOMEWHERE, SO WE MIGHT END UP RUNNING INTO HIM EVENTUALLY?
NAOKO SEEMED PRETTY CERTAIN THAT HE WOULDN'T HAVE SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE FROM THE CRASH AND THE TIME HE HAS SPENT HERE SINCE THEN.
SHE ALSO SAID THAT HE WON'T ATTACK ANY HUMANS SINCE HE'S PROGRAMMED TO PROTECT THEM?
SO I GUESS... CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ACTUALLY HUMAN.

( ooc: these two are the threads in question where he and dirk talks to them if you want to see what exactly was said. all of this info is gonna be added to their database after this post so crew members can look it up if they want. )

Comments

[alienates]

WELL, RE: THE PULSE THERE IS SOMETHING?
IT'S MOSTLY SPECULATION BUT WE FOUND A DATAPAD WHEN SOME OF US VISITED UNDERWATER ISLANDS THE OTHER DAY.
AND IT DISCUSSED USING CRYSTALS TO POWER SOME SORT OF MEGA CANNON?
I ASKED URSULA AND NAOKO ABOUT CRYSTALS. NAOKO HAD NO IDEA BUT URSULA SAID THEY'D BE CLOSE TO LAVA VENTS.
ANYWAY, I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE THE PLAN WAS TO TURN THE PULSE INTO A SORT OF CANNON?
NAOKO KIND OF IMPLIED THAT WAY OF THINKING AS WELL.
THAT THE KHARAA, IF THEY SOMEHOW MADE INIIDAE THEIR HOST, WOULD WEAPONIZE THE PLANET.

ALSO FUCK.
NEITHER OF US THOUGHT TO ASK ABOUT THAT?

[oneandmikleonly]

there's lava vents down in the mushroom caves and the crew from floater island set up a base there. there was a recording that indicated the crew found something there too. maybe related. they're down quite deep.

good thing to check on next time you see her maybe? ursula can't access the dreamscape so likely ishmael can't either. but the planet's sentience is a lot more obvious and easy to manipulate there.

actually if kharaa are on the planet somewhere it might be easier to tell there too? could ask the more communicative wildlife if anything feels off about the algae patches etc.

[alienates]

SO I GUESS WE NEED TO GO CHECK OUT THE CAVES AGAIN?
IGNORING THE FACT THAT THE LAST TIME SOME OF US WENT DOWN THERE, EVERYONE GOT SICK.
I DON'T THINK WE'D PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GO AS FAR DOWN AS WE NEED TO WITHOUT BETTER EQUIPMENT THOUGH.

BUT GOOD IDEA.
I WOULD ASSUME SHE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT THOUGH.
WOULDN'T IT BE WEIRD IF OUR GROUP HAD TO DEAL WITH THE FREAKY DREAMS WHILE HERS DIDN'T?
ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN WE HAVE.

[oneandmikleonly]

don't think we can get any more infected than having the disease already you know in our systems hanging around. the caves are doable though and way less of a risk in dreams. i have to check some stuff that's far down anyway; i'll make a stop at the vents for you and check for crystals or anything that stands out.

it makes sense naoko's group might be subject to the dreamscape too but it's not a certainty. they crashed here conventionally whereas we seem subject to just turning up from all over the place. and since the void horrorterrors seem to be able to drag us into the dreamscape it may be a conscious effort by them targeted at us.

[alienates]

LET ME KNOW HOW THE CRYSTAL THING GOES.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY WOULD WORK OR IF IT'S A SPECIFIC ONE THOUGH.
THE DIARY ENTRY WAS KIND OF VAGUE ON THAT FRONT?
ACTUALLY THE DIARY WAS 99% USELESS, IT WAS MOSTLY ABOUT DOGS.

POINT TAKEN.
OK I'LL ASK HER TO MAKE SURE.

[oneandmikleonly]

that's too much dog

thanks karkat i'll keep you updated too!

[alienates]

YEAH. IT WAS PRETTY GODDAMN OBNOXIOUS.

I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP BETTER TRACK OF WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
SO WE'LL KNOW WHO'S DOING WHAT AND CAN BETTER SEND PEOPLE TO HELP SOMEONE BASED ON THEIR SKILL SET.

[oneandmikleonly]

for this one i'm mostly checking the deep vents and i guess keeping a general eye out for ishmael etc? i'm not really sure what to do with aliens and tech otherwise

if anyone wants to dream check the stuff in the void though or wants to know more about it in general you can point them my way. i want to look in on the dragons there and see what can be done about communicating with them further or at least getting more info

[alienates]

I THINK THEY SAID THEY'RE BUILDING A CONTAMINATION CHAMBER?
SO MAYBE THAT'LL BE USEFUL FOR THIS.
UNLESS KHARAA SUDDENLY SHOW UP BEFORE THEY FINISH IT.
IF THEY EVER DO.

CHARA SEEMED REALLY INTERESTED IN IT.
THEY ACTUALLY ASKED ME TO TAKE THEM INTO THE DREAMSCAPE, WHICH IS SHOCKING BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER.
SO MAYBE TALK TO THEM?

[oneandmikleonly]

oh yes i know them. ish? we had a conversation about it. i'll talk to them again.

at least these devices let us centralize the information. makes it easier to consolidate everything.

[alienates]

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT THOUGH.
THEY'RE REALLY ANNOYING.

YEAH.
BUT I DON'T EXACTLY TRUST EVERYONE TO TELL OTHERS WHAT'S GOING ON.
EVEN IF IT AFFECTS EVERYONE.

[oneandmikleonly]

that's weird and counterproductive

[alienates]

WELL, TRUST ME.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY PEOPLE LIKE THAT.

[ it's the reason why he didn't let dirk do most of the talking. karkat didn't entirely trust him to reveal all the info he would have learned. ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[dirk? secretive? surely not???]

i'll take your word for it, but i'll try not to do that. i appreciate you trying to maek sure everyone knows what's happening.

[alienates]

[ of course not, dirk is the least secretive person of all time ]

I JUST FIGURED THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE BETTER SUITED AT SOLVING SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS THAN I AM.
THE FUCK DO I KNOW ABOUT NANITES?
NOTHING, THAT'S WHAT.

[oneandmikleonly]

yeah pretty much. i don't understand half of what ursula tells me when i ask for information; it's just a thing.

we're lucky we have people who are good at a bunch of different things though. there's so much on this world. i think people would come here for a lot of reasons even without the khaara driving them.

[alienates]

I'M PRETTY SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT BUT THEY JUST NOD THEIR HEAD ANYWAY.

I MEAN, I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT COME HERE.
I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF PLANETS WHERE YOU CAN'T STEP OUTSIDE FOR FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT HAVING A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE?
WHY COULDN'T THIS BE LIKE A PLANET OF COTTON CANDY OR SOMETHING INSTEAD OF AN OCEAN.

[oneandmikleonly]

at least everything is not mutating into new and hellish forms

i hope

wait have you been on a lot of planets?

[alienates]

YEAH.
MOST OF THEM WERE BULLSHIT?
AND BY MOST I MEAN ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE ONE WE ARE CURRENTLY ON.
I WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO SOME NEW ONE BUT I CAME HERE INSTEAD.

1/2

[oneandmikleonly]

i think you're the most oddly unwilling and cranky explorer i've ever met but you're also really thoughtful

[oneandmikleonly]

i'm sorry

i meant to edit that to be more polite but hit the button too soon

[alienates]

HONESTLY I DON'T EVEN MIND.
THAT WAS THE MOST POLITELY I HAVE EVER BEEN INSULTED.

[oneandmikleonly]

it wasn't even meant to be an insult

:(

[alienates]

OH GOD.
YOU ARE TOO NICE.

[oneandmikleonly]

i can't tell if that's sarcastic or not in text this is harder than i thought