“At the end of the twenty-second century, scientists resurrected the predator species. I’m referring to the Jurassic Period ancestors of the various land, air, and sea predators we live with today. Humans, especially in the area formerly known as America, had not developed survival strategies to cope with new threats. Look at these examples.” Professor GHY690 pointed at the light screen in front of the classroom, scanning the faces of the students to make sure all eyes were uniformly focused.
TIG457 raised its hand. “I read humans actually tried to make themselves stand out from the pack. Can you believe it?”
“Death wish!” snorted JKZ764, who looked exactly like TIG457 except for the large label attached to the front of its robe.
The Professor nodded. “Some cultures were used to thinking collectively, for example, some cultures from the former Southeast Asian countries. That cultural characteristic made them more adaptable when the predators emerged. Early Americans, in contrast, were used to thinking of themselves as the top of the food chain. When the predators came, they didn’t fare so well.”
“Did you read that part about branking?” JKZ764 said.
“I think you mean branding,” TIG457 laughed. “Professor, what is branding? I didn’t understand it. It’s almost like they wanted to stand out! That can’t be true, can it?”
“Branding was a cultural phenomenon applied to people and organizations at the time. Yes, it is hard to understand now, but people actually intentionally cultivated a ‘personal brand’ as a way of differentiating themselves from their competition.”
“What happened to them?”
“The predators seem to prefer the prey on the fringes of the herd. When all members of the species look the same, individual members can evade detection. Over the generations, the humans who stood out were picked off by the predators. You recall the Theory of Evolution from our previous lesson. We are the ones who survived, and we continue to survive by conforming.”
“I read they used to wear all different things and wear their hair different from each other!” said KLL520 from the back row. “And they had more than one . . . you know what.”
“Gender?” the Professor said. The students flinched in their seats. “Yes, you are correct. Prior to gene editing, there was wide variation in human DNA. In fact, that variation used to be a competitive advantage, until the predators were resurrected in the Grand Mistake. Fortunately those same scientists who brought back the predators were able to revise human DNA so that all members now look exactly the same.”
“Hardly makes up for their error,” muttered VCK635.
The students sitting nearby pounded the tables.
“What?” VCK635 said. “Life must have been fun back then. They had sex.”
VCK635’s classmates rose up with a collective roar and took turns punching VCK635 in an orderly fashion until it lay curled up on the floor under the desk, bleeding from the nose and ears.
“Self-expression,” the Professor said. “Still the surest way to die.”