Chapter XXV
Detective Callister stepped out of the McDonald's, a coffee and bag held in one hand, while his phone was in the other. He frowned slightly as he perused his news feed—nothing there but speculation and panic over what had happened over the last few weeks. Despite Agent Vale’s warning, the police station had not been attacked. In fact, ever since the abduction, people had been reporting all sorts of nonsense, but no actual, verifiable alien activity.
At least, none that was being reported to the public.
Callister sighed at the lack of information, and briefly wondered how Valerie was holding up. He hadn’t heard from her since the incident, but he trusted that she had been put into witness protection, simply because he hadn’t heard anything to the contrary. He was worried though. Not just about Valerie, but about everyone. The human race was in uncharted waters now. At any point they could be crushed by an alien armada bent on turning them all into slaves, snack-packs or just flat out exterminating them.
Well, all of that could’ve happened before the abduction, but now we know that it could, and probably is, going to happen, Callister thought as he skimmed through another alleged alien sighting, before sighing to himself and pocketing his phone. I guess it’s really true what they say: Ignorance is bliss…
Some of the other officers guessed that maybe it was only a one time thing. In fact, many people were either saying that, or that the whole thing was just a hoax; that this was nothing more than people messing around, or that the government was trying something sinister.
But that’s what you get when you have a planet of seven billion crazies who thought up until now that they were alone in the universe, Callister thought as he began popping french fries into his mouth. Some are going to deny it, some are going to start stockpiling arms, while others are going to go straight to the loony bin, telling everyone that the world is coming to an end.
Callister stopped for a minute as he stared up at the sky. At the moment, it was midday, which meant that the cloudy, overcast skies of Portland were nothing but a white wall. A white wall that seemed vaguely sinister, now that the detective knew that it could be hiding an alien armada bent on total global destruction.
With a sigh of frustration, Callister opened his burger and chowed down, letting his feet take him onto the familiar route back to the police station. It wasn’t that far, and Callister was confident enough that he could do it blindfolded, provided that there was no one out that day. There was, so he still had to use his eyes somewhat as he navigated the way back to his workplace. He got a few friendly smiles, and some worried frowns, but for the most part everyone was going about their days as if nothing happened.
Maybe that’s how it should be… Callister thought as he paused at the police station door. His eyes swept the busy streets one more time, his thoughts a tangled mess. Jill’s gone, so things are never going to be the same, but maybe that’s all there is to it. A weird occurrence, then everyone getting on with their lives. A few years later, this place will be a tourist trap, and everyone will have all but forgotten that a forensic scientist used to work here. That her friends and family are still looking to the skies, hoping that she’ll come home. After a few decades, it’ll have become an urban legend, and the world will keep on turning, like it all never mattered to begin with…
Callister shook his head before pushing the door to the police station open. As much as the idea stung, he had the distinct feeling that this was all he was ever going to know about the matter. That he, and Jill for that matter, were nothing more than commas and periods in the march of history. That the world was never going to find out what happened to Jill Spivak, and that as riled up as everyone was, that was all that was going to come about from this whole incident.
Well, if that’s all there is to it, then here’s to you, Jill. No one here’s going to forget about you. I’ll make sure of it... Callister thought as he drank deeply from his cup.
Feeling strangely at peace, Callister made his way to the offices. He still had several cases to finish, and a few leads to follow. As much as he’d like to drop everything and search for his missing friend and colleague, there really wasn’t anything he could do. Life had to go on.
He was so lost in thought that he nearly ran into Lieutenant Jefferson, who for some strange reason was standing right behind the door of the offices. “Hey, lieutenant, watch where you’re standing. You could… get…”
Callister’s reprimand died in his throat when he realized what the lieutenant, as well as the rest of the police station, were all staring at.
In the far ceiling corner of the police department’s main offices was a small TV. The sound was usually muted, but at the moment someone had turned up the volume to max, the reason for this being all too clear.
On the screen was something that was distinctly not human. It had four eyes, a stub of a nose that was slitted, and when it opened its mouth, Callister could see that its teeth were far sharper than anything he knew that could talk. Its skin, or rather its scales, were a dull grey color, which only served to drive home just how alien the monster was.
“Well, crap…” Callister said, right before throwing his empty coffee cup into a nearby trash can with considerable force.
* * *
It was as if the Earth itself stood still. All the television channels were broadcasting it. Every internet query had been replaced with a video of the same creature, and above every major city of the world there could be seen a small metallic object, projecting the same image and message for all to hear, in nearly every language spoken by man. Some would later find that the message did not come through on devices on closed networks, but this was a minor discovery, one whose importance was quickly forgotten in the wake of what was happening the world over.
“Attention, people of Earth! By now, your radar and telescopes will have found a number of our ships in orbit around your planet, the sheer number and size of these vessels probably causing a great deal of stress and fear among your kind. Many of you are most likely rushing for your weapons, while others are gripping your families in fear of the unknown. Even as this recording is playing, your armed forces are mobilizing, while your nuclear weapons are being put on standby, your whole world covered in fear at what could only be an alien invasion,” the creature said, its face strangely sorrowful for something so alien. “Let me be the first to assure you that we have not come seeking your destruction: We have no need of the resources of your planet, it is against our highest laws to own slaves, and we do not need your planet for anything. Rest well this night, knowing that you and your families have not attracted the ire of The Holy Armada.”
It was as if a weight had been lifted from the entire world. Many wept openly, while others could do nothing but hug those closest to them. Others watched with skepticism, however, certain that this couldn’t be all there was to it.
Those people were proven right with the alien’s next words.
“That is not to say that we come in peace, however. War is coming to your home, whether you want it or not. We have not come to conquer, but to warn and protect you from the impending disaster. Ready your weapons, gird up your armor, and prepare your people, for war is at your doorstep,” the creature said, crushing any hope it had planted with only a few words. “We will be convening with your leaders in a day’s time, to plan and prepare for the coming darkness. At precisely eleven-thirty, Eastern Standard Time tomorrow morning, High Priest Yovakior and his aides will arrive at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York to plan a proper defense. We suggest you hurry and prepare. Send your best and your brightest, for we are unsure of the timetable of our enemy. That is all.”
And just like that, the message ended. Cable and satellite television resumed as if nothing had happened, the servers of the internet began returning their proper information, while the things hovering above every major city all disappeared in a flash of light, as if they had never been there in the first place.
The riots that followed in some places told a different story entirely.
* * *
“As expected, High Priest, several riots and protests have already broken out. Our cousins were clearly unprepared for our arrival," Archmage Veltori said, his disdain bleeding into his voice. "Really... what kind of hysterical mind does it take to riot at the first sign of trouble?"
“I imagine the kind that was quite comfortable with their position in life... but... protests? What could they possibly be protesting?” Yovakior asked with morbid curiosity. “Their governments did not invite us, so what exactly do they expect to come from that?"
“I honestly could not say. I do not speak any of their languages well enough to give you a reason, but regardless, the signs are there. Quite literally, in some cases, oddly enough. It matches all the details we have in our database on how this people throw protests, but what they intend to accomplish is something I can only guess," the archmage said, sounding both impressed and incredulous. “I will have a few of my apprentices to work on it. In the meantime, I suggest we go ahead with the battle plan and begin mining the system.”
“Agreed. Begin preparations at once, and get me-” Yovakior began, but stopped as his communications expert began speaking rapidly to someone on the other line, drawing the high priest’s attention.
“Yes… yes, I’ll tell him. No, we already broadcasted the message. Yes, I know that is going to be a problem. Please, just wait, I’ll convey it all.” Lilith turned from her console, her face a mask of worry. “High Priest? We may have a problem…”
“What is it?” Yovakior asked, somewhat amused. “I highly doubt it is worse than the trouble that is coming. Unless, of course, you are telling me that the Krin Empire remnants are already here.”
“No, nothing like that, sir. However, it will still complicate things immensely." Lilith took a deep breath, before turning back to her console and pressing a few keys. "The Tempest on the Horizon came back into being near the planet Mars as expected and began extraction procedures of our outpost on the moon. However, while they were there, they found that it had sustained significant damages consistent with Krin plasma weapons. Computer Yavaar survived, but it seems like he took some… unorthodox measures in lieu of a chain of command.”
“How unorthodox?"
“...I’ll send you the long version to your terminal. Just know that, from what I’ve been able to gather, he hasn’t done anything illegal.”
That immediately sent up some red flags for the High Priest. “I have the distinct impression that whatever it is that Yavaar has done would have given him the death sentence without that qualifier.”
Lilith winced a little, before pressing a single button and sending the rest of the report to the High Priest’s tablet. “It is. At this moment, The Tempest on the Horizon is playing host to a group of human rescue workers. Yavaar had apparently enlisted them to help dig himself out as part of a multi-step plan in readying the planet for any Krin incursion.”
The silence on the bridge was deafening. “...Are you telling me that our cousins are already aware of our existence?”
“That could explain some of the protests. They probably believe we are overstepping our authority or something similar," Veltori pointed out helpfully.
Yovakior closed his eyes for a few seconds, before shaking his head, as if trying to shake out the thoughts lurking within. “I don’t think we want to jump to conclusions just yet. Tell The Tempest on the Horizon to extract Computer Yavaar as quickly as possible; I want his storage vessel installed into a personal assistant before the end of the day. As for the human workers, have them transferred to this ship. We’ll work out what we need to do from there after I’ve spoken with their leader.”
“Right away, sir!” Lilith said with a slight bow.
“Kelaran, I’ll leave preparations of the battlefield to you for now,” Yovakior said to his second voice, holding up his tablet as an explanation. “I’ll be reviewing Yavaar’s report and revising my speech for this... United Nations of theirs. We’ll need it done before the day is out, to allow our translators time to prepare it. Ingred?”
“Yes, High Priest?” the computer chimed.
“Let me know the second the humans are on board the ship. I want their people well taken care of, and their leader brought to me with an interpreter as soon as possible.”
“Yes, High Priest.”
Without another word, High Priest Yovakior, Aram of the Holy Armada, and Leader of the Earth Expedition, left the bridge, confident in his people’s ability to defend the system for the short time he was gone.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle stared at the diagram, not quite sure how the entirety of Equusian history could have missed this simple concept. The actual mechanisms were insanely complicated, but the idea of ‘machines only understanding two things’ was so simple that she couldn’t believe that nopony had realized it before. The idea itself could revolutionize golemmancy even without the human’s input.
The whole idea behind golemancy was an attempt to make the inanimate mimic the animate, to force that which had no life of its own to take on the semblance of the living.
Human computers weren’t anything of the sort.
They were, quite simply, the descendant of the simplest, most basic of arithmetic tools: The abacus. Everything it actually did, at the most basic of basic of levels, was math. Base two math, to be precise. At first, Twilight was somewhat confused how this could be of any use; base two was very limiting, and could only express so much. It was when Alex had pointed out that a single ant wasn’t capable of much, either, that Twilight finally started understanding just how powerful this technology was.
With this newfound perspective, Twilight had begun to reexamine every single one of the human’s designs. She still didn’t understand half of it, but she now knew why it had to be so complex.
She also knew that, even with the human’s help, there was just too much work to be done to ever get this design ready before Equus was attacked.
“Alex, tell me, just how were you intending on getting this all done? This… compiler would take years to complete, especially when it’s only you working on it!”
“I’ve got a few ideas…” Alex said, before turning and looking around the lab. “It comes down to a couple of things, actually, but it all starts with that cat I repurposed. I had someone send it down, but I’m not-”
“It’s right here, my friend,” Razorback said, holding up the box that had been delivered earlier that day. “I’ve been looking through the modifications, and I must say, it is truly an impressive feat that it functions at all.”
“Thanks for that,” Alex said, before taking the box from the minotaur. “We should get to work on this, to see if we can’t prove any of my ideas right. If I’m wrong, though, we still have a few options. And hey, maybe we could have some combination of my ideas work in tandem!”
“You still haven’t told us what any of these ideas are, though,” Princess Celestia said, before taking a couple of steps back as the human swept past her to an empty workbench.
The human didn’t seem to hear her, as he proceeded to dump the whole affair out on the counter, before he began looking around for something. “Lets see… screwdriver or… ah, this looks like it’ll do the trick!”
“Alex, could you please just-” Twilight said, before jumping slightly as the human pried off the side panel on the cat and began pulling out the plates that he had made.
“What are you doing!?” Razorback said, moving forward to stop the human.
“I’m… um, I don’t know your word for it. Humans call it cannibalism. I’m taking something, and using it for something else,” the human said, before he pulled out the other plates. “I need these to test my idea, if we’re going to be doing this at all within the next week.”
“But what is your idea?” Celestia asked, taking the plates from the human with her magic, forcing him to slow down for a few seconds.
Alex took a deep, cleansing breath, before letting it out in an explosive huff. “How are the remnants of my friends able to control this thing?” he asked, pointing towards the cat.
“...Because of these plates?” Celestia asked somewhat blankly as she held up the things that Alex had created.
Alex shook his head, then began talking really fast, using words in his own language in place of those that clearly did not exist in the Equestrian tongue. “Those only have the hardware. The components that actually do the thinking. I’ve looked through my notes, and when I was busy going all glowy, I didn’t write a single line of code. There’s nothing there to act as a compiler, no operating system, not a single program.”
Celestia looked at them carefully. “I’m not sure what you mean…”
“Princess, I’ve looked through Alex’s notes, and from what he’s managed to explain, the physical form of these computers is only a piece of the puzzle. It’s a large piece, but it’s still useless without any of the other pieces,” Twilight said as she trotted forward, levitating some of the documents. “Without any actual instructions, they’re about as useful as the omniscope without the golem interface.”
“And what I mean, is that I didn’t write any instructions,” Alex said as he pulled a number of metallic rods from his pocket. “These don’t have a single line of code. Nothing to act as a compiler, and nothing to translate the thoughts of my friend’s remains into movement for the golem. The only thing I made was the boards themselves.”
Celestia stared at the human thoughtfully. “But… earlier, when I talked to Doctor Burner, he told me that you altered the original instructions for the golem. If that’s not the case, then how…?”
“Your sister said that anything with a soul also has a magical field, with the reverse being true. What about something that only has a part of a soul? What happens then?”
“It would still have a field, but it would be wildly unstable. It would slowly break down, before disintegrating entirely, as the soul shards passed through the veil,” Celestia said, almost automatically. “Honestly, it’s only because of your own field that they lasted this long…”
Alex looked down at the shards, a thoughtful look on his face. “Well, since the field’s still there, just unstable, couldn’t these guys do some magic themselves? Couldn’t they act as the operating system, compiler, and programs?”
“It is a possibility, but anything they do would be far more erratic than what you're proposing,” Razorback said, before taking a couple of steps forward. “We of the Isle of Minos have had a longstanding tradition when it comes to ghosts, that their essences need to be dispersed before we try anything with golemmancy, as they can disrupt some of the more delicate and refined processes. Whatever they produce, however, is quite random, and is not nearly as alive as the shards you hold in your hand.”
“Well, what if they had a little help?” Alex asked as he looked to all the assembled faces, as if seeking validation. “I may not look like it, but I’m actually quite the expert when it comes to my craft. You said they were relying on me to stay in this world. Well, what if they were doing more than that? What if they were tapping into my knowledge and experiences, to help me with this kind of stuff?”
The assembled ponies, griffons and one minotaur, all paused at that, all of them lost in thought. “To my knowledge, nothing like this has happened before…” Celestia said after some time.
“Ugh.”
“This is an unexplored field of magic, but there is a reason for it,” Twilight said, before taking one of the rods from Alex’s hand.
“She’s right. Shards are too dangerous for us to directly interfere with, mainly because of how they’re sliding into the veil,” Razorback said, before taking another rod from the human and giving it a once over. “There have been a few cases of people trying to commune with these remnants, or with the people beyond the veil. They’ve either gone completely insane, and committed suicide, or they’ve succumbed themselves, and have been siphoned away with the very souls they’re trying to talk to. You, as far as I can remember, are a unique case.”
“At least, I’m a unique case as far as we know,” Alex said, before taking back the golem cores and the plates. “There may be alien races out there that have already cracked the secrets of this veil. Besides, it’s not like we have time to argue about all of this. Even if we went back to Earth today, and I brought back a host of programmers, I don’t think we’d have what we need finished in time.”
The assembled people all looked nervously at one another, before Celestia gave a single nod towards the human. “Fine. Do whatever experiment you were planning. As for the rest of you, ready the omniscope. We may have it ready earlier than we anticipated. However, I would have one more word with you in private, Alex.”
The human looked a little surprised, but put down the things he was carrying to follow Celestia out of the room. Twilight briefly wondered what they were talking about, before shaking herself to get back to work.
* * *
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked as soon as I shut the door.
“Alex… before you were taken by Queen Titania, my sister and I were speaking with the alien delegates... Mainly, the snake one spoke, and we listened. I have the impression that she is quite powerful, as the bug did not speak the entire time. Her name was… Ack-e-teth,” Celestia said, chewing on the unfamiliar and alien word. It sounded oddly Egyptian, though I knew it was probably just a coincidence. “And she had something she wanted me to ask you. I don't trust her, so don't feel like you're being pressured into doing what she wants."
I took a deep breath, before letting it out. “It’ll probably be okay, whatever it is.” Celestia looked a little shocked at this, but I continued before she was able to interject. "I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to tell you much of what I know… I found out a lot about both of their people when I was looking in the bug’s computer. While I wouldn’t exactly trust either of them, I do know that the Quzin... the snakes, have had the opportunity to take over your world a hundred times over, and have done nothing. You can rest easy knowing they’re not your enemies.”
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and dread.
“Apparently there is this huge swath of… what is the word for the place beyond your world?” I asked, my lexicon coming up with blanks.
“Kashuta? It means everything above the sky, and past the moon and sun.”
“Ah… space… Yes, there is a huge swath of space that the snakes claim, protect and patrol. Your world happens to fall into that space,” I told her as I ignored the Krin text scrolling at the bottom corner of my vision.
Celestia looked like she had just heard something that she had already suspected. “You mean they claim ownership of our world already?”
“No, no… um…” I thought for a second, trying to figure out the right word. It wasn’t coming, so I decided to improvise. “It's like if you had a child, and you had something you want to give him, but you know he’s not old enough for it yet. That’s what they claim. They recognize this world, everything on it, as well as the surrounding area, as yours. However-”
“They do not feel we are ready for the responsibility…” Celestia said, letting out a humorless chuckle. “Then the feeling I was getting that she was talking to a child-”
“Was completely accurate. She views us both as children, and she’s treating us as such.” We were both quiet for some time after that. The thought of being treated like a child by an alien snake creature, while somewhat funny, was still a bit galling. I could only imagine that Celestia was thinking along the same lines, though it was probably more so for her, considering her age. “Ahem… well, what was it that she wanted you to ask me?” I asked, bringing us back to the original reason she had pulled me away from the others.
“...She wants to look inside your mind,” Celestia said, her voice leaving no doubt on how she felt about the matter. “She says it’s because you might remember something, something that would help them find where these ‘traitors’ are hiding. That you might have heard or seen something that you wouldn’t have recognized as a clue...”
The white pony in front of me trailed off, but I didn’t need her to finish what she was saying. I understood completely what this 'Ack-e-teth' wanted from me. I also knew that they could probably do things to my head that no one would know about until too late. But on the other hand… if these snakes are shooting straight with us… then it would mean catching those who are ultimately responsible… I thought as I silently agonized over the decision before me.
Celestia obviously could sense my discomfort, and set a hoof on my shoulder, trying to steady me. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to if-”
“No… no, this is important…” I muttered, interrupting her.
She looked at me closely, her brows furrowed in concentration. “You really don’t have to do this. You don’t even have to decide now. They’re not here, after all. In fact, put this out of your mind, and concentrate on what’s in front of you. We’ll decide this later.” Celestia let her hoof fall back to the floor and turned to leave. “I still have much to do today, and the aliens said they’d come tomorrow. For now, work on the Omniscope. You can give me your decision in the morning.”
She then opened the door to the little side room we were using and left me to my thoughts. A dangerous action to be sure, but I sort of needed to be alone right then.
After all, I had a difficult decision to make.
For some ungodly reason, I am up late enough to catch this. And what a fun chapter!
I loved these random existential musings, even if they were only intended to contrast with the subsequent sudden sweeping chaos. The phrasing at least was poetic, and I like the sentiment at the end.
And what chaos followed! You would think the Quzin would know how to send a less blunt message, but maybe they thought it so important that it was worth the chaos. I am surprised that they were surprised by the protests — one usually does not gain the power they have while remaining naïve about sociology in general, or about how less advanced species react to big scary aliens talking about imminent war in particular.
Bless Alex for introducing the Equestrians to principles of computer science. His unique knowledge of magic and technology is, to use a technical term, immensely hella. I eagerly await the chapter where Alex leads an army of magitek ensouled-robots to Take Earth Back from the angry advanced alien attackers! Or, at least, I look forward to watching how these cultures and their technologies/magics continue to collide and integrate.
Edit: Almost forgot to comment on the fun ethical dilemma at the end. I for one welcome our benevolent noodle overlords, and am confident that they will do the right thing when given unrestricted
control overaccess to the precious contents of our hero's mind.Edit 2: I greatly appreciate how long you have kept working on this fantastic and fascinating series. Keep on keepin' on!
7155928
Duuuiude before I read this chapter I just wanna say that I bought your book and got three of my friends interested on it and they’ll soon get it too. Tho one says she prefers to wait for the physical book. (I also wanna buy the physical when it comes out ^^) really liked it btw. Liked the new species you created to replace the equestrians. Can’t wait for all the character development of the second installment. I downloaded kindle just to read your book and I don’t regret it.
I know I can find it in the story but if it isn’t much trouble could you write here a full description of how Alex’s monster form looks? I wanna put a friend of mine who’s good at drawing monsters to the test and would like to donate you that art piece too.
Sorry. Even if I were willing to financially endorse Amazon's DRM-centric e-book business with a cut of that $3, all my PCs and devices run non-Android Linux (technically, even my Sony Reader PRS-505, which still needs un-DRMed LRF or EPUB books), so I'd be stuck with Amazon's browser-based Kindle Cloud Reader... and you'd have to pay me to put up with that.
(Same set of principles that means that I don't buy games through Steam, even if a particular game is free of Steamworks DRM.)
9338795 I understand. I'd be using Linux too, if it weren't for all the games I can't play on Linux. In fact, my non-gaming laptop does have Linux on it.
Yes, I know wine exists. I also know from personal experience how much of a hassle it can be to get games running properly on it. And I REALLY wanted to play Doom 2016.
As for DRM, amazon asked me if I wanted to use that crap in my story, and I flat out said no. I want you guys to buy my story, I don't want to be an a****** about it.
Don't worry, though. Physical copies are coming, just as soon as my artist friend finishes the cover. And yes, I'm paying him with actual money. He's too awesome to just throw 'exposure' at and hope that it pans out for him. I respect him too much to do that to him.
EEEWWW My penis just flew up my own asshole in fear! What the fuck is that thing?!
9338801
Fair enough. I'm not exactly typical in my gaming patterns.
(I got so fed up with Windows XP back around 2003 that I quit Windows cold-turkey part-way through Dungeon Siege and, when Humble Bundles and GOG.com got me back into gaming around 2010, I was still mostly interested in not-very-demanding indie, retro, and emulated games. Would Doom 2016 even run on the GeForce GTX750 that I bought when my GeForce GT430 from 2007 died?)
Heck, these days, I mainly read and program. Aside from plugging some classic Nintendo platformers into my Retrode, I haven't really been gaming much lately.
In all honesty, physical copies are expensive enough that I have to be very picky about which stories I pay for and I'm not sure this series makes the cut. (It's good, but not "Past Sins" or "Days of Wasp and Spider"-level good.)
Another chapter? So soon? It seems Xmas has come early!
Of course, some people are using this as an excuse to protest, some people protest at the drop of a hat.
If I may so humbly suggest. Have Alex ask if Luna could give the snake a tour of his memory. I would love to see some interaction between the three of them. Especially give the snake a chance to find out the difference between the sisters.
Lacks a quotation mark " at the beggining of it go fix it, such a thing can be confusing. You're doing well with the story.
Missing opening quote marks.
all in all another update that's left me wanting more, despite being a tad bit low on action.
Another chapter already! I love it!
9338801
give me my physical copy. and you will get my money and your free time to write. So in other words, DANCE MONKEY! GET YOUR TYPEWRITER AND COMPOSE SHAKESPEARE!- all messing aside cant wait for the physical edition and i love seeing this update.
didn't realize you had a normal copy, so I bought it.
enjoy the $
Funny how country that in 200 years used its military force beyond its borders more than 200 times, killing countless dozens of millions of innocents in process, country that used nuclear bombs against innocents twice only as terroristic act against USSR, securing winning WW2 that already was won since Japan army was destroyed before bombing, not to mention genocide of natives and creation of ISIS, and that country would be even considered as place for "the headquarters of the United Nations".
P.s. yea, yea. Nothing hurts like the truth.
If the humans and aliens ever have a weapons demonstration I feel it would go something like this.
9338831
Protests over Quzin collusion influencing presidential elections will soon be coming to a nation near you.
9339227
we were the last ones standing in 1946
9339386
Last one entering war at winning side, ignoring pleas for help up untill 1944th when German army was already destroyed and trading with both sides all this time fueling the war. And declaring "cold" war against USSR instantly after using nuclear weapon against innocents in terroristic act.
9338775 They're in a hurry. They've basically had to throw this thing together on the fly, so they're playing fast and loose with the normal contact rules.
I bought the book. I've only started reading it, but the bird-aliens seem interesting.
9339401
Most countries have similarly horrible histories; America is a much younger nation, (Not even three hundred years old, as opposed to the 2000+ years of many other nations). Just remember that nobody is a saint, and nobody is a devil. Things do get better over time, we just don't notice because the most horrible parts of history aren't common knowledge.
9339478
Of course. But one country can do more harm to the world in one hundred years than other countries in one thousand or even four thousand years. So I'd vote for India for example as place for hc of Unity but not US for certain.
Nice little set up for the stuff that is to come. Keep the updates coming.
yyyyeeeeeeaaaa, that probobly didn't help.
9339742 I never said that the Quzin are without faults. In fact, quite the opposite.
9339528 I'm going to have to ask you not to comment this kind of stuff on my story. I've been specifically avoiding political bullcrap for a reason, and would ask you to do the same.
That may lead to some funny translation errors later.
9339286
Before or AFTER they finish shitting themselves in terror? They LOVE their energy weapons but somehow ballistic weapons passed them by and they never could figure it out. (according to lore within the story)
9339769
I eagerly anticipate the ego-deflating
9339805
Ask me about the lovely comedy of errors that befell my sister once because of auto-correct.
9339890 That was the Krin, if you remember. Not the Quzin. Though, to be honest, the Quzin don't have ballistics that good either, simply because they have access to magic. Simply put, they didn't really need ballistics that good, and it may or may not bite them in the butt later.
9339901
*Rubs hands while cackling maniacally*
9338791 Alex (when he was fully a monster) stood about 6'1'' (about 1.8 meters). He was thin and gangly, to the point where he honestly looked malnourished.
His skin had a sickly grey color, without even a hint at his original coloration. It was also completely and utterly hairless, to the point of being unnaturally so, and barely excreted a thin, slimy mucus that gave him a damp, unhealthy look.
At the end of each toe was a short, curved claw that looks faintly metallic, and when the claws on his hands were out, they had a similar coloration, though not nearly as curved, and much longer (about a foot in length). Along his spine, at each segment of his spinal column to be precise, was a short, metallic spike that curves downward along his back.
His face lacked any lips, cheeks, or fleshy structure protecting his mouth, causing a thin stream of drool to constantly drip from his chin. His teeth were long, sharp and interlocking, which made him look a little like an angler fish:
i.pinimg.com/originals/96/d0/80/96d080cf03417bc28f7b2a52f3e685be.jpg
Though he had irises, his eyes were completely pitch black, making the irises and pupils completely invisible. He had eyelids, but they were those thin membranes that certain marine animals have, rather than actual human eyelids, making his gaze look much wider and crazier than it's supposed to. He was missing his nose entirely, and if one shown a light into the cavity, you'd see the remains of the cartilage from when it was hacked off. His ears were still there, and were one of the few parts of his body that remain relatively unchanged.
9339957
So that means the Krin think human ears are terrifying?
9339895
"lordelliott?"
"What is, an interesting story about your sister?"
9340004 Yes. It reminds them a little too much of the great apes from back home. They were hunted to extinction, but these things were massive. In tierzoo terms, they had the mega fauna trait, and if they stood upright (they stood like normal gorillas, but for the sake of argument, let's say one did), it would reach about twelve feet tall, and weigh somewhere in the ballpark of 900lbs. It was a carnivore, a pack hunter, and similar to how polar bears go out of their way to hunt humans, went out of its way to hunt Krin if the opportunity presented itself.
The Krin planet is a little bit higher in the oxygen content than our planet, and despite what the Krin might say, also has a magical field. They're unaware of it, but it's still there, and tends to do things to the local wildlife.
9339772
Did you played x-com EW Long War or even x-com ufo defence? There's long list of places for your hc and North America is not most visited continent by aliens and certainly not best place for hc. Best place would be Europe: coverage of maximal number of nations. And x-com itself is representation of unity of nations. There's even bonus of will for number of different nations in squad. So with this background all this US-bigotry giving me nausea. We have even meme for this - globe of Ukrainе.img0.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/b/4/103/86/103086080_1374141676e684a17f22fc27b0ac71a39c21325662.png
Actually only 5% that hero of this story would be american.
9340181 New York City is literally the headquarters of the United Nations. As in, right now. In real life. There is a very good reason why the Quzin listed it.
9340213
I know and this just a name. I can make organisation "the ruler of planet Earth" with myself as only one member. Will it make me actual ruler of the Earth in your or Quzin eyes?
9340237 No, simply because you are the only one who would ratify that your organization is 'the ruler of the earth'. The United Nations isn't the ruler of the earth either, and that's really not the point here. The point is that, regardless of how useless the United Nations is, it is still the best way for an alien species to contact, communicate and coordinate with as many nations as possible, without having to go to each nation individually.
9339805
Cannibalism, definitely not easily translatable. Perhaps "the act of self eating but not self-self" but even then...
9339805
"Yo Dawg, I heard you like symbolism, so we cannibalized your word cannibalize, so you can symbolize while you symbolize."
Aka- I guess you could say we cannibalized that word.
9340241
I agree that in purpose of notification it would be wise choise. And New York is beautiful city. Only if it wasn't so preconceived, militaristic and lie-propaganda based country. Also so far away from other nations (if we don't count different states of US) to be hc of their unity literally and metaphorically.
9340318 Again, do not freaking put political stuff in the comments of my story. I have been going out of my way not to be political, and all I ask is that you do the same. if you do not, I will start deleting your comments because this is not the place for you to get on your soapbox. If you really have to do that, go to twitter, or to wherever else you want. Just keep it out of the comments of my story.
9340318
We get it, you hate the USA. Damn, its just a fictional story, a good one, but still just a fictional story.
9340364
Wrong. I hate its political and propaganda sides, things that people don't do but being greatly influenced by it.
If you did read my (deleted) last post, you would know what and why. There's many things to love - cultural, architectural, scientifical and many other sides of country, even just smiles of people, but certainly not what men in power and in control of mass media do. And same I said about my own country. Lie-propaganda is what I despise most.
9340372 you were warned. It's not that I'm not active, or that I do not become involved in politics, or what people are talking about when it comes to this stuff. It's just that my story comments are neither the time or place for those things. I have decided to keep it seperate, and would ask you to respect my wishes.
9340004
A friend of my sister asked her what she was making for dinner one night. My sister replied 'children' (chicken)
Not surprised about the riots, humans are rather destructive in nature and very excitable.
For instance, there was this village of a rather primitive human tribe that just flat out began worshipping me simply because I saved a few of there children and that I'm as tall as a full grown horse!
Corrections:
9339772
Sorry, my bad. O_o