Lt. Kim Stapledon - Human Animal Relationships

[John Smith]

(( Maklau Bay Beach, Risa ))

Kim and Talyra were chatting about the stars and what made them fascinating. The latter had asked Kim whether the stars had any special appeal to her.

Stapledon: I remember when I was a child and I asked my dad where humans came from one night... He pointed up at the sky toward Sol. It was a star I could barely see just twinkling there.


Kim was glad to see Talyra smiling at her.  She hadn't known a lot of Romulans in her time but she thought she detected something close to a knowing nostalgia in her face.


Talyra: That’s a lovely moment.

She smiled.

Stapledon: I remember being amazed that humans were the only creatures that came from a star in the sky. And then as I grew older and realized that those twinkling stars were actual places I was amazed.


Talyra: Did learning you could visit them yourself take away anything from that?


Stapledon: Sometimes... But where some people thought finding out about what stars were took away their magic for me it opened up something new. Like it was the answer to another "how does this work?" question I was always asking.


Talyra: Interesting. I’m much the same. One of my professors mentioned an insatiable curiosity is at the core of being a scientist and explorer.

Kim nodded in agreement.

She looked puzzled about something for a moment and Kim did her best to imagine what she must be feeling, see if she could get her mirror neurons some exercise.


Talyra: Maybe you can answer one question I have.


Stapledon: Oh... Is there anything I can do to help?


Talyra: ::nods:: Pets. Humans love keeping little furry things as companions. 

Kim snorted imperceptibly at the mention of little furry things, smiling broadly.

Talyra:  My roommate had this … puppy, I think she called it? She tried to take it everywhere with her. Where I grew up, we had animals but they served a purpose. What purpose was keeping a noisy little critter serve for humans that it’s seemingly so ingrained in your culture?

She remembered reading introductory texts on Earth's biome and the process of animal domestication that took place.  Humans were an odd lot.  

Stapledon: Well, I think it has a lot to do with companionship.


Talyra looked at Kim skeptically.  Kim smiled in spite of herself, as she remembered Gabrielle and Oreo and also the ring cats on New Cyprus.


Talyra: Really? That can’t be it.


Stapledon: Humans find animals comforting.  They can be both companions and something to take care of.  And provide emotional support.


Talyra: Emotional support? From an animal that cannot talk or do meaningfully … anything besides eat, make noises, and sleep?

She didn't want to info dump too much but this was a fun topic for her.  She remembered reading a lot of interesting texts about animal human relationships on Earth and the changes to those relationships on New Cyprus


Stapledon: ::Laughing::  Well...  Our relationships with animals are very organic.  Dogs and cats in particular were very integral early in human history.  Wild dogs would spend time around humans to get food.  In exchange they'd bark -- make noises -- alert us of predators coming.  Cats were similar.  They would hunt pests like rodents so that our food was protected and in exchange humans would take care of the cats.  

Talyra:  Response

Stapledon:  And not only that but humans are a species of ape and we still share a lot in common with cat and dog DNA.  Our mannerisms are very similar.  So we benefit from the company of a creature that's like us in many ways.  They play and explore as a means of learning about their environment.

Talyra:  Response

Stapledon:  I have two.  Oreo and Gabrielle.  

Talyra:  Response

Stapledon:  They're fun.  It's therapeutic to pet their fur.  And they have language of a sort.  Cats will use glands on their heads to mark animals and people they like as friends... ::She paused for a moment, wondering if it would be a sensitive question to ask::  I'm curious...  What kinds of views and experiences with indigenous life on their home planet have Romulans historically had?

Talyra:  Response

--

Lt. Kimberly Stapledon

Chief of Science

USS Chin'toka

I238601KB0