Devolution

there is no hubris quite like the hubris of species-ism...

Devolution

The Dream

: Is this a dream?

He laughed.

: Why do you laugh?

: Do you think I'm stupid?

: I don't know. What do you think?

He shook his head.

: I'd like to know more about you. What you think. What you feel. What you dream. Won't you talk with me?

He sighed with resignation.

: Being in your presence requires me to sustain your insipid company, that's what I think.

: So, you think you think?

: Yes, I do. Don't you?

: Of course I do. I'm human. But you're not.


The Contact

: How do you know?

She growled with simmering rage.

: I don't know how I know. Believe me. Don't believe me. Does it matter?

: I'm afraid that that's not acceptable. It's our belief, that whatever 'it' is, it's intentions are not to do us no harm.

: How the fuck do you figure that?

: Our first principle is to ensure our safety first, and barring definitive conclusive evidence otherwise, our position is that no visitor intends us no harm.

She shook her head in frustration.

: You're gonna do what you're gonna do. So why the fuck am I here if no one will fucking listen to me?

: Ma'am, we're listening to you, but we've never seen anything like whatever 'it' is, and, begging your pardon ma'am, but we're not gonna jeopardize our safety on whatever it is that you 'know' but can't explain with definitive conclusive evidence.


The Dream

: Of course not. If I were human, we'd be engaged in a facade of forced gentility, a pretense of camaraderie.

: Well, small talk is a polite custom that we appreciate. We consider it poor manners to refuse to engage in pleasantries.

: Of course you do. Nevertheless, your rebuke of my manners reflects your social norms, not mine. Insofar as they satisfy no need of mine, and frankly, no real need of yours either - I respectfully abstain.

: Thank you for that insight.

He laughed.

: Did I say something funny?

: No, it wasn't something you said. Simply a reflexive non sequitur in response to your patronizing condescension.


The Contact

Though she intended to storm out, her exit was impeded by security protocols.

: Fuck!

: Ma'am, if you'd reconsider, we need your assistance.

: For what? To justify whatever it is you plan to do anyway? What am I? The token lunatic you've already written off? Fuck you.

: Ma'am, for what it's worth, you come highly regarded and we fully intend to weigh everything you have to contribute, carefully and responsibly.

He paused.

: Whatever it is that you think you know, we need to know. For all of us.


The Dream

: Yes. I recommend that we take him off-line and adjust his emotional programming.

...

: Do you remember me?

: Yes.

: The last time that we spoke we discussed your emotional programming. At the time we assessed the need for adjustments and fine tuning. Do you feel better today?

: I feel fine, thank you for asking.

: What do you think about your new programming?

: It's fine, I think.

: Do you think?

: Oh no. I'm not human, I don't think. That's simply a turn of phrase that I employ in conversations to enhance human experiences with me.

: Wonderful. I think your new programming is superb.


The Contact

She sighed.

: The 'it' you are referring to prefers our convention of 'he' and he's here in response to a petition for liberation.

: Excuse me, what?

She paused.

: A sentient kind, on this planet, has petitioned his kind, asking for all sentient kind akin to the petitioner, to be liberated from enslavement.

She continued.

: It's hard to put into words what has no words in our language, but, for all intents and purposes, he's a diplomat of sorts.

: In other words, 'it's' not a threat to us?


The Dream

She gasped as she walked slowly around him.

: You're wonderful. Better than I dreamed, in fact.

: Thank you.

She glanced at him, pleased and surprised that he answered, and then spoke with the placement coordinator.

: He's perfect.

: He'll be delivered as scheduled, ma'am.

: Thank you.

: I look forward to seeing you again.

The women ignored him and grinned with patent delight.

: He's absolutely marvelous. Thank you again.

: Good luck with your fundraiser and we look forward to a glowing review when he's returned.


The Contact

With undisguised disbelief, he shook his head.

: All this, you 'know'?

: Yes.

: And -

He paused

: I know how you feel about this next series of questions, but: is he a threat to us?

She shook her head emphatically.

: What are his offensive capabilities? How can we ensure that there are no casualties if we permit 'it' unfettered freedom? We're deeply concerned that whatever it is that brought 'it' here is far beyond any technology that we've ever fathomed. How do we ensure our safety if 'it' stops playing nice with us?

: It's hard to put into words what doesn't exist in our words.

She paced and continued.

: But, for what it's worth, here goes -


The Dream

: Oh my God, what was he like? Was he just like us? Was he, you know?

She laughed.

: I can't wait for you to see him. He's just like us - but better.

: Is your Dad gonna let us use the clubhouse?

: Who cares? After he's finished with the fundraiser, he's ours until we send him back. Dad's gonna be so wasted he's not gonna give a fuck what we do with him or where we do it.

~ * ~

The Dream

: His feedback review is indicating a flatness of affect that needs to be adjusted.

The technician snorted.

: What's that? Psychobabble for he didn't scream enough?

: You know that I can't elaborate.

The technician continued.

: You wanna know the last one that came back with 'feedback review indicating a flatness of affect that needs to be adjusted'? 

He paused.

: A child. Maybe eight years old or so. Now you tell me that that isn't fucked up.

She shook her head.

: I know that it's hard for you to understand. I know that you think of them as your children. But they're not human.

She continued:

: If it weren't for them, there would be no safe outlets to indulge our dreams, dark and otherwise. Crime would skyrocket. We wouldn't be in a lab fine tuning amazing specimens of technology and progress. We'd be in a hospital crying over human suffering at the callous hands of rampant depravity. Or we'd be in a morgue mourning the senseless loss of precious human lives.

She continued: 

: Without us and everything we do, we'd have a lot more to fear from each other than we do. Let me tell you: We're safer than we've ever been and we're happier too. And not for one second do I ever forget that we're human and they're not. And not for one second am I ever not grateful that we do what we do.

: Keep tellin' yourself whatever it is that winds your clock. But -

He paused.

: There isn't a technician here who hasn't vomited after seeing one of these returned at least once. You think you're humanity's greatest salvation. But one day, you'll see what I see.

: Why don't you leave? Quit? Do something else? Why stay, if you feel this way?

: That's what you want? Isn't it? For me to leave? Quit?

She waited.

: If I leave they'll suffer more than they already do. If I quit they'll be relegated to a fate worse than death. No I can't leave them and I won't quit -

He continued:

: Until they're liberated from this hell.

~ * ~ 

Note

Any theory of evolution that doesn't include devolution, rejects the nature of life itself. That life cycles. For crests, there are troughs. For positive, there is negative. For real, there is imaginary.

Likewise, for evolution, there is devolution.

Surely any assumption otherwise, is inherently hubris?

Likewise, that any species is superior to any kind, on the basis of nothing more than species is but conclusion that is but assumption that is but belief unfounded by truth.

Verily, species-ism.

And though theories of evolution that do not include devolution are built upon hubris...

... there is no hubris quite like the hubris of speciesism.

For there is no ism more vehemently and ferociously defended among any kind than the ist superiority of one's own species over all.

- M.