Notes:

Context time: So the Mantelopes (the deer-like ones left with sapience) eventually encountered some Spacers (the space-dwelling ones), who found the former species' natural hunger for knowledge (thanks to the Qu) incredible useful. So they started a trade agreement of information in exchange for protection. Eventually, the Mantelopes became completely dependent on the Spacers (right down to moving into the latter's no-gravity starships) and were increasingly modified for brainpower, turning them basically into living computers composed of a giant cranium on a vestigial body.

One of two sequels to this: