In spite of general conditions and challenges in the planet and the Anthropology Studies Centre, Andes Falson wouldn’t have stayed more than five minutes -and that in a simulator, if her only inducement had been salary. She was young, not yet thirty, which left most of her four centuries life expectancy ahead of her. She was really nice looking; Greek ancestry combined with generations of genetic selection and a hint of Scandinavia had produced a girl with almost blue black hair, deep blue eyes and a figure that would have done justice to any sports calendar of the twentieth century.
She also had money. Her family’s centuries banking and funds in addition her work and her own investments had rolled several millions into her personal account and there was absolutely no indication that the constant increasing process would stop in the foreseeable future.
In view of all that, any normal girl her age and her financial status would be on Earth, worse case Nobemia III, Amrod or any one of the other more … civilized planets having the time of her life. And this is exactly what Andes Falson would have been doing except from one little detail that often ruined plans, she was curious and she loved challenges. Add to that a degree in Anthropology and sapiens-forming and the fact that planet Mouse was home to the first intelligent alien life ever discovered by man and you have the full picture why Andes Falson was in planet Mouse working for the Anthropology Studies Centre.
Her self-determination force and disregard to authority were also trades that added to her charm but at the moment also triggered her anger with Darin Doyle, the field coordinator of the Centre.
She walked to Doyle’s office one morning more or less five months after arriving to Mouse and threw a pad on his desk.
“These are the translations you asked for. I think we are beginning to get the hang of their language including some… slag.”
Doyle, a heavyset, middle age man in his early second century, muttered a rough “Thanks,” picked up the pad and began going through the files.
“I still don’t get it,” he said after a moment in silence. “These people have definitely analytical language and they’ve got such an extensive vocabulary, they literally have a word for everything, never use the same or similar words even phonetically. Every single word is unique and reference to something equally unique.”
“Are they intellectuals?” she said and even he understood the irony but he decided to ignore it.
“So, Andes Falson, what do you think? Are they barbarians or intellectuals?”
“Well, their intelligence might explain why I was hired,” Andes answered lifting an eyebrow.
“Yes, indeed,” he sighed deeply. “That explains it.”
“And I think there is so much more we don’t know or even suspect…” Andes said more quietly.
“Oh Lord!”
“There are two levels in this charade,” Andes couldn’t stop. “The one we see and the one that they hide.”
“And you see all that through the language?”
“Don’t you?” Andes smiled sweetly. “Dr Andes Falson,” he used her title. “I understand your eagerness to make a name for yourself in the field. I’m actually sure that all of us participating in this project would like to go down as discoverers of some new facet of the cultures of xeno-sapiens. I do understand and the Centre actually encourages it. It is a good motivator. But please let’s do avoid wild theories with proof to support them.”
Read all the A cat and planet mouse chapters in order, HERE!
Thanos' Pulp Fiction 