Back to basics

- Either way, that's plain disgusting. I thought no-one in their right mind does that anymore.

His opponent - almost identical looking, but of chalky and somewhat reddish constitution, - vibrated nervously.

- But think - that would be useful! We could all feed, we'll all grow properly, and it won't even be an inconvenience to them!

He felt his boss probing around his energy reserve, and instinctively flattened, letting him inspect it. Checkup took a while, a long while, and he felt like vibrating again...but, finally, the other one's mass separated from his, and a voice said:

- Hmm, it seems you are, indeed, full, reserve not degenerated, plenty of healthy cells to spare. But still - we all evolved away from the filter-feeding, and you, essentially, ask we throw away all the other ways and return to material sorces? High rulers won't be pleased to hear this.

- Let's not pretend they care about anything but their own mass, - reddish lump whistled audibly. - Besides, once you feel the heated water run through your pores, you'll...

He was cut short with a displeased grunt:

- You sound weird. I'll ask others to look into that, but, either way, I doubt it was anything but luck on your part. Water only holds acceptable nutrition sometimes...and no way the noisies emit that much mental energy just from the proximity of imitation rain!