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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/micktalian on 2025-11-26 20:42:24+00:00.
Part 151 Artsy fartsy (Part 1) (Part 149)
Both the Sumatran Orangutan named Morning Dew and the Singularity Entity commonly called NAN find many human peculiarities to be quite endearing. One of those is the strange duality present in every single human regardless of how they perceive themselves. In contrast, orangutans and Singularity Entities don't really have conflicting interests, counterintuitive behavioral patterns, and moral conundrums that remain entirely interpretive for thousands of years. There is, of course, a wide spectrum of personal desires, inconsistent actions, and definitions of right and wrong that exist both between and within all intelligent species. But those are usually on a societal level, not an individual basis. That ability for any single human to hold an entire society's worth of values and contradictions is a very unique and rather intriguing trait.
The easiest way to observe humanity's near universal inner conflicts is through their creative expression. That old saying of ‘everyone is an artist’ may be true of all intelligent life to a certain degree, but exceptionally obvious in those furless primates that evolved on Earth. Though both the orangutan and the Singularity Entity are aware that humans pour their hearts and souls into everything, neither can really describe the phenomenon. Morning Dew's relatively limited vocabulary can't properly articulate his interpretation of the small selection of human art he had seen in his life while NAN's nearly deific mastery of thousands of languages isn't enough for some of the pieces on display in galleries on Shkegpewen. There's simply too much to say about too many things. In fact, every aspect of the school both were in the middle of touring could be understood as human artistic expression.
The Administration Department truly was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of beautiful buildings. Everything from the diverse housing blocks that separated the academic departments to the various parks scattered everywhere had their own unique aesthetic. Though the humans on this tour could identify some kind of Earthly influence everywhere, NAN and the Qui’ztars could see where Espen had integrated architecture from nearly every other Ascended species. Every area demanded at least a few people get off the tram to take a closer look. But it wasn't until the third stop, the Art Department building, that the Infinity-born AI wanted everyone to disembark and get a proper tour of the building's interior. Tempting them all with a very special surprise wasn't even necessary. Though Mik knew what was in store, he hadn't told anyone currently present about this particular person who had already accepted a faculty position at this traveling university.
“I must admit, Mountain. This is quite impressive.” Professor Mei Chen walked with Mik, Espen, and NAN at the head of the group towards the building's entrance. Try as she might to find valid critiques of this structure like she silently had with the others, nothing to mind. It was unfamiliar yet still utterly perfect to her artistic senses. “Though I must ask, what was the inspiration behind the use of so many soft curves? I don't believe I've ever seen architecture quite like this before.”
“Hell if I know.” Mik let out a sharp laugh while motioning to the hologram of his digital daughter. “Ask Espen. She designed all this.”
“I incorporated elements from thirty-seven different species in this particular building.” The Infinity-born AI's hologram spared a somewhat dismissive glance towards the Chinese-Martian artist. Though her father clearly didn't care that this pompous woman had written a scathing review of his musical creations, Espen did. “But if you want more details perhaps you should ask the first long-term co-Head of this Department. And speaking of… Gasina, that's your queue!”
Mik, Mei, and the others at the head of the group had just made it to the top of the stairs leading to the entrance of the building when Espen came to stop to make that announcement. Before them stood a set of arched double doors that were nearly eight meters tall and wide enough for three of the largest elephants to easily walk through side by side. One door was painted with yellow and red and engraved with motifs invoking daylight while the other was blue and purple with embossings portraying the night. Despite appearing quite heavy, most of the Martians simply assumed that they were crafted from light materials with a fancy facade. The quickness which they flew open lent credence to that impression. What they couldn't see was the system of hydraulics and counterweights that allowed such a dramatic entrance for Mei Chen's artistic antithesis.
“Welcome to this wondrous den of creative expression!” The being that stood at the center of the now open doorway stuck a flamboyant pose as if the very act of greeting required a performance. Though Singularity Entity 701-827, or Gasina as they preferred to be called, had chosen to morph this drone's appearance into a human-like shape, its general appearance was wholly unique from NAN. While the ever-shifting liquid metal body was nearly identical, Gasina had chosen a Dali-esque mustache instead of the large pair of rabbit ears, wore a colorful unisex suit instead of Nishnabe style clothing, and even sported a paint-spattered artist's barret. “I am Entity 701-827 but please call me Gasina. It is my honor to say that I will be the co-Head of this university's Art Department for the first twenty years of its existence. And if you all choose to work here as well, then we shall be colleagues. So please feel free to come introduce yourselves as we take a walk through these soon to be busy halls.”
“Glad to finally meet yah in the physical world, comrade.” Mik took a few steps towards the eccentric being and extended his hand, which was taken with an equal parts delicate and showy manner. “I'm diggin’ the look, by the way. Oh! An’, uh… That woman right there with her jaw hangin’ open is Mei Chen. She's gonna be a professor in yahr department.”
“I heard that, Mountain!” Mei instantly recovered her composure and shot the burly, bearded man a harsh glare before quickly stepping up to shake the Singularity Entity's hand. “But yes. I am Doctor Mei Chen, Professor of Fine Arts at ChaosU. It is a pleasure to meet you… Gasina was it?”
“The Doctor Mei Chen?” Gasina eyed the art professor for a split second before putting on the same handshake performance as they had with Mik. “Your reputation precedes you. That and Espen sent me a brief introduction for everyone present. But I truly have seen images of some of your works. ‘Venus on Mars’ and ‘Red Sky over Crystal Domes’ are two that I'm particularly fond of.”
“Those two?” Mei was caught off guard by that. Shevhad made two paintings back in her freshman year at ChaosU and considered them to be not much more than classwork. “Really? Not anything else?”
“Well… There are others I enjoy as well but… Those two really spoke to me. I actually have the latter holographically displayed a short ways down the entrance hall alongside a few other Martian artists. Come, I'll show you!” The Singularity Entity suddenly shifted their attention towards the rest of the group who were now gathered around the large door expectantly. “Everyone please follow me! It should take fifteen, maybe twenty, minutes to walk around the main hall. I don't want to take up too much time from those who wish to see the rest of this magnificent school Mikhail and Espen have concocted for us. This university truly is an artist's dream. Creative expression at its finest!”
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Touring the Art Department, though captivating as it was, didn't really interest the Qui’ztars all too much. They could all appreciate creative expression and found many of the pieces on display to be thought provoking. Seeing countless paintings and statues from over a hundred different species is fun no matter who or what a person is. On top of that, the Singularity Entity providing commentary along the way was certainly entertaining. However, those blue skinned amazonian women were all a bit distracted by the next stop on this tour. That next destination would be where they would potentially spend the next few decades of their lives. Atxika, Marzima, Zikazoma, and Chuxima are all, first and foremost, proud veterans of one of the galaxy's most renowned armed forces. Their main interests lie solely in military related topics, not art.
What the Qui’ztars had yet to realize is the fact that Gasina hadn't exaggerated when calling this university creative expression at its finest. As soldiers who had dedicated their entire first lives and then some to military service, they only really recognize art when it is intentionally presented as such. They couldn't see the act of founding a school for everyone that was capable of traveling the stars as a creative performance. The logic of mutual interspecies cooperation was obvious to them but not the thought process beh...
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