Would the Valyen see a lobotmized human as a worthy target for infection?
The reason I ask is because I am toying with a world idea where the government is doing everything they can to stop a rabidly paranoid populace from labotomizing their children.
I mean, if you are really convinced your children (or you for that matter) are eventyally going to get introduced to the worm… is it really that much worse to labotomize a target to make them less attarctive as hosts?
(mind, I don’t have the comics yet… so I don’t know if this is addressed in them)
Oh yeah. That’d make the host unpalatable to the Vaylen! Remember, Vaylen want untainted human experience AND the Naiven worms only take on the intelligence of their hosts.
So a braindead kid? Not an appetizing prospect. But since the worms can jump hosts, I can see them using this plan against the humans. No one would ever expect a lobotomized kid to be hulled. The kid just needs to get close enough to mom to pull the trigger on the stet gun…
-L
I’m imagining a paranoid world with enough medical tech offering “last resort” surgery. They put an explosive or toxin in where you’d do a hull, so that when the drill goes in the place goes up.
Of course, that just means the worms need to take over the surgeons in charge of that. After all, then people will come in and pay to have a hull like surgery done. The Vaylen only need to remove the “like” part…
Lobotomized people aren’t going to be able to do much, though, certainly not run the government. I think a lobotomized populace would make it easier for the vaylen to conquer - once you get the leaders, the sheep follow easier.
But… what about a drug addicted populace? Painkillers, anti-psychotics, and various other meds to dull the senses would have a similar effect on Vaylen interest.
Until they get their hands on the drug supplies, anyway.
If the Vaylen control the leaders and the planet falls, even if 99% of the population has been lobotomized, the Vaylen come out ahead? Why? Because lobotomy doesn’t prevent reproduction and it isn’t passed on to your kids. In 100 years, you have a nice, normal human world, ready for farming :twisted:
Now, chemical castration might be another matter. :shock:
I don’t want it to be a failsafe plot element… I want it to be a gut over reaction by the populace.
Which is why the government wants the process to stop. The problem is that the people are so paranoid of the Valyen threat and are only thinking of themselves… so that labotomy for the family seems like a good idea (even though it is a horrible idea for the society and the overall valyen threat).
Its like illegal drugs… it is a very personal and selfish choice that is ultimately detrimental to society- but convincing people not to do it is damned hard.