The Dream
Two weeks have passed. Amo Obib was alone on an open space that was designated as their future conference room on the pyramid ship’s second floor. He was waiting for Karmar and Norm for their scheduled meeting due just minutes away. He stood near a rectangular table with a bench on each of its longer sides and a stool on its narrow ends. They were all made of wood and held together with striped vines. Eerily, the table’s top was the tallest object that stood on the huge partition-less level. With the second floor’s outer walls configured transparent, one had a 360-degree view of the outside.
Amo Obib’s one hand held the other behind him as he stood close to a transparent wall looking outside. He seemed preoccupied at the valley’s beautiful panorama but his mind was somewhere else---the prospects of genetic alteration. As a layman, the issue’s solution seemed simple as he advocated for the liberalization on genetic experimentation soon after graduating from Genetic Engineering. As head of their church, he was lost and in the dark. The theological dogma `The end does not justify the means rang in his mind during the day, and echoed in the night. Their church allowed improvement on plant and animal stock through cross-breeding and genetic alteration used purely to repair genetic abnormalities. Forbidden were genetic modifications to create a new breed or experiment on it. As he pondered on the issue, he saw the thin ethical line the church drew that differentiated the godly from the godless act. ‘Do they have the right to intervene with the natural laws? Should it come to it, will the end---save their civilization, justify the means---break church law? Words against lives?’ he asked himself and wearily wondered. As he deliberated, he recalled Amo Tasiyo smiled when he said, ‘Now, you have to decide on the issue yourself.' It puzzled him then more so now. ‘Was he telling me something? Was it a premonition? Why did he smile, seemed amused?’ the questions lingered in his mind.
Karmar and Norm’s footsteps made Amo Obib turn and welcome them. Karmar was a genetic engineer and biochemist while Norm, a biologist and biochemist as well. He noticed the rigors of their two-week mission on their faces. He also noticed both wore suede gowns which Ningning's group made. He liked the oversized pockets. Better still, he loved their moccasin shoes. Regardless of how he tried, the twined fiber sandals he wore scrapped his feet's skin and made walking uncomfortable. He, however, did not complain.
After a short formality, they sat around the table then Amo Obib said, “Let me hear your reports.”
With no paper, Norm had her report committed to memory. She started, “Evolution is a process forced upon species to adapt to environmental changes or go instinct. It is not a constant slow process of change but come as spurts during major global climate change or environmental upheavals that . . .” he continued. At the presentation’s end, she concluded, “If there are creatures in this planet going through an irreversible evolutionary process toward rational intelligence, we should be seeing a creature with very primitive intelligence using simple tools with their hands. In our search, we found none. The probability of a creature on this planet evolving naturally to an intelligent being within 2.3 million years is none. Intervention is necessary,” she concluded with unease.
Amo Obib showed no signs of being surprised though he prayed hard he would hear it differently. “Is the ape our only candidate for genetic modification?” he asked in a professional tone of voice.
“Yes, My Amo,” Norm answered formally. “We confirmed Goopersh's findings. However, the study showed this ape is endemic to the region and may be heading for extinction.”
“Then we will save it!” Amo Obib’s remarked somehow elated him. It was a consolation to an inevitable decision.
“On biological and genetic makeup, Karmar will present his report,” Norm ended.
Karmar stood and instructed Goopersh to project specific slides on the screen.
Flashed on the holographic screen projected in the air fronting them were magnified cell of Rian’s alongside apes. It showed its structure with same parts labeled and linked by a line to each other. Karmar had a pointing stick on hand and began his presentation, “Since I can generalize my conclusion through one creature to represent creatures of this planet, I will concentrate on the ape. If you compare the Rian cell with apes, you will find that they have identical structures and equally amazing is their biochemical makeup . . .” Karmar continued.
Amo Obib, a biochemist himself, was visibly interested. His attention was focused on every word Karmar said. He closely went through the cell's compositions on the screen as Karmar made his report. Together, they went over the minute variances and concurred were insignificant. Anxiously, he asked Karmar, “Do you have the ape's genetic blueprint?”
“Yes, My Amo. Goopersh has the data.”
Amo Obib instructed, “Goopersh, make side-by-side comparison of the genetic codes---Apes versus Rian’s.” He moved closer to the screen where Goopersh displayed the genetic sequence of the codes. He intently scrutinized the genetic sequence---the biological blueprint to life. He was extremely relieved the genetic codes were no different from theirs. The order of the codes and its sequence determined what a living thing will physically become. If the composition and structure of the ape's genetic makeup were different from theirs, he knew they would not have the time to study and understand its mechanics completely. There were millions of these genetic codes to identify, map, and catalogue. It worried him.
He examined the genetic sequence carefully as he instructed Goopersh to scroll and stop to a long sequence of genetic codes. Often, he used his pointing finger to search for a particular four-letter sequence on Rian genetic sequence on the screen then moved across to the ape’s. There seemed no end to the columns as amo instructed Goopersh to scroll, skip, and jump going through the same motions of finger tracing and instructions many times. Soon Karmar and Norm thought the amo had forgotten them. After a while Amo Obib said, “I have seen enough to draw a definitive conclusion. The basic biological structure and composition of life in Ria and on this planet are identical. If you consider the vast distance between these two planets, we can say there is one Creator to life.”
“Truly one God,” Norm praised.
Amo Obib faced Norm and Karmar and instructed, “We will concentrate all efforts to study and understand the ape. We will not assume anything. We will reaffirm our knowledge on how life works by studying the Ape in the minutest detail. Karmar, you will play a major role in the evolution of an intelligent Ape. You will recommend which genes and how to manipulate that her ascendants, in time, will become intelligent. As head of the church, I will set this strict guideline: we will not act as demigods. I emphasize 'not' and create an intelligent being of our design. Rather, we will act as catalyst to a natural evolution such that the ape will naturally evolve to an intelligent being. When the time comes to modify her genes, we must be able to forecast, to a great degree of certainty, what we expect to happen. Under no circumstance are we to undertake actions and hope for the best. We are God's custodian to His creature. As such, we will do it with utmost respect and with full awareness of our actions. May our almighty God help us and pray our trials not be hard. I, your Amo, head of your church, have spoken.”
The decree came spontaneously that Amo Obib's felt it divinely inspired but not with certainty, in his mind--- ‘Am I acting as a demigod?’
THE APE PROJECT
The Assignments
Norm, Karmar and three others were assigned to the Ape Project, map the ape’s genome. Two, Nengut, a sociologist, and Femed, her assistant, were to conduct behavioral studies on the apes, among other things. Twenty-eight worked directly under Commander Nerus's supervision, and Amo Obib and Ningning relegated themselves to cooking, laundry, housekeeping, stockroom custodians, and being parents to thirty-four adults.
The Behavioral Study
The day was hot and humid to observe ape behavior at the fringe of the savannah and the jungle. The one-way window that wrapped the rim of the saucer-shaped airship allowed all around viewing was perfect fo
r Nengut and Femed’s purpose. Having been at the same spot many times and stayed for days at a time, the apes became accustomed to the airship's presence that they used it as shade or its top as an observation deck. From what was observed, Nengut and Femed found the ape family oriented with the females having strong maternal instinct. Most importantly, their diets consisted of fruits, nuts and insects, and had no predatory inclinations.
At the same time of day, both noticed the group of apes they studied numbered less and the few that remained scampered beyond their sight. Femed, on seeing the alpha male emerged from the jungle then settled down under the shade of the airship, changed viewing location. Something in the alpha's hand caught her attention and called Nengut.
Nengut, who was observing two young apes playing and a nursing mother, went over and leaned on the console like Femed, to get a clearer view of the alpha male. Unable to figure what stuck out of the Alpha’s hand, Femed asked Nengut, “Can you tell what’s in his hand?”
Nengut gave it a look then answered, “It's a leg of some crawling creature less some fingers . . . a large lizard.” ‘Herbivores shy away from dead animals but this one is holding it . . . why?’ she asked herself but soon had the answer---the alpha male stuffed the leg in its mouth and leisurely chewed.
The alpha male’s attention was distracted by loud commotions behind the trees. It rushed to a group of adult male apes who came out of the thickets ganging on a mangled iguana, fighting for a piece of its flesh.
Nengut and Femed watched the battle for possession as it became frenzy and moved to the area near the nursing mother. An adult ape caught sight of the cradled infant and focused on grabbing the hapless one. The mother fended off each attempt as it screamed hysterically and threatened to bite. In the wild hysteria, other adult males joined the melee. One managed to sneak behind; pulled the baby from the mother's arm by its leg and ran off with it. In distress, the baby screamed. The bewildered mother gave chase and so did the rest of the adult male apes.
Soon the alpha male joined the brawl and asserted its dominance. It yanked the baby from two others with a firm grip of the baby's leg and arm. Violently pulled, it ripped the baby apart. Its blood splattered as the alpha male held on to his share; made few threatening moves and growls; then went under a tree and ate his prize undisturbed. The rest battled for some possession somewhere beyond Nengut and Femed's sight.
Nengut's vision of a docile troop vanished. Cannibalism made it worse. Revolted by the scenes, she nonetheless concentrated on seeing as much of the interaction during the melee---the facial expression; the wild gestures; the reactions and responses of those that participated, those that watched, and the aftermath. After a while, the apes once again milled around as they would on an ordinary day. The orgy, an hour earlier, forgotten and the nursing mother gone.
“Let us check the other troops” Nengut said, visibly shaken by the ordeal.
The airship skimmed the treetops as it followed the contours of a seasonal river. There, they saw other ape troops gang up on iguanas for the kill or fighting over those already dead. Farther down, they saw troops patrol the iguana’s migration route.
Troubled, Nengut said, “I have seen enough.”
Femed noticed how disquiet Nengut was, inquisitively asked, “What is the problem with apes eating the lizard?”
“It was not so much the hunting and eating of the lizards that bothers me but the apes developing a predatory instinct,” Nengut answered in an objective manner. “You must understand that instinct strongly drives behavior. It does not disappear during development of intelligence. It goes with it putting pressure on the resulting behavior. Our problem is the resulting behavior. As an example: the fruit eaters, by instinct, are docile and clannish. Given intelligence, the resulting behaviors are sociable, nonviolent, and family oriented. I will ask you this: What will be the resulting behavior of a meat-eater, a carnivore with predatory instinct and given intelligence?”
Like a student, Femed answered, “Domineering, territorial, violent, and . . . aggressive.”
“That worries me. The apes will develop a predatory instinct. You see, behavior depends on tendencies and tendencies are driven by the subconscious - instinct. If you went to the field and swung a club at a lion, the lion's tendency would instinctively be to tear you to pieces. Do the same to a monkey and it will run. In relation to reasoning and if given intelligence, the lion will conclude that you are a danger and a threat, and will rationalize the action, to kill. The monkey on the other hand will conclude the same but instead justify an escape, to run.”
Femed looked bewildered. Not understanding Nengut’s point, asked, “Isn't that a reaction rather than a rationalized response?”
“Partly both,” Nengut answered then continued, “With warning, the lion will expedite the solution through force and justify it. It will not wait to negotiate, it is an action creature. On the other hand, the monkey will negotiate and reason for as long as it takes. It is a passive creature. It can justify its action, to run, just as well as the lion, to kill. It is a paradox, for both are right.”
“What will be the resulting behavior of combining both?”
“You mean an omnivore?”
“Yes,” Femed answered and mentally added the word to her vocabulary.
“I will formulate a hypothesis,” she paused for a moment. “When stimuli require both instinct and intellect to respond, the behavior that will prevail is the carnivore's aggressive behavior as it offers a faster result, therefore, the predatory instinct. This means, our intelligent omnivore will have stronger tendencies to resolve problems using force physically or psychologically rather than reason. It depends on the individual and which instinct has relatively stronger tendencies responding to a given environmental stimuli.”
Femed thought briefly. “Wouldn't reason prevail?”
“Reasoning merely justifies an action or a plan. But the type of action or plan is dictated by tendencies or compulsions which are influenced by the subconscious drives, the instincts.” Nengut made a general conclusion.
“Could you please run by that statement again?” Femed requested as she tried to grasp a complex hypothesis.
Nengut obliged and said slowly and deliberately, “Reasoning justifies an action or a plan but the type of action or plan is dictated by tendencies or compulsions which are influenced by the subconscious, the instinct.”
Nengut saw and understood Femed's worried look as she mouthed the words. She, herself, took some time to comprehend it. Working on her doctorate's degree thesis as a student, she aimed a laser gun at a predatory animal about to pounce on a helpless prey. Though she could not bring herself to shoot just to prove a point, she nonetheless imagined its death. It was not easy. The satisfaction for the kill or its justification was not there. She spent days negating the herbivore's instinctive influence on her. When she finally did, she got a glimpse of the power and satisfaction of thinking like a lion. It shocked and frightened her. It was just outside Rian's nature to fathom easily or explicitly, she concluded.
“Are you saying we may have to deal with an irrational intelligent being? It seems contradictory?”
Femed's question got Nengut to wonder. She was not sure what the clear answer was and glanced the question, “More of a compulsive intelligent being. This I can say, Rians are by instinct akin to herbivores. As such, we could not react or reason out as a carnivore or, for that matter, an omnivore would. It departs from our nature, our tendencies. Unfortunately, the ape is the only one we can perform the genetic modification on.”
“Since we have no recourse, what do you suggest?”
Nengut gave it a thought then said, “We must never give reasons or be misconstrued to think that we mean them harm. In so doing we will not excite the aggressive or predatory behavior. Let us stay quiet on this issue until we have studied the intelligent beings that will evolve from the apes.”
Femed concurred.