Look behind the squid — I know it’s hard, why would you want to look past cephalopods? — and what do you see? That blurry poster in the background? It’s a space shuttle launch.
And now you know. This is a top secret program to train Euprymna scolopes to pilot spacecraft. They’d probably be better at 3-dimensional thinking than us, so it’s only natural. Quick, reboot Star Trek with a more appropriate cast!
Oh, I think it’s been done–the Thermians from the Klaatu Nebula in Galaxy Quest. Man, that was a prescient movie.
Star Trek ?? Clearly they are trying to breed Guild Navigators.
Also was done in a weird sci-fi
bookseries called Manifold. The first of which involves genetically enhanced squid being sent to space for… some reason.Also there was something to do with blue circles and alien children. I… don’t think I really understood what was going on at the time of reading.
The alien in Well’s _Fluency_ is a cephalopod, and it looks as though it goes through the process shown here for selection/training.
http://skullsinthestars.com/2015/09/29/jennifer-foehner-wells-fluency/
And if I remember correctly, the squid stole the space ship. It was smarter than they thought.
The squid didn’t just steal the spaceship, they built it. They were sent up to mine asteroids and then abandoned, so they bred, spread over their asteroids, and collectively decided “these humans are going to screw up the solar system, we’re outta here”, built a spaceship, and left.
Galaxy Quest is the best Star Trek movie.