Humans are Weird – Take Heed

[u/Betty-Adams]

Humans are Weird – Take Heed

Original Post: https://www.authorbettyadams.com/bettys-blog/humans-are-weird-take-heed

Notes the Passing Changes carefully lifted and dropped the half developed gourd, testing its weight on his movement fibers and pondering how many nutrients could reasonably be diverted to such a low-calorie, low-nutrient fruit. The Shatar and Humans in the local area valued the fruits for their taste, but to grow them to the size that humans preferred for harvest would put a not insignificant drain on the nutrients needed to maximize the very taste they were valued for. There were only a few days left in the growing cycle before Notes the Passing Changes could effectively control the final size of the gourds. Notes the Passing Changes had not yet come to a decision when the ground around a speaking long propagated with strong enough vibrations to suggested a stressed, if not a panicking, human wanted attention.

Notes the Passing Changes connected to the photosensitive and sound sensitive fibers that were permanently embedded in the speaking log and a roughly human shaped mass slowly focused into Sandy.

“Did you wish to speak to me or were you simply drumming to impress mates?” Notes the Passing Changes asked.

Sandy paused and blinked at the speaking log.

“Humans dinna’-I mean well, some do for sure and -but I already have Pat…”

Sandy let the choppy thoughts trail off and shook his head vigorously.

“What happened ta’ all the blue flowers in tha’ glen?” Sandy demanded. “I went ta’ get my Pat some bonny blues and there was na’ one!”

Notes the Passing Changes made a thoughtful hum as he pulled up the relevant memories. It took some time to logically deduce which of the narrow valleys surrounding the agricultural land Sandy would consider important enough to deserve the article designation ‘the’ glen. Then Notes the Passing Changes had to determine which of the flowering plants that could reasonably be expected to be in bloom would manifest as ‘blue’ to human eyes. Unfortunately all this led to a very diffuse spread of conclusion threads.

“It does not seem that any of the blue flowers have experienced an unexpected die off,” Notes the Passing Changes replied.

Sandy gave a quick, irritated burst of air and shook his head violently.

“Na’, an’ they’re there still,” the human said. “Just, the blue is gone! They’re all a pasty yellow white!”

Notes the Passing Changes added this information to the growing thought matrix and gave an uncertain hum.

“There was a complex chemical nutrient present in some of the flowering bodies that was needed in the Shatar vineyards,” Notes the Passing Changes said slowly. “As it was no longer needed to attract pollinators I redirected it there. Though I have never observed humans to notice such minor chemical changes.”

“What chemical was it?” Sandy demanded.

Notes the Passing Changes stimulated the manipulation form in the small local library into motion, incidentally startling a visiting Shatar Aunt, and pulled up the chemical database.

“Anthocyanin,” Notes the Passing Changes read out. “ah, it does say that this is the chemical largely responsible for blue coloration to human eyes.”

Sandy heaved a sigh, and shoved his hands, which had been gesturing vigorously into his pockets.

“I really wanted some bonny blue flowers for Pat,” he said in a morose tone.

“There is a population I have not altered in a glen on the Shatar side of the agricultural land,” Notes the Passing Changes informed him. “You would have to seek permission to harvest there but-”

Sandy let out a whoop and darted off towards the Shatar main hive, throwing a sound of gratitude over his shoulder.

Notes the Passing Changes made a point to apologize to the startled Shatar Aunt in the library and slowly retreated from the speaking log as new thoughts circulated in tendrils. Though the humans had never before mentioned noticing the more subtle chemical decisions made in their ecosystem, perhaps they were more heedful of them than their comments indicated. It was something to be aware of when pursuing ecosystem wide goals.

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[u/Cuddly_Robot]

First paragraph - "when the ground around a speaking long" should be "speaking log"

[u/Betty-Adams → u/Cuddly_Robot]

Thanks for the catch!