Challenge #01789-D328: Integration Contemplation
A pair/group of Numidids discuss their thoughts/opinions/views on humans when there are no humans around. -- TheDragonsFlame
They were at the uppermost branches of a sky-raker tree that overlooked the human settlement of Wiwazheer. The first Terran city to share a planet with Havenworlders. Of course, when they built it, they had no idea. Neither the Humans nor the Numidid had any idea that they had started colonising opposite ends of the planet simultaneously.
"They are loud," said a Numidid roosting up there. Chiineth. "They try to be quiet, but... it's like their children. Sooner or later, they forget to be quiet and... rabble."
"They are very useful," said T'yor. "Remember the last big storm? They came out of everywhere to come and help us."
Chiineth sighed. "That they did. And they did everything to rescue as many of us as possible."
"Invention," said Rikkiki. "There's a knack for it amongst them. Not only do they build on the scaffolding of the old, but they also put things together that are clearly needed. Practically from scratch."
"That's a very human phrase," complained Chiineth. "And yet it communicates so well. How do they do that?"
"It must be a knack," said Rikkiki. "It's all wrapped up in their thinking, I'm sure of it."
T'yor, self-confessed anthropologist, put her head up. "Ah? How is that the key?"
"Their language shows how they think," said Rikkiki. "And they think in confusing ways. They have..." here, she switched to the Terran tongue, "Similies... Metaphors... Synonyms. Antonyms..." She panted from working so hard at imitating their strange noises. "Words for the same thing. Phrases that don't mean the words. They... they have puns. All this complicated language to say things in fifteen different ways." She threw up her wings. "No wonder they can change their worlds around them. They've had practice."
Chiineth considered this. "They will change us, too," she said. "They don't even mean to, but they're doing it. Just by being there. The Numidids that emerge on the other side of our deep time? They will not be like the Numidids who ventured here."
Silence reigned in the treetop as they watched the distant Humans going about their Human business in the town below. With their trained predators and their domesticated prey and their peculiar ways of inventing things that nobody had thought of, yet. Racing to reach a goal that nobody had bothered to define.
"That may not be a bad thing," said T'yor. "Would it?"
None of them had an answer.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / kamchatka]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me.
Send me a prompt [15 remaining prompts!]
@internutter
Best Of luck