I'm very against bringing them back to Mesa Negras. The fact that we can't get back for a while also would suggest that accepting their offering would be (at the very least) a temporary solution to a larger problem. I'm pretty sure if the deal isn't done correctly, we stand to either get mobbed by the locals or turn this First Contact into a planetary-wide escalation.
Who knows how many we -don't- see. In lieu of wholesale xenocide, I say we talk to these people a bit more and stall for time until we can contact MN.
See, that's the part where I ask myself what'll piss them off more: doing the exchange incorrectly or refusing it completely. Judging from how they're going about it, my money's on the latter - especially since we have a chance to do the exchange correctly, if it's just taking the slaves and bidding them goodbye.
If they want something in exchange, we've got a ton of stuff that'd be worth something without being extraordinarily dangerous to give away. Imagine what a tribe of stone age-tech people can do with a half-dozen modern combat knives, for example.
See, that's the part where I ask myself what'll piss them off more: doing the exchange incorrectly or refusing it completely. Judging from how they're going about it, my money's on the latter - especially since we have a chance to do the exchange correctly, if it's just taking the slaves and bidding them goodbye.
If they want something in exchange, we've got a ton of stuff that'd be worth something without being extraordinarily dangerous to give away. Imagine what a tribe of stone age-tech people can do with a half-dozen modern combat knives, for example.
Gatac
Knives? How about strike-anywhere matches, MREs, or maybe some glass beads? I'd rather not give these people things they can use against us some time down the road.
I would have also included diseased blankets but I figured they would be useless in such a climate.
On that note, we could be inadvertantly spreaded/contracting all manner of communicable diseases by just talking with these people. Now, who brought the Smallpox?
Definintely a puzzling quandry. We could go the imperious ruler route and claim that these slaves "aren't good enough". Of course, that risks pissing them off as well.
We can probably have command send through all the glass beads we want. Also, things like Camelbak's and decent backpacks would probably be very useful to them. Not to mention something as simple as a whellbarrow - great for moving heavy stuff around.
I'm for establishing that we're not Imperious Unknown Force Number 17 early, rather than late.
We don't know the nature of the gift...they might not be slaves. This might be a prisoner exchange. It might be a feudal obligation. Regardless, they're going to find out we aren't who we say we are, only if we accept, we've also taken stuff from them.
1) How long before we can talk with Mesa Negras?
2) Hugh is the mission leader and I would default to his choice, good or bad.
3) My personal vote is to do the trade with full knowledge of Mesa Negras not fully backing the decision and the notion that whatever way we decide, we are going to be setting a Terran precedent here for any future contact with the xenohumans.
1. You have 35 minutes before Earth calls you again.
2. Remember, just because your character might be subject to the chain of command doesn't mean you, the player, are. Gatty can roleplay it like it's Hugh's decision, but don't make the poor guy decide on his own.
You know what? We're in a bind. I say we take our "tribute," figure the nature of the deal, and scrub the mission to try recharging on our end until we know more about the local situation. When the next Gate round comes, we gun everything back through the Gate, including our "tribute," the trucks, the Humvees, and every man we have. Quarentine the painted guys on the other end and explain the real situation there, but don't leave anybody on this side where it could still go sour. If the painted guys cooperate, we'll have a set of ambassadors far more fluent in the language than us (as well as local guides) when we get back. If it doesn't...we can work from there.
Worst case scenario: Six hours to charge the Gate on one truck. Three on two. That means, following mathematically, four could do it in 1.5, and six could do it in a mere sixty minutes. If worse comes to worse, we complete the original mission specs by running through a convoy of six trucks and eight or so fireteams and hold only what territiory we need to test the Gate on our end (basically, enough to park all the trucks). We'd still need to find another destination that wouldn't have declared a blood fued, but we'd be done with our objectives.
EDIT: Sorry, I got long-winded. Basically, we get more information, (maybe) accept the trade, and then all pull back to Mesa Negras at the next Gate opening(from their end.
Angel is forming the opinion, science team results not withstanding, that they've run across the high-tech sci-fi equivelent of shot down and looted Huey somewhere in Vietnam.
Hasn't quite incorporated the gate into his theory, but he really dislikes the idea of posing as the gates ah...owners. Random people who have a gate on their planet means we have something in *common* with the Yeti-dog-thingums, rather than playing colonial oppressor. Hearts and minds and all that.
The thing is, we don't know how the locals will react when they find out, and checking with the supposed slave will help us figure that out way faster. And when they have the home field advantage and numbers, I'm not going to piss them off.
The thing is, we don't know how the locals will react when they find out, and checking with the supposed slave will help us figure that out way faster. And when they have the home field advantage and numbers, I'm not going to piss them off.
My issue being this: Assume they react entirely as humans do. You pay someone you fear substantial tribute because you believe them to be powerful, mighty whatever. You then find out they're just some jokers. I'd be righteously pissed. Reference: Cortez v. Montezuma or "What do you mean you aren't a god!?"
And they are *always* going to have the home field advantage and numbers on their side.
The thing is, we don't know how the locals will react when they find out, and checking with the supposed slave will help us figure that out way faster. And when they have the home field advantage and numbers, I'm not going to piss them off.
My issue being this: Assume they react entirely as humans do. You pay someone you fear substantial tribute because you believe them to be powerful, mighty whatever. You then find out they're just some jokers. I'd be righteously pissed. Reference: Cortez v. Montezuma or "What do you mean you aren't a god!?"
And they are *always* going to have the home field advantage and numbers on their side.
Damn. That's a good point too. Nice choice of precedent. I may have to withdraw my earlier statement. I'm just not sure enough to decide at the molment. CrazyIvan may be right about the consequences of telling them we're not gods (or whatever) after we do this exchange and let some time pass.
Dieter
