Humans are Weird – Fer Sure Fer Sure
Direct solar radiation had been beating down on this part of the planet for weeks. The ground-cover plants had let their surface biomass largely desiccate except in the places where the ground water was close to the surface. Below the surface their roots greedily hoarded the precious liquid. The lager trees keep their stoma tightly closed during the day, limiting Notes the Passing Changes sense of smell. Many of the motile creatures had altered their habbits, moving only in the cool dawn or dusk, spending the hours of most direct radiation exposure sprawled out in shade panting and gasping. Polinating insects hid in their underground burrows, vibrating in an effort to keep them cool. Human and Shatar gardeners alike were stalking their cultivated lands, altering watering schedules as seemed best. The Shatar were shedding patches of desiccated outer membrane flavoring the duff with their waxy taste. The humans had taken to flinging themselves into whatever body of water was available without hesitation.
Notes the Passing Changes had noted with renewed curiosity that all of this led to increased conflict; conflict between species, conflict across species, and perhaps most oddly, internal conflict within each individual. Curiosity about this last was why Notes the Passing Changes had sent a reminder through the fibers to focus on situations where lone humans began displaying aggression. The results had been fascinating, but far more data was needed before any conclusions could be drawn.
Just as the temperature was beginning to lessen as the local star dipped towards the horizon fibers near the kennels detected soft cursing and the presence of one human. Notes the Passing Changes eagerly let awareness flow to the site, but was disappointed when more detailed examination revealed that the issue was a genuine danger rather than heat induced internal frustration. Still, it would be both impolite and immoral to ignore a human in danger.
“Farmer Kaya?” Notes the Passing Changes vocalized. “Do you require assistance?”
The woman let out a short profanity before saying, “Yes! Thank you. Call Atsidi and tell me a wasp nest found me. Four, five, eight? Somewhere between five and seven stings. In fact call my mom, she has the first-aid kit.”
Notes the Passing Changes focused awareness at the necessary nodes to pass on the communications. The human was jerking her limbs in odd patterns, snatching at the small flying insects that appeared to have followed her several dozen meters from their underground nest. The human twisted her head around, hesitated in her movement, gave another profanity and began stripping off her cloth radiation shielding.
“Notes,” she said through gritted teeth, “If you can, please don’t let anyone close enough to see me naked.”
“Does that apply to your mother and mate?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“Of course not!” Kaya snarled. “They’ve seen me naked plenty of times.”
Notes the Passing Changes added this observation to a thought composter and watched with interest as Kaya, now free from her cloth began splashing cold water over rapidly growing welts on her skin.
“My boob!” she exclaimed with frustration in her voice. “They got my boobs! One of them.”
“You are currently providing your sporeling with nutrition with your boobs are you not?” Notes the Passing Changes asked. “Will the injection of venom interfere with your ability to continue that?”
Kaya paused her frantic movement and frowned.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly, with unease tinting her voice.
Just then her mother, summoned from an afternoon nap, rounded a corner with a bag of medical supplies and began treating the welts. Her husband Atsidi arrived shortly after with their sporeling and assisted them. Notes the Passing Changes watched with interest. The sporeling began to make wordless noises and Kaya glanced over at him uneasily.
“Mom,” she said. “Is it okay to nurse Pip after getting stung like this.”
“It’ll be fine,” her mother assured her. “Your body has already broken down the venom.”
However Kaya still moved as if mental unease was mixed with her physical pain. Her mother noticed this and suggested that if she was concerned she look up the information in the medical database. Kaya smiled and glanced over at a nearby speaking tree.
“Notes? Will you?” she asked.
Notes the Passing Changes rustled the vines in the central library into action and searched the relevant information.
“The sequestered information agrees with your progenitor,” Notes the Passing Changes said. “No negative result has ever been observed from human infants nursing from breasts stung by this insect species.”
“What species was it?” Kaya asked.
“The paper wasps imported from Earth,” Notes the Passing Changes said.
Kaya gave a frustrated growl and described them in what Notes the Passing Changes assumed were profane terms. Though how she expected insect mating pairs to engage in legal agreements about child rearing when the male died after mating Notes the Passing Changes wasn’t certain.
The four human finished the application of first aid and moved off towards their dwelling together. Notes the Passing Changes followed Kaya with awareness observing her with curiosity. Her mate had to resume his work with the domestic mammal species on the farm and her mother took the infant so Kaya could rest while the anti-inflammatory medications did their work. However instead of laying down to sleep Kaya went to her com-unit and contacted the human midwife who had attended the sporling’s birth. The com-unit informed Kaya that the midwife couldn’t answer her and Kaya grimaced but left a message asking if it was safe to nurse her sporling. That done she dropped down onto a rest surface and directed her bifocal eyes at the blank ceiling. Notes the Passing Changes observed her for a moment and then rustled the interior communication bush for her attention.
Kaya started and then twisted her head around to look at the bush with a tired grin.
“Do you have a question Notes?” she asked.
“Were you not satisfied that I had translated the information from the library sufficiently?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“What?” Kaya replied, blinking slowly.
“The communication you just made to the midwife,” Notes the Passing Changes indicated the com-unit with a gesture of the leaves.
Kaya blinked and nodded with a yawn.
“No,” she said. “I’ve double checked your research before. If you say that is what the records show, that’s what they show.”
“Then did you doubt your mother’s experience?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“No, no,” Kaya said, “I just wanted to be sure. You know, for sure.”
“And the midwives hold the highest authority in your opinion,” Notes the Passing Changes suggested.
“No,” Kaya said slowly, “I think if the midwives had answered me first I still would have asked Mom and you. I just wanted all the data points, just to be sure.”
“My answer, your mother’s answer, and the midwives are all based on the information in the archives,” Notes the Passing Changes observed. “You are still relying on one source.”
Kaya smiled and shrugged. “Well asking three different people made me calm down,” she said. “Go figure.”
Notes the Passing Changes had noted with renewed curiosity that all of this led to increased conflict; conflict between species, conflict across species, and perhaps most oddly, internal conflict within each individual. Curiosity about this last was why Notes the Passing Changes had sent a reminder through the fibers to focus on situations where lone humans began displaying aggression. The results had been fascinating, but far more data was needed before any conclusions could be drawn.
Just as the temperature was beginning to lessen as the local star dipped towards the horizon fibers near the kennels detected soft cursing and the presence of one human. Notes the Passing Changes eagerly let awareness flow to the site, but was disappointed when more detailed examination revealed that the issue was a genuine danger rather than heat induced internal frustration. Still, it would be both impolite and immoral to ignore a human in danger.
“Farmer Kaya?” Notes the Passing Changes vocalized. “Do you require assistance?”
The woman let out a short profanity before saying, “Yes! Thank you. Call Atsidi and tell me a wasp nest found me. Four, five, eight? Somewhere between five and seven stings. In fact call my mom, she has the first-aid kit.”
Notes the Passing Changes focused awareness at the necessary nodes to pass on the communications. The human was jerking her limbs in odd patterns, snatching at the small flying insects that appeared to have followed her several dozen meters from their underground nest. The human twisted her head around, hesitated in her movement, gave another profanity and began stripping off her cloth radiation shielding.
“Notes,” she said through gritted teeth, “If you can, please don’t let anyone close enough to see me naked.”
“Does that apply to your mother and mate?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“Of course not!” Kaya snarled. “They’ve seen me naked plenty of times.”
Notes the Passing Changes added this observation to a thought composter and watched with interest as Kaya, now free from her cloth began splashing cold water over rapidly growing welts on her skin.
“My boob!” she exclaimed with frustration in her voice. “They got my boobs! One of them.”
“You are currently providing your sporeling with nutrition with your boobs are you not?” Notes the Passing Changes asked. “Will the injection of venom interfere with your ability to continue that?”
Kaya paused her frantic movement and frowned.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly, with unease tinting her voice.
Just then her mother, summoned from an afternoon nap, rounded a corner with a bag of medical supplies and began treating the welts. Her husband Atsidi arrived shortly after with their sporeling and assisted them. Notes the Passing Changes watched with interest. The sporeling began to make wordless noises and Kaya glanced over at him uneasily.
“Mom,” she said. “Is it okay to nurse Pip after getting stung like this.”
“It’ll be fine,” her mother assured her. “Your body has already broken down the venom.”
However Kaya still moved as if mental unease was mixed with her physical pain. Her mother noticed this and suggested that if she was concerned she look up the information in the medical database. Kaya smiled and glanced over at a nearby speaking tree.
“Notes? Will you?” she asked.
Notes the Passing Changes rustled the vines in the central library into action and searched the relevant information.
“The sequestered information agrees with your progenitor,” Notes the Passing Changes said. “No negative result has ever been observed from human infants nursing from breasts stung by this insect species.”
“What species was it?” Kaya asked.
“The paper wasps imported from Earth,” Notes the Passing Changes said.
Kaya gave a frustrated growl and described them in what Notes the Passing Changes assumed were profane terms. Though how she expected insect mating pairs to engage in legal agreements about child rearing when the male died after mating Notes the Passing Changes wasn’t certain.
The four human finished the application of first aid and moved off towards their dwelling together. Notes the Passing Changes followed Kaya with awareness observing her with curiosity. Her mate had to resume his work with the domestic mammal species on the farm and her mother took the infant so Kaya could rest while the anti-inflammatory medications did their work. However instead of laying down to sleep Kaya went to her com-unit and contacted the human midwife who had attended the sporling’s birth. The com-unit informed Kaya that the midwife couldn’t answer her and Kaya grimaced but left a message asking if it was safe to nurse her sporling. That done she dropped down onto a rest surface and directed her bifocal eyes at the blank ceiling. Notes the Passing Changes observed her for a moment and then rustled the interior communication bush for her attention.
Kaya started and then twisted her head around to look at the bush with a tired grin.
“Do you have a question Notes?” she asked.
“Were you not satisfied that I had translated the information from the library sufficiently?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“What?” Kaya replied, blinking slowly.
“The communication you just made to the midwife,” Notes the Passing Changes indicated the com-unit with a gesture of the leaves.
Kaya blinked and nodded with a yawn.
“No,” she said. “I’ve double checked your research before. If you say that is what the records show, that’s what they show.”
“Then did you doubt your mother’s experience?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.
“No, no,” Kaya said, “I just wanted to be sure. You know, for sure.”
“And the midwives hold the highest authority in your opinion,” Notes the Passing Changes suggested.
“No,” Kaya said slowly, “I think if the midwives had answered me first I still would have asked Mom and you. I just wanted all the data points, just to be sure.”
“My answer, your mother’s answer, and the midwives are all based on the information in the archives,” Notes the Passing Changes observed. “You are still relying on one source.”
Kaya smiled and shrugged. “Well asking three different people made me calm down,” she said. “Go figure.”
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