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Ttomalss
Fictional Character
Worldwar
POD: May 30, 1942
Appearance(s): In the Balance
through
Homeward Bound
Type of Appearance: Direct POV
Species: The Race
Nationality: Home, resident on Race controlled areas of Tosev 3
Religion: Emperor-worship
Occupation: Psychologist
Children: Kassquit (de facto adopted daughter)

Ttomalss was the Race's leading expert on "Big Uglies". He arrived with the Conquest Fleet to Tosev 3 in 1942, and was tasked with finding ways of integrating Tosevites as good subjects of the Empire. To that end, he oversaw experiments in human sexuality, and made use of human children, raising them as members of the Race. His arrogance made him dangerous enemies among humans and Lizards alike. Nonetheless, his expertise made him invaluable to his species.

The Race Invasion of Tosev 3, 1942-1944[]

Ttomalss secured his first human test subject from a Chinese peasant woman named Liu Han. His efforts to raise the baby were exhausting since his species did not have a family unit structure. Ttomalss had no practical experience in raising even infants of the Race, who were naturally self-sufficient in the wild after emerging from the egg. Liu Han allied herself with the Chinese Communist Party, who made propaganda hay over Ttomalss' act. The Race found Liu Han's actions too costly, and Ttomalss was forced to returned the child, Liu Mei, to her mother.

When Ttomalss traveled to Canton to purchase a destitute family's unwanted infant, he was ambushed by Liu Han and the Communists and taken prisoner. After holding him prisoner for some time, Liu Han released him, to demonstrate that the Communists were both unpredictable and in total control.

The Colonization Fleet Arrives and War with Germany, 1962-1966[]

Ttomalss eventually obtained another child, Kassquit, and raised her in orbit above Tosev 3. Kassquit had felt close to Ttomalss as she grew up, but when she was older she felt resentment toward him for considering her more of an experiment than a family member. This became more complicated when she met and briefly fell in love with Jonathan Yeager. This was visually recorded by Ttomalss, potentially compromising Ttomalss' long term indoctrination.

Ttomalss was the Conquest Fleet's leading authority on Tosevite psychology. When the Colonization Fleet arrived at Earth in 1962, he began working with Felless. Despite her having seniority over him, Ttomalss realized she was not as good at studying humans as he was and quickly felt his respect for her, as his senior, erode. Much later, Ttomalss was embarrassingly and unwillingly involved in at least two sexual encounters with Felless, who became addicted to ginger.

Ttomalss was briefly assigned to the Race's embassy in Germany. The assignment ended abruptly when he was declared persona non grata for arguing with the Nazi Party platform.

Following the Race-German War of 1965 and the destruction of Indianapolis in retaliation for the United States' role in the nuclear attack on the Colonization Fleet, Ttomalss was part of a commission established by Atvar to examine the reasons the American government sacrificed their city. During this commission Ttomalss was concerned about the expatriates of the Race who defected to the United States, not only of their actions in helping to advance Americans technologies, but particularly the effects of both not-empire and Race societies affecting each other. He spoke with the former shiplord Straha, who was the first Race member to be told of President Earl Warren's actions, about this matter, and was disgusted and frustrated by his exposure to Tosevite society.

Return to Home[]

In 1995, after the United States launched the Admiral Peary to Home, Fleetlord Reffet ordered Ttomalss to return to Home as soon as possible to help the Race prepare for the Tosevite arrival. Ttomalss, along with Kassquit and Atvar, was part of the Race's negotiating team with Sam Yeager's diplomatic mission. During the meetings on Home, Ttomalss became increasingly worried about his species being overshadowed by the human race and considered nuclear annihilation as an option for saving the Race. He later reconsidered this stance, even as the Race on Home were already succumbing to human culture. When the FTL Commodore Perry arrived at Home, Ttomalss was likewise surprised by the humans' technological advancement over the Race. Ttomalss was reunited with Race pilot Nesseref, who arrived on the Commodore Perry, and they talked about the Race's future.

Following the departure of the Commodore Perry, Ttomalss bleakly reflected that it was now inevitable that his species would be overshadowed by the human race.

References[]

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