Stranded alien offers gender re-assignment technology in return for fuel and food. Afterwards people can father or bear a child. What happens next? -- Knitnan
Communicating had been the first hurdle. Bella had managed most of it with pantomime and imitation. The second hurdle was that Earth technology was centuries behind what this stranded entity had on hand. Most of their months together were spent building the tools to build the things that Yrxnahb needed to repair their vessel.
Bella tried to take notes, but most of it was beyond her comprehension. Yrxnahb didn't try to teach her, either. There were laws against leaving potentially dangerous technology in the hands of warlike primitives. No offense meant. Bella didn't take any offense at all and threw what there was of her notes into a fire while Yrxnahb watched.
"I get it," she said, "my species is just not ready for this stuff. We'd just go out and kill everything and think it's our manifest destiny or whatever." Bella had read enough of human history for Yrxnahb. They understood too well that humanity were a warlike race with too much hate, yet, to interact peacefully with other stellar cultures.
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