Bien looked at the group of Miorpean scholars gathered around the table. What he was about to tell them ran counter to teachings and social doctrine that had guided their society for a millennia. 

     He took a deep breath and began. "We have traveled the universe for eons searching for life such as ours. In every star system and galaxy, any planet capable of sustaining sentient life was dominated by warm blooded heterotroph species.  Autotroph life forms that obtain their energy from the radiance given off by the stars were relegated to a subjugated status and in many cases existing as little more than a supplemental food source for mammals."

     "We found that Miorpeans," Bienn waved his hand around the table, "were alone,  the sole representative of our species  that is cognizant  and aware of its existence in the whole of creation."  He paused, looked around the table at each of the young researchers. "We decided that action would have to be taken to change the prevailing biological discourse of the universe. However, in every instance in which we attempted to cultivate an environment conducive to the successful evolution of a life form such as ours, we failed. That is until we found this planet."

    Bienn let the revelation that Miorpeans had altered the natural evolutionary course of entire worlds be absorbed by the group and was surprised that he sensed no antipathy. 

     He continued,  "you may know that this planet was mostly barren when we arrived. Throughout the entirety of the cosmos it was in the worst condition of all the inhabited planets I have personally studied. The humans, as they called themselves, had polluted its atmosphere, poisoned its seas and its lands. The population was in disarray, there existed small pockets of opulence surrounded by large regions of starvation and pestilence. The deprived viewed us as saviors, the privileged saw us as a threat, conflict erupted everywhere, the humans were destroying themselves, and their planet before our eyes."

            Bienn took a deep breath and continued, "the planet was dying,   plant life was being razed at a rate that would have left nothing within a hundred cycles of the planets orbit around its sun. Earth is what they called it. Those that were in power were only interested in enhancing their own personal well being and not the world at large. We had to do something or this planet, including all species of plant life would have perished, no form of rehabilitation would have brought it back to life."

     Bienn paused, sighed heavily then added, "it was decided to begin an extensive terraforming process on this planet immediately."

         Tiasha had been quiet during the discussion but Bienn's last statement startled her. "Bienn! Are you saying that there was intelligent life, that the humans were still alive while the planet was being terraformed!" She struggled to keep her emotions in control, "they would have suffered horribly as the surface was slowly burned away. I cannot believe you condoned this, even if the humans were irredeemable you had no right to condemn them to that fate."

Bien lowered his eyes and responded in a sullen tone, "I agree, it was an unfortunate set of circumstances, it was not a decision taken lightly but there was little time and a complete restoration was in order, specimens were collected and data stored in preparation for the terraforming. We had intended to preserve and reconstitute the human species in the future and that is when a remarkable discovery was made, human and Miorpean DNA share a basic chromosomal structure. After considerable deliberation on the ethical and moral implications, it was decided that an experiment to genetically alter humans would be attempted."

Bienn paused thoughtfully, "we would create a human hybrid, a warm blooded being spliced with specific interwoven Miorpean DNA that we hoped, over time, would influence the human thought process. What you said about the humans is correct Otead, the original human population responsible for destroying this planet were eradicated entirely, none would survive the terraforming."

Bienn looked solemnly at Mira, "the humans you encountered in the prohibited sector at the pond, are clones created by Counsel of Planet Restoration and Reclamation to repopulate this planet with a warm-blooded life form capable of valuing a balanced bionetwork on the planet." Bienn turned to the group, "we implanted Miorpean DNA into a species of human that inhabited this particular area long before other humans colonized it. Our studies indicated that these humans lived as close to a symbiotic relationship with the planet as any other."

Mira now understood the serious implications of her actions. She had allowed herself to get caught up in a self-indulging primordial ritual. Her humans she had thought of them, how vain she had been.

Bienn telepathically consoled Mira and brought her back to his narrative. "They were placed in a sector that had been terraformed to resemble the planet as it was to see how they would develop completely isolated from external stimuli."

Otead was quietly respectful of Bienn, however the anger he felt over the implications of this so called experiment seethed within him. These fools had created a hybrid, a warm blooded creature with Miorpean psychic abilities. Who knows what mutation might result from this abomination.

      Bienn looked cautiously at Otead then continued, "unfortunately, Mira contaminated them by allowing a belief in her as the Earth Goddess to take hold. In doing so she effectively deposed the planet itself. Because of her superior size and ethereal appearance, it was inevitable that humans would worship her, make her the embodiment of an Earth Goddess Deity."

Bienn sighed heavily and looked down at is hands, "inevitably,  some humans will insist she is a false god, not worthy of their praise, conflicts will result. Our experience has shown that when it comes to primitive peoples,  fervent faith and zealous belief ultimately leads to violence. We have no choice, these existing humans will have to be destroyed, perhaps we can start the experiment again sometime in the future."

                Mira thought of the time she had spent with the humans, they were loving, caring and welcoming, not just to her but to each other. She could not see how the adoration she felt could degenerate into hate even with her accidental inference. Then she remembered the hostility that was directed towards her from some of the humans as she left the pond. But that was only a few, surely those few would have little or no influence over the hundreds she interacted with.

Then another sensation overwhelmed her, it was external of her and not from any Miorpean. She felt sorrow and extreme grief, but from whom?

     Mira turned to the exam table, Fayala was awake, sitting up, legs tucked beneath her, hands covered her face and she was crying.  Tears streamed down her cheeks while a confused Deyan tried to comfort her. Mira realized that Fayala had been psychically listening to the conversation the whole time and must have understood what Bienn had said.