#methuselah speaks

[methuselah-son-of-enoch]

* a man enters the coffeeshop, pale and dressed in a hospital gown *

Welcome to Pret-A-Metatron, how may we bless you today?

Oh no...not another one...

[the-metatron]

Please may I have a coffee for science

Yes, Jay, you may have a coffee. In fact, I insist.

[dracolizardlars]

Does everyone know about Prometheus, the bristlecone pine tree?

A scientist named Donald Currey was studying bristlecone pines in Nevada, and came to realise that they are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. So, he started looking for the very oldest one (he was interested in the way information about ancient climates can be read from tree rings, but that's not important here).

Of course, how do you age a tree? You count the rings in its trunk. So Currey is drilling cores of wood out from some of these ancient pines, trying to determine their age, and there's this one tree that seems interesting but he can't figure out its age from the core samples.

So, he went ahead and chopped it down so that he could study the rings clearly.

...And it had been the oldest known organism. For nearly 5,000 years that tree had stood there, unbothered by great changes in the world around it, until it was destroyed in the effort to find out how old it was.

This tree has since been named "Prometheus", and I think it's one of those real life events that feels so much like a heavy-handed metaphor that it's hard to believe. It brings to mind stories where unicorns, magic, dragons, fairies disappear when people seek to explain them. In all science it is an inescapable fact that the act of attempting to measure and describe any natural phenomena changes the thing itself - Prometheus was just an especially unfortunate casualty of that.

We have learned our lesson; the new oldest living organism (aged, presumably, by more modern and less destructive means) is another of those bristlecone pines, named Methuselah, and its precise location is a closely guarded secret in an attempt to shield it from the same fate as its predecessor.

But the case of Prometheus the bristlecone is just so incredibly ironic, somewhat ridiculous, and symbolic of so many principles of life that I think everyone should know it

[woundedheartwithin]

I just remembered, my vet didn’t diagnose the weenie dog with Old, she diagnosed him as Methuselah 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[star-going-supernova]

I forgot to ask, but in your new story, Our Kindred, I’m curious about if Tiamat has a favored child like the other Titans, or is she a Titan that enjoys isolation?

Tiamat would prefer isolation, but she would have a few "local" (relatively speaking, lol) places that I think she'd visit every now and then for fun. In Russia or Svalbard, maybe. So instead of a favorite kid, she's got favorite isolated towns.

There'd be a few Titans who either don't have their own kid or who don't stop at one. Fenrir and Rodan, for example, have multiple kids who are Theirs. Or Mothra, who considers the Chens hers but also has staked at least partial claim on Maddie. Scylla only has one, Barb the queen MUTO doesn't have any, Behemoth and Methuselah each have one kid but also each consider a particular swath of land Theirs, so anyone who lives on it is also technically Theirs. Godzilla has his Pup and isn't interested in having another, but he would have considered Serizawa his.

Kong used to have a lot. Now he just has Jia.

[thegeminisage]

janeway/seven: spirk if it were messy dyke drama. thoughts

HAPPY SEVEN OF NINE DAY! i didn't wait so long to answer this just for seven of nine day on purpose, but i love the happy little accident.

i've given this a lot of thought and as though i agreed with you initially because janeway reminds me SO MUCH of a female kirk it's uncanny sometimes i actually detect notes of spones in this vintage.

consider that seven accuses janeway of wanting her to become an individual, but balking when she decides she doesn't like the kind of individual seven is becoming. this REEKS of spones because bones often goads spock into admitting he is having a feeling...or giving him shit because he is not having a feeling, or not having the correct one. kirk basically NEVER does this - he accepts spock's feelings or lack thereof at face value. he sometimes tugs spock's pigtails (happy 10k to this post!) and alludes to the fact that he knows that deep down, spock is having a feeling, but he never tries to catch spock in a lie or force him to admit to said feelings.

the tholian web, the menagerie, the empath, requiem for methuselah, journey to babel, all our yesterdays, and the paradise syndrome (even though i hate this one, it's racist af) all arguably contain examples of spock doing things bones disagrees with with the primary factor behind him doing those things BEING his emotions. consider also their iconic scene in bread and circuses in which bones yells at him while they're stuck in a cell together and compare it to the scene where janeway is basically spooning seven in the brig while she goes through the painful transition from borg to an individual and they're both shouting their way through it. (i think this was during the gift? but memory is hazy.)

now i have a plot twist for you. even though tuvok is the vulcan on this ship, i think his relationship with seven is closer to what kirk and spock have, even though tuvok and seven care about each other platonically and kirk and spock are a romantic couple. (nobody come to this post and try and dispute me. they are.)

seven is the spock in both situations: standoffish, unable or unwilling to show emotions like affection or concern, trapped between being human and being Other and unsure of where they fit. but much like bones, janeway wants seven to be more like her ideal idea of a person: a human being and an individual. she tries to teach her to socialize, to exercise her agency (even though it backfires at times), and even suggests seven go back to using her birthname, annika. seven reacts to this with predictable confusion and frustration, the sparks fly, and the romance just writes itself.

tuvok, on the other hand, behaves more like kirk: he meets seven exactly where she's at. he accepts whatever emotions she has, but he also isn't troubled when she doesn't have them. he's just as satisfied to speak to the human part of her or the Other part of her. he steadily helps her through the emotional crises she does have in the raven without judgment (vaguely similar to kirk prying that vulcan biology speech out of spock by being absolutely 100% nonjudgmental about it), as a result seven feels very comfortable with him and trusts him a great deal - even going so far to ask him if janeway still doesn't trust her, which is a pretty vulnerable thing to do, since it lets him know she's very concerned about it, and even seems to believe his answer! and even though she's bad at feelings, she also supports HIM when he's vulnerable - offering to help him shave and walking him around the ship during year of hell.

anyway, i don't have an eloquent conclusion, but these are my thoughts ✌

[firstdeerwife]

C.13

The Legacy Of Seth

The sun slowly rose over the vast plain, bathing the land in a golden light that seemed to promise a new beginning.

Seth, now an older man, walked through the field, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

Life outside of Eden had been harsh, but he had learned to find beauty in adversity.

The loss of Abel and the shadow of original sin still weighed on his family’s life, but Seth had emerged as a pillar of strength and hope.

His parents, Adam and Eve, were at the country house they had built together.

Adam, now with gray hair and a body slightly bent by the years, spent his time tending the crops, while Eve, with wrinkled hands and a face marked by suffering and wisdom, wove and prepared food.

Their life was simple, but filled with love and memories.

Seth approached his home, where his wife and children welcomed him with smiles and hugs.

Over the years, Seth had raised his children with care and dedication.

His three sons:

Enos, Methuselah, and Lamech

Had grown up in an environment of hard work and moral teachings.

Each one had an important role in the family: Enos helped in the field, Methuselah took care of the livestock, and Lamech was in charge of building and repairing tools.

"Seth, you’ve arrived just in time," his wife said as she served a frugal but abundant meal.

"Your parents are eager to see you."

Seth nodded and headed toward his parents' house.

Adam and Eve received him with a mix of pride and concern.

Though they were elderly, their hearts still longed for the best for their son.

"Father, Mother,"

Seth declared, embracing them.

"I hope you are well."

"We are well, son,"

Adam responded with a tired smile.

"It’s good to see you. Your presence always lightens our hearts."

During dinner, the conversation revolved around the family's recent challenges and achievements.

Seth told stories about work in the field and the progress in building new tools, while his children listened attentively.

Adam and Eve, though aged, felt comforted to see how their son had thrived and continued the legacy they had begun.

Eve, her voice filled with emotion, commented:

"Seth, we never imagined that someone could take the weight of our life and transform it into something so beautiful. You have been a true pillar for us."

Seth, with humility, replied:

"I have only done what you taught me. Times have been difficult, but I have learned that love and effort can overcome any obstacle."

After dinner, Seth and his parents sat on the porch, gazing at the starry sky.

The stars shone with an intensity that seemed to offer a small promise of redemption.

Seth began to speak to them about his dreams for the future, about how he wished for his children to find their own paths and continue building a fairer and kinder world.

Adam and Eve listened attentively, and though the weight of their own mistakes was still present, they felt they had accomplished something important: they had created a family capable of facing and overcoming the challenges that fate had imposed on them.

As the night progressed, the conversation faded into a comfortable silence.

The family embraced and prepared to rest, knowing that although the past could not be changed, the future was full of possibilities thanks to the love and dedication of Seth and his family.

[stevenblueniverse]

Bellow selkie au chapter 16!

We're back I guess you can say this is season 2 of the selkie au?

This one is a very different chapter! Hope you enjoy

Chapter 16 remember the promise you made

White diamond stomped down the hallway, she held a small but expensive phone to her ear, she was shaking from fear, and rage. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE LOST COMPLETE TRACK OF HER!?", she yelled down to the phone, her voice echoing all around her, "I TASKED YOU, ALL OF YOU SPECIFICALLY TO PROTECT MY DAUGHTER BUT YOU FAILED!", she slammed the door to her office open and marched in, kicking it closed behind her and not caring to listen to what the person on the other side of the phone was saying to her. "LISTEN HERE, BRONACH! YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OPTION HERE, FIND MY DAUGHTER OR ELSE!", she ended the call and angrily threw the phone on the desk, cracking it quite badly.

White sat at her desk and took a deep breath, she buried her face into her hands, "I can't believe it! I can't believe it!", she whispered to herself, "my little girl is dead!". She got off from her chair and pulled the curtains around the giant windows in her office, looking over the many skyscrapers and successful businesses that surrounded her own, she walked over to the other side of the room and pulled open and almost secret looking door that connected to the wall, inside was a small room filled with holy icons, white walked in, did the sign of the cross, bowed and kissed an icon of Mary and jesus. "please god, give me a miracle", she prayed, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Suddenly as she was praying her phone started to ring, not the smaller one she was using before but the bigger, much older one specifically for her office. "Who could that be now", white hissed under her breath, walking out the small hidden room and closing it up, "no damn selkie has the number to this phone, who's wasting my time now!", she picked up the phone, not expecting it to be anything special.

"Who is this? This is white diamond of......you, I know that voice, nebuchadnezzar?", white took some steps back, pulling the wire of the old phone, "what are you doing here calling me on this phone! How did you even get this number!", she yelled, "oh so you have heard about our daughter! Now you care about her! Only now that she's died!......w-what? What do you mean? They found the ship? What news Channel?", white immediately slammed the phone down and turned on the tv in the wall of her office, she sat back down on her chair and listened closely.

"We are bringing you a special update on the yue98 shooting case", the news blurred at 100% volume, "the yue98 ship, shot down by Indonesian authorities earlier this week was thought to have no survivors, but this has found out to be false, pulled out the waters, in serious condition but alive was jasper Brooks, she was taken to hospital in sumatra, Indonesia and we have an exclusive interview with her coming now". The news showed jasper, in hospital and bandaged up, about 30 microphones pointed to her face and loud reporters asking her all sorts of questions, barely giving her time to speak.

"do you know why your ship was shot and sunk?", a reporter asked, "we where said to have gone into guarded waters", jasper told the reporter, her voice week, "we where lost and it was dark, when we tried to move they started Shooting, but by the grace of God I survived eventhough they shot me over 20 times", "do you know if there is any other surviving crew members?", another reporter asked, white waited desperately for any news of her daughter, she was trembling as she watched. "3 of our crew members I saw die, melchizedek, methuselah and eleazer, before I was shot and fell into the ocean I saw yellow diamond get in a life boat, I'm very sure they shot at her too but I didn't see a body, I also saw someone else with her, I don't know who they where but they where wearing white and seemed to be glowing, I believe they where an angel who has saved me and yellow", jasper answered, White's eyes widened, "a selkie!", she exclaimed, picking up her smaller phone and immediately dialing the person she was speaking to earlier.

"bronach! You did it! Maybe I was too harsh on you!", white told this same person on the phone, much calmer than last time, but still not listening to what the person on the other side of the phone was saying as she was still glued to the news. "it is said all religious icons if the yue98 ship have been found in perfect condition, the orthodox church has considered this a miracle and will be sending bishops to meet with jasper and help look for survivors, the only still missing person is yellow diamond, heiress to none other than millionaire white diamond and her empire of fashion, jewellery, beach houses and more, we'll be continuing this story after the break".

"Ugh...were am I?", yellow asked, her eyes blury, all she could see was the blue sky, everything was so cold, she could hear the waves all around her. Yellow was laying on blue's lap, her shirt had been wrapped around where she had been shot, her entire shirt was coloured red with blood now. Blue looked down to yellow, "remember my promise? To get you out of there? I did it", she said, smiling down at her, showing her strange looking teeth.

yellow slowly got up from blue's lap and tried to look around, they where on a small island and where surrounded by seals, some seals where looking at yellow, most of them didn't care and where sleeping. "W-what is this place?", yellow asked her, still struggling to move around as she was stil in pain and weak, "it doesn't matter", blue said, signalling yellow to lay back down, she did exactly that, she was too exhausted to do anything else, "so yellow, where do you want to go?", blue asked, "home", was all yellow said, starting to close her eyes again.

[hrodvitnon]

What language do each titan speak in your headcanob?

I'm going with a gijinka Monarch Shenanigans-based answer on this; all of them can speak English on top of the language of whatever location they were monitored in or are associated with. Namely, Godzilla speaks Japanese (and a bit of Sumerian), Mothra speaks Mandarin as well as multiple other Chinese dialects, Kong prefers communicating via ASL, and Rodan Spanish. Behemoth speaks Portuguese, Methuselah German, and Scylla also speaks Spanish. The odd one out is Barb, who is fluent in... Finnish.

[crownedinmarigolds]

For Parvati

🍑: What sort of traits does your OC look for in a Significant Other?

🎂: Has your OC have any contradictory interests or traits to the first preception people have of the? How do they surprise people?

🍪: What is something that's sentimental to you OC?

🍩: What's a crime your OC is most likely to commit? What's a crime they're most likely to get arrested for?

GASP! A few questions about our lady, Parvati... thank you!! :0 XXX

🍑: What sort of traits does your OC look for in a Significant Other? Parvati's interest is like the wind - fickle and always changing, and she simply enjoys whatever or whoever tickles her fancy in the moment. Beauty is occasionally a factor in her decision-making, but she is so old now and has seen so many different shapes and looks for people that one would have to REALLY physically stand out to catch her interest in that way. She would NOT be above bedding a comely Tzimisce or an interesting Nosferatu. A bold personality is charming as well, but only to an extent. Many "lovers" she takes briefly are merely brief pings on her radar before she grows bored and moves on. Her husband is the Hierophant of the Followers of Set, and he's the only one who truly keeps her forever piqued. It's hard to follow up a grand act like Harrakhty Hamdi, and they both know this. Displays of power are probably the fastest way to get her attention, and to keep if you so want to. She's a mind reader, so duplicity and secrecy against her and her own is probably the number one way to get iced.

🎂: Has your OC have any contradictory interests or traits to the first preception people have of the? How do they surprise people? Parvati is a very very old vampire, and has lived in the jungles away from people for a long time. She doesn't speak much, and radiates "I am a predator and will eat you if you remain here" energy... but Parvati is also very tender. Her tenderness is reserved for her husband and child and perhaps a lucky enough one-night stand, but it's very interesting to witness someone you imagine to be feral caress your face softly and treat you kindly. She's a very devoted mother to her child as well, another thing you may not expect from a Methuselah Ravnos/Follower of Set.

🍪: What is something that's sentimental to you OC? Nothing physical is sentimental to Parvati, she is simply too old. However, her husband's physical heart - a wedding gift - is probably the one object she would fight to the death over.

🍩: What's a crime your OC is most likely to commit? What's a crime they're most likely to get arrested for? Aside from the NORMAL vampire problems - murder and etc... Parvati would most likely be arrested for public indecency. She doesn't like clothing really and wouldn't be dressed if not for her husband treating her like a Barbie doll.

[methuselah-son-of-enoch]

Hey, does your dad pay you to work in his coffee shop? Cause if you’d like to get paid, Hell can offer you $5000 a day, along with healthcare benefits and a union.

Eric

That is a generous offer, Eric, but I cannot, in good conscience, seek employment in Hell. Nor can I betray my father.

No, my father does not pay me, but t is an honor to volunteer at @pret-a-metatron. The work we do here is important. We offer food and drink to the hungry, and we assist those that have risen from the dead--as one of the returned myself, I feel it my duty to help them in any way I can.

[monarch-afterdark]

Superspecies History: Sirenjaw

Welcome once again to Monarch: After Dark, the digital gateway between you and the organisation dedicated to understanding and navigating this troubled new world we live in.

Another entry in our coverage of Skull Island, this time we look to a crocodilian that seems to have taken a page from Titanus Methuselah's book, the Sirenjaw.

(Pictured above: Artistic depiction of a Sirenjaw attacking Aaron Brooks' expedition team, circa. 1996)

Monarch Database File: Sirenjaw

Monarch Designation: Gigantus crocodiliad

Length: 45-65 feet

Species Designation: Crocodilian florafauna

-----

A crocodilian capable of reaching sizes rivalling the extinct shark Megalodon or modern whales, the Sirenjaw is an apex predator that reigns (almost) supreme in the waters of Skull Island. During their development, Sirenjaws grow a small nursery of trees on their back, becoming integrated to their biology. This makes the Sirenjaw one of the more extreme examples of florafauna.

An ambush predator, the Sirenjaw floats around the water's surface disguised as a small island. Their mouths hang open, appearing somewhat like the entrance to a cave. Unsuspecting prey that try to find shelter within the cave instead find themselves food for the Sirenjaw. Larger prey that climb onto the creature's back are thrown off and attacked in the water.

(Pictured above: Artistic depiction of Death Jackals and Psychovultures descending on the corpse of a Sirenjaw killed by Kong, circa. 1996)

During Aaron Brooks' unauthorised expedition to Skull Island, from 1995 to 1996, the expedition team and their Iwi escorts narrowly avoided falling for a Sirenjaw's camouflage trap, running for shelter as the creature gave chase. It retreated after hearing Kong's roar, but found itself slaughtered by the Titan.

A feeding frenzy broke out, attracting a swarm of Psychovultures and Death Jackals to feast upon the carcass. Ato, an English-speaking Iwi native, advised Aaron's team that the passage they were going to take back to the Iwi village was unsafe so long as the feeding frenzy continued, forcing them to take another path.

In 2021, during the destruction of Skull Island and attempted evacuation of the native Iwi people, Jia (the only known survivor of the Skull Island Iwi population) recalled a Sirenjaw taking advantage of the chaos and killing several Iwi as a flood raged toward them. Jia was rescued by Kong before she, too, could have been killed.

-----

And that's all she wrote for the Sirenjaw! One of likely few species that seemed to survive the ravaging of Skull Island's ecosystems, the Sirenjaw may well continue to be lethal in the now-desolate island, though whether or not dwindling prey items may lead the species to become endangered and under threat of extinction remains to be seen.

Until next time,

Monarch: After Dark

[awholebunchobananas]

Abraham Van Helsing: *thinking to himself* Well I can’t just outright tell my good friend John Seward, who runs a lunatic asylum, that I think a vampire killed Lucy, he’ll think I’m nuts. I know what to do.

Van Helsing’s solution: Speaks entirely in riddles. Asks Seward if he can chop off Lucy’s head with no explanation. Tells a little story about King Laugh. Weaves a 30 minute monologue about mind reading, Methuselah, and turtles.

Van Helsing: *thinking to himself* nailed it

[star-going-supernova]

... so, an Anon talked about a what-if Rodan was controlled by Ghidorah.

And now I'm curious, what would be Godzilla's reaction after the Battle of Boston? Just... angst and hurt-comfort for our favourite fire bird

referencing this ask/ficlet!

Rodan is not surprised, per se, when the summons reaches him. He's only surprised it took so long, and that it doesn't carry the air of an order.

He would have mistaken it as a call for a friend by a friend, but he knows his crimes. He knows it cannot be a request. This will be his trial, and very likely, his punishment.

He goes willingly.

The mountainous region where he finds his King is shrouded in mist, leaving the jagged, finally healed spines of Godzilla poking above the fog not unlike when he swims along just beneath the ocean's surface. Rodan would have laughed if his throat hadn't been closed up tight.

He lands lightly as his King raises his head. His body follows the gentle curve of the valley he is all but wedged in, and Rodan only has a moment to wonder why he chose this place before he spots the egg Godzilla is shielding. It is still small, young. Mothra has a ways to go yet.

He bows his head, half expecting to rise and receive a faceful of star-fire.

Instead, his King rumbles and asks, "Are you well, Rodan?"

He stares blankly for a heartbeat or two. "I... am well, yes."

"Your wounds healed?"

"Yes, my King."

"Your mind is your own? No side effects or lingering aches? I know well what Ghidorah was capable of."

"His control was severed during the battle," Rodan answers, quiet. Severed when Mothra stabbed him straight through, but only after the damage had been done.

Godzilla sighs, relaxes, and drops his head back into the imprint he has formed in the trees. "Good. I worried; Scylla and Methuselah both have said you have not seemed yourself these past weeks."

"I nearly killed her," he blurts his guilt out. "I am—she might have survived if I had not hurt her so badly."

His King narrows his eyes. "You were unwilling." It is not a question.

"But I still—"

"Do you know what she would say if she were here?"

Rodan swallows heavily and shakes his head.

Godzilla twists until he can nudge his snout against his Queen's egg, the most gentle a creature like him will ever be. "She would say better her, who can come back, than one for whom death is permanent. I do not blame you, my friend. As I said, I know well the tortures Ghidorah was capable of."

Rodan trembles. He shakes his head, denial and self-loathing caught in his lungs like a disease. He forces himself to meet his King's discerning eyes. He feels more exposed than when Ghidorah was in his head.

The difference between his King and the false king: only one abused such a thing.

"Come here," Godzilla finally says. He settles back in, closing his eyes. "It's chilly in these mountains, and you are warm."

When his body moves in obedience, it is not because he is being controlled against his will. He tucks himself where he fits best, one wing stretched over Godzilla's back. He is careful not to touch Mothra's egg.

His King rumbles, the deep, quiet sort that is not quite a vocalization so much as it something inside him. It, as it always has, makes Rodan relax.

"I am sorry regardless," he says after a while.

"I know," his King replies. "I am sorry too. I was not fast enough to save you."

It is this, this wild notion that Rodan had been in danger and in need of rescue, that silences the cruel voice in his head that speaks ceaselessly of his guilt. It freezes him in place, trembles through his heart, and finally, finally, some dark shadow within him begins to fade.

[anewstartrekfan]

Spitballing Strange New Worlds s3 episode ideas, Spock edition:

(With Sam Kirk crashing the blog at the end)

Keep in mind I’ve only seen s2.

Assuming Christine is written out of the show for a little bit so the Doctor Korby romance can happen, maybe explain just how Spock was able to know that Rayna was going to die from being overwhelmed with emotions she was just experiencing for the first time in requiem for methuselah? I mean I assumed he was speaking from personal experience when I first saw it, but it could also be him diagnosing the situation based on what he was taught as a Vulcan.

So far strange new worlds (and from what I’ve heard Discovery too) has gone out of its way to show how Spock ended up in the mindset he was in about emotions and stuff. I think it would be cool if Spock either met someone else, or the events of episode 10 rekindle the Spock/Christine romance, Spock feels something entirely new, and then immediately regrets it when Chapel reveals she’s either engaged, in love with Korby, both, or some bad stuff dies down between him and whoever else he meets. This hypothetical relationship with a random alien doesn’t even have to be romantic.

Let’s say Spock gets caught on an alien world, meets a native, is stuck with them for a bit, and then in a life or death situation, the alien chooses to save Spock when we’d know that before meeting Spock, this character wouldn’t have done this, and somehow dies as a result. I’m thinking poison. Which would play into not only Spock’s actions in Requiem for Methuselah, but also Devil in the Dark. Wherein Spock at first wanted to try to reason with the Horta, but the second Jim was in danger he did a 180. It’s not that Spock would be against nonhuman entities learning human emotions. It’s that he would be far more cautious than Jim was.

“The joys of love made her human, and the agonies of love destroyed her.”

And while Spock is solidifying his stance to be more closed off, Other characters, Pike maybe? could finally open up to their friends. Maybe add some character development for Sam to explain why he’s so competitive with Kirk. Make it beyond daddy issues. Maybe make it mommy issues?

Oooo! I’ve suggested before that Jim and Sam’s mom maybe died on Tarsus IV. Maybe the reason Sam didn’t go on the command track like Jim was that becoming a xenoanthropologist would allow him to understand dead alien cultures discovered on various planets the federation may wish to occupy, or know how to communicate with living natives. And this would allow settlers/colonists to be warned about the local widelife like say, an exotic fungus that infects most of the food supply?

I work Tarsus IV into everything.

Since (in this hypothetical plot line) maybe there were native aliens to Tarsus iv, but because no one could communicate with them or even tried, the colonists weren’t able to be warned about the fungus. It would also be cool because of how it would naturally contrast Jim’s reaction to the massacre.

Jim wanted to be there when the disasters happened to save everyone.

Sam wanted to prevent the disasters from happening to save everyone.

Fun to spitball.

[dangerously-human]

If I could study anything in the world, guaranteed sufficient funding, access and practicalities not a concern, with infinite time for further education - okay, well, honestly it would be pretty much exactly what I'm edging my way into at work now, and then (getting into methodological impossibilities) more with understanding the lived experiences of non-speaking people - but okay, let's say I had a Methuselah lifespan and could do multiple full careers justice: then I would love to study the linguistics of programming languages. Like, all the classic questions about how languages are related and evolve over time, and the impacts of different mother tongues (spoken or typed) colliding, and pidgins, and getting into the cognitive psych stuff of what makes certain languages easier to understand and how people learn them, and all the sociological stuff of how and why they develop the way they do over time... I just think there's so many fun questions to ask about created languages in general, and treating a language created for a specific, circumscribed purpose like a natural language for the purpose of scientific inquiry opens so many doors. I am near infinitely curious and this is a topic I would love to devote a bonus lifetime to.