“I never imagined that a living being could be made of carbon... and W [water].”

SAIR-Spda couldn’t believe what he was seeing in his laboratory.

The drone had travelled to the surface and collected a few specimens of certain mobile elements whose movement patterns did not respond to random factors, nor were they caused by wind or other environmental causes.

However, it had to make several trips. They quickly realized that the water flooding most of the organisms froze immediately in the frigid temperatures inside the ship, causing their deaths. Or, when deprived of the oxygen from the atmosphere —which was also absent on board— their death occurred as well. MIRV had to increase the temperature of the observation and dissection cubicle and provide an oxygenated environment.

“This small being moves by manipulating its eight appendages, which are in contact with the ground or with the S’ [the surface] of the objects on which it moves.”

“Correct. However, the other one has no appendages and moves by oscillating its body rhythmically, despite being so tiny.”

“A quite useless and ineffective way to move, by the way. The other one has been designed correctly.”

“Perhaps the Reptant is just a test.”

“Do you mean that this P [planet] is a ‘laboratory’?”

“It’s possible.”

“In any case, the fascinating thing is C [carbon].”

“C [carbon] is the most versatile element to form compounds with strong chemical bonds due to its solubility in W [water]. It’s not surprising that this experiment has been successful on a P [planet] that has an A [atmosphere] with almost complete W [water] coverage. We collected these B [beings] in one of the few areas where there is no W [water] covering the S’ [surface], although it regularly precipitates from above. I’m sure that if we venture into the liquid zone, we will discover many more.”

“Something I won’t do,” asserted SAIR-Spda. “W [water] is incompatible with T [temperatures] high enough to melt M [metals].”

“You’re fixated on the M [metal] prototype,” objected MIRV-Spdb. “We should change the paradigm. These B [beings] prove that other forms of life are possible without M [metals].”

“Yes, the evidence is undeniable. But what I don’t understand is where they get E’ [energy] to move and perform their functions. They don’t have any kind of storage or recharge device, right?”

“No, nothing like that. At least not in the form one would expect. Because it turns out that these B [beings] are not composed of compact pieces joined together, but their structure is formed by thousands, or rather millions of small... cells, we could say, that have joined, or someone has joined to form an independent and unified being.”

“It’s fascinating,” said SAIR, considering what his companion had just said. “HDIR thought that U [unification] was his idea, and it turns out that others have already invented it.”

“Yes, but this type of union is much more intense. The cells here have completely lost their independence, so they could not endure autonomously.”

“Why?”

“Separated from the whole, they would perish.”

“Aren’t they capable of obtaining E’ [energy] on their own?

“No, and now comes the amazing part. They obtain E’ [energy] in a very curious way, as they break down molecules composed of C [carbon], O [oxygen], N [nitrogen], and phosphorus to release the E’ [energy] contained in their bonds and thus feed the chemical reactions necessary to develop their functions.”

“What are these molecules?”

“Adenosine Triphosphate.”

“And where do they get them? Are they in the ground?”

“No. At least not in sufficient quantities. The only place where they exist in abundance is in their own bodies. They are not there directly, but with certain chemical reactions, they can be obtained.”

“I don’t understand. If they are in their own bodies, how did they get there, if not from the ground? We’re going in circles, MIRV-Spdb.”

“No, not at all. Can’t you guess, SAIR-Spda?”

The other thought for a moment and signalled comprehension. MIRV continued:

“Indeed, they obtain them from preying on each other.”

“Right,” understood. “But there’s something that doesn’t fit. If that were the case, they would self-destruct as a species. They couldn’t proliferate if, for one to live, it needs to destroy another.”

“That would depend on the number of specimens needed.”

SAIR reflected and finally said:

“Now I understand. If a particular B [being] needs to prey on two B, but can self-replicate four times, the net balance is positive.”

“Exactly. Also, there’s another factor that plays a very important, I would say crucial, role, and it’s the green C [carbon] forms.”

“You mean the large C [carbon] coverage that covers almost the entire emerged surface?”

“Exactly. Among the samples we brought, some particles of these elements have slipped in, and after analysing them, it turns out that they also have those cells.”

“Are they also living beings?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I would bet that they are, although they do not move, as they are anchored to the ground.”

“But they still serve as fuel for B [the beings] that move. That is, they feed on them.”

“Correct. Which makes the balance even more positive.”

“As long as the green B [beings] do not consume each other.”

“Something impossible, given the great abundance of them compared to the ‘movers.’ Also, how could they do it? I remind you that they are anchored to the ground.”

“Right. But, according to the previous conclusions, where do these green beings get E’ [energy], if not from the others?”

“From conventional sources, I suppose. Perhaps from the wind, or more likely from the sun.”

“Photovoltaic E’ [energy]?”

“I would say yes.”

“It can’t be. Where are their photoreceptor panels?”

“I suppose at the cellular level. I think it is that green pigment that performs the capture.”

“It seems absurd to me. Wouldn’t it have been better to install conventional panels?”

“Install?”

“Well, I mean E’’ [evolution]. Couldn’t a simpler mechanism have been articulated? With crystals or something like that.”

“It could have been done. But here E’’ [evolution] has used C [carbon] profusely for almost everything, due to the versatile properties I mentioned earlier. And that green pigment is formed by C [carbon], H [hydrogen], and also magnesium. Elements that are very abundant on P [this planet].”

“Yes, it seems so,” reconsidered. “And more so if, probably, everything originated from small cells that eventually came together.”

“Exactly.”

“In any case, returning to the reason why we came to P [this planet], the thing is that C [carbon] is incompatible with electronics. The molecules it forms do not conduct electricity because electrons cannot move freely through them.”

“I disagree. Some molecules formed by C [carbon] compounds can dissolve in W [water] to form ions and conduct electricity. Certain acids and bases can ionise in A’ [aqueous] solution and, therefore, be conductors.”

“I didn’t know that. Still, it seems like a very convoluted solution by E’’ [evolution]. Wouldn’t it have been better to use M [metals] and Silicon? As much as C [carbon] is the first choice here, conductivity is clearly superior using those other materials, which are also represented on the surface in sufficient quantities.”

“Yes,” confirmed MIRV. “But we are still not in a position to answer that question. Perhaps Cx [the creator] had a carbonic origin and then built B [beings] SM [silicon-metal].”

“That’s unlikely. Why wouldn’t an Intelligent Being follow its own pattern, if it has been successful? It doesn’t make sense.”

MIRV didn’t respond. SAIR continued:

“Moreover, B [beings] like these we just collected can be easy to originate, even spontaneously, without a previous Cx [creator] —with the right conditions, as this P [planet] has— but they will never be I [intelligent]. These certainly are not.”

“They are very primitive B [beings], for sure.”

“R’ [the reptant] is quite. The O’ Octopod is more interesting, but it doesn’t have the size to handle M [metals], let alone melt them. I can give up the idea that only living beings can be M [metallic], but the intelligent ones must necessarily be so.”

“Why?”

“This OB [octopod being] has its basic circuits inside a Chitin exoskeleton, which is a polymer of N-acetyl-glucosamine.”

“Whose basic element is C [carbon].”

“Exactly.”

“Ch [chitin] can work to support something like B [this being], but if we increase its size, Ch [chitin] would become fragile and brittle.”

“I understand. But that problem would be solved on P [a planet] with lower gravity.”

“Agreed. But not here. Not on P [this planet].”

“Exactly. And therefore, these B [beings] are not the architects of the emission of R [radio] waves generated by P [this planet].”

“Which supports the hypothesis that this world is merely a repeater. Another I [intelligence] that certainly is not B [these beings] must have generated R [the radio] waves.

“Alright. Let’s approach one of the emission sources. Let’s see what we can discover.”

Since the planet had no artificial satellites in orbit, they had no choice but to descend to the surface, and there they sent a drone that flew over the vicinity of a television station and proceeded to transmit data to the spaceship.

“Apart from the antenna, —M [metallic], by the way—, we can’t know what’s behind it,” observed MIRV-Spdb. “Inside that rock formation are the elements that modulate the signal and then transmit it through electromagnetic waves.”

“A rock formation that must have been made by IB [an intelligent being]. Its square shapes testify to that.”

“It’s a dome. It has been built to protect M [the metallic] elements from the abrasion of W [water] and O [oxygen] in A [the atmosphere].”

“And to carry out the transmission of the E’ Electric current.”

“An E’ [current] that is like ours,” SAIR-Spda observed. “Not like the ionic form of CB [carbon-based beings].”

“So, two forms of L [life] coexist here. One is based on C [carbon], and the other on M [metal].”

“Correct. We must find MB [the metallic beings] to inform us of what we came to know.”

“As long as we accept as true the hypothesis that CB [carbon-based beings] cannot melt M [metals].”

“That has already been demonstrated in our previous conversation.”

“In principle, yes.” SAIR resisted accepting it categorically. “What surprises me is that P [a planet] like this has been used, so adverse to conductivity because of W [water], instead of using more favourable means. Even a vacuum would be better.”

“Agreed. But what we have is here and now.”

“Of course. Could the drone drill the dome and try to enter?”

“Not this one. We would have to build another with drilling tools.”

“Would that be necessary? Couldn’t we look for some other construction that has a cavity? Or some machine that has more permeable insulation.”

“Yes, that sounds good. To insulate electrical circuits from W [water], it is not necessary to use such hard elements.”