Different.

2165

"... we look forward to what humanity has to offer the galaxy," said the asari with stripes on her face. The TV news program switched back to a human reporter.

"And there you have it straight from Councilor Tevos' mouth," said the reporter. "Again, if you're just tuning in, we are live on the Citadel, just moments past the official opening of the first human embassy. The ambassador is still shaking hands, but we'll have an exclusive interview tonight. This is a great achievement for our species. We have a lot to live up to. Now back to Kadeem al-Jilani..."

Andie swung her legs back and forth, chin in hand as she stared with glassy eyes at the TV. Bitterly cold winter winds blew across the plains of New Independence. It wasn't quite a blizzard, but it was too cold to go outside. Too cold to do anything fun. She focused again on the TV as a commercial with a dancing krogan came on singing about some food chain that didn't exist on Mindoir yet.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?" Joanna was bent over a databad, the end of the stylus stuck between her teeth. She tapped on a figure, frowned, then scribbled something down.

"Why are aliens different?"

Joanna looked up at her daughter. "Well..." She blinked and sat back in her chair. "Why are your friends Colby and Marie different?"

Andie frowned. "They aren't different. Well, Colby's older than me, but that doesn't mean anything except he's taller." She sniffed. "Not by much though."

"Colby and Marie both have some physical differences. Colby's a boy. Marie has brown eyes. They both have different colored skin than you do," Joanna pointed out. "That's different, right?" She watched as Andie frowned in confusion, as if the thought had not occurred to her.

"What do you think," Joanna continued as her daughter continued to frown, "it would be like if everyone in the world, everyone in the galaxy, looked like you and talked like you and acted like you?"

Andie thought for a bit. "It might be fun at first, but it would get really boring after awhile," she concluded. She got to see herself any old day in the mirror. What fun would it be to have to see herself everywhere?

"That's right. And there's your answer."

"Huh?"

"I have a theory," Joanna said, pulling her little girl into her lap, combing her fingers through her hair, plaiting it absently, "that when God made the galaxy, He knew what you just figured out, that everyone being the same would get boring. He knew it would be a lot more fun with different people around, so He made humans, and asari, and krogan, and salarians, and hanar and all the other aliens that I didn't mention."

"Even batarians?" Andie turned around to face her mother, wrinkling her nose.

Joanna frowned. There'd been a lot of anti-batarian propaganda on the human-based channels on the TV lately. Her sister-in-law, Esther, had sent vid mails talking about skirmishes with them out in the Verge. Even with humanity finally gaining a foothold in galactic politics, Joanna knew that would have little to no effect on colonists so far from the seat of power. Still, it was disturbing to see that reflected in a young girl's attitude.

"Especially batarians," Joanna said firmly. She smoothed a loose strand of hair from her daughter' forehead. "Different isn't always a bad thing, sweetie. Some things are the way they are and it's up to us to learn how to deal with them, to adapt, to learn, so that we can help other people do the same. And hopefully, we learn to be friends with more people."

"Like Aunt Essie? She helps people by being a soldier."

"Exactly. But there are other ways to help too. Some people grow food," Joanna winked, tickling Andie in the ribs. She giggled and squirmed out of her lap.

"Yeah," Andie said, grinning, "but farmers don't have shotguns." She scampered out of the room, leaving Joanna open-mouthed in her chair.

"Hey, honey, what's going on?" Matt said, coming into the kitchen, red-nosed and stamping his feet from the cold.

"I think we need to have a talk with Essie about what soldier stories she tells the kids."