So, besides the ones I mentioned, there’s a few healers. Milly is our Molly cloned sister, who’s Governor Of Earth Elshar Zheiea. A map came up. Oh. We have a replica of the entire Beltline! That’s 13 parks, including the new proposed parks that Atlanta Beltline was going to have. And, it has walking trails with a streetcar system! I drooled over the ideas, especially with low-income housing mixed in, but politics slowed the project down. A lot. Out in Alb, all the Earthan colonies can have a Beltline if people want it. Who wouldn’t? And they already have trees and native plants, and a plan for progs to keep any plants people want from Earth where they are so native plants on the worlds won’t be overrun. This is how they handle all non-native plants, so Elshars from certain provs can have imports to remind them of their ancestors’ homes. All our artisans have farms and grow plants to make their pigments from, and other materials they use for art or musical instruments. Costumes, too.

There won’t be any politics over who can live where. People aren’t grouped by income level at their last job. None of Earth’s measures apply. Everyone is equal. Truly equal.

The more I learned, the more excited I got about our colony. All 5 cities of Rahn Estar are right next to the eastern half of the Beltline. Esta Faho is next to Piedmont Park, my favorite place in all of Atlanta! But I might ask if Keiley minds if we put our house next to Grant Park, where rescued zoo animals roam free, with progs to protect people and them. Then I noticed their locations on my map. They aren’t confined to Grant Park. They go wherever they please, Beltline or not! I loved that idea! Animals can choose to hide themselves if they don’t like people. So you only see them if they want interaction. They can choose to see certain favorite people. I guess telepathy opens up possibilities I never thought about.

Berto is an assignment specialist, and he has an Earthan wife, Cassandra. He’s sitting by Cevit Ion. His cloned brother helped me.

With him is a Thordes, they’re purple, and she’s Serena, another Earthan. They’ll live on the Beltline, too? So will Berto and Cassandra.

I’m supposed to be planning visits to all our Esta Fahoans, though. Decided to start with Stacy, the scared single mom.

I got up, but so did someone important across the ship. Oops. I sat back down.

He held his twin-fingered hands up and waited for Earthans to notice that every Zheien eye was fixed on him. More patience than I would have. This is a good opportunity to study a great Zheien leader. This is First Prince Goes, soon to lead the largest and most prosperous of the Zheien colonies, MarKu.

A blinking notice on my screen let me know Becky’s my 3rd cousin? And Elsie’s my 6th cousin? Farley ran a prog to check for Elsie’s relatives! Even Ella is my 10th cousin. Stacy over there? 7th cousin. Yelena is my 5th cousin. What a coincidence, that all 21 of us Earthans are related, and we all chose to come to Elshar Zheiea? Elsie and Stacy are Black—well, Elsie has African ancestry and Stacy has Indian. Interesting. Elsie’s close as a sister to me. My parents don’t know a single Black person, as far as I know. Margarite’s family chose MarKu, after all. It’s only 4 mins away. My beautician friend didn’t want to leave Earth. Priscilla went to all my friends. Only so much we can do. There’s hope they might change their minds.

And, Elsie’s sitting by Nespa, while Pas is frowning at his misshapen leiwege. Never saw one like that--

As I watched Goes, an orange Zheien with more pins on his sash than I’d seen on any of these diplomats, I noticed Antomias and Becky, Nathanhai and his new wife Yelena haven’t come out of their rooms yet. Stacy with her 5 kids looked nervous whenever a healer came to her, but she did let him give them a huge leiwege. All of the kids were little, and fell asleep fast. They should be up running around, shouldn’t they? Pas, both of ‘em, looked worried. Oh, we have two because one will stay in Rainbow Elshar Zheiea and one will stay with Farley’s family. Ella’s people are sick?

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

A man next to Goes that resembled him startled. It seemed strange to me, to see a Zheien startle! With all that telepathy, you’d think nothing would.

He still had his arms raised, but finally, people looked at him. I felt tingles from all the Zheien! They all love the rulers of MarKu. “Everyone, we will be delayed for a time. Slavers started a slaver mine on Titan just two weeks past. Pirad, a brilliant scientist, sent a ship and an army of holograms with containments to wrest it from them. He was successful. They will arrive in about an hour. We must be ready! Most of these slaves are of MarKu, but many have friends who need them. We fear to separate them. Most are terrified, and think they go to another mine. Many of you have memories of adopting former slaves and caring for them in your homes. Will you help us? We can nae bring more healers here quickly. Our healers are mostly those with nae experience healing slaves!

“I ask that those of you with children younger than 10, and those who fear to see injured or fear for their children to see them, move to this chamber near us.” He pointed, by rolling up the outside flat finger, and an arch showed an empty room.

“Those who wish to help us, please stay. Move now, my friends. We have little time to teach you the work of healer helpers.”

So many of the kids wanted to stay and help! It warmed my heart. Well, there go my plans! I’ll stay and help.

Het Paren looked pale.

“My son, I must insist you go to rest—”

“I must stay and help! Many of us are missing, and need familiar faces, if they are among these.”

His healer, Lanapah, frowned. “I think this excitement is unwell for you, but I will stay.”

“Thank you, Lan.”

I watched Cevit Ion. He didn’t stop frowning and kept black eyes. Why?

I fear he expects to see many diplomats. If he nae sees them quickly, they may die.

Why is that?

Slavers oft think of things our leaders wish to know, to save others from torture or death! Is called giving one’s report. We diplomats are the eyes of our emperor, and we watch for signs of a government’s health. Slavers oft take us when we feel we are in a safe location. If we can tell our leaders, perhaps others have warning and take precautions. Only a few of us can take reports.

I can. Lanapah pulled Het Paren’s brown hand against his forehead, and he nodded. I think all of us are needed, Lan.

I was glad to see that not many Earthans left this main room. Some sent their younger kids with a healer or someone they knew, and stayed with an older child. At least I can help teach some of them what to do. But, I dreaded to see someone die! Inside, I quivered.

Then, we watched a holo of Berto visiting a mine. That was hard to watch. Slaves and even paid workers have to put on boots with shards of glass embedded, that might not fit. I looked away.

“Are you unwell, Lady Bedelia?” Lanapah brought a friend to sit by me.

“I’m all right.”

This one took my hand in 3 flat fingers. “I am Lanapah’s cousin, Senipae. Need you healing? Is difficult, to learn of mines, eae?”

Rainbow rescued a lot of them fresh from there. Most of ‘em cowered against a building or tried to hide in the thick flowers! I was always grateful that Keiley never—but he was always scared when we went out in the open. I shook all over.

“Lady, nae hide. I will let you know me, before I heal you.” That’s what they always said—but Zheien can see right through it, if you’re trying not to cry. Other women see you as a helpless female, if they see you cry. But, Zheien—and Ishah are like Zheien. Most of the 3 fingered people are healers, and all of them learn healing. I let go. My sobs sound dumb to me.

She hugged me. “Perhaps you should go sit by your husband, Lady.”

“I’m a Council member, and I need to be here.” I gave her a hug and sat back. Goes is standing again. I could tell by the emotion of Zheien in the room.

The holo went on to list common mine poisons, and which of those were common in which known slaver mines. The mine on Titan is a bluemetal mine, and those have not got a lot of poisons that don’t have cures. Vek ea is enough, if they only worked there. They’ll be running hygiene on all the slaves before they leave the ship they’re coming here on. So we won’t get any contamination from poisons in their tunics, or on their skin. I knew from watching slaver ships unload. Rainbow didn’t have a spaceport. Ships landed near that multicolored building.

Healers made notes.