HMS Sharman, Folctha, Cimbrean
Medical Evaluation
Champion Daar of Clan Stoneback
“My, you’re a large specimen. Rest your arm here, please.” She gestured to the armrest as she prepared her syringes. They were here to perform the initial medical evaluation for Daar’s acceptance into the Partnership Indoctrination Program. Rebar, Snapfire and Daar were particularly eager for his introduction, though his focus would be very different.
Daar happily complied and flexed his impressive arm. “I like you already!”
Regaari rolled his eyes. Daar had always been a particularly playful and flirtatious being, a skill he employed with everyone…now apparently regardless of species. That he was so blatant about it never failed to irk, especially considering how successful the simple tactic seemed to be. In the highest circles of Clan society, Daar’s romantic success was legendary. He never bragged or gloated about it, just smiled happily and absorbed the praise as it came, as if it were his rightful due. If Daar hadn’t been a fundamentally peaceful and happy soul it would have been absolutely infuriating. He liked everyone, enjoyed the attention and returned it freely. Like most Stonebacks he was friendly and very difficult to hate. Which was in itself annoying.
But it was never an angry relationship between them. Regaari very much liked Daar and Daar adored Regaari in return. They had been friends since their cubhood in the same commune, where Daar’s prodigious strength and Regaari’s keen mind both manifested quite early. They quickly grew inseparable and formed a deep and lasting friendship, one so strong it could bear ample teasing and gentle insults. Amongst Gaoian males that was very telling; pride and insult were potent weapons amongst hot-headed males looking to prove themselves to females.
Of course, it helped that these two had little to prove to each other and knew from an early age they would be successful, given their breeding, talent, and single-minded determination to succeed. Daar helped Regaari build up his body to pass the entry Rites of Whitecrest, while he helped Daar with his studies, a necessary requirement to join any Clan; nobody wanted to breed fools. They made the grade, kept in contact through the arduous Rites of their respective Clans, and eventually declared each other Cousin, an uncommon declaration and practically unheard of between such different Clans.
The difference made for interesting chemistry. Regaari was a calm, collected, cool and suave personality, one who disapproved of boorish and uncivilized behavior. Daar, on the other hand, had no effective shame. Even here he mugged and embarrassed himself for the female’s pleasure. As always his antics were quite entertaining to watch. And, predictably, the human female rewarded him with a giggle and a coy smile as she drew blood.
How much of her reaction was the simple friendly play between any sophont, Daar’s admittedly impressive charm, or related to the humans’ mildly annoying, automatic adoration of virtually any Gaoian…well. That would be something to tease Daar with later. Which would, of course, not bother Daar in the slightest. Also annoying. But enjoyable.
“All done. Any medical complications we need to know about?”
“Nah, I’m pretty fit!” He preened a bit, fluffing his clipped fur. “But, uh, I ‘spose all the usual Gaoian precautions an’ stuff apply.”
The nurse gave him a practiced look and smiled again. “Mhmm. We’ll brief you on that in a moment. You certainly seem fit and ready. Your fur is short, though. Is this natural?”
“Nope! My Clan works for a living!” Daar flexed, the nurse giggled, and Regaari struggled to contain his amused indignation.
He failed. “You’re as far from a laborer as I, you great oaf!”
“Bah, you’re just jealous you don’t get ‘ta do cool stuff like I do! Has all that time behind a desk weakened your body? We worked so hard for it!”
“No more than your obsession with pushing rocks has weakened your mind.”
“Ha! Rocks need pushin’ an’ carts need ‘ta be pulled. What about you? Is ‘yer desk gonna fly away without you weighin’ it down?”
“One can only hope.”
Both chittered in amusement while the nurse looked on with that special look humans had when they struggled to remain professional. For once Regaari didn’t care. Daar always…cheered him, in a way few could.
All the labor-focused Clans—and the great mass of Clanless laborers—kept their fur trimmed quite short to help with body heat. After all, heavy, continual exercise can be a serious problem under a pelt as thick and insulating as a Gaoian’s natural fur. A short cut was therefore the sign of a “blue collar” worker in Gaoian society, while a long, silky coat was for the “refined white collar” segment. That Daar, of all people, possibly one of the very most elite of all Gaoians, wore such a short coat at all times and in all weather…even despite his genuine need, it never failed to entertain.
The nurse finished her blood draw and then proceed to gather some other basic vitals. Height, blood pressure and pulse, saliva samples for typing, weight—that last figure caused a raised eyebrow.
“I’m bigger than I look,” Daar explained smugly.
“Pay no mind. It is merely his ego weighing him down.”
“Ha! Is that how you are so light on your feet? Does yer’ jealousy swell inside ‘ya and lift ‘ya like a balloon?”
“Oh, yes, that must be it. Hey, maybe your size isn’t ego! Maybe you’re simply growing fat?”
“Mhmm. Man, that’d be nice. Just be fat and lazy and eat all day?”
“you are very strange.”
Daar agreed vigorously.
The nurse giggled and entered the results into her tablet while the two bantered back and forth. “Good friends, then?”
“The best!” Daar reached over and pulled Regaari unceremoniously into an affectionate bear hug from behind, then scritched at the base of his impressive silver crest—almost a mohawk—while he squirmed resignedly.
“Indeed. Someone must tolerate him.”
Daar, of course, chittered in amusement.
The nurse giggled again but promptly returned to business. “Regaari, you are here because of translation?”
“Yes,” said Regaari in nearly perfect English. “We’ve discovered the automatic translators have…quirks, concerning your languages. Fathers know, it caused me embarrassment.”
“Oh my. Well, in that case. Daar, do you consent?”
“Yah. There ain’t anything ‘bout me he don’t already know.” Daar squeezed a bit tighter and nuzzled affectionately next to Regaari’s head.
Regaari acknowledged this was true then returned the nuzzle. Daar always brought out his affectionate, playful side like few other beings could.
“Very well. Wait here, I will fetch the doctor.” She left, but before she closed the door she looked the two of them dead in the eyes and winked. Regaari rolled his eyes but Daar’s ears perked up and faced forward in a decidedly interested fashion.
Regaari processed that for a moment. “Did—are you seriously considering her?”
“What? No, of course not! But,” his voice grew conspiratorial, “She is very female and the scent is distracting. And she likes me! You can’t tell me you ain’t even a little curious, can you?”
Regaari broke from the hug and looked Daar dead in the eye. “Cousin, I have lived in intimate company with SOR for nearly a year. All my curiosity about humans and their wild obsession with sex has been utterly satisfied.”
Daar chuckled in amusement. “Heh, thought so. You do smell vaguely like human now, you know. Did you partake?”
“NO! For one, they’d probably break me. I’ve heard them carry on for days at a time and they’d do you proud. For another, I’d likely get an infection and die. For another, it feels so very wrong just contemplating it!”
Regaari sighed, “And yes, I smell like a human now. We lived very close together, yes? And they smell a bit like fellow Whitecrest. I think it’s part of us now.”
Nothing was said for a moment.
“Still, you’re not even a little curious?”
“I cannot believe we are having this conversation. NO. I am decidedly uncurious. And you! How could you be with as many cubs as you have sired? Is the entirety of the Gaoian race not enough?”
“Haha! No no, it was jus’ a natural thought. I mean…the lack of fur is very…no. Her face is too flat. Her ears! And I bet we’d not fit together anyway. But she’s still got an…allure.”
“That’s because she’s strong, she’s fertile, she was nice to you, and you’re pent-up and horny.”
“Prol’ly.” A pause, “Am I really that simple?”
“Yes.”
“…I s’pose you’re right.” They sat and chuckled for a moment.
“…Regaari, how did you do on the fitness test?”
“I am told about as well as a fit human male candidate, but given that I was about half said male’s average mass at the time, that wasn’t terribly surprising. The run was the worst part. You will have that bit easier as they will allow you to do that on fourpaw now. Why do you ask?”
“I am worried about some of it.”
“Y—you? Look at you! You’re incredibly fit!”
“Yes. But the test has things I’m not good at, like pullups. I only managed three the first time I tried and I’ve been training like crazy to make up the difference. I’m up to eleven, maybe. You?”
“…I managed seventeen by the end. The humans…did as many as they wanted.”
“Exactly. And the net climb, and the obstacle course.”
“Ah. I see. You’re not used to moving your body like the course demands. We had the same problem.” Understanding dawned suddenly, “It will be worse for you, won’t it?”
“Yeah. I’m too big. I’ve run the course five times now and I barely passed under time my las’ go. This really is a course meant for apes.”
And it was true. The problem faced by Gaoians was that their anatomy encouraged a very different style of movement: on all four paws, either explosively and nimble, or bringing force to bear with a low-down crouch. Humans on the other hand were still fully and properly apes. They could twist and propel their bodies in ways that made any Gaoian stare open-mouthed in amazement. From the casual play of human cubs, to the incredible feats of gymnasts, to the practical and seemingly impossible things anyone in SOR could do—even and sometimes especially the truly monstrous men like Warhorse—it was mesmerizing to watch, and intimidating to contemplate.
Regaari and the rest of his brothers spent several months training and practicing the course before they finally tested and could match the humans in a functional, less-than-graceful manner. They passed. If there was to be any genuine partnership, the Gaoians must be able to keep pace with the humans as best as possible. Fortunately they had lots of help and encouragement; Warhorse and his crew very much wanted them to succeed.
And they did! It was the result of enormous effort and pain, but they showed they could move much like humans do, given enough time and training. But Daar was different from the Whitecrest Brothers. Stonebacks favored brute power and endurance over nimble movement, a trait of the Whitecrest. As a result Daar had a body extremely well-trained and bred to that ability and purpose. He could push and pull, carry and haul, and charge and run in ways that even the humans found very impressive. But a simple pull-up—easy for a fit human male—proved maddeningly difficult for Regaari and his Brothers, and even more so for Daar. After all, Daar was a very different kind of athlete and much more massive than Regaari. Daar’s concerns were obvious. Gaoians simply didn’t have an upper body so perfectly built for that kind of task. Humans were made for three-dimensional, kinetic movement.
“Do not fear, Cousin. I have no doubt you will defeat the course. Think of it as a new sport to master. Are you going to let a silly ape tell you no?” Slyly, “Or worse yet, will you let a puny Whitecrest like me beat you?”
“Heh, I would never live it down, would I?”
“I would tell all your mates. Ayma first!”
“You cruel thing! That’s a very un-manly thing to do!”
“Ah, yes. Manly. Because such things are proven by a male’s size and coat quality.”
“Big nuts, too. And mine are way bigger than yours!” A smug, silly grin.
“Given how many cubs you’ve sired, I suspect that is from overuse.”
“Ha!”
“Oh, and we mustn’t forget lack of skill, since ‘manly’ males are not allowed to fight smart. Can’t be efficient! No, far better to simply maul each other to death.”
“Nah. Jus’ pick ‘em up and break ‘em backwards in ‘yer paws! Oh, wait,” he grinned smugly, “You couldn’t do such a thing, could you?”
“No, indeed. Clearly you are the manliest.”
“Mhmm. Still jealous of my scars?”
“…a little.” That touched a bit close. Scars were very much a status symbol amongst Gaoian males and Regaari had few. Granted, this was because of his skill rather than conflict avoidance, but that seldom mattered where scars counted most. He instinctually flattened his ears before he could consciously control them.
“…I’m sorry.” Daar keened very quietly in sadness.
“You—oh, put me down!” Yet another snuggle-hug. He seemed to get those a lot these days. “You’re fine. You cannot easily offend me.”
Daar set him down. “You really are a better friend than I deserve sometimes.”
“Trust me, I know.” Regaari smiled, to Daar’s relief, and they chittered in amusement.
“Don’t take me too seriously. You know that.” Realization struck. “Besides, your hand! You faced down a Hunter, clawed his eyes out and spat in its face! That’s hardcore!”
“And I lost that hand, and would have lost my life had not Warhorse saved it.” Regaari remained both thankful for and very slightly bitter about his rescue.
Daar knew Regaari far too well to let such a self-rebuke slip by. “Hmm. You know what? As the humans say, ‘bullshit.’ You won, it’s dead, you have a scar much better than anything I’m likely to get, and I happen to know you’re drowning in offers these days. Don’t lie…you have two lined up for your next trip back home, don’t you?”
Regaari couldn’t help but preen just a little after a brief struggle with decorum. “My fortunes may have improved, yes.”
“See? How can you possibly complain? Look at you, you’re set! You’ve got an endless line of mating contracts ahead, you’ve got the deadliest beings in the galaxy as friends, we all love you, and we’re happy for you. So ‘chirrax,’ okay?”
Regaari lost his composure at the butchered human word and burst out laughing. Daar, as usual, had his victory.
“Okay! Fine. I admit defeat!” Daar seemed extremely pleased with himself. “But for the record, if it were you in that position you probably would have simply swat at it like those bears on Earth and killed it outright.”
Daar nodded agreeably.
A doctor popped in. “Daar of Stoneback? Right this way.”
“You gonna be doin’ all the pokin’ and proddin’ I was warned about?”
“Indeed.” They exited the room and head towards imaging.
Analysis Flight, 781st Expeditionary Medical Squadron, SOR
Special review: Gaoian (Stoneback) first encounter
“The imaging results are very interesting.”
“Not as interesting as the genetic assay, I wager. You first.”
“Well, Daar is very much like the rest of the Brothers in gross anatomy. Much broader and larger, of course, and with an extremely robust build, but still quite similar. Nonetheless the differences are many. Most of them are small things like you’d find between any diverse members in any species. But some…” She brought up a holographic deep-profile model of the two and removed the fur.
The geneticist whistled in admiration; Daar’s sheer physical development was very impressive. “Damn he’s a strong-looking boy. Does that translate to function or is it just for show?”
“Given what he’s demonstrated so far, he could easily outperform anyone in this room and most anyone living in town. You’d need to go to the gyms to find a match for him. And even then don’t screw around with just anybody. Go straight for the dedicated gym rats. I can think of only a few locals who might compare to him.”
“Exercise is still mandatory here,” he pointed out. “We’ve got some seriously fit dudes. Myself included.”
“Yes, I know. I think he’d probably break you, Mike.” A round of chuckles went around the table. “To be fair to both of you, he was quick to point out that Gaoians and humans have very different kinesthetics, so direct comparisons are problematic. You two could have lots of fun exploring that. But I think it safe to say that, outside the SOR, he’s definitely top tier.”
“…damn.”
“So yes, as you noted he is extremely muscular. Moving on, the gross layout is much more interesting. It differs in some very significant ways, especially the muscles of the arms and torso. Now, look closely here,” she indicated the Daar-model’s arm. “See how the forearm-flexor is attached? And see how it splits down the middle?”
“He has a bicep. Like a human.” His surprise was not from the muscle itself but what it represented, specifically: specialized and advanced muscle tissue, of the kind rarely found outside Deathworld life. Gaoians were one of the few sapient species that had any in appreciable quantity, and in many ways represented an “in-between” state of the supremely advanced biology of a Deathworlder on the one hand, and the efficient—but simple and low-performing—function of most galactic life.
“No. Not quite. If we switch to a nervous system view,” a tap on a pad and the models changed, “The innervation is much the same as a regular Gaoian. But you can see the branch forming here, yes? And how far up the nerve the branch forms? He’s a transitional form.”
“So, a proto-bicep.” Nodding all around. The team had long suspected the Gaoians were moving closer to Deathworld biology. Daar proved it dramatically.
“That’s fair, I guess. A human bicep is two independent muscles that are separately innervated. They each attach to different bones which allows maximum force to be developed regardless of position, since the bicep is also responsible for rotating the forearm. Daar doesn’t quite have that. What he has is close. It’s a single muscle that manifests a deep split during development. It has the same set of attachments as the human bicep or Gaoian forearm-flexor does, but instead of being a totally separate pair of muscles like a bicep, or a single muscle with multiple modes of pull like a forearm-flexor, it has a very deep split with a shearing layer between. It is almost two muscles. Or, in other words, it does not rely on the twisting layers that much of the more primitive alien musculature does.”
“That is…intriguing. Does this pattern repeat across his body?”
“Yes. He has far less of the primitive sheeted-layer musculature than we find on the ETs or primitive Earth life, and much more of the more advanced muscle tissue we see mostly in high power applications and extensively in more evolved Earth-based life. The tradeoff is energy efficiency. He needs far more calories to sustain himself than a regular Gaoian. On a world as nutrient-poor as his that is a very heavy cost to pay.”
“I’ve watched him. He eats like my son!” Chuckles around the table as the gathered scientists remembered their famished adolescent days.
“It’s not quite the same, of course. He’s bigger and stronger than most fit human males, yes. Considerably so, in many cases. But he’s also got a slightly lower body temperature and his fur, short though it is, is extremely thick and insulating. Combined with everything else Gaoians do to conserve energy he eats less than his size and lean muscle mass would suggest, sorta like a human maybe, oh, two-thirds his weight? Which, even still. He’s very big.”
“That would force an endurance tradeoff I presume.”
“It does. Gaoians favor explosive action followed by long rest. Daar, being of a labor-focused Clan, is also capable of long endurance work but that depends on staying cool, which for Gaoians is a serious problem. They only sweat on their nose, their lower limbs, and the insides of their large ears. For the rest they need to pant or pace themselves, or take alternative measures. For example, Daar says laborers traditionally have a soaking tub nearby to cool, or at least a hose or something. That’s why his fur is trimmed short all the way down to the undercoat. Their undercoat holds water like a wick so they can soak, shake it out, return to work and let evaporation cool them.”
“Fascinating!”
“They really are. Moving on, his forearm anatomy in particular is interesting.” She gestured to the models again and here, the difference was immediately apparent. “The musculature has already separated fully into different muscles. The anatomy is quite similar to ours, in fact. This is unlike a ‘baseline’ Gaoian which has separately innervated and partially divided regions within the same pulling and twisting muscular sheath. This gives Daar both greater grip strength and potentially better fine motor control. We tested his grip strength and it is very impressive. On the other hand, he has trouble handling pencils and such. I do not know if that is unfamiliarity with the implement or if his hand-paws are just too big and calloused. They’re certainly quite large.”
“We have previously noted Gaoians for their more evolved musculature. Daar is, what? An extension of this trend?”
“Yes, considerably so. I am told it is a mark of his Clan. He is remarkably knowledgeable about Gaoian anatomy and function and so we’ve been questioning him. He’s been quite happy to lecture us at length, in fact. As a side note: Their kinesthetics are very different than ours, of course, but after listening to him it’s become apparent we had no idea how much this is true.”
“A bit of anthropic principle at play there,” he mused. “Anyway, do his anatomical differences stop at the muscles and tendons?”
“No. if you compare all the different systems,” she flipped through various different model views and quickly pointed out points of interest, “It is clear he, if typical of his Clan, is sufficiently different from our increasingly inaccurate notion of a ‘baseline’ Gaoian that we might, without other evidence, consider him a subspecies, or possibly a different species altogether. Under the fur he is a very different being from those we’ve examined to date. And this does go a long way towards explaining the frustrating ambiguity in their medical texts.”
“They are a highly variable people.”
“Daar is sufficient proof of that, I think.”
“And there’s the claws, too.”
“Yes. Unlike the Whitecrest, his are only partially retractable and always poke out a bit. They don’t seem to interfere with his grip, though. Fun fact? Fully extended they’re each at least six centimeters long, measured along the top curve.”
“Jesus,” raised eyebrows all around. “That’s fucking scary.”
“They aren’t sharp, though. They’re very blunt and hard. Regaari’s by contrast are a third as long but they are sharp enough to slice paper. His are typical of the other Whitecrest.”
The geneticist spoke up. “Back to the ‘subspecies’ comment. That hypothesis would be backed by his gene sequencing as well. It is startling. We have been collecting samples of the various Clan bloodlines to build a proper genetic library of their species. As you may expect there are quite significant differences in allele selection, but to our surprise there are also many functional mutations in active circulation. Clans seem to favor certain traits and they tend to accumulate certain distinctive alleles, true. But Daar, and I guess Stoneback by extension, takes this to the extreme. We have so far identified hundreds of apparently beneficial mutations in his genome. So many it can only be due to deliberate action, either long breeding or…” He left the possibilities unsaid.
“Wait, seriously?”
“I swear to God it’s the truth. I asked…apparently this phenomena has shown up in two other Clans, the One-Fangs and the Fireclaws. Both descend from a common Father. He apparently was a massively talented fighter pilot and none could match his skill. Their mutations are related to balance and may also have subtle mental effects, but even those Clans do not manifest as many functional mutations as Stonebacks.”
“Very well…what about Daar? Is he typical or is he unique?”
“He is quite unique. No other adult Stonebacks compare to him. His only competition, in fact, will be his oldest cubs.”
“Must be nice to be on top like that, geez.”
“Well, he seems nice and friendly, anyway. Very playful. I didn’t get any ego like you or I may expect from a guy like him, but that’s me seeing it from a human perspective, of course.”
Someone else piped up. “He must have high social standing.”
“My understanding is that he is very highly placed in the Clan, and that his Clan is very ancient and has been laser-focused on breeding strong, hardy, and lasting Gaoians since before the Clan’s written history. He is their Champion and Stud-Prime.”
“So, wait. This is that breeding program thing we’ve heard about.”
“Yes. I’ve been asking about it. Every Clan has one. Apparently they’re voluntary—more advice and guidance, really—and many cubs are conceived outside of the programs. Most Gaoians see great value in the programs and so they enjoy strong, widespread support. At least, according to the Gaoians here, nearly all of whom are of Clan. Which may be a problem. We’re beginning to learn that the Clans are almost like noble houses, except…not, really. Maybe ‘elites’ is a better word? Anyway, we need to ask some Clanless about all this for a different perspective. The monastery does have more than a few, lately.”
“Elite houses? Wouldn’t that cause social stagnation and unrest?”
She paused, flailing her hands to put the words together. “Um, probably not in this case. There’s a heavy component of merit to the Clans. You don’t get in based solely on your genes, right? Every Clan has their own selection and initiation Rites which are mandatory. I’m told the Rites can be quite arduous and…well, Daar indicated that, for his Clan at least, some do not survive the first week. Very few pass. Few are selected to attempt the Rites in the first place.”
There was an uncomfortable pause. “That’s pretty hardcore.”
“Indeed. Gaoians are not the fluffy cute trashpandas the internet thinks they are.”
A susurrus of dark chuckles. “That would indicate an incredibly potent drive amongst their males to succeed. I mean, if the Rites can be deadly…why?”
“Breeding advantage. Daar claims he has sired two-hundred and twenty-one cubs to date and his earned position had much to do with that. I got the impression he wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Damn.”
“Yup.”
She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “As an aside I now know more about Gaoian sex than any human alive, I bet.” She chuckled ruefully, “Daar seemed to take an almost perverse joy in sharing the sordid details. All I will say is this: definitely not cute and cuddly.” Another round of grins and chuckles.
“Okay, so: they run breeding programs. It’s male-focused?”
She shrugged, “Most breeding programs on Earth are the same. I am told the females are…less concerned about it all. Both Daar and Regaari said ‘it’s a male thing’ and the females are mostly just interested in healthy and happy cubs, and pick mates according to their own wants, so Clan membership helps a lot but it’s not everything. A part of me thinks that’s probably a very chauvinist view but, well. That’s also a human concept.”
“Fair enough. And this has been going on for…how long?”
“Depends on the Clan. The oldest have been doing this since before breeding programs were formal, organized things. Daar says his Clan has been doing this for at least fifteen thousand years, before it was even a formal Clan. Hell, before they had writing.”
“Fifteen thou—Okay, wow. So why Daar? Why is he here?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? He is a Stud. Their best stud, in fact. Like anyone who follows animal fancy can tell you, a stud must prove himself. That’s what he’s doing, I bet. The Gaoians are consciously breeding and improving abilities in their kind, and they’ve been doing it since before our civilization invented the wheel. And Daar is one of their runaway successes. He’s here to fill out his résumé.”
“…we should probably brief our leadership.”