On The Origin of Xe

X and Y Chromosomes

Chapter Seven

Andre and Xe had become quite good friends with Elizabeth and her partner Montgomery. Over the course of the last few weeks, they had started spending more and more time together. Discussing all kinds of things related to their lives on Goldilocks-P3. With the exception, of course, of Xe's relationship to Xeron and the research she and Andre were doing on inter-universe space travel. That was something that Xe and Andre felt the rest of the team were not quite ready for yet.

Andre and Elizabeth were the two humans of the friendship. They were spending much of their time preparing for a highly significant event that was scheduled to take place soon. Andre and Elizabeth were not the only ones, though, that appeared to be spending time together. The rest of the humans seemed to be engaged in similar activities. As a matter of fact, this was all not just some random act of mutual attraction. This was all part of a prearranged plan. A plan that they were all about to set in motion within the coming weeks.

Plan probably sounds a bit too harsh. It kind of makes it sound as if all the humans were programmed to preassemble at a specific time, in a specific place, and pair off. Pair off for what reason? For the satisfaction of meeting some expectation of a prearranged experiment? That was not the case. The thought that went into this plan was not just for temporary or experimental purposes. It was a plan to ensure the very essence of the mission. The survival of the human species. It was actually hatched long ago. Long before the actual journey to the Goldilocks system began.

Part and parcel of the goal to extend human speciation beyond planet Earth, included ensuring reproduction. Once colonization of Goldilocks-P3 had begun, it was essential that the initial five humans, to put it bluntly, multiply. Again, somewhat of a harsh word. In effect, it was to multiply according to all of the laws of nature that had been understood to date. That meant, employing a strategy of kick-starting evolution. Utilizing the method of natural selection that was described by Darwin. The key idea of which is differential survival through replication. But not just replication of the same thing over and over again. There has to be a replication with errors. Only with error do you have the possibility of introducing change. And with change, comes selection for survival of the fittest. Which, in turn, leads to evolution.

So, yes, there was planning involved for how all of this was going to occur. It was absolutely necessary. Because of certain limitations created by the complex act of getting to Goldilocks-P3, there needed to be a road map. Planning for the moment when Darwinian evolution and natural selection could restart. For the second time. It was with this in mind that, prior to the actual mission, scientists began to try and better understand the process of replicating the human species in a foreign environment. Foreign enough to be called Goldilocks-P3.

In a sense, the research centered on the nature versus nurture debate. The idea that one or the other is more important in determining aspects of human behavior. Nature is what is considered to be human pre-wiring. Influenced by genetics and other biological mechanisms. Nurture is what is considered to be the influence provided by external factors. Such as the environment, exposure, life experiences, and learning. Things that occur long after the moment of conception. Interestingly enough, the debate turned out to not be a debate at all. It was decided by the team early on that both contribute equally in influencing aspects of human behavior. Such as personality, cognitive traits, and temperament. Which of the two was most important? It did not matter. The only thing important was to make sure that both nature and nurture were well accounted for in the plan.

The nature side of things was thought at first to be pretty well taken care of. Bring a male human together with another female human, provide for a set of conditions for them to conceive, and before you know it, nature will take care of itself. Pretty simple. Well, not that simple. Turns out there is one slightly important event to consider. The moment of conception itself.