Just writing to let you know that I have sent off my DNA samples to the HELP headquarters. I truly hope you find what you’re looking for. It can’t be easy trying to manufacture an entirely new way for your people to survive. That’s probably a ridiculous understatement…
What I’m tryin’ to say is don’t give up! I think what you’re doing is incredibly brave.
If I might ask, is there anything else I can do to help? Have you gotten enough samples? I can badger more of my friends into joining just to send you some if sample size is important.
I’m not really sure what would count as a motivational message for you, so here is a picture of me standing on top of a horse while I jump through a lasso. If I can do a crazy stunt like that, surely you can find a way to save your people.
Your Friend-in-Hope,
Sally Rider
Texas, Earth
***
GROWING PAINS
Xenoth was astonished. She’d written back.
The Earth female had not only written back, but she’d written backtwice, and included a photo of her doing…something on top of a large animal. Xenoth was not entirely certain what it was she was doing in the photo, but it seemed to be acrobatic and, if her words were any indication, required a certain high level of skill.
His lack of knowledge of her physical prowess aside, Xenoth found her form to be captivating. Her red ‘hair’ as the Earthlings called it, was astonishingly beautiful. Among his people, red of that color was reserved only for the kropeknik of Z'arthaxian High Queens, so to see it displayed so brazenly was…enticing.
Xenoth was almost embarrassed to be able to look at her picture for so long and kept turning his eyes away from the terminal screen as though he might, at any moment, be caught staring at royalty. He glanced at the screen once more before closing away her image.
His skin felt strangely tingly all over and his entire kropek mane was buzzing slightly.
It’s nervous excitement, that’s all,he told himself.
Excitement and terror.
Xenoth still could not believe he had revealed so much of his peoples’ biology in such a message to someone from an entirely different species, much less that it had beenArzog’ssuggestion.
It was…beyondheretical to reveal such a thing to someone outside of the Z'arthaxian people. Not to mention far,farabove either of their station to make such a decision to do so.
If Ascending Y’arza ever returned and found out…
If she bothers to return at all, she can answer for her part in abandoning what is left of her people, Xenoth thought in sudden anger.
He had been defending Y’arza’s actions to himself for a long time. But the last few months had changed his thoughts on several fronts, including giving himself permission to be angry at a female. Angry at aQueen.
Well, an almost-queen, anyway.
“You’re up late,” Urzan’s voice made Xenoth jump, startling him from the domicile’s doorway. Urzan’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t think I’ve ever been able to sneak up on you before…” He came farther into the room. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Talk about? No, I’m fine.” Xenoth made a dismissive gesture with his kropek. “It’s just the usual problems—water filters need changing, gryllrogi need processing. I’m just missing the days when it was just me and a programming screen.”
He gave Urzan a small, tight smile, hoping he seemed nonchalant enough for his brother not to push. Urzan sighed, running a hand through his kropek.
“Yes, I know what you mean,” he said quietly. Urzan hissed suddenly, yanking his hand out of his mane with a mild crackle of electricity.
“Growing pains again?” Xenoth asked.
Urzan nodded, eyes tight until the excess electricity found itself a home within his rapidly growing kropek. He looked at Xenoth tiredly, holding out a container of salve.
“Would you mind?” he asked almost guiltily.
Xenoth smiled gently, then shifted in his chair, patting the floor in front of him as his kropek plopped down a cushion between his feet. Urzan sat with a tiredthwump, not bothering with his usual grace. He’d grown so much in the last few weeks that even seated on the floor, his head was almost level with Xenoth’s there in the chair.
