trans_9 | Face-to-face [Closed]

Zouichi took Iniss's failure to return the gesture as a sign that he wasn't crazy about the whole handshake thing, either. Fine with him.

He wasn't willing to let the rearranged face go just quite yet, though. "Amateur plastic surgeons. Those wouldn't be crew members, would they?"

He wasn't exactly a fan of physical contact, no. Nor did he have an interest in keeping up an illusion that he was now that he no longer had to. Dani and Rhiow were one thing, handshakes just seemed to be a human dominance ritual gone awry.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, they might have been affiliated with the crew in some way. Why do you ask?"

"Because on-ship or not, you're crew. Which means they shouldn't be taking advantage of being out of reach of the ship's tentacles to rearrange the major components of your face."

The calm with which Iniss seemed to regard the assault was curious. Was his species simply nonchalant about physical harm sustained to themselves? Or was he simply inured to the rough treatment?

"Funny how some of them don't see it that way." His lips twitched into a humorless and somewhat malformed smile. "I allowed them their free shot. It's only fair, beyond that they are subject to the rules of the ship. It's really not a problem, I've been damaged worse while on board."

It was really more that he was used to the treatment by Tom's friends by now than anything else. He had made up his mind to not be bothered by it.

"...So they do this regularly? You'll have to excuse me, I'm attempting to understand how that would be considered fair conduct."

And why no one had apparently gotten involved in stopping it, especially if Iniss was a regular target for attack.

"It depends on your deconstruction of the meaning of the term, Officer. Really, it's not a problem. I'll be fine. Truly, there are much more grave things to be concerned over than this, are there not?"

Really, he wasn't sure why the officer seemed so concerned. Most of the other humans seemed convinced he had gotten what was coming to him.

Zouichi really, really hoped Iniss wasn't going to persist with the 'Officer' thing.

"...perhaps. For the moment, however, Marco and Rachel are confined to Quarantine. Unless you have someone else gunning for you." Which, considering Iniss's face, was a distinct possibility.

"But just in case they escape, perhaps you can tell me a little more about them. It would certainly help to understand their thought processes if they were to escape again. For example, who they'd be more likely to target first -- you, or Eva?"

Rank was a tricky thing in a species that used it in place of proper names. It was often his default to address higher ranked individuals by the rank they held. Military upbringing had left him with several very well ingrained impulses.

The look he offered was carefully controlled, not giving a hint as to whether Zouichi had hit a mark or not. "Mhm, yes. There is that. It is certainly safer now, with the two of them locked away."

He tipped his head, thoughtful and automatic after so long with human expressions. "Probably Eva, me they just want dead, her they want to save. Humans will almost always pick the protective path first. They're both insane, capable of murder if it suits their purposes, and terrorists. They are used to operating in an undercover and covert style and are very clever at avoiding notice. Well, Marco is. Rachel seems to be about a subtle as a sack of bricks to the head. Marco is the more dangerous one, but Rachel is highly unpredictable. What she lacks in foresight, she makes up for in brute, uncaring strength."

Zouichi blinked once. So Iniss had picked up some human mannerisms. Interesting. But for someone who was trying so hard not to give away the game, he'd pretty much flashed his hand during his rant about Marco and Rachel.

Why was that? Did he not understand that even among fellow humans, accusing a group of teenagers of being insane, murderous terrorists would inspire skepticism, doubt? Yet he'd lived with humans for years. Was Iniss a slow learner, or was it simply impossible for him to understand what motivated those around him?

...Or did it not matter to him?

"If they are insane, shouldn't they be confined to Medical? And can you elaborate on what you mean by 'terrorists'? I assume you're referring to their role in the conflict back when they were still on Earth?"

"If they were Yeerks or non-humans, they would be. But this is a ship of heroes, that defines itself by mundane heroics."

He crouched, balanced on the balls of his feet, smoothing a hand over the grass, absently enjoying the tactile sensation as he gathered his thoughts into a coherent platform.

"The interesting thing about conflict is that the sides are only truly defined after the conflict ends. To the victor goes the bragging rights, hero and villain during the conflict are harder to define. Both think they're entirely correct and without fault." He blew out a breath, tugging a few strands of the grass between his fingers. "My people was invading, peacefully. No shots fired, no humans killed, or at least so few and only when it was unavoidable that the populace didn't even notice. We were quiet and we were subtle. It didn't suit us to bomb the planet from orbit and make it ours by force, we were better served coaxing and tricking the humans into our grasp. They and their compatriots considered themselves freedom fighters, they blew up the Kandrona - which we require to survive, dooming thousands to lingering deaths of starvation - and killed countless alien hosts. Never humans, they were very sentimental about their own race, looking back we should have spotted it. But we didn't. We saw morphs and thought Andalites, because they have always been our enemy since we joined them in the stars. They were, to my people, terrorists. Capable of striking without warning and leave only the dying behind."

He glanced up. "I am learning, you see. These strange creatures are almost addictive, and I have been far from home for a very long time, the amount of time I have spent among them has started to erode my senses and ability to judge, or perhaps I am simply slipping and becoming what they would prefer. It matters little, at this juncture. Do I think we were right to invade now? No. We were desperate, but that did not make Earth ours to take. But we were also not theirs to kill by the pool-full, and I have trouble forgiving or thinking logically of those that have killed so many of my brother and sister Yeerks and have tried on multiple occasions to kill me. Fair?"

Zouichi listened to Iniss without comment, curious.

"So from the Yeerk point of view, you were doing what you had to do to survive. This included invading Earth and depriving humans of their free will, their bodies. You saw a bloodless invasion as a more humane one."

"From the human point of view, the thought of losing their autonomy, of becoming prisoners in their own bodies, was worse than death. A silent invasion, then, was not only cowardly, but worse than one in which people were actively killed in conflict, since the former gave humanity no chance to resist."

Very interesting. "What do you feel would have been an acceptable battle plan for the human side, considering that the majority of them were unaware of the existence of the Yeerk invasion?"

"Yes. In our natural state we are helpless, little more than an Earth slug. To be able to do anything, we require hosts. And the Andalites would gladly blast us out of the skies given a moment to aim. A bloodless invasion was always more preferred, we saw them like cattle. Apes, monkeys, innocents. Nothing worth fussing over. They could easily be overthrown and taken and provide us with hosts for the entire empire." His lips twisted, not a smile really. Though it was hard to tell if the lack was the fault of the still bruised face or lack of humor.

"They're significantly more complicated than we suspected at first. Some came willingly, some didn't. They were far less innocent than we had thought. I enjoyed studying humanity and their wars and all the trouble they've caused for themselves. But, from the position of an outsider, it's all just words. It didn't register, those fragmented accounts of humanity rising against impossible odds to create something new." He sighed.

"What battle plan would you suggest cattle assume, as they are being herded towards the slaughter house? The empire would prefer none at all, or at least one that could easily be squashed with a minimum of effort. They're very lazy, the council. We are trained from birth that conquest is really the only way."

"Why is it that the Andalites are feuding with you? Because you have targeted them in the past? Wars are costly; I assume they didn't just do it to fill the time."

He paused. "And you studied humanity? Was that your function, or something you did in your free time? That sounds like a lot of time to devote to something you don't understand. Or have you found it's something you are unable to understand?"

"In other words, you believe the only acceptable action for humanity to take would have been to quietly acquiesce to the invasion force? Like 'cattle'?" Why was Iniss defaulting to what his council would have wanted? Didn't he have an opinion of his own?

"Because a long time ago, we were not content to be their humanitarian pets." He sneered. "They considered us savvage and primitive and pitiable and we wanted to see the stars ourselves, once we became conscious of the universe being a bigger place. They refer to it as Seerow's kindness. And they've been hunting us and destroying things ever since. They tell a different story, but in the end, we're both hopeless mired in our positions."

He nodded, plucking several strands of grass and rolling them between his fingers. "It was my function, and something of a hobby in addition to. I found their wars and heroes fascinating, my first human host was a history professor named Jeffry, and he took great delight in educating me. I can understand much, but I doubt that I have the comprehension to fully grasp the emotional nuances involved in some of the material."

He inclined his head in accordance. "That was the council's position. Visser One arranged the invasion in such a way that it could be accomplished without a shot fired. Visser Three bungled through that plan until the interesting diversion of the Bandits appeared."

"They refer to 'it' as Seerow's Kindness? What, exactly, is 'it'?" Constructing bodies for the Yeerks to use? Allowing the Yeerks to use their own bodies?

"And do you feel the way the Andalites view the Yeerks, as a savage and primitive race, to be different from the Yeerks' opinion of the humans?"

Zouichi wondered if this Professor Jeffry was a willing host, as Iniss seemed to be suggesting he was -- or if he'd simply taken what enjoyment he could while prisoner in his own body. "Is that inability to grasp emotional nuance a personal trait, or is it common to all Yeerks?"

"Ah. Visser One. Eva's Yeerk, correct? But what is your personal view? I assume you have opinions of your own that may not always be in keeping with all other members of your species."

"The gift of technology. The ability to get off the planet we'd started on." He smiled faintly. "I wasn't there, and neither were most of the creatures currently involved. I was born after leaving the planet."

He shrugged. "Likely it is, or was, tenses are confusing at times, some came to abhor it, taking unwilling hosts. But we were - are - a military society. To refuse orders is to risk death. I like living very much." He paused, tangling his fingers in the grass. "Emotions, at least the way humans feel them, are far more complicated. We are capable of basics; affection, loss, longing, greed, pride. But the deeper shades such as love and grief are lost to us. I've been scolded many times for not recognizing them, but it's very difficult to adapt. Empathy is still difficult, even after years spent studying humans."

He glanced up. "Yes, the leader of the invasion. I have many opinions, Zouichi, and when I discover where I stand, I will be happy to explain it to you. For the moment, I can only say that I now posses the burgeoning understanding that it wasn't right, without being able to specifically nail down why. And that is the most honest and least effacing answer I can offer."

"Ah, so you weren't a spacefaring species before the Andalites arrived." Hadn't anyone heard of the Prime Directive?

"Your position is... unfortunate," said Zouichi, for lack of a better word. "A great deal of human interaction is based on emotion. Have you considered consulting a ship psychologist about the issue? A professional may have more useful insight for you, at least in terms of grasping the basics of empathy."

Iniss's answer implied there was a more honest and effacing answer he could offer, but he'd been more than informative so far, so there was no point in pushing the issue. "I can't say I fully understand everything you've told me. But I do wish you success in your attempt to adapt. It can be... difficult, to adjust to a role you were never prepared for."

"No, we had no idea it was possible. We could barely see the stars with the hosts we had, much less dream of traveling them."

He nodded. "I'm aware, of course. Humans are an emotional species, I miss the required nuances to respond in a positive way. Though I am still making the attempt to conform." And occasionally finding himself dragged under. Dani had...been something. Something he wasn't sure of. Something new and different and missed. "I doubt very much a human psychologist would be able to help. After all, I've spent the better part of a decade living inside of humanity and have still managed to absorb very little."

He snorted, an entirely human gesture. "Yes. Very. Exaggerated Sympathy for the host species was considered both uncouth and dangerous. There have been Yeerks executed for doing just that, for loving humanity. For trying to save the humans." His smile pulled strangely at the barely healed flesh. "And yet I still make the attempt. It is the best I can do."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Zouichi said, and he did mean it. "Sounds like the universe dealt your species an exceptionally bad hand."

"And you could be right. But there are humans who have difficulty understanding emotion, picking up on unspoken cues. If any of them has experience working with patients with similar difficulties, they may be able to adapt their approach. Offer a way of studying emotions systematically, rather than attempting to understand everything at once via full immersion." He shrugged a little. "Just a suggestion."

Zouichi nodded. "I think I understand your position a little better for speaking with you. But I suppose I should stop taking up your time. Thank you, Iniss."

Face-to-face [Closed]

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