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How are you with microbiology?

[ typical Dirk. No greeting or context. He's used to this by now, though. ]

Not even a "Good morning, Sensei?" How cold. But to answer your question, microbiology is included in my biology lesson plan, so I've researched it quite thoroughly.

Okay. My bro needs your help with something. I'm asking you to do this because I believe you'll fully explore peaceful options before you turn to anything truly dangerous and because I think you have the physical and intellectual skill to make those options happen.

[ this is either something serious or something really, really stupid, probably involving ponies. but he's a nice person, so he'll assume it's the former. Especially because Dirk doesn't usually actually compliment him. ]

Well, your belief is well-founded, and I do have plenty of skills in both of those areas. How can I help you, Dirk?

First, this doesn't go beyond you, me, my brother, and anyone else we decide to bring into this. We want to have some kind of solution before we panic the base. Like I said, Dave wants a peaceful resolution.

[It's just getting increasingly ominous here??? very comforting. he wants Sensei's promise first!]

[ this sure is ominous. you better not be swindling him into something goofy dirk. ]

As long as you're not asking me to do something that will harm the other crew members.

[ in reality, his word is probably not worth very much, all things in his past considered... but he'll try to keep it, now that he's Korosensei. ]

Edited 2016-08-27 07:16 (UTC)

[Dirk doesn't trust Korosensei, and he isn't sure he understands him. But he does believe in certain key features. Above all, Dirk thinks that Korosensei would be pragmatic enough to take out the Kharaa if they need to be removed, but committed enough to his 'teacher' role to seek another path so long as it is possible. And Dirk is fine with that.

It is, after all, how Dirk himself feels. He'll do everything he can to fulfill Dave's wish.

But if he has to protect his family, he will break his brother's heart and kill every single one of those aliens.]

There's a parasitic lifeform that appears to be based in a bacterial-fungal mass. It infests host bodies and mutates them, hijacking them totally. It can even do this to humans. They're called the Kharaa, and they're what Naoko's humanity is at war with.

My brother made friends with some of them a long way away from here. [A LITTLE FLAT-TONED BECAUSE. GODDAMMIT DAVE.] They won't be a problem for at least six months, if not more. Dave's looking for a way to stop them from wanting to attack us, but I want to ensure that they can't. He has samples; if we can work out a vaccine or something, we can protect ourselves from being hijacked.

Can you help?

[ his guess on Korosensei's behavior is pretty accurate. Nagisa would be proud. His benevolence has its limits, and those limits are constructed around his students. Now that one of them is here with him, he'll be much more prudent about defending the base as a whole.

it seems like it was something serious, after all. showing that he can, occasionally, read the mood, he simply listens quietly, digesting the information given to him. He has a lot of questions - are they native to the planet, or did they follow Naoko and the others here being the main one - but he's guessing Dirk doesn't know the answers, yet, either. ]

I'm surprised that such a lifeform is intelligent enough to communicate with us, but nothing is impossible. [ thinking to himself. ] If Dave has samples, then I can certainly take a look. With some time, I can probably design something that will fight them off. However, I'd like to know what you mean by "vaccine." Do you mean a substance that will repel them? Or something that will destroy them?

[ his tone is light but even, and non-judgemental, as it tends to be when he's behaving less like the goofy teacher and more like himself. ]

I want to have a guarantee they won't be able to infect and take over our bodies. It isn't the kind of scifi story I'm interested in living out, and frankly, immunity is the most secure course to prevent that.

Dave doesn't want them to get killed.

[It's a very careful choice of phrasing. Dirk wants to protect the base, and he thinks that protecting themselves is the best way to do it. But it's Dave's wish, not Dirk's, that non-violent means are found.]

I get the impression that they have something like a hive-mind to them. They clearly have enough capacity for individualization that Dave has taken to naming them after Earth rappers.

[ that's a political answer if he ever heard one. It doesn't exactly answer Korosensei's question, either. Designing something toxic to them would undoubtedly be much easier than trying to find a way to keep them out of their bodies altogether - but that would mean killing them. Which Dirk is probably perfectly aware of. Korosensei is used to this kind of delicate phrasing when it comes to killing, after all. ]

Of course he has. He certainly has a peculiar naming sense... [ you're better at naming things, Dirk, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. ] There are no existing fungal-bacterial diseases that affect humans for me to work with as a base, so it may take time. But medicine and healing are things I've been studying in my spare time back home, so I want to say that it's possible. I certainly wouldn't want us to be infected by alien parasites, myself.

Preventing them from getting into us will be much more difficult than eradicating them once they're there, [ he adds, matter-of-fact. ]

Dave theorized that what we were infected with in the Jellyshroom caves is similar enough. That might help as a starting point.

[For a moment, he's quiet. He's thinking through his answers.]

Regardless of how my brother feels, pre-emptively eliminating those who don't necessarily intend us harm isn't something I want to pursue. A peaceful resolution is worth pursuing. But it's incredibly stupid to do so without seeking a means to protect ourselves from them. Once they've invaded our bodies, we can no longer consider them non-hostile. Given the particular nature of their intelligence, I don't know how that would scale in terms of eliminating sentient life, but if it reaches that point my answer's the same no matter what.

We would still be safer keeping them from ever getting in than eliminating them. In strictly health terms, we have several people here whose immune systems are compromised. I've already asked our base architect to look into setting up filtration systems to keep out anything like the Kharaa.

A filtration system is a good idea.

[ although, considering these aliens are most likely microscopic, it'd be easy enough to accidentally bring one inside on your body after coming in from outside. ]

Maybe we can build some form of sterilization chamber to be entered after coming into the base, as well...

[ it's idle thinking while he mulls over the rest of the information, really. Dirk is right, from his point of view. Though he avoids violence and prizes weakness now, there is nothing questionable about self-defense - or the defense of those you care about. ]

... Overall, I share your viewpoint, Dirk. Sensei will see what he can do. Miss Valentine seems like she's already made some headway with a vaccine for our former infection, so I'll speak to her about seeing some of it. Without speaking of my intentions, of course. In the meantime, you and Dave should see what you can do about diplomacy. Considering they're at war with our entire species, it will be difficult... But you two are no ordinary boys. Especially you. Sensei believes you can achieve impossible things if you put your mind to it.

[For a moment, Dirk is silent.]

You sounded damn teacherly there, dude. Care to teach me about those areas where our viewpoints aren't shared?

[It's that part he zeroes in on: the possibility of difference. What Korosensei sees in the situation that Dirk may not.]

Isn't that natural? I am a teacher, you know.

[ but he sounds pleased by the admission nonetheless. ]

Anyway, rather than saying I don't share your viewpoint, I merely see a potential problem with it. Even if you do manage to negotiate peace with them, if they ever learn that we've been crafting a weapon to kill them in the meantime, they may not respond well. We're offering a handshake with one hand and holding a pistol behind our back in the other, so to speak.

[ he's used to having to consider potential outcomes of these dangerous negotiations - although, for him, the goal had always been maintaining the ruse long enough to draw that pistol when they weren't looking. Things are different here. ]

That scenario depends on their culture, as well, of course. Sensei is applying humanlike thought processes to them that may be irrelevant. But it's something to consider nonetheless.

Besides that, they may want to wipe us out if we develop something that gives immunity from their hosting. Letting a weaker foe go is one thing. Crushing a potential threat before it becomes one is another.

[That's Dirk's own major concern. It's why he adds this.]

I've asked Dave to try to learn more about things like that next time he talks to them. I'll ask him to try to work out their opinion on the safety gun concept while he's at it.

[ as expected, dirk's already considered it. ]

That's true, as well. Having Dave try to get a better feel for their behavior is probably the best we can do to prepare for such a thing, though. But even considering that possibility, I think being prepared for the worst case scenario - their infecting us - is the best course of action. They do seem quite warlike.

I can't say humanity would seem any different, or any of the other species I've encountered.

[THERE ARE NO SPECIES IN HOMESTUCK THAT ARE PEACEFUL.]

At the least we know they have a concept of gratitude towards someone who saved a life and that they share that gratitude with others when they start the replication process. It's somewhere to start.

[ careful there. too much cynicism towards humanity, and he'll really have to get on your case about being your teacher. ]

In other words, Dave's friend's offspring will share their good opinion of him? [ that's interesting. Korosensei hums on the other end. ] That may be the key to solving this entire problem.

[Dirk does not believe he can get worse.]

Not sure if they're offspring, but the rest of whatever happened there did, yes. Or will have happened. [Dave's fucking time bullshit.] Dave currently doesn't know if they're willing to extend that goodwill to the rest of us. Frankly, he sounds doubtful. We'll have to see how he manages it, since he's the only one able to safely liaison with them.

And because I doubt he's going to give up their location until he's totally certain we aren't going to hurt them.

[Dave's a brat txt it]

[ you fool dirk......... ]

Whether or not they extend it to the rest of us may not matter. If we can inspire a fraction of the Kharaa to even hesitate when it comes to attacking a human, then perhaps we'll be able to turn the tide of the war.

[ that would be a most excellent, peaceful solution. But it would take time and luck - and be mostly on Dave. ]

[Hm. Dirk thinks about it. He worries, though, what kind of position it could put Dave in.]

It's something to keep in mind as we work forward.

[beat]

Thanks for agreeing to help.

[What's that... is the kuudere (NOT TSUN) warming up?]

[ it would put a lot of the weight on Dave's shoulders... but, at the same time, Korosensei thinks he's already put himself in the position of diplomat. ]

You're welcome. [ that's two "thanks" in the Thanks-From-Dirk-Jar now. he's moving up in the world. ] And please feel free to ask Sensei for help at any time. I'm happy to give it.

Edited 2016-09-04 05:33 (UTC)

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HAHA i'm not going to stop doing this to you

good

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