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Jim could be dealing with the latest intelligence on the Tholians. Or finishing personnel reports. Or catching up on any number of things that he sometimes feels like he never has the time to finish.

But the sun isn't quite so low in the sky. And the air isn't that cold. And the snows are melting. Some days just demand leaving any and all work behind in favor of saddling up.

So while you could find Jim inside later on, you could just as easily find him outside right now, taking Rachat for a ride.

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"People don't talk to their toddlers enough." Guppy says. "Alex may not understand everything we say to him by a long way, but he knows something is going to happen if we tell him, and that's half way to getting him to co-operate."

"It's not unlike making first contact. Just with an immature species instead of an advanced one." And also not unlike how some Vulcans used to talk to humans in the old days.

"You're saying toddlers are like aliens?"

Guppy laughs. "You should totally write a book on that."

Jim makes something of a face. "I think that in the right light, anyone can seem like an alien. As well as the opposite."

"Are the aliens you meet generally humanoid?"

"The majority, yes. Bipedal as well. There's been a lot of speculation about why that is. The number of totally non-humanoid species I have encountered is about thirty, and that includes energy beings."

"Do you keep records of them all, study them?"

"Study, and interact. Other species aren't lab specimens, after all."

"No, I know what you mean." Guppy agrees. "I meant the less intelligent lifeforms. The equivalent of birds and things."

"You would be surprised how many worlds have birds. But yes, that is something we do. Extensively." Though Jim himself has never led a birdwatching expedition.

"Is the pattern of evolution similar to Earth?"

"On some worlds, yes. There is some variation, but we've gone a long way to determining rules for carbon-based lifeforms." And like with the sentients, it makes no sense and points to the possibility that life was seeded.

"Are things like the pentadactyl limb preserved?" Guppy asks.

"Yes. Across about 85 percent of species and worlds. Which defies everything we ever assumed about evolution."

"Wow." Guppy says, impressed. "That's simply amazing. You'd think there were other perfectly adequate possibilities of how evolution could go."

"It raises a lot of questions, with no good answers. Though at least we do encounter energy-based and silicon-based lifeforms on occasion, and those raise a lot of other, if more expected, questions."

"Energy based? How does that work?"

"We think they tend to be beings that evolved to a point where they are essentially pure mind. Though that is generally a mystery. The so-called gods would fit into that category." At least that's how Jim sees it. The gods might not agree.

"Where do they put their minds?"

"I suppose it would be facetious to say 'wherever they want to'. But energy doesn't have the same limitations. Other than defying conventional wisdom."

"Fascinating." Guppy says, smiling slightly. "Makes my world view seem so small."

"Give it a few decades, and that will change for everyone. Though being here, it's probably already changed for you. Even if there aren't many non-humans around." Which will always bother Jim. The Landlord is such a speciesist.

"That's true." Guppy agrees. "Alex will grow up with it around, which will be good for him."

"Maybe he'll be part of your timeline's next generation of astronauts." Even if Britain has no manned space program.

"Maybe. I'd be a little worried about him going up there, but Frogs and I have agreed that we're going to let our children be whatever they want to be, so long as it's legal and they finish school."

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works-in-space.livejournal.com - 2010-03-10 00:49 (UTC) - Expand

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