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KY321B | voice | day 012

Just want to clarify something I said when I first got here:

Whatever brought me to this place didn’t just get me stuck in human form. It actually made me human.

Case in point: sweat glands. Clawdites don’t have them. Humans do.

On a related note: how do you all deal with being so wet all the time? I know it’s how you thermoregulate, but it feels so gross. I feel like I need to be carrying around a towel…

[ It’s one of many, many complaints Zam has about her new human physiology, but in the interest of not offending her majority-human fellow islanders, she’ll keep them to herself. For now. ]

Anyone else get their species swapped upon waking up here? And more importantly: what are the chances we'll be able to be turned back?

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I think you're one of the first people who isn't human to turn up here. But, um... sweating is good! It-it means you're not so dehydrated you can't. It's when you stop sweating that it gets bad. If there's water nearby, you can wash off in that. M-m-maybe not the ocean, thought. That's probably... worse.

[Crusty with salt.]

[ A snort. ] Yeah, all good on that front. I'm a hydrated and healthy endotherm.

[ Well, mostly hydrated. Technically she's still recovering from several days spent wandering the island without water, but she has access to enough now. ]

If this island turns everyone human, I guess we wouldn't know, would we? Some people might just be less inclined to share than I am.

Baseline human here, but... your shape-changing doesn't alter your internal biology at all?

I'm sorry if that's a rude question, but the ability to genetically alter live organisms doesn't fit with the level of technology we've seen so far.

[ Which is not to say that they were genetically altered before they were alive! Because that's the clone theory. And it's very disturbing to some. ]

Not to this extent. I can move around what’s already there, but I can’t create new organs.

Assuming this is a question of technology, then we’re already dealing with something or someone that can potentially teleport people across universes. I don’t see why altering someone’s biology would be too far of a stretch for them either.

[ Hell, it might even be easier. Physiology has always been something with a degree of fluidity to it for Zam. The laws of physics, on the other hand, have always seemed much less flexible.

She adds, wryly: ]

And if it is—the afterlife theory’s still on the table.

It's not that, exactly.

I've heard of other universes, and I know that there are people in my world that have tried to find ways between them. And depending on how a power works, that's something that could be blocked in several ways.

But those are things that can be done instantly, by an outside force. I can't think of any way to add or remove whole internal systems that wouldn't take time, assuming it was even possible. Magic, maybe, but I don't have a frame of reference for how much power that kind of thing would take.

It's not really that one is more feasible than the other, they're just sort of... categorically different. You know?

And no offense, but an afterlife that makes everyone human seems dumb. Not that you're dumb for suggesting it, but whoever is in charge of it is seriously weird.

[ They're probably staying in the same camp at this point, but Squalo's constantly off with errands, so he figures he might as well respond over the radio. Zam will probably recognize his voice, at least (it's hard not to), loud and scratchy and barking a laugh that's obnoxious on the ears. ]

If you're enjoying sweat glands, can't wait to hear your opinion about bladders.

Maybe? I- but it can't be everyone. Well... maybe it can? I don't know. I sort of have a theory about some of the animals getting brought here the same way we've been. So-so why would they get to stay like they are, but you got changed?

[...]

Not that I'm implying you're like an animal! Oh, god. Sorry! That came out- I just- I-I mean non-human-

Maybe it's because you're a person? L-like a sapient person.

I'm still very much an android, like I previously mentioned, but the physiological changes I've noticed in myself... [ Here he's grimacing at the thought of being turned into a human. How horrific. ] Could be it's this place trying to make me closer to a human. HE412T mentioned being human but losing all his powers, too. Almost like — whatever brought us here is trying to equalise us?

[ K's tone is wry; he's teasing Martin. ] Speaking as one of the other resident non-humans, I think I'd rather be likened to an animal than a human.

[ Look, he has complicated feelings about the species responsible for enslaving and abusing him and his kind. ]

[ Zam actually chuckles at his panicked apologies. ] Hey, relax—I know what you mean. I hadn't heard about the animals showing up here, but yeah, sounds like whatever human-ification effect they're hitting people with only extends to sapients.

Guess we've got to ask ourselves: if the thing bringing us over has some kind of agenda, why's it need all the people on the island to be human? [ A wry huff of laughter. ] I'd guess it wanted a level playing field, but that didn't stop it from bringing me in minus an arm.

Huh. So this place didn't make you human—just more human than you were before?

[ It's still odd to think that he's a droid—or, was one anyway. He doesn't look nor sound anything like one to her, but then, that could've just been another change wrought by the island. She wonders what he looked like before this place. ]

Maybe someone really is trying to make it a level playing field, then. Or to set some kind of experimental baseline.

I don't think we have the information to draw any solid conclusions yet, but... I don't know. This feels significant.

Edited 2023-07-09 11:36 (UTC)

[ Zam's first reaction to this responses is baffled silence. Her second is delighted, incredulous laughter. ]

Wait, wait—are you under the impression that humans are the only ones in the galaxy that piss?

[ She knows humans can have some pretty odd ideas about other sapient species, but that about takes the cake. ]

Why shouldn't an afterlife be dumb? Everything I heard about it while I was alive sounded dumb. [ She says it half-laughing, but there's a sourness there that's unusual for her. It's been in the back of her mind since she arrived now—that, if the Mabari were right and her changing her face really was a sin, then trapping her in the false form she most often took would be an all-too-fitting cosmic punishment. Honestly, the only thing stopping that idea from truly taking root is that there are other natural-born humans here with her—not other damned Clawdites. ]

But fine. I'm not really attached to the afterlife theory, anyway. Fact of the matter is, something changed me from Clawdite to human, and whether it was tech or magic, it seems like a hell of a lot of trouble to go through without reason.

[ She blows out a breath. ]

Not that we've got enough to work with to figure out what that reason is yet, but it's something to keep in mind.

[ Give her a second with that, she never really formed any particular feelings about religion. ]

...Yeah, fair.

It's a piece of the puzzle. I just wish we had more than, like, 5.

It'd be nice if any other not-baseline-humans spoke up now, see if "human" really is the standard here, but it's reasonable for everyone to be suspicious.

I- um. [How do you even respond to that? He can tell K is joking, but he doesn't know the man well enough to gauge where lines might be on humor. Is a human joking about that okay, or only other non-humans? Probably best to just... slide past it.] I'll just... try to avoid comparing anyone who's a person to an animal. That-that seems like a better idea. Nicer, certainly.

I mean, it's just a theory, but we had a really random assortment of birds that some people mentioned, and then my group ran into a dinosaur. So, it... just seems like those might mean there are random creatures being dropped here on the island. There might not even be a consciousness behind it. If there's some sort of-of tear in reality, it would make sense, right? It wouldn't just be people coming through. Just whoever or whatever was unlucky enough to get caught in it.

I don't know why it would trap you in one form, though. Or leave you without an arm.

Oh, that's not even the worst part about sweating, mija. Wait until you experience the smell! Whew! Am I right or am I right?

Any chance you think that could explain objects? I know I've been thinking, well, if it's here, it probably belonged to someone who was here before... but maybe things can wash up too. Like people.

I don't see why not. Them coming from people who washed up makes sense, as well. Maybe it's a combination?

Yeah, it probably is. [ A sigh. ] Makes it harder to tell what kind of people came before us. What we have in common with them. If anything we find could've belonged to someone who was here before, but it coulda just washed up by itself too...

[ Oh no, his humour clearly missed the mark. If anything Martin seems even more awkward now. Sounding a bit deflated and apologetic, K agrees: ] You're probably right. Sorry, shouldn't have interrupted.

[ She's welcome! ]

Hey, how the fuck would I know? [ The words may be harsh, but his tone is conversational, like they're two buddies shooting the shit. ] You're the one waltzing in here with your-- lack of glands.

[ He gestures at the radio out of habit, forgetting it can't be seen. ]

We don't have lizard people on other planets where I'm from, so I don't exactly have a frame of reference.

[ They had at least one alien, to be fair, but that was... complicated. ]

What we've found seems like sort of... modern trash? Except what was in those drones, I guess. I saw what you and Kokichi did with them and the computer.

Um... was it a great idea to take the computer completely apart?

[Just. You know? They could have used that later with the password.]

[ OOPS. Busted. There's a soft "ah..." and a moment of sheepish silence on the other end before Lalo's voice comes back as cheery as ever. ]

Ay, ay, ay, don't worry about it! It'll be fine. I already thought about that. There's one at the other place, too! Where the detective is. We can use that one when we find the password!

'Course, we might need to get the power back on first. But, ah! Details.

No, no! It's okay. I just don't want to cause any offense. I'm, um... w-we don't have anybody who's not human where I'm from. Not people, I mean.

[He shouldn't have made that clarification.]

It's just good to be mindful.

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