14 Nov Totem: Tip of the Iceberg

April 2000

After Mexico, we shipped one of the Totem structures back to the Lab. Once it arrived, we propped it up in the warehouse and Trish began doing tests.

First was the Thermal scan.

The warmest part of the structure was the cleft and forehead. The heat signature had shown possible internal structures; narrow shafts or tubes running down to the cleft.

We also discovered plumes of spores coming from the openings. Trish took samples of this and the Totem’s exoskeleton back to her laboratory for testing. Later that day she gave me a report:

“Its very much like our Totem” Trish said. “Essentially the body is a fusion of a polycrystalline solid and a biological mushroom. In essence, it lives as a plant but grows like a crystal.”

“What about the cleft and the spores?” I asked, “I don’t recall our Totem ever doing that? Is that how it reproduces?”

“Well, it’s not spores as I originally thought. The compound cannot germinate or grow. Instead, it’s a ‘secondary metabolite’… a psychotropic substance broadcast into the environment via the cleft.”

“What is a ‘secondary metabolite’?” I asked.

“Primary metabolites are compounds meant for the basic functioning of an organism itself. Secondary metabolites are usually used for defence, like a natural pesticide or herbicide.”

“So this Totem is trying to protect itself?”, I said worryingly.

“No, in this case, quite the opposite.” Trish said, “The compound is very complex… as far as I can tell, it’s meant to bind to opiate receptors in humans specifically. So, not meant to harm, rather enhance neural functioning.”

“Wow… an opiate for the masses… but why? Is it something to do with evolution?” I asked.

“Science considers evolution to be an unguided process… questions of ‘why’ are philosophical…. it implies conscious decision making, which alludes to design which I cannot speak for.“ Trish said.

“Well, the cleft and its function seem to be designed and have purpose… emitting a compound specific to humans… I’d say you have uncovered something significant here.” I said.

“Yes, I agree. Interestingly, humans have been eating psychedelic mushrooms for thousands of years, we have been predisposed to their effects which may be why this Totem functions this way. In any case, over millenia, it may have contributed to the expansion of human cognition.”

“Hm… so, primitive tool making?” I asked.

“Exactly, maybe, even the invention of the wheel… who knows. Anyway, whether it was Totem’s, mushrooms or both, something gave us a creative jolt far back in our history, nudging our species forward little by little” Trish said.

“Wow, you’re beginning to blow my mind here.”

“It’s just the tip of the iceberg actually… Its been going on so long that 25 percent of our genes are shared by mushrooms… ”

“Holy shit. So… we are who we are because of Totems?”

“Maybe. There’s plenty of evidence to support that idea.” Trish said.

“Okay, but.. how come our Totem doesn’t emit metabolite?”

“It could be too young, or simply not ready yet.” Trish said.

“So we have a teenager on our hands.”

Trish laughed “Yes, I guess we do”