MUSINGS (AND 1d10 TRUE FACTS ABOUT THE GAUNT)

BODYCAM AUDIO FOOTAGE

RECOVERED 09-MAR-2304 01:54:32 TST

[PARTIAL DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED!]

SN ID 044A-01W3088:  DID YOUEVER STOP TO THINK--

SN ID 044R-72E6094:  OH NO. HERE HE GOES AGAIN.

SN ID 044A-01W3088: --NO, SERIOUSLY LAU.  DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT THE GAUNT ARE THE CLOSEST THING TO TERRAN CIVILIZATION WE'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED?  THEY HAVE SYMBOLIC REASONING, COMPLEX SOCIAL HIERARCHIES, ART . . . .

SN ID 044R-72E6094: TECHNOLOGY?  ONLY IF YOU SQUINT REALLY HARD.  THE ONLY TECHNOLOGY WE'VE SEEN THEM USE IS SOMEBODY ELSE'S.  

SN ID 044A-01W3088:  THAT'S DEBATABLE.  WE KNOW THEY COME FROM HYPERSPACE TO SCAVANGE EXOTIC ORGANICS AND RARE ELEMENTS.  AND WE KNOW THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MATERIAL IN HYPERSPACE TO CREATE THOSE BODIES.  THE ONES THAT COME THROUGH ARE WEARING SLEEVES.  JUST LIKE US.  THAT'S TECHNOLOGY.

SN ID 044R-72E6094:  YOU'RE ASSUMING THAT THE GAUNT ARE NATURALLY EVOLVED THOUGH.  SOMETHING ELSE MIGHT'VE--

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[PARTICLE BEAM IMPACT DETECTED]

[SLEEVE DOSIMITER WARNING]

[ERR. 321 -- LEFT ARM!]

[ERR. 094!]

[NEURAL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED]

[EMERGENCY CHUTE AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOYED]

[ANTIRAD DOSE ADMINISTERED]

[ERR. 321 -- CRANIUM!]

[IMPACT DETECTED]

[ERR. 321 -- TORSO (LATERAL)!]

1D10 TRUE FACTS ABOUT THE GAUNT

Note that the hyperspatial apex-parasites known as "the Gaunt" are not public knowledge.

1. The Gaunt actually come from the "Dead Dimension," the (fictional setting of Anand Ramani's legendary 2288 action classic "Home Alone in the Dead Dimension."  (Verifiably false.)
2. The Gaunt come from hyperspace to obtain rare organic compounds that are difficult to obtain from hyperspace detritus.  (Debated.  Hyperspace contains large accretions of carbon and nitrogen compounds that might sustain their life cycle without traveling to realspace.)
3. The Gaunt are demons (and hyperspace is hell).  (Debated.  But don't argue with marines or Solarians about this theory.)
4. The Gaunt's bodies are their equivalent of sleeves -- the mind resides in the tiny metal structures located in all Gaunts.  (Likely.)
5. The Gaunt are humans trapped in hyperspace for extended periods who seek to return to their dimension of origin by merging with organic matter in realspace.  (Debated.  While hyperspatial temporal anomalies are well-documented, archaeological evidence suggests that the gaunt were present on at least one exoplanet 50kY before the Mistake.  On the other hand, the Gaunt seem to prefer humanoid hosts and respond with disturbing familiarity to Terran technological artifacts such as computer terminals and doors.)
6. The Gaunt are a parasitic weapons system designed to hijack organic beings.  (Unlikely.  This theory appears to behave been inspired by a popular pre-Mistake science fiction film. )
7. Gaunt Pearls contain digital lifeforms corrupted by hyperspace (Debated but likely.  The theory is probably unverifiable; careful examination of Gaunt Pearls has rarely gone well for the examiners.)
8. The Gaunt were created by an ancient civilization as a (d3) (1) hegemonizing swarm; (2) art project; (3) terraforming tool.  (All theories unlikely.)
9. The Gaunt were created by the Sleepers (Unlikely but Gaunt pearls appear similar in composition to Sleeper megastructures -- convergent evolution of computing substrates is a more parsimonious explanation and nobody has actually examined a sample of Sleeper computronium.) 
10. The Gaunt are just trying to help humanity.  (The author recommends that you shoot all proponents of this theory.)