Rogue Sloth

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Thanks! The family drama seems to be on the mend, fortunately. My husband and I don’t live near either of our families, so we’re somewhat removed from everything, but it’s been crazy anyway dealing with the phone call updates.

Today I’m busy because we bought a house recently and we’re getting a lot of work done on it. I had multiple meetings with different people and now have to find a new contractor because our guy’s house burned down and he has to drop the project.

Murphy’s Law is really slapping us hard this year :/

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

It’ll probably take me longer than usual to get a post up for you, FYI. I’m super busy today and haven’t had much time at home (I’m on my phone now too)

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I definitely understand that. I probably won’t get a reply up until tomorrow because I’m doing a bunch of stuff at the new house today. Been driving all over meeting with different people to finally get stuff done.

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Sounds good to me! Would they be part of a group or all alone?

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

I like that. There could be a lot of different groups around that they come across. Which one do you prefer they run into first? While they're out, I think it could be interesting if they're seen by those who either think the aliens are evil or are afraid of them and might lash out in fear to protect themselves.

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Yeah, that was what was done in Brave New World. I could see them using the same technique, which would also give them the freedom to experiment with gene splicing and stuff in a safe way. They'd also be eager to find out if cross-breeding with humans would solve their fertility issues, which is why they might want Azdrei'in and Artemis to partner up, so they can find out.

I think most women wouldn't readily agree to turn themselves into breeding stock for an invasive alien race xD To many, that would be a fate worse than death, so it would definitely cause friction between the two races. I also just see fights breaking out between the immune humans and the Lunvalgans while they're trying to colonize, since those who survived the virus wouldn't see them as "good" and would try to defend their planet.

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Since she doesn't have the same issues as the Lunvalgan females do, she could probably match with a lot of them actually. They just have trouble reproducing because of what the disease on their home planet did them. I could also see them discovering that humans and aliens are compatible enough to interbreed and just being stunned by that news, since they're two different species and didn't expect that they could do better than surrogacy.

Then there will come the ethically questionable problem of what to do with that information, since they need humans to save their species from extinction but would be put-off by the thought of forcing them to sleep with their own people.

This is so 20th century dystopian, haha.

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Okay I got it. And yeah, those would lead to really different outcomes. If she matched with another Lunvalgan male, their fertility specialists would probably want them to be breeding partners which could cause drama is Artemis or the other male don’t want to.

If she matched with Drei, he’d be shocked but probably wouldn’t be totally opposed to it because he does think she’s attractive.

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Yeah it usually doesn't hit me this hard, but I'm practically vibrating xD I'm wondering if the barista added a shot of espresso or something.

Who would they be paired with?

New World Contention [AnnaWinters & Summer]

Well that explained why she knew so much about fertility. Azdrei’in made a mental note to tell Zalla that Artemis was fairly educated in medicine and health when he had a chance to make his next report. He didn’t know what his commander would do with the information, but it seemed pertinent for her to be aware of. The Om’phaers might be interested in using her knowledge if they decided to use humans as surrogates for their kind, since they didn’t know much about the Earthlings’ anatomy, nutrition or other essential details.

When she asked about the buttons on the shirt he was wearing, he was going to decline her offer to undo them for him, since he could handle the menial task by himself. He’d just left the shirt open earlier because he hadn’t felt like closing the fastenings. However, she was already on her way over, so he let her do it anyway, standing still while she popped open each one. Her eagerness to help him was fascinating, and he was curious why she was so docile when her people were supposed to be savages. What led some humans, he wondered, to be this kind while others brutally killed each other? Surely she couldn’t be the only one who had behaved like this before the virus had been released.

“Thank you,” he said before he turned away to go back to the bedroom. This time, he closed the door behind him to make sure he was alone before he slid the open shirt of his back, since Artemis had said she had a reaction to seeing him change earlier. Electing to wear the shirt he’d brought with him from the mothership, he pulled it back down over his torso. It had a few bloodstains, but it was still functional, so he didn’t mind. The sight of dark red spatters on his clothes might even be a deterrent to any creatures that would consider attacking while they were outside. If they were intelligent, they might put two-and-two together and realize he’d already killed before.

Once he was dressed, he returned to the common room to find that Artemis was already there with a large weapon slung over her shoulder. The sight was intriguing to him. Not only was she a physician, but she apparently also knew how to wield a gun. Generally, his people specialized in only one set of skills, so they could become masters of their crafts without the distraction of other interests.

“You are a specialist doctor and a warrior?” he queried, sauntering over to the table where she had left his phaser. It felt good to have the weapon on his person again, and he holstered it at his hip within easy reach.

Ready to go, he crossed the room to the door that led outside and turned back to her, waiting to make sure she was prepared too. “Come,” he beckoned her. “Stay with me outside. Zalla told me to watch you.” It was the closest he could come to explaining that his orders included protecting her while his commanders deliberated on her fate. If something happened to her under his watch, he would be the one responsible for the loss of her knowledge.