EVOLUTION

A science fiction story.

     “That’s a bad sign,” Thorpe said. “Listen.”

 

    Lucy gave her husband a puzzled look. “I don’t hear anything.”

 

     “Exactly. Birds on Corfus are always singing. If they aren’t something must be wrong.” Lucy looked at the purple trees with their stiff, straw like leaves. Thorpe was right. Usually there were tiny winged yellow creatures (what the Corfus natives called “kals”; what she and her husband called “birds”) perched in the branches, chirping their bell like songs. Something must have happened to scare them away.

 

     Suddenly there was a crash. It was followed by another one and another. They sounded like gigantic footsteps. Lucy heard a sound like a roar and a trumpet and a warble combined.  She turned to Thorpe quickly. “What is it?”

 

     “I’ve heard there are dinosaur like animals still roaming this planet. Corfus didn’t evolve the way earth has. Humanoids came into existence before the earlier population had died out.” There was another crash, and it was very near them. Thorpe lifted his gun. “This fires a hundred rounds, but they’re small bullets. They wouldn’t stop anything large. And it might be armor plated.”

 

     “We can’t possibly outrun it,” Lucy said. “What are we going to do?”

 

     “We’ll have to hide. Maybe--”

 

     Suddenly something gigantic and lizard like stood before them, blocking out all three suns. It looked like a cross between a tyrannosaurus Rex and a brontosaurus...as well as being armor plated. Then it spoke, in a deep but pleasant voice. “I am a Glofindel. And you…are humans?”

 

     Thorpe swallowed “Y-yes.”

 

     “Don’t worry. You have nothing to fear. We Glofindels are herbivorous.”

 

     “Are there more of you?”

 

     “More all the time.”

 

     “How is it you can talk to us?”

 

     “You’ll have to excuse me. I took the words out of your mind--not invading your privacy, of course.”

 

     Lucy shook her head in bewilderment. “This is too strange. We’ve been on this planet for almost a year, and only a few natives have learned even basic English words. Yet you speak it perfectly. Why?”

 

     “Oh. There is much you need to know. I will explain about our planet. The great Mandelo  created Corfus out of the endless green sky dust. The Glofindel bowed his head and struck the ground with his tail three times, in reverence. “He then juggled three pink balls, to give us light. With His mighty finger He dug the sea and filled it with red Bral (what you call water) to give us moisture. He planted purple trees that we might have shade. Then He made life." Again the Glofindel struck his tail on the ground.

 

     “Did it take seven days? Thorpe asked.

 

     “No. The process took billions of your earth years. What I have just told you is the story the Corfus natives use to explain the mystery they cannot fathom. They also have a tale of two infants, one male; the other female, who grew up to populate the entire planet. But humanoid life (what you call humanoid) came to Corfus in this way:

 

     A tiny one-celled organism crawled out of the red sea. It split in two, and thus was reproduction. Soon there were two-celled creatures. They became more and more complicated. Some sprouted feathers and became the kals which fly about. Others grew fur and claws and walked on all fours. There were those who stood upright and became what you think of as human.”

 

     “Something like our own planet,” Thorpe muttered.

 

     “Something like that,” the Glofindel agreed. “But the bipeds on Corfus--the fittest, the strongest, the most intelligent--continued to grow. Then began developing magnificent tails.
    

     Lucy looked at Thorpe. “Tails?” she mouthed. Just then they were surrounded by chirping, fluttering yellow birds. Some perched on the Glofindel’s head. All of them sang with joy. “Poor things,” it said fondly. “They’re still learning.”

 

     “Learning what?” Lucy asked, apprehension in her voice.

 

     “That Glofindel is now the dominant life on this planet. The natives are evolving into us.”

Reviews

[Lord Guru]

This was great, and I don't mean to be rude at all in this review. I am simply here to give my opinion.

I enjoyed reading this. You have a wonderful imagination, very creative. However, I also felt like you had a lot of story here, but you condensed it down a bit too much. There was too much to say, yet too little time to say it. This could be a fantastic story, it just needs expansion. Like, why are they on Corfus? Also, its a bit dissatisfying to be told things directly such as 'It looked like a cross between a tyrannosaurus Rex and a brontosaurus...as well as being armor plated.' It would be more enjoyable to describe me certain aspects of the creature, then allow me to piece it into an image. This story has great potential. Keep up the great work!

I'm not demanding, but politely asking if you would read one of my postings. After reading your self description it would be an honor to have my work reviewed by someone as experienced with writing as you are. It is a science-fiction story simply titled 'Alex'. Blunt and lengthy reviews welcome.

[Marie]

Thank you for your review and opinion. I'll be glad to read you work. I have not seen you on here before.

[Lord Guru]

Yes I just started a few days ago. Some friends told me I should try publishing my work online, and this site seemed to be a great place to do that.

[Marie]

Well, I haven't found a better one. However, this more a site for poetry than for stories. You referred to the fact that "Evolution" was too short. It seems that people on this site are not likely to read long stories. I never post anything onver 1,000 words.

[rudelizard]

I don't know much about this genre, but I was definitely intrigued and left with wanting to know more. Wonderful read and great dialogue, in my opinion of course. Excellent work!

[Marie]

Thank you.

[Workvio]

A delightfully intriguing Sci-Fi story ... Obviously if there is such a thing as reverse discrimination and reverse osmosis, then there must remain the possibility of reverse evolution ... Not a fan of evolution at all, myself, but in a fictional story anything goes as long as one has their ducks in row ... Or in this case, their Glofindels ... Witty, clever, and brilliantly entertaining ...

[Marie]

I don't consider this reverse evolution. Had the world gone through different changes, dinosaurs might be the dominent species now. There's certainly nothing wrong with tails or scales...they just didn't work...

[Workvio]

Okay, I can deal with that concept, because in Sci-Fi, or even reality, life processes may not progress the same on other worlds as they did here ... We assume so, because we only have our own worldly example to go by ... You have a well versed Science Fiction mind ... I take it, perhaps, that you read a lot of Sci-Fi material in the past? ... Present? ...

[Marie]

I have read a lot of science fiction in the past; not so much now. I like to experiment with different genres; have even written a few Western stories. Incidentally, if you don't believe in evolution, what is your explanation for the existance of humankind? Creationism?




Incidentaly, if you don't believe in evolution, how do you

[Workvio]

I was a real Sci-Fi buff as a teenager and young adult, from Asimov, Leinster, Heinlen, Clarke, Bradbury, to Brunner ... My thoughts on evolution are best describe in my articles, The Theory of Devolution, and Guess God's Gone Golfing ... The Devolution article was written first, with the God Golfing article addressing some questions readers had asked in reading Devolution ... Guess God's Gone Golfing addresses my personal concept of a Creator, Evolution, and Abortion in one short cut to the chase article ... To answer your question, I do believe there must be a Creative Source of all that is and will ever be ... However, I suspect that if one was to meet discover and meet that source, one would likely find that He/She/It bears little resemblance in Attributes, Characterization, and Personification to that presented to the world via organized religion ... I have personal beliefs, but also recognize and allow for the fact that could may well be wrong and baseless ... I just don't accept evolution as practical plausible answer to how man came to be ... Have a good weekend Marie, and Shabbat Shalom!

[Marie]

Vaya con Diois!

[Workvio]

I would, I would sweet lady, but I can't seem to find him ... LOL! ... On to other exciting stories you have written as soon as I can get to them ... 'Twill be a pleasure, most definitely ...

[Marie]

Thank you; I hope so.

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

I like the unique perspective. There could be a planet like this out there. Good story Marie.

[Marie]

Thanks. Yes, there could be such a planet...anything is possible in the universe...

[An owl on the moon]

There was a beautiful, sudden sense of being in your words... a feeling of being transported into the story... into the place... and learning very quickly how to survive... Such a wonderful glimpse of what's to come from you.

[Marie]

Thank you. Had thngs been different, dinosaurs might now be ruling the earth...

[Gibbons]

I love they way you are able to convey so much with so few, but carefully chosen words.

[Marie]

Thank you. I find short works are revceived on here better than longer ones.

[Jimmy Yetts]

Innovative plot line!
Fascinating, articulate and professionally crafted.
Excellent in every way, Marie!

[Marie]

THank you. I think well of it myself. But it's good to know a writer of your calibre does too.

[Will Neill]

Marie, I agree with Woody, a very good unique Idea and one that you could expand on.
Will

[Marie]

You're right; It would make a novel if I worked on it, but I'm not ready to do that.

[Woody]

Brilliant! reverse revolution? original idea for sure.
your stories, like your poems, Marie, are short and impossible to ignore. you can tell a whole story with so few lines.

[Marie]

THank you. THis one isn't bad. It was actually published in something; I forget what.