The first of six pure fractals made in Apophysis 2.09
“We should have known humanity was not worth having set foot on our planet when we discovered how many of your cultures were in such rank, ridiculous self-worship that you would engrave your images on metals and then later print it on the same material you might use to wipe the filth coming from your body, and then force everyone to use your images in order to buy and sell!”
Acting Ambassador Benjamin Banneker-Jackson quietly absorbed the anger of the Sumusidihar about how humanity had been banished from their homeworld planet for a final act of blasphemy. The people of Mierrorwoh, or, the Mirrored One as it parsed out in English, were having absolutely no nonsense, and had vaporized all human assets on the planet as well.
Certain human commercial interests were yelling about needing compensation for their losses, and the Sumusidihar were shouting defiance back as only those of strong faith can: “Your best weapon is light – a photon bath into eternity to be with Lord Mierrorwoh forever cannot frighten us, or make us do your will!”
The human-led consortium of planets decided to send Admiral Banneker-Jackson – an admiral, so that everyone knew it was serious – but also a human of strong faith who could relate with the Sumusidihar on that level. They had looked him up thoroughly before permitting him to come to speak with their embassy team, and he knew they were watching how he was going to react to see if he revered his divine Lord as seriously as they revered Lord Mierrorwoh.
The admiral and acting ambassador passed the test, showing the humility and honesty he was commanded to show.
“I cannot deny that is a part of humanity past as standard practice,” he said, “and humanity present in some of its settlements in the galaxy has reverted to that. We of course in the consortium would not all have ways to know how our idea of money is a blasphemy on its face, but I understand your outrage because the image being perceived as the source of the means of life means the person imaged is indeed standing in the place of a god, and historically, that was indeed what was meant by the implication.”
“Even on weak flimsy paper!”
“Cash folds – it was convenient blasphemy, I suppose,” the admiral ambassador said.
Ambassador Dihrasu considered that, and then raised a hand to still the younger members of the team.
“Then not everyone could have considered it so deeply,” he said. “Not all of humanity engaged in this, then.”
“No, Ambassador Dihrasu. Most people were just trying to survive, and never thought about bowing down to whoever was on the cash in those days.”
“That is still not right, but it is understandable,” he said. “Why did you change?”
“Digital forms of money became more efficient, and then fiat currencies collapsed and gave way to the blockchain, and on from there into periods where, after great world conflicts, barter returned, and blockchain was restored from remaining nodes.”
“So, it never was a majority of you performing acts of worship with the money?”
“No, at least not intentionally.”
The admiral ambassador took the opening.
“Your civilizations are as old as ours, though – how have your people avoided this problem?”
Ambassador Dihrasu considered the question for a long moment.
“We have never even known of the problem before encountering humanity – all means of proper exchange are given us by Lord Mierrorwoh, who made us a weaver that comes into the homes of small and great...
“... and makes for us much fine woven stuff, most often of this kind ...”
“... and with care and feeding can produce many different colors that we can layer together...
“We exchange some collective weavings with each other out of hand, but also the weaver tends to growing what you would call fungus on its original weaving, and that fungus condenses for us what is always needed in a planet so rich with fresh water: salts. The weaver will make several full webs in its lifetime and will leave what it has overfilled to start again, so we take the older webs and wrap them with their salt deposits to give to our neighbors for exchange for goods.”
Ambassador Dihrasu showed such a web to Acting Ambassador Banneker-Jackscon, who smiled.
“It is practically what we call a cornucopia – a horn of plenty,” he said.
“That would fit, for each of these salts has a purpose for so many things,” Ambassador Dihrasu said. “We trade with each other and give thanks to Lord Mierrorwoh for providing for our every need, for every good gift is a reflection of His glory.”
“It is said where I am from,” the admiral ambassador said, that 'every good and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, in Whom there is no shadow of turning.'”
Ambassador Dihrasu jumped slightly.
“It is also said that 'the spider holds on with her hands, and is in king's palaces,'” the admiral ambassador said. “I suppose if you know all that, using fiat money and looking at some mortal on it to get the things that you need makes no sense.”
“Absolutely not!” Ambassador Dihrasu said. “We were so stunned at the wickedness – paper backed by nothing – no salts, no metals, no actual store of value – and deciding who was going to eat, have housing, be able to move around, go to school, and get healthcare – even to live! – based on how much of that paper they had!”
“Those were dark, dark times in human history, Ambassador Dihrasu, and human nature being what it is, I must confess some of us are still of that mind. But some of us are truly in repentance.”
“Not enough of you for you humans to ever not be a risk,” Ambassador Dihrasu said, “but … in the mercies of Lord Mierrorwoh, some risks are worth taking. I will present our discussions today for the reconsideration of the ruling counsels. Not all of humanity seems lost to all good, and in all good things, a good partner is never to be refused. There are salts wrapped in the bundle of trade that we cannot always use at the time, but every good gift comes to be good in its time. So too, perhaps, this interruption of interacting with humanity – if we choose to resume, we will know better who we might have here among us. You have represented humanity well, Ambassador Banneker-Jackson; your people are not yet to be given up on.”
*It took me a long time to wrap my mind around this theme, but when I figured out how I wanted to approach it, I went back into Apophysis 2.09" and began working out what kinds of fractals I was going to use to represent a way aliens could represent exchange that was out of this world -- I needed something like a spider and a web, thinking about how on Earth, spider silk could be a thing if it wasn't so hard to get, and then I needed to show the webs sort of being put together in a more advanced form -- like a quilt. The horns of plenty came along a little later as the perfect "wrap up," and their appearance made me think of fungus and the many different colors of metal salts. Then I went and wrote the rest up!
