I studied the fortification before replying.
“Normally, I would say they were incorrect based on my own observations. I must admit, however, I do not fully comprehend this `color-sight’ the new Hatching has.”
“Neither does anyone else, as far as I can discover. It’s a genetic experiment the Scientists are trying, based on some of the notes found from the First Ones. We’re supposed to find out in the field if it has any practical value to the Empire.”
“But what is it?”
“It lets them see things we can’t… Well, to be accurate, it lets them see the same things we see, but in a different way.”
“That’s what I have difficulty understanding:”
“Perhaps I can clarify it a bit by describing a demonstration I once witnessed,” suggested Horc. “Three blocks were placed on a table; one dark, the other two noticeably lighter. We were asked if we could distinguish between the three blocks. To a Tzen, all the witnesses replied that while one block was dark, the other two were identical. Then a color-sighted Tzen was brought into the room and asked the same question. He replied that each block was a different color, the dark one was what he called `dirt’, and the other two were `sky’ and `leaf’ respectively.”
“I fail to see what that proves,” I interrupted.
“There’s more,” he continued. “The demonstrator then picked up the light block which had been designated `sky’ and marked its bottom with an `x.’ The color-sighted Tzen was then told to shut his eyes, and the blocks rearranged. Time and time again, he was able to identify the marked block, even though the `x’ side was down.”