Challenge #01913-E089: They Do What Now?
The rise of the mammals, primates such as humans included, was something of an evolutionary fluke. The world was dominated by proto-avian, likely feathered behemoths before the rise of the mammals. What if humans were the only mammalian species to evolve "cogniscience", and mammalian species are otherwise quite rare? Reptilian, avian, cephalopodic, or insectoid life might be far more common. Aliens must find humans quite odd. -- Nani
It's almost natural for newly spacefaring species to be egocentric. They are, after all, the only intelligent life they know. It's natural to assume that all other lifeforms in the universe evolved on the same path. Insectoids assume that all other lifeforms will be insectoids, cephalopodii likewise, and so on.
The most populous species form is the saurian/avian kind. Dinosaurs in space, but not how you think. They are all intelligent, naturally. Far-flung from the ancient beasts that you might be thinking of. Those are Deathworlder dinosaurs. The multiple disasters that shaped life on Earth as we know it simply don't occur on other worlds. Evolution is kinder there, than here.
That said, the anthropic[1] life pattern is handy for any species living close to a one-Standard-Gravity environment. Translated, you find an awful lot of human-shaped dinosaurs and birds. All of which are easily confused by mammals in general and humans in particular. Especially in the early years of Galactic Acceptance.
"Wait. You do what, now?"
"Live birth, internally gestated. My wife is about to birth our youngling, and I would like to be there for it. Emotional and physical support," said the anxious human.
Gefrox checked the human's passport. "It states here that you are female."
"One. Genetech is a wonderful thing. Two. Heterosexual reproduction is just one of our many options. Three, and I really hate to do this, but you are standing in the path of an anxious Deathworlder. Please. Just. Let me go through the fast track. I'll pay the fees. She needs me."
Gefrox had already dialled up the quick notes on human reproduction and how relatively deadly it was for those gestating. Yikes. Deathworlders had it rough. Ze marked the human's case 'urgent' and allowed her to pass through the fast track, which included a breath mask.
"May your gods bless you," she managed before going through the fast track as if it were still too slow.
Gefrox would find out hours later that ze was correct in hir assessment of the emergency status. Human Lise's wife was in great distress until Lise arrived to soothe her. The delivery took an astonishing twelve hours and the human infant that resulted was immense compared to other young. Ze knew because the humans tracked hir down, afterwards, to show hir the baby.
Nine pounds, and the human young was more than helpless. Soft and vulnerable and hyper-sensitive to all kinds of stimuli. Yet its human parents could interpret its wails of complaint and act accordingly.
There were rumours of Human telepathy, but Gefrox had never believed it before now. How else would they be able to know instantly what their incoherent young wanted?
[1] As opposed to 'humanoid', which is greatly egocentric.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / cteconsulting]
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