| "I'll go along with that. You were talking about | | | | "Yeah, but it still wasn't quite enough. The thick |
| developing a way for the creatures in the water | | | | hair that was intended to keep them warm |
| to breathe. How'd you manage that?" | | | | weighed them down." |
| "Gil had an insight, so we call it gills. Let me take | | | | "What hair? I don't see any of the usual type. " |
| this little fella out and demonstrate for a moment. | | | | "I see you noticed. We developed this special kind |
| Excuse me, he's kind of feisty. Got ya! OK, now | | | | of hair that would be lighter. " |
| look here. See these little red things just behind its | | | | "Interesting. But how so lighter? The strands look |
| head." | | | | much thicker." |
| "Yeah. Those the gills?" | | | | "Yeah, but the main part is hollow." |
| "Right." | | | | "Like the bones?" |
| "How do they work?" | | | | "Right. We call them feathers." |
| "The fish uses its mouth and these flaps to move | | | | "Feathers, as in?" |
| water over them, and the little red wonders nip | | | | "Flying in all kinds of weather." |
| out the O2 and give back CO2." | | | | "Makes sense. I assume at some point they get |
| "Which the plants in the water can't wait to | | | | tired of flying around?" |
| breathe in?" | | | | "Yes, they do." |
| "Exactamundo! Now, I can go into detail as long as | | | | "What do they do at that point." |
| you want me to, but that's basically what | | | | "Land." |
| happens in the water. Just let me remind you | | | | "I know we have land. I mean, what do they do? |
| about the stuff that floats on it. Remember | | | | Come down onto the land?" |
| plankton?" | | | | "Or the water. Either one. Oh, I should mention |
| "Who could forget? We know. Elemental | | | | where they eat." |
| teamwork with the creatures that breathe in O2 | | | | "I assume when they're not flying around?" |
| and breathe out CO2. It breathes in CO2 and | | | | "Not necessarily. Remember I said we had bugs |
| sends out O2." | | | | that go under the bottom of the water. Well, we |
| "Right. A lot, too, because there's going to be a | | | | also have bugs that go just about everywhere." |
| lot of it. " | | | | "Don't tell me, even in the sky?" |
| "So let me recap. The whole shebang starts in hot | | | | "Yeah. Wherever the little buggers can find a |
| water. Then we get creatures that inhabit every | | | | livable niche." |
| possible nook and cranny that can support them - | | | | "And the birds can catch them even when they're |
| under the bottom, on the bottom, above the | | | | both flying around?" |
| bottom, and right on top. Am I right?" | | | | "Yeah. The aeronautical math was a bit challenging, |
| "That about covers it. Of course, as the atoms | | | | but we were able to work out how the bird and |
| and molecules respond, they can create quite an | | | | the bug could intersect, even when the bug was |
| array of creatures. Our thoughts are still taking | | | | doing everything possible to avoid the conjunction. |
| shape but overall we plan to provide for a | | | | Of course, life won't always be that challenging. |
| perfectly flexible response, which, of course, | | | | The birds and the bugs will also be able to alight |
| would lead to perfectly appropriate variety. At | | | | here and there and chow down." |
| least, that's the plan. All the life that fits. " | | | | "Sounds advisable. Anything else?" |
| "Excellent. So have we covered the water | | | | Well, at some point we have to get creatures |
| creatures sufficiently?" | | | | onto the land, and we thought, Wow, why not |
| "Almost. We still have to talk about the creatures | | | | tap into the creatures that are already in the |
| that swim on top of it and fly over it. That, of | | | | water?" |
| course, brings us to the air creatures. " | | | | "Seems like the right tactic. But I think that |
| "What do you call those?" | | | | moves us into the next meeting - the land |
| "Collectively, birds. These we named water birds." | | | | creatures. Agreed?" |
| "They can actually float on the water and fly up | | | | "Yep." |
| into the sky? How so?" | | | | "Inspired work. Really. Tell the people in tech I |
| "Let me move to the birdcage. Excuse me. I put | | | | commend them." |
| this cover on them to keep them quiet. See. The | | | | "Thanks. I'll be sure to forward you compliment." |
| plan is that they develop these big flat hands that | | | | "Seems to me we now have a good handle on |
| they wave back and forth. In the process, they | | | | creatures that go in the water and the sky. Let's |
| beat against the air and the air beats back." | | | | adjourn for today. Tomorrow, we do the land |
| "Sort of like the way swimming works?" | | | | creatures." |
| "Yeah, only a lighter take on it." | | | | So now we had made the big transition from |
| "But how do they stay up there? Looks like a | | | | setting the stage to starting to populate it. We |
| pretty plump critter just to be flitting around in | | | | had the water and the sky behind us, and the |
| the sky." | | | | land creatures were just ahead. I kept wondering, |
| "That was a real brain teaser. But we finally | | | | What could go on the land that's different from |
| realized two things. First, we could give the air | | | | what we invented to go in the water and the |
| creatures hollow bones, which would be much | | | | sky? Oh, I suppose the unique attributes of life on |
| lighter." | | | | land would do a lot to guide our thinking. |
| "Good thought." | | | | |