¿¿¿ ɹǝʇdɐɥƆ
Their lives were short.
We discovered this, to our horror, only after our new friends left us and returned to their own world. Not long after that first joyful meeting, their ship reappeared in our skies - or we thought it had. We believed our friends had returned to us, in better, stronger carapaces. But the ȋ̶̢̩̅ɿ̶͓̏̆ʏ̵̨́͝ʜ̵̼͋q̶͉̬̕ɘ̸̦͝Ƹ̵̗̉͌. who had come were not the same.
Where are our dear friends? We asked their new commander.
Dead, xie said.
Dead! Grief felt like the weight of The Blue pressing down on us. We were disconsolate.
What happened? What has taken them from us? We had to know, even if the knowing would hurt us.
They grew old, xie told us, more gently now that they were beginning to understand. It's been many years. They died and we are those who came after. They were happy, at their end, to know they had contributed to our journey. And when it is our turn to die, we will also be happy, because we have contributed to the journey of those who come next. Our people tell each other stories about you. You are the ones who saved our s̵̤̣̉ʇ̶̣̹͑n̶͕̅ɐ̸̺̌ü̶̱͝o̵̟͂͜ɹ̸̪̱̊̉ʇ̶̳̏ș̴͝ɐ̸̡͔̂͝ from certain death. But that is not the only reason we have come. We're here because we were hoping you could help us once more.
In those days, we would have done anything for our friends, without question. And that was our mistake.
What can we do to help you? we asked.
We need minerals, they said.