Day 4 MA: Possibilities of the Hive

[Baesal Zyn]

Once again the knight was busy at her temporary office, several holoscreens filled with streams of date opened in front of her while she was typing at the speed of lighting

The possibilities...if only a bridge could be made

The display could certainly be impressive but the way she seemed to keep on top of everything was like a cherry on top

[Count Serenno]

The Count returned to the library, to peruse the collections for other sources on the subject of Killik history on Alderaan.

[Baesal Zyn]

Aside from the most generic resources nearly every book and data entries on the killiks where currently in use at the moment by someone logged as :Knight Zyn

Meanwhile the Knight herself was busy with reverse-engineering

reverse engineering the sound thingy (average), inventor: 2eA+3eP+2eD+1eB+2eF 5 successes, 1 Triumph, 2 Light Side, 1 Dark Side

[Count Serenno]

The Count went looking for the individual by that nick, trying to find them by the pile of sources surrounding them.

[Baesal Zyn]

The Count went looking for the individual by that nick, trying to find them by the pile of sources surrounding them.

The count could easily be lead by the museum aides to the woman responsible this monopolization of resources.

Wearing the traditional robes of the jedi, Baesal was busy putting back together some sort of device with a satisfied expression

''That's one problem solved, at least.'' she said to herself

[Count Serenno]

"Greetings. I'd have a brief question, Master Jedi, hoping it is not an imposition. Are you before or after going through these collections?" He gestured at the pile, betraying no particular emotion.

[Baesal Zyn]

''Oh?'' She looked up and then looked down at the pile she had accumulated ''Oh! My apologies. I have finished several of these already. Interested in killiks?'' she pointed to a few volumes

''Go with theses ones then: the other ones can have some insights but they are more redundant then anything else''

[Count Serenno]

"Thank you for your insight, I shall study these then. I hold some interest in the topic."

[Baesal Zyn]

''Oh?'' her interest perked up ''Killiks are not usually the subject of interest of Alderaan's nobles...what caught your fancy?''

[Count Serenno]

"I am not an Alderaanian. I am Count Serenno." He replied. "Fancy is not exactly the word. Killiks are an ancient race, one that once found ways to be spacefaring. They are certainly no simple pests as many here try to portray them. I wonder about the reasons for their hostility against humans on this planet."

[Baesal Zyn]

''My apologies, I am unfamiliar with Sereno''

She tilts her head

''I have the same questions, count, and I am glad there are others who do not consider the killiks as simple bugs. Their hive mind is alien to us but it does not mean their lives and culture are dispensable. The museum recently reacquired an ancient vase the suggests the first humans and killiks might have lived in harmony. I am still waiting on the analysis, however''

[Count Serenno]

"This is very interesting. I'd be delighted to learn the results of that analysis."

He paused.

"That past precedence would mean that our communication mismatch with the Killiks is, in principle, surmountable."

[Baesal Zyn]

''I would agree with you on that. I talked with some joiners two nights ago...the one from the destroyed hive'' she got goosebumps thinking back to the carnage

''You know, the one who made that tremor in the Force''

[Count Serenno]

How had she assumed he might have felt the tremor in the Force? But he nodded slowly.

"I have seen some materials on the Joining. It looks like a gruesome, irreversible process, and I am not sure what effects it actually brings. Is it the only way for the Killiks and us to communicate, for them to turn some humans into their drones?"

[Baesal Zyn]

''Gruesome? I do not know. Permanent? Very possibly from our analysis of the corpses...but...they are not quite like drones.''

She brings up the scans made by V1 the previous day

''First question: why do they killiks need joiners?''

[Count Serenno]

"My guess is: to learn about humans."

[Baesal Zyn]

''That would be my first guess as well...but they have been cohabitating with humanity for centuries. Are we so alien to them that they need to constantly bring some of us into the fold?''

[Count Serenno]

"It's plausible that we are. Our complexity may be perplexing, especially for a species with much less individuated specimens. There is an undeniable communication incommensurability, else the Joining wouldn't be needed and technological translators or xenologists would do. But I suppose you have a different hypothesis? Something implying symbiosis?" The Count looked at the Togruta with curiosity.

[Baesal Zyn]

She motioned a chair nearby ''Pull yourself a seat count. Lengthy conversation are easier in a sitting position.''

She pulled up V-1's full assessment scans

"Analysing . . . "

There were several whirrs and clunks as the droid processed the data its medical equipment was giving it.

"Preliminary results are such. The individual brains on the killik drones are devoted to basic life support functions. All higher function is distributed throughout the hive. It is sensible to derive that the more killiks that are present then the more capacity the hive has for higher function. Simply put the larger the hive is, then the more intelligent it can be."

It indicated a Joiner corpse.

"The Joiners have been through some physiological changes. There are additional growths and synapses in the brain that probably cause the strange blackness of the eyes. They also appear to shut down the parts of the brain responsible for autonomy and self identity. Effectively their previous ego has been wiped and they now serve the hive. This is only a basic assessment. I still recommend engaging a scholar skilled in insect physiology for a full analysis."

It then beeped.

"Please wait. Further analysis pending."

''More studies need to done but it is possible their might be more then one type of joining. The vase or deeper cerebral analysis of the joiners could reveal more but we are stuck with what we have for the moment.''

[Count Serenno]

"I see. It means they can grow by recruiting, or rather - consuming. It is a convergence on their terms, and also an explanation how they could manage space travel - by outsourcing capabilities from other species. Sounds... parasitic. In the end, it comes down to weather this is a voluntary and peaceful process, or an arbitrary and violent one. Also, do they exhibit any restraint from growing the hive exponentially?" The Count said, having sat through the projection.