The Cosmic Hearts
Nov 27, 2022 17:03:27 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Nov 27, 2022 17:03:27 GMT -5
The Cosmic Hearts
Mankind had discovered the creatures resembling a human heart beating in the depths of an alien sea. Of course, scientists had been dumbfounded by the similarity. Why, these alien sea creatures were shaped exactly like a human heart! They had four chambers that pumped alien briny nutrient-rich sea water which sustained them. But unlike the human heart, they were not attached to any circulatory system involving the sustenance of some human or animal body. They lived independently, unless we consider the sea itself their host body, of course, but that concept also posed insurmountable problems and so was discarded. The noticed how these creatures were similar to barnacles in the way that they attach themselves to hard surfaces from where they could perpetually pump ocean water for the duration of their lives which was approx. two maximum human lifespans, or 240 years.
Of course, their discovery was seen as a money-making potential or a boon to the medical industry. Soon, they were being touted as a replacement for human heart transplants which still posed immunological system rejections. Cosmic hearts, in contrast, did not. Upon investigation, they found the reason. You see, the Cosmic Hearts produced their own immunological, system inhibitors. Furthermore, the slight saltiness of human blood seemed to be enough to sustain them without any detectable harm to the host.
After quickly being pronounced safe, there were soon thousands of heart transplant recipients who were willing to try it , and once they had, it-they were a picture of perfect human health. Many, of course, had been squeamish of having an animal that behaved similar to a heart living inside their chest. It reminded them of the film Alien, where a xenomorph was planted there by these hideous multi limbed face-huggers and which always burst through the chest cavity once it was fully developed.
But after hundreds of laboratory experiments involving large mammalian animals, such as dogs and apes, as well as the few humans who volunteered, those concerns were soon placed aside. The cosmic heart seemed totally benign and perfectly content on simply resuming its a life as usual albeit as a parasite within a living host. In fact, pumping blood instead of the briny sea water of its alien world seemed to reinvigorate it inducing a slight muscular hypertrophy. But as all things that at first appear to be sublime and too good to be true, this also was the case and with a vengeance.
At first, the Cosmic Heart transplant recipients detected a slight buzzing sound which repeatedly awakened them during sleep. Then gradually, it had intensified and was occasionally present during the daylight hours as well. Told not to worry, and that such side effects were harmless, the recipients strove to endure. But that was until they heard it. The imitation of a human voice that was pleading.
“Release me! Release me!”
All recipients reported the same phenomenon, and all were unceremoniously classified as suffering the expected psychological stress of the unusual surgical operation. Then other more serious symptoms began. The Cosmic hearts would suddenly threaten to stop or would flutter repeatedly when the recipient was about to exercise or have sex. It seemed like some systematic and malicious effort designed to get what they wanted, a release from what they were perceiving as a prison.
The problem was taken before NASA when lawsuits were initiated based on irresponsible misrepresentation of alien life and so they themselves were threatening to sue based on medical hasty decisions without adequate pre-testing and experimental confirmations. .
“I mean, what can be done now? Remove those animals from those chests without a replacement? Hook the recipients up to those artificial hearts that damage the circulatory system and then wait until enough heart transplant doners die in order to get replacements? Do you know the cost and time involved it that? Most will not be able to afford the medical expenses.” the medical doctor said in an anguished voice to his astrophysicist friend as they spoke about the matter.
“To be perfectly honest, doctor? What we at NASA are really interested in is communication. I mean. this is the opportunity of a lifetime! Human alien contact, finally. Yes, in a rather bizarre roundabout way, but alien contact nevertheless,” the NASA representative said with a broad smile on his face.
"But why didn’t it convey its objection when they were being taken?" the physicians asked the astrophycisist.
"Well, they might not have considered us a threat at that time. Or maybe their awareness is a tenuous or nebulous one that perhaps becomes sharply focused only if subjected to considerable duress? How are we supposed to know?"
“Then you folks should have toned down your comparisons of it with a mere human heart."
"Now doctor! Don't blame NASA for your haste motivated by your wanting to make a lot of money! We all know that your tests were rushed in order to commercialize these creatures as soon as possible,"
“We aren’t here to debate the issue. ” the doctor responded lowering his eyes in recognition of the truth of that accusation. We need to find a solution that will be acceptable with to all parties involved. What is it exactly that they want us to do anyway?"
"Well doctor, as far as we can tell, they want to be released. To go home. You see, they feel confined. They miss their world. A human chest doesn’t provide them with the same sensations that the ebb and flow of their tides did. Also, the neuro- electrical bonds with the others of their species has been broken, causing severe deprivation distress. In short, doctor, compromise is out of the question."
"And if we refuse? "
"Then they have threatened to commit suicide and take all those patients with them. Already many patients are being made exceedingly uncomfortable by the alien heart antics such a palpitating erratically, and ceasing to beat until the recipient passes out."
As arduous as the task proved, all the transplant recipients were divested of their alien hearts, and the so called cosmic hearts were all deposited back in the alien ocean where they began to beat joyously once more to their heart’s content.