No mind is certain of the purpose this exhibit fulfilled. Our best analysis shows it to be a fusion of organic materials from both the sessile and motile sets, part shaped biologically and part industrially. The device lacks obvious outputs.
Since all trace of the planet’s dominant life form has vanished, we are forced to conjecture about many of the excavated artefacts. Most authorities believe this was a mechanism for food production though some hold that it was involved in social bonding rituals.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
I often wonder what aliens would think if they happened to come to Earth! 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Jennifer
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I’d be interested to know what the aliens make of many of our ‘priceless’ artefacts. Loved the flow.
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Thanks so much, Sandra
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Interesting. I always wonder how much conjecture the historians apply to archelogical excavations Are theri assumptions correct? Nice story.
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That’s exactly the question I wanted to pose. Thanks, James
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In it’s present state, I venture to guess it is a little bit of both…
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You may have a useful working hypothesis there. I’ll suggest it to the aliens
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Dear Neil,
How would you explain a piano to an alien? Especially one in that condition. Love the descriptions. Welcome back.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks so much, Rochelle. It’s good to be back
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A conundrum indeed. My first thought when I saw the image was visual impairment. My second was that this image sums up the content of any piano tuner’s nightmare. Being alien-averse, I am with James regarding the fact that it will be historians examining these strange artefacts in the distant future.
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It’s against the law to be alien averse
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You can see why they were confused!
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Even the earthlings never quite understood
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Wait til they get a load of the Mexican crucifix! Good stuff.
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Thanks so much, Josh
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Social bonding rituals. Love it. Here Comes the Bride 🙂
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Thanks so much, Linda
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Aliens simply don’t appreciate things of beauty. It is after all a magnificent plant pot
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Their concept of beauty is spikier and has five more dimensions
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Ah, very clever take on the photo prompt! Loved it.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks so much, Susan
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This reads like a review of an installation art exhibit.
Very clever, Neil.
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Perhaps all installation art comes from a galaxy far far away
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Food production indeed… I enjoyed the tone.
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Thanks so much
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Social bonding skills sounds like a good guess.
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If only they knew
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Haha, I love this. The scientific tone feels really authentic, which makes it definitely funnier to me than if you’d overdone it and made it obviously sillier.
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Thanks so much. I’m glad the tone worked for you
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Clever and elegant writing, as always, Neil. It’s good to have you back; I’ve missed your stylish contributions.
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Thanks so much Penny. It’s good to be back, though I miss the island still
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How strange we must look to alien eyes.
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Or even to those humans who will come after us
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Cleverly done!!! This was fun!
And … yeah to the bonding rituals facilitation. I’d say they go THAT right … 😉
Na’ama
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Thanks so much. Those aliens know a thing or two
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🙂
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Sometimes I wonder on the elaborate theories of our own artifacts… maybe it’s just wild guessing, but for this the social bonding is closest to the truth
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Though not very close
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How very perceptive, I suppose aliens would have no idea what to make of such an object, seems alien in itself to me, a piano with a flower bed, but oddly pleasing too, every home should probably have one!
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Thanks so much
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Certainly makes you think!
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Thanks, Dawn
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Brilliant story!
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Thanks so much
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We make conjecture of earlier civilisations. Some are true others are imagined. Color of our thinking paints lives of people that existed before. Nice observation.
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Thanks so much, Abhijit
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I love the very detailed and descriptive observations of this item. One can only wonder how we would analyse such a thing…
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Or, indeed, how we already have. We’re digging up artefacts from ancient civilisations all the time
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This is true!
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Do remind me to keep a dictionary handy the next time I start reading your stories Neil, hadn’t come across sessile and motile before 🙂 But on a more serious note (Ha Ha), a hugely interesting take. Something like this would confuse the hell out of even earthlings, so one cannot even imagine what trauma the poor aliens would be going through, trying to decipher it.
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Thanks so much, Anurag. My expiation for the wordiness. The only defence is that I was trying to render an alien consciousness.
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I meant it as a compliment Neil 🙂
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Rich satire of the scientific journal writing style, second only to legalese in it dryness and precision. The humor is dry, too. 😊
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Thanks, Andy. I’m glad you saw the humour
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I smiled at this, yes it could for food production or even be used for a mating symbol . Lovely
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Social bonding indeed. Love a look into the future thoughts of our current items. So inventive! haha Wonder what they would have made of the internet?
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That’s an interesting thought. What might they find that would be indicative of the internet’s existence?
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It has fascinated me. How would it be explained if an old phone was found with power left in the battery
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If nobody answered when they pressed the buttons, they might not figure out what a phone was
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Hmmm this is true
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But where did we go? Great take!
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Perhaps we all vanished into another dimension? Or perhaps we became the creatures who much much later returned?
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I shudder thinking what if it actually happens some day and no one knows what kind of life we lived
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It’s certain that one day we will vanish
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Really informative. I thought it was an old piano.
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Nope, a social bonding device
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Your two possible conclusions are hilarious. Thanks for leaving me a like. 😀
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Thanks so much. Oneta
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Reminds me of the saying about assuming things… Nicely done.
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Thanks so much, Jo
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I love your take. I write sci-fi, and I have a lot of fun imagining how aliens would interpret our society or react to our cultures and traditions.
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Thanks so much
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Exactly. Makes us wonder our current best guesses on ancient sites.
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That was my idea
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Makes me wonder how far out some speculation about historical artifacts is! Wonderful language and voice – spot on Neil
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Thanks so much, Lynn
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My pleasure Neil.
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Our future awaits. Nice job
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Thanks, Shirley
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I’m assuming this could have been labeled Post-Modern Modern Art. Gather around and wonder.
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I’m not sure these aliens have a concept of art as such, distinct from cosmology
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The scientific tone of this piece sounds authentic.
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Thanks, Magarisa
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Food, social bonding – they sure did a lot of guessing there. A great idea and the voice works perfectly to tell it.
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Thanks so much, Margaret
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Ha! Ha! Loved the dry wit in this.
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Thanks so much
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A fascinating tale, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Esha
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Hehehe. Yes, archeologists, from whichever planet, have a tough job. The danger to interject one’s own known culture and behaviour into unknown artefacts is always there. Great story.
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Thanks so much
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I often wonder about our knowledge of previous civilizations… I mean, there has to be some wrong interpretations in our history books somewhere!
Great story!
-Rachel
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I think so too
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Welcome back, Neil! Have you been MIA lately? I often wonder about what future civilisations will think of our generation when they dig our artifacts up.
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Thanks, Fatima. Yes, I did a two week trip to research a novel
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I love the questioning tone of this.
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Thanks so much, Lisa
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