(Untitled)

[malnosso]

(ooc: forward dated to tomorrow, 2PM)Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a wonderful week. I certainly hope you appreciated the Venerarian Willow Tree. It was quite a task Shifting it into the Enclosure for all of you! It's the very same one I planted when I first arrived in this world, some time ago. I had some concerns some of you might try to

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[semper_cogitans]

[Robert was not having a good day. And then there's news of a war, from a voice that seems to be a Malnossian scientist.

He scans the list of people. There aren't many names on it that he recognizes, save for David Jordan's - he feels a pang go through him there, for Litchi's sake - but it's still a terrible thought. Going off to fight a war for barbarian scientists who have no concept of sapient rights? Disgusting. And it confirms what Donatello said.

Donatello. He really didn't need to think about him again right now. Robert's voice is a mix of sadness, horror, mental exhaustion and anger.]

You imbeciles really expect the Lucetians to fight a war for your sake, after what you subjected us to?

... [Robert sighs, more with resignation than anything.] How pathetic, scientists stooping to war. And not even bothering to fight the barbaric thing themselves, but rather sending their subjects into battle for them. Have you no concept of proper consent or protocol?

[Still, even with the anger and general terribleness Robert's feeling,

[malnosso]

Heavens, this is what I get for being so brief in my messages. You're fighting a war for your sake as well!

Oh, I'm hardly a botanist. The effects were a special effect accomplished by a very subtle Shift. The fruit is usually quite lovely, without side effects.

[semper_cogitans]

[That first part gets a snort from Robert.] Sir, I assure you that wars are never the solution to anything. Any intelligent people [- and he emphasizes this, because the Malnosso are supposed to be scientists and therefore intelligent, at least in Robert's mind (though they've done a great job of being imbeciles) -] hardly need to stoop to such hideous basal levels. Any Terran would tell you that. But then again, it's not as if any of you have ever actually asked for our consent. What is the difficulty in informing us about your protocol? I would be far more willing to assist you with any study of yours if you were actually to make it evident instead of forcing it upon me.

[Robert sighs at the next part.] I see. That explains why there were no visible structures to disperse phytoestrogens or other mimics...

Shifting must be a very complex technology. [And that was said with begrudging respect.] It is a pity that you do not see fit to share it with the intellectuals of your project.

[malnosso]

I see you've quite clearly made your mind up about us. More the pity, I suppose.

[semper_cogitans]

If you would perhaps give me any reason of any sort to think differently, I might consider changing my mind. [Robert's voice is bitter and cold.]

I am a scientist. I understand the ways of research. Would it not be more profitable, more helpful, more logical for you to seek the knowledge of myself and others, rather than confining us here like so many specimens in a Petri dish of your own creation? We could work alongside you rather than opposing you.

I simply don't comprehend why you cannot offer us that courtesy. Surely you are a sapient species. Surely you would object to this being done to you yourselves, had our positions been changed. Surely you would ask us for the same rights and freedoms as we ask you for. Why is this so difficult?

[Really, Robert doesn't fathom how scientists - fellow scientists - could do this. How they could so blatantly disregard anything that the intellectuals of Luceti had to offer, and how they could treat them so barbarically.]