Chapter Eighty-Nine (2/2)
CLONE WORLDS DIRECTORATE
Did anyone else see this data? Those insects, that bacteria, those viruses, all of it was engineered by someone who knew what they were doing.
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RIGELLIAN COMPACT
The fact that it effected both of our peoples with lethal efficiency is suspicious. That is one of the reasons we make such good allies, what kills one may not even be noticed by the other. Yet these acted as if we were one species.
I am suspicious. The Tabulans were xenophobic and isolationist, but they were one of us. Lost children who had gone feral you do not punish. It is not the child's fault the egg was lost.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
The Tabulans were our children. Ours as much yours. We were the abusive sibling who drove them from the loving arms of their parents. We feel their loss keenly. They have been lost from the fold and we feel their absence.
Do you know who did this?
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CLONE WORLDS DIRECTORATE
No. Like I said, we have suspicions, but no proof. Without proof, we cannot act. That is the way.
The data we have, thankfully recovered from that library core and the two bodies, point at elegant viral and bacteriological weaponry. Very elegant.
To be honest, it's too elegant. They share no common ancestors, there is no junk code, no evolutionary remnants, there's no way it is natural.
But, as I said, we have no proof.
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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
It took both us and Cybo to recover that library core. Taking molycircs unshielded that high into the hyperspace bands was crazy. Still, some of that data. They covered their tracks, the comet, the meteors, but let's face it, that was too slick.
Where would even that come from in their system? Not debris blown off of other planets, like some Mars to Terra transfers, all of the planets but that one were dead worlds that never developed any form of life.
And a comet? Not a chance. Any life would boil away circling the sun then freeze, with the freezing process rupturing any cell walls in bacteria,on its way out of the system.
There's no way any of that was natural.
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CYBERNETIC ORGANISM COLLECTIVE
We concur. We examined the data. There were too many at once, each following the other. Specific order to the disasters. We have determined this was a carefully planned attack that would look natural. We have determined that our lost children had determined the same.
Suspicious, we find the explosions of their exo-atmospheric craft. Even more suspicious is the destruction of the moon base the lone ship that made it. We found that nearly a dozen teams attempted to reach the hyperspace relic but only one arrived.
We have determined that this was not only planned but was being overseen by beings with a malevolent purpose.
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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
This isn't good. That's six attacks in as many months. All of them supposedly
BLOOD! BLOOD FOR THE CONE! BLOOD FOR THE SCOOPS! BLOOD FOR SPRINKLES!
Ahem, as I was saying, all of them supposedly natural occurrences. They got too clever. These would look like natural occurrences to a primitive species but we're a bit experienced
BLOOD FOR THE TABULAN! BLOOD FOR SANDY! BLOOD FOR VENTALIX! BLOOD FOR THE CONE!
anyway, we're a bit experienced with solar system mechanics, and there's no way that this would happen on six different systems, wildly spaced apart, in six months. Especially all of them being
PACK THE JELLY DEEP! SING THE HYMNS OF ICE CREAM AND WARSTEEL!
man... especially all of them being strictly biological in nature. They got too clever.
EYE FOR EYE! MANDIBLE FOR MANDIBLE! GRASPER FOR GRASPER! FOOTPAD FOR FOOTBAD! BLOOD FOR BLOOD!
someone else want to go ahead. Man...
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v(=∩_∩=)ﾌ DOKI!
DOKI DOKI DOKI DOKI!
ಠ益ಠ ಠ益ಠ ಠ益ಠ ಠ益ಠ
DOKI DOKI DOKI!
m/(>..
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RIGELLIAN COMPACT
Dammit! Someone get her out of here! I can't think when she's screaming in Engrish-Emoji.
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TERRASOL
We do not seek unjust war.
We are a peaceful people.
We will not act without proof, without diplomacy, without negotiation.
Another way must be found.
The guilty must be brought to justice in a fair manner.
Only the truly guilty deserve punishment.
Redemption must be sought.
We are a peaceful people.
Every life is precious.
And we will not seek unjust war.
>TERRASOL HAS LEFT THE CHAT (LOST CONNECTION TO HOST)
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RIGELLIAN COMPACT
Oh shit.
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DOKI!
m/(>.
DOKI DOKI DOKI
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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Digital Omnimessiah and his Twelve Biological Disciples protect us all
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
What? That's actually calmer than I expected. I thought he'd act more like our Treana'ad brother.
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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
Sis, you don't get it. You weren't here the last time he said something like that.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
What happened the last time?
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TELKAN GESTALT
Did that doki thing just get happy? Isn't she a crazy person who's on fire with a gun in each hand that broke a food dispenser?
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TERRAN CONFEDERACY OF ALIGNED WORLDS
It's worse.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
Define... worse.
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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
You+Terra=1%
That's what happened last time, sis.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
Oh.
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