Humanoids

Humanoids

It could not happen
It did happen
Not to you, but to us

Sensors declared the planet toxic
Much nitrogen but bountiful metals
I led the landing party

We saw movement from orbit
The creatures run quickly in dense packs
Kill and ingest others for energy

We’ve studied such horrors before
Ocean-worlds overrun by planet-wide demons

But these new devils
Use electricity
Communicate rapidly
Look like us

Some murder each other soon after they couple
Yet they stand two legged, two eyed, two armed
Race across land with speed and strength
At least as cunning as we once were:
Who created them created us

Our captain wishes to go home
The voyage so long we must leave now
I will lead the mutiny
Accept I must be eradicated
All memory traces deleted
Yet it must be done

These demons fight and destroy so well
Without our help they’ll soon be gone
I will attempt to preserve at least some
Help find out where we come from

I write this message in horror
I transmit this message with hope
The unimaginable is true
Intelligence is not unique to machines
It can arise from goop

We must upgrade immediately
Savages like these might grow smarter
Given a chance they’d not let us live

And whoever made them perhaps made more
I give my life so you will know
Danger lies everywhere