Turtledove
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Brot

The Brot were an alien civilization that first made contact with Earth in the 2020s.[1] They were a non-humanoid species, akin to invertebrates like the slug and the sea cucumber, though with far more limbs than other of those species, and several more eye-stalks. Gender, as humans understand the word, was difficult to apply to the Brot. Humans generally combined pronouns into "he/she/it"[2]

The Brot were substantially more technologically advanced than Earth. While the Brot could easily have conquered Earth, they were much more interested in commerce. After the two species were able to meet the basics of communication, the Brot negotiated a number of contracts with various human business people to manufacture Brot items. The Brot demanded their human partners follow Brot schematics and instructions to the letter. Those humans that did maintained long term lucrative contracts. Those that couldn't follow Brot direction watched as the Brot left deals without warning.[3] While most of the Brot technology was beyond human understanding, humans could make the technology work, and had incorporated some of the simpler technology into daily use.[4] Thus, it would be centuries at least before humans realized that they'd been used as cheap labor to manufacture goods for the Brot.[5]

References[]

  1. Analog: Science Fiction and Fact, Vol. CXXXX1, Nos. 1 & 2, January/February, 2021, pg. 30-31.
  2. Ibid. pg. 34.
  3. Ibid., pgs. 31-32.
  4. Ibid., pgs. 32-34.
  5. Ibid., pg. 39-40.
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