The Dividing Line - Security Cells

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Caitlin watches intently while he eats, taking notes on her datapad about his physical structure and eating habits. Once he's finished, she touches the intercom again. "So you're sitting there, will probably be for a long time to come, and you don't even want to talk?"

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

The Ashotur looks at her with his beady black eyes as he finishes eating before re-attaching the mask. "Didn't say I don't want to. I said I can't. As you may see, this thing here is blocking my mouth. So. . . the homeworld, right? Shotu Prime. How was it. . . Full of water."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"I assumed as much, or you would have evolved as a land creature." Caitlin replied, sarcasm in her voice. "I guess I mean more culture-wise. How did you raise your young? What kind of governing body was there? How did you learn the technology for spaceflight?"

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Pkaric lowers his head for a moment. "Sheesh, all that questions. You know, it's not going to be just me that has a lot of time on his hands. How about that. I'll answer you one question - just one - every time you come up here and pay me a visit." The Ashotur leans against the bars. "Nobody else will get any information out of me. Exclusive rights on the last living Ashotur. That's got to be a scientist's dream."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"You mean, turn the shield off and walk on in? I may not be a guard, but I'm not stupid." Caitlin replies with a laugh. "I'm sorry, but I'm not letting you out, if you don't want to chat, I'll read."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"I didn't mean you coming in here, and I certainly didn't mean 'walk'." Pkaric's tone is sharp. "But fine, if you don't want that - I can sleep a lot."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"Fine, sleep then."Caitlin says, and goes back to her datapad, but its obvious on her face that she's still thinking about it. About 45 minutes later, she reaches up and touches the intercom again. "Alright, but you'll sit on the cot, I'm bringing the gun, and we'll chat as long as we feel like, the one question thing just wastes time, alright?"

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"By the abyss, I said you don't need to come in here!" Pkaric throws up his arms in exasperation as he sits down on the bunk.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

((Maybe I'm getting a flawed picture here. The cells and security are separate rooms, he still has a door on the cell, not just the shield, and the shield has to be down to talk face to face, right? Or does he mean I go to the cell with the shield up, we sit around and look at each other for a minute, then I go back to security and ask the question through the intercom?))

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

((There are intercoms mounted on either side of the cell door, which they use to communicate)).

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

((Facepalm... Of course, why wouldn't there be...))

Caitlin rolls up to the intercom on her side of Pkaric's door and thumbs it. "Alright, I'm here, I take it you'd rather talk face to face then." She waits for his answer but gets only an aggravated gesture towards the intercom on his side, indicating that he can't talk and stay on his bunk at the same time. "Right," Caitlin replies a self recrimating look on her face, "I guess you can't talk like that, come on up then, sorry 'bout that."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

It's not possible, but the Ashotur seems to look quite angry as he steps up to the steel bars and presses on the intercom button. "Made up your mind, human?"

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Caitlin replies quickly. "Yes I have, and I guess my first question is this: Why do you want me to go all the way to the security room and back in between questions?" She asks, seemingly oblivious to Pkaric's attitude.

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

The Ashotur releases the button for a moment - maybe to curse profusely - before answering. "You know what? Fuck it. I give up, just ask your questions. Kraken! I had an easier time torturing your veterans."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Caitlin looks confused for a moment, then shrugs and presses the intercom once more. "Umm, alright then, lets start with the family unit then. Do you live in family units at all? How are children raised? Who's in charge around the house? How are duties decided?"

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Pkaric stares into the distance for a moment before starting to talk. "When a child is born the parents teach it the bare bones and then send it out for a hunt. Alone. If the kid can bring home enough to feed the family it's considered an adult. If not, the child is eaten instead, and the parents try again. As an adult the offspring is independent and free to hunt." He makes a brief pause to indicate a change of topic.
The females lead us, they're the dominant force in everything. They choose their mate carefully. Often several males are forced to fight to the death in order to determine the strongest partner. Should a man betray the woman that chose him he is torn to shreds. The male is to serve the female in all aspects."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Caitlin waits until she's sure he's finished before she speaks. "Brutal, but efficient, in its own way. And a matriarchial society, I could get used to that. How about your technology? I don't see much reason for it to be developed, unless it was because of an outside influence or you weren't the top of the food chain."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

"Well, despite us killing ourselves off any way we could, we eventually grew to numerous. Our resources in the sea got scarce - we simply ate too much. So we started building - first to provide food. Eventually some of us decided to find out how things look outside of the sea. So we conquered the land. And then we looked up to the stars, and decided they look pretty. So we set out to conquer them, too. Competition between swarms drove us on, and we used our aquatic knowledge as a base for most of our technologies."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Caitlin takes it all down on her datapad, nodding every once in a while. "That makes a lot of sense really. Sea creatures are uniquely adapted to space exploration, our first live mission to anything farther than our own moon was taken by a cephalopod. The only problem is, you have to cart along an entire miniature ecosystem along every time, at least, that's what we had to do. We never really ttok it very far, not being sea creatures ourselves."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: The Dividing Line - Security Cells

Pkaric makes another amused hissing noise. "Tell me about it. Our first spacecraft looked like an aquarium more than anything else. Seaweed and plankton for oxygen, fish and crustaceans for food. Of course, the interior hasn't changed much", he adds.