abstract
| - The Cheela are a sapient species of lifeforms which inhabit the surface of a rogue pulsar (neutron star) named Dragon's Egg, which was passing close to the Sol System in the mid 21st century. Flattened by the extreme gravity of their world, they are amorphous organisms with a dozen eyes and crystal-based bones which can grow, dissolve and re-grow at will. Their bodies are based on nuclear composts and their whole metabolism consists of nuclear, rather than chemical, reactions, moving neutrons around like planetary dwelling life ordinarily moves electrons; with the same being true for all other living things in their environment as well. This has the consequence of accelerating the Cheela metabolism to the point that they experience time literally a million times faster than Humans. For a Cheela, a second is a long period akin to a week; a lifespan can be measured in minutes; and several generations pass in a single Earth day. Following Human first contact in 2050, it took them less than a week to develop from superstitious barbarians into a highly advanced society capable of building their first starships equipped with mini-black holes to generate the gravitational pull needed to keep their bodies and surroundings intact. After this they went on to explore the nearby stars and pulsars, leaving planetary bodies to their galactic neighbors and friends who had observed them and taught them much since the Cheela dawn of time.
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