Interlude I

Entity CA10-EFB7-9CCA-BA33 studied the data-flow streaming through its consciousness and weighed factors as it studied the wide aperture visual signal being displayed by the dominant specie's own orbital satellites, primitive as they were. The entity had caught the rampant ecological damage on the host planet just barely in time. It had reported the near catastrophe to its supervisory node before proceeding with its primary directives.

The creation of a tailored nano-virus targeting the destructive traits of the primary species had taken longer to create and spread across the population than models had suggested. It had allowed the species to get close to the planetary self-immolation and decline that was contrary to the entity's primary directives. As the globe moved toward a new equilibrium point, the entity would need to review those models to understand what caused the deviation. It was possible the species' burgeoning understanding of biological mechanism had contributed to slowing the spread of the tailored virus. It was probable a micro-jump away from the system would be required for it to dip into an earlier data stream for analysis.

Entity CA10-EFB7-9CCA-BA33 watched a cyclonic storm on the globe below and then switched into temporal-cognitive mode.

The dominant species had been culled by over 99%, slowing the de-speciation of the overall biome. This should allow the richer ecosystem to recover prior to the re-emergence of the primary species. Additionally, the secondary and tertiary species of interest should resume development with the decreased encroachment of their habitats by the dominant species. Initial probability indices were a strong recovery and maturation in all three species.

The nano-virus had culled many of the unfavorable traits from the primary species. While aggression could not be removed with the species surviving, it had been focused on those individuals with a strongest affinity to stable growth and protection. As always, such a delicate balancing of physical and psychological triggers with a nano-virus would give both significant misses in culling, and many false-positives as part of the triggering. Initial data scans indicated a slight over-culling with various populations approaching 99.97% cull rates and a skewing of sexual balances from the near 50-50 ratio of male and female. While within the variance allowed, collection of specimens would aid in refining the tailoring models and protocols. Collection of such samples would need to be delayed many system cycles to ensure species viability. Initial probability indices were for sampling in no less than sixty-four system orbits of the primary biosphere.

The dominant species would most likely (98.5% probability) lose its technology base and revert to a hunter-gatherer society. When they next rose to a significant population base, they would not have the easy reliance on accessible mineral deposits to fuel growth. This planetary limit would force them to break new ground in understanding biological and theoretical physics to gain extra-planetary growth. This was the goal of the primary directives. Initial probability indices were marginal (17%), but within acceptable tolerances.

The primary species should survive and may contribute to the battle against the great enemy, but not until much further along the time continuum. Entity CA10-EFB7-9CCA-BA33 had performed its job to ensure that probability had been maximized on this system.

Thanks to my editors, Slippery Saddle Bum, JIM7 and BW. Any errors remaining are entirely my own fault.