Krak Broadcast Anti-Human Propaganda
New Guardian Times, London, January 7th 2194
Listening posts across Sol detected a broad-span burst at 11:07pm GMT
last night. Ftel-pods from other contested systems that have arrived
through the small hours today confirm the same message, in the Kra'Vak tongue,
was heard in every system the Kra'Vak have attacked.
Yu'Zan Xia'Zan Lo | sho's vas don'zah | Kra'Vak lau zuk don'an xia'fau |
Kra'Vakah runa a'Anoes | ros'xau kra'vakn lau ko | Kaa'Tok va toa
kra'vakn tis'anoau lo'dol roek ra'ano's rux sus toaz Ro'kah s'v Zna | de
s'uk una deto de krs'au de kr'uk s'uk Lo'z | de sis lo'vav vas'uk |
kra'vakn lau ko sha'zok Kr' Lo'X siau | kra'vakn lau kou kra'vakn zuk
yuna yuva sua'lau | kra'vakn lau deto'lah rus'zok yusva voah'o den suv
deto de'o den va'vah de deto'lah'u ton lo'vav'es | lauf Anoes kra'vakn
voah deto'lah lo'dol ton kra'vakn sil ton yu'lau of kra'vakn'at tos'l |
Suf kra'vakn'au, toa'vat Koi'Zah Kra'Vak'Zan | O'fau Yu'Zan yun kra'vakn
van'x |
Many amateur broadscan listeners believed this to be some kind of military
signal for final attack. This is highly unlikely as there has been no new
movements since the signal and a UN spokesman have corroborated statements
from within the NAC defence forces that it appeared to have little military
content and is more likely some kind of propaganda statement. The translation
that we have obtained is incomplete, no nation yet admits to being able to
fully transliterate Kra'Vak. On hearing even the parts of the message that
have been translated it is an obvious attempt to stir the Kra'Vak to even
worse atrocities and to swage their guilty consciences.
<??> We must honour (sisters?) passing and reinvigorate ourselves in the
cleansing of the (Human?) Lands. It is clear what we <now?> do. These
<ghoulish?> <emotionless?> beings do not know how to kill. They are ignorant
and without <honour?>. <??>. We must <??> take them to the
infinite void. <??> then with (human?/their?) land free <for?> us, we
<take?> control <??>. Renew your efforts, seek more killing <??>. May <we?>
reign <divinely?>.
Not one person I have spoken to has been gripped by anything but rage on
hearing this alien slander. The words of one young vid-tech concisely
summarises the feelings of us all. "If they want more killing, we'll just have
to oblige them."
> [quoted text omitted]
Authors note: I have my own ideas about what the Kra'Vak culture is like and
what their motivations are. These ideas probably don't match anybody else's
ideas (though I'm grateful to the listers who've discussed them with me and
added to them over the last few years). I didn't include these ideas in so
many words in the fiction because future history can be a bone of contention
(as we see from the latest very good alternative take on the timeline).
Understanding what drives the Kra'Vak isn't critical as far as the campaign
goes; it is just a side thing of mine because it makes it easier for me to
write if both sides are fully formed and because I like dabbling in how we
could mess up and how we can slant things. If anyone is interested in my
version of Kra'Vak culture and that angle of all this, the actual direct
translation is given below.
Cheers
Beth
> Translation <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The Great Queen Mother, Queen of all queens is dead. She has been torn and is
gone from us with glory. We must honour her passing and reinvigorate ourselves
in the cleansing of the Birthing Lands. It is clear what we must do. These
spectres so much like our stillborn plague deformed foetuses have obviously
never felt the thrill of Ro'kah or the joy of final release. They known not
how to release their fallen and they mix clan with clan with no knowledge of
true order. They are trapped for eternity in ignorance. We must do what the
books of gods instruct. We must commit ourselves with honour and our deepest
feelings and show the greatest compassion. We must free these poorest of souls
from their pain and release them from their terrors so they will be free to
leave for the infinite void. Only then with the land of our young souls free
will the plague leave us, our wandering cease and control of our lives return.
Renew your efforts, seek an end to sorrow and venerate our Queens. May the
newest Great Queen reign in our admiration.
> Beth.Fulton@csiro.au wrote:
> Authors note: I have my own ideas about what the Kra'Vak culture is
I was interested, and thanks for the translation.
I've always been more interested in the Phalons and (to a lesser extent)
SaVasku.
The latter (in my view) are not so much benevolent and decadent as Extremely
Scary. The Phalons may kill you. The Kra'Vak may eat you. But only the SaVasku
will *change* you. For your own good, of course. I'd like to keep them as
enigmatic as possible.
Phalons - let's just say that my take on the Phalons is that they're
even more sociologically fractured than Humans. Factions in the Conglomerate
differ rather more radically from each other than the NSL or ESU, or even Ayn
Rand Objectivists and Maoist Collectivists. They're more like Freudians vs
Jungians, or Creationists vs Evolutionists.
They have different world-views, and will interpret the same event
totally differently.
Common features: They're usually in it for the money. They're almost incapable
of using symbols for wealth rather than wealth itself. The more conservative
of them never did adopt the concept of
"money". The paelo-conservatives never did adopt the concept of "trade"
or "barter", all transfers of wealth happened through what Humans would call
theft.
They have the same attitude towards military force. They are incapable of
understanding "bluff", but are firm believers in "revenge".
Any barter with them is fraught with peril: have too small an escort, and
they'll get insulted, as you obviously value the goods you're sending too
cheaply, and are trying to stiff them, so they'll attack. Not to get the
goods, they'll be out for Blood.
Have too large an excort, they'll think that you must have something REALLY
worth taking, so on the principle of "Never give a sucker an even
break", will send in a huge task force to confiscate it. When they find that
it's just the usual rubbish, they'll get really mad, as you've duped them into
spending lots of resources for nothing.
The concepts of "tripwire" or even "mutual deterrence" isn't in their
psychology. Trading with them is like juggling three bottles: one containing
water, one containing whisky, and one containing
nitro-glycerine.
On the other hand, trade with them can be extremely rewarding:
***
The latter (in my view) are not so much benevolent and decadent as Extremely
Scary. The Phalons may kill you. The Kra'Vak may eat you. But only the SaVasku
will *change* you. For your own good, of course. I'd like to keep them as
enigmatic as possible.
***
I always found them hopeful, but realized that was my commie-pinko
peace/brotherhood hippy liberalism coming to the fore. I'd even say
that we can't be sure we understand what they think our 'good' is, or even if
we have common references for 'good'.
What they TELL us is part of the process of 'adjusting' us...
***
Phalons - let's just say that my take on the Phalons is that they're
even more sociologically fractured than Humans. Factions in the Conglomerate
differ rather more radically from each other than the NSL or ESU, or even Ayn
Rand Objectivists and Maoist Collectivists. They're more like Freudians vs
Jungians, or Creationists vs Evolutionists.
They have different world-views, and will interpret the same event
totally differently.
***
Didn't you get the feeling they are what the Ferengi were supposed to be,
before they became the butt of all galactic jokes? I thought the image the
universe's robber barons, even without the noveau rich opulence and guilt, was
very intriguing.
***
Common features: They're usually in it for the money.
***
Yeah, like that, only alien. ;->=
The_Beast
G'day,
> Phalons - let's just say that my take on the Phalons is that they're
By the sounds ofit fairly similar to what I've been fiddling with for the
Phalons... but that will have to wait for another summer holidays;)
Best get back to Kursk Mars style...
Cheers
> Authors note: I have my own ideas about what the Kra'Vak culture is
In my ideas, the Kra'vak are the good guys.:}
Well done, BTW. Your posts are great reading.
-P.
> The latter (in my view) are not so much benevolent and decadent as
But
> only the SaVasku will *change* you. For your own good, of course. I'd
Heh. I want us to capture one of the SaVasku, just so we can prove once and
for all that they aren't just the Shadows from Babylon 5.:}
(Though, in my mind's eye, I always envision the SaVasku as cute little Ewoks.
Jub jub!)
-P.
> Paul M. M. Jacobus wrote:
But
> only the SaVasku will *change* you. For your own good, of course. I'd
Definitely more like Vorlons. Only the SaVasku, and their Shadow-like
ship organisms, were invented before B5.
> (Though, in my mind's eye, I always envision the SaVasku as cute
Well... Amorphous Deep-sea Ewoks half a block in size, squamous and
possibly non-euclidean, sort of.
Somewhere in the recent archives there's unconfirmed OU pictures of them.
Ah yes... Abandoned (possible) SaVasku ruins
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/120dome2.jpg
Possible SaVasku - the ruins weren't *quite* abandoned after all.
http://www.monstrula.de/filme/quatermass2/still9b.jpg
Sorry about the quality of the images, these came at a low bit rate from
the robot drone that survived long enough to transmit.
Of course these may not be SaVasku, who by most accounts are aquatic.
They may be the equivalent of Guard Dogs/Robots, or (more likely) a
juvenile stage of the life cycle. Little ones. Minnows.
All the more reason to fear them
Mike
[quoted original message omitted]
> On Sat, 8 Jan 2005, Paul M. M. Jacobus wrote:
> > Authors note: I have my own ideas about what the Kra'Vak culture is
In C.J. Cherryh's "Chanur" series, there's a basically co-operating but
fragile multi-species setup that's being threatened by 'obscure
inscrutable alien creatures from beyond the stars we know'.
Pretty standard SF stuff, right? Except (and it's not a spoiler to say this)
the 'obscure aliens' are human, and the 'good guys' & protagonists
are all non-human beings... It's a good twist on a standard SF
background device; Cherryh writes such excellent alien societies that she
makes her premise work well.
I sometimes think the GZGverse could do with a dose of this; we've currently
got THREE OISACFBSWK groups operating there...
G'day,
> OISACFBSWK...
I'll be the dumb arse that goes... Huh?
Thanks
> On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 Beth.Fulton@csiro.au wrote:
> G'day,
<grin> I'm inventing acronyms to kill a dull Saturday afternoon.
"obscure inscrutable alien creatures from beyond the stars we know"
.. but in my defence I did use the phrase earlier in the same email!:)
Ducking,
> Beth.Fulton@csiro.au wrote:
'obscure in-scrutable alien creatures from beyond (the) stars we know'.
A bit like girls, really, to a teenage boy.
Heh. Only to *teenage* boys? Hell, I still don't understand women...
J
--On Sunday, January 09, 2005 12:27 PM +1100 Alan and Carmel Brain
> <aebrain@webone.com.au> wrote:
> Beth.Fulton@csiro.au wrote:
On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 20:42:18 -0500, John K. Lerchey
> <lerchey@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
Who needs to fully understand them?
I find the phrases below to be more than adequate in dealing with mine:
"I'm sorry" "My fault" "Yes, dear" "Have some chocolate"
The answer to any problem not solvable with those phrases is a dozen roses.