Uru Live: Eighteen Translations from the Bahro

(This concerns an incident in May 2007 (Uru episode 5) in which a girl, trapped in a cave-in, was killed by a Bahro. Douglas Sharper, ex-DRC explorer and resident loose cannon, began planning to go out and kill a Bahro in return. In the following weeks, the explorer community has spun a great deal of discussion back and forth about how we should deal with the Bahro.)

Note: These scenarios are speculation. The question to be asked is not: "Which of these ideas is true?" It is, rather: "Which of these ideas does Douglas Sharper know for sure to be false?"


"It is the ruling of the Kkichii that the Human young entered the sacred chamber deliberately. That they were unable to leave is ruled void; the law was already violate. The penalty of death is upheld."


"Clearly the Human child was dying. Its injuries were too great; its shell was ruptured. And the other Humans were enacting a mourning ritual."

"I still believe they were trying to descend, to retrieve the body."

"Absurd. They employed neither their Linking books nor their great drilling machines to reach the child; they merely shifted stones."

"But we do not know that the child was in pain."

"Did you not hear its cries? No parent would allow that to continue, when there was no hope of rescue."


"A helpless Human."

"Revolting."

"Do you see how it leaks?"

"Its entire body is like an open wound."

"Let us dispose of it and be gone."


"We agree, then. The Humans must be tested."

"At the cost of a Human child?"

"Only thus can we drive them to the limits of their souls -- if they have souls."

"We agree. Kill the child. Animals will respond with instinctive violence; thinking souls will attempt to discern the truth."


"It is the ruling of the Kkichii that the Human young entered the sacred chamber deliberately."

"An error is not a crime."

"If they intended no blasphemy, they would have left upon realizing their error. They did not. The penalty of death is upheld."


"Whether the Humans intended it or no, they have given us a gift. This earthcycle is the seven-gathered and seventh."

"But do the Humans share our beliefs?"

"What is belief? A sacrifice is required, or we are not the Kki. If the Humans are Kki, they will understand; if not, their child's death will bring them one step closer to it."


"We agree, then. The Humans must be tested."

"At the cost of a Human child?"

"Only thus can we drive them to the limits of their souls -- if they have souls."

"We agree. Kill the child. Animals will flee a superior predator; thinking souls will demand justice."


"They must be warned. And we have tried speech and symbol. Perhaps they will understand a warning of blood."

"And if they think we are the threat?"

"It does not matter what they think. Let them think we are brute killers; let them fear us. As long as they retreat from the Cavern, before their footsteps awaken the Chuuuhtuu."


"It is the ruling of the Kkichii that the Humans entered the Kuu chamber in a state of impurity. Death cleanses all stain."

"Honored, two children entered, and only one was impure. The other had returned the totems, and achieved union with a free Kki soul."

"One who hoards the totems is stained. One who associates with stain is stained. Both were cleansed."


"Human young. Fascinating."

"They have no larval state."

"But it is still unadult. Sonar the shell-rims still unformed within?"

"Yes. Well, the one Human-larva is dead, and the other is unfit. Their adults are clearly a sentient species, so we owe them the favor of culling."

"...Odd that the larva wear clothing, though."

"Perhaps they are imitative."


"See? The young Humans hide from the adults."

"Yes. But they have begun the retrieval effort. The survivor will be recaptured within a seventh cycle."

"No Human has tried to escape for many seven-cycles."

"Perhaps many have tried, but only these two have succeeded."

"True. Well, we have sworn to let none fall back into slavery. Surely we owe that to the innocent of the Humans, as much as to ourselves."


"Did you see that?"

"The Human drew a word/thought on the floor."

"Barely a child-word."

"But still a word/thought. If Humans can shape word/thoughts..."

"Bad enough when they only understood writing and mathematics. This is a disaster."

"Yes. We may have to exterminate them."


"It is the ruling of the Kkichii that the Humans entered the Kuu chamber in a state of impurity. Death cleanses all stain."

"Honored, two children entered, and only one was impure. The other had not touched the Kki totems."

"A totem touched by non-Kki is stained. To return a stained totem is to spread blasphemy, to other Humans as well as to us. Both Humans were cleansed."


"After all these cycles."

"The Humans finally offer us the blood-challenge."

"After all this time, they offer the congress of equals."

"We shall send our swiftest warrior, to meet the Human challenger."


"The contamination is irreversible?"

"Once the sterility of the nest was breached, yes. We are administering gkechkii, but it is unlikely to be of much use. The larvae were too young, weeks from immune-response consolidation. All will die."

"And the warden?"

"He is under restraint. But his fury is understandable. The entire nest!"

"Nonetheless, he must be charged with murder."


"Did you see that?"

"The Human drew a word/thought on the floor."

"Barely a child-word."

"But still a word/thought. If Humans can grasp word/thoughts..."

"They will be utterly vulnerable to Enemy propaganda."

"If they are drawn into the War, the entire species might be wiped out. We must take drastic measures to protect them."


"Chiigk [water] ssKiccch 'ik Kki [? in darkness to/by Bahro] Chuukush [Human] 'ichikki kicch [?] Kki gkiiki 'ukk kchu [Bahro seven/seventh-? inform]."

"Kichhuchiku. [Life ?-(future).]"


"Is there doubt among the Gathered?"

"No. The Humans enslaved us for uncounted generations. Prudence demands that we give them no second chance, and Justice demands that they suffer. Let it begin with the intruder."


Last updated July 26, 2007.

More creative Uru work

Other Uru stuff

Zarfhome