People of the Alliance go to the deadliest country on the planet Earth, Australia, and meet the happiest animal on the continent. The quokka.
https://bestlifeonline.com/quokka/ -- Lessons
This was odd for a Havenworlder tour of a Deathworld. They expected to visit the safer areas of Earth and thereby toughen up their genes via epigenetics. They were understandably alarmed to learn that they were visiting Australia. The one part of Earth that was almost at level five[1]. After the ensuing panic died down, they learned that they were visiting a small island off the coast of Australia with the 'charming' Deathworlder name of Rottnest.
Learning that the name translated into "Rat's Nest" didn't improve anything. It conjured images of nightmare. Rodents of unusual size, ready to devour them whole. The dreaded egg eaters run amok over an entire land mass. The reality was extremely far from the truth.
The 'rats' on Rottnest were marsupials the size of cats, and they looked like a cheerful teddy bear had come to life. They were calm, tame, and knew how to smile for the cameras. They would literally eat out of any cogniscents' hands[2].
Phraiyil Kehn crouched stock still as the rather small marsupial nibbled special kibble from his palm. At the whirr of his camera shutter, the quokka stood straighter and opened their mouth in a definite smile.
Then, miracle upon miracles, the impossibly small joey poked their head out to do the same.
Is it possible to die of adorable? Kehn wondered, If so, I must be close. Kehn cooed, took pictures and video, and then rewarded the creatures with the higher quality quokka treats.
One of the local tour guides found him repeating the process. Ze laughed at the spectacle. "I see Mama Sunshine is running her usual scam."
"Scam?" said Kehn.
"Smile and pose for the camera, get the tastier treats." Guide Kiv verbally imitated a camera whirr and Mama Sunshine responded appropriately.
Evidently, she had taught her joey the same trick.
"They're one-trick ponies, but that one trick works damn well." Kiv gave Mama Sunshine the gold-star treats. "Nobody is immune to cute."
[1] The X-world classification system is based on the number of factors either amenable or hostile to life. These are: flora, fauna, microbiota, geography, weather, and stellar system. The more numbers a planet has, the more intense the world.
[2] Do not try this in the present day. It's illegal to touch quokkas because they are not prepared for our diseases. Yet. This is my future and in that future you can definitely pet them.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / bennymarty]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [52 remaining prompts!]