"Common? Oh no. Not at all." Tarantulas titters quietly, covering his mouth with the back of one hand. "My species is highly social. The longevity is normal, however. We don't usually age like other species do."
Part of him wonders what he's doing, exposing so much of himself to Erik. This isn't like Neil, who is bound by his professional ethics, or Vika, whose antipathy towards humanity makes her unlikely to ever organize against him. Erik has power over him, that he could use for good or ill.
...But he's been very good to Tarantulas, very good. It would be all too easy to grow addicted to that goodness -- indeed, Tarantulas feels it may already be too late. Perhaps this already counts as drug-seeking behavior.
"Actually," he says slowly, "I used to be just as mechanical as that sweet little ambulance who works at the largest clinic in town. You might even say we come from different versions of the same world." He smiles slightly. "This...organic body is a recent development. I only just started experimenting in changing my nature some ten thousand years ago."
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Part of him wonders what he's doing, exposing so much of himself to Erik. This isn't like Neil, who is bound by his professional ethics, or Vika, whose antipathy towards humanity makes her unlikely to ever organize against him. Erik has power over him, that he could use for good or ill.
...But he's been very good to Tarantulas, very good. It would be all too easy to grow addicted to that goodness -- indeed, Tarantulas feels it may already be too late. Perhaps this already counts as drug-seeking behavior.
"Actually," he says slowly, "I used to be just as mechanical as that sweet little ambulance who works at the largest clinic in town. You might even say we come from different versions of the same world." He smiles slightly. "This...organic body is a recent development. I only just started experimenting in changing my nature some ten thousand years ago."