Page 20 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Persuading the Zookeeper of Apadat

twelve legs, or a shiny green exoskeleton, or compound eyeballs on
long furry stalks.
Among the graduates themselves there was a certain rivalry, but it
was always tempered by an understanding of the inequalities of
physical ability between the different species. Raw intelligence was
officially defined by test scores, but each type of mind had its own
way of processing information. There were some mental games the
bipeds could not lose, and others they could not win.
Although it was never expressed (for to do so would risk
expulsion), most of the non-humanoids who had the emotional
systems for it felt some resentment. Kaga had tried to discuss the
problem on occasion with his morphologically disparate classmates;
few of them responded, however, even in private. One who did, a
large batlike individual from the planet Urm, told Kaga about a
scenario he often imagined taking place.
“One day,” said the Urmite, whose name was Ploon, “the PKU, in
its ceaseless quest to incorporate all intelligent life into a single
pacified network of trading partners, will enter a galaxy which is
already part of another, larger, more powerful organization of
civilized worlds. And the odds are that this other federation will not
be run by humanoids. Then we shall see the true intentions of your
race, Kaga, for the choice will be to fight or to join. To fight would
violate the basic principles professed by the PKU; to join would
mean the end of humanoid control of interstellar affairs. Which
course do you think the PKU would take?”
Kaga had been unable to resolve what he called Ploon’s Dilemma.
He hoped the PKU would follow the rational path of cosmic
integration, but he had to admit that humanoids would probably
react emotionally to a confrontation of the type portrayed by Ploon.
Now, as they entered the communications room together, Kaga
exchanged a brief greeting with the Urmite. The old academic rivalry
was still there, but between them it was lightened by Kaga’s
acknowledgement of the issues behind it.
Admiral Borjug entered the room at 0800 sharp. The cadets rose
and stood at attention while he made his way to the front. He was a
tall gaunt man with the oversized features common to natives of
Saldemesa. He surveyed the group dispassionately, his bulging eyes
skipping quickly over the non-humanoids in his audience.
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