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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/WilfullJester on 2024-11-04 19:13:32+00:00.
Proposal for Intergalactic Quarantine of the Zone Containing the Byemer Eddy
Galactic Community, Project to Pre-emptively Identify Possibly Problematic and Friendly Species (PPIPPFS)
Background
Deep in the 2b arm of the galaxy, lies a small zone often called the Byemer Zone, named for the Zenostran astronomer Byemar-Dfi. The zone is roughly a parsec, cubed, but is most notable for the Byemar Eddy, or Byemar Cloud as some call it. The zone is of little importance to the galaxy, far from shipping lanes despite its position near the middle and has only some planets that have been deemed candidates for terraforming, aside from the subject of this report.
The Byemar Eddy has been of interest to several other departments, scientists, and even corporations over the last thousand years, due to some unique factors. As the galactic tide ebbs and flows, a small eddy forms in this zone, creating a massive depository for planetoids, and potentially valuable asteroids and comets. It is for this reason that the Galactic Resource Assessment Team (GRAT) ordered a survey of the eddy three years ago, in galactic standard year 10.38472.9-4.3.
Our Involvement
One year into their survey of the nearly 0.123 parsec eddy, they found a star and a planet bearing significant life. Our team consisting of Drs. Jelde, Jolokul, Heid Ballas, Garne-deil, Shalop Nell, Kouras’Toom and Filbert the Genial was dispatched with great haste. Preliminary results of the system appeared normal briefly, but soon proved anything but.
One planet has scars of water across the surface, and we could determine that life had started there, only to fizzle out quickly as the planet was slightly too small to retain an atmosphere. Chemical and handful of physical fossils of protocellular life could be found, indicating that it was habitable for close to half a billion years at least. But the extinct life Byemar-01-4 is not the topic of this report.
The topic of this report and our recommendation life in the planet right next door, Byemar-01-3. It’s a fairly standard rocky planet, if a bit more watery and climatically variable than usual. The usual carbon based life, and use of oxygen as a receptor molecule. As well as predominantly alternating chirality, with all amino acids being left handed, and sugars being right handed. The planet is home to several species of exceptional intelligence, including a handful of related species that are suitable to achieve dominance over the planet. Tool use is already extensive, as is cooking.
The group of related species are bipedal, with a defined head, and significant encephalization, homeothermic endotherms; omnivorous, and skilled in the use of endurance hunting. Biology reports indicate that while all the species are closely related, they seem to be highly diverse and adaptable. One dwelling in a cold Northern continent is very robust. These robust forms are difficult to kill, hardy, and very resilient to damage and the cold. They have even been observed taking on big game with nothing more than pointy sticks.
Another form, located along the equator, on an island, has adapted through the phenomenon known as insular Dwarfism. While the other species average around 150 standard units, these average around 100 units in height. Partly arboreal, they still excel at hunting, even managing to kill dwarf counterparts of the same animals the robust forms do, all while avoiding massive ectothermic predators that can be nearly 300 units long.
We counted a total of 14 different species or unique forms, which leads us to the worrying form. A relatively new one, originating on their home continent. They live in much larger social groups than the others, and even display some mannerism of group think. They excel at non-verbal communication, and while not having as large of a brain as the robust form, nor as developed of a brain as the dwarf form, they are just as capable.
The team found the way this social morph moves, interacts, hunts and generally lives as reminiscent of eusocial species found throughout the galaxy. However, they are truly eusocial since all individuals are capable, and often to do. With older females even losing fertility to aid their offspring in childcare and rearing more. This has led to speculation that this species may eventually develop into a hivemind, or a so theorized Pseudo hive/ psionic species if given time.
However, none of that is why this proposal is being crafted. In fact, it’s due to something much, much worse. This social form had strange markers in it’s DNA that couldn’t be resolved until we did more in depth genetic studies on all currently existing forms, and in depth ethology. The final piece only feel into place when we witnessed social morph males and females readily copulate, and even breed with partners from other morphs found in the cradle continent.
A Species Complex
This is not just a group of related species. It is a species complex. They are not only capable of interbreeding but do so routinely. Our genetic analyses confirmed one particular thing about the social morph. They are genetic assimilators. A group of them already left the home continent, and while that group appeared to died out, it was not before their unique Male or Y sex chromosome, completely replaced the native Y chromosome of the Robust form.
Experiments on captured specimens indicate that they hybridize readily and easily with all currently existing morphs found on the planet. In vitro testing even revealed the compatibility of their biology with that of most member species. While every species in the complex shares the same number of chromosomes, we decided to test them against our data base of reference genomes, creating hybridized cell lines for such purposes. The cell lines indicated hybridization viability at 97.55%, even in cases with different chromosomes, and molecule chirality arrangement. In all the tests, the viable neural cell lines, DNA markers indicated an innate understanding of non-verbal communication was a dominant trait, but also linked with several other traits found in the species, such as brain development, empathy (potential psionic markers), altruism, and curiosity. At the end of experiments, all cell lines were terminated via anti matter disposal, consistent with Intergalactic code Z87-24B, section F, line 8.
We discovered mutations within the species that interfere with the interpretation of non-verbal communication, however, it does not prevent the group think, nor interfere too heavily with the altruism and empathy related expression. We can not caution about this enough. This species complex will eventually be one species, as the social morph genetically subsumes and outcompetes all other morphs. They are the perfect recipe for a biological singularity of sorts. According to our models, once they leave the cradle continent, they will genetically assimilate all other morphs or species within 10-30,000 years.
Proposal
So, it that the PPIPPFS Byemar survey team recommends a ten parsec quarantine zone. Of the 6500 reference genomes of discovered, extinct, and member carbon species contained in our project database, only 159 indicated a base incompatibility with the human genome. Or those, 110 can be fixed with directed medical intervention at a low level. If they ever develop gene editing to fix a SNP caused disease, low level.
In the case of the remaining 49, it is solely due to their use of ammonia, instead of water. However, with the right genetic combo, and a bit intervention, the number of truly incompatible carbon species falls to under ten known species. Six of which are already extinct.
It is the recommendation of this team, that a ten-parsec exclusion zone be created around Byemar sector to avoid future genetic assimilation until we can learn how to prevent an organic singularity, or a psionic eusocial hivemind. Our models show that without this exclusionary zone, there will only be a single very diverse species left in this galaxy within 1,000 years of them reaching the stars. With the exclusionary zone, maybe 100,000 years, according to our models. That will keep us from interfering in the development of this nascent hivemind. If something should disturb this species from it’s development, and not drive it to extinction, we will be subsumed into the species in a staggeringly short order.
4.90473.10-4.3.
Resolution of Report
GalComm Project to Resolve Outstanding Reports, per IZG 5869-987J, Section L, Line 7
GCPROR has decided to deny this proposal. We do realize that this report is around 252,000 years outstanding. This proposal was lost in the bureaucratic maze as a result of the Kevle Crisis of 12.38472.9-4.3.
The denial of this proposal in based one predominant fact that the original authors, long passed, would pale to find out. This species described here, has since breached the sky and joined us in the stars in 90217.10-4.3. Humanity, originating from Sol III, or Earth, or Terra.
Since joining, Humanity has been nothing but a boon to the Galactic Community, even accounting for their extreme propensity for friendliness and high rate of interspecies marriages. A clever species they excel at problem solving but are often falsely regarded as psychic for their keen ability to read body language, and the proverbial ‘mood’ of the room. And while they do occasionally ca...
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