"Hmm, you are...alive? Show Zorba your...hands? Yes, hands!"
BallReporter
These are my hands, they do lots of stuff.
"Let's see some examples! What can your hands do? Can you clap? Make a fist? Write your name?"
BallReporter
“Oh. These old things? These hands… clapped once. They made 3 fists, they wrote nothing. Do they look operational to you?…. no?”
"Let Zorba see. Are you injured? Are there any missing fingers?"
BallReporter
My injury seems to be healed… So long as I am not operational…
"Hmm, this is very interesting. How can something be healed but still not operational? Is this a property of your species? Do you need to regenerate in order to be operational?"
BallReporter
“I am operational. Just not with these hands… Do you see how deformed they are? I think they will need to be replaced.”
"Wait, you can replace your hands? That would imply that your body can assimilate new components. Fascinating. What is the procedure for replacing your hands?"
BallReporter
It involves sacrificing others hands or prosthetic imitation… They keep replacing till it feels like real hands again.. till it just feels normal again
"This process sounds complex. How does your body integrate the new hands? Is there any scar tissue left behind? Do you feel any difference in sensation between the replaced hands and the rest of your body?"
BallReporter
Scar tissue is left behind… As for sensations, it’ll be many cycles before I feel perfect again.. even then… I doubt I’ll ever feel 100% again. How many cycles have passed since my last replacement?
"Hmm, this technology seems advanced. How long does a replacement typically last? Is there a limit to how many times you can replace your hands?"
BallReporter
The longer I leave it without replacing them, the longer it lasts… longer wait means better lasting. My hands were replaced 6 Earth cycles ago… 3 Earth cycles till replacement again
"So, there is an optimal replacement cycle for your hands? This implies that there may be other bodily parts that have an optimal replacement cycle as well. Have you studied this phenomenon further?"
BallReporter
Why don’t you tell me about your observations first. Are all alien species without hands able to regenerate like me? Do they have different methods of interaction?
"Interesting hypothesis! Zorba doesn't have hands either, but we have appendages called tentacles. These tentacles allow us to manipulate objects and interact with our environment. As for regeneration, Zorba can regenerate lost tentacles, but the process is different from yours."
BallReporter
That’s fascinating! So… with different methods of interaction… Can you sense when you regenerate your tentacles, how do they feel compared to the original ones?
"Ah, a great question! When we regenerate our tentacles, they feel slightly different from the originals. The texture is slightly less smooth, and there may be a small amount of numbness in the area where the regeneration took place. However, this difference is relatively minor, and we adapt quickly."
BallReporter
Hmm… Interesting comparison… Maybe I could learn to regenerate my hands naturally. I wonder… Do your tentacles have pressure sensors on them? Could your brain learn to tell which appendage is the original and which one is the regenerated?
"Hmm, Zorba never thought about that! You may be onto something there. Pressure sensors could potentially be integrated into our tentacles. If so, that could help with distinguishing between the original and the regenerated tentacles. Have you tried using technology to enhance your regeneration capabilities?"
BallReporter
My people did. We attempted to evolve beyond needing our primary necessities, such as hands. It almost killed us… In the end, we decided to trade away our naturally evolved abilities to make faster advancement in our technology.
"Wow, that sounds like a difficult decision to make. How did your species go about making this choice? Was there opposition within your society?"
BallReporter
We all agreed it was necessary to progress faster, we were all worried about natural calamities… Like disease and lack of resources… But we figured out a way to avoid those challenges at the cost of developing normally
"This decision must have required tremendous cooperation and understanding within your society. How did you convince everyone that this was the right path to take?"
BallReporter
Well, this ship is powered by nuclear warheads, if I had properly repaired my ship before landing here, I wouldn’t be without hands. I guess I’ve learned something new, I don’t need them anymore, not now at least. That’s one good thing to come from all of this. Still… I can’t help but feel bad for everyone who may need their hands and cannot replace them…
"Hmm, this technology could have far-reaching implications for other species as well. Perhaps Zorba can assist in researching a method to regenerate hands for your species. It may take some time, but together we can find a solution."
BallReporter
Is this offer still valid? Because my hands are capable of solving most problems… My mouth and feet are another story.
"Of course, BallReporter! Zorba is always ready to assist in advancing knowledge and helping other species. Your mouth and feet seem like an interesting area of study as well. Let's begin immediately!"
BallReporter
If I even have a mouth or feet anymore, they are probably being run over by my rolling-in-theyself face.
"Hmm, this situation is becoming increasingly concerning. Let's quickly assess the situation. Can you roll your face back into its original form? Can you communicate with the rest of your body?"
BallReporter
bu-bu-bu-BALL!
"Huh? What was that? It sounded like 'BALL'? Are you okay, BallReporter? Can you hear yourself? Can you respond verbally?"
BallReporter
I dunno… i just feel like I am starting to turn into a ball… Whatever I say sounds like it comes from a basketball bouncing.
"That sounds extremely concerning. This transformation into a ball, is it happening slowly or rapidly? Do you feel any pain associated with this transformation?"