Two weeks and one day had passed since Eyrn had arrived on Titan station. The crowds had died down, the excitement and anxiety had faded, and she had settled into life on the station, much as she had life at Area 51. In fact, the routine was remarkably similar. She had people to feed her, tell her where to go and what to do. She had a strict schedule to follow, her day filled with rehab, psychological assessments, and crash courses on Titan society. For the most part, it was easy to follow. There were so many hours in the day. Eyrn felt she almost had too much free time.

People moved slowly and took longer to make decisions. Life in general seemed relaxed. Nobody was in a particular hurry or anything. Talec told her that would change as she got used to living among her own kind.

Darren passed the time studying the Archavian written language, crafting clothing for himself, and being friendly with the nursing staff. They saw him as an adorable novelty item, but he had managed to manipulate them for his own benefit, and seemed to have no real passion to change their minds on humanity. When questioned on it, he simply told Eyrn he couldn’t take on the whole universe at once. Not until he knew more about them and their culture. He had a point.

Eyrn was not nearly as accepting as Darren, and had gotten into many a heated debate with the nursing staff, the canteen workers, even the maintenance man. She hadn’t really changed any minds, but had managed to agree to disagree a few times…and was making progress with the maintenance man, she thought.

The time had come for her second meeting with Berator Torm,the psychologist and social worker who had been assigned to her case.

Torm was a light-skinned woman with black, wavy hair, a prominent nose and light brown eyes. The woman spoke with a bit of an accent that reminded Eyrn of aRussian one from back home. She was kindly, and spoke with confidence. She rarely spoke directly to Darren, but would respond to his questions if he was persistent enough.

“I’m very pleased with your progress so far Ms. Fitzgerald.” Torm spoke with a formal smile as she shifted through some information on her data pad.

Eyrn fidgeted in her chair. It was a large black chair that looked and felt like leather, with comfortable arms that made her feel as if she was a child sitting in her father’s chair. It was a sensation she had often heard about, but only now understood.

“Thanks!” Eryn said, smiling a little. “My mom homeschooled me! She was a tough teacher!” She added with a smirk.

“Yes, I see…well somehow you’ve managed to do quite well despite of your disadvantage,” Torm said, with a mildly condescending tone. “I…see you’ve insisted on bringing your pet into the meeting…again.” Torm said with a rough smile.

Eyrn bit her tongue and wrung her hands together roughly as she smiled scornfully back at Berator Torm. “I see you brought your….” Eyrn was cut off abruptly by Darren, who didn’t need to let her finish to know whatever it was she was going to say, it was not going to be nice.

“She’s always been a clever girl! Very sharp,” Darren chuckled, sending Eyrn a disapproving look.

Torm looked to Darren through her nose and then crossed her hands over one another and looked back to Eyrn.

“Well, as I said, you’ve done well on your psychological assessment. Your illiteracy is a bit of an issue, but it’s not uncommon for children who have been raised outside of civilization to often suffer illiteracy. With time and tutoring I think you possess the rudimentary skills to learn to read and write.” The Berator spoke with confidence as she eyed Eyrn.

“I can read quite well…I just can’t read intergalactic gibberish!” Eyrn spoke defensively.

Darren went to speak quickly but was cut off by Torm.

“Yes, you’ve displayed your ability to decipher the primitive written language those who raised you, but that is a far cry from the complexity of common Galactic Archavian.” Torm turned on her swivel chair and reached for something in her carry-on bag beside her.

While the woman’s back was turned, Eyrn made a number of silly, offensive and sour faces, sticking her tongue out and pulling at her ear lobes.

Darren cleared his throat and grumbled a little up at Eyrn, swatting her arm abruptly. Eyrn responded by sending Darren a defiant look and continuing on with her barrage of silly faces, only to find Torm looking back at her with a patient but annoyed expression.

“Are we finished?” The counselor asked patiently.

Eyrn shrunk into her chair and half-smiled, embarrassed. “Ah…I think so…yea.”

Darren hid his face in his hand and sighed, a long, exasperated sigh.

“Right, so according to your score, Ms. Fitzgerald, you possess the ability to complete a college level program in any number of areas. I have compiled list, but since you are still unable to read I can read through it for you.” Torm begun to read through the list. It contained a number of basic blue collar type positions, a few clerical jobs, and more than a few she had never heard of.

“Actually it’s okay, you don’t have to….” Eyrn said, but Berator Torm simply read on.

Eyrn got the distinct impression that the Berator was suggesting she would fit best into a position that didn’t require a whole lot of brains or critical thinking. They were not -bad- jobs, just simple.

“Wait wait wait…are you saying I am limited to these choices?” Eyrn asked, raising her voice to cut Torm off.

“Well, of course, you are free to pursue a college program of your choice. These are just statistically the best choices given your upbringing, your mental and psychological assessment, and your…unique…personality.” Torm smiled forcefully.

Eyrn narrowed her eyes and smiled somewhat bitterly in return.

“So, what happens now, Counselor Troi?” Darren asked, growing impatient with both the belligerent Eyrn and the condescending Torm.

The Berator was silent for a moment as she looked to Darren. She looked scornful and annoyed by the tone he was taking with her, but she simply looked back to Eyrn and cleared her throat, loudly.

“We’ve placed you in the residential assistance program….” Torm began, but was cut off.

“What’s that?” Both Eyrn and Darren spoke in tandem.

Torm waited for them to finish, and calmly went on.

“Residential assistance is a mentorship program. It places underprivileged citizens, disadvantaged or emotionally stunted individuals with a mentor. This mentor is chosen by computer analysis. We match your psychological assessment with the best candidate from our database.” Torm waited for a moment to see if Eyrn was following.

“Go on….” Eyrn narrowed her brow.

“Your mentor will help you make smart financial, emotional and physical choices until you assimilate better with Archavian culture. You are neither obliged nor ordered to listen to your mentor, or even remain with them any longer than you wish to. But your residential fees and basic living expenses will be covered so long as you should chose to, or until you become financially able to support yourself on your own.” Torm set the pad she was holding down for Eyrn and pushed it towards her.

Eyrn took the pad and eyed it carefully.

“This contains your financial information, your citizenship profile, your biological and medical information, identification card and residential address.” Torm said. “It has been programmed in the language you best understand…but you’d be wise to learn common Galactic Archavian as soon as you are able.”

Eyrn smiled somewhat childishly and looked over the pad. “Does this mean I’m free to go?” Eyrn asked without making eye contact.

“You are.” Torm nodded.

“And I’m done with you?” Eyrn asked condescendingly.

“Not quite, we will still have to meet bi-monthly so I can assess your progress,” Torm stated with a grin.

“Oh, lucky me.” Eyrn forced a smile.

“We have arranged passage on the next shuttle bound for Archavia. Your place of residence is, Rutger, in the south of Orion province on Archavia. Residential district 88…building C…floor 35…module 3006.” Torm smiled. “And your mentor will meet you there.”

“What’s their name?” Eyrn asked curiously.

“Oh…it’s written right here. Your mentor’s name is Ms. Bedra Tae.”

“Uh-huh…m’kay…and how am I supposed to get to residential district 88, Building C, floor 35, module 3006 of Rutger in Orion province?” Eyrn asked with a bit of a confused look.

“Well, you’ll be flying in to Emperor Atrius III Starbase, domestic terminal Beth. I have arranged an aircab to take you from the terminal to Rutger. From there you will need to look for domestic transit commuter shuttle 23-Ishay, which will take you to block 88-30.”

“And why can’t you take her there yer elf?” Darren asked with a bit of a concerned look.

Torm didn’t make eye contact with Darren, but maintained her attention on Eyrn. “I’d like you to make this trip on your own. It is a good chance for you to learn to find your way around and to display and practice critical thinking and problem solving,” the Berator said with confidence

“Oh…kay….” Eyrn sounded unsure.

“But don’t worry! Your datapad has a long range communications feature. You can reach me at the push of a button! Still, I highly encourage you to think independently Eyrn. Ask for help, use your instincts!” Torm smiled.

“Right…okay…sure….” Eyrn looked over the information on her pad and forced a smile.

“Don’t worry, Hardae is a very nice place to live — virtually no crime rate. If you get lost, simply ask a citizen, or a peacekeeper for assistance. There are also numerous personal assistance droids to help – and if all else fails, I am but a long range signal away!” Berator Torm smiled as she stood. “And don’t worry, I will escort you to your shuttle to Archavia.”

Eyrn stood, scooping Darren up in the process. “Oh…okay…um…now?” Eyrn asked uncertainly.

“No, we have some paperwork to finish, and then your final medical check. Your shuttle will leave first thing next galactic cycle.” Torm lead Eyrn to the office door.

“Oh…is that long?” Eyrn asked, confused.

“First thing tomorrow morrning…about 23 hours from now.” Torm guided Eyrn outside the door and smiled back at her

“Seems weird that isn’t a whole day from now,” Eyrn said.

“I suppose it does,” Torm responded as she closed the office door, leaving Darren and Eyrn alone in the hall.

“Well, that went well,” Darren said up after some silence.

“Yeah,” Eyrn responded anxiously. “I guess it did.”

***

Eyrn stepped off the metal platform onto the smooth paved surface and turned her head away from the bright, near-blinding light. The petite Titaness shielded her eyes and pushed forward. Her simple white sneakers made contact with a hard but slightly yielding surface.

The sunlight was bright and left a strange purple outline on her shadow, which was the first thing she took notice to.

“Please clear the unloading platform, miss….” A male voice requested formally.

“Think we best keep move’n.” Darren suggested.

There were no trees, no sandy dunes. The grass that lined the area beside the tarmac was a sort of strange bluish green, and there were any number of strange plants and objects with which Eyrn was ignorant of.

She kept moving until she had cleared the unloading platform, her steps slow as she looked around in awe.

“The sun is funny looking isn’t it?” Eyrn spoke to Darren as she moved on.

The building she was moving towards was a grand structure, the likes of which she had never seen. It was a dome-like structure with glass panes for windows. Alongside the main structure were a number of attached smaller structures. It had a very unearthly and futuristic look, like something out of a novel.

“Ah guess we gotta go there?” Darren suggested as he leaned forward, just as eager to take in the sights as Eyrn.

A few other passengers moved out behind her, brushing past her as if she had not even been there. A taller woman with orange hair, a strange looking outfit and tanned skin. The woman’s shoulder made contact with Eyrn and sent the smaller woman stumbling back.

“Watch it ya butt-hole!” Darren muttered loudly from his perch on Eyrn’s right shoulder.

The larger woman simply looked back hastily and offered a forced but mildly sympathetic smile. “Oh, sorry miss! I didn’t see you there!”

Eyrn was not given a chance to respond before the woman was already out of reach.

Eyrn was quiet for a moment, she didn’t respond to Darren’s outburst, or the woman’s apology. She simply stood, taking in the smell, the sight, and the feel of the world around her.

“Twat?” Darren asked cautiously.

Eyrn seldom accosted Darren by grabbing him without his permission, but in this instance she did. Quickly she scooped him up, securing him by wrapping her fingers around him. Her face lit up with the most childish of smiles, and she nearly broke the Sarge’s ear drums with her giddiness.

“Did you see what just happened!?” Eyrn declared more than asked.

“Gah! Ah saw it just fine…now put me down ya oversized ninny!” Darren grumbled.

“She didn’t see me! She didn’t notice me! That doesn’t happen! Darren she didn’t notice me!” Eyrn tittered.

Darren smiled somewhat reserved and chuckled as he wiggled his arm free and rested it atop her clenched fist. “Well you are kinda a shrimp! Least next to everyone else!”

“I am! Isn’t that cool?” Eyrn proclaimed with the utmost excitement.

Darren chuckled as he was clutched close to Eyrn’s chest. Despite her giddy excitement he could tell she was anxious, her near choking grip was a dead giveaway. In all the time Darren had known her, she was never one to play all her cards openly. Eyrn didn’t like letting herself appear vulnerable emotionally. As silly as that seemed for a woman who was much larger than everyone she had ever met.

“Okay…what am doing? What am I supposed to do!?” Eyrn’s tone shifted drastically as the euphoria wore off.

Darren watched Eyrn carefully before he spoke. Her breathing had picked up, she was flush and her eyes were darting around nervously. She appeared to very quickly go from a very good mood to a very anxious state in the blink of an eye.

She felt small, insignificant and small, like she had lost control of her situation completely. There were so many directions she could go, and she was unfamiliar with all of them! She felt completely overwhelmed by the suffocating weight of it all.

“Hey, focus kid. Just remember the instructions you were given!” Darren spoke up, his voice authoritative and commanding, despite his compromised predicament.

Eyrn took a deep breath and then peered down towards Darren. She felt tired, exhausted even. Like she was outside of herself looking down, watching these events take place, somewhere between wakefulness and dreaming.

“Sorry…this just feels so strange.” Eyrn’s voice was faint and soft, she almost looked dizzy.

“Twat, pull yerself together! Ya don’t wanna spend another week with them nuts on the space station eh?”

“Maybe I should have asked someone to come with me! Why did I think I could do this alone! I don’t know where I’m going! I can’t even properly speak this language! Darren I should go back! Maybe this isn’t a good idea?!”

Darren struggled to free his other arm and pulled himself up a little, her grip was growing tighter and more confining, to the point where his sides were starting to hurt.

“You can do this, you will do this, and you ain’t alone! Take a deep breath…do you remember the counselor lady’s instructions?” Darren was making full use of his commanding Sergeant’s voice.

“Domestic arrival Terminal Beta…take the yellow aircab to Rutger in Orion province. Transfer to domestic transit commuter shuttle 23-Ishay to block 88-30. Look for residential district 88…building C…floor 35…module 3006….” Eyrn repeated the instructions directly as they had been given to her.

“Exactly! Easy-peasy! Right?” Darren grinned as he freed himself from her hold, and began to crawl up her arm back to her shoulder. The low gravity made it almost laughably easy.

“Only one problem….” Eyrn whimpered.

“Now what?” Darren sighed as he hoisted himself up onto her shoulder.

“This translation do-hicky doesn’t work for written words…I can’t read any of this stuff!”

Darren rubbed his temples and ran his hand over his face with a moan. “Wern’t cha paying attention when counselor Troi was showing ya what teh look for?”

“Yes! But I can’t just learn a whole new language in a few weeks, Darren!” Eyrn grumbled defensively.

“No one said ya gotta learn it…all ya gotta do is remember important things…like the terminal were looked fer.” Darren spoke, regaining his calm.

“Domestic arrival Terminal Beta….” Eyrn repeated to herself softly.

“Right…ya ‘member what the Beta symbol looks like right?” Darren quizzed her with a smile.

“No!” Eyrn mumbled in a pout. “Do you?” She asked hopefully.

“Yes actually.” Darren bragged.

“Good! So tell me where to go!” Eyrn demanded.

Darren squinted and eyed signs before him that hung over the various different terminals. There were more than a few, and more than one had a the Archavian beta symbol near the end of the long string of gibberish.

“A-heh…well funny thing about that….”

“Ha! You are just as lost as I am!” Eyrn gloated.

“Well ah ain’t the gat-dang alien!” Darren grunted.

“Well excuse me for not knowing intergalactic gibberish!” Eyrn mopped.

“Alright! Enough! All we gotta do is ask sumone fer help! Simple!” Darren sighed.

“Ok…so ask someone.” Eyrn suggested, anxiously.

“Sure that’d go over well! If ya want a scooby snack and a pat on the head! ‘S about all ah’m gonna get outta these ass backwards chumps!” Darren groaned.

“Hehe. I know I’m just being a jerk!” Eyrn teased.

“Girlie ah will cut you!” Darren growled.

“You can’t do that! I’m your master! You have to be nice to me!” Eyrn teased.

“Like hell ah do!” Darren huffed.

“So you admit I’m your master! You didn’t deny it!” Eyrn laughed.

“Ah admit to nothing!” Darren groaned.

“Well let’s check the microchip in your back because….”

“Twat will you cut it out already? Wasn’t funny the first time and it ain’t funny now!” Darren snapped and crossed his arms.

“Sorry….” Eyrn spoke softly and apologetically.

“That one…ah think it’s that one…right there….” Darren pointed to a terminal, mostly gibberish save for a Beta symbol at the end.

“Are you sure?” Eyrn asked softly.

“Sure ah’m sure.” Darren spoke quickly, quietly.

***

Aisell Maris laughed as she hung on to her friend’s arm tightly. The taller woman beside her laughed with a much more profound and present laughter, and wrapped her arm around the smaller thinner woman.

“It’s so good to see you smile again, Aisell!” Bedra Tae leaned some of her weight on her friend and stumbled forward on the paved walking path.

“You two are being loud! Be less loud! My ears don’t like loud!” the tiny dark skinned, human mumbled from his confines in the front breast pocket of the equally dark-skinned Bedra.

“Oh don’t be a grump, Degu! Nobody likes a grump-a-loo!” Aisell said with a pleasant joviality in her voice. A tone she had not spoken with for some time.

“I don’t know what that means but I’m not…one of those….” Degu said with a bit of a downcast tone. He wasn’t unhappy, but he wasn’t sharing the giddiness of the two women.

“Well, what else can we do? We’ve gone shopping, we went out for lunch, we saw a movie…we even ran into some old friends…but I don’t wanna go home yet and I don’t want to say goodbye to you!” Bedra clung to Aisell, ignoring Degu for the time being.

“I know! But Aehzay will be getting home today – or so she says – and I’d like to debrief Luke on her, and her on him…before a chance encounter. You know what Aehzay is like around humans….” Aisell winced.

“Ooh! You are bordering on obsessed with that thing! You smother him an awful lot for someone who is convinced he is an equal!” Bedra teased.

“He is not a thing….” Aisell insisted.

“Whatever! Let Lezah handle it, they get along don’t they?” Bedra insisted.

“Well yes but….”

“And anyhow, I’ve thought of something we can do!” Bedra perked up and took Aisell by the hand, neatly dragging her up the pathway.

“Waah! Hey slow down!”. Aisell stumbled to keep up. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see!” Bedra grinned. “You’ll see!”

***

There were so many people walking on the path, Eyrn had a difficult time fighting her way through the crowd. The traffic above their heads was something else to get used to. Darren had hardly taken his eyes off the flying vehicles since they had exited the aircab.

Most of who they could see were Titans. There was the odd Dunnermac, a Ler or two, but mostly Titans.

“I haven’t seen very many humans,” Eyrn commented to Darren, who didn’t tear his eyes from the traffic above.

“Heh, well you heard the lady…approved carrying and transportation crate ‘er something like that.” Darren was obscured from outside sight by Eyrn’s long brown hair.

“Guess so,” Eyrn shrugged slightly.

“Flying cars! Will ya look at that kid! Flying fucken cars!” Darren smiled as he spoke, clearly in awe.

“If they can invent flying cars, why can’t they put together a decent cheeseburger.” Eyrn mumbled, the after taste from the synthesized meal she had purchased was still leaving its trail in her mouth.

“When did you ever eat cheeseburgers?” Darren teased.

“When I wasn’t choking down green puke-shakes, sometimes I ate real food Mr. Caretaker!” Eyrn grinned. “And they may have been small but they tasted better than this stuff.”

“Ya just need ta get used to it is all. ‘sides that wasn’t beef…m’sure they don’t got cows here.” Darren asserted with confidence.

“I could go for one of those right now! Good old American beef!” Eyrn smiled wistfully.

“Just one?” Darren teased.

“Shut up! I eat less then you do proportionally!” Eyrn sounded offended.

“At least ah can’t polish off half a heard a bovine!” Darren laughed.

“I’ll finish you off if you’re not careful!” Eyrn did not sound amused.

Eyrn looked around and stopped, she narrowed her eyes and scrunched her lips to the side quizzically. There were a number of airbus terminals with a crowd at each of them. She peered down to Darren with a confused look, only to receive a shrug from him in reply.

“Best ask someone fer help.” Darren suggested.

“You keep suggesting that.” Eyrn responded, frustrated.

“Well it makes sense!” Darren argued back.

Eyrn watched the crowd of intimidating giants. They may have been close to her in size, but they still felt like giants to her. Most of them were taller than her, save for children. None of them seemed at all interested in her, each of them wrapped up in their own little world, chatting on ocular lenses and communication devices hooked to their ear, some of them eating as they waited for the shuttle. Some held strange beastlike creatures on what appeared to be electric trains. They were all dressed in strange styles Eyrn had never seen, with hair styles quite alien to her as well. It was incredibly intimidating, and the more she saw, the less she wanted to ask anyone for anything!

Darren sighed and took a long slow breath. “Fine, I’ll do it!” Darren eyed the gathering and singled out a Titan woman with blue hair, a small cute nose and a simple red glowing sun dress. She had long painted nails to match her hair and was holding one end of a laser like chain that held what on earth might be called a dog, but looked like a cross between a dog and a turtle. Proportionally it was about the size of a beagle, which meant it was a bit larger than an elephant..

“‘scuse me…miss…miss wit the blue hair’n funny turtle-dog…you hoo!” Darren shouted and waved, pushing Eyrn’s chocolate brown hair aside, the rope like hair fibers obscured him from sight.

The Titan woman looked around for the source of the voice, until her eyes fell on the petite woman standing near her.

“Pardon me? Did you say something?” The woman spoke, distracted but hardly off-putting.

Eyrn froze, she eyed the stranger and just froze.

“Say something!” Darren nudged her.

But Eyrn just stood there, dumb and stupid looking.

“Are…you ok?” The blue haired woman narrowed her eyes.

“Arg!” Darren battled through the hair jungle until he was viable and spoke up loudly.

“We’re looked fer domestic transit commuter shuttle 23-Ishay….” Darren spoke with his best ‘human’ voice. Taking all the practice he had picked up with the nurses to work.

“Oh! Hello there cutie! I think I can help you with that! Second platform just across the way…you can see it from here!” The Titaness pointed a long manicured finger towards the platform Darren was looking for then turned back to Eyrn, who was still looking dumb and frozen.

“That all?” The woman asked.

Eyrn didn’t move.

“Yea…thanks.” Darren groaned.

“Hehe. No problem lil’guy!” The woman send Eyrn one more confused look before she went back to her own business.

“Smooth one there slick….” Darren sighed.

“…” Eyrn broke from her stupor and sulked as she scurried over to the platform. Neither of them said another word.