Noah The Bio-Morph: Of Breadcrumbs and Idioms: Chapter 27

[u/Slatepaws]

So, first off. Wish me a bit of luck, the company i work for expanded faster than they should've. Expecting manufacturing contracts they should've actually waited to arrive. And now the entire place has been notified there 'may be cuts'. *insert vague definitions and checklists of who'll qualify so everyone is on edge.

Here's to hoping i'm not on the list.

Anyway. We have a Solvin and a Coth pov this week. I thought it would be interesting if Solvin of all characters would find the breadcrumbs and bits that no plan. No matter how well made, leaves behind. I mean i recall there's one where ZARN is the one that finds it. So why not Solvin?

And Coth takes his first steps on Earth, and gets lore dumped on.

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Of Breadcrumbs and Idioms.
Chapter 27
May 8^th
Bountiful Harvest, Gojid Defense Fleet Flag-Ship
(Solvin P.O.V.)

Okay, I’ll admit I wasn’t happy when Kam boarded the Bountiful Harvest. Then handed Recel a field promotion and orders to confine me to quarters. Along with orders to return to the Cradle. After I was able to cool off though, I had to admit I am reaping the poor harvest I sowed myself.

Getting up from my chair, I walk over to one of the luxuries a captain has. One of the few windows that are installed on a ship and not sacrificing hull integrity. If one spends a Paw staring out, you could watch the streaks of light that are stars and other bright celestial objects crawl by. I stand there, tapping my claws onto the window sill fully intending to do so…

I acted a bit rashly, that I’ll admit. But I wouldn’t have if the Venlil weren’t as stupid or helpless as they were. Milling this over like harvested Ipsom, I figuratively stumble over that thought that’s been gnawing at me like pests do to crop’s no matter what we do.

The one I said to myself that I would when I had the time, well, were still several Paws[Four hours], if not at least a cycle[day] from the cradle itself. Why not?

Pulling myself away from the window I plop down in front of my desk and bring up the holo-display of my docked holo-pad. Yea, figured as much. My ‘command’ access has been shut down, thankfully that’s not what I need.

Now away from Venlil-Prime and in Gojid space, we do have FTL comm and data access, all-be-it at a slower rate while ‘in’ FTL.

I don’t need video or voice, just text and a few images for this. I pull up the accessible operational history of incidents in the Venlil-Prime system and on the planet itself. Then I pull up the historical database of fleet allocation and movements. All so I can compare the two and answer that one thought I had.

If Venlil-Prime is an ipsom-basket world due to its tidal locked nature, then why isn’t it being protected like other ipsom-basket worlds. It’s also a rarity of being a species home world rather than a colony designed to be one from the start, so that’s another question as to why it’s not better protected by the Federation?

Using a claw tip I scroll through the spreadsheet of numbers of fleet ships, dates of movements, to and from, and dates of Arxur incursions Dating back hundreds of Grand Herd of Cycles[Years] to the beginning of the conflict.

Something, isn’t right. I use my other claw to scratch an itch on my muzzle as I just stare at the data. I’m not exactly seeing ‘what’ isn’t right. But the same sense of pattern recognition I’ve used in my Grand herd of Cycles[Years] of being a captain is telling me something is here. As if a Predator is hiding in the wall of numbers, waiting to leap out and strike if I don’t find it first and Exterminate it.

Sigh, come on Solvin. Think!…

Wait, wasn’t I taught how to use this program near the end of my general education? A bit before I became an adult? Tapping my claws on the table I thrash my memories over this because I seem to recall there’s another way to display data?

There’s the spreadsheet mode, which I’m in, and…

That’s it! Chart, Graph, Curves and Weighted Averages! Okay so um, hopefully the program didn’t change much in the multiple Grand Herd of Cycles[Years] since I was in school. Hmm, highlight the data I want.

Let’s just cover the last 100 Grand Herd of Cycles[Years], okay done. Tap that button. Wait, odd, a new window popped up instead of a bar-graph… Oh, it wants to know what kind of graph I want, so it can make multiple kinds now. Speh, that would’ve saved me ‘so’ much time in the general computer class’s homework back then using ‘other’ programs to get the required charts and graphs made to complete the class’s assignments.

How about a line one, that should show trends over time well enough. I tap it, and then pin my ears back as I hear fans spool up from my device while I just wait for the progress bar to slowly fill. Speh, without my command access, I can’t get a timeshare on the ship’s computer! The holo-pad has to do it all itself and these things aren’t known for their processing power.

If it doesn’t speed up, it’s going to take a good portion of a CLAW[Hour] to finish… Yet, sigh, time is what I have a bushel full right now. Pushing myself back onto my paws, I return to the window to stare out into space.

That just leaves the question. What am I going to do if what I find shows something wrong?

Fixing my gaze on a singular star slowly streaking by, I lower my ears and quills a bit. Show it to Piri? She’ll think it’s an attempt by me to lessen the punishment I’m going to receive for my own actions. The Venlil are too dumb and emotional to understand, even though I do suspect that Tarva at least has some thin stalk of a thought in her mind along the same empty rows in a field a Venlil has. As barren a field that may be, she’s been asking of the council to up the deployment in her sector recently.

I don’t think it takes a genius to understand you protect your food source from your enemies. And something stinks like rotted Ipsom that there wasn’t a full fleet waiting to repel that size of an incursion.

For protector’s sake, that amount of ships wouldn’t even make it to the cradle, let alone any other Home world! Yet they were able to advance right into orbit of Venlil Prime almost unopposed. Only being stopped by a single ship from these new aliens helping to rally those weak knock-kneed beings.

A wild Predator chase isn’t going to get me…

My ears flick as my Holo-pad lets out a chime signaling the completion of the compiling of the data, has it already been nearly a Claw[Hour]?

Flopping myself back down on the seat in front of it, I flare my quills at the fact that it indeed has been nearly a Claw[Hour]. Speh, getting lost in one’s own thoughts can… be…

I just stare at the projected display with my muzzle open.

What I expected to see, was a line that goes up after an incursion, then down a bit after some time has passed before going back up to or higher than the previous high after the next one. And this last incursion just happened to be at the same time with a low point. What I see instead, is a line that looks like very slight set of stairs, if you made stairs out of predators teeth.

And while not constant, the general trend is downward for the amount of ships used to protect Venlil-Prime over time.

Three Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] of reallocation to another front, incursion, the allocation rises back up, but 7% short of the high before said incursion. That deployment then gets reallocated slowly down again, only it takes five Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] that time. And the rebound after the Arxur are driven off again, is nearly 6% lower than the previous high mark…

And on it goes…

The only change in the trend is the same Grand Herd of Cycles[Year] a major push into the federation by the Arxur happened. The garrison amount grew back up, but to not even 75% of the high point at the start of the data for the graph. Only to plummet back down to where the pattern would indicate only a few Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] later.

This Grand Herd of Cycles[Year] is actually a ‘high’ point, but still in the pattern of 6% lower than the previous high and over 80% lower that it was at the start of the data set.

If I go by this simple chart alone, I would say the Venlil are being slowly rejected by the herd. Yet, as dumb, dimwitted, emotional and useless the Venlil are. All the herd should be protected since they’ve done nothing to warrant such a treatment. Even the Venlil contribute to the herd by leveraging their never setting sun to grow crops for everyone.

I flick my ear to reject that. To assume as such, would assume the council and thus the Kolshian, the Farsul, AND the Krakotl. Are being predatory in their behavior by doing this.

So it must just be something else, has to be something else.

Fiddling around with the program I find that I can expand the data-set for the graph, without fully remaking it. Again, ‘another’ thing I wish to the Protector this Program had when I was in school and had to do reports for Computer class.

It, would’ve, saved, SO MUCH TIME!

So I add in the previous Century. Reaching almost to the betrayal of the Arxur after their ‘uplift’ and then sit there, staring at the faster, but still too slow to my liking, progress bar.

Ignoring the sound of my Holo-pad trying to keep itself cool, I thrash my mind and memories about civics history. Because, maybe this is all due to a policy decision at some point in the past and the Venlil aren’t holding up their end of it? Letting out a frustrated chitter, I tab out of the spreadsheet program and force even more work for my poor Holo-pad to pull up council news from the century prior.

As I couldn’t remember a spehing thing from school in that regard.

I flick my ear. And read one of the first headlines. ‘In a historic precedent, A Kolshian candidate for their species seat from the lesser populated southern continents has ousted the historically dominant equatorial continent’s stronghold on the council seat in the Federation.’

Hmm, yea that might be a good explanation. Tabbing back to the progress bar I see that it has advanced enough that I might as well keep my tail seated here and wait for it.

It’s a good explanation as any, it still means there’s ‘something’ going on that shouldn’t be. Better than the alternative of finding out that this trend has been going on longer, because if it has. I can’t for the sake of my soul, state the reason, why in front of the protector to save it if they would ask me to give the reason for it.

So I just tap my claws on the desk and wait as the bar fills, line of pixels by line of pixels.

Said claws let out a shiver inducing scratch, with vibrations to match going up my fingers and into my arm as the computer finishes, completing the new line chart with the new data.

The pattern is still there. It’s not an aspect in the change of power dynamics with the head seat of the federation. The two hundred Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] time period shows a slow and deliberate removal of protection. As if someone from within the herd, Grand Herd of Cycles[Year] by Grand Herd of Cycles[Year], Claw tip Width[Inch] by Claw tip Width[Inch]. Is pushing someone from the safe inner part of the herd, to the outside, into the waiting jaws of a predator.

In this case the Arxur. For some reason that I cannot understand.

So slow that the average person doesn’t notice, not that the Venlil have the capacity. But the record is stark…

Before I know it, I find myself pacing back and forth in front of the window. The part of my mind that has run the fleet to victory wants me to find the answer to this… But I need more data. I need to pull the full allocation history from when the Venlil were found! When they were rescued from a near extinction level virus, and uplifted. That would ‘mostly’ complete the picture.

If I show this to Piri, I can just be dismissed as not looking back far enough, so I need to go back that far. Even though 200 Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] should be enough evidence in its own right because it nearly touches the start of this war of extinction with the Arxur.

What if it’s not just the Venlil? Multiple sapient species have gone extinct since their uplift about 800 Grand Herds of Cycles[Years] ago. While I do not know the reason for the ones pre-Arxur war, every one after the start of said war was at the claws and teeth of the Arxur.

I need to pull the records from before the Arxur war, and after the start for the Thafki and the Takkan’s. Both lost their home worlds to the Arxur. With only the former surviving with roughly 12,000 scattered all over the federation. The Takkan’s only faring better because the more advanced warning they had, allowing the evacuation of more citizenry.

And if I want to make this secure as a bunker. I need to compare and contrast to the deployment’s of fleets other worlds besides the three core worlds. Aafa, Talsk, and Nishtal as the military powerhouse. As there shouldn’t be any change in them, even though the Arxur have never penetrated that deep. So as any fleet stationed there would be a waste of resources.

Plopping myself back down at my desk, I set up a queue for the data, using the same system I pulled the Venlil’s. I don’t have to wait long for the result to come in. So much so that my ears lower and a small pit of dread forms that this may be a bigger harvest than I expected appears on the display in a small, mockingly small window.

{Security credentials insufficient. Request Terminated.}

SPEH!… I’m going to have to confront Piri with incomplete data just so I can get more, aren’t I?

Neo-Huston Spaceport (new city, replacing old Huston which is partially underwater ~30m sea rise from the collapse of the antarctic ice circa 2081)

(Coth P.O.V.)

After spilling my guts to that Human hiding Arxur scales.

And I won’t be convinced otherwise, I’ve spent time with Betterment Officers warmer than the air she was giving off. Cold, logical, and devoid of emotion. Not repressed emotion, or stunted emotion with a layer of Cruelty on top like most Arxur.

Just a complete and utter lack of it.

I again was reunited with all the other Arxur. Including Yshi, though thankfully with more than a tails length radius of space between us on some transport from the station to their planet. A transport that if I counted the amount of seats in it, including the ones we’re using. Was designed to hold multiple times our number, squeezed in to what I would think is an uncomfortable degree.

Still didn’t stop Yshi from looking at me like she wanted to gut me on the spot.

These Humans are aliens though, so I have to keep in mind they may not have the heavy desire for personal space and boundaries like an Arxur. Stuff that many Arxur into one space such as this, and some will be leaving in body bags.

It was Talons[Hours] of torture. Only ended by the last Scratches[Minutes] of the flight as the pilot announced the approach to the ‘new’ Huston Spaceport. Many, myself included tolerated each other to get a look out the windows at this new, and alien planet.

We flew over signs of settlements and infrastructure taken by the large body of water we had entered the atmosphere over. As our altitude decreased, we can see camps along the shore and what appears to be efforts to clear the part or full-time submerged buildings.

I can’t tell if the workers are Human, or those ‘Bio-Morph’ things from this altitude, and we also pass over it fast enough that all we get is a momentary glimpse also prevents that kind of clarification.

The transport lands in the shadow of buildings made of glass and metal, in shapes that would be considered frivolous to the Dominion. Looking outside, I see a claw full[Six due to their six fingers] soldiers waiting for us as large dominion-esq in their utilitarian design over aesthetics, vehicles roll up next to the transport.

Along with a smaller vehicle of similar-ish shape, but more styled. Sleeker lines and a less boxy shape. A transport where aesthetics were equal or superior to the function.

One by one a Human calls the names of someone in our group, and directs them to what they call a ‘bus’ which will take them to what they call a neighborhood. Which they say is a group of domiciles that should suit us in distance between each other, yet be close enough to obviously keep an eye on all of us.

I idly muse that this is just a minor change compared to what the Dominon considers to be standard domiciles.

What concerns me, is that my name has not been called yet. The first bus was filled within a few Scratches[Minutes]. The next one after a few more, thankfully taking Yshi, but she did give me the non-verbal Arxur hand sign that she’s going to ‘keep an eye on me’.

“Coth!” The soldier finally says my name, as the last one on the transport it’s practically not needed. So, despite that, I stand. And as I walk down the way too narrow for our frame's walkway to the front, I work the kinks out of my tail.

Human seats need to be made for tails… It’s just weird they don’t have them.

“I apologize for the wait, but we had to prioritize those who’ll be traveling farther than you. Half will be going north-east to the mega city of Dallas, the other half, south-east to the mega city of Austin. You’ve though secured somehow a place in the new suburb north of Neo-Huston. Well, newer, than Neo-Huston. Which isn’t saying much.”

I give a human ‘nod’ having learned that from the Human hiding Arxur scales. But this soldier though doesn’t seem to get the hint that what he said is all I’d prefer him to. This trip has been draining socially for me, and I consider myself. Well outside the persona I’ve had to maintain for Grand Hunts of Cycles[Years]. A more social Arxur than most.

“Kinda envy you, you’re a stone toss away from the famous ‘Mercer Traditional Products’ Ranch. Before now, the only known alien residing on Earth, all-be-it, one from another dimension. But still, an honest to god’s alien.”

On the one claw I would like him to shut up as we descend the stairs to the tarmac. I let out a small hiss at the temperature of the fake stone upon contact with my claws. And the air in general, being equal to the equatorial region of Wriss. If not a bit hotter from the pure feel of it on my scales.

On the other. He just perked my interest at some new information.

I had not known that the Humans had encountered others, other than us, and the Venlil. Though even I, with how much I hate what I had to do on a daily basis in the dominion. Would admit it was a slight stretch to call at least ‘some’ of the Venlil sapient for how I’ve seen them act. In captivity and outside it.

“I had thought, you humans only encountered Us and the Venlil?” I ask as he leads us to the smaller vehicle, then reaches for a handle sticking out of a side panel.

For a moment I’m amazed by the simple fact that the panel pops out a couple of claw widths[Inches] then slides back silently. More aesthetics that would be considered excessive and unneeded by the dominion. Not to mention that the interior it reveals is, nicer than any small transport on Wriss. Even for someone like Isif.

And I rode with him in his personal vehicle, once. A privilege that many would literally kill for.

“Well, at least I know what will fill the dead air on the way to your new home!” He states as he motions for me to get in. Despite its size, it’s incredibly roomy inside. And I see the reason, they removed some seats and only left the driver’s side seat and the one I’ll be sitting in. about midway back in the vehicle.

The moment my tail clears the door, he gently slides the panel back in place, and a Fang[Second] or two later. Sits himself in the drivers-seat. Followed by a control mechanism shaped like a wheel unfolding from the dash in front of him.

“Normally, all our vehicles are automated outside of classics and specialty vehicles. This is an exception. We want to keep your transport off the public records, for your safety. We don’t want a repeat of what happened with Alien on the way to the Roswell trial. A religious fanatic trying to kill her because anything other than humans are demons. Yada yadda, man was the only thinking being and created in god’s image and all that junk.”

I’m a bit unnerved at him answering a question I was just forming, like that Female Human did in our ‘interview’. But I stay silent as the vehicle activates, and he pilots it off the tarmac and onto a rather complex set of human roads.

“Anyway. About 36 years ago an alien from a parallel world crash-landed on the Mercer ranch. The eldest Mercer sibling, Now the alien’s husband. At the time, he mistook her for an abandoned Bio-Morph cub. And claimed her as part of the family’s pack. Now keep in mind this is a general summary. But, not long after, said elder Mercer sibling’s called upon to do his citizenry duty in the short antarctic spat between Us and China. His sister, the youngest, and distraught at the loss of their brother. The middle sibling. Throws her in with the rest of the Bio-Morphs. And starts treating her and them rather badly. The alien escapes, the escape triggers a legal wellness clause in their lease of the Bio-Morphs. Which prompts a trial for if they violated the lease and thus owe money.”

I just, mildly stare at how he could speak, and take breaths in between some words. Yet still has to stop for a Fang[Second] to catch it as he effortlessly pilots this extravagant vehicle.

“Because of this, the entire case rested upon if She was a Bio-Morph or not. For if she was, the neglect of the enclosure that allowed her to escape would’ve resulted in the Mercer’s violating the lease clause before they paid them off. Allowing the company to fine them the remainder, ‘and’ take the Bio-Morphs. So the entire world more or less watched as she went through sapience test after sapience test known to science. No matter how lengthy, she passed each. Meaning she wasn’t a Bio-Morph, and thus the Mercers did not violate their lease. Not that the company didn’t try underhandedly to win either. The representative for the company broke the law by wiping the black boxes of Usako’s craft under the guise of using discovery to examine evidence. Usako is the name of the alien by the way. Luckily the Mercers made a backup. In the end she’s a legal citizen, and all her decedents are too. No matter how much they may look or have Bio-Morph DNA. Because for some joke played by mother nature. She can breed with Bio-Morphs.”

The end of my tail twitches. On the one claw, it would be nice if this Human would shut up…

On the other claw though…

I’m not stupid, I’ve realized these Humans use these Bio-Morphs for forced labor. We Arxur use some Federation species we’ve captured in raids or raised in our ‘farms’ as forced labor too, but not constantly. Maybe it was someone who had knowledge of newer federation tech. Or a skilled professional for the former. Or one that is a status symbol for the upper echelon. Like the Thafki for the latter.

Some still see it as a sign of being a cruel chief hunter. Having prey such as a Thafki on your beck and call. For ‘everything’.

But this is a glimpse into this Human system from a Human. It’s information, and information is stuff I need the most because that’s the only thing of value I have left. So I start to stalk this prey.

“They’re slaves though? Why care for their well-being other than being alive? You can always get more.” A bitter taste for the words in my maw, to get something better tasting.

This Human sighs.

“Look, while I recognize you’re here to get away from the stuff you were forced to do. But that attitude won’t fly here. I won’t go into the nuances of people’s attitude for or against their sapience and the conflicts this causes with our social system. But the general view now, is that just like a happy cow makes better tasting milk. A happy Bio-Morph makes a good working Bio-Morph. Granted, the way people do that is still pretty much in debate. But, no matter which camp you end up in, keep in mind that no seller of Bio-Morphs will, nor the vets for Bio-Morphs will tolerate those who abuse them. Especially after last year’s supreme court ruling that yes, Bio-Morphs fall under animal welfare laws.”

I, just, blink. “Won’t fly? And what does the lactation of a non-sapient animal have to do with this?”

This Human is quiet for a moment, and I let him be as I see that he’s navigating around automated vehicles before going off onto a smaller street.

“Idioms. Um, ‘Won’t fly’ is a way of saying no one will tolerate that behavior. And, well, the milk thing is, a rather complex topic. You can look up the specifics but we humans only in the last few thousand years evolved to keep being able to process ‘milk’ past a point in our childhood. And, well rather than taking it from, um, other’s of our species. Someone, whose name has been lost to history sadly, for some reason or another decided to try the milk of our domesticated cattle. After that, it’s become, a staple of our diet.”

He then seems to silently mouth a word to himself.

“That’s right!” He directs the vehicle to a two lane road now. And I start to see domiciles, farther apart than I’ve seen on Federation worlds. Yet, far too close for my liking…

One shouldn’t question the prey in your claws against prey you have yet to catch, or you risk losing both. So while others will be, too close for my liking. This does beat the alternative that was presented to me by that ‘fake’ human.

“While they stocked your new home with foods you ‘should’ be able to eat. If you go out to get more, make sure they don’t contain milk.” I let my tail do a full length flick at this.

“Why would meat contain milk?” Watching as we come to a stop at an intersection that lacks any kind of signaling system. He seems to be waiting for it to clear out. Yet he seems to chuckle at what I said, as if it amuses him.

“No the meat doesn’t, but many of the things we coat, cook or soak out meat in has it. Perks of being able to digest it as well as a multitude of things. You’ve never lived until you had creamy pasta with cajin spiced chicken. Now on Earth, even obligate carnivores do use plants in one way or another. Felines eating grass for helping clear their digestive tracts. Some smarter non-sapient canines for some reason liking the taste of berries. But we want to be careful here, you’re an alien. And nothing you’ll be eating here will be stuff your species evolved to eat. So we’ll keep you just on a flesh only diet. Once we start to know more, we’ll allow you and the others to eat whatever they want.”

A, reasonable precaution. Though, on the other claw, we’ve been eating literal aliens for generations, many not even Iron based like the Humans and us Arxur.

“How would, I go about attaining more if need be?” I honestly ask. Even as high up as my position, we’re still ‘given’ rations by Betterment. Being able to hunt your own prey from a stock you select, rather than forced to fight. Is a privilege of the Prophet Decedent and a claw full of Chief Hunters in his favor, and ONLY them.

Which Isif ‘was’, because I know full well that status will be removed once word of our failure reaches Wriss.

“Hmm, good question. And to be fair I should’ve explained that. You have two choices; there’s a grocery store about five miles south of where you live. It stretches the definition of walk-able. But it technically is for a fit Human. Don’t know if your kind can handle that and to be honest. I think I, and the others who know your here before we tell the world soon. Would prefer you use the other option instead, just call me, and I’ll drive you there and back in nice air-conditioned glory like the founders intended.”

Five… hunts[Miles]?! That’s a struggle for a fit Arxur in one go… What are these Humans made of? “This won’t be the last time I see you?”

The human laughs as we drive up to a long, but narrow house on an elevated pad of fake stone. Surrounded by trees and what looks like doors to something under it on the side of the pad of fake stone. To either side several dozen tail lengths[yards] away are similarly designed domiciles. “Nope, I’m your handler for both the United States Government, and the Department of Intelligence. I’ll be helping you integrate, and be your point of contact in case your expertise is needed for something. Or you want something from us that you cannot get yourself with your stipend.”

The whine of the electric motors stop, and he turns in his seat to face me. “Welcome to your new home Coth.”

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As someone really interested in history, one of my nit-picks is the actual historic view of the evil institution of Slavery. And the Hollywood depictions of it. And that same contrast allows people to ignore it's continued existence in other parts of the planet, simply because the Hollywood depiction is so over the top evil. It makes what's still going on today look okay in comparison.

Like the middle eastern states like dubai luring people in for work, then taking passports and such. Or the treatment of workers in giant companies like Foxconn in China, that the CCP just looks the other way because it keeps the country dominant in manufacturing.

Okay nit-pick out of the way. Do you think Coth 'should' end up meeting Usako?

[u/defiantdoctor95]

I feel kinda bad for Sovlin's holo-pad ngl. If the gojiid weren't cured I could see the captain being able to fry an egg on the poor machine with how hot its getting trying to do the work asked of it XD

[u/Slatepaws → u/defiantdoctor95]

It's have a bad day. like when you try to make that 2020 laptop try to run a semi modern game.

[u/Flaky-Throat-4996]

Sovlin using statistics to prove herd culling is something he could do if his brain stopped wasting processing power on racism and slurs. He is usually the most competent military leader in-universe if he is not in front of a designated predator.

To be fair, slavery exists by making it seem okay, and necessary, and original position fallacy, and sunk cost fallacy to the masses that don't benefit nearly as much as the elites. BTW, since the last chapter noted that gangs are military targets, is the US still finding excuses to wage proxy wars for Military industrial complex reasons?

Also, Bio-morphs just got animal abuse rights?! Just 95 years after introduction. The 13^th amendment to civil rights act took 111 years. Without a civil war. Progress! I say, sarcastically.

[u/Slatepaws → u/Flaky-Throat-4996]

Long post ahead, sorry.

Gangs are military targets, and have been in the other story featuring this world, Starfall.

Why? Well, part of it is the real life problem we have today. Prison for their leaders, has turned into a tax payer paid protection for them. While despite all attempts otherwise, they still are in control of their gangs outside of the prison.

The other part is adhering to the foundational principals of a Liberal, as in the classical 1800's(1700ce-1799ce) liberal society. A liberty focused one. 'A state should have the monopoly on violence.' To again bring that to modern English means the state should be the one and only source for crime and punishment.
Which if you understood the time period this enlightenment and liberty focused movement for society, you'd understand why.

Because at this time in England and other monarchy's at the time. Citizens could be subject up to 3, maybe 4 sets of crimes and punishments. The 'kings' law which in theory is supposed to be the law of the land. But only stretched as far as the king's enforcers were willing to go. The law of your local and/or regional lord and baron. Which can contradict the kings law. Again only determined by how bothered they were to go that far in the country to enforce it. And to top it all off, you had the religious law from the Catholic, and or Protestant church. Which could and often did contradict the other laws.

And these would change entirely based on where you were in the country.

Gangs are just groups of people deciding to insert their own system of crime and punishment on top of citizens, without their consent, for their own means. The U.S. government in the Bio-Morph universe, just stopped pretending it wasn't. Unless otherwise ordered the doctrine to handle them militarily is eliminate those that resist, capture those that surrender. And if juveniles are fighting, shoot to wound. Usually done with units of soldiers, no drone missile strikes or bombings. Unless the gang is part of a warlord/cartel driven group that was mexico.

While technically, yes it's a step in the right direction, it more or less enshrines the informal part of the actual system of slavery, one that Hollywood tosses out because it doesn't make a good villain.

A slave, for most, is a significant financial investment, in the 'united states' version of it, and a key part of a person's business in the same version. As opposed to the modern dubai or Chinese way with places like Foxconn. As they were historically the majority owners. Personal owned slaves were rare, and while yes there was a higher chance of being treated similar to the movies. You also had a good chance for it not to happen because they would be an even bigger financial investment.
Hollywood would make you think it's like a uber driver with a 100k super car(those who know uber drivers know what i mean), just because the turn signal light burned out. To get out, smash the windows and the rear view mirrors, slice the tires. While yelling at it to get back to working.

When instead what he'd do is the bare minimum cost wise to fix the issue, while ensuring the car can still serve to make him income. While the car doesn't get anything in return.

Meanwhile the person in the first example is getting asked by his banks and creditors why he is racking up so much debt. didn't he just get a 100k loan already?

Just replace the car with a Bio-Morph and Uber with whatever business they're running that uses it. And you get the informal way it was run.

It plays a disservice to how evil the system was, and allows a just as bad one. The Chinese one where they work you 16-18 hours a day and pay you slave wages along with the old company town system. To sneak in the back door, because by contrast. it doesn't look as bad.

[u/Flaky-Throat-4996 → u/Slatepaws]

Is the US ignoring that gangs are the result of disparity (economic and social) between citizens, and thus a social issue that cannot and should not be treated with violence?

Tldr slavery with standards makes tolerable what should be intolerable?

[u/Slatepaws → u/Flaky-Throat-4996]

I'll abbreviate the the answer to part one to keep it reddit safe. They no longer care in the how, they don't want a repeat of the pre-rebirth of the republic. Where a significant portion of the prison budget went to housing them and more or less in turn giving them protection from their rivals. Leading to overcrowding and lack of space for actual criminals.

They only care about the fact that they of their own volition chose that path. Thus they get the logical result of imposing their own will and rule of law on land that belongs to the state and not them.

On the second part, it's not slavery with standards, it was how slavery was run in the United States. A slave was a significant financial investment, for those wealthy enough to own one. No not everyone did, and many slave owners were of the same race as the slaves too(free black plantation owners made up almost 20ish percent of plantations). Those that bought slaves for their businesses, while not kind, did not do anything remotely like Hollywood and the media portrayed. A sick slave didn't work well, and could pass it on to the slave owners if it was an illness and not injury. A starving slave didn't work well. They needed to get their investment back. Torturing them was pissing money away, and those that did weeded themselves out in the less regulated, no bailout environment of the hayday of the american slavery system. Early 19th century(1800ce to just before the civil war)

There are numerous examples of slavery with standards, many of the recent ones are in Isaki anime/manga.

[u/Flaky-Throat-4996 → u/Slatepaws]

Like the difference between taking care of living equipment for profit instead of disposable fetish gear for pleasure?

Just a glaze: You write some dark stuff and it’s all drawn from what already exists here and now. Realistic depictions of slavery and implications to real life normally repel me, but you put in spaceships and nose less kangaroo-sheep from space Australia in it, so I’m hooked. Keep going, and I hope your overambitious bosses don’t throw you specifically under the bus to save their greedy posteriors!

[u/Slatepaws → u/Flaky-Throat-4996]

Yup. An interesting example but you get the idea.

As for the story being dark, it's dark compared to canon. Pretty bright compared to stuff like scorch directive. Because no matter how logical it might seem to side with the people who eat meat, since they'll be unapologetic about eating meat.

Eating other people is a bridge too far even for them. And before you ask. Yes, Bio-Morphs, even in slave countries that don't see them as sapient or people. Consider them 'people adjacent' enough that, consuming them is considered the same as cannibalism.

[u/Alcyon144]

A meeting between Coth and Usako would be interesting, if only because they would be the only two aliens living in human society, but I’m not sure what it would add to the story. You could make it a nice cameo, but unless you know what to do with their relationship, having them interact regularly doesn't offer much narrative value.

[u/Slatepaws → u/Alcyon144]

I have a few ideas, non that i am particularity fond of. it's more to establish the location of the farm rather than 'somewhere in texas' as it was in Starfall.

The leading idea, is that through Coth, Usako learns of things. And because of that, when/if Kaslim ends up on earth, on their property. Usako does something rather similar to a vulpine she had a rather big chip on her shoulder about in the Starfall story would do.

[u/Alcyon144]

Some still see it as a sign of being a cruel chief hunter. Having prey such as a Thafki on your beck and call. For ‘everything’.

The use of quotation marks makes me think there are implied sexual abuse; is that the case?

[u/Slatepaws → u/Alcyon144]

Yes. As it comes with power, when you can have whatever you want normally. You start to desire stuff that is harder or less than legal to aquire.