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Jillian Strathern looked at the magazine cover. It featured a picture of both her and Bob sitting comfortably on their couch together. One of his arms was draped across the back of the couch behind her head, the other rested on a crossed knee. She was sitting up against her companion with her head resting comfortably against his chest. She too had her legs crossed with one arm comfortably resting beneath her breasts and the other holding a thumbs up for the camera. For all intent and purpose, it looked like a happy couple relaxing together. However, no one could ignore the fact that her partner was definitely not human.

Bob, or Krosbobai as his name was truly spoken, was a seven and a half foot tall, bipedal Equine Sapien with white fur, a white mane, and a proportionate equine head atop a human-like torso. His arms were also human in appearance, except that they ended in hands with only four didgets, including the thumb. He was dressed in a dark blue polo shirt and grey slacks, modified for his didigrade legs which ended in a pair of black, cloven hooves. Focusing on his face, Jillian could see that the photograph also picked up on his intense, black eyes, which held more than a bit of kindness hidden within, thanks to his relaxed smile.

"I don't know," Jillian murmured half to herself. "I'd say you look less impressive and more domesticated than anything else."

"Perhaps, but I still think you look good," he replied.

"This picture shows off way too many of my freckles."

"I like your freckles. They give you more character."

"It also makes me look too young. Any of my friends seeing this won't recognize me."

"Well, you are younger, physically that is," Bob reminded her. "The nanites that fixed your body the first time de-aged you by about ten years."

"Too bad we can't bottle and market your elixir of youth to the general public. We could make a fortune."

The Kerachaw gently shook his head. "I've thought of that from time to time; and as with most other things I have access to, the technology's much too far advanced for a species as primitive as yours... No offense intended."

Jillian laughed. "None taken," she replied even as her face became more serious. "Just the thought of how your nano-technology alone could be abused is the stuff of nightmares."

"I sometimes wish you're people paid more attention to your prophets," Bob observed. "Their insights might prove useful in guiding human-kind down the correct path."

"Prophets? Which prophets?" Jillian asked.

"H.G. Wells, Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, Crichton... They've all made some very interesting observations about human nature and technology."

"Bob...Those are all science-fiction writers," she pointed out.

The alien smiled at her. "As I said, prophets."

* * * *

The next several weeks passed with relatively few disasters that required Bob's attention. This gave the Kerachaw time to finish rebuilding the core dampener for his ship's reactor, repair the damage caused by his fight with the alien who had recently infiltrated their home and create a telepathic inhibitor for Jillian to wear. This last project wasn't something that she was particularly enthusiastic about, especially when it came down to testing the device out.

"Did you have to make it like a collar?" Jillian asked, holding the device in her hand and examining it from several angles.

"Well, I did think about a headband, but that might be easily knocked off. With a collar it's more secure and it passes closer to the cerebellum, improving the dampening effect without overly extending the field limits." Bob noticed her frown. "Is there something wrong?"

"When I worked as a vet, I saw a lot of abused pets wearing collars and leashes. I just have a bit of a problem with the whole pet collar sort of thing."

"Well... if you prefer I can still engineer a headband system for you."

Jillian shook her head. "No need. This is my attitude. If the collar's a more effective system then I can deal with it." She carefully buckled it on and allowed it to settle into place. Despite being made from metal, ceramic and leather, it was surprisingly comfortable to wear. For a moment Jillian flashed back to an old college friend of hers who was into the whole Goth scene.

Reaching over, Bob pushed a switch on the collar. There was a slight, sub-audible hum then nothing. "How does that feel?" he asked.

"Okay," she replied. I can almost feel a kind of buzzing in the back of my head, but only when I focus on it."

The Kerachaw made a few adjustments on his control board then asked her again how it felt.

"It feels fine," she replied. "I can't feel anything now."

Bob then took Jillian's hands in his. "Okay, think of something."

"Like what?"

"Think about what you want for your next birthday." Jillian closed her eyes and focused while the Kerachaw gently probed at her mind. After a moment he stopped and looked at her. "How hard were you concentrating?"

"Pretty hard," she responded.

Nodding, Bob sat down next to her on the couch, reached across and switched off the collar, then focused on her mind once more. After a moment or two he opened his eyes and smiled. "You want a gold, heart-shaped locket with our pictures inside."

Jillian nodded, smiling. "Well, I guess that went pretty well. The inhibitor works." The Kerachaw couldn't help but notice a tear gathering at the corner of her eye.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing really... It's just the idea that with this collar on I won't be able to feel you in the back of my mind."

"And that bothers you?" the Kerachaw asked.

"A little," she admitted. "Even when we aren't linked actively, I can usually sense a little piece of you there with me. When you turned the collar on, that vanished. It made me feel just a little... alone."

Bob looked at her for a moment before taking her hand. "I know what you mean."

"You felt it too?"

He nodded. "I think it's a residual effect of having shared minds so often."

Jillian hugged the equine, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "What do Kerachaw do when you want to play around while at home and you have kids to think about?"

"Why does it feel like this isn't a rhetorical question?"

The young woman just shrugged. "On earth, we put the kids to bed and lock the door of our bedroom."

The alien looked at her quizzically. "How would you know that? You've never had any children. Or that's what you thought to me once."

"No, I've never had kids... But it's what my parents would do."

Bob nickered softly. "Faced with a similar situation, my mate and I simply made sure our foal was completely enmeshed in his own dreams before, as you humans say, we made whoopee."

"Whoopee? I don't think I've ever heard that term before," Julian replied. She looked at him quizzically. "You've been spending time on the internet again, haven't you?"

The alien nodded.

"I hope you realize that too much internet time will rot your brain."

Bob looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "I don't see how. There's no physical or viral component that can affect me biologically."

"There are a lot of people who don't put any filter on their thoughts, expressing them freely and with no regard to the meaning behind their words. When they put this kind of thing on social media it can influence even the most savvy internet junkie."

"Then it's a good thing your species isn't telepathic. You wouldn't believe the number of wars my people fought in ancient times before we learned the importance of thought etiquette."

"You actually fought wars with your own people?"

"Yes... A long time ago. Didn't I ever tell you of the Egg-Plantain War? Neither the Yahoo nor the Blefusculian faction could agree which end of the Plantain to eat from."

Jillian stared at Bob completely confused until she saw the smile slowly creep along his muzzle. She bopped him gently on the end of his muzzle. "That's for trying to sneak some Jonathan Swift by me. Let me guess, you read it on the internet?"

The Kerachaw nodded, smiling. "To be honest, I wonder if Gulliver wouldn't have labeled you the Houyhnhnm and me the Yahoo. Though why he'd name a fictional race after a computer technologies company I don't know."

"Bob... I hate to break it to you," Jillian replied grinning. "But the book was written 250 years before the computer was even invented."

"Case made," he replied with a smile. "I am now officially a Yahoo."

"I could have told you that from the beginning," laughed Jillian.

The couple leaned back on the couch and sat together silently for a few minutes, each taking comfort in the presence of the other. Jillian had a passing thought that this was what her parents often referred to as a front porch moment.

"It would be... if there weren't a light gale outside and if we even had a porch," the Kerachaw nickered softly.

"Are you reading my mind again?"

Bob shrugged. "I can't help it. Being human your thoughts tend to leak. Besides, it's a nice thought."

"Maybe we could rig some kind of collapsible awning on the helipad for moments like this. Something that could be easily hidden so our neighbors wouldn't see it."

"Our closest neighbors are thirty miles to the east," the alien pointed out.

"Except for the ship's that pass by."

"Okay, except for the ships," Bob said. "Even on a clear day the people living on shore would have trouble seeing the lighthouse, unless they were standing on top of the bridge."

"True," Jillian acknowledged as she snuggled into Bob's shirt, closed her eyes and smiled.

"I am not your grand-sire's horse hair sofa," the Kerachaw gently admonished.

"You could be... if you stayed quiet," the human replied.

Jillian looked up at her companion a few moments later. Bob already knew what she was going to ask, but politely deferred answering her until she voiced the words.

"How soon do you plan to open the stasis chamber?"

"I'm not sure. There's no physical reason why I couldn't open it right now. I'm just concerned about the psychological effect waking her up might have. She has no one around her with whom she'd be familiar. We don't even know her name."

"I don't know how telepathy works, but would it be possible for you to communicate with her before waking her up? It might reduce the chances for mental stress," the human offered.

"The very nature of the stasis chamber negates that effect. While it's active, the natural effects of entropy are minimized, but it means all physical and mental functions are frozen at a zero point function. I could try and connect with her, but at the moment she's like a radio that's turned off. Nothing would get through.

"How were you able to talk with me when I was healing in your ship's medical chamber?"

"Your mind was never in stasis, your consciousness was overlapped with my own. Even if you had been in the healing chamber it functions differently. I would have been able to mentally link with you."

Jillian bit her lower lip taking in what Bob was saying. "What about waking her in stages? Can you open the stasis chamber without her waking up, then transfer her to your medical system so you can ease her back to consciousness? It might give you a chance to communicate with her telepathically."

"It sounds like a good idea, but honestly, I don't know," the Kerachaw replied. "I haven't worked extensively with stasis systems. I consulted my ship's computer, but it's not a normal part of the spacecraft. The stasis settings within the healing chamber are only a tertiary, short term use function. There is not much information."

"What can you do then?"

"Well, what you suggested. Sedate the youngling as soon as we opened the stasis tube, then transfer her over to the ship's medical system. However, I'm worried about the circumstances under which she was placed in stasis. That itself might have been part of a traumatic experience."

Jillian took one of Bob's large hands and enfolded it in both of hers. "Without any of her traveling companions there's really no way of knowing. It all comes down to making your own best guess."

The equine nodded silently even as his companion suddenly sat up straight.

"Wait... didn't you show me a mental image of the... uh... youngling shortly after you recovered her stasis chamber from the Directory?"

"Yes... when we shared a moment in our private outland."

"If you can't communicate with her, how did you know what she looked like?'

"It was a fragmented image of the girl that I gleaned from Vor'Taca Delantu's memories. Since she can't age while in stasis, then what he remembered should be what she currently looks like."

"Oh... Sorry, I sounded foolish."

"No... It's an understandable misinterpretation." Bob went silent for a moment then looked at Jillian. "Since we know your thought inhibiter works we should do this soon."

"How soon?"

"Tomorrow morning," he replied thoughtfully, "after we both get a good night's sleep."

* * * *

Dawn found Jillian waking to the soft music of her alarm. She looked over to Bob's side of the bed and found exactly what she'd expected to see. It was empty. A thick bathrobe lay across the foot of their bed and a cup of hot, fresh coffee sat on a warmer just beyond her reach on the bedside table. Pushing aside the bed covers she slid her feet into a strategically placed pair of slippers , rose and climbed into the bathrobe. Moments later she exited the bedroom carrying the mug of coffee with her

As expected, Bob was working at the computer that was part of the raised control station adjacent to his ship. Next to it was a modified catafalque on which rested the stasis chamber containing the youngling. A series of colored cables connected the cylinder to the computer. As she approached he looked up at her.

"You're awake... good," he said. "As soon as you've finished your coffee you'll want to clean up and get dressed. I'm going to need your help with this. Make sure you put your collar on."

"And good morning to you too," the woman replied sardonically. "I thought you were going to wake me up when you got up."

"Couldn't," he responded. "You needed the sleep more than I. That, and I had a number of things to do before we open the stasis chamber."

"Such as...?"

"Synthesizing this," he explained holding up a small vial of amber liquid.

"A tranquilizer?"

The Kerachaw nodded. "I used the medical computer on my ship to develop a modified version of what you call xyalzine. It should take effect quickly enough that I can move her safely to the medical bay on my ship."

"Let me guess... you want me to administer the drug."

"Well, you are a trained veterinarian."

"Bob, I haven't practiced in over a year. I have no idea of her height, weight or age."

"But you do know her approximate age based upon how your people evaluate the equine species. Her height and weight will be recorded in the stasis chamber's data bank. As a vet, how would you categorize her?

"As an extra-terrestrial."

The Kerachaw gave her a deadpan look that almost caused Jillian to break out laughing. "Well, if I had to guess, I'd say she was a very young filly, roughly equivalent to a pre-teen adolescent about 11 or 12 years old. But that's hardly an accurate estimate."

"I'd trust your judgement. After all, you've treated equines before," he replied gesturing towards himself.

"That was guess work."

"Well thought out guess work."

"But you did most of the heavy lifting with your own ability to heal in your sleep."

"You forget that you also had the sense to go instinctively with the flow of what I was doing rather than randomly try drug after drug, as some of your colleagues might have done."

Jillian grimaced for a moment, then downed the remainder of her beverage. "If I'm going to help you, I'll need more coffee."

She padded her way into the kitchen where she brewed a single cup of French roast then tossed the used packet into the disposer. There it was broken down into energy, thanks to Kerachaw technology, which was stored for later use. The human grabbed a protein bar from the refrigerator and downed it in several quick bites before heading for the shower.

Twenty-five minutes later she was cleaned and dressed in blue jeans, ankle socks, white tennis shoes, a white short sleeved shirt and a pale green lab coat. She bound her red hair into a tight bun. As per Bob's request she'd put the inhibitor collar on but had not yet activated it.

She watched as the alien went to his ship and opened up the side hatch. Going inside, he set up the medical bay and programed it to run a basic diagnostic examination. When he emerged he was carrying several thin, silvery blankets that looked slightly metallic. Laying them across a nearby work table, he turned, opened up a small case and handed the device that had been inside to Jillian. She looked at it closely. It resembled a small, dual nozzled glue gun with the nozzles mounted one above the other. Small openings in the tip of the nozzles showed where the drug was administered from.

"All you have to do is place this against the youngling's neck where it joins her collar bone on the left side," he said. "It's pre-loaded with what I believe is the correct dosage for someone her age and body mass."

"How can I check that?"

"There's a dosage indicator on the handle," he replied

Jillian looked. She'd learned to read enough of Bob's language to see that the drug had been correctly measured. "It looks okay, but if it's already pre-set, what am I needed for?"

"I'll be too busy making a telepathic link with her to administer the drug. It should be done as soon as possible after I open the cylinder. I don't want her alert enough to start panicking."

"How long will the dose last?"

"All things being equal, long enough for me to put her in the medical bay and activate it's sleep/healing cycle. Once I know she's dreaming normally, I can enter her thoughts more deeply and make contact with her, much as I did for you."

Jillian remembered back to when her consciousness had been merged temporarily with the Kerachaw's while the healing chamber repaired her body. The only connection she had to the world was through Bob's mind. Without his presence it was like floating in a silent, black void. She shivered at the memory. He had literally kept her sane throughout the experience.

"Does a person dream when they're in stasis?"

The alien shook his head. "No, not to my knowledge. The mind is simply frozen in time from the moment the chamber is activated until it's turned off. There is absolutely no sense of either self or time."

"So she will be instantly awake when you deactivate it."

"Most likely."

Jillian pursed her lips momentarily. "Alright, where should I stand?"

"Over here," he gestured. Jillian moved over to the opposite side of the cylinder just to Bob's left. She reached up and turned on her inhibitor collar. The Kerachaw's presence faded from the back of her mind even as he looked up at her and nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm going to open the chamber now. When I do, count to five then administer the shot."

She nodded and watched, checking the injector one last time. The upper half of the cylinder abruptly slid back revealing the form of a smaller Kerachaw. Jillian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The girl was dressed in some kind of futuristic battle armor measured for her smaller frame. She wore a visor over her eyes, but the rest of her head was uncovered. Aside from her head there were no exposed surfaces through which an injection could be administered.

Bob cursed in his own language then reached out and placed his hands on each side of the youngling's head attempting contact. In that same moment the filly's visor flashed green and she began to look wildly about. Seeing the human standing above her she lashed out with both hands, knocking Jillian back several feet. Dr. Strathern found herself sitting on her posterior, slightly dazed from the blow. Strength was obviously a shared trait among the Kerachaw.

The girl let out with a high pitched, undulating scream, not unlike that of a frightened horse. Driven by fear she jerked free of Bob's grip and rolled out of the stasis chamber, barely keeping her balance. The youngling was screaming and crying something in Kerachaw as she backed away from him. With her inhibitor turned on she couldn't completely understand what the girl was saying.

For his part Bob was trying to calm the girl down, speaking in a soft, but commanding tone, hoping to get through her initial panic. However he was less than successful. The youngling raised one arm, pointing it at him like a lance. A small cylindrical rod deployed from the wrist portion of the armor followed by the sound of a massive energy discharge. The Outlander leapt back, partially blocking the energy blast with his forearms. The force of its impact was enough to knock him off the elevated platform and onto the hangar floor.

From her position behind the young filly Jillian could see blood seeping through Bob's shirtsleeve. The girl rose to her full height and aimed the wrist weapon again. As she took a step back the human unexpectedly kicked the hooves out from under the Kerachaw. She fell backward. Her head hit the metal platform and the visor bounced off her eyes

Jillian could see a glow emanating from the girl's forehead. Thinking quickly she jumped atop the youngling, simultaneously turning off her inhibitor collar. Reaching out, she slapped one hand against the glowing spot even as she saw the girl's milky white eyes open wide in both shock and surprise..... CONTACT!

The world went gray. Not the soft, gentle gray of a morning fog as it drifted away upon the warming sun... Not the hard, icy gray of a blizzard. No... It was the gray of a world perceived through eyes that could only see bits and pieces through a foggy lens, through eyes that had been permanently blinded by smoke and fire.

Jillian knew from past experience that she was definitely within the youngling's mind. Here, the outside world was meaningless. Thought and emotion tangled together in a confused mixture of images, all gray, all without substance or purpose or meaning. They ghosted through the human's senses. Some were soundless, some moaned in fear or pain or sorrow. All were soft and as indistinct as the fog. The faint scent of burned wood, scorched metal and melted ceramics drifted past on a whispered breeze. The air tasted of ash. Jillian could almost feel it brushing her skin.

She'd experienced all this once before in the mind of her companion. These were memories of a destroyed home. They were the last projected memories of Bob's life mate as she and the Kerachaw's world ship died. He'd been several light-years or more away, scouting ahead, looking for a new home for his people. Bob never had a chance to defend his family from the disaster. All he had was the last, horrific memories of his closest friends and family, broadcast into the void of space even as he futilely raced back to save them. He was far too late, and he carried that within him for all time.

The youngling must have been there, must have experienced it all first hand. Somehow, she and her companions had escaped the carnage, only to be thrown onto the shores of a hostile world. The others were dead, but not her. She was alone... alone... and very much blind.

Jillian stretched out her mind, searching for the youngling's thoughts, the very core of her being. By listening with her own awareness she was able to sense a presence. She willed herself to go towards that presence, drifting through the girl's mind like a will 'o the wisp. As she approached she could hear a soft sobbing. Through the fog she sensed an indistinct figure. It was kneeling, bowed over as if the weight of the universe were on her shoulders. Parts of the youngling's skin were blistered and blackened. Her fingers scrabbled in the hot, burned earth before her, searching for something.

As the human watched the girl suddenly clutched something and pulled it from the gray soil. It was a silver-blue torc, apparently made for an older Kerachaw female. She brought it up to her face and sniffed at it, trying to identify its owner by scent rather than sight. When she did, the tears began flowing freely.

"J'ama... J'ama," the youngling whispered, brushing it against her fur.

Jillian wanted more than anything to reach out to the girl, but something held her back, some instinct that warned her against making her presence felt within the memory, or dream. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at.

As she watched Jillian felt, rather than saw the presence of others around her. Smoky, ghost like hands reached out from the thick, gray air and gently touched the youngling. Working together they lifted the filly to her hooves and softly urged her forward. She moved with them, stumbling occasionally as she was guided towards a larger, indistinct shape.

Reaching it, she was led up what seemed to be a ramp of some kind. The youngling reached out a hand, placing it against the edge of a door. Turning, she looked blindly back upon the world of ash and shadows.

J'ama... D'apaa..." she moaned softly. Jillian felt, then saw an indistinct figure reach out. Its arms enveloped the youngling and pulled it into a hug. A nearby explosion caused the filly and her shadow companions to jump. They quickly herded the girl through the door of the spacecraft which slid closed with a metallic whoosh.

The world faded to black. Despite its utter silence the human did not feel either fear or isolation. Time passed. Jillian could not tell how much. It could have been a minute, or an hour. Throughout, she had the feeling that the youngling was adapting to her presence, so she waited. She fully expected at any time to see an image of the youngling. Instead a glowing, blue-white diamond appeared in the air in front of her.

"Who are you?" asked a young voice. The human paused for a moment. It had sounded as if the voice were in her own mind.

"My name is Dr. Jillian Strathern, of Earth."

"Earth? What is Earth?"

"It's a planet within what we call the Solar system. The third out from its sun." Jillian paused for a moment. "What is your name?"

"I am Yolaja Ata Boljuam. Third offspring of Majestrix Tojou Ata Boljuam, heir presumptive."

The human thought the word Majestrix might be a title, however the youngling spoke as if reciting a memorized speech, without the passion, conviction or authority such an official title might confer. The voice sounded a little lost.

"You are not of the Chaw... the people," Yolaja asserted. "How is this possible? How are you within my mind?"

"I have met your people before and learned a few things from them."

"You know of the Kerachaw? How? You are an alien."

"Yes, I am an alien to your people, but it was my friend and I who found you, in a stasis chamber here on Earth."

"Why would I have been put in stasis? I don't recall anything like that happening."

"I'm not sure," thought Jillian to the Kerachaw. "My friend thinks it might have been done to keep you safe

"Your friend...? Who exactly is this friend?"

"Krosbobai V'avalun."

The youngling's thoughts became very excited. "V'avalun? The Great Explorer. The Lord Guardian?" Yolaja's tone suddenly became accusatory. "You're lying. You cannot know him... He is dead... Dead and lost to us."

"Dead?"

"He has to be dead! He did not return to us in our great hour of need. He did not save us! The only reason he would not return had to be that he was dead. Nothing else could have kept him from saving us."

Jillian was torn in that moment. She did not think she should confront and challenge Yolaja's beliefs... not at that moment. But the implication that Bob had failed in his duty to his people was unacceptable. She knew the truth and wanted to defend her friend, but she was dealing with a scared and isolated youngling. Pushing back might be the wrong thing to do, and that genie was nearly out of the bottle. Jillian felt horribly unprepared for what was happening and wished that the more experienced Kerachaw were by her side.

A thought whispered through her mind. "Fear not. I am here."

"Bob?"

"Shhhh... continue focusing on the youngling. I am working through several layers of thought simultaneously. You can sense me, but I must for the moment remain concealed from Yolaja. I will guide you."

The feeling of relief that washed over Jillian was all the answer he needed from her.

"First, we need to make the youngling feel safe. I will bring the both of you into our private refuge. That will require you to focus as I shift both of you from her mind to yours. Think of the Outworld we created. Focus on the colors... the smells... the softness of the breeze and the stars at night."

Jillian did as instructed. Focusing on the secret world she and Bob shared was not difficult. The human watched as the darkness surrounding her melded into a soft, starlit tapestry. Long, green blades of grass tickled her calves. A silvery full moon hung not far above the horizon. Normally, the human would have turned herself into Kerachaw female so that she and Bob could be together as one. This time however she focused on her normal human form complete with clothes.

Moments later the blue-white diamond appeared next to her, then reshaped itself into the form of Yolaja, who was still wearing her armor. The youngling stood about two inches shorter than Jillian. She looked around in amazement, reaching up to her face.

"I... I... I can... see!? Without my visor!" She turned to face Jillian. "We're no longer within my mind! How... Are you humans telepathic?"

Jillian smiled warmly, even as she listen to Bob's thoughts as he whispered what to say to her.

"No," the human replied, slowly repeating her companion's words. "Some of us are very empathic, and I have learned a few things from my friend."

"If he's your friend perhaps you know why he did not help us."

"He tried," Jillian explained. "But when he discovered what was happening he was more than two dozen light years distant, scouting ahead of the World ship as was his duty. The beings who shattered your ship struck with such ferocity and surprise that the battle was over long before he could reach you."

"We lost everything," the youngling said.

"So did he... I've been in his mind. For a time I was his Vethra."

"His Vethra?" she replied, surprise replacing anger. "How?"

"He took me within his mind while his science brought my physical form back from the brink of death. We shared a link so I know everything he does about the destruction of your people."

Yolaja looked confused. "You are an alien. Why would he do that for you?"

"Because of who he is, and because I had helped him. He wanted to return the favor. In the long run our joining helped pull him out of a dark place within his mind. It helped him come to terms with his loss, to understand himself and my people better."

"So he has found peace?"

Jillian shook her head. "No, not completely, but he has found a path that allows him to live with the pain. He has taken on the role of protector for my people. We are a young race needing guidance and teaching. Helping us gives him meaning..." She suddenly stopped as she realized that Bob was no longer narrating what to say. When he'd stopped she couldn't say, but the words she spoke were no less true."

"Meaning is important to my people," Yolaja muttered quietly. "We could not survive as a race, as individuals without it." She looked up at Jillian. "It must be the same with you, even if you are alien. Otherwise, you would not have remained with him after you were healed."

"I remained with him because of that, yes. But I also remained because I fell in love with him."

The youngling remained quiet for a long time. Though not able to fully understand her mind Jillian could sense the wild mixing of emotions that struggled back and forth within the girl as she tried to bring some kind of reason, some order to her thoughts. In so many ways she reminded the human of a teen-ager. She wondered if adolescence was a universal constant across the galaxy.

Yolaja looked around her for several moments, her senses taking in the peace and solitude of their setting. "Your mind scape is rather beautiful, as far as it goes. Are you sure your race isn't telepathic?"

"Reasonably, though we do have our own stories and rumors about humans being able to read minds. Nothing has been definitively proven, one way or the other."

"So the potential exists."

Jillian nodded. "That's what Bob has said."

"Bob?"

"That's my nickname for him. I borrowed it as a shortened, more familiar form of his first name, Krosbobai."

"Is there a meaning behind it?"

"Bob is a familiar form of the human name, Robert. It gives me a more familiar connection with him."

"Escaolox," Yolaja muttered.

"Pardon?" Jillian asked.

"It's a word from my language. It means to grant Chaw-like mannerism to something or someone not of the Chaw."

The human chuckled. "We have a similar idea. We call it...."

"Personification, Yes I know. Sorry, I felt it within your mind. Some of your thoughts come through, unbidden. I can feel that you have a very strong sub-set thought that goes along with thinking of the Chaw. A four-legged creature... Swift of hoof and used as an ancient form of transport. A... horse, or unicorn, or zebra, or pegasus, or cayuse... or donkey..." There was a soft, almost haughty, mental laugh within Jillian's mind. "You have more words for a single creature than any other species I have ever encountered."

"You've had contact with other aliens?"

"No, not really. You are actually the first... well, except for the destroyers!"

"Our expressiveness probably comes from evolving with verbal communication skills as opposed to telepathic ones."

There was another long pause as the girl thought. She finally looked up at Jillian. How did they die?"

"Who?"

"My companions. Those who rescued me from the World ship. I know they are dead. I cannot feel them anywhere within my mind. Do you know what happened to them?"

Jillian nodded. "Yes, but I don't believe it's my place to tell you."

"I could just take that knowledge from you, if I wanted," Yolaja replied, her voice tight with angst.

"You could," answered a much deeper voice, "but you are too well disciplined to do such a thing deliberately."

The girl looked around her, seeking the source of the new voice. As Jillian watched a figure slowly coalesced from the aether as if borne upon the night by a million soft fireflies. Within moments the Outlander stood before them, dressed in the black clothing he often wore when traveling the Earth.

Jillian felt a subtle shift as control of their shared world was taken over by Bob. She watched as he looked down solemnly on the youngling, then bowed in a formal manner.

"It is good to see you once again Lady Yolaja."

The Kerachaw girl immediately threw herself into Bob's arms, burying her head in his chest even as tears began to flow. "Uncle," she whispered.

Jillian carefully reached up to her neck, feeling for the suppression collar. This was a moment she felt required more than a little privacy. She found the on switch and pressed it. The Outland faded and she found herself back in the real world. She was sitting on the control platform next to the two Kerachaw who were both firmly embracing each other. A soft, blue glow emanating from their foreheads seemed to blend the two figures into one.

Jillian rose to her feet and began walking towards the living quarters. She stopped abruptly and turned, looking back at the two Kerachaw. "Uncle?" she thought, her eyebrows raised.

* * * *

Dr. Strathern spend the rest of the day pretty much alone. The two Kerachaws were, for lack of a better word, communing with each other. Their foreheads touching with an intimacy that made the human feel just a tinge of jealousy. Jillian shook her head, banishing the mood and its unwelcome thought. She knew little of how the Bob's people interacted with each other, and she was too good a scientist to read more into what she sensed. Two lost individuals had found each other.

At times, she played with the idea of turning her inhibitor collar off, but decided they needed the time together. Besides, she always hated being a fifth wheel. Jillian busied herself preparing the guest bedroom she and Bob had created for Yolaja. The fresh smell of pine filled the room. He'd said its scent was similar to a plant native to their world ship. They both hoped it would help the youngling adapt to her new circumstances.

The day stretched into the late afternoon. Jillian set about making a light supper for all of them. She carefully chose a variety of earth based foods that she knew Bob enjoyed. Hopefully the same would be true of Yolaja. If not, there was the food synthesizer on the Kerachaw's ship with its supply of serviceable, but nutritious items. Despite their resemblance to earthbound horses, Bob had often demonstrated he was an omnivore, much like humans, so she was confident in her menu choices.

Jillian had just turned down the temperature on the large pot when she heard movement and the sound of hooves crossing from the hangar platform to the living quarters. Moments later the door slid open and both Bob and Yolaja entered.

The taller Kerachaw took a soft whiff of what was cooking. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

The human nodded. "Chicken stew with curry, fresh peas, pearl onions and steamed carrots."

"What is chickens-too?" Yolaja asked.

"A small earth avian similar to our own eklarechant." Bob replied.

"Is it good?"

"Reasonably. Though it does taste a lot like rattlesnake," he said, winking in Jillian's direction.

The human wrinkled her nose playfully. "If my cooking is going to be the target of your jokes, then you are more than welcome to feed yourself from now on."

"You know I'd starve in a week," he said. "I've become too dependent on your civilization's food and style of cooking.

Jillian chuckled. "I know for a fact that the nanites in your body wouldn't let you starve."

"I was speaking of my emotional and psychological need, Herr Doctor, not my dietary requirements."

"Since when did I become Herr Doctor?" Jillian asked looking suspiciously at the Kerachaw. "You've been reading Frankenstein again, haven't you?"

"Yes," he admitted. "I can't help it really. I find my sympathies run more with the creature than anyone else, but not to worry, I'm using it to develop my language skills as the copy I have was published in the original German."

"Bob, the book may have been published as a German translation, but it was originally printed in English."

"You mean the author..."

"Mary Shelly, yes, she was English through and through."

"Well, that changes things."

Jillian smiled. "Don't bother telling me what it changes. I don't want to know." She picked up the pot from the stove and carried it to the dining table. "Now grab a seat. Dinner is served."

TO BE CONTINUED....