Jim is adamant about helping the strangers out of "compassion". I agree with what one of the women said when she expressed the concern that they are setting themselves up as a beacon of a "gravy train". Jim says that there's only "one person [they] have to answer to" which I assume is "God". I disagree. You also have your other colony members to think of and answer to. You haven't secured another food supply and right off the bat you are letting potential hostiles know that you have some food. In times of extreme hardship and food shortage, people will increasingly care less about sharing what they do have and will aim to take everything the others have. The colonists also don't know if these people were scouts from a larger group. Their actions of checking out the area after being told to leave is typically a sign of a scouting group who knows they have the backup of a larger group. They should have stuck with their original story that they had no food. Now, not only do the strangers know they have food, but they also know that the colonists are not beyond lying... and are probably wondering what else they may have. Did I also hear Jim say to the guy "You are dead!"? Interesting. Compassionate and god-fearing one moment, aggressive and diabolical the next. My money is on him for the first person to snap under pressure.
The first thing they should have done was to relocate and hide their supplies.
"Surrounded by idiots". Great quote coming from a man who after being recently exposed to hostile strangers isolates himself off from the rest of the group, negatively affecting his safety and theirs.
"Indications of character" and "not looking too hot for him" are kinder descriptions than I would have used. I wouldn't have woken him up either, Sian. The first time George really got on my nerves was when he made those negative comments after pulling the fishing net in after only one try. C'mon dude, don't give up on things after one try.
They need a better system of communicating with each other when strangers approach. The way they yell out tells people: how many people there are, where they are, the fact that they are disorganized, and that they are distanced from one another.
Using the milk to cure the pepper spray was perhaps not the best idea. I don't have much experience with how to relieve the pain of pepper spray, but to be honest, I'd rather have kept the protein and rode the pain out. How long does it last? Anyone know?
Questions:
1. Would you have given your supplies away?
2. Would you have woken George up for dinner when he secluded himself?
3. Would you have used the milk to neutralize the pepper spray in the eyes?
4. Would you have thought and suggested to relocate after the first confrontation?
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