#Some are like 'a crotch hugger ate my brains'

[marvinthemillennialmouse]

Thoughts on Marvin Lore - part 7

An excerpt from ancient historical texts of Mars, specifically with regard to the advancement of medicine.

Fertility parasite--an alien organism that attaches itself to the host to make use of their reproductive system (adding features as needed, using the host's genome to reverse engineer what's missing) and begins replicating. It's a largely consensual process--though it's difficult for the organism to get consent before attaching, as it does not possess the ability to vocalize. Once it's attached, it can tap into the nervous system to read and send signals for communication. If the host is unwilling to participate in reproduction, the organism refrains, absorbs some nutrients, provides a biological service (added immunity to certain illnesses, temporary anti-cancer benefits, balancing the microbiome) and then separates within 30-50 cycles with no harm or inconvenience to the host. However, if it is determined that the host is consenting, reproduction proceeds. It is not at all uncommon for the host to only be consenting on a subconscious level, so they might be embarrassed to suddenly grow a visible tummy, or their physiology to shift in noticeable ways, meanwhile they are unwilling to admit that they're enjoying the process. There are those who enthusiastically consent to the process and even seek out the organisms for a few weeks, or even months, of some exotic fun. It's even possible--though rare--for a select few hosts to develop a strong enough bond with their guest organism that they decide to make the matter a permanent arrangement and become a lifetime breeder. Some even go so far as to jokingly refer to themselves as a 'queen' for the species. The organism in question has been found to be terribly helpful in the field of medicine as it is able to provide such generous benefits for the host. The fact that it has been terribly difficult to research the mechanisms they use to facilitate the benefits means that it continues to be the most feasible way to treat or even cure some conditions. So long as the organism is able to reproduce successfully, it's quite content to operate as a sort of panacea for any compatible host. Further research is required to determine if these permanent hosts are altered to such an extent that any offspring they have--not those sought by the guest organism--present with mutations or other forms of genome manipulation. There are concerns that prolonged contact and host organism reproduction could result in the emergence of a new variety of the species, or an entirely new species altogether.

A few thousand years of this and before you know it, like the mitochondria, the 'parasite' becomes part of the host, and they end up as one being. Now you know where all that gender fluid comes from.