She was on a beach in southern Mexico when the call came. It ripped through her, leaving her on hands and knees, gasping. She had never felt this kind of pain, nor did she understand what it meant. Physical pain was nothing new, but this was not something felt by skin. It came from one of her kind, but the feeling was not anything she knew.

She had not known any of her species was here. The One reported his visit on this planet long ago, stressing that humans were not yet ready for contact, and that it was a dangerous place. As far as she was aware, none from their world had returned to Earth. His story sparked her curiosity. The One communicated his experience with human emotion, something her people had never encountered. He described the beauty of this planet and the uniqueness of being human. She was intrigued. After all, her people were explorers. Knowledge was their purpose and their priority.

Therefore, she had come, undetected by the beings who lived here. Her species now knew that humanity was hostile, and her ship was designed to shield itself from lesser technology. For a while, she simply roamed and watched. There was so much to see! After careful evaluation, she decided to proceed. She wanted to experience these emotions, these rare expressions of self, found nowhere else. She searched and found the body.

The woman was already dead. The visitor would never have ended a life̶—the concept was foreign, made no sense in the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to meet other species and learn. Why would any being wish to end another life? However, the One had warned them, so she knew that humans were capable of killing.

She took a moment beside the woman. Life was precious. Her people felt no sadness or grief, but a journey had ended, and she would acknowledge it. Then it began, this process her kind had learned millennia ago. All the smallest pieces of life were but building blocks, and her people were architects. They knew how to build.

She had done this before, on other worlds. Most of them had. Personal experience was the basis of all learning. Every life was something new, something to examine. However, she was not prepared, not for this body and not for how it felt.

Feelings. Over the next year, she walked among humans, observing and interacting. She garnered many odd looks, but no one suspected who she was. At first, it was overwhelming. Then it was amazing. Frustration followed…emotional control was difficult, and proper etiquette among these humans was entirely different from all she knew. But she learned, and with knowledge, came joy.

Then the call came. She was flooded with confusion. Who else was here? She had encountered no one from her world. Her sphere was her guide. She followed the connection, obviously from one of her own kind. It came from far away, but she was used to travelling.

As she got closer, she began to wonder if it was the One. Had he decided to return? He had told his people that he had given a son to the woman who helped him. It was a gift, but more than that. He could not explain to them, this experience called love. They had no reference for it, no understanding. Mating with other species had never been done, not because it was not allowed, but because there was simply no need. He had created something new, and her kind were fascinated. However, his warning kept them away. Humans were not ready.

She could feel the presence from far away, whenever she used the sphere. Although, used was not the right word for what her species did with the sphere. It was not a tool; it was a part of them. They had never questioned it. It expanded their consciousness in a way that could not be explained in any human language. Now, someone else on this planet had one and understood how to connect with it.

As she grew closer, she felt a difference. This was not the One. He was not one of her people. This was someone new. Part of him was from her species, but the other half was human. It had to be the son—the being the One created as a token of an emotion she did not understand. She had never considered seeking out the son, but here he was, not far away…and he had called.

Time passed, and she finally arrived at his location in an immense forest, green and bright in the planet's sun. When night fell, she held the sphere, and she reached out. Her consciousness entered the clearing and observed. The man startled, sitting up, and his hand touched his own sphere in his pocket. She sensed him in the same way he sensed her. She moved away, behind the trees and simply watched. Even when he fell asleep, she stayed, contemplating. What did he need? Why had he called? Was the One here also? She did not feel the One's presence, but if he did not have his sphere, he would remain undetected.

When the sun rose, she departed and stayed out of sight. She would follow this man, learn about him, and discover what he needed. She had never met a being of two species…and she remembered the pain, that sharp pierce that had left her breathless. Why had he felt that pain? She wished to know.

So she walked, through the pines and along the creek, always far enough behind the man that he could not sense her. His connection to his sphere was not as strong as hers. She could remain unseen until she knew more…until the time was right to approach. Her sphere glowed and she shielded it, knowing that humans travelled this area. She must not be detected, for the danger was real. She had seen enough in the past year to know. Humans were unpredictable, and their values were different from those of her species. This man, however, was not entirely human. She anticipated their meeting. Ahead of her, the man picked his way carefully along the muddy bank of the stream.

She followed.