The gods eventually decided that the replacement for humans should be a sort of evolved version of the species. Some elements of humans worked, most obviously the bipedal form and substantial cranial capacity. But several major improvements were proposed.
The first of these was to reproduction. It was agreed that genders were fundamentally pointless, as male humans had been disproportionately the most violent and callous and the process of insemination could be handled through a dormant seminal gland that was connected to emotional and physical readiness for reproduction. The species would appear female to humans, though, since it made spreading the virus through means such as sex easier (this also meant the species was able to experience sexual pleasure as female humans do).
The skin would be made significantly different, harder and less easily cut to protect the new species from physical harm, and all of the species would have the same hue of blue skin, in order to make racial divides impossible just as the feminine appearance of every member of the species made gender divides impossible.
Body hair was considered pointless, since the thicker skin served as an effective insulator in the cold. A new organ that served a practical purpose, a pair of tentacular protrusions from the skull which allowed the species to sense the emotions of those around them and soothe them if angry or upset, would replace the hair on the head. But the biggest change was to intellect and temperament: the species was wholly pacifistic and peaceful, and at the same time almost without weakness.
The gods named this species the Akhli, and sent the virus down to Earth. Who would become its first host?