Звездный десант
Chapter 11
ButIcantellyouwhatsortofaplanetitis.LikeEarth,butretarded.
Literallyretarded,likeakidwhotakestenyearstolearntowavebye-byeandneverdoesmanagetomasterpatty-cake.ItisaplanetasnearlikeEarthastwoplanetscanbe,sameageaccordingtotheplanetologistsanditsstaristhesameageastheSunandthesametype,sosaytheastrophysicists.Ithasplentyoffloraandfauna,thesameatmosphereasEarth,nearenough,andmuchthesameweather;itevenhasagood-sizedmoonandEarth’sexceptionaltides.
Withalltheseadvantagesitbarelygotawayfromthestartinggate.Yousee,it’sshortonmutations;itdoesnotenjoyEarth’shighlevelofnaturalradiation.
Itstypicalandmosthighlydevelopedplantlifeisaveryprimitivegiantfern;itstopanimallifeisaproto-insectwhichhasn’tevendevelopedcolonies.IamnotspeakingoftransplantedTerranfloraandfauna--ourstuffmovesinandbrushesthenativestuffaside.
Withitsevolutionaryprogresshelddownalmosttozerobylackofradiationandaconsequentmostunhealthilylowmutationrate,nativelifeformsonSanctuaryjusthaven’thadadecentchancetoevolveandaren’tfittocompete.Theirgenepatternsremainfixedforarelativelylongtime;theyaren’tadaptable—likebeingforcedtoplaythesamebridgehandoverandoveragain,foreons,withnohopeofgettingabetterone.
