Symbiosis of the Heart by Jonathan Litwinka

Author:Jonathan Litwinka [Litwinka, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0DHV7KTZD
Goodreads: 220130942
Published: 2024-10-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8: The Discussion

Lillian sat with Felix, Martha, and Lang at the round table, the tension in the air palpable as they grappled with the transformation of Xeno-9 . The change had been profound—overnight, the formless mass had become a humanoid being, its appearance unnervingly close to human. But there were still so many unknowns.

Martha was the first to break the silence. “We need to take a step back,” she said, her voice steady. “This isn’t just an organism anymore. It’s taken on a form that’s deliberately humanoid. That tells us something important—it’s aware of us, or at least, it’s responding to us in ways we didn’t anticipate.”

Lillian nodded, her thoughts still replaying the moment from earlier that morning. "I was shocked when I walked in and saw it. The way it reacted... it wasn’t just the shape that surprised me. It was mimicking us—or at least trying to. It even mirrored human breathing—its chest was moving, expanding and collapsing like it was alive. But it doesn’t have lungs.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “So it’s copying the form, the behavior, even though it doesn’t need to? That could mean it’s trying to understand us or at least imitate us.”

“That’s exactly what I think,” Lillian said. “It didn’t seem to fully grasp what it was doing, but the intent was there. And it wasn’t just physical. It held its hand up to the glass when I approached, like it was trying to connect. And then—this might sound strange—but when I told it my name, it smiled.”

Lang leaned forward at that, intrigued. “Smiled? As in an intentional, human-like response?”

Lillian nodded slowly. “Yes. It wasn’t a random facial expression. It looked at me, listened—or at least it seemed like it did—and when I introduced myself, it gave a clear, intentional smile. It wasn’t just some physical twitch—it felt like a response.”

Martha’s brow furrowed in thought. “That’s significant. It’s not just adapting to survive—it’s learning from us, mimicking behaviors that go beyond simple biology. If it’s trying to connect, that suggests some level of cognitive processing—possibly even intelligence.”

Lang’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “If that’s true, then the possibilities are staggering. We could be dealing with something far more advanced than we initially thought. Mimicking our physiology and behaviors—it’s almost as if it’s trying to communicate with us on our terms.”

Felix cut in, his tone cautious. “But we don’t know what its real motivations are. Mimicking doesn’t necessarily mean understanding. It could be imitating what it sees without comprehending any of it.”

“Maybe,” Lillian conceded. “But the way it responded, the way it watched me—it didn’t feel mindless. It was trying to engage, even if it doesn’t fully understand yet. The mimicry—the breathing, the smile—it’s like it’s looking for a way to communicate. We just don’t know what it’s trying to say.”

Martha nodded, her expression serious. “That’s why we need to proceed with caution. We can’t push it or force it to respond faster than it’s ready. If it’s truly sapient, then we have to consider the ethical implications of how we’re interacting with it.

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