Chris Hechtl [Bootstrap Colon Second Chances (epub)

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.Further evaluation performed after previous encounter has alerted the Conclave to a second extinction level event.One of your specie's making.This has caused a serious breach in protocol.”“They are certainly falling in love with that word aren't they?” Anne murmured.“Explain?” She asked, pitching voice up to the aliens.“Second extinction level event? The other wasn't due to happen for what, another sixteen years?”“Fifteen,” Mitch said.“I think they refer to the greenhouse effect.Climate change.”“Oh bullshit.Don't get them started on that crap,” Colonel Dunn growled in disgust.Mitch shot him a look.“Error compounded.Your species is exporting the same chemicals in vast quantities here, polluting this planet,” one of the Memes said.“You're talking about carbon dioxide.We exhale it when we breathe.It's a.byproduct of our biology,” Sandra said.“Incorrect.The amount is due to other means,” the alien buzzed.“He's talking about burning wood, coal and using fuel,” Jack said, frowning.“Hell if I'm going to stop doing that.The winter's here are cold!” John Duster snarled.“No one said we couldn't!”“Apparently now they are,” Mitch said.“Query confirmation required.If this technology is removed, would your reproduction meet goals?”“I'm not sure what goals you mean,” Mitch said.“And to answer the question, no.By removing our technology, you would doom our species to the aliens and dinosaurs here on the planet.We aren't built to survive this environment with the flora and fauna on it without technical support.”“Or we would be forced to burn a lot more wood and add a great deal of pollution to the atmosphere in our own defense,” Evan said hastily.Mitch looked his way.The professor shrugged.“Simulation requires further study.Reproduction is still an issue.”“Humans have a set gestation time, though I understand you've tinkered with that,” Doctor Ventura said, sounding testy.“Also time to rear a child, which so far we haven't seen many indications of tampering.We usually space children out in advanced cultures to make it easier on our bodies and minds.”“Answer logged for further review.Expand on subject detail.”“In more primitive villages,” Mitch turned and mouthed a sorry to Tsakhia and others near him.“They don't have access to birth control and require more hands to feed themselves and do labor intensive tasks.We have machines to do the work so it is easier.”“Then why doesn't your population expand proportionally? That does not compute,” a small Meme buzzed, pulsing red.“The second point is, with the machinery and our technology we have more defenses against the aliens and dinosaurs.Therefore we can avoid exposure to them and thus reduce our casualty rate,” Phyllis said, making a face.The Meme pulsed as he seemed to digest the concept.“Understood.Why does your population then not continue to go up?”“When we found out about the cloning many were disturbed by it.That is a third factor.But,” Mitch said with a shrug, “it all comes down to choice.With less of a threat of death, a longer life span, access to medical care, a good diet, and better facilities to care and educate our young, we can choose when we wish to reproduce and how many children we wish to have.”“The tech makes the food, medical care, and facilities possible,” Evan said.“And for the record, they and I am trying to get our neighbors up to our tech level.That will undoubtedly alter their population curve, but it will also lessen their interaction with other species.”“Your appetite for raw materials will increase exponentially, however,” one of the Memes reported.“It already has,” the alien said.“True,” Mitch acknowledged.“But with that increase comes a slow shift to modern technology.Renewable green energy for one.Which will slow and eventually halt our export of greenhouse gases.It will also limit or reverse our need for carbon export, and our own animals and farming will allow us to reduce our demand on the environment.Therefore we will hopefully not repeat the mistakes of the past,” Mitch said, looking at the colonel.The colonel scowled, crossing his arms.“Understood.Further simulations required on subject however.”“Back to the problem of genetics,” Sandra said, holding up a hand.“Did you understand when Mitch explained to you that tampering with the genetics in that way limits evolution and can increase the chances of extinction? Species like our own take, or I should say, normally take genetic material from both parents.They can also access their recessive genetics.Your tampering has profoundly altered our biodiversity and will affect our culture over time.This is wrong.Unethical.”“Query not understood,” a Meme said.“Further simulation of points is currently underway.”“And time estimate on that,” Chief Roberts asked dryly.“None your species have the capacity to understand [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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