They promote the idea that all intelligent beings—intelligent by their narrow definition—are all the same within and will behave the same if exposed to the same environment. They fear to admit that there are varied characteristics that define each race and species. If they still have not managed to erase great differences within their own species, how can they believe they can achieve it with nonhumans? And yet they will labor on under the willingly shared lie that all beings will be reasonable and behave like humans if they are treated like humans. Logic and history tells us we will behave like isenj, or like wess’har, or like ussissi. We all behave as we are. SIYYAS BUR, matriarch historian Okurt wasn’t unlikable. He wasn’t as quietly impressive as the Royal Marines from Thetis, but neither was he the sarcastic buffoon that he seemed to have created as a defensive shell. Eddie thought the current situation was a lot to ask of a man who had never been properly trained for alien contact.
