It is a truth universally accepted that the one greatest instinctual desire of an individual, of any species, is the desire to maintain life. Unless directly inhibited by a dysfunction of cortical tissue, this truth remains accepted.

However, it is instinctually acceptable to endanger one's life out of desire to protect one's progeny or family as a means of carrying on the genetic line. An advanced social structure requires strong social bonds to allow a society to remain in tact. Additionally, it is also understood that altruism outside a species is impossible without ulterior motive.

Interspecies altruism holds no function, and therefore, is instinctually rejected. Some scholars argue that instances of interspecies altruism have been demonstrated in battles were two species fight on the same aside. However, it can be argued that this supposed altruism is actually intended to preserve friends of the SAME species.

Regardless, the argument still remains, that interspecies altruism is rare if not nonexistent because it rejects core instinct for social preservative.

Krill was a very nervous. He knew his decision to bring his human companions to his home planet was a risky decision, and governmental authorities seemed to agree as it had taken them months to even a small delegation of his human companions. They had heard the stories about the humans, and despite Krill vouching for them, there was always going to be some hesitance.

He couldn't blame them. While he understood humans more than most, and knew, despite their predatory nature, humans were social and heartfelt species, he still had to accept that humans were also short tempered and wildly aggressive group.

For this reason, he had only been allowed to bring four crew members. Captain Vir was, of course, allowed to come along with his commander, first lieutenant and chief medical officer. The group of them together represented the most affable, level-headed people aboard the ship. If anything, the captain himself was the loose cannon among the group indicated by his missing eye and leg, both testimony to Captain Vir's knack for getting himself into trouble.

They left the ship to a crowd of awed expressions and trembling limbs. The high council stood at the bottom of the ramp dwarfed by at least two feet by even the smallest human. Krill himself barely came to the captain's waist and the Commander's Ribcage.

The group of humans paused at the bottom of the ramp facing the trembling counterparts floating by help from their hydrogen sacks. All four upper limbs clenched in fear.

Captain Vir took initiative greeting them with a phrase from their own language, a language he had learned from Krill personally, during a rather unpleasant stint in an alien prison.

The phrase worked like a charm, and they were greeted from then on with open arms. Though still hesitant.

The crew did surprisingly well with government officials before being released to experience the hospitality of Krill's home planet.

Walking through the city, they were stared at much and avoided by everyone but the most brave. Those who were were then rewarded by a pleasant greeting.

The children were the most brave, not yet understanding the meaning of the human predatory structure.

Captain Vir Knelt on the ground street side allowing the children to prod at his arms and hair chirping in disgust and fascination upon contact with his squishy exterior. Water roared distantly passing though the canal that cut the city in half.

Krill watched the humans with pleasure glad to see that his friends were making a good impression upon his people.

One of the children asked where his leg had gone and captain Vir responded playfully with a story about a mighty beast with rows of sharp teeth standing ten feet tall.

The children squealed in delighted fear and awe. A few of the children slunk away in fear, but most remained if not interested than in an attempt to prove their bravery.

Unlike their older counterparts, the children walked mainly by the power of their feet yet unable to float with the aid of their underdeveloped hydrogen sacks, which rested flaccid against their backs.

The children dispersed and the human crew walked further towards the grand bridge slowly making their way through the awed crowds.

They were yards from the bridge when it happened.

Hundreds turned their heads to look as a shrill cry of fear, pain, and anguish filled the air. Even the humans turned their heads to look, and for a moment Krill couldn't help but feel awe that the humans, so socially adept were able to understand the cry. He could see it in their faces. They knew something was wrong despite the call being from a different species to their own.

Perhaps they didn't understand the true meaning, a mother who had lost her child.

But oddly enough it was the humans who reacted before anyone. He didn't know how they did it. Perhaps it was their predatory nature, or their instincts formed from long years on the death world where a fast reaction could be life or death.

By the time Krill figured out what was going on, the humans had already been in motion for some seconds.

The small child, had slipped through the railings on the bridge to peer down at the water. With his underdeveloped kinesthetic awareness, the child had slipped and fallen into the water. Where an adult might have been held afloat by the hydrogen sack, the child didn't have such protection.

By the time he hit the water, he had already begun to sink.

Unlike humans Krill's species couldn't swim without the aid of flotation.

The child was dead, and the mother knew it.

No one moved.... no one accept the humans.

All four humans were at the edge of the bridge by the time anyone realized what had happened. The captain's jacket lay discarded on the street as he moved. Krill followed the motion as the human lowered, momentarily, into a predatory crouch and then, with his powerful leg muscles, launched himself over the railing!

Krill couldn't have understood what sort of internal calculations it would have taken to do what the human did. He ran taking off his jacket and then jumping just at the perfect moment to clear the retaining wall. In the air, somehow, the human reoriented himself face downwards hands outstretched before him and pointed. The posture served to break the water before the humans face. And just as fast as he had flown through the air, he was submerged in the water.

The distant roaring of rapids rose around them as the others of his species began to howl in shock and grief.

The remaining humans leaned against the railing predatory eyes staring at the water beneath.

Krill couldn't have guessed what was to happen next, but a moment later the human's head broke the surface with a gasp and a sputter. In one arm, he held the lifeless body of the child dangling in the crook of his elbow. All around him water rushed and burbled dragging him quickly backwards as he fought against the current.

Why the human would have done something so stupid was beyond Krill. There was no hope for the child, and now the water was sure to drag them both under. But the human fought valiantly against the water as the other humans raced downwards to the next bridge. It took a moment for Krill to understand what was happening, but the other humans, understanding their captain's physical prowess were going to wait for him at the next bridge.

The captain sputtered and choked as a rapid washed over his head. The bridge approached.

"CATCH!" The human called. One arm dragged from the water spilling droplets and holding the small body in hand. Krill watched in shock as the human let launch with his superior shoulder muscles, designed for just such an event.

Thinking faster than should have been possible, the other humans moved, Two braced themselves quickly holding the other over the edge by one arm. Again, another seamless calculation of depth and speed by the human brain that shouldn't have been feasible, the human caught the limp child as Captain Vir was sucked under the water.

Pulled back upwards the medical officer took over as the other two humans raced to follow their captain.

In a panic, Krill ran over to find their medical officer bent over the lifeless child.

Krill stopped growing sick upon seeing the scene. There was nothing they could do.

But then the human started something. He tilted the child's head back then tilted his body. Water rushed from the child's mouth.

Krill stared on.

The officer looked up, "The water is blocking the pump mechanism. If I clear it, I can start manually pumping."

Krill stared at him in shock. Manually pumping, but the child was dead?

The last water leaked out and the medic placed his hands at a diagonal over the torso using a light rhythm to simulate the internal pumps. One hand first and then the other. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to keep such a natural Rhythm.

More water leaked from the open mouth in time with the rhythm,

A crowd gathered staring on in bewilderment as the human worked.

And then the child twitched.

Gasps filled the air.

The human continued to message the child's chest holding him face downwards as water leaked into a puddle on the street.

Krill saw the moment the pumps kicked back in, and the eyes opened.

More gasps.

Krill was frozen to the spot.

The medical officer looked up, "I have this. GO HELP THE CAPTAIN!"

Krill was slow to react, but finally he moved following after the humans as the stream funneled and the water grew more violent. The captain was nowhere to be seen.

A hundred yards after that, and the funnel opened outwards flattening out enough to slow the flow. The water further in was almost glassy. Two humans waded into the water, and krill was surprised to watch as they caught hold of something dragging it from the water.

Captain Vir lay on his back unmoving prosthetic leg dangling from a snapped hinge eye patch torn away to reveal the ragged hole in his skull.

Krill paused watching as the humans gathered around.

A crowd formed to watch.

Placing one hand over the other, The commander leaned in placing her hands in the center of the captain's chest.

The two humans hummed a beat softly to themselves as they moved. The pounding rhythm was rather violent and Krill winced. It would make sense though, the human's ribcage was to sturdy not to.

It didn't take long before the captain shot into a sitting position coughing and vomiting up water. The onlookers stared and some winced. The captain spent the next minutes coughing and choking up water.

But after that, the man was fine. He straightened himself out and reattached his leg dragging himself to a standing position to the protests of his crew.

The crowd stared on in silence.

Captain VIr looked down at Krill, "The kid?" He asked

"Alive." The medical commander stated from the crowd.

And in his arms he held the small form dazed and sick, unlike the captain, who was now regaining his strength. The child's parents stood by staring on in complete disbelief. By all rights the child SHOULD be dead.

Captain VIr had broken known species protocol. He had risked his own life to save something of another species he did not know. He had died for the cause.

But that's humans. They reject your protocol, and they reject death.