Empyrean Iris Story Collection

In the Glass Tower

"And you let the creature come with you?"

"He presented a logical argument that I felt I couldn't refuse."

"This is not his business."

"It involves his species, so arguably it is."
"This is not for the sake of argument."

"I think maybe you should watch yourself. Emotion seems to be clouding your judgement."

....

....

"Psychologist, is this your opinion as well."

"He is a.... Fascinating specimen, both of them. They play off each other like the two points in a binary star system the one influencing the other but neither taking precedence."

"I did not ask for poetic rhetoric, psychologist, I asked for your assessment."

"You might have to be more specific, for that was my assessment."

"Is he or is he not fit to live."

"I think you will find that decision isn't as easily made as you think it is. I spoke with the human at great length on the subject, and it..... He provided me with a very interesting take on the changes we have seen with the doctor."

"We don't care about the the observations of a human."

"Well you should because the observation was astute and thought provoking. I think we, as Vrul, tend to be blinded by our supposed superiority and forget that other species have the ability to think logically the humans being the most flexible-minded in the known universe. Will I be permitted to continue."

...

"Go on then, let's hear it."

"He is under the assumption that every change that we have seen in the doctor is an adaptive behavior to surviving with humans."

"And how is aggression supposed to be adaptive?"

"You see, that was the interesting part. Humans communicate a measure of their hierarchical structure though aggression. Now if an authority figure is to give you a position in the hierarchy you may not have to be aggressive, but for the doctor, he was placed in a position of power by a human that sometimes refuses to listen. By appearing both concerned and aggressive at the same time he forces the other humans to listen to him therefore placing himself in a very high position within the social hierarchy. Many of the tiny movements that he makes is an adaptive way to show HUMANS that he is worthy of the position he holds. We see it as aggressive, they see it as confidence, or in certain cases anger and annoyance. Often times, humans do not understand that something is important unless it has a level of emotion attached to it. If i were to calmly walk into a room and tell the humans that there is a fire and they need to get out, they would be much less likely to respond promptly than if I ran in screaming about it. On the same line, the doctor must behave in an aggressive and angry manner in order to convince the others that his opinions are important and require a certain measure of..... Focus from his companions.

"That is a very convoluted and strange way to look at things."

"But it is the functioning of a human ship. The Doctor has not lost his ability to be Vrul, but he has proven his adaptive nature."

"He has proven, that his interest lies outside the furtherment of our species, and therefore is no longer of use."

"I disagree."

"We will see what the doctor has to say for himself.

***

It felt like a lifetime since Dr Krill had seen the horizons of his own planet, a ruddy sort of orange on the surface, the air fed by carbon producing lifeforms. The city was as he remembered it, an unchanging slab of white built in the most uniform of circles. with uniform buildings rising only to the height of three or four stories crossed between with long lines of wire. High walls encircled the entire perimeter isolating the interior from the outside world. Down in the city, the walls were so high that you had to crane your neck back simply to see the top. The council said it reduced the sunlight, but it was an acceptable measure in order to keep out the rest of the world.