First Contact

The park was sunny, the breeze warm, and the air smelled good, of sweet growing things and a promise of a bright future untarnished by the events of a cold universe.

A human toddler, no older than two, ran giggling toward four podlings in a circle that were dancing to the tune of the summer afternoon. Twice she fell, but each time she got up, still giggling, and ran over to where the podlings were. When she reached them, she joined in their dance, laughing with a freedom only small children know.

A handful of hatchlings took off, buzzing, from the back of a Treana'ad Matron, flying out of the cloud from her power-smoker, to land on a branch, where they watched the Terran adolescents slam against one another in their contest to kick a ball through a frame. Each impact between the Terran males brought out the flash of psychic collision that was just a bright as the laughter.

Brentili'ik sat and stroked the fur of her broodcarriers as they nursed the small podlings they had given birth to only a few months before. Podlings that watched everything with bright curious eyes.

Despite the cold and dark of an antagonistic and malevolent universe, the park was bright and warm.

A podling leaned forward to taste the ice-cream on the spoon a Treana'ad adolescent was eating. Its little eyes widened.

"Is yummy!" the podling exclaimed.

The Treana'ad laughed and ruffled the fur on her head.

Brentili'ik sat and watched.

It was a good day.

Filled with the laughter of children.