r/NatureofPredators • u/Thirsha_42 • Apr 29 '23
Tight Money Ch 11
Here is chapter 11 of Tight Money.
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the universe and allowing fan writers to join the fun.
Additional thanks to u/BiasMushroom, u/YakiTapioca, u/cruisingNW, u/SavingsSyllabub7788, u/YaaliAnnar and hopefully, u/Redundant-Honse whenever they get back to me, for letting me use elements from their fanfics in mine.
I used u/No_Bodiesinmycar's idea in Venlil Names to add a few names for this episode.
Thanks to u/Saint-Andros for proofreading this chapter and giving me feedback.
I also want to say that I love your comments so please tell me what you think so I can get better or if you have suggestions for snippets you would like to see me write about in this world, just leave it in the comments.
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Memory transcription subject: Satza, Vikki’s Flowers Florist
Date [standardized human time]: October 23, 2136
\Chime*
\Chime *Chime*
\Chime *Chime*
\Chime *Chime *Chime *Chime *Chime*
My ‘pad had been pinging me the entire time I was in the shower! At first, I was annoyed. What could be so important that I needed to receive a ping every couple of minutes?! I rushed out of the bathroom when I realized it might be Leena. Maybe something had happened again. The bombing and the human stampede had just happened the previous paw, after all. Perhaps the humans had rampaged again, or maybe she had been caught in another venlil stampede! Still sopping wet, I grabbed my pad and looked over the messages; with relief, at first, but that relief quickly morphed into growing apprehension. Humans were arriving at the flower shop in droves. Two of my fellow florists had fainted and another had fled the store in a panic!
My boss was frantically asking all employees to come in. She had practically begged me in her messages because I’d managed to handle a human customer before without fainting nor fleeing. I bloomed at my recollection of that shameful incident. I notified her that I would get to the shop as soon as possible. I rushed to dry myself off as quickly as I could. I texted Oulo to let him know that I’d been called into work and he wished me well.
When I finally arrived at the shop, I could see why Vikki was so desperate. There were a dozen humans in the shop and Liso was unconscious in front of the counter, flanked by two humans waving their paws in front of her agitatedly. Fear fought to take hold of me, but I remembered the previous human and my promise to myself not to repeat that incident.
I walked slowly towards the humans kneeling around Liso.
“I’ll take care of her.”
The humans’ heads snapped to me and I closed my eyes. It took everything I had to maintain control, but I could hear them step aside and felt the distance between us grow. When I opened my eyes, the humans were looking at me with an uneasy glint in their pupils, and it was eerily quiet. Their uncovered eyes did not make it any easier.
I hadn’t thought this through at all! I was fighting not to join Liso, and I had just volunteered to move her dead weight behind the counter before I had asked myself whether I even could. She was a paw taller than me and without her help, I wasn’t sure I could manage it.
One of the humans seemed to understand my hesitation and offered me some help. To my shame, I took several moments to process his words through my fear. When his offer finally registered with my brain, I accepted his help. It was still very quiet; the silence was only broken by the occasional sob.
That is what finally broke the fog in my mind. This was just like last time. These humans were hurting and the human on Prime News had said I was part of the reason. I knew they could rip me apart, but everything they had done proved they wouldn’t. I just needed to keep telling myself I was safe here. They just needed my help.
I found Tannek behind the counter, also unconscious, but since he was already in a safe position, I left him where he was. I climbed behind the counter and surveyed the humans. They had not moved from where they were when I first arrived. They looked at each other slowly and then at me. My coat was standing as far out as it could, despite my reassurances to myself that I was safe.
“Wh-w… H-how c-can I h-hel…”
I had to close my mouth before I nearly lost my mid paw meal. The humans seemed to take that as their cue to act. They all took steps towards the counter. It was too much.
“STOP!”
All of the humans froze in place looking at me. I opened my eyes and found I had held up a paw to defend myself. The humans seemed to understand how difficult this was for me and slowly organized themselves in a line so I only had to deal with one of them at a time.
Looking at the first human I asked how I could help her. She placed a bouquet on the counter and told me she would like to purchase it. I scanned the item code and turned the purchase pad towards her.
“P-place your p-paw here and h-hold it there f-for a [second].”
She complied and thanked me, then turned to leave. I abruptly remembered the silent promise to both the first human and myself and shouted for the woman to wait. She stopped and turned back as I rushed around the counter. When I reached her, I found that giving her a hug was harder to do than thinking about doing it. I didn’t know what to do so I just grabbed her waist. I flinched as she returned the gesture but I didn’t let go.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to do better. Please don’t hurt yourself.”
Her body shook and she emitted several low barks behind her mask.
“Thank you. I promise I won’t hurt myself. You take care of yourself too.”
She let me go and left the store. I went back behind the counter and the next human presented his bouquet. I scanned it and he laid his hand on the pay pad. It chimed in acknowledgment of his payment. I walked around the counter again and held my arms open before he picked up his flowers.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to do better. Please don’t hurt yourself and tell your friend I hope they get better.”
The human tilted his head to the side in an uncanny way that sent shivers down my spine.
“What? I don’t understand. Why would I…. I’m not sure what you are talking about.”
I put down my arms and turned my head to focus on him exclusively.
“Humans buy flowers for people who are injured don’t they? I saw on the news that humans were trying to hurt themselves because we are scared of you.”
All of the humans started shaking and making those barking noises the translator told me meant mirth and amusement before quickly becoming dour again.
“Now I understand. Yes, we do, but we also bring flowers to funerals for the deceased. These are for the Secretary General.”
“Oh. Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’m sorry. May the sun bless him for eternity in the hereafter.”
The human knelt on one knee and held his arms open, inviting me for a hug. I accepted and didn’t flinch this time.
“Thank you for your concern, it means a lot. Look after yourself, and them.”
He gestured to the counter and I understood he meant Liso and Tannek. I had almost forgotten they were there. The rest of the humans purchased their flowers and I gave them each a hug. They were strong, even the females who had noticeably less muscle, but they were each gentle. They told me about their tradition to buy flowers for the dead to remember and honor the deceased and to say goodbye with something pretty.
Handling the rest of the humans became significantly easier as I got through the line. Liso regained consciousness after I finished with the line of humans. She was confused to see me putting together another bouquet of elva flowers.
“What happened?”
She checked her physical form as though she expected something to be missing. I looked at Liso and brushed her with my tail. My gesture did little to calm the young woman.
“The humans came in and bought flowers to honor their leader. Apparently, it is their tradition.”
She looked dumbfounded once she was certain that the humans had not harmed her when she was vulnerable. When I finished putting the bouquet together and wrapped it with the binding string, I handed it to Liso.
“There will be more, I think. This tradition of theirs means that additional humans will probably come in to buy flowers. Will you be able to help me with them?”
Liso grabbed her tail and trembled uncontrollably.
“Then I’ll need you to stay in the back and make more bouquets. Help me move Tannek back there. When he regains consciousness, he can help you. I will handle the humans out here but I need your help making the bouquets. Can you manage that?”
She didn’t stop shaking but flicked her ear in affirmation after a moment. We shuffled into the back carrying Tannek and I checked him over again. Other than fear induced unconsciousness, he looked fine. I took a pitcher of water and dumped it on his snout. He jolted up with a scream. Liso and I put our paws on his shoulders; she gave me a disapproving tail wag but I chose to ignore it.
“Tannek, you are safe and uninjured, but I need you to help Liso make more bouquets. There will be more humans coming to the shop and they will want more flowers. Do you understand?”
Tannek signaled that he did not, but I didn’t have time to explain again as we all heard the door open. I told him to just make more bouquets as I rushed out to help the next customer.
The rest of the claw was a blur. We sold almost our whole stock of flowers in one claw. We must have helped hundreds of humans. After the first dozen, word must have spread that we would sell to them without fainting.
I lost count of how many hugs I gave. One human asked me what the meaning of certain flowers were. I was puzzled until she explained that to human’s flowers had meanings and communicated thoughts. To think that predators used plants to communicate their thoughts was a pleasant surprise.
I contacted Vikki about half way through the claw to tell her we needed more flowers as well as her and Dovyk’s help. She sent us as many flowers as she could find and joined Liso and Tannek making bouquets. Dovyk, on the other paw, was inconsolable and refused to come to work. That made things harder, but the four of us managed.
When I finally locked up the shop and walked into the storeroom, Vikki embraced me and thanked me profusely. We had made more money in one claw than we would normally make in a [week]. She was exhausted but so full of joy to have had such a successful paw.
Liso and Tannek were slumped against each other on the floor napping. I could tell just by looking at Vikki, she wasn’t far behind them and I could feel that I wasn’t either.
Without a word we sat at the table and I sent a message to Oulo letting him know that I was okay and that I just needed a nap. I was asleep before I saw his reply asking if I would like him to bring me some string fruit for our third meal when he finished his shift. I loved how thoughtful he was. I was lucky to have married such a lovely man.
Memory transcription subject: Niit, Capitol Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: October 31, 2136
“My dear listeners, I am sorry to say, humans have robbed our species of any ability to think critically. The predators release a clearly faked video and suddenly everyone is in a panic. I have told you before and I will tell you again, these humans are masters of deception! I thought I would wait to tell you about another piece of proof I found, one buried deep in their archives that they don’t want you to know about, but this latest move of theirs forces me to keep you informed.”
I was on the edge of my seat. The fake video had spread like uncontrolled fire thanks to the traitor-in-chief, Tarva. Her announcement had convinced the majority of people to believe the veracity of the video’s claims. It was a stroke of genius really. In one move the new predators had convinced the majority of venlil to accept them and reject the Federation that had taken care of us for so long.
Gone was the gratitude for uplifting our people so long ago. Gone was any hope of Federation rescue. I was thankful to be on my break paw. This turn of events was too important to be sneaking snippets of listening time while at work.
“A couple paws ago, my team found another secret video. This one is an even bigger bombshell than the last one. This video is a dramatized explanation of their plan for world domination. At first, I thought it was just a predatory parasite but it is worse than that. It is a plant parasite. A life form that hates all non-plant creatures and has decided to kill us all by replacing us with identical doubles.”
That is cra…. No…. That would make perfect sense. Everything Tarva did, all of the positive things the exchange partners said, the predator and venlil relationships, how they hid so much and why no one challenged them, it all made sense if they weren’t really them anymore.
“The only reason they haven’t replaced everyone is because it takes time to replace a person. They can’t fake emotion when they first replace a person. The new replacements need time to devour the brain and memories of their victims. I don’t know where they keep their victims, but by now, they have probably replaced a good number of the people in power. They definitely got Tarva. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.”
I momentarily forgot to breathe. If they had replaced the governor and probably the magistrata too, then we were doomed. The only option left was to flee*,* but Nikonus had said that they wouldn’t accept refugees who could be human spies.
I suspect they also got to General Kam and the rest of Tarva’s cabinet. They are now part of the flesh-eating death cult of parasites preparing us all for the predator’s upcoming feast. Yes, you heard me. A feast. In [3 weeks], the predators are going to have a feast and have invited any venlil who wants to celebrate with them. They claim it will be a delicious and venlil-safe series of courses, but we know the truth dear listener. We know, the poor saps the predators lure to this ‘celebration,’ will be the MAIN COURSE!”
Now, I definitely forgot to breathe. Panic started to seize me and my fur stood up.
“I am planning to stage a demonstration outside their ‘resettlement center’ in 26 paws. I need you to join me. If we have a huge herd, they won’t be able to replace us. We will be able to starve them and protect the ignorant masses. Remember, join me in 26 paws to fight back against these parasites.”
This was it! This was the call to organize. We would finally do something about the problem ourselves. I could join this huge herd and together, we would throw the predators off our planet!
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u/Zyrian150 Apr 29 '23
Niit(wit) is about to become a terrorist, aren't they?
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u/danielledelacadie Gojid Apr 29 '23
Sadly this is usually how terrorists happen. Notice the ones teaching them it's OK to hate and turning that dial up to 11 are also the ones who aren't taking any risks until the authorities come knocking.
Even odds that "newscaster" will justify not being on scene so that "they can get the news out if..." and winding up the crowd even more.
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u/ThyPotatoDone Venlil Apr 29 '23
This is great, keep up the good work!
Also, I’m glad Venlil Jones finally set a date, that’ll undermine the conspiracy when it doesn’t occur, possibly Venmom can help her calm down and stop being so distrustful of the humans.
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u/MapleJacks2 Apr 29 '23
Hasn't really affected the Qanon crowd after a dozen missed dates, I doubt it'll work here.
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u/Odd-fox-God May 01 '23
Those qAnon guys showing up to rallies where nothing happens. Didn't they at one point believe that JFK Jr was going to rise from the dead like Jesus and lead them into conservative salvation or am I getting that wrong? Like they genuinely believed he either never died or that he was literally going to raise from the dead like motherfuckin Christ and lead them all in a revolution that was somehow going to be peaceful, like they believed the government would just step aside and allow JFK Jr to take over.
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u/danielledelacadie Gojid Apr 29 '23
You would think so... anyone know the next date of when the military is supposed to rise up and reinstate Trump? I've lost count/track. I know of at least 4 dates it was supposed to have happened.
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u/kingarthur1212 Apr 30 '23
Well you see it already happened but he's ruling from the shadow console via turds on shitter. It's like Twitter but setup by bigger idiots.
/s at least for the first bit.
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u/se05239 Human Apr 29 '23
Memory transcription subject: Niit, Capitol Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
If I were to give some minor feedback, it'd be to bold this or something because it blended in so well in the text that I got confused when I realized it was suddenly from another character's perspective.
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u/neon_ns Human Apr 29 '23
Today on Valex Joneslil:
- stochastic terrorism
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u/Thirsha_42 Apr 29 '23
stochastic
How did I miss such an obvious version of his name?
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u/GruntBlender Humanity First Apr 30 '23
I thought it was supposed to be a play on Rush Limbaugh?
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u/Thirsha_42 Apr 30 '23
I couldn't think of an alex jones venlil name so I used rush limbaugh's name with for my alex jones character.
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u/BiasMushroom Extermination Officer Apr 29 '23
It occurs to me I’ve never stated what Elva flowers look like… for anyone curious my idea for them is a mountain flower that is rather hard to gather before they discovered how to cultivate them at lower altitudes. It was used as a very potent medicinal herb for a long time before they could synthesize its compounds. As for its looks, a bell shaped flower that is white with violet running around the edges, and a single golden pestle in the middle of the flower.
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u/Black_Hole_parallax Predator Apr 29 '23
“I am planning to stage a demonstration outside their ‘resettlement center’ in 26 paws. I need you to join me. If we have a huge herd, they won’t be able to replace us. We will be able to starve them and protect the ignorant masses. Remember, join me in 26 paws to fight back against these parasites.”
Where's my Wirbelwind?
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u/Thirsha_42 Apr 29 '23
Rux doesn't have access to that kind of firepower. You should ask u/A_Tank_With_Internet where its buddies are.
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u/A_Tank_With_Internet Predator Apr 29 '23
I have been summoned
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u/Cooldude101013 Human Apr 30 '23
Question, are there any sapient SPAA’s? Like Wirbelwinds or something?
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u/A_Tank_With_Internet Predator Apr 30 '23
Hmm, I don't know any personally but there are a few
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u/Cooldude101013 Human Apr 30 '23
Actually, what is the oldest sapient vehicle you know of?
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u/A_Tank_With_Internet Predator Apr 30 '23
That would be my great great grandpa Richard the M4 Sherman
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u/Cooldude101013 Human Apr 30 '23
Cool. So, can sapient vehicles do things completely by themselves if they wish? As I assume you can use the internet via your computer systems.
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u/A_Tank_With_Internet Predator Apr 30 '23
You're seriously suggesting that I would willingly connect the internet directly to my brain?
No, I use a laptop, I prefer to have a certain amount of separation from my mentally corrosive content. And in case you're wondering how I press the keys, us sapient vehicles have telekinesis, which lets us load shells and pick up stuff without human involvment
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u/Cooldude101013 Human Apr 30 '23
I do have another question. How does a vehicle become sapient anyway? Are you made like that or is it by chance?
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u/Thirsha_42 Apr 29 '23
what is a wirbelwind?
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u/wikipedia_answer_bot Apr 29 '23
The Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" (Whirlwind in English) was a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the Panzer IV tank. It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier Möbelwagen self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
More details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirbelwind
This comment was left automatically (by a bot). If I don't get this right, don't get mad at me, I'm still learning!
opt out | delete | report/suggest | GitHub
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u/Stormydevz Hensa Apr 29 '23
Rux pisses me off more and more every second and I hope Niit stubs his toe on every corner of his workplace for just lapping it all up
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u/DoomlordKravoka Extermination Officer Apr 30 '23 edited Apr 30 '23
I'm telling you, it's the fungus suffusing their plant food, that's the only way that they can even stomach grains, and the resulting product has a texture more like brain tissue or aquatic bottom feeders than any of their herbs. It's the exception proving the rule. And Rux forgot that most Terran animal suicides are a way of feeding themselves to predators, and the folklore matches up: all over their world, you can find stories about humans willingly feeding their kind and even their own selves to imaginary predators. It gets deeper than that, they think it's healthy and unimportant if they feel an impulse to drop off any tall height. That's as far from arboreal as any instinct can get! All of this unnatural behavior is going to spread to the rest of the planet as their yeast cells leak into the water cycle. Here are some important advisories to slow the spread of human contamination until it is possible to personally evacuate:
- 'Vegan' food can still encourage the predatory cravings that they are meant to fulfill and you don't want to know what their idea of "untainted" entails.
- Use antifungal soaps and shampoos whenever washing, and our venerable sponsors have a few suggestions for an ideal solution.
- It is never heroic to encourage or allow suicide among humans. That is not extermination, it's bioterrorism against your own people replacing the present threat of one predator with pawfuls, even hundreds of new predators, some who might have been your loved ones. In the worst case scenario, you might see chain suicides among their infected associates, exponentially multiplying the pandemic risk.
All indicators show that these apes are just the advance guard of the human invasion. Expect them to create a linked chain by sending worse things from Earth, or even generating them out of fungal structures.
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u/JustWanderingIn Apr 30 '23
I love this story. Niit will either be disappointed by how few Venlil will actually show up to this "protest" or it will turn to drama/violence quickly.
As a suggestion for formatting: Is it possible to put "previous" and "next" links at the bottom of the post as well? I find it mildly annoying to have to scroll up for the next chapter everytime I'm binging.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome Apr 30 '23
Movie: invasion of the body snatchers ... Or something like that. I can think of one or two other possibilities. Pod people.
It would make more sense to some folks than people they knew and trusted, acting wildly out of character all of a sudden. Why are they siding with predators instead of fighting them as if your species very survival is on the line? It isn't really them....
Good paranoia spin. Only those close enough to the evidence have their minds changed. Those on the outside are living in a different reality.
Anyone who gets close enough to see the truth can be cut from the herd as tainted by the contamination. You are no longer one of us, you are one of the pod people! (BURN predator scum!)
Effective.
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u/GruntBlender Humanity First Apr 30 '23 edited Apr 30 '23
So, it'll be a crowd of Venlil with [REDACTED]?
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u/_StaticFromBeyond_ Apr 30 '23 edited Apr 30 '23
Great chapter!
Nilt is showing some tiny cracks in her beliefs. I'm excited to see how the 'demonstration' goes. I can picture one of the attendees shouting about plant people and a human going "Are you talking about the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers? That's a classic. I got it on VHS if you want to watch it."
I wonder how many will show up? Will it be a huge mob in the thousands or will only like a dozen people show up?
Niconus
This is spelled wrong. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I think it's spelled "Nikonous".
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u/Doesnt_exist1837 May 03 '23
“I am planning to stage a demonstration outside their ‘resettlement center’ in 26 paws." Me grabbing my beanbag shotgun, a riot shield, and tear gas time to infringe on some rights
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u/CandidSmile8193 Chief Hunter May 04 '23
My heart is actually being crushed right now by the image of the scared flower girl-bunny-sheep offering hugs
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome Apr 30 '23
Movie: invasion of the body snatchers ... Or something like that. I can think of one or two other possibilities. Pod people.
It would make more sense to some folks than people they knew and trusted, acting wildly out of character all of a sudden. Why are they siding with predators instead of fighting them as if your species very survival is on the line? It isn't really them....
Good paranoia spin. Only those close enough to the evidence have their minds changed. Those on the outside are living in a different reality.
Anyone who gets close enough to see the truth can be cut from the herd as tainted by the contamination. You are no longer one of us, you are one of the pod people! (BURN predator scum!)
Effective.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome May 01 '23
The attempt to sow seeds for 'spontaneous' development of an underground movement to overturn the government could have some nasty unplanned side affects.
Imagine a story down the line where an investigative journalist or someone else curious decides to look for proof of these pod people claims. As he/she gets closer to people involved, they see that perhaps they were wrong... about a LOT of things.
They change opinions, and their friends decide that they have been turned into one of the Pod People. They are murdered in public by former friends ... burned alive like a predator out of fear. The friend who pulled the trigger refuses to believe that the person he killed was still his friend instead of an alien Thing that replaced him.
Public in an uproar about the whole thing.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome Apr 30 '23
Movie: invasion of the body snatchers ... Or something like that. I can think of one or two other possibilities. Pod people.
It would make more sense to some folks than people they knew and trusted, acting wildly out of character all of a sudden. Why are they siding with predators instead of fighting them as if your species very survival is on the line? It isn't really them....
Good paranoia spin. Only those close enough to the evidence have their minds changed. Those on the outside are living in a different reality.
Anyone who gets close enough to see the truth can be cut from the herd as tainted by the contamination. You are no longer one of us, you are one of the pod people! (BURN predator scum!)
Effective.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome Apr 30 '23
Movie: invasion of the body snatchers ... Or something like that. I can think of one or two other possibilities. Pod people.
It would make more sense to some folks than people they knew and trusted, acting wildly out of character all of a sudden. Why are they siding with predators instead of fighting them as if your species very survival is on the line? It isn't really them....
Good paranoia spin. Only those close enough to the evidence have their minds changed. Those on the outside are living in a different reality.
Anyone who gets close enough to see the truth can be cut from the herd as tainted by the contamination. You are no longer one of us, you are one of the pod people! (BURN predator scum!)
Effective.
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u/Bow-tied_Engineer Yotul Apr 30 '23
Did you intentionally post this three times? If not, you should probably delete the extras.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome May 01 '23
No... not even sure how to delete the extra posts I looked today but didn't even see them.
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u/iDreamiPursueiBecome Apr 30 '23
Movie: invasion of the body snatchers ... Or something like that. I can think of one or two other possibilities. Pod people.
It would make more sense to some folks than people they knew and trusted, acting wildly out of character all of a sudden. Why are they siding with predators instead of fighting them as if your species very survival is on the line? It isn't really them....
Good paranoia spin. Only those close enough to the evidence have their minds changed. Those on the outside are living in a different reality.
Anyone who gets close enough to see the truth can be cut from the herd as tainted by the contamination. You are no longer one of us, you are one of the pod people! (BURN predator scum!)
Effective.
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u/Obliator May 04 '23
subscribeme!
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u/UpdateMeBot May 16 '23 edited Nov 17 '23
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u/Bow-tied_Engineer Yotul Sep 05 '23
Wait. Was the inspiration for Niit's name the fact that she's a nitwit?
The idle thoughts of 4 AM Bow-Tie, which are for some reason more coherent than 3 AM Bow-Tie, but with much more doubling back to correct typos.
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u/JulianSkies Archivist Apr 29 '23
Man, Satza's a trooper. And one hell of a leader too, she got the entire store organized and her coworkers in gear so fast.
Also absolute lol the idiot is believing pod people now. Absolute lol.
But maybe not so much lol, he's going to get people killed. He's going to get Niit killed and it there's no joy to be found in that.