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* ShaggyDogStory: The alien lifeform [[spoiler:makes it to Earth, only to be electrocuted because it had disguised itself as a piece of the wiring that provided power to the main airlock door motor]].
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* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizarreAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).

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* {{Telepathy}}: TelepathicSpacemen: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizarreAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).

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Fits better.


* ObliviouslyEvil: The Saybrook lifeform intends to assimilate all Earth life into a HiveMind like itself, but it genuinely believes it's doing us a favor -- it [[BlueAndOrangeMorality literally can't understand]] the value of individuality, and wonders to itself how "fragments" can stand their isolation. From its point of view, it's ''saving'' us, despite our own irrational fear and inability to understand the gift it offers.



* WellIntentionedExtremist: The Saybrook lifeform intends to assimilate all Earth life into a HiveMind like itself, but it genuinely believes it's doing us a favor -- it [[BlueAndOrangeMorality literally can't understand]] the value of individuality, and wonders to itself how "fragments" can stand their isolation. From its point of view, it's ''saving'' us, despite our own irrational fear and inability to understand the gift it offers.
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* WellIntentionedExtremist: The Saybrook lifeform intends to assimilate all Earth life into a HiveMind like itself, but it genuinely believes it's doing us a favor -- it [[BlueAndOrangeMorality literally can't understand]] the value of individuality, and wonders to itself how "fragments" can stand their isolation. From its point of view, it's ''saving'' us, despite our own irrational fear and inability to understand the gift it offers.
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* OrwellianRetcon: When this sstory was first published, the editor of ''Magazine/GalaxyScienceFiction'' decided to change the name to "Misbegotten Missionary". Since Creator/IsaacAsimov didn't like the name, he changed it for inclusion in his ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories''.

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* OrwellianRetcon: When this sstory story was first published, the editor of ''Magazine/GalaxyScienceFiction'' decided to change the name to "Misbegotten Missionary". Since Creator/IsaacAsimov didn't like the name, he changed it for inclusion in his ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories''.
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Correcting spelling


* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: The lifeforms of Saybrook's Planet are able to telepathically induce pregnancy in any lifeform capable of reproduction (including asexual and females of sexually dimorphic species). This ability also ensures a hybrid organism will gestate that possess the same [[BizareAlienSenses green patches]] that allows Saybrook lifeforms to use {{Telepathy}}. (These patches are how Captain Saybrook identified the AssimilationPlot in the first place.)

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* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: The lifeforms of Saybrook's Planet are able to telepathically induce pregnancy in any lifeform capable of reproduction (including asexual and females of sexually dimorphic species). This ability also ensures a hybrid organism will gestate that possess the same [[BizareAlienSenses [[BizarreAlienSenses green patches]] that allows Saybrook lifeforms to use {{Telepathy}}. (These patches are how Captain Saybrook identified the AssimilationPlot in the first place.)



* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizareAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).

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* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizareAlienSenses [[BizarreAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).
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Found a typo


* BizareAlienSexes: The Saybrook organism doesn't understand sexual dimorphism because they can always reproduce asexually, and [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong impregnate anyone capable of gestation and cellular reproduction]] with their {{Telepathy}}. As far as the Saybrook lifeform is concerned, the ship's lifeforms can be divided into sterile ones and life producers.

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* BizareAlienSexes: BizarreAlienSexes: The Saybrook organism doesn't understand sexual dimorphism because they can always reproduce asexually, and [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong impregnate anyone capable of gestation and cellular reproduction]] with their {{Telepathy}}. As far as the Saybrook lifeform is concerned, the ship's lifeforms can be divided into sterile ones and life producers.
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typo fixed


Outside of the original PulpMagazine, this story has been reprinted several times, and Creator IsaacAsimov would include it in five of his collections/anthologies; ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories'' (1969), ''Literature/IsaacAsimovPresentsTheGoldenYearsOfScienceFictionSixthSeries'' (1988), ''Literature/TheAsimovChroniclesFiftyYearsOfIsaacAsimov'' (1989), ''Literature/DieAsimovChronikRobotIstVerloren'' (1991), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStoriesVolume1'' (1991).

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Outside of the original PulpMagazine, this story has been reprinted several times, and Creator IsaacAsimov Creator/IsaacAsimov would include it in five of his collections/anthologies; ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories'' (1969), ''Literature/IsaacAsimovPresentsTheGoldenYearsOfScienceFictionSixthSeries'' (1988), ''Literature/TheAsimovChroniclesFiftyYearsOfIsaacAsimov'' (1989), ''Literature/DieAsimovChronikRobotIstVerloren'' (1991), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStoriesVolume1'' (1991).



!!Examples of tropes within this work:

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!!Examples of tropes within this work:!!"Green Patches" provides examples of:
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* BizzareAlienSexes: The Saybrook organism doesn't understand sexual dimorphism because they can always reproduce asexually, and [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong impregnate anyone capable of gestation and cellular reproduction]] with their {{Telepathy}}. As far as the Saybrook lifeform is concerned, the ship's lifeforms can be divided into sterile ones and life producers.

to:

* BizzareAlienSexes: BizareAlienSexes: The Saybrook organism doesn't understand sexual dimorphism because they can always reproduce asexually, and [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong impregnate anyone capable of gestation and cellular reproduction]] with their {{Telepathy}}. As far as the Saybrook lifeform is concerned, the ship's lifeforms can be divided into sterile ones and life producers.



* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: The lifeforms of Saybrook's Planet are able to telepathically induce pregnancy in any lifeform capable of reproduction (including asexual and females of sexually dimorphic species). This ability also ensures a hybrid organism will gestate that possess the same [[BizzareAlienSenses green patches]] that allows Saybrook lifeforms to use {{Telepathy}}. (These patches are how Captain Saybrook identified the AssimilationPlot in the first place.)

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* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: The lifeforms of Saybrook's Planet are able to telepathically induce pregnancy in any lifeform capable of reproduction (including asexual and females of sexually dimorphic species). This ability also ensures a hybrid organism will gestate that possess the same [[BizzareAlienSenses [[BizareAlienSenses green patches]] that allows Saybrook lifeforms to use {{Telepathy}}. (These patches are how Captain Saybrook identified the AssimilationPlot in the first place.)



** The titular "Misbegotten Missionary" ([[OrwellianRetcon the original title]]) is the VillainProtagonist who wants to share their type of "unified life" with all of Earth.

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** The titular "Misbegotten Missionary" ([[OrwellianRetcon the original title]]) is the VillainProtagonist who wants to share their type of "unified life" "[[HiveMind unified life]]" with all of Earth.



* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizzareAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).

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* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizzareAlienSenses [[BizareAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).
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work page creation

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-> It was a loveable little creature, anxious to help solve the troubles of the world. Moreover, it had the answer! But what man ever takes free advice?
--> --Introduction in ''Galaxy Science Fiction''

First published under the name "Misbegotten Missionary" in ''Magazine/GalaxyScienceFiction'' (August 1942 issue), by Creator/IsaacAsimov. This is a ScienceFiction ShortStory about an alien HiveMind that wants to help humanity (and all living things) join their collective. It was also printed in the first French issue of the magazine, ''Magazine/GalaxieScienceFiction'' (#1 issue, November 1953).

The story begins InMediasRes; our VillainProtagonist has made it aboard the ship and is trying to hide [[MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial himself]]. [[SwitchingPOV The story changes perspective every so often]], between the little alien missionary disguised as a wire and the humans aboard ship. Both the humans and the alien reflect on the activities of the other lifeforms on the ship, presenting contrasting views.

Two of the humans discuss [[NamingYourColonyWorld Saybrook's Planet]] and [[TheNamesake the planet's namesake]]. Meanwhile, the stowaway from the planet replaces some inactive wiring and contemplates how desperately the "life fragments" need to be part of a unified society, one where everything works in blissful unity. If the stowaway manages to reach Earth, it has the totipotent ability to convert all life there into a single organism with a unified consciousness — and green patches of fur instead of eyes.

Outside of the original PulpMagazine, this story has been reprinted several times, and Creator IsaacAsimov would include it in five of his collections/anthologies; ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories'' (1969), ''Literature/IsaacAsimovPresentsTheGoldenYearsOfScienceFictionSixthSeries'' (1988), ''Literature/TheAsimovChroniclesFiftyYearsOfIsaacAsimov'' (1989), ''Literature/DieAsimovChronikRobotIstVerloren'' (1991), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStoriesVolume1'' (1991).
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!!Examples of tropes within this work:
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: This story takes place in a future with casual FasterThanLightTravel, where a scientific expedition can be launched to a quarantined world.
* AssimilationPlot: The HiveMind of Saybrook's Planet wants to infect every lifeform it comes across. New organisms infected with the "unified life" have a pair of green patches [[BizarreAlienSenses that allows it to communicate to the rest of the lifeforms]].
* BizarreAlienSenses: Lifeforms on Saybrook's Planet have tufts of green hair-like structures on their surface, which allow them to sense the interconnections that link all life forms on their world into one vast gestalt consciousness. Earth organisms -- everything from bacteria to the next generation of animals -- develop these same green patches in place of eyes if exposed to Saybrook biota.
* BizzareAlienSexes: The Saybrook organism doesn't understand sexual dimorphism because they can always reproduce asexually, and [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong impregnate anyone capable of gestation and cellular reproduction]] with their {{Telepathy}}. As far as the Saybrook lifeform is concerned, the ship's lifeforms can be divided into sterile ones and life producers.
* DeflectorShields: The research ship set up a barrier as part of the system to prevent Saybrook's Planet lifeforms from gaining access to the ship. The story [[IncitingIncident kicks off]] when, unknown to the humans, one of the creatures ''did'' get through.
* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: The lifeforms of Saybrook's Planet are able to telepathically induce pregnancy in any lifeform capable of reproduction (including asexual and females of sexually dimorphic species). This ability also ensures a hybrid organism will gestate that possess the same [[BizzareAlienSenses green patches]] that allows Saybrook lifeforms to use {{Telepathy}}. (These patches are how Captain Saybrook identified the AssimilationPlot in the first place.)
* FeaturelessPlaneOfDisembodiedDialogue: While the human characters are given some reasonable descriptions, the ship itself could be any shape, colour, or size, and this problem extends to the interior as well.
* GeniusLoci: Every organism on Saybrook's Planet, from the lowest bacterium to the most advanced terrestrial animal, is merely [[HiveMind a part of a single, amalgamated mind]]. (Referred to in the story as "unified life").
* HiveMind: The organisms of [[NamingYourColonyWorld Saybrook's Planet]] have [[TheNamesake green patches]] that grants PsychicPowers. Their {{Telepathy}} is used to facilitate a GeniusLoci where life has formed a global organism that lives in blissful cooperation with everything else.
* MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial: The alien creature from Saybrook's Planet uses masculine pronouns to refer to himself, although there's really no explanation as to why he might identify with one gender/sex over another.
* TheNamesake:
** The titular "Green Patches" refer to the [[BizarreAlienSenses alien organs]] that allows the Saybrook lifeforms to communicate via {{Telepathy}}.
** The titular "Misbegotten Missionary" ([[OrwellianRetcon the original title]]) is the VillainProtagonist who wants to share their type of "unified life" with all of Earth.
** An InUniverse example is [[NamingYourColonyWorld Saybrook's Planet]], which was named after the Captain of the ship who discovered it and blew up his ship to prevent the AssimilationPlot from reaching Earth.
* NamingYourColonyWorld: The planet is named after Captain Saybrook, not just because he discovered it, but because he was willing to sacrifice his ship and everyone aboard to prevent the AssimilationPlot of the planet from reaching Earth.
* OrwellianRetcon: When this sstory was first published, the editor of ''Magazine/GalaxyScienceFiction'' decided to change the name to "Misbegotten Missionary". Since Creator/IsaacAsimov didn't like the name, he changed it for inclusion in his ''Literature/NightfallAndOtherStories''.
* StarfishAliens: All of the aliens encountered here share a HiveMind which can design parts of itself to look like anything, including pieces of wire, and which is desperate to incorporate life on Earth into itself.
* {{Telepathy}}: The life on Saybrook's Planet have evolved [[TheNamesake green patches]] that [[BizzareAlienSenses allow it to sense the minds of other living things]]. From the "little multipliers in the darkness" (bacteria) and "the non-movers, which, [...] were green and lived on the air, water, and soil" (plants), to "moving runners" (mice and hamsters) and "keen-thinkers" (humans).
* VillainProtagonist: Half of the story is told from the perspective of a a Saybrook organism that was genetically engineered to match the appearance of insulated wires.
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