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Poll

Who is your favorite Hero?

Arkun-Sha! Bringing down the chieftan was so badass I almost forgot it was scripted.
- 6 (31.6%)
Alca-un. She's the most badass, of course!
- 5 (26.3%)
Ulla-Sha. Going on a century didn't stop her from whooping ass.
- 7 (36.8%)
Amma-ah, she's so caring and kind, how could you not like her?
- 1 (5.3%)

Total Members Voted: 19


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Author Topic: The Starborn [Xenofiction?]  (Read 77313 times)

kaian-a-coel

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #675 on: January 02, 2013, 05:21:42 pm »

Quote
If they really were the same nucleic acids, why would the four letters be arranged differently?
That's like saying "If I compare an ape and a human, why would their DNA be different?". Sure, there would be some similar sequences concerning production of similar proteins (as is evident from the rat-human comparison I posted earlier) but overall the DNA sequence would be vastly different.
Nope. 99.8% similar between chimps and homo sapiens.
More like 95% and only because we have a relatively recent common ancestor. I can change it to "a cat and a human" or "a carp and a human" or whatever. They are alien goblins, not apes. Just said apes because they look similar to humans. Plus, if you could put human and ape DNA sequences side by side you would end up seeing many differences because there have been many deletions and insertions in ape and human DNA since they diverged from their common ancestor. They would only look similar if you were comparing similar regions of similar nucleotides .
     Is that a creationist website? I question the validity of the source.
     For putting side by side and counting differences between genes, that's where the 99% come from... It means that of the bazillion nucleotides of the DNA, less than 1% (of the significant DNA, that is genes themselves) of the nucleotides changed between chimps and humans.
     Yes, that 99% similarity is because of the very recent common ancestor, that's how we infer when the separation took place by the way. Cats, carp or whatever would have more difference, but it'll stay "mostly the same" with "some differences" rather than the reverse. We share like 60% genes sequences with rice.
     One big difference between chimps and humans' DNA is the merging of two chromosomes in humans. It messed up the organisation without touching actual sequence very much (I don't have much knowledge about this particular event though).
     And to come back to our goblins, being aliens, it's obviously convergence (or aliens), so vastly different sequences indeed.

/OOC

Jam that, please!
I think it's probably a computer bug.
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #676 on: January 02, 2013, 05:47:28 pm »

As it so happens, the bases are the medium of estimating differences with the least amount of difference.

Imagine you have a bible written by Saint Peter, 2,000 years ago, and one which was made by copying that bible, then copying the copy, then copying the copy's copy, etc, over two thousand years until you have an imaginary, handwritten copy of the bible. Over time, changes will be introduced. How different are they? Going by testaments, they're 100% different--each testiment is different by at least one character. Going by books of the bible, the figure may be a bit lower--90%, say. For chapters, there might by 75% difference--25% of the chapters are exactly as Peter wrote. For verses, maybe 60% are different; maybe 40% of the words; and only 5% of the characters differ between Peter's bible and this modern one. Without specification, you could say that the copies are 95% identical or 10% identical, and not be lying.

Both 99.8% and 95% could be correct.
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Parisbre56

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #677 on: January 02, 2013, 06:03:43 pm »

Is that a creationist website? I question the validity of the source.
Oh, crap, I didn't see that! I was kind of in a hurry so I picked the first site that I found that supported my ideas. Well, I guess I failed both in research and in observation. Bad Paris, *sprays water on Paris* do better reaserch next time!

But for the rest GreatWyrmGold has said what I meant and in a much better way.

Plus, since our bodies perform at least similar functions I think our DNA would be similar to a mix of hominid and bug DNA, so we again should have some (few) parts similar. Unless our bodies perform the same functions in a vastly different way which is also likely.

GreatWyrmGold

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #678 on: January 02, 2013, 06:09:06 pm »

Or, of course, if the genetic code means something different. Unlikely if the Ancient Astronauts exist, though.
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Origami_Psycho

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #679 on: January 03, 2013, 10:42:08 am »

As far as the DNA debate goes, they have had some time, and seeing as how they can sequence DNA in mere seconds, which is already like magic, I see no reason why they couldn't just use mass spectrometry or something of the like to determine what, if any, nucleic acids the goblins use.  It perfectly possible that their equivalent of DNA have a cyclohexane backbone instead of ribose.  And further more, they could just as easily have a different molecule as their genetic information.  We don't know, and Karne hasn't told us.  For all we know, our genetic information is stored in microscopic skittles made of ammonia and are put there by ghostly vampire cavies.

now then, onto the land suggestions
Find a way to jam or break it.  It is acceptable to use Ulla if we can move her without waking her up
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Karnewarrior

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #680 on: January 03, 2013, 03:50:11 pm »

You tear a small strip off a blanket and try to wedge it in the lock. But instead of shutting, this time it just stays open, until you pull the wadded up cloth away. Then it refuses to open.

By the suns this lock is screwing with you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For all we know, our genetic information is stored in microscopic skittles made of ammonia and are put there by ghostly vampire cavies.
Now I'm going to have to find a way to make this canon yet totally plausible..

Damn you Psycho. Damn you and all the voices in your head.

The Guinea Pigs were already in the story though. Not vampire ones, but ghostly guinea pigs.
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Parisbre56

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #681 on: January 03, 2013, 05:24:16 pm »

joking: Curse all locks and their plans to drive you mad! Begin making a plan for a way to rid all doors from the tyranny of their locks.

Seriously, if the lock keeps screwing with us just leave the door open. If it continues doing that after the door has been opened then either smash the lock to pieces or bring a human to have a look at it.

Hmmm... Maybe the lock is trying to communicate with us in some kind of lock morse code?

For all we know, our genetic information is stored in microscopic skittles made of ammonia and are put there by ghostly vampire cavies.
That's completely unrealistic. Ghosts aren't affected by syndromes, so they can't be vampires.

rabidgam3r

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #682 on: January 03, 2013, 05:29:36 pm »

Vampires can become ghosts, though.
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Koliup

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #683 on: January 03, 2013, 05:35:21 pm »

I suggest we trick the lock into a state where we can open the door, then leave it slightly ajar so the lock stops going in and out, and we can sleep.
If it continues clicking, even after we leave the door ajar. We brutalize the lock with our bed frame bit.
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Parisbre56

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #684 on: January 03, 2013, 06:59:33 pm »

Vampires can become ghosts, though.
Yes, but is Vampirism an ailment of the body or the soul? Are ghost composed of soul-stuff, mind-stuff or body-stuff or a combination of the three? Does Vampirism persist after death or is it merely a title indicative of the life the ghost once lived?  I mean if we assume Vampirism a disease and not some kind of divine punishment then we c-...

No. I'm not going to argue about ghost vampire alien cavies. Even evil has contrarians have standards.

rabidgam3r

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #685 on: January 03, 2013, 07:24:28 pm »

I believe that the soul is naught but imagined. 'I think therefore i am', in essence.


Yay, look at my educated side! i honestly don't let it out much, so its stale. Also, my favorite word is "Naught".
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Origami_Psycho

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #686 on: January 04, 2013, 10:11:35 am »

A ghost is an electrical storm.
Gently wake Ulla and ask if she knows any good shaman magic.  Mainly curses and hexes and the like.
Or just get Alca to go all badass on the lock.
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Parisbre56

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #687 on: January 05, 2013, 08:31:59 am »

Gently wake Ulla and ask if she knows any good shaman magic.  Mainly curses and hexes and the like.
Or just get Alca to go all badass on the lock.

"You somehow manage to fall both on Ulla-sha and Alca-un in the most uncomfortable and romantically suggestive position possible. They murder you while you are trying to escape. You are dead. You are a ghost. You have been reincarnated as a vampire cavie ghost, cursed to hold goblin DNA in place for all eternity."

EDIT: By uncomfortable I meant awkward.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2013, 01:37:30 pm by Parisbre56 »
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Origami_Psycho

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #688 on: January 05, 2013, 11:05:38 am »

Gently wake Ulla and ask if she knows any good shaman magic.  Mainly curses and hexes and the like.
Or just get Alca to go all badass on the lock.

"You somehow manage to fall both on Ulla-sha and Alca-un in the most uncomfortable and romantically suggestive position possible. They murder you while you are trying to escape. You are dead. You are a ghost. You have been reincarnated as a vampire cavie ghost, cursed to hold goblin DNA in place for all eternity."
YESSSSSSS
+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1!
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Karnewarrior

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Re: The Starborn [Xenofiction]
« Reply #689 on: January 05, 2013, 10:21:24 pm »

You briefly debate waking Ulla, but memory of the last time you tried that flashes through your head and you decide you'd rather stay awake all night.

Mercifully, the lock is silent now. Perhaps it grew tired of its game.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is three months and five days later, by human reckoning.

You've grasped the basics of their language, but you yet fail to understand much of their grammar. Regardless, basic communication can commence with relative ease. You have also learned their body language, and your constant personal contact with their species has caused you and the many others in your breakaway "tribe" to begin mimicing some.

The humans of the colony have been hospitible, to a point. They allow you and your people to establish a small camp on the side of their outpost, and you are free to come and go from inside town. You are also free to partake of their food, provided you purchase it via their money. Your people are unaccustomed to the concept, but your skill at woodsmanship and gathering native berries, hunting and tracking, have all come together to provide enough to sustain both your tribe and theirs.

The symbiosis is not perfect, however. A sect of the humans still views your people with distrust, and the majority who don't think you a threat seem to regard you as little more than a scientific oddity. You yourself have taken up a leadership role among your people, and now work as a forward ambassador to the Humans.

You awake on your mat of woven reeds, traditional to your people, and don a tunic also goblin-made. From there you eat a breakfast of Terran Oats mixed with native Pinkfur meat, as Earthborn plants do not feed your stomache as well as native life. It is cooked in a microwave oven, a Human invention, powered by a miniature Fusion Generator. In these past few months, your life has gone through such turmoil...

And more is sure to come. Today is a day of great circumstance, you are told. Today marks the end of the Third World War, a human war none wish to speak about for some reason. In celebration, you have been invited to a large party onboard the ICS Dunwich, a giant orbiting "spacecraft" that supposedly can fly through the stars.

Some of these things sound impossible, but you've seen what the humans can do...

It's almost time to leave. Do you have everything in order?
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Thou art I, I art Thou.
The trust you have bestowed upon thy comrade is now reciprocated in turn.
Thou shall be blessed when calling upon personae of the Hangman Arcana.
May this tie bind thee to a brighter future!​
Ikusaba Quest! - Fistfighting space robots for the benefit of your familial bonds to Satan is passe, so you call Sherlock Holmes and ask her to pop by.
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