Chapter 111: A Bombshell Statement at the Ecology Meeting
Despite having a lot on her plate, Lillian wasn’t the type to dive into work immediately. Frankly, she was already at her limit. If she didn’t set some boundaries or take a break soon, she’d collapse.
Once this ecology report on the Sarassa aliens, filled with technical jargon, was over, she’d rest. Her head was already starting to ache.
The meeting, held via video conference in the *Eris* conference room, included members of the Lunar Fleet.
Vertor and Stella from the Sixth Fleet were absent, which was understandable.
In their place, Fione and Refine joined the meeting remotely. Fione looked visibly bored, while Refine seemed genuinely intrigued.
Their attendance was partly due to their involvement in the recent battle, but mostly it was Refine’s curiosity at play.
Fione, who seemed wild at first glance, might actually be the easier one to get along with.
*"They are believed to have evolved from a species known as..."*
A scholar in a lab coat, seemingly on Mars, spoke with a hint of excitement.
*"In other words, they are a type of mollusk."*
Even though biology classes were a distant memory for most, the explanation left Lillian puzzled.
When someone mentioned "mollusks," she couldn’t help but wonder where their shells were. But apparently, that’s just how they were classified.
The idea of a mollusk without a shell made her question whether it still counted as one. The scholar explained that *"they’ve degenerated, so traces might remain internally,"* but that didn’t clear things up.
"So, does this have anything to do with them being humanoid with skeletal structures?"
The scholar’s eyes lit up at her question.
*"Mollusks are broadly classified as soft-bodied animals. The aliens likely evolved to live on land or underwent such changes due to survival pressures. Alternatively, they might have undergone external modifications out of necessity."*
In a way, Lillian’s question was close to the answer.
Or so it seemed. The actual answer was still under investigation. Lillian had hoped for a clearer response, but instead, her question was turned into a hypothesis, leaving her unsatisfied.
As for why the aliens could communicate via telepathy or ultrasound, the explanation was that *"their brain structure includes organs humans don’t possess."*
In short, *"we still don’t fully understand."*
Even with Richard’s cooperation, the reason behind their unique abilities remained unclear. Records indicated that they had been like this since humans first encountered them thousands of years ago.
The Sarassa prisoners claimed it was *"for the sake of prosperity."*
Combining this with previous information, it seemed the Sarassa had no qualms about modifying their own bodies. Changing genders, for instance, wasn’t a big deal to them.
Ironically, this had led to a degenerative threat to their species. Whether it was the irony of science or the dangers of its misuse, the result was the same.
If same-sex reproduction had sustained them for centuries, they could be considered one of the most advanced life forms.
But ultimately, this wasn’t a natural evolutionary achievement.
(Maybe there’s a point where even evolution has to compromise.)
She wasn’t trying to get philosophical. Perhaps humanity was destined for the same fate.
The Sarassa might represent humanity’s future.
If the humans enslaved by the Sarassa were rescued and integrated into Imperial society, bodies like Frim’s and Richard’s might one day become the norm.
But that was a discussion for another time.
"By the way, what about Frim and Richard’s claim that the aliens’ invasion goal is to steal human reproductive organs? I heard crossbreeding between us is impossible. Has that changed?"
Early-stage research might have uncovered something new.
*"That’s a difficult question. As of now, crossbreeding is indeed impossible. Even if we were to extract and incorporate human genetic material, it’s unclear how far we could go."*
"And the Sarassa are the result of such attempts failing, right?"
Frim had apparently said as much. If thousands of years of effort yielded no results, it suggested a fundamental biological incompatibility.
The one who answered Lillian’s question wasn’t the scholar, but a new participant in the meeting.
*"Perhaps the order is reversed."*
A projection appeared, revealing Vertor.
"Vertor? Are you okay?"
Vertor had been deeply affected by what had happened to his longtime friend. No one blamed him for stepping back from his duties temporarily.
Now, he seemed back to his usual self, joining the meeting.
*"I’ve worried everyone, but I needed time to sort things out. To save my friend, I’ll do what’s necessary. But about the earlier discussion..."*
Vertor was unusually talkative.
*"This is based on what Richard told me and my own analysis. When humans first encountered the Sarassa, they were already hermaphroditic. Both sides saw the other as incompatible, leading to conflict. I think the answer lies there."*
"The answer? That they found us disgusting and decided to eliminate us?"
It was a discriminatory statement, but feeling uneasy about something so different was perhaps natural. Especially when that difference included hermaphroditism and same-sex reproduction—concepts beyond human norms.
*"Exactly. That sense of disgust, that unconscious bias, likely existed in them too. The idea of dividing into sexes and reproducing might have seemed repulsive to them. They built a civilization around hermaphroditism. To them, it was normal. To them, we were the anomalies. After defeating the human invaders, they likely saw us as too dangerous to leave alive. At the same time, their own prosperity was waning, so they experimented... and that’s how Richard and the others came to be."*
Vertor’s explanation made sense to Lillian and the others.
From a human perspective, the Sarassa’s biology was alien. Hence, their actions seemed incomprehensible.
But from the Sarassa’s perspective, it was humans and other sexually dimorphic species that were the anomalies. To them, we were the *"strange animals."*
Even among humans, hermaphroditic or sex-changing species existed, but they were seen as *"strange animals,"* not humans.
"So the order is reversed..."
Records showed that humans had once attempted to create artificial wombs using animal cells, particularly pigs.
"To the Sarassa, hermaphroditism is the norm... So they tried to make their experimental subjects more like themselves... Because intersex reproduction was disgusting, something animals did..."
*"It’s a cultural norm ingrained in their civilization. So they applied that logic to humans, conducting experiments and modifications... But even then, they achieved no results. Ironically, humans adapted."*
"And over the millennia, the Sarassa were forced to accept this as a necessity. But by then, their world had no pure humans left—no sexually dimorphic humanoids. So they scoured past records and came to Earth... to gather specimens with clear sexual dimorphism."
It was almost laughable. The vastness of space, and yet two species went to war over what might have been mere prejudice.
But this was a war of survival. If humanity lost, there would be no future.
We’d just become lab rats for experiments with no guarantee of success.
*"Hey, can I say something?"*
Fione, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up.
*"Why don’t we just send them some adult videos and be done with it?"*
"Excuse me?"
Lillian couldn’t help but ask for clarification.
Most of the room likely had the same reaction.
*"I mean, they don’t know how to make babies. They don’t understand heterosexual relationships, right? So why not just show them how it’s done?"*
*"Actually, that makes sense. Cultural exchange, along with samples for crossbreeding experiments, might make them give up."*
Refine, of all people, agreed with the outrageous suggestion.
These sisters were dangerous. Lillian realized she needed to reassess them before dealing with the aliens.
*"Ah, but Earth today is more accepting of same-sex relationships, so it might backfire. Well, I’m just suggesting. Whether you do it or not is up to you."*
*"I’d rather see their reaction by showing the prisoners some adult films as an experiment."*
The meeting was temporarily derailed by this bombshell statement.