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Kultha mulls the moral dilemma, then adds her thoughts;
"Ach. Quite the konundrum indeed Komrades... Doktor Motressi says that Big Mina is nyet indigenous, so ve must factor this too. Kannot be natural order on vurld if not natural... but also ve must be mindful of innocent life-form."
The vesk-tek runs her claws over her spiked crest as she considers options;
"Vhat if like gardiner who prune veed, ve stunt growth of Big Mina? Keep in check, nyet let it grow any bigger? Blok off from planet and only feed small amount. Vaste or some such. Possible or no?"
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Lar nods at the vesks logic. "Yes, if Big Mina can not be routinly pruned, perhaps she can be artificially fed? Have some commercial machine create matter for it to consume? However, if we did that, or even just left it alone, and it destroyed this world at some time in the future, would it not then move to yet another planet to consume?"
Lar's head cocks from one side to the other, with his facial LED's changing colors, as he ponders the moral implications
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The universe is a harsh and mostly empty and meaningless void. But that doesn't mean we always need to make it harsher. The gnome says, agreeing with DICEBOT. And its not just on it. Even down here those shrimp-crabs have grown to depend on this creature.
Plus you said it took 'Big Mina' millions of years to get this big, and even at an accelerated rate would take thousands more years for it to get planet-destroying large, right? Maybe by then those sloths could have evolved enough to figure out how to adapt. Or someone in the Pact Worlds or Near Space could develop a method to send Big Mina back into space towards an uninhabited planet!
"would it not then move to yet another planet to consume?"
"That is a good point. We know virtually nothing about the life cycle of this creature. Its species might get even bigger. Or it might depart when it reaches a certain size. We'll all probably be long gone by the time that answer could be known."
The crest-eaters and stonegulls seemed to have no trouble adapting to this lifeform.
Mora nods.
“Multiple species have adapted to life on Big Mina. The shell-covered birds, these cleaner parasites, even the introduced crest-eaters. The most specialized would likely die off, losing their 'primary habitat', as it were. Others might survive by migrating to a different part of the planet, like the birds we saw on the Northern continent.”
Plus you said it took 'Big Mina' millions of years to get this big, and even at an accelerated rate would take thousands more years for it to get planet-destroying large, right? Maybe by then those sloths could have evolved enough to figure out how to adapt.
“Im afraid not. It could take tens of thousands of years for them just to develop a language or agriculture, much less combat a global threat. Mina will have consumed enough of the planet by then to likely threaten their Societal development.”
"If we have hundreds or thousands of years we can get the society and others to study the problem and, i'm sure, come up with a much better choice than our initial ones!"
Mora seems a little let down.
“Oh. Of course. I was just hoping. Maybe with your expertise. But I'm sure Fitch can find another team of Starfinders. You're right. We probably have millennia.”
”And who’s to say this... crystal can’t actually communicate?”
“I wish we could. Based on what I’m reading, it’s not intelligent as we understand the term. It’s basically an animal. It can likely feel pain, but it doesn’t have a language.”
"Vhat if like gardiner who prune veed, ve stunt growth of Big Mina? Keep in check, nyet let it grow any bigger? Blok off from planet and only feed small amount. Vaste or some such. Possible or no?"
“I’m not sure...”
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"Hmm. Pruning Big Mina might be a 'win win' for all involved. Big Mina gets to continue it's existence, and the inhabitants of this world, as well as others, get to continue their existence without fear of destruction at some point in the future. Pruning Mina, by causing enough physical damage to it, would prevent it from continuing to grow." Lar looks to the other Starfinders before adding, "This is where my vote is cast."
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"Unless you're feeling confident in your ability to repair a novel life form, damaging this creature is irreversible," Vyecmuraf snaps. "We're not talking out it overtaking the planet next week, for crying out loud! This is geological time. Which means there is plenty of time to get more scientists here and figure out what's actually going on. And if they decide after a decade or two that stunting its growth is the best course of action, I doubt the loss of the few more centimeters of planet it's overtaken in that time will prove fatal to the species here."
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Look, this is way over my head say the gnome, oblivious to the pun. But we already killed one 'last of its kind' yesterday, and that was just of a line. This is a whole new creature, who as best we know can't be moved. Those sloth-things can if it comes to it; it's intervention-y but so is crippling Mina here.
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After recording as much data as you can for a full report you are able to safely return to the surface , where you can take your vehicles back to the research station. Little Mina, who overheard much of the conversation between you and her mother, hops up and hugs you for leaving her a “Big Sister.”
Dr. Motressi thanks you for all you have done and expresses sympathy for the difficult decision you were confronted with. She reveals that she and the other researchers have already begun plans to save as many of Vabaimus’s native species as possible if the final decision ends up being to leave Big Mina alone. “Including this little guy,” she says, petting Bud as he clings to her chest. “His entire troupe, if we can. We’ll find a new home for them, somewhere without a giant rock-eating alien,” she winks.
After a celebratory going-away meal Dr. Motressi and Little Mina bid you goodbye, and you can return to Absalom Station unabated. After days you are contacted by Fitch, who asks you for a report. Fitch is startled by the revelation that a massive geological feature turned out to be a single living creature. “I didn’t think this was going to be a first contact mission when I asked you to take it,” Fitch admits. “It sounds like you all did the best you could in a really difficult situation. The Wayfinders will back you up on this, don’t worry. And thank you. I knew I sent the right team, and I promise you'll be on the next ship sent to discover alien life-forms... hopefully smaller ones we can talk to!"