Birds of Prey - Hetero Edition

"So that's how you were able to fight so quickly when we sparred," Jaeger said, turning to Maza. "You weren't thinking, it was like your body was running on auto-pilot."

"Combined with our great speed and strength, the advantages are obvious," the doctor continued. "However, there is one significant detriment, one that does not exist in Earth'nay. Maza, what would you do if you found yourself in an entirely unforeseen situation? One which you had no prior knowledge of, and no plan for?"

"I would stop what I was doing and consult with my flock to formulate a new plan," she said, as if it was an obvious answer.

"See, here is where the disadvantage lies. In the time that it would take you to assess the situation and come up with an appropriate response, an Earth'nay would have already adapted and changed its strategy."

"How do you mean?" she asked, flashing her feathers in confusion.

"Because they don't plan extensively, and they don't rely on non-declarative memory in the way that Val'ba'ra'nay do, they have developed an incredible ability to adapt to a changing environment. The plasticity of their neural pathways is incredible. Where evolution has robbed them of one attribute, it has substituted another. Where a Val'ba'ra'nay must plan extensively in advance, drawing from practice and experience to tackle a problem, an Earth'nay can think entirely on the fly. They don't need to waste precious time formulating a new plan. I can only describe it as a kind of emergent thought pattern."

Now it was the flock's turn to stare at the two humans in awe, their violet eyes wide and their plumes puffed up in shades of yellow. Jaeger was having a hard time wrapping his head around the concept. So the aliens performed tasks, and even thought, like a computer program going through a sequence of commands? That explained the odd pauses during conversation. What was that like? What was their experience of the world, where an unexpected event or situation could completely throw them off to the point that they practically had to retreat in order to collect themselves? Was that why it had taken them so long to make contact out in the asteroid field?

Perhaps the answer once again lay in their evolutionary history. Humans had lived through ice ages and the extinction of innumerable species, they had spread across the world and faced all manner of diverse climates and dangers. It was through adaptation that they had endured, the ability to change along with their surroundings.

What if instead of being adaptable, the Valbarans had evolved to be absurdly efficient at their chosen tasks? It was certainly possible, rising to dominance simply by being the most brutally efficient and perfectly sculpted predators for their given environment, developing society and eventually civilization through a cooperation that transcended simple pack behavior. They were like savants in a way, inhumanly proficient in their specific fields of interest, but inflexible and inhibited outside of them.

"Y'all are gonna have to help me get this straight," Baker said, addressing his question to Maza and her flock. "How much plannin' do y'all do, exactly?"

"Everything is planned," Xico replied. "We formulated a plan for what we were going to do this afternoon, for example, we reached consensus before we left the house. We knew whether we would be walking or taking scooters, we knew precisely which mag-lev stations to travel to, and where they were located. We knew what the weather would be like, and what clothing would be appropriate to wear. We had planned for potential encounters with crowds of strangers, we had discussed what questions might be asked, and how we might escort you safely to the hospital. We had several contingencies prepared in case our appointment with the head physicians was delayed due to some kind of large scale accident or emergency."

"So you live your entire lives on a predetermined itinerary?" Jaeger asked in disbelief. "How would you possibly have the time to plan all of that?"

"Our language is a lot faster than yours," Maza said, "we can convey information much more quickly."

"The speech center of the brain is also more developed," one of the doctors added, "which means that more information can be processed."

"Well this is some information that we can bring back to Fielding," Jaeger said. "Can we...transfer the data? Have they finished writing software that can interface Valbaran and UNN technology yet?"

"I can do you one better," Baker said, waving his phone at Jaeger. "Recorded the whole presentation."

"That's...surprisingly clever of you, Baker."

"If I learned one thing at Texas A&M, it was how to take notes durin' a lecture without havin' to do any writing."

"We will continue to study the data that we collected," Doctor Matla said, "these are only the preliminary findings. We will keep you updated as much as we are able. I suspect that it will become easier to share information once your engineers are able to finish work on the software that you mentioned. Thank you for your assistance, Earth'nay. Nurse, please see our guests to the elevator."

That was their cue to leave, Baker hopping down from his seat on the examination table as the rest of the party made for the door, following behind the male Valbaran. He led them out into the carpeted corridor again, Jaeger only just remembering to duck beneath the door frame in time to avoid hitting his head.

As they walked down the corridor, Maza tapped him on the arm, gesturing for him to lean down so that she could whisper to him.

"You wanted to see Val'ba'ra'nay courtship? Watch this..."

She whistled, and then her flock rushed forwards, surrounding the hapless male like wolves about to bring down a deer. He was frightened at first, his feathers flashing blue and yellow, his eyes snapping between the five females. The two humans watched in fascination as the ritual began.

Coza stepped out of the circle, the male turning to face her. He seemed at once worried and flattered, his body language submissive as he looked down at the carpet and fluttered his ornate plumes in shades of pink and purple. The flock moved as one, closing ranks behind her, swaying gently to the left and right as though they were building up to a dance number.

Coza suddenly flashed her plumes, the feathers standing up on her head and forearms, the suitor pressing her arms together horizontally in front of her to create a symmetrical display. Rather than just one or two colors, the layered feathers cycled, creating a hypnotic wave pattern as they shifted and moved to reveal the hues beneath them. The females standing behind her did the same, opening their feather sheaths and angling the plumes so that their friend was framed by them, creating an explosion of cycling colors from the male's perspective. His eyes snapped to the lead female, captivated, her slow swaying seeming to hypnotize him like a cobra being charmed by a pipe player. He cocked his head, his own massive headdress extending, fluttering as it replicated the color pattern.

It was so elaborate and complex, like watching a pair of tropical birds engaged in a mating display, Jaeger couldn't pull his eyes away from it. The swaying grew faster, as did the rhythmic fluttering of the multicolored feathers, the rest of the flock following the lead like backup dancers. They rolled their hips in perfect synchronization, shaking their arms and heads to make the feathers vibrate, the sound that they produced was almost like that of a rattlesnake.

The male began to shake his head too, the large, peacock-like feathers with their circular tips blurring into an iridescent haze. It looked to Jaeger like he was having a colorful seizure. The pattern that it created seemed to float in the air, the thinner stalks that linked the main body of the plume to the ornate tips rendered nearly invisible by the rapid motion.

"We're gonna make a fortune exportin' glow sticks and rave music," Baker whispered.

The ritual ended as suddenly as it had begun, their feathers folding back down into their protective sheaths, and the flock breaking their tight formation. The male fished for something in his pocket, then withdrew a handheld computer, tapping at the touch screen. Coza did the same, the two warbling and chirping for a moment. When they were done, they stowed their computers and set off again, Maza waving for the humans to join them. The male was walking nearer to Coza, his plumes flashing in shades of pink as they chattered to one another.

"What the hell was that?" Jaeger asked, Maza laughing at his question.

"Coza'ma'lotl put on a display for the male, and he reciprocated. It means that he likes her, and wants to see her again."

"And the thing with the phones?"

"He gave her his communicator address so that they can stay in contact."

"She got his number," Baker clarified, clearly amused by the whole affair.

"That was certainly...elaborate," Jaeger said, "does all Valbaran courtship go that way?"

"If the male doesn't like the look of the female or her flock, then he doesn't respond with his own dance. But besides that, yes, that's how we court. Is it different for Earth'nay?"

"Humans usually court entirely through verbal means, maybe with a little body language involved for the more perceptive. If we like someone, we usually ask them on a date, we take them somewhere fun like a restaurant and get to know them better. If everything goes well, then they might date a couple more times before starting a relationship."

"Oh, Coza'ma'lotl and the nurse aren't in a relationship yet," she clarified. "They will date too, the next step is to spend some time with the flock and see if everyone gets along. After that, a more formal relationship can begin."

"I feel a little bad for him," Jaeger said as he watched the male bob along beside Coza. "I hope you aren't leading him on just to show me what Valbaran courtship looks like."

Maza shrugged her feathers.

"Not really. He's pretty cute, and we're not in a relationship with any males right now. Maybe it will go somewhere, and maybe it won't."

"So what makes him cute?" Jaeger asked, "what qualities do you look for in a male?"

"Let's see," she said, lowering her voice so that the nurse couldn't overhear her. "Clean, shiny scales are a must, buffed or polished is even better. Nice, big feathers, properly groomed. A short snout, having a long snout and a large jaw is considered a very feminine trait. Bright eyes, a nice figure, things like that."

"So...do we look masculine to you?" Baker asked. "Humans have, like...no snout at all."

"I guess it does make you Earth'nay look kind of...nubile," she said as she cocked her head and peered up at them. She hurried ahead, walking beside her friends as they chatted with the nurse, Jaeger giving Baker a confused glance.

"Did you teach her that word?"

"Don't look at me," he replied with a shrug.

CHAPTER 12: VANGUARD

They arrived back at the flock's domed dwelling, the two humans ducking under the low doorway as they stepped through into the carpeted living area. The planet's star was getting low in the sky, its pale glow dimming as it dipped below the horizon.

"So where are me and Baker sleeping?" Jaeger asked, eyeing the bedroom warily. He didn't know how he felt about sharing it with the whole flock, but they didn't exactly have a fold-out couch, where else were they going to sleep?

"Is there a reason you can't sleep with us?" Maza asked, "cultural maybe? We just assumed that it would be alright."

"No, nothing like that," Jaeger replied. "There's an attitude in human culture that if a male and a female share a bed, it implies that they...it's silly anyway, we can sleep together."

"As long as y'all don't sleep in a pile like Borealans," Baker added, "give us enough space and it'll be peachy."

"I see," Maza said. "That will work. We'll take one side of the room, and leave the other for the Earth'nay. There's plenty of space to go around, and we'll all wear night clothing to preserve our modesty."

"Pajamas?" Jaeger suggested.

"Is that the correct term? Pajamas, then. We should eat first, however. Can we offer you anything?"

"Want more bug bars, Baker?" Jaeger asked. He laughed as his friend stuck out his tongue and pulled a disgusted face.

"No thanks, I'm good. We brought MREs."

"We'll just need some water," Jaeger added.

"We will prepare food for ourselves then," Maza said, directing her flock to the kitchen. "In Val'ba'ra'nay culture, it is customary for everyone to eat meals around the same table, it would be nice if you joined us."

"Sure," Jaeger said, "we have similar customs."

"My family used to eat TV dinners on the couch," Baker said with a sigh, "even at Thanksgiving."

"Alright Baker, keep your unresolved family issues to yourself and let's get some grub."

They had set their laden rucksacks on the round table earlier in the day, and they rummaged inside for their MREs, withdrawing the Navy-blue colored packets. They leaned the rucksacks against the nearest wall to get them out of the way, the two humans perching on the small chairs and leaning down to reach the surface as they opened the packets.

Tacka returned with a jug of water, placing it on the table before scurrying away to the safety of the domed kitchen. She was still so timid around them.

"What did you get?" Baker asked, spreading the various packaged food items out and examining them.

"I got...ravioli in tomato sauce, chicken pate and crackers, and...oh sweet, I got some pop tarts. How about you?" Jaeger opened one of the transparent ziplock bags and fished for his plastic cutlery, setting them down on the table along with some napkins and the salt and pepper sachets.

"I got beans and pork, blackcurrant jam with some biscuits, and a chocolate chip muffin. Fuck, they gave me a raspberry flavored drink, what's yours?"

"Orange."

"Trade me?"

"Yeah, alright," Jaeger said as he passed Baker the packet of flavored powder. There was also instant coffee, some gum and chewy candies, and a dried fruit bar. Pretty standard affair for MREs. It wasn't exactly gourmet food, but there was no spice like hunger.

They placed the main courses inside the flameless heaters that they came with, then added water, steam quickly shooting from the packets as they did their work. They poured water into the packets of flavored powder, placing a straw inside them like giant juice boxes, the pair starting on the biscuits and crackers as they waited for their meals to cook. They had purification tablets, but if the Valbarans could drink the water, then they probably could too.

Within about fifteen minutes, the Valbarans returned from the kitchen, each of them carrying a large ceramic dish. They set them down towards the center of the table, pulling up chairs as they took seats around it. The dishes were varied, there was some kind of meat in a brown-colored sauce, an assorted bowl of grains and what might be root vegetables of some kind, along with other pastes and food items that Jaeger couldn't begin to identify.

They were just in time for the flameless ration heaters to have finished their work, and so the group ate together, the aliens eating directly from the communal bowls with implements that resembled two-pronged forks and ladle-like spoons. They passed the dishes between them, so organized and in tune with one another's needs that they scarcely had to ask. Every aspect of their life was shared, they even ate from the same plates. Jaeger tried to imagine a similar scenario occurring in his childhood home, his siblings sharing the meal equally between themselves with no fighting or complaining, which seemed like an impossibility.

"What do you have?" Maza asked, craning her flexible neck to get a look at their dishes.

"This is ravioli in a vegetable sauce," Jaeger explained, showing her his open container as steam rose from the plastic bag. "It comes from Italy, a region of Earth. It's beef, meat from Earth livestock, sandwiched between two pieces of dough which are made from grain."

"What's that white powder that you put on it?" Xico asked.

"Salt, a seasoning that enhances the flavor. I'd offer you a taste, but I'm not sure if Valbarans can digest all of the components."

"Yeah, it's probably safer not to share it," Baker added.

"You can probably eat this though," Jaeger said as he brandished the small, plastic bag of gummy candies. "It's mostly just animal gelatin and sugar. You guys have sugar, right? I remember seeing it in the analysis of the insect bar that you gave to Baker."

"Yes, that should be edible for us," Maza replied as she eyed the brightly colored sweets.

He broke open the packet and placed a gummy candy in front of each Valbaran.

"They're chewy," he explained as they examined them, Ayau sniffing the alien treat while Xico licked it experimentally. Baker laughed as they popped them into their mouths and began to chew on them. It was like giving a dog peanut butter, the aliens smacking and licking as the candies stuck to the roof of their mouth and between their teeth.

To his surprise, Tacka especially seemed to like the taste, eyeing the rest of the packet from across the table. Jaeger wanted to see if she would overcome her apparent wariness of him for another snack, holding the ziplock bag just out of reach of her little arms, accounting for the extra reach that her feather sheaths afforded her. He gestured for her to come to him, watching as the alien slowly slid off her chair and bobbed around the side of the table. Coza nudged Ayau, who was sitting beside her, the two smirking as Tacka inched closer to the human.

It was like feeding a wild raccoon, Jaeger holding out the packet so that she had to reach out to take it from him, the alien snatching it and scurrying back to her seat with her prize clutched protectively against her chest. She shared the spoils with her sisters, but they let her eat the majority of the gummy candies herself. It was the happiest and most relaxed that Jaeger had seen her so far, and he started on his pop tarts as he watched her chew intently.

There wasn't a lot of room for conversation, the aliens seemed fixated on their meal. When they were finished, they cleared the table quickly. Jaeger asked if there was anywhere that he and Baker could dispose of their empty food packets, and Maza showed them into the kitchen where there was what looked like a tall, cylindrical garbage can. She opened the transparent lid and dropped the empty wrappers inside, Jaeger leaning over to see that the cylinder was full of what looked like rotary blades, almost like a jet engine. She closed the lid, hit a switch, and then the blades inside churned the garbage into fine dust like a giant blender. It then vacuumed the leavings away, apparently into the floor.

"It's some kind of giant garbage disposal chute," Baker marveled, looking at Jaeger with an excited expression on his face. "Let's find more stuff to put in it!"

Jaeger was about to warn Baker that it wasn't a toy and that he was an adult, but Maza passed him some kind of discarded plastic container, which he gleefully dropped into the chute. He hit the switch, watching as the spinning blades pulverized it, stopping just short of clapping his hands as the powder vanished down the chute.

"Where does it go?" Jaeger asked.

"To the waste processing plant," Maza replied. "We dispose of all of our refuse this way, both organic and synthetic."

No doubt the Valbarans used some kind of advanced recycling process in keeping with their staunch environmentalism.

"Are you ready to sleep?" Maza asked, Jaeger nodding in reply. "Good, we will change into our pajamas, please do the same."

The flock moved off to the bedroom, closing the door behind them to protect their privacy. The two humans shared a glance, then shrugged, beginning to strip off their uniforms. They didn't have pajamas, but a shirt and briefs should do the job just as well.