Kinkajou Interviews 
Dr Gillian Baskin:
(David Brin: Startide Rising)
Dr Gillian Baskin: Who is that? Who attempts to contact my mind?
Kinkajou: Dr Baskin, I would not kill you human even had I the means. I wish only to persuade you to talk to me and distract me for a time. Can you tell us Dr, somewhat of your experiences with the universe as a paradise?
Dr Gillian Baskin: Ah! Friend Kinkajou! There is nothing in the universe more alone than man. Humanity is fortunate to have a planet as lovely as the Earth, swathed in banks of white clouds. The neo-dolphin technically does not have a home, as it shares its home with humanity. But sharing our home, this is something we humans gladly do.
We humans are lucky in sharing so much with our dolphin friends as well. The dolphin sense of humour and loyalty is something we humans truly treasure. Our friends in the galaxy are few, but dolphins are amongst them. We are proud of our relationship with our client species, the dolphins and the chimpanzees.
My partner Tom Orley has undertaken many missions for the Terragens Council. He has learned that the universe is a dangerous place and filled with disillusionment. Big species with big guns and big fleets and big attitudes. Too few sophonts ever got enough love, even those equipped for it. Pride in our achievements is one of our few possessions. To the wolfing race (humans), pride is an important thing. Orphans often have little else.
..
Kinkajou: The Paill medicine technologies may well be the biggest archaeological and religious find in history. To understand them is to come to terms of the true nature of the universe. Illogical and shameful as these seemed initially, these discoveries enriched modern medicine and man. Few races had seen so many mistakes and so much horror in such a short time and tried so many tentative solutions to helpless medical problems.
Conquering illness I believe is one of the major factors that has allowed human beings to taste the waters of happiness.
Dr Gillian Baskin: Humans have always been great innovators. Many galactic species are daring, but they would never consider perpetrating the crime of gaucherie of originality. Without innovation, much human medical knowledge would never have developed. The galactic libraries full of many things, but not information about the nature of the human condition.
Co-opting galactic technologies and technological capacity in spaceship manufacture is easy. Much of these things have been co-opted by species which in turn had co-opted them from other species even further than the past. Innovation is an impropriety to the galactic many.
Most galactic species consider the library to be a honeypot of information. However humans and many of their cetacean colleagues believe that although the honeypot is tempting and possibly nourishing, is also a terrible trap. It is your choices that are truly your own. And to choose best I believe you must look forward into the latest Journal, not seeking wisdom in the oldest dusty texts.
The golden age syndrome, i.e. the temptation to look backwards, is seductive but very dangerous. Where would humanity be in dealing with medical aspects of Paill, had they as many galactic species do, turned to the library as the first and last recourse for every problem.
Kinkajou: Does Paradise mean you have to be alone?
Dr Gillian Baskin: I think humans have sought solace in their aloneness by seeking God. The dolphins have a different view of the world. Their gods talk to them frequently and often, often chiding them teasingly for being engineers and for dreaming in the rigid focused verse of Trinary, rather than the chaotic Primal of their ancestors.
Some humans have claimed to feel the hand of the dolphin Dreamer Gods as well. Those humans who have partaken of dolphin RNA and the rights of the Dreamer Cult have so reported their experiences.
Other humans believe that there are certain ethereal races which deign to take physical form. They are disguised and follow a seemingly normal pattern of uplift, without ever revealing their true nature. However in emergencies, these super species are quickly able to interfere in the affairs of mortals.
So perhaps humans are not truly alone. The gods may simply exist on a different plane to them. I could wish we humans are better at Sigma Psi. They say telepathy has its drawbacks, but it would be sure nice to know what is going on in another person’s head sometimes. Perhaps through Sigma Psi, humans may not be so alone.
Kinkajou: Do human’s Gods call to them?
Dr Gillian Baskin: The dolphins believe that their gods call to them, with sweet voices and hypnosis recalling the dreamers to the whale dream and to the embrace of the old gods.
Kinkajou: So you don’t really believe in paradise?
Dr Gillian Baskin: The universe is not a paradise. But it is our technology and our choices that can make it so. We do our duty. Do we choose to ignore the “fish of dreaming”, do we “chase” them or do we “feed” them. For too long in human history, mankind has been chasing squid in deepest water.
Kinkajou: I trust people. But I trust very few others
Dr Gillian Baskin: Go on then, little shark biter.
Your story and your future await you.
Paradise Game |
Brin, David |
Gillian Baskin |
Startide Rising |
Paradise Game |
Brin, David |
Gillian Baskin |
Startide Rising |
(Aliens series: movie and books: one book by Alan Dean Foster)
Kinkajou interviews Ellen Ripley, ship officer on the Nostromo, Advisor to the Colonial Marines aboard Sulaco to LV-246, accidental inmate at foundry facility and penal colony at Fiorina 'Fury' 161
Kinkajou: Thank you Ellen for agreeing to talk to me about the technologies of your time. Can you tell us about the power sources of your technology?
Ellen Ripley: We use considerable nuclear technology: fission and fusion in our power sources. Two obvious examples in my experience are the use of nuclear fission engines on board our spaceships, providing us with power, heat, lighting and propulsion. On LV– 246, the company had built a terraforming plant.
This is essentially a huge fusion engine capable of producing sufficient new atoms to create an atmosphere on an essentially dead world. Technique has been used many times, and has become commonplace enough not to be worthy of too much consideration.
On the Nostromo, to prevent the alien organisms taking over our ship, I was forced to override the reactor dampening mechanisms, initiating an override to cause an exponential rise in power output leading to an explosion which destroyed the boat.
On LV – 246, we discovered that the aliens had taken over the colonists within our terraforming facility. Since we are essentially losing conflict with them, I decided the only option was to again to explode the reactor.
Fusion reactors are substantially different from nuclear fission reactors. This makes them useful in producing new relatively lightweight molecules such as helium, nitrogen and oxygen, effectively creating atmosphere on the planet. Large amounts of heat produced also help to raise the temperature of the planet to a more habitable mean.
Kinkajou: What are your impressions of the aliens as a technology?
Ellen Ripley: There are several impressive features of these beings as technology. “Acid for blood” has obvious weapons applications. The development of molecular acid able to catalyse, not to simply react to its way through metal has obvious military applications.
The strength of the organism is impressive and paves the way to consideration of the genetic coding for the construction of myomer tissue for use in loading robots or Mechs. Their resistance to heat and resistance to loss of body parts, is also impressive
The other feature is incredible explosive growth of which the organisms capable of. These types of growth curves are only seen in the microscopic world, where half hourly doubling of biomass is routine as a growth phenomenon. These creatures are not quite as quick, but the growth curve for a macro site organism is truly astounding.
Humanity’s pathway has tended to the large rather than to the small. In the micro and nano realms, things are very different. Friction affects overcome energy production from engines made to be progressively smaller. This means that new techniques and designs are required to operate at these sizes. To work with the small, progressively smaller tools are required.
I think the research is attempting to work with the alien organisms, should limit themselves to working with cellular material, duty obvious reduced risk of breakout from containment.
Kinkajou: Can you speak to the horror of your experiences in conflict with the alien organism?
Ellen Ripley: Yes it is apparent from their efficiency that the aliens have been designed as a weapon. The only possible application I can see is the destruction of existing lifeforms on the planet. Armed intelligent humans would have difficulty neutralising such a foe even on home ground within their own cities and on their own planets, even being fully aware of the potentials of their enemy.
The question comes “why design such a weapon?” There must be an answer.
Kinkajou: Thank you Ellen for your honesty
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Ellen Ripley |
Horrors.html ONE |
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MiniMicroscopeToolsTrue.html |
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Ellen Ripley |