Todd… YES, Yes she will… as a species, we’re doing better than we have in the past about that, but we still have a LOOONG way to go… and that goes the OTHER way, too… will SELKIE have to fear for HER life when she shows up?… unfortunately, that too is a yes… blegh…
i think that Todd meant about racism in the general public once/if the fact that Sarnothi EXIST becomes general knowledge… at least that’s what “I” meant with my comment…
but as for the underwater refugee camp needing guards, i can see that happening, though i’d say the guards would actually be stationed on a ship or sub of some sort ready to suit up and dive in at a moments notice, rather than in the deep for their shift, kind of like how fighter pilots are set up. probably because the diving suits are not really good to be wearing for long periods of time, and humans aren’t really evolved for long periods of underwater work either.
actually depending on depth saturation diving is perfectly do able. By keeping the habitat at something close to depth pressure your body will be just fine as long as your oxy/nitro mix is right. (if its wrong you will know fast hallucinations are common) and you can even have the bottom open so you can Freedive/scuba/hardsuit dive out of the hab.
Well, the Green Onion was fictional, but based on workable science. It had an open bottom that presented as a pool in the living room that you could use for entry/egress.
Kind of a dumb movie but you can find pictures of the habitat on the Intarwebs.
I only mentioned DPVs because I didn’t know how far underwater the refugee village was.
I can find pictures of REAL submersible habitats that have “moonpools” Conshelf 3 was in 330 feet of water and was occupied for a month. Helgoland was operated for almost a decade. So was Hydrolab.
to all those replies about saturation diving and the various underwater habitat projects, thanks… i vary vaguely remember hearing about the Jacques Cousteau ones back when i was growing up… and in the back of my mind i knew about SD, but spaced it when it came to the post.
i still think that the US and Canadian Governments won’t have more than a few divers at the location of the camp and relying on surface patrols, and various ROV’s and technological solutions, with the Sarnothi to provide most of their own physical security themselves, only with help from us humans…
though Dave can happily prove me wrong… no biggie either way.
The only issue is being okay with being afraid. It’s natural and correct to be afraid of dangerous things that look potentially violent, and the usual reaction is “Awesome” if you’re raised right. You don’t walk off with them alone, but you also don’t have any reluctance to go see it with your dad with you. Whether it’s a big dog, a black guy, a gun…
OOOOooorrr: Selkie marries Benny Brown, and they unite all the Sarnothi under Selkie’s terrorhammer for a reign of peace and fear and oppression from the Terrorhammer, (pat.pend.) that lasts for a millennium.
I like how you show Todd’s internal dialogue, and how this is the moment where it really sinks in what the prejudice against Sarnothi is going to look like. This is such a great piece.
Soooo, crazy idea (or maybe not so crazy if it’s already been discussed), but what if Amanda ends up developing a crush on Benny? THAT would be one way to get over hear fear of the Sarnothi 😉
I can kind of see it happening. He’s older, if I remember correctly, he has his devil-may-care attitude, and he’s not likely to be intimidated by her. Also, Amanda could totally show interest in his handheld games. Hmm…
Without tender supervision, she sees what she does and its effects, but no one has told her what the real results are. Told her What is going on, after she leaves the room. That’s what parents do for you,… In theory. …
I’m starting to think this ties together with Carrie’s behavior. If she started off with even a somewhat mild and gentle personality, it would make sense for her to instinctively become withdrawn. Think about it, how would it feel if people were all afraid for their lives in an immediate “potential bloody death” sense *just because you were standing in front of them*?
You might try to become as meek as possible just trying to let people relax around you. You might not even notice that it’s what you’re doing, as you become just a little less self-confident every day…
Pretty much this. As someone who was constantly told I’d break fragile things, assumed to be the bully instead of the victim, and pretty much just assumed to be the scary, violent guy (even by people who didn’t know I had a temper), I pretty much learned to make myself as non-threatening as possible because no one would give me the time of day otherwise.
That pretty much changed when I started wanting nothing to do with people, but I do still have some of those meek behaviours.
She definitely will. She has sharp teeth and looks basically like an alien. People are going to be terrified when she’s big enough to look like a threat.
As was said earlier, humans can’t even seem to get sorted around people with a 30% difference in melanin. I have friends who worry when they see someone of widely differing skin color; they KNOW it’s not rational but it happens anyway.
Agent Kay said it best: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet.”
Well. Benny’s got bratface on. DX I hope he tries to be civil.
Also Amanda probably isn’t scared cuz of how they look. It’s probably because she’s not with Andi. Andi seems to be someone she trusts more than you. Which sucks but at least he can work on it.
Eh. I don’t see people being scared of Selkie. She’s too adorable.
I don’t buy the “not with Andi” logic. Amanda has been “not with Andi” most of her life, and she has been far from meek or timid in the instances we’ve seen her.
While the answer of why she’s acting the way she is is really because its what Dave feels he needs to advance the story, if I were to analyze her behavior as if she were real, I’d say there is some level of primal discomfort coupled with a LOT of not being happy about having to do something focused around Selkie and not her, whether thats a conscious or subconscious action on her part, personality wise she’s still quite selfish and jealous.
So, this city has no less than seven Sarnothi living in it? Interesting. I guess that means that most people will see one of them at least once.
…
They should ALL get together and go to something hugely public… Like an amusement park.
I’m looking at that table and wondering who will sit where. I think, given her misgivings, Todd will see to it that Amanda takes the end chair. But will Selkie want to sit next to Carrie, or next to Benny…?
I’m going to guess Carrie. But of course I could be completely wrong!
i have to wonder, is there any type of pheremone or hormone that the Sarnothi give off that would cause a fear reaction in humans? If it’s only looks based then individuals can learn to get over that.
If they don’t fear for their lives, then the skull fort has failed.
*hehehe* {creepy little laugh}
They will learn to fear Dr Selkie Terrorhammer Smith.
Just random musings…
Human Skull, or Sarnothi Skull?
just sayin’…
How much different would they look from each other?
Extra pointy teeth?
In my head, it looks something like this https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.11487829.4260/raf,750×1000,075,t,026541:3d4e1a7dce.jpg
Todd… YES, Yes she will… as a species, we’re doing better than we have in the past about that, but we still have a LOOONG way to go… and that goes the OTHER way, too… will SELKIE have to fear for HER life when she shows up?… unfortunately, that too is a yes… blegh…
I’m pretty sure that program has combat frogmen ready in case of a political meltdown in that city; won’t look good if citizens get killed that way.
i think that Todd meant about racism in the general public once/if the fact that Sarnothi EXIST becomes general knowledge… at least that’s what “I” meant with my comment…
but as for the underwater refugee camp needing guards, i can see that happening, though i’d say the guards would actually be stationed on a ship or sub of some sort ready to suit up and dive in at a moments notice, rather than in the deep for their shift, kind of like how fighter pilots are set up. probably because the diving suits are not really good to be wearing for long periods of time, and humans aren’t really evolved for long periods of underwater work either.
You’d have to have a different kind of sub, most of ’em aren’t designed to be opened up underwater.
More likely either surface people coming down using DPVs or some kind of underwater habitat à la the Green Onion.
Omg, somebody Edgar actually watched that? I saw it when i was a kid… the movie was awful, but the onion itself was cool…
actually depending on depth saturation diving is perfectly do able. By keeping the habitat at something close to depth pressure your body will be just fine as long as your oxy/nitro mix is right. (if its wrong you will know fast hallucinations are common) and you can even have the bottom open so you can Freedive/scuba/hardsuit dive out of the hab.
Well, the Green Onion was fictional, but based on workable science. It had an open bottom that presented as a pool in the living room that you could use for entry/egress.
Kind of a dumb movie but you can find pictures of the habitat on the Intarwebs.
I only mentioned DPVs because I didn’t know how far underwater the refugee village was.
I can find pictures of REAL submersible habitats that have “moonpools” Conshelf 3 was in 330 feet of water and was occupied for a month. Helgoland was operated for almost a decade. So was Hydrolab.
then there are the various Tektite project (1-3) hydrolab, la chalupa, marinelab and aquarius.
Saturation diving has a VERY long history going back to the Mid 60s.
to all those replies about saturation diving and the various underwater habitat projects, thanks… i vary vaguely remember hearing about the Jacques Cousteau ones back when i was growing up… and in the back of my mind i knew about SD, but spaced it when it came to the post.
i still think that the US and Canadian Governments won’t have more than a few divers at the location of the camp and relying on surface patrols, and various ROV’s and technological solutions, with the Sarnothi to provide most of their own physical security themselves, only with help from us humans…
though Dave can happily prove me wrong… no biggie either way.
The only issue is being okay with being afraid. It’s natural and correct to be afraid of dangerous things that look potentially violent, and the usual reaction is “Awesome” if you’re raised right. You don’t walk off with them alone, but you also don’t have any reluctance to go see it with your dad with you. Whether it’s a big dog, a black guy, a gun…
OOOOooorrr: Selkie marries Benny Brown, and they unite all the Sarnothi under Selkie’s terrorhammer for a reign of peace and fear and oppression from the Terrorhammer, (pat.pend.) that lasts for a millennium.
THIS! 😀
Doktor Terrorhammer’s father-in-law is a CIA agent? This sounds… …interesting.
All Purpose Guru: uneasy sits the crown. Your advisors tell you stuff, you will want to know if it’s true! Spiessssss.
Good comic. Well done with presenting Todd’s emotions.
I like how you show Todd’s internal dialogue, and how this is the moment where it really sinks in what the prejudice against Sarnothi is going to look like. This is such a great piece.
Soooo, crazy idea (or maybe not so crazy if it’s already been discussed), but what if Amanda ends up developing a crush on Benny? THAT would be one way to get over hear fear of the Sarnothi 😉
I can kind of see it happening. He’s older, if I remember correctly, he has his devil-may-care attitude, and he’s not likely to be intimidated by her. Also, Amanda could totally show interest in his handheld games. Hmm…
I brought that up a couple comics ago. Also, Amanda respects his kind of attitude and chutzpah.
A bit old for her, but they can at least have some mutual respect and friendship…
Oh god… they´ll either instantly hate each other´s guts, or become inseparable partners in crime.
Either way, it´ll be EPIC.
i wonder if amanda is even vaguely aware of what her dramatics are doing to todd
Without tender supervision, she sees what she does and its effects, but no one has told her what the real results are. Told her What is going on, after she leaves the room. That’s what parents do for you,… In theory. …
Oh lord, be an adult lady.
um… you DO know that she’s only an eight year old, right?
😀
I’m starting to think this ties together with Carrie’s behavior. If she started off with even a somewhat mild and gentle personality, it would make sense for her to instinctively become withdrawn. Think about it, how would it feel if people were all afraid for their lives in an immediate “potential bloody death” sense *just because you were standing in front of them*?
You might try to become as meek as possible just trying to let people relax around you. You might not even notice that it’s what you’re doing, as you become just a little less self-confident every day…
Pretty much this. As someone who was constantly told I’d break fragile things, assumed to be the bully instead of the victim, and pretty much just assumed to be the scary, violent guy (even by people who didn’t know I had a temper), I pretty much learned to make myself as non-threatening as possible because no one would give me the time of day otherwise.
That pretty much changed when I started wanting nothing to do with people, but I do still have some of those meek behaviours.
She definitely will. She has sharp teeth and looks basically like an alien. People are going to be terrified when she’s big enough to look like a threat.
Though we’ve already seen while people will be taken aback at first most get over it.
Like if i’d run into a sarnothi I’d probably conclude it’s some fancy cosplayer on their way to a con
Especially in Pittsburgh!
No, she won’t. By the time she grows up, humans would either learn to accept the Sarnothi, or reject them publicly and go to war with them.
Discomfort and racism can last for generations. I would not count on either general acceptance or total rejection being reached in Selkie’s lifetime.
As was said earlier, humans can’t even seem to get sorted around people with a 30% difference in melanin. I have friends who worry when they see someone of widely differing skin color; they KNOW it’s not rational but it happens anyway.
Hell, people can’t even get over hating people who have roughly the SAME melanin levels but come from across some artificial line.
Agent Kay said it best: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet.”
Random question, but where do Benny and Carrie get their shoes? Same place as Selkie?
I really liked the shoes adult Selkie was wearing in the fanart of a couple days ago. Seemed very stylish but comfortable.
Well. Benny’s got bratface on. DX I hope he tries to be civil.
Also Amanda probably isn’t scared cuz of how they look. It’s probably because she’s not with Andi. Andi seems to be someone she trusts more than you. Which sucks but at least he can work on it.
Eh. I don’t see people being scared of Selkie. She’s too adorable.
I usually have that look on my face. It can be a brat face, but it can also be a let’s see how it goes before I decide face.
Resting brat face? XD
I don’t buy the “not with Andi” logic. Amanda has been “not with Andi” most of her life, and she has been far from meek or timid in the instances we’ve seen her.
While the answer of why she’s acting the way she is is really because its what Dave feels he needs to advance the story, if I were to analyze her behavior as if she were real, I’d say there is some level of primal discomfort coupled with a LOT of not being happy about having to do something focused around Selkie and not her, whether thats a conscious or subconscious action on her part, personality wise she’s still quite selfish and jealous.
Amanda is not fully embracing the possibilities of having a terrifying sister.
Full agreement. My brothers and I have each used the others to intimidate jerkfaces and it always feels great. 😀
it does. NEVER mess with a set of brothers that have a combined IQ over 450-475. ONE of us will get you.
I assume there are 3 of you?
that’s a much better attitude to have than assuming there are NINE brothers…
😀 just kidding, no offense meant!
So, this city has no less than seven Sarnothi living in it? Interesting. I guess that means that most people will see one of them at least once.
…
They should ALL get together and go to something hugely public… Like an amusement park.
Not to mention that Pohl works with the public.
I count at least 8: Selkie, Carrie, Benny, Agent Then, Pohl, Sai Fen, Suko, Tai Li, and possibly Plo Quar.
To be fair, its unlikely anyone outside of her family plus T odd and Selkie have seen Tai Li 🙂
I’m looking at that table and wondering who will sit where. I think, given her misgivings, Todd will see to it that Amanda takes the end chair. But will Selkie want to sit next to Carrie, or next to Benny…?
I’m going to guess Carrie. But of course I could be completely wrong!
I wonder if Benny can be more civil in public with strangers than he is at home with his own parents (ah, yes, puberty)
Will Benny get along with these kids? (both the Sarnothi and the Human)
…Or not exactly…
You’re just a child!
Well, you’re just a teenager.
(Kudos if you can get the reference) XD
Let’s see how this goes!
Yea Avatar!
Try being black and asking that question, you tend to have a similar conversation with yourself. Or, at least, I have.
i have to wonder, is there any type of pheremone or hormone that the Sarnothi give off that would cause a fear reaction in humans? If it’s only looks based then individuals can learn to get over that.
Calling it nOw. benny will get a crush on Amanda.