We continue to applaud Valentine's hard work on things that don't involve ferris wheels.
> It is indeed a strain of the Carar disease. The problem seems to stem from an enzyme, specifically the 42nd one. The disease targets it and the enzyme traps it, neutralizing it. That's good! But what's bad is that it's lead to something of a stalemate. While the enzyme can trap and neutralize most of the disease, it can't catch all of it.
> To summarize, the Sea Dragon is perpetually sick with a fatal disease that can't actually kill it.
> If the enzyme can be strengthened, it could lead to a cure. The enzyme itself is quite weak, though, and strengthening it outright could lead to the Sea Dragon becoming sicker as the enzyme and disease wage war against each other.
> It's worth noting that the enzyme can be found in much smaller quantities in other fish from the planet. These quantities wouldn't be enough to stop the disease, however, and while it's found in the fish, their bodies don't seem to actually produce it after the initial production.
> URSULA will be very happy to add the Kharaa to her databank.
> The strain is indeed different from the Shroom Sickness and the Carar. However, it is still related. It seems the Shroom Sickness is what happens when the Kharaa are left to mutate in an isolated area over a long period of time. Centuries, perhaps more. The Carar illness, meanwhile, seems to be a non-parasitic version that kills the host slowly rather than mutates and takes over the host. It could be considered therefore a 'failed' Kharaa.
> After researching it thoroughly, URSULA will come to the conclusion that the creature is from a planet found roughly fifty years ago. It was rich in resources but, at least according to her data, was not infected with Kharaa at the time of discovery. That may have and certainly seems to have changed.
> When presented with food while hungry, it will eat. When presented with food while not hungry, it will hoard the food in a corner. When presented with most objects, it will hoard them. It seems to have an intricate system of hoarding, however, as it is careful in how it arranges its pile. The more important the object, the further down it hides it. It will not actually try to escape as long as it has objects to protect.
> While it doesn't seem to understand the nuances of human speech, it can read tone. Saying something positively or negatively will impact its mood. Positive things seem to keep it at ease while negative things will agitate it.
> Karkat it seems to view in almost a fond way. If Karkat tries to take its stuff, while it will hiss, it won't actually attack or put itself between the stuff and Karkat. With Valentine, however, it will worry more about its stuff being taken away again. If they both continue to give it things, however, it will come to view them both in a more positive manner.
> Most interesting is that it rarely rests. It seems to be alert most of the time. Brief periods of inactivity last only about ten minutes and happen roughly every ten hours. As it doesn't have much to do, it will mostly tend to its pile of things, obsessively cleaning them and checking them.
no subject
> It is indeed a strain of the Carar disease. The problem seems to stem from an enzyme, specifically the 42nd one. The disease targets it and the enzyme traps it, neutralizing it. That's good! But what's bad is that it's lead to something of a stalemate. While the enzyme can trap and neutralize most of the disease, it can't catch all of it.
> To summarize, the Sea Dragon is perpetually sick with a fatal disease that can't actually kill it.
> If the enzyme can be strengthened, it could lead to a cure. The enzyme itself is quite weak, though, and strengthening it outright could lead to the Sea Dragon becoming sicker as the enzyme and disease wage war against each other.
> It's worth noting that the enzyme can be found in much smaller quantities in other fish from the planet. These quantities wouldn't be enough to stop the disease, however, and while it's found in the fish, their bodies don't seem to actually produce it after the initial production.
> URSULA will be very happy to add the Kharaa to her databank.
> The strain is indeed different from the Shroom Sickness and the Carar. However, it is still related. It seems the Shroom Sickness is what happens when the Kharaa are left to mutate in an isolated area over a long period of time. Centuries, perhaps more. The Carar illness, meanwhile, seems to be a non-parasitic version that kills the host slowly rather than mutates and takes over the host. It could be considered therefore a 'failed' Kharaa.
> After researching it thoroughly, URSULA will come to the conclusion that the creature is from a planet found roughly fifty years ago. It was rich in resources but, at least according to her data, was not infected with Kharaa at the time of discovery. That may have and certainly seems to have changed.
> When presented with food while hungry, it will eat. When presented with food while not hungry, it will hoard the food in a corner. When presented with most objects, it will hoard them. It seems to have an intricate system of hoarding, however, as it is careful in how it arranges its pile. The more important the object, the further down it hides it. It will not actually try to escape as long as it has objects to protect.
> While it doesn't seem to understand the nuances of human speech, it can read tone. Saying something positively or negatively will impact its mood. Positive things seem to keep it at ease while negative things will agitate it.
> Karkat it seems to view in almost a fond way. If Karkat tries to take its stuff, while it will hiss, it won't actually attack or put itself between the stuff and Karkat. With Valentine, however, it will worry more about its stuff being taken away again. If they both continue to give it things, however, it will come to view them both in a more positive manner.
> Most interesting is that it rarely rests. It seems to be alert most of the time. Brief periods of inactivity last only about ten minutes and happen roughly every ten hours. As it doesn't have much to do, it will mostly tend to its pile of things, obsessively cleaning them and checking them.