King and Lt. Lazarus, who arrived just after the Commandant left, have been discussing the mission’s logistics, I assume, at the end of the table. I won’t lie: I like feeling essential. Anyway . . .
No. 1. The Thell’eon are arrogant. Their conceit comes with age; they’ve been civilized about 19,000 years longer than humans’ 6,000 years. Getting past intra-cultural hang-ups, like religious difference, allows a species to advance so much more quickly. In exo-anthro it’s called the Utopian-Progress Rule. Humans passed it a few hundred years after space travel. We have a saying from this, “Progress is measured in laps,” meaning we still have conflict (it’s just personal).
Surprisingly, Thell’eon technology is only slightly more advanced than humans’. Prof. Xeno says that ESE theorizes that Thell’eons do not have the aptitude or creative thinking humans are slowly being recognized for universe-wide.
Or, maybe we are equally arrogant to make such an assumption. That being said, Thell’eon technological advances appear to be based on theft: they conquer a species and incorporate their knowledge and innovation. Yeah, real upstanding species. And because the Thell’eon have been taking over galaxies for so long, they are greatly enriched. Oh, and one more thing on that count. Apparently, the biggest scientific advantage they have over us is that they are able to travel much faster, though we don’t know how or why.
No. 2. Thell’eon are macho. Surprise, surprise. This behavior is often an adaptation in breeder species because there’s an unbalanced sexual appetite between genders. Without any real need for sexual pleasure on one side of the male-female breeding equation, bonds of intimacy are never truly formed and one sex tends to dominate. In some species I’ve studied with Prof. Xeno, like the Zorans, a complex artificial family structure is created and for the most part, works. Women play a loving ‘wife’ role, assisted with great custom and ritual, a faith almost, and raise their children with (genuine) love and support from a male. In most other ‘breeder’ species, women tend to live separately from the men. Intimacy is doled out in patterns that control the males’ urges, or strictly for breeding purposes if the society becomes increasingly split-sexual (gay). Sometimes children are raised in coves by women, like the Niians do, or by some overarching political structure run by women like one of the few societies where women dominate, the Mahahatters.
According to intel, Thell’eon women live separately from the men. I’m guessing this means Thell’eon place little value on women (metatabulous!) because of the next little nugget of knowledge.
No. 3. Thell’eons’ value-system is rooted in the concept of brotherhood. Apparently, they’re an incredibly competitive species, and form bonds (and their military structure) on physical and mental feats of achievement—contests, challenges, games, and so on. What enables them to function as a cohesive unit instead of a heaving pile of ceaseless power struggles is winning. Prove you are better, or at least worthy, and your fellow Thell’eon will lay down his life for you without hesitation. How this will apply to me, a human woman, I have no bloody idea.
“How do we know all of this, anyway?” I ask the officers at the table when we’ve finally exhausted their knowledge pool. Adm. O’Reilly left some time ago to work out clearance details for a few plan changes, or I would have asked him. My head’s crammed full, and I need a break. The officers share a glance and direct their cool gazes on King and Lt. Lazarus, who both glanced up when I asked the question.
I refuse to make eye contact with Lt. Lazarus. I can’t adequately pinpoint my feelings toward my combat trainer. Deep down, I always hoped maybe he was so hard on me because he wanted me to succeed. But after what happened in my H2H test, even if he didn’t plan the surprise
No. 1. The Thell’eon are arrogant. Their conceit comes with age; they’ve been civilized about 19,000 years longer than humans’ 6,000 years. Getting past intra-cultural hang-ups, like religious difference, allows a species to advance so much more quickly. In exo-anthro it’s called the Utopian-Progress Rule. Humans passed it a few hundred years after space travel. We have a saying from this, “Progress is measured in laps,” meaning we still have conflict (it’s just personal).
Surprisingly, Thell’eon technology is only slightly more advanced than humans’. Prof. Xeno says that ESE theorizes that Thell’eons do not have the aptitude or creative thinking humans are slowly being recognized for universe-wide.
Or, maybe we are equally arrogant to make such an assumption. That being said, Thell’eon technological advances appear to be based on theft: they conquer a species and incorporate their knowledge and innovation. Yeah, real upstanding species. And because the Thell’eon have been taking over galaxies for so long, they are greatly enriched. Oh, and one more thing on that count. Apparently, the biggest scientific advantage they have over us is that they are able to travel much faster, though we don’t know how or why.
No. 2. Thell’eon are macho. Surprise, surprise. This behavior is often an adaptation in breeder species because there’s an unbalanced sexual appetite between genders. Without any real need for sexual pleasure on one side of the male-female breeding equation, bonds of intimacy are never truly formed and one sex tends to dominate. In some species I’ve studied with Prof. Xeno, like the Zorans, a complex artificial family structure is created and for the most part, works. Women play a loving ‘wife’ role, assisted with great custom and ritual, a faith almost, and raise their children with (genuine) love and support from a male. In most other ‘breeder’ species, women tend to live separately from the men. Intimacy is doled out in patterns that control the males’ urges, or strictly for breeding purposes if the society becomes increasingly split-sexual (gay). Sometimes children are raised in coves by women, like the Niians do, or by some overarching political structure run by women like one of the few societies where women dominate, the Mahahatters.
According to intel, Thell’eon women live separately from the men. I’m guessing this means Thell’eon place little value on women (metatabulous!) because of the next little nugget of knowledge.
No. 3. Thell’eons’ value-system is rooted in the concept of brotherhood. Apparently, they’re an incredibly competitive species, and form bonds (and their military structure) on physical and mental feats of achievement—contests, challenges, games, and so on. What enables them to function as a cohesive unit instead of a heaving pile of ceaseless power struggles is winning. Prove you are better, or at least worthy, and your fellow Thell’eon will lay down his life for you without hesitation. How this will apply to me, a human woman, I have no bloody idea.
“How do we know all of this, anyway?” I ask the officers at the table when we’ve finally exhausted their knowledge pool. Adm. O’Reilly left some time ago to work out clearance details for a few plan changes, or I would have asked him. My head’s crammed full, and I need a break. The officers share a glance and direct their cool gazes on King and Lt. Lazarus, who both glanced up when I asked the question.
I refuse to make eye contact with Lt. Lazarus. I can’t adequately pinpoint my feelings toward my combat trainer. Deep down, I always hoped maybe he was so hard on me because he wanted me to succeed. But after what happened in my H2H test, even if he didn’t plan the surprise
Similar Books
