They watched. For generations, they watched, high above the city. They wern’t there of course. Not really. They watched from their own planet in their own time, with the time dialation adjusted accordingly. Were they there for war or peace? Not really. You could say they were just being nosey. They discovered this technology centuries ago but this city now has been the first to hold their attention.

This city beat like a heart. It is the only one on this planet. Consistenly expanding out, then drawing back in, over and over with the growth or diminishment of the local population. Over time, the watchers noticed the beautiful fractal pattern made from the city. It followed math and embodied perfection.

Then they noticed the people.

The people carried the pattern of their city on thier bodies. With each new generation, the pattern changed, and the people followed it. No one ever explored or strayed beyond the boundries.

By the time the watchers noticed, they were unsure of how these people came to learn about their bodies matching their enviornment. There was an unspoken language between them and their planet. It embodied a bond like no other.

The watchers, after even more generations, discovered this to be the most connected planet to its creatures. As if nature cared at all about them emotionally, not just wanting the most adapt. The watchers became envious. How could they also have this connection with their planet? Only watching this planet, high above the city, they might learn. Or they might not.