Flying On The Fringe

Readers, this week I chatted with two ladies, Oba (below left) and Nipi (below right), from the planet Dudra. They have a very interesting story.

S: So, you are contacting us from Dudra, correct?

N: Yes. We very much appreciate your willingness to listen to us. We are not ambassadors, nor do we have any position of importance.

S: That’s fine. We are very interested in the ordinary people of the planets we have made contact with. How did you become aware of Earth?

N: Our council learned of your planet through trade contacts with other worlds. Information about Earth was released in one of our world news bulletins. Oba and I have been trying to learn everything we could about your world, to see if it would be an option for us to relocate to.

S: Why are you seeking to relocate to another planet?

N: On Oba’s home planet of Ka’Ran, love between members of the same sex is absolutely forbidden. The entire planet is governed by a strict religious order. Those who violate the codes are often put to death, including priests who dare to challenge the High Order. We could not even freely speak through interplanetary communications. We had been trying to find a way to be together for several years before Oba had the opportunity to emigrate to Dudra. Unfortunately, the atmosphere of our planet is very polluted. Many of us have adapted somewhat, but Oba struggles to breathe, and must wear a mask with an oxygen supplement any time she goes out. I understand your atmosphere is oxygen rich.

S: It is, though we are fighting our own battles with pollution. Plus, though our people now know that sentient, advanced species inhabit other worlds, it is a recent discovery for us. Until a few years ago, many Earthers refused to believe that was possible, and many are still not comfortable with the idea. We often have problems with discrimination between races, differing religious beliefs, and differing lifestyles among our own people that lead to violence. There are aliens living among us, but they are human, or have taken human form, so that they blend in well. The only non-human aliens here at present are those serving in temporary ambassadorial roles, and they are well-guarded by our police forces.

N: That is sad to hear. We had hoped for much better news. At least on Dudra we are safe and not discriminated against, but the lifestyle here is… difficult.

S: How did you and Oba meet?

N: She was a speaker at a trade conference here on Dudra several years ago. I attended and was impressed by what she said. We felt a deep bond almost immediately, but Oba had to keep it secret because of the religious stigma on her world. If it hadn’t been for that, I would have moved there. Ka’Ran is a water world of great beauty, with a thriving culture of visual and performance art, literature, and architecture. Dudra is quite bleak by comparison.

S: Has Dudra made any strides toward dealing with its pollution problems?

N: We are working on it. That is one of the topics Oba addressed at the conference I attended. In Ka’Ran’s underwater cities, air quality maintenance is critical. They have developed some advanced technology that Dudra may be able to adapt to its use. Even with their assistance, however, it will be fifty or sixty of our solar cycles before we make much progress.

S: I’m sorry it will take so long, but glad your people recognize the problem and are working on it. I am hoping the political leaders and corporations of Earth are able to make more substantial progress in the near future than they have in the past.

N: For your peoples’ sakes, I hope they do not wait until it is too late, as we did.

S: Oba doesn’t seem to talk much.

N: She is still very shy. On Ka’Ran, she had to be registered as Aberrant and was required to wear identification. Aberrants were not allowed to speak with each other. They had to wear identification badges so that they could recognize and avoid each other. Dudra does not have such policies, and our planet would not extradite her, but she is cautious out of habit.

S: I understand. She is aware I am planning to publish our interview in a blog, correct?

N: Yes. She is in agreement with that.

S: On Earth, same-sex marriage is only now becoming more common, and is still not widely accepted. Decades ago, many gay couples just had to hide their true relationship.

N: How can people be dishonest and get away with it? Lying will get you exiled from Dudra. A person might get away with a small lie once, but no more than that. In ancient times people were put to death for lying.

O: It is considered a Magna Sin on Ka’Ran as well. You could be imprisoned and tortured or worked to death even now. That’s why it was safer to register than to try to hide my true nature.

S: Oh, my. That’s quite severe. I’m afraid few Earthers would survive there for long. Though we prize honesty, not many of us maintain absolute honesty all the time. In fact, in some cases, it isn’t even considered polite.

N: How very strange. How could it be polite to lie?

S: If someone is wearing an outfit that looks terrible on them, and they ask how they look, or has cooked a dinner that failed, and asks how it tastes, most Earthers would say it was fine. Telling the truth in that type of situation would be considered rude in most cases.

N: That’s ridiculous. If my clothing didn’t look right, or the meal tasted bad, I would want to know so I could avoid going out looking like a fool, and could avoid the problem the next time. Only a very untrustworthy friend would behave in such a way, and I wouldn’t want that person for a friend.

S: Though I’m inclined to agree with you, if I was brutally honest on Earth, I might not have many friends. It’s clear our cultures view that issue quite differently.

N: It’s clear Earth is looking less attractive as a place to live.

S: That’s possible, at least for the time being. However, contact with other sentient races may bring about significant change here. I’d like to know a little more about what your planets are like. You mentioned Ka’Ran is a water world. What percentage is solid land?

O: Only about ten percent of the surface is land, but we have entire cities built underwater. I used to live in one of the ocean cities. I loved it. I miss it terribly. I had hoped since Earth was largely ocean, you might have underwater cities.

S: Not yet. Though I’ll admit, I’d certainly love to live in one if we did.

Readers, join me again next week for the second half of my interview with Nipi and Oba, where we’ll learn a little more about their lives.

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with Azha Chben from the planet Orozh. Last week we talked about the tectonic upheaval his planet is currently experiencing. This week I’ll explore more about the culture of Orozh,

S: You had told me you have seven children. Tell me more about them. Are some adults already?

C: Yes. four are adults from my first wife. Three are still living with me and my current spouse.

S: What kinds of jobs do your adult offspring do?

C: Two are physicians. One is an adjudicator—similar to a judge, although our legal system is much different than yours. The adjudicator determines the status of property, whether or not it is abandoned, etc., sets up legal contracts, etc. My son specializes in interstellar trade contracts. The fourth is a government administrator. The oldest of my second rack of children is taking advanced schooling in the sciences. I believe he will end up becoming what you would identify as a geologist.

S: They all sound quite successful.

C: Everyone is capable of doing some type of job, and all adults are required to work at something. It is the responsibility of instructors to determine the best placement for each of their students. That is one major way our system differs from yours.

S: Do they have any choice in what they do.

C: Yes, but depending on the openings available, they may be required to work in some other field until a job they want opens up, and they might have to relocate far from their family to take it. Most of our young tend to stay close to other extended family members. But some are more adventurous.

S: So you don’t have overpopulation issues, where there are more people than available jobs?

C: No. Because of our geologic issues, we maintain strict population control. Women outnumber men about five to one, and they have a shorter lifespan, as I mentioned. Most women choose not to work because they are quite busy managing a home and several children, though they are allowed to work if they choose, and an older child can manage the home. But deaths due to accidents are common, as well. I cannot say that Orozh is a particularly safe planet. It is beautiful in its own way, but sometimes deadly.

S: I see. You mentioned that your legal system is quite different from ours. Could you explain that a bit more.

C: Of course. As I mentioned, crime is not common on our planet. When it occurs, it is normally the result of a misunderstanding, or in rare cases an individual who suffers a mental disability that impairs their ability to reason. Therefore, our adjudicators are solely responsible for determining what needs to be done legally in a particular situation and then handle the necessary procedures. They specializes in certain areas of practice. As I mentioned, one of my sons specializes in interstellar contracts. Others deal with property issues or planetary business contracts. I work the most with property adjudicators. Due to death or relocation, homes are sometimes left vacant due to unplanned circumstances. We do not buy our homes—they are provided as needed by the government. But if it is not clear what happened to its occupants, the adjudicator will investigate and determine whether it is truly abandoned, or the occupants intend to return at some time. If abandoned, it can be made available to new occupants. There are also cases where a fire or storm destroys a building, and it must be declared a loss and replaced.

S: I see. I take it, in addition to volcanoes, you have some violent weather.

C: Oh, yes. In fact, largely because of the volcanoes, we have frequent storms similar to your magnitude five hurricanes, and often ones that exceed that magnitude. As I mentioned before, we sometimes have to relocate entire populations to a new area. We’ve developed a building material that is lightweight but exceptionally strong. This is a picture of one such complex. The components are manufactured in advance and then assembled on site. We can have one of these ready to move into in a matter of days. They are quite beautiful, but also earthquake, fire, and storm resistant.

S: Definitely impressive, especially that you can get them up that quickly. It does sound like your living conditions are rather crowded, compared to ours.

C: Compared to what appears to be the norm in the United States, from what I have seen in image transmissions. It is hard for me to imagine a large house with a lot of ground around it, and only one small family unit living in it. It seems quite wasteful. Our living arrangements are much more like what I have seen in large Asian cities—large communities of smaller apartments. This is a picture of a complex in the capital city where I live when I am not traveling.

S: Do Orozhans keep any kind of animal as pets?

C: There is an animal called a tripkin. It is more of a companion than a pet. They can’t speak our language, but they understand us readily, and they are very friendly. They are a very large bird, but they have fingers at the shoulder joint of their wings, so they can grasp things.

S: Doesn’t sound very cuddly, like a cat.

C: No. Like I said, more of a companion. Young adults who have moved out on their own often keep one. As I mentioned, we’re accustomed to having a lot of family around us.

S: Do you have problems with major differences in income or economic levels? Do any of your people live in what we identify as poverty?

C: In the distant past, when battles over territory were more common, that developed into an issue. However, two epochs ago, our planet went through a particularly violent period of tectonic upheaval, and nearly sixty percent of our race died out. The survivors were forced to band together planet wide and establish laws to protect what life and usable property remained. By then, we had learned that our planet would continue to experience such problems. It became a matter of survival for the entire species. Transition was difficult, of course, and it was a couples of our centuries before the system was perfected. But it seems to work well for us now.

S: Good. There are many of us on Earth who hope that at some point in the future, we will be able to work together planet wide for the welfare of all humankind.

C: Accepting the need for the betterment of all humankind is the first step. Perhaps you are in the early stages of that transition.

S: I can only hope so. Azha Ikben, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I hope things settle down on your planet soon.

C: It will be along time yet, but we are prepared. Treasure the beauty of you planet, and do not squander it.

S: Sound advice. Thank you again.

C: Life and security to all your people.

Readers, join me next week when I interview Nipi and Oba from Dudra. Until then, fly high and free.

Credit: image of Anurognathus by Masato Hattori

Today I am interviewing Mizak Ckben (official Earth Department of Interstellar Affairs alliteration) from the planet Orozh. His form of address is Azha, similar to Minister in our language. He has communicated with me via interstellar ibeam technology that one of the other alien races has provided to us.

S: Azha Ckben, welcome.

C: Thank you.

S: Have any of your people traveled to Earth?

C: No, not yet. At present our planet is undergoing significant volcanic and tectonic upheaval, and we are occupied with efforts to protect our own people.

S: Is that a new development?

C: It is significantly worse than normal for the last few centuries. Our planet goes through epoch cycles, and we are approximately twenty sun-orbits into the current epoch. Our volcanoes are normally active, but once each five thousand orbits, another planet in our system, Kitrong, reaches apogee in relation to Orozh, and it triggers an extreme level of activity. It is something we knew of well ahead of time and have prepared to deal with. We have relocated people and animals from the volatile areas to safer zones. We had built new towns and facilities in advance of the onset of increased problems. But there is still much work to do because of the greater concentration of population in certain areas.

S: Is your work directly related to that?

C: Yes. I am Azha of Relocation, responsible for housing, food and medical services. Even with our best efforts, there are injuries and illnesses related to the planet’s eruptions and tectonic shifts. New weakness develop in the planet’s crust with little warning sometimes, requiring quick action to move people out of the path of danger.

S: How do you identify areas that are about to erupt? Earth is still in the early stages of learning to identify when volcanoes will erupt. If your technology is more accurate, it would be very helpful.

C: Unfortunately, that knowledge is unique to each planet’s geography. Because our volcanoes rarely go dormant, as I understand yours often do, it has been easier for us to study them over a long period. We use a combination of infrared, what you call X-ray imaging, and dark-matter imaging to monitor the planet from orbiting satellites. However, there are some similarities between our planet and yours that will allow us to assist your scientists as we learn more about your planet.

S: Wonderful. So, in the areas where it is safe to live, what is your planet like? Is it hotter than Earth?

C: Yes, of course, it is hotter than Earth in most areas. At the same time, in areas where there has been limited volcanic activity for the past one hundred sunors or so, lush vegetation has developed, much like the volcanic islands in your Pacific Ocean. However, like your Pacific islands, the land mass of each one is relatively small, so the populations are limited there. We have four main continents, one about the size of Asia, two about the size of South America, and one a little smaller than Antartica. Most of the rest of our landmass is scattered across the planet in smaller sub-continents and connected island chains. Orozh is smaller than Earth, but a total of seventy percent of our surface is land rather than water, so we have little open water in the form of oceans, but a number of smaller seas. During low tide on one side of the planet, you can walk between many of the islands that are separated during high tide.

S: That’s very interesting. I can imagine it would be fun to take a long hike during low tide.

C: (He laughs, a nasal sound). It would be a very long hike. The tide would be likely to catch you before you made it across.

S: Ah. Consider me warned. Guess I won’t try that after all. Since you have interstellar travel capability, have your people considered relocating to another, more hospitable planet?

C: We only developed interstellar travel technology within the last Orozh century. Finding a planet suitable for mass migration would be a long-term project, and the tectonic upheavals will subside long before we could complete a survey of nearby star systems. However, perhaps by the next time Kitrong reaches apogee, that will be an option.

S: Tell me about your family.

C: We have larger families than many Earthlings, and we have a relatively short lifespan compared to humans. I have seven children. Males live an average of fifty of your years, but our years are shorter. The mathematical formula used to compare our years to yours indicates our year is about two hundred twelve of your days. Our females live only about half as long as males, so the average male has two or three wives during his lifetime. My children are the offspring of two different wives.

S: It’s very emotionally stressful when humans lose a spouse, even when it’s by choice in a divorce. It must be very difficult to lose two or more during a lifetime.

C: We are not a very emotional species as you define it. We feel fear and some of the emotions related to survival, but not your softer ones like love and jealousy. We are attracted to our mates, and we remain monogamous while our spouse is alive. There is a sense of loss when a spouse dies, but we recover far more easily than humans.

And of course, we feel a strong protective instinct toward our children. Much of the rest of what humans do based on emotion—crimes based on jealousy or anger, are not a problem in our culture. We are more intellectually advanced than humans, and our drive to protect our people and provide for their needs is based more on the intellectual understanding of the importance of those services for the good of the society. From what I have seen, our way is more effective and… reliable.

S: So you don’t have much crime on your planet?

C: The most common problem involves fights over property. Since our safe land mass is limited, disagreements arise over living space. In addition, our species has a strong territorial defense instinct—something we have learned to control over many eons of development, but it still affects males when they perceive their home is threatened and when their mating drive peaks. Usually a situation can be resolved before it becomes serious, but there are cases where a fight to the death develops.

S: How is the perpetrator punished in those instances.

C: If it is determined that he was in the right, and he was defending his home against a violent interloper, he is fined and warned to contact the authorities the next time a dispute arises. If the perpetrator was in the wrong and caused the death of the defender, he is stripped of all property rights and exiled to a tectonically active region, along with his family. So such an act has a detrimental impact on the family as well as the perpetrator.

S: Do individuals survive in those areas? Can they ever come back to the more settled regions?

C: The unstable regions are survivable, but far less comfortable. Those living there have to move often to find safe homes. They normally work at jobs assisting scientists who study planetary geology, or in positions providing services to others living there. The offending male may never return. His children may seek housing and jobs in the secure areas once they reach adulthood. The spouse of an offender may also seek separation from her mate, and may elect to take minor children with her. If it is granted, she would have to seek a job and housing to support the family. In some cases, if the male is honorable, he will grant the separation and still agree to provide support for the family.

S: How often does it work out that way?

C: Probably about half the time. Unfortunately, in many cases, if a male is inclined to behave in such a primitive way, he’s less likely to be honorable toward his spouse. But she has the option of seeking separation without his consent.

S: I see. That sounds similar to our divorce procedures as well.

Readers, join me again next week when I talk more with Azha Chkben about his children and the culture of his planet. Until next time, fly high and free.

Welcome to my series “Interview With an Alien,”  part 2 of my conversation with Ambassador Phlip from the planet of Agzagi.

S: What is your family life like? Do you marry for life, or only for reproduction?

P: We mate for reproduction once every six cycles around our star. It is difficult to compare to your time frame, but I estimate it would be a little over three of your years. Different males mate each cycle.

S: Do you have a courting ritual?

P: Ritual? No. We have a procedure. The male puts on a mating necklace, goes to the female’s abode, and pounds on his chest and shrills at her. If she admits him, they go to the sleep pallet, and he walks around her several times, continuing to pound his chest and shrill, creating a track within which an egg nest will be built. If she touches noses with him, she has accepted him. Then he goes out and collects reeds and moss for the nest and brings it back. Then they mate. The eggs hatch half a cycle later.

S: Do you stay with that mate for life, or does you change each cycle?

P: Usually, the males will seek a new mate each cycle, but sometimes one of us finds a mate we choose to stay with for several cycles, though not a lifetime.

S: Forgive me if it seems I’m prying into personal things, but we are eager to learn about each new sentient species we encounter. Would you say that love, as an emotion, is important to your mating?

P: It is difficult for me to understand love as humans seem to define it. As a male, I look at the physical aspects of a female, her profession, and the likely qualifications of our offspring. Most of us use genetic testing prior to mating to determine the best pairing. Of course, we feel… a desire to protect our offspring, though that is more a community effort than individual.

S: Do the females ever choose their mate?

P: They do not actively pursue a mate, as they do in your culture, but they are free to reject any approach. If the genetic testing shows one male to be more of interest than another, she may indicate her interest to the preferred male. And they can reject a male in one cycle and still accept him in another. When they have accepted one, they put a mark on the door so others will know.

S: What does the courting necklace look like? Does every male wear the same type?

P: Each male has a unique design made by his mother for his first courting. The one on the left is mine. Black represents male in our culture, and red the female. White stands for fertility.  The design on the right was created by one of my mates for one of our sons.

S: These are beautiful! How are they made?

P: Some are polished from stones. At one time, our planet had seas, but those dried up ages ago. Some of the beads are fossils from ancient sea life.

S: Your mating procedure sounds much simpler than our way of doing things.

P: I don’t believe even humans understand how to mate properly. Some mate for life, some don’t. Some court for years, others for short periods. It is utter chaos. You breed too well in spite of that. You need to breed less often.

S: You’re referring to our overpopulation problems.

P: Yes. It is very impractical to populate beyond your resources. In the rare instance that our resources are lean for some reason, we refrain from mating.

S: Do the females on your planet raise the children, or do the males participate?

P: Our young are self-sufficient from hatching. They remain in the nest for a few days eating food provided by their mother. Then they move out to find empty homes or dig new ones. They are educated by the community, both males and females. I have heard some here claim there is discrimination against females, particularly in employment. We do not discriminate.

S: Do you have more than one baby at a time?

P: Normally there are two or three eggs to a clutch.

S: Do you ever have trouble getting your young to behave, or to do what they are supposed to?

P: Behavior is a learning experience for all young, even those that are not sentient. For those that are sentient and intelligent, misbehavior is inevitably a part of their mental growth. Those who learn quickly inevitably rise to advanced positions.

S: How do you discipline your young?

P: The teacher will isolate them for a time, or require them to do strenuous physical tasks. When possible, the discipline is related to the behavior. For instance, if a young one steals, he might be required to return what he stole, plus give something he values to the one he stole from.

S: What about adult offenders? Do you have prisons?

P: No. In rare cases, if an individual behaves in a manner counter-productive to the community, they are exiled to a less populated area and left to fend for themselves. Often, after a few cycles, they will apply for re-admittance. Some prefer a solitary life.

S: What about you, personally? Do you enjoy your role as an ambassador to other planets?

P: We do not choose professions based on what we might enjoy. That would be impractical. There might be some professions no one would choose. As I went through schooling, my teachers determined I would be suited to working with alien species. However, I find what I do to be fulfilling, in that it serves my people.

S: What surprised you most about Earth?

P: Chaos. Your people are disorganized and poorly disciplined. Streets have dead ends. Cars, on which you heavily depend, do not always function as they should. Perhaps such chaos is part of your youth as a technological species. I can see some similarities between how your people behave now, and how our species did two or three thousand generations ago.

S: I don’t know. We’re obviously very different from you. What have you enjoyed most about Earth?

P: The one thing I have enjoyed are your mountain ranges. Our people love to climb, but our mountains are significantly lower than yours. I have climbed in Colorado and Utah, and I am looking forward to a chance to go to Asia to climb there, though I might have to wear some protective gear against the cold for the highest mountains.

S: I hope you do get the opportunity to do that. What type of climbing gear do you use? Something high tech? (I think he’s laughing, a gutteral hissing sound, and he’s waving his long fingers and sharp claws in my face.)

P: My race does not need assistance in climbing.

S: Yes, I can see that. Well, it has certainly been interesting talking with you, but I have to draw things to a close. Thank you so much for talking with me today.

P: You are welcome. It is part of my role to educate your people about my people.

Readers, join me next week, when I interview Chkben from Orozh (official Earth Department of Interstellar Affairs alliteration). Until then, fly high and free.

Welcome to my series “Interview With An Alien.” Today’s blog features the continuation of my interview with Kuzh from the planet Akmandah. Last week Kuzh told us about his job aboard a Hapida space ship and a little about his people’s family structure. Today we’re going to delve a little deeper into what his planet is like.

PART TWO: KUZH FROM AKMANDAH

S: Tell me a little bit about what are your homes are like.

K: Most of them are built into Makka trees. The trees grow from the top down.

S: The top down! How is that possible?

K: The seeds wedge into cliffs or banks and sprout roots that grow downward to solid ground and outward. They grow for hundreds of our years. The roots become massive trunks, and a single tree can cover a hundred kelas or more, Eventually, the original trunks die. Then we can chop them out to form rooms. It only takes a little wood, stone, or mortar to waterproof them. We have a lot of rain.

S: Very interesting. It makes a beautiful home. What is the interior like?

K: Inside is simple. Just furniture for sleeping and sitting and using our sitkas–like one of your electronic tablets. We paint the insides in bright colors, but we do not do much other decorating. The cooking and eating area is outside our home. The cooking fires are kept in a clearing away from the houses. Several related families eat together, usually fifty or sixty people. We like to eat together. Sometimes a meal can last half a day cycle. It is much more fun than the fast way your people eat.

S: I don’t think we would get much work done that way. So your weather must be warm most of the time.

K: Our planet is a little hotter than yours, similar to your tropical areas, but with temperatures closer to your deserts. It always seems cold to me on Earth, even in the summer. We work in the early morning and the evening. Midday is for eating and enjoying the company of others.

S: What else do your people do for fun?

K: A lot of water sports, of course. The Makka sap can be used to produce a substance similar to your rubber. The wood also floats. We do a lot of rafting for fun, but the rivers also provide key transportation routes. I am going to take a trip to your state called Colorado. There is a fast river there, and I want to go rafting.

S: It is very fast–too much for me, but I hope you enjoy it. While I was looking through pictures from your world, I came across this creature. Do you recognize it?

K: Yes. It is an asa dema—it translates as a seedbug. In this photo it’s carrying one of the Makka seeds. These are the creatures largely responsible for Makka reproduction. They put the seeds in crevices in the rock, where they take root. They build nests among the early sprouts. As you can see, much of our culture depends on the Makka. Fortunately, it exists almost everywhere on the planet.

S: What other kinds of animals do you have? Do your people have pets?

K: We have animals that live near our homes, but they are ones we use for their… something like your milk. I can’t understand keeping animals in your homes just for fun. That is very strange. They don’t seem to serve any purpose.

S: Purpose? Well, I suppose the purpose is that we love them, and love us, so we gain affection and comfort from them. For many people they become almost as important as family.

K: If  you spent more time with your family members, you would not need pets.

S: Maybe so. But sometimes members of our families are far away.

K: That is sad.

S: Can you tell me about the religious beliefs of your people?

K: We believe in a single god, creator of the universe, as many of your people do. We have small temples all over the planet, some so old they’ve been completely consumed by the Makka trees. Some are still partially visible, and we build new ones from time to time as we move into previously uninhabited, or abandoned, areas. But we primarily worship within our homes. Each extended family has a priest or priestess. 

K: Here on the left is one of the ancient ones, and on the right, is one of the newer ones we’ve built. The columns represent the roots of the Makka. Earth has some beautiful temples. I want to visit some of those, too, if my ship is here long enough. But your religions confuse me. If you believe there is only one god, how can you have so many different religions? That does not make sense.

S: That is a difficult question to answer. Many of our people believe in the same God, but we have very different ideas about how to worship. What have you enjoyed most about Earth so far?

K: I’ve been exploring your oceans. I went fishing, caught a fish as big as one of our boats.

S: Congratulations! That’s every Earth fisherman’s dream.

K: And I like sampling food from different countries. We do not have as many different… cultures as Earth does. It would take a long time to experience all the different ways of living here.

S: Yes, it would. Well, Kuzh, thank you so much for talking with me. I hope you stay long enough to do a lot of the things you want to do.

K: Me, too. I enjoyed talking to you. Aza kimai jaina to you. That means blessings of god .

S: Thank you so much.

Readers, hope you’re enjoying meeting these fascinating folks from other worlds.Special thanks this week to Queenie at MS Travel Solo for allowing me to use one of her extraordinary photos. If you enjoy travel to exotic locations, check out her site at           https://www.mstravelsolo.com/solo-travellers-guide-tainan-taiwan/

Join me again next week when I interview Ambassador Phlip from Agzagi. Until then, fly high and free.

Welcome to Author Susan Eschbach’s series “Interview With An Alien.” I hope you enjoy this series. Also check out my books A Trial By Error and Man On The Fringe in the links above. Book three in the Fringe Cycle, Salvation’s Star, is due out this spring.

PART ONE: KUZH FROM AKMANDAH

Today’s blog features Kuzh from the planet Akmandah.

S: Kuzh, welcome to Earth. Are you enjoying your visit here?

K: Yuh. It is pretty. Many oceans.

S: Do you have any oceans, seas, or large areas of water on your planet?

K: Four seas, much smaller than your oceans. Most of our water is in rivers. We have many large rivers.

S: I understand from Nasa’s Department of Interstellar Affairs that your people have not developed interstellar travel yet, but you have contact with species that have.

K: We trade with the Hapida, but they will not give us ships.

S: I see. And you came to Earth on a Hapida ship, correct?

K: I work for them.

S: What kind of work do you do?

K: Maintenance, cleaning.

S: Can you tell us  a little about what we are looking at here?

K: This is the corridor leading to the flight deck. The blue rods are data transfer links.

S: Are they anything like our fiber optic cables?

K: Much faster, almost light speed, and they carry much more data. Sometimes I have to replace one, or reroute it.

S: Do you enjoy the work?

K: Yuh. I like to travel to other planets, and I make good income for my ikan.

S: Ikan—according to my information, that is an extended group of related individuals, somewhat like our Native Americans, right?

K: Right, except we have three sexes involved in making children. The mikah provides an enzyme that allows the female egg to join with the male spore. The mikah can serve any family. When a child is born a mikah, that child leaves its own ikan and joins the mikah ikan. When a man marries, he joins his wife’s ikan, and all of their female children remain in the mothers’ ikan. Male children go to the father’s ikan when they reach adulthood.

S: A complex structure. So, you mentioned that you make a good income for your ikan. Is that spread evenly among the individuals in the ikan?

K: Yuh. All income is shared by the whole ikan. Members work together to harvest crops, and each member receives what they need. When someone needs a house, they move into an empty one or the ikan works together to build one.

S: That’s a very cooperative system. Are there ever battles or wars between different ikans?

K: Yuh. We are good warriors. Not so many wars any more, but we still take pride in strength and physical training. We have battles every year at the Comdena. The new president is chosen from the winning ikan.

S: Is that your uniform?

K: Not uniform, protective gear. During battle there is a lot of fire, smoke, and chemicals. The picture at the top shows our ceremonial dress. Each ikan has a particular emblem. Mine is a Badri tooth. They are extinct now, but there are a lot of fossils around.

S: You mentioned harvesting crops. Do you grow a lot of different varieties of crops?

K: Yuh. We don’t eat animals like humans do. We eat a little (he’s scratching his head)… I think it’s a little like some of your snails, or worms. The ibit lives in our rivers. Also, sukat and bitta are our main crops, and we have a lot of different kinds of fruits, and root plants.

Readers, thanks for joining me as we explore Kuzh’s world. Join me next week for the rest of the interview. Until then, fly high and free.

Welcome to my new series, “Interview With An Alien.” It’s long been a dream of mine to be scooped up by some UFO, and if not to be transported to another planet, to at least have a meaningful conversation with a being from another world. This series is for all those as crazy as I am, whose imaginations run wild in the ships of science fiction.

PART TWO: AMBASSADOR FROM THE PLANET HAPIDA

This is Part Two of my interview with Ikira, ambassador to Earth from Hapida. If you missed the first part of the interview, check below. In this segment, we’ll talk about Ikira’s world, her culture, other species, and some of their holidays and celebrations.

S: So Ikira, do you have holidays, or cultural celebrations on Hapida?

I: Oh, yes. We love to party! Of course there is an annual celebration when we complete a revolution around the sun. It begins the first minute of the last day of the old year and concludes the last minute of the first day of the new one. It’s one time we tend to eat special foods. A lot of us avoid eating for some time ahead of it to prepare. By the way, we’re herbivorous. We also have great celebrations around the birth of a child. Since couples only have one or two children in their lifetime, as you can imagine, that’s a momentous event.

S: How do you celebrate a birth? Do people give the couple gifts?

I: Yes. It’s usually held a mincha, similar to one of your months, after the birth, when the newborn has settled into stable eating and sleeping patterns. A close relative or friend of the couple will host the party. Very extravagant—lots of decorations and gourmet mini foods. The parents sit in a decorative nest with their infant and others get to come and see the baby and bring gifts. Those who attend also receive a gift.

S: What about your religious beliefs?

I: In the past, we had an elaborate system of gods, spirits, and life essences. As our technology progressed, many people, myself included, stopped following the old religion. It is very complex, and to truly adhere to it requires a great deal of study. There is a special prayer for each day of the year, and prayers for all kinds of occasions, weddings, births, deaths, etc. Two gods, Krea and Shika, created all life on the planet. The fifteen other gods are their children, each of whom has an aspect of the planet they are responsible for. Igga is the god of plants, Chorba is the god of the rocks and soil, Dabba is the god of the air, etc. Krea and Shika also created spirits and life essences. Spirits inhabit every higher form of life on the planet, including the Kreshiks, my race. So, like humans, we have a spirit that transcends death. Our belief is more similar to some of your eastern religions, in that we believe that after death our spirits move to new bodies when babies are born. The life essences I mentioned inhabit lower forms of life, like what you call bugs, and uni-celled organisms. The air is also a life essence. This picture is one of our ancient temple sites. The tallest spire represents the major gods, the lower ones represent the minor gods, and the very small ones represent the life essences.

S: It sounds as though your people haven’t abandoned their beliefs altogether.

I: Most of us still celebrate the major holy days even if we don’t take the time to study all the requirements of the religion. Currently, a young person may choose to follow either a religious course of study or a more scientific one. Those who choose the religious course become our priests and conduct the holy observances.

S: Very interesting. I do see some similarities in your belief system and some of our eastern religions. What did you enjoy most on Earth?

I: Mostly the beauty of it, the brilliant colors. Your weather is very interesting, constantly changing. Some of it is a little frightening.

S: You must have experienced one of our thunderstorms.

I: Yes. It was so loud! Our filiki are very sensitive. I could feel the vibrations and the electricity in the air. I had to wrap my head to keep from getting a headache. I also saw some terrifying video of tornadoes and hurricanes.

S: Those can be terrifying, and very destructive. The downside of our planet’s beauty.

I: One thing I’m looking forward to is trying to learn to swim. So far I’ve only managed to wade a little. It’s a little intimidating to have water all around me.

S: I hope that’s something you’ll be able to learn, or at least wade deep enough to maybe try snorkeling. Have you had a chance to visit a seashore?

I: That was one of the first places I headed when I had time. That’s where I waded the first time. What a strange sensation. The waves push and pull. Your children are so brave. I saw a number of them dive right in and swim out a ways.

S: Many people learn to swim as children. I did, and it’s still one of my favorite things.

I: Well, I don’t know if I’ll master that.

S: What are your other goals during your stay here on Earth?

I: Of course my primary mission is cultural exchange. Earth has also sent a diplomatic mission to Hapida. Earth has an abundance of renewable food resources that would be very useful to my people, and I believe Earth will benefit from advances in renewable energy resources and space flight technology that we can provide.

S: Sounds like a very promising exchange. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today, Ikira. I hope you enjoy your time on Earth.

I: Oh, I already am. You have a beautiful planet.

S: Thank you.

Readers, hope you’re all finding our alien visitors as fascinating as I am. Join me next week when I interview Kuzh from Akmandah. Until then, fly high and free.

Welcome to my new series, “Interview With An Alien.” It’s long been a dream of mine to be scooped up by some UFO, and if not to be transported to another planet, to at least have a meaningful conversation with a being from another world. This series is for all those as crazy as I am, whose imaginations run wild in the ships of science fiction.

PART ONE: AMBASSADOR IKIRA FROM THE PLANET HAPIDA

S: Amabassador Ikira, thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me.

I: My pleasure. We’re looking forward to a friendly relationship with Earth, and I’m happy to have the opportunity share with you.

S: We’re eager to get to know you. How did Hapida become aware of Earth?

I: We received a signal from a probe launched from your planet long ago. Of course, by the time it was within range of our system, much had changed on your planet. Humans, fortunately, still look much the same as the images on that probe, so at least we knew a little of what to expect. Your technology, however, has progressed significantly.

S: Yes, Voyager launched in 1977. I would imagine our current technology is still primitive by your standards, since, if I understand correctly, your people have been space farers for over a hundred generations.

I: That is true. However, our lifespan is comparatively much shorter than yours. Our planet rotates faster, and because our sun is small and has a weaker gravitational pull, it also revolves around the sun in a shorter time period. It’s a complex mathematical formula, but our year would be roughly equivalent to about seven months in your time.

S: Tell us about your home planet. How does it compare with Earth?

I: It’s radically different. Hapida is surrounded by dense clouds, and our sun is a weak, red dwarf, so very little light reaches the surface. We have many tall, slender trees with foliage high above the ground, but almost no ground plants. I am utterly fascinated by your oceans. So much water! Our only water sources are below ground, and we are adapted to using very little. It seems you waste a lot.

S: We are guilty of that. Until recently, it seemed to us to be an abundant and never-ending resource. We’re only now beginning to understand how little is fresh, drinkable, water, as opposed to salt water, and conservation efforts are far from adequate.

I: Our planet would be grateful even for the salt water. It could be treated and made drinkable.

S: An expensive process when our human population is so huge. Your population numbers only a few million, is that true?

I: Yes. We marry for life, and each couple has only one or two children in a lifetime. We are cold-blooded, so our entire metabolism is slower than humans’. You eat three times a day! I can’t imagine consuming that much. I eat about once every seven or eight of your days.

S: You have large, beautiful eyes. I assume that’s an adaptation to the dark conditions on your planet.

I: Yes. As you know, I had to ask you to dim the lights in your office. Most of the time here I have to wear very dark glasses, as well as a breathing apparatus. Your atmosphere is too oxygen rich.

S: That seems awfully inconvenient. I hope it isn’t too unpleasant for you.

I: For me, it is worth the inconvenience to explore your world.

S: Definitely worth some inconvenience. I’d like to ask another personal question, if that would be all right?

I: Of course. I can always choose not to answer. (She utters a series of quick hisses through her nose, a sound I learned earlier is a chuckle. She has a wonderful sense of humor!)

S: Tell me about the appendages on your head. Do they have a function?

I: Yes. Because our planet is dark, our eyesight is poor, compared to humans. Our filiki provide extra sensory data. It is apparently a sense humans lack. We… touch the air around us and pick up vibrations and magnetic and electrical currents.

S: Fascinating. I wish I had those senses. What other species inhabit your planet?

I: Like most planets that have achieved sentient life—there are quite a lot of them, you know—we have a variety of species, though not so varied as earth. Many of ours have developed life cycles below ground, and cold-blooded species outnumber warm-blooded ones about fifty to one. We only have sixty two warm-blooded species, and most of those lay eggs. We don’t have any birds, though we have a dozen species that float in the air. Most of them look a little like your lizards or snakes with flaps of skin that unfold to glide through the air. I have a pet peliri at home. It has a soft, fuzzy skin but is long like a snake. They love to wrap around your arm and be carried around. They coo, or kind of trill, when they’re happy.

S: Interesting. A fuzzy snake. What do they eat?

I: They inhale microorganisms in the air, so they are very easy to care for.

S: (Now I’m really laughing). That would be a blessing. I have five cats, and I’d better not forget to feed them!

Readers, check in on January 13, 2010, for the continuation of this interview. In Part Two of my interview, we’ll learn a little more about Ikira’s world, Hapida, her culture, other species, and some of their holidays and celebrations.