Biospheric Xenophobia
“Have you ever seen one of them?”
“No, I haven’t. You had training on this, right?”
“Yeah, I did. I passed and everything, but I still don’t get it.”
“What’s not to get? Every living thing on Earth wants to kill them, and everything on their world wants to return the favor.”
“But why?”
“Who knows? I don’t think they do, and they’ve been around a lot longer than us. Maybe it’s like your immune system, you know?”
“Say what?”
“You get germs in your system, your body tries to kill them all. You don’t even have to do anything, your body just knows they’re not a part of the system.”
“That’s different, though. That’s my body, it’s all one thing.”
“Every critter on Earth has around 90% the same DNA. If that doesn’t tell you we’re all part of one system, I don’t know what would.”
“So how come we’re trading with them and not shooting at them?”
“Because we all have brains, and we’re not just DNA. And, we can use drones so we don’t have to look at each other. Now, shut up and let me finish docking this thing.”